Kidney Function

It is said that we are what we eat. Because the food we eat is assimilated into our blood. And the nutrients circulating in our bloodstream replenish every cell of our body. On the other side of the coin, this blood needs to be constantly cleaned and maintained at an equilibrium. This is where the kidneys come in. It is the function of the kidneys to continually filter out the impurities and toxins from the blood.   After the body tissues have taken what is needed from the nutrient-laden blood, waste is sent back to the blood. If our kidneys did not remove these waste substances, they would build up in the blood to the point of death. Kidneys excrete the unwanted stuff from the blood and retain only the essential ingredients. In this sense, it can be said that we are indeed what our kidneys keep. Kidneys are such vital organs of the body that we can only keep going as long as the kidneys keep functioning.The kidneys regulate the composition of the blood by 1) removing waste chemica ls from metabolism of body’s tissue cells and various chemicals that have been detoxified by the liver (such as drugs, toxins and hemoglobin breakdown products) – i.e. excretion 2) maintaining the concentrations of various ions (including sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, phosphate) and other important substances at optimum levels   – i.e., osmoregulation. 3) keeping the volume of water and in the body at the right levels and 4) keeping   the acid/base concentration of the blood constant.Besides regulating the blood composition, kidneys also help maintain the body’s blood pressure through the action of an enzyme called renin. Further, they actually help new blood cells to generate from the bone marrow. This they do by acting in the capacity of endocrine glands by releasing a hormone called erythropoietin. The kidneys also release a hormone called calcitrol which helps the body sythesize calcium.Blood is pumped down from the hea rt, and the kidneys receive this blood through a branch of aorta called the renal artery. Although the kidneys are relatively small in size and constitute less than 1% of the total body weight, they can take in up to 20% of the body’s total blood volume at a time. Blood flows from the renal artery into progressively smaller arteries, the smallest being the arterioles. From the arterioles, blood flows into tufts of microscopic capillaries called glomeruli. Blood exits each glomerulus through another arteriole, which connects to a small vein. The small veins join to form a single large renal vein, which carries blood away from each kidney. After the processing of the blood, the purified blood is returned to the body through the renal vein and the filtered-out waste products and other unwanted substances move out through the ureter. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the bladder.The kidneys filter and return to the bloodstream about 200 quarts of fluid every day . of which about two quarts are removed from the body in the form of urine.Excretion in the kidneys removes water, inorganic ions, products of detoxification of blood, and nitrogenous waste products that result from the metabolism of protein taken into the body in food. Protein is broken down by the process of digestion into amino acids which are carried to the liver by the blood and get converted into body protein. But the surplus amino acids which cannot be stored by the body undergo a process of deamination, i.e. are broken down. Ammonia is formed as a by-product. Ammonia is an extremely toxi substance. Inside the liver it combines with carbon dioxide in a series of reactions known as the ornithine cycle. Urea is formed as a result, which then passes into the circulation and is carried to the kidney, is processed by nephrons and then excreted in the urine. With waste products thus expelled from the body, the purity of the blood is restored – an this is a continuous process inside our bodies.The NephronThe key functional unit of the kidney is called the nephron. Each kidney contains about a million nephrons. It is these nephrons that contain glomureli. Each nephron consists of a glomerulus surrounded by a thin-walled, bowl-shaped structure (Bowman's capsule), a tiny tube (tubule) that drains fluid from a space in Bowman's capsule, and a collecting duct that drains the freshly-formed urine from the tubule. Each of these tubules has three parts: the proximal convoluted tubule, the loop of Henle, and the distal convoluted tubule. It is in this closely packed intricate network of glomeruli and tubules that the basic process of blood filtering takes place.Nephrons regulate water and electrolytes in the body by filtering the blood, after which necessary fluid and molecules are reabsorbed and unneedes substances are secreted. Reabsorption and secretion are accomplished with both cotransport and countertransport mechanisms established in the nephrons and asso ciated collecting ducts.Blood enters the glomeruli at high pressure. Much of the fluid part of blood is filtered through small pores in the glomeruli, leaving behind blood cells and most large molecules, such as proteins. Thus filtered fluid then enters Bowman's space and passes into the tubule leading from Bowman's capsule. In the first part of the tubule, most of the sodium, water, glucose, and other substances are reabsorbed and returned to the blood. In the next part of the tubule, the remaining sodium,   and potassium, and chloride are pumped out, and the resulting fluid becomes increasingly dilute. The dilute fluid then passes through the next part of the tubule, where more sodium is pumped out in exchange for potassium and acid, which are pumped in. A complex series of chemical exchanges constantly take place inside the glomeruli and tubules of nephrons.The Kidneys and the Liver  There is also another major organ responsible for filtering out toxins from the blood, and th at is the liver. The liver performs several roles in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Further, the liver breaks down toxin substances, and it also breaks down hemoglobin.  Food nutrients entering the liver from the intestine are changed into forms usable by the body cells or are stored for future use. Fats are converted into fatty acids and then into carbohydrates or ketone bodies and transported by the blood to the tissues. Sugars are converted into glycogen, which remains stored in the liver until it is needed for energy production, when it is reconverted into glucose and released into the bloodstream. In its role as a blood purifier, the liver metabolizes nitrogenous waste products from body processes and detoxifies poisonous substances, preparing them for elimination in the urine or feces.The human liver secretes about one litre of bile each day to aid the digestion of fats in the food. Bile is also the medium of excretion for certain metabolic waste products, drug compounds , and toxins. Bile secreted into the common bile duct enters the gallbladder, where it is concentrated and stored. When needed,   this bile flows out of the gallbladder and into the intestine. Worn-out red blood cells are destroyed in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow.   A pigment, bilirubin, formed in the process of hemoglobin breakdown, is released into the bile, creating its characteristic greenish-orange colour.The red blood cells are degraded at end of their lives in liver and spleen, with hemoglobin breaking down to heme and globin. Erythrocytes of red blood cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide by binding them with iron in hemoglobin. Erythrocyte production in the body is stimulated by a hormone called erythropoietin, secreted mainly by kidneys. The fixed phagocytic cells of the spleen and bone marrow destroy old blood cells and convert the heme groups of hemoglobin into the pigment bilirubin. The bilirubin is secreted into the blood and carried to the liver where it is conjugated with glucuronic acid, a derivative of glucose. Some of the conjugated bilirubin is secreted into the blood, and the rest is excreted in the bile as bile pigment that passes into the small intestine. This â€Å"conjugated† bilirubin is called direct bilirubin, while the â€Å"unconjugated† bilirubin is called indirect bilirubin.The conjugated bilirubin that is excreted into the bile by the liver is stored in the gall bladder or transferred directly to the small intestines. Urobilinogens are colorless compounds formed by bacteria in the intestine from bilirubin after the conjugated glucuronic acid has been removed. The urobilinogen remaining in the intestine is oxidized to brown stercobilin which gives the feces their characteristic color. A small portion of the urobilinogen is reabsorbed, extracted from the circulation by the hepatocytes and excreted by the kidney. This constitutes the normal â€Å"intrahepatic urobilinogen cycle†.If a liver disease su ch as hepatitis interferes with the normal intrahepatic urobilinogen cycle, increased amounts of urobilinogen may appear in the urine where it is converted to yellow urobilin.Whearas in a typical case of biliary obstruction, decreased amounts of direct bilirubin reach the intestine for conversion to urobilinogen. With little urobilinogen available for reabsorption and excretion, the amount of urobilinogen in the urine is low, which would be detected in a urinalysis.UrinalysisUrinalysis is a physical and/or chemical examination of the urine. It consists of a series of chemical and microscopic tests to identify urinary tract infections, kidney disease, liver disease, and diseases of other organs that may result in the appearance of abnormal metabolites (break-down products) in the urine.In urinalysis, a small, randomly collected urine sample is examined physically for things like color, appearance, and concentration (specific gravity); chemically for substances such as proteins, gluco se, and acidity vs. alkalinity (pH value). Further on, tests can be conducted for the presence of cellular elements (red blood cells, white blood cells, and epithelial cells) mircroscopic organisms, crystals, and casts (structures formed by the deposit of protein, cells, and other substances in the kidneys' tubules).Normal Values and DeviationsNormal urine may vary in color from nearly transparent colorlessness to dark yellow. If the urine is of an unusual color that cannot be accounted for by food intake or medication, it is an indication of some abnormality. The urine specific gravity ranges between 1.006 and 1.030. The specific gravity varies depending on various factors such as food and the time of the day. If the specific gravity is above or below the normal range, or if it does not vary, it may indicate a kidney problem.The urine pH value is also influenced by a number of factors. Generally the normal pH range is from 4.6 to 8.0. If the pH is very acidic or alkaline, beyond wh at could be attributed to normal levels of variation, then there could be a problem. There is usually no detectable urine glucose, urine ketones, or urine protein. Significant amounts of glucose and ketones point to uncontrolled diabetes. There should be no red blood cells present in urine. If blood is found in the urine, it is a sure sign of trouble, possibly of a serious nature. It may indicate a urinary tract disease, or the dreaded cancer.Bilirubin is normally not found in the urine, as it would only be present in such tiny quanties as is undetectable by a routine test. There may be a trace of urobilinogen in the urine, but bilirubin in discernable amounts in the urine is a sign of a liver or bile duct disease. Nitrites and white blood cells (leukocytes) too should not be normally present in the urine. And if they are, a strong possibility of an urinary tract infection rises.Creatinine Clearance Test for GFRCreatinine is a metabolite of the compound creatine that is found in mus cles. Creatine is a by-product of muscle energy metabolism. It is filtered from the blood by the kidneys and excreted into the urine, in the same general manner as urea. Creatinine clearance is the process of removal of creatinine from the body, and technically signifies the volume of blood plasma that is cleared of creatinine per unit time (typically, milliliters per minute).Creatinine clearance is used for estimating the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of the kidneys, which is the volume of fluid filtered from the renal glomerular capillaries into Bowman's capsule per unit time. GFR measurement is often considered to be the best avilable determinant of renal function. The normal range of GFR for males is 97 to 137 ml/min, and for females is 88 to 128 ml/min. The average for men is 120 ml/min and for women 95 ml/min. The GFR may reach 200 ml/min during pregnancy.A clearance of less than 80 ml/min is significant except in people over 80 years. A decreased creatinine clearance rate is an indication of increased blood creatinine level, and happens due to the diminished capability of kidneys to carry out their function, under conditions of abnormality and disease. A creatinine clearance of 50 ml/min or less indicates serious renal insufficiency.The GFR can predict the signs and symptoms of uraemia, especially when it falls to below 10-15 ml/min. It must be noted that the GFR varies according to renal mass and correspondingly to body mass. In a lab report, GFR is corrected for body surface area (which equates with renal mass), which in normal humans is approximately 1.73m2 and represents an average value for normal young men and women.   Impaired renal function is indicated by a GFR of 30-80 ml/min/1.73m2 and in cases of less than 30 ml/min/1.73m2 – there is a strong possibility of renal failure.References:Freudenrich C C (n.d) How Your Kidneys Work. Retrieved May 08, 2006 fromhttp://science.howstuffworks.com/kidney.htmNIH Publication No. 06–4241 (November 2005) Your Kidneys and How They Work. Retrieved May 09, 2006 from http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/yourkidneysStone C.(Nov 2005) Bilirubin. Retrieved May 09, 2006 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003479.htmMerck Manual. (February 2003) Kidneys. Retrieved May 09, 2006 fromhttp://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec11/ch141/ch141b.htmlFord-Martin, P.A. (n.d.) Kidney function tests, Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Retrieved May 09, 2006 from http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2601/is_0007/ai_2601000790/pg_1National Kidney Foundation. (n.d.) How Your Kidneys Work. Retrieved May 09, 2006 from http://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/howkidneyswrk.cfmLAb Tests Online. (n.d.) Creatine Clearance. Retrieved May 09, 2006 from http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/creatinine_clearance/test.htmlFadem S.Z. (n.d.) How the kidney works, The Nephron Information Center. Retrieved May 09, 2006 from http://links.nephron.com/nephsites/htkw/r2_htmlWikipedia. ( April 2006) Renal Function. Retrieved May 09, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renal_function

The Need for Computer Education and Access

The need for computer education and access is not a luxury anymore: it†s a necessity. People from all lifestyles can benefit from the Internet. Recently a local agency was giving a grant expand public access to computer networking. The next question would be is where to place the computers outside of school. Any lifestyle still allows people to have access to the internet. For example mentioned in the articles. A homeless person was able to make her own web page. Which resulted in a job with a good company therefore she was able to get her life back on track. The internet is now considered a necessity because present job skills require familiarity with the internet. According to the article † access to the internet is an important part of civic life as parks, public transit, libraries, and cultural centers†. Another reason the internet is a necessity is community assets. Some examples are crime-fighting efforts within the community, accessibility to investigate crimnial active when buying real estate. According to the chart 10 Community Networks, some networks have been place throughout the Eastern part of the U.S. Accessibility has been made possible for recycling programs for the disabled, low-income neighborhoods, and participates in public web markets. Having public access to the people has had many positive impacts on the society as a whole. It†s helped lifestyles, it†s become a necessity and accessibility had been made possible. The Internet provides information to everyone.

Beowulf vs. Modern Society

Beowulf and the modern American life in modern society and the world of Beowulf have similarities. Is it possible for a technology-oriented world like us to have something in common with the world that has never heard even about electricity? This technology truly separates us from our previous civilization. What is the difference between our ideas of today and the idea of ​​ancient culture? Although it may not look like this, there are actually many similarities between our world and Beowulf's world. Beowulf is a classic epic depicting his behavior of bringing justice and peace to the Northern European community by eroding Beowulf's heroism and eradicating Glendell. The original manuscript (700-1000 A.D.) And Modern Film (2005) show significant differences between character's features and explanations, important quotes, location descriptions, motivations, presence of roles and occurring events I am clarifying. So, this modern adaptation, Beowulf and Grendel, ancient tex t Modern works deal directly with the difference between Beowulf and modern heroes. JRR Tolkien is known for writing Lord of the Rings, but he is also a Beowulf scholar. Like Beowulf he wrote a very similar role in his epic. Boromir is a proud, proud, powerful warrior, like Beowulf. His greatest wish is to fight for his people. However, in the world of Lord of the Rings, Beowulf's values ​​have led to destruction. Boromir wishes to use One Ring as a weapon against the enemy, as Beowulf did. But such power aspirations will erode Boromir, even in good fights. He was destroyed by the ring. Humble Frodo Bagkins is the hero of this story. Frodo is a contemporary hero because he rejects power and fame and is satisfied with becoming an ordinary person. As Turkien's society has nuclear weapons, in his story, like Medieval Beowulf, it brought disastrous results. Beowulf is not suitable for the modern world Heroes like Superman have much in common with Beowulf even after more th an a few centuries. Today's superheroes can behave like medieval Beowulf. However, many modern heroes use their wisdom rather than the power like Beowulf like Batman. Even modern heroes with much in common with Beowulf are different because they are social heroes of different value from the world that produced Beowulf, so it is different. JRR Beowulf scholar Tolkien solved the difference between Beowulf and Lord of the Rings' modern hero directly. Modern heroes like Luke Skywalker and Frodo Baggins are heroic because they reject power and refuse to fight. Beowulf 's echo is still heard, but the modern world has its own hero type reflecting modern priorities.

Moral Development Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Moral Development Theory - Essay Example hn’s attack attracted a lot of media attention and Ronald, who was in charge of the warders welfare, ordered a raid in the prison cells in search of weapons and in the process some of the inmates were badly injured and some succumbed to their injuries. This move was applauded by most people as they believed this would make criminals learn to behave well and respect the prison warders. Kohlberg’s first stage of moral thought is obedience and punishment orientation, where a set of rules handed over by the authority should be obeyed unquestionably and failure to obey leads to punishment. This reasoning is evident in how Mary kept quiet for a prolonged period, while John took advantage of her for fear of the consequences. As an inmate, Mary was expected to obey the prison warder. In the second stage of thought, that is individualism and exchange, Mary may have put up with John’s abuse hoping that he will either put in a good word for her, which may facilitate state pardon or favor her in some way hoping her life would be bearable in prison. Stage three of moral thought is good interpersonal relationship; this is where one lives to the expectations of the family and community. Ronald who was in charge of the warders, on hearing the news that an inmate, had assaulted one of the warders even without trying to find out why, he opted to raid the prison cells in search of weapons in order to fulfill the expectations of the community. His action showed true concern for the prison warders who were at risk of being attacked by the inmates. Stage four of moral development, deals more with the social order (Crain, 1985). This has to do with the societal perspective or societal expectations. This is revealed when Ronald became brutal with the inmates in order to protect his image and that of the other prison warders; as he was expected to do by the society. The fifth stage of moral reasoning is about social contracts and individual rights. This reasoning is where

Skills Available For Acquisition and Career Building Strategies in Case Study

Skills Available For Acquisition and Career Building Strategies in Directing a Film - Case Study Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that directing film entails different aspects but all the aspects result in an action that makes the audience realize that a video is actually out for viewing. Elliott asserts that for a film director to reach his or her prime objective, he or she must have come from a long way just as far as from script cutting room all the way to the climax. There are number pathways how someone can become a film director for example; a person may start as screenwriter, actor or film editor. Film directors are such responsible individuals who need to facilitate the differences in film budget limit and the vision of the career. There is number of roles expected from a film director. The directing film assumes different approach and with regard to this, directors give a general outline of the film and letting the actors improvise the dialogue. Other directors are in control of every aspect where they demand the crew and actors to follow all their instructions accurately. Other film directors write the screenplay or edit their film and appear in their film as well. The researcher has thought of directing a film at one point or another. The researcher watched a great movie and believed he could do much better in one of his own films. The author choses this career because it is his passion career because telling a story as well as learning how to construct a movie has been one of the achievements the researcher has always wanted to attain in visual arts and film studies as a whole. Unlike the general trend in film direction, most of the new generation directors are young. In addition, unlike in the ancient time, filmmaking is both artistic and commercial venture.

Exception to the Right to Refuse Treatment Essay

Exception to the Right to Refuse Treatment - Essay Example This paper shall consider the exception to this right, more particularly in instances of emergencies when the patient poses a danger to himself or to others. It shall demonstrate how a health practitioner might justify a violation of the moral rule to treat a patient. It shall explain how such justification is determined and what the ethical implications are of such actions taken by the health professional. This paper is being undertaken with the hope of establishing a comprehensive and scholarly understanding of the subject matter, as well as its specific circumstances and applicability to patient situations and circumstances. Discussion The right to refuse treatment is not an absolute right. It may be restricted in emergency cases when the patient poses a danger to himself and others. This may often be seen among psychiatric or mentally ill patients and among suicidal patients who may enter stages of mental incapacity where they pose a danger to the public and to themselves (Kavale r and Spiegel, 2003). In these instances, the welfare of the public supersedes the right of the patient to refuse treatment. ... Normally, an incompetent person may not be considered capable of caring for himself and of providing for his needs; however, he may also be competent enough to understand the risks which some forms of treatment may pose on his health. In effect, although he is incompetent in some respects, he is still competent in some other purposes (Jeste and Friedman, 2006). It is therefore important to establish an incompetent person’s capacity to make treatment decisions before he can be allowed to refuse treatment. In most US states, the medical profession has recognized and acknowledged the fact that competent, but involuntarily committed individuals have the right to refuse treatment. The courts have even acknowledged the fact that mentally ill prisoners have the right and freedom to refuse unwanted antipsychotic drugs (Jeste and Friedman, 2006). Many states are still however very much divided on the issue of imposing procedural processes to protect such right. Some states have utilize d the decision-maker model which basically allows the medical professional to make the informal assessments of the patient’s competence (Jeste and Friedman, 2006). Others however, require the conduct of a formal hearing before a judge or other decision-makers. In these states, mental disorder and involuntary commitment are not sufficient elements to a determination of incompetence in making medical decisions (Jeste and Friedman, 2006). In which case, before a medical treatment is to be imposed on the patient, the judge must establish that the patient is not mentally capable of making treatment decisions, in other words, he cannot weigh the risks,

CA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

CA - Essay Example Mr. Wilkins annoyance is innocent based on the interpretation that made most sense to him even when he did not inquire the usage of the automatic system, the agent is amused and laughs through the conversation. She is so amused she promises to record the speech and fails to understand how the man came up with his interpretation of night mode, day mode and race mode on a single key gearbox as he refers to it. Even though the agent cannot help but laugh herself with her partner off, she remains polite and attends to the customer effectively. We have utilized explanations for the behavior portrayed by Wilkin in his conversation along with that of the agent. The difference in these two people in their manner of understanding matters creates the content of the analysis. The responses given by the customer, Wilkin make it clear that the conversation was a natural one and random. My partner and I have also described the content of conversation

4 short questions for 4 movies Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

4 short questions for 4 movies - Movie Review Example When Yuddy met Li Zhen, he said that they were one-minute friends from that moment. Moreover, Yuddy and his women perceive time unequally, whereas â€Å"love-drug wears off† (Dargis) for him quickly, the women remain fixated at those moments that they spent together and cannot let their feelings go. 3. In a coming-of-age movie of 1957, when a new Chinese society formed, searches of Ge Lan for her biological mother and rejection by her might symbolizes giving up the old way of living and transition to the new stage. According to Lee, â€Å"Kailing can be a symbol of the New Chinese Woman only if she doesn’t have a low-class family history to haunt her†. This means that Ge Lan as a daughter of the West-oriented debonair adoptive parents cannot fit in the society, where her real mother lives. 4. Asia the Invincible is a character, who underwent castration to master martial arts. Therefore, the character might intertwine androgyny (actually, even some gender confusion) and great power to show the genderless nature of power. However, in the course of action, one can see Briggite Lin’s character evolve into a female aggressive warrior (Thomas). Depiction of Asia the Invincible as a fierce transgender woman seems to be paralleled to birth of destructive power similar to Kali’s in Hindu

Micriobiology Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Micriobiology - Case Study Example A bronchoscopy with BAL has revealed organisms that are consistent with Pneumocystis carinii (Kovacs et al., 2001, 2450-2460). Analysis: His long-drawn disease is consistent with HIV infection that has turned into AIDS over last 2 months leading to most probably an opportunistic infection of the gastrointestinal tract leading to disturbing diarrhea associated with nausea and vomiting. His decreased leukocyte count and pulmonary infection with Pneumocystis carinii indicates opportunistic pulmonary infection that is very characteristic of immunodeficiency associated with AIDS and consequent diminished CD4 count (Newton et al., 2003, 185-186). Thus the original disease that the patient is suffering is AIDS, the hallmark of which is immune deficiency. The treatment with antibacterial agents thus has a chance to break down. This has been ascribed to the profound deficiency in immune function that eventually develops in an infected individual. The virus, HIV suppresses immune function since this has a predilection to infect the immune system, and as a result of continued infection, these cells are eventually destroyed (Adler, 2001, 12-17). The most significant targets of this virus are a subset of thymus derived lymphocytes that carry surface molecule CD4. CD4 has been demonstrated to bind to the envelop glycoprotein of the HIV. Many other cells and tissues, such as, monocytes and macrophages also bear CD4 receptors. Coupled with G-protein coupled receptor family co-receptors, the processing of chemokines in these cells are affected, leading to defective migration, differentiation, and function of leukocytes during immune response to any infective process in the body. Two specific receptors, CCR5 and CXCR4 are important particularly. CCR5 are expressed widely on cells of the immune system that fight disease, such as, lymphocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. When the virus strains infect the primary macrophages through these co-receptors, the macrophages which are prime immune cells themselves are rendered defunct (Adler, 2001, 12-17). From that point of view, the CD4 lymphocytes or T helper cells have known significant and central roles in immune functions, and as a result of HIV infection, these cells are destroyed. In consequence, the body immune response of affected, and these in part explain the immunosuppressive effects of the virus. These cells are normally stimulated by antigen contact, and normally they respond through enhanced cell division and synthesis and release of lymphokines, namely, interferons, tumor necrosis factors, interleukins, and other chemotactic factors that are involved in recruitment of more immune cells. The whole cascade of these phenomena are affected, and as a result the functions of the lymphokines to act as promoters of cytotoxic or suppressor CD8 cells and their maturation and behaviour are all affected, culminating into suppressed synthesis of antibody from the B lymphocytes. Other cells participating in the process of this innate immunity against diseases functionally contribute to the process. These are monocytes, tissue macrophages, and dendritic cell, and hence with an infection with HIV, the total immune system is compromised. Macrophages and particularly dendritic cells are

What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of revealed preference Lab Report

What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of revealed preference methods used to determine market values for environmental goods and services - Lab Report Example choices made by individuals on the basis of comparing the influence of policies on consumer behaviour is meant examine and reveal consumer purchasing habits on the basis of their market value. This theory examines the idea of diminishing marginal rate of substitution and identifies how consumers make decisions on the best ways of maximising utility. This involves the identification of the consumptive value of environmental attributes or goods. Clearly, this is a problem of theoretical assumptions made by the economist who measures the data and sets the parameters for the study. This is because the theory is mainly conceptual and most consumers’ minds and their views and sensitivity to issues cannot be measured in the same way other empirical materials might be measured. Thus, there is an issue with the design of the data collection systems and the underlining assumptions of the study and research. Secondly, the data collection process is open to a lot of issues and difficulties when the revealed preference theory is applied to the environmental matters. This is because it is difficult to compile data of the consumption of environmental factors and this might require some kind of complex accounting system that might not be easily explicable to people who will take part in these studies. Thirdly, this method cannot value attributes that vary across regions. Hence, there is a problem with the need and the possibility of examining and valuing products across different parts of Australia since the prices of one product solely found or demanded in one state might not have a comparative base for persons in other states. Comparability remains a problem in the revealed preference method because consumers have different attributes across geographical regions. This might bring variations that might not be logical and realistic. Also, across timelines, there could be huge variations. For example, examining something in an area before a mining boom and another after the

James Cameron’s Science Fiction film Terminator II Essay Example for Free

James Cameron’s Science Fiction film Terminator II Essay James Cameron’s Science Fiction film Terminator II uses various conventions of Sci-Fi to not only engage viewers, but entertainment them. Science fiction uses various futuristic elements to convey powerful comments about society. This is most effectively done through his powerful and relatable social comments. His central social comments force audiences to question their own world and like all Sci-Fi texts explore how possible this actually is. The dominant social comment explored by James Cameron is that Technology will be our downfall. Other social comments that are also relevant are that humans have an intrinsic need to adhere towards morals and ethics that can’t be taught and that it is in the human race’s nature to destroy themselves. James Cameron clearly explains the social comments through various film techniques. Similarly, Henry Slesar’s short story ‘Examination Day’ relies heavily on its powerful social comment to effectively engage readers. While both texts make significant social comments, various other sci-fi conventions are also used to keep responders entertained. The dominant social comment that entertains the audience in an effective way explored by James Cameron is that technology will ironically be our demise. Cameron cleverly juxtaposes the opening scene of the hustle and bustle of lively Los Angeles to the close up traffic in 2029. However, in this shot the cars are destroyed and an empty playground further indicates the dystopian world of our society. The diegetic laughter of the girl on the swing and the non-diegetic music in the background creates suspense. The extreme white fade out to a dramatic close up of the empty swing swinging back and forth which then brings us to the close up camera shot of a human skull being crushed by the terminator clearly reveals that technology will lead to our demise. With the war of the robots being shown in the opening scene, audiences can immediately conclude that the genre of thriller is brought to the film as suspense is immediately introduced in the opening scene. This war indicates from the outset that technology will be our demise. While the irony of machines destroying humanity is immediately established as a significant social comment in this sci-fi text, Cameron begins to explore the characteristics of humanity in his second social comment. Throughout the film, Cameron relies on the humorous juxtaposition between the T100 and John Connor to highlight the emotional and idiocentric characteristic that are inherently human. It is through this and several other film techniques that Cameron’s second social comment is explored; that being human, is not something that can be taught. The moral and ethical justifications that are intrinsic to being human is clearly explored in the scene where John attempts to explain why, You can’t just go around killing people. John’s dialogue is contrasted with the T100s question; why not? close up camera shots of their contrasting facial expressions highlights this significant idea, that de spite our natural inclination destroy ourselves, reason and morality is only inherent to us Johns invalid explanation, because you just can’t †¦ this stuff is important, highlights the barrier between machine and human. Through this social comment audiences can easily link the text to the science fictional genre. This barrier is further explored when John humorously attempts to humanise the Terminator. Through various satirical scenes Cameron reveals humanitys saving grace is intact their emotions which are ironically aligned to weakness. When the T100 asks, why do you cry? The T100’s crying motif mixed with several film techniques symbolises the disparity between machines and humanity. In an age where technology is seen to advance the human mind, the T100s inability to understand why people cry highlights the superiority of humans, we just cry. Again further explaining the social comment we can still relate the film to the sci-fi genre. The third idea explored by Cameron is the ironic self- destructive behaviour of humanity. Using real life examples Cameron attempts to create a logical link between the creation of the destructive, abominable Terminators and the weapons that are already leadi ng us into destruction it is in your nature to destroy yourselves. While the terminator metaphorically highlights the paradox of our constant creation of destruction, it is the female protagonist Sarah Connor, who provides a fresh face and new insight into sci-fi revealing the contrast between the destructive creation of men and the beautiful, creation that only women are privileged to endure, â€Å"Fucking men like you built the hydrogen bomb. Men like you thought it up You dont know what its like to†¦ create a life All you know how to create is death . Her use of repetition and expletives highlights Cameron’s feministic approach to this social comment, symbolising men’s obsession with creating destruction. This not only makes this sci-fi film unique and original in its exploration of this common theme, it also allows audiences to question why humans are so obsessed with playing God. Similarly to Terminator II the short story Examination Day also explores Sci-fi convections in similar ways. Like ‘Terminator II’, ‘Examination Day’ is driven by its powerful and dramatic social comment. While subtly revealed to be set in the future, unlike ‘Terminator II’ this is not the dominant focus in the text. While the commentary is different to that of Terminator II, both texts entertain audiences primarily by focusing them to question their own lives like all sci-fi text, thus posing the ‘what if’ question. The short story ‘Examination Day’ hyperbolically explores a world where governments obtain ultimate control. This is brought to the readers in the opening paragraphs when Dickies parents are discussing a â€Å"Government intelligence test they give children at the age of twelve†. It is â€Å"the moisture in his mother’s eyes† when readers are aware that the story they have been told has contrasted what really is happening. Even though the links to sci-fi aren’t as clear as the ones in Terminator II we still see the connection through the thriller genre. As both Mr and Mrs Jordan try to avoid the conversation about the test suspense begins to develop as we understand that the test will possibly resemble a big part in the Jordan family’s life. As Mr Jordan explains the details of the test further we learn that the government will provide Dickie with truth serum. In this event readers are immediately informed that the government play a big role in everything which is making civilization less utopian and more dystopian. Is through little key things during the story we can see a resemblance to a futuristic world such as ‘Terminator II’, â€Å"Your classification number is 600-115†. Unlike Terminator II this short story utilises various literary techniques to explore this powerful social comment, relying on descriptive language and body gestures to capture the mystery and anxiety relating to this exam. Furthermore the repetitive image of the moistness of his mother’s eyes heightens suspense, hinting towards the significance of this Government intelligence test. Like Terminator II’ this text uses various sci-fi conventions such as the embedded thriller genre to effectively engaging audiences, k eeping them entertained. As the denouement reveals the unpredictable twist, we regret to inform you†¦ his intelligence quotient is above government regulation, the disturbing social comment become clearer †¦whether you wish his body interred by the government, or would you prefer a private burial place? Slesars clever use of inversion as Dickie fails the intelligence test because he is too smart, seems to be warning readers about the dangers of power and control, and the need for people to be more engaged and aware of governments and other organisations that may abuse their power. Like most sci-fi texts, Examination Day challenges our own world, and contemplates what may happen if we do not take more responsibility and interest in the powerful bodies that govern the people. Again, it is this dramatic yet relatable social comment that most effectively engages readers by shocking them much like Terminator II. While Terminator II looks at humanitys ironic destructive nature and dangerous over reliance on technology, Examination Day focuses on humanitys often gullible and negligent over reliance on powerful forces such as the government. While both texts are strongly driven by the relevant and powerful social comments, both texts follow the conventions of sci-fi through their mutual futuristic settings, advanced technology as well as the utilisation of other genres within; specifically the thriller genre. Along with powerful film and literary techniques, both texts entertain audiences.

The McDonalds Corporation Essay Example for Free

The McDonalds Corporation Essay McDonald’s serves nearly 69 million customers everyday in 119 countries and employs more than 1.8 million people across the globe in corporate and restaurant positions. Â  The McDonalds restaurante began in 1940 as a BBQ eatery by Richard and Maurice McDonald. The present corporation that is McDonalds dates the founding back to 1955, when the first franchised restaurante was built in Des Plaines, IL by Ray Kroc. Presently, there sits 1 President/CEO along with 15 other board member to make up the McDonalds Corporation. Don Thompson took over as acting President/CEO of McDonalds in June of 2011 his board members include: Tim Fenton, Jose Armario, Peter Bensen, Rick Colon, Richard Floersch, Doug Goare, Dave Hoffman, Jim Johannsan, Edgardo Navarro, Kevin Newell, Steve Plotkin, Lee Renz, Gloria Santana, Jeff Stratton and Fred Turner. Headquarters are located in Oak Brook, IL and areas of influence include 119 countries, ranging from California to the Asian Pacific. McDonalds operates about 35,000 restaurantes worldwide and is worth an estimated 15.15 billion dollars. The main operations of McDonalds include: Indoor/Outdoor seating, counter and drive thru service, Auto-mac and McDrive pay.To accommodate the current trend for high quality coffee and the popularity of coffee shops in general, McDonalds introduced McCafe, a cafe style eatery to McDonalds restaurants in the style of starbucks. McCafe is a concept created by McDonalds Australia, starting with Melbourne in 1993. Today, most McDonalds in Australia have McCafes located within the existing McDonalds restaurant. In Tasmania, there are McCafes in every store, with the rest of the states quickly following suit. After upgrading to the new McCafe look and feel, some Australian stores have noticed up to a 60% increase in sales. As of the end of 2003 there were over 600 McCafes worldwide. Also meeting the latest trend of convenience McDonalds employed the McStop and McExpress, which are commonly located in Wal-Marts, back of Malls and shopping centers, Convenient stores/truck stops and gas stations. McDonalds brand mission is to be our customers favorite place and way to eat. Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers experience.

Analysis Of Phytochemical Constituents Of Syzygium Aromaticum Biology Essay

Analysis Of Phytochemical Constituents Of Syzygium Aromaticum Biology Essay Alternative method to drug discovery is likely through the medicinal plants and greater parts of the people have assurance in traditional medicine, particularly plant drugs for their initial healthcare. Recently, responsiveness has been paid in public to consume eco-friendly and bio-friendly plant-based products for the prevention and cure of distinctive human diseases. Several number of people looking for medicine and health approaches which excuse side effects caused by synthetic chemicals (Remington, 1995). Herbal drugs are having less considerable side effects than the other classes of synthetic drugs and most of the medicinal uses of plants seem to have been developed by trial and error and by interpretation of wild animals. Herbs had been utilized by all cultures all the way through history. Ancients observed and respected the great variety of plants available to him. The plants afford a number of basic essentials in human day to day life such as food, clothing, shelter and medicine etc, and as time went on, every tribe supplements the medicinal power of herbs in their area to its awareness base. It was a primary part of the development of modern civilization and In fact, well into the 20th century to a remarkable scope of the pharmacopoeia of scientific medicine was ensuring from the herbal knowledge of native peoples. They gathered information accurately on herbs and developed well described herbal pharmacopoeias. Pharmacopoeia includes at least 25% drugs ensuring from plants and r ests of other are synthetic analogues developed on model compounds isolated from plants. Today several drugs are commonly used basically derived from herbal origin. In fact, in the United States about 25% of the prescription drugs dispensed contain at least one active ingredient derived from plant material in which some are made from plant extracts and rest are synthesized to imitate a natural plant compound. At present there are a number of plant materials belong to different family have been used in the treatment of a variety of diseases like bacterial, fungal and dermatophytic infections (Rajshekharan, 2002). Herbal medicine is extensively practiced from ancient period all over the world. These medicines are safe as well as eco-friendly and bio-friendly. According to WHO, about 80% of the worlds population relies on traditional medicine for their primary health care and medicinal plant division has usually an important position in the religious, socio cultural and medicinal arena of rural and tribal lives of millions of rural households use medicinal plants in a self-help mode (Remington, 1995). The Greater part of the traditional plant based remedies is back in use and finds the right application. Direct sources of therapeutic agent A model for new synthetic compound A lead molecule for the discovery of new drug. PHYTOTHERAPY To outline the history of Phytotherapy is to outline the history of humanity itself. The discovery of medicinal properties of certified plants must have sprung from nature. Ancient peoples first use plants as food and, as results of this ingestion, the link with some plant property would have been learned. Medicinal plants were the main source of products used to maintained health until the nineteenth century, when the German chemist Freiedrich Wohler in 1828, try to prepare ammonium cynate from silver cyanide and ammonium chloride, by mistake synthesized urea. This was considered as the first organic synthesis in history and signed the era of the synthetic compounds (Ahmad, 2006). A multidisciplinary capillary science, research in the phytosciences is more or less unlimited, which composes it impossible to talk about all aspects of this up-and-coming science in just one chapter. Consequently, we have paying attention here chiefly on the antibacterial activity of bioactive phytocompounds, conversing their use against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria and fungi, their mechanisms of action, and their interactions with macromolecules and possible for toxicity in mammalian cells. Technical features concerning the advancement of fast and consistent methods of extraction, high output screening systems, and bioautography of essential oils and crude extracts and divisions have also been discussed. Problems associated to the efficacy, stability, drug delivery systems and quality control are also analyzed (Ahmad, 2006). HISTORY OF PHYTOTHERAPY During the 100 years of Wohlers discovery Phytomedicine was forgotten by western science and in the early 1980s, though, there was a reappearance of attention in the use of natural substances commonly known today as bioactive phytocompounds. This interest can be simply understood in the light of questions relating to the safety, cytotoxicity, and side-effects of synthetic compounds, and the essential to find new medicines, comprising new antibiotics to supervise infectious diseases caused by multiresistant pathogens and substances to treat chronic diseases (Heinrich, 2004). Today, the use of medicinal plants and their bioactive phytocompounds and our scientific knowledge about them consist of the modern field of the phytosciences. This is a science fashioned from the combination of a range of disciplines that have never been linked before, combining several different areas of economic, social, and political fields, chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, medicine, and agriculture (Schulz, 2004). The phytosciences are distinctive from the other biomedical sciences in that as a substitute of testing a hypothesis, researchers evaluate to find out whether plants generally used in traditional medicine bring benefits for health and, if so, what are their mechanisms of action. Although the common conviction that bioactive phytocompounds are safe, they have natural risks just like all active chemical compounds. Researchers within the phytosciences are working to illuminate the side-effects, calculate proper dosages, isolate the bioactive compounds, and define the superlative methods of extraction and conservation. As well these, legal aspects concerning the prescription and trade in medicinal plants are a matter of discuss all around the world (Heinrich, 2004). As a multidisciplinary science the research in this field is virtually unlimited, this makes it impractical to converse all the aspects of this promising science in just one chapter. So, this review discusses the antimicrobial activity of bioactive phytocompounds, particularly their use against multidrug-resistant bacteria and fungi, their mechanisms of action, and their interactions with macromolecules and potential toxicity for mammalian cells. It also discusses technical aspects concerning the development of fast and consistent methods of extraction, high output screening systems and bioautography of essential oils and crude extracts and fractions. Problems associated to efficacy, stability, drug delivery systems and quality control will also be discussed (Schulz, 2004). SCREENING OF CRUDE PLANT EXTRACTS: NEW CHALLENGES Medicinal plants have fashioned the establishment of health care all over the world as the early days of humanity and are yet now widely used and have considerable value in international trade. Recognition of their economic, pharmaceutical and clinical value is still rising, although this difference is comprehensively between countries. Plants are essential for pharmacological research and drug development, not only when bioactive phytocompounds are used promptly as therapeutic agents, but also as preliminary materials for the synthesis of drugs or as models for pharmacologically active compounds. Regulation of their misuse is therefore essential to ensure their availability for the future (Heinrich, 2004). Plant preparations have a very special characteristic that differentiates them from chemical drugs. A single plant may enclose a number of bioactive phytocompounds and a combination of plants even more .This difficulty is one of the major significant challenges to phytoscientists attempting to recognize a single bioactive phytocompounds or chemical group in the massive universe that encompass a single crude extract (Heinrich, 2004). Biotechnology in the 1970s and 1980s made incredible progress and accompanied in a new era for the pharmaceutical industry. Many enzymes and receptor proteins of therapeutic interest were made existing in great quantities by recombinant expression, although signal transduction pathways could be interrogated by reported gene carrying cellular constructs. Such mechanism-based invitro assays are agreeable to significant scales of operations, and the concept of high-throughput screening rapidly became the standard for lead discovery (Heinrich, 2004). PROCESS STANDARDIZATION OF BIOACTIVE PHYTOCOMPOUNDS HAVING ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY Different methods to drug discovery using higher plants can be discriminated: Random selection followed by chemical screening; random selection followed by one or more biological assays; biological activity reports and ethno medical use of plants. The second approach comprises of plants used in traditional medical systems; herbalism, folklore, and shamanism; and the use of databases. The purpose is the targeted isolation of bioactive phytocompounds and once an active extract has been identified, the first to be taken is the identification of the bioactive phytocompounds, and this can signify either a full identification of bioactive phytocompounds after purification or partial identification to the level of a family of known compounds (Schulz, 2004). For screening selection, plants are collected either randomly or by following leads supplied by local healers in geographical areas where the plants are found. Primary screening of plants for possible antimicrobial activity usually begins by using crude aqueous or alcoholic extractions followed by different organic extraction procedures. Plant material can be used fresh or dried and other signficant plant materials related to antimicrobial activity are the essential oils. Essential oils are complex natural mixtures of volatile secondary metabolites, isolated from plants by hydro or steam distillation and by expression (citrus peel oils). The chief constituents of essential oils (mono and sesquiterpenes), along with a carbohydrates, alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, and ketones, are responsible for the fragrant and biological properties of aromatic and medicinal plants (Schulz, 2004). Due to these properties, since ancient times species and herbs have been added to food, not only as flavoring agents but also as preservatives. For centuries essential oils have been isolated from different parts of plants and are also used for related purposes (Blumenthal, 2000). The activities of essential oils cover a broad spectrum and various essential oils produce pharmacological effects, representing anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancerogenic properties. Others are biocides against a broad range of organisms such as bacteria, fungi, protozoa, insects, plants and viruses (Heinrich, 2004). Therefore medicinal plants have been used for centuries as therapy for human diseases because they contain therapeutic value components. Recently, the acceptance of traditional medicine as an alternative form of health care and advancement of microbial resistance to existing antibiotics has lead authors to investigate the antimicrobial activity of medicinal plants. Moreover, the increasing use of plant extract in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries recommend that, in order to find active compounds a systematic activity of medicinal plants is significant (Heinrich, 2004). SCOPE The scope of this Research is based on the fact that Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) is available easily in anywhere and is cultivated largely. Based on the literature survey as it is showing so many bioactive components and is of medicinal value without side effects, I have selected Clove for my Research work. Clove buds selection Extraction by using Soxhlet Antimicrobial Screening MIC Chemical analysis presence or absence of phytoconstituents Chromatography techniques (GC) Compound Identification. OBJECTIVES To Extract Clove buds (Syzygium aromaticum) using organic solvents. To study the Antimicrobial activity of the extracted solution. To study the chemical analysis of the extracted solution. To identify the components within the extracted solution using Gas Chromatography. REVIEW OF LITERATURE PLANT HISTORY The Clove, a Malucca Islands native, is one of the oldest fruits known to man. The word Clove gets its name from the Latin word nail clavus, as the buds looks like small irregular nails in shape and the word made its way to English via Old French clou. Originally thought to be native to China, Cloves were actually brought to China about 266 B.C. and was one of the first spices to be traded by Arab traders transported to the Romans (Evans, 1996). Taxonomical Classification: Kingdom : plantae-plants Subkingdom : tracheobionata-vascular plants Super division : spermatophyta-seed plants Division : magnoliophyta-flowering plants Class : Magnoliopsida-dicotyledons Sub class : Rosidae Order : Myrtales Family : Myrtaceae-Myrtle family Genus : Syzygium P. Br. Ex Gaertn.-syzygium Species : Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. L.M. Perry clove (Cronquist, 1981). PLANT DESCRIPTION Syzygium aromaticum Linn. Is considered as the Golden current. VERNACULAR NAMES French Clou de girofle Indonesia Cengkeh The Philippines Klabong pako Dutch Kruidnagel German Nelke India Lavang China Ding xiang, etc (Kokate, 2007). BIOLOGICAL SOURCE Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a plant Syzygium aromaticum belonging to family Myrtaceae (Gokhale, 2008). ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION The Clove plant is native from Malucca Islands by itself Bachian, Mutir, Makyan, Ternate and Tidore, where natural clove trees can be found. The Clove buds are said to be one of the oldest fruits known to man and has been cultivated since ancient times. The buds was used in many ways as it is today and was one of the first spices to be traded by Arab traders transported to the Romans. Cloves were actually brought to China about 266 B.C. It has been widely cultivated throughout the Indonesia, Madagascar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, and Zanzibar and china (Claus, 1965). CULTIVATION Climate and soil Clove is a tropical plant which requires warm humid climate, rich loamy soil and Annual rainfall of about 150-30mm and Altitude-1500m above the sea level. Cool climate with good rainfall is ideal for flowering. And also requires good drainage because crop cant withstand water logging (Murty, and Subramanyam, 1989). Planting and material Seeds collected from fully ripe fruits and soaked in water overnight. Fully developed and uniform sized seeds are used for sowing and the pericarp is removed before sowing (Murty, and Subramanyam, 1989). Nursery rising Nursery beds to be prepared for sowing seeds of about 15-20cm height, 1mt width and convenient length. Made of loose soil-sand mixture over a layer of sand may be spread. Then seeds are sown at 2-3cm spacing and depth of 2cm and allowed for germination about 10-15 days, precaution to be taken for seed beds have to be protected from direct sunlight. The germinated seeds are then transplanted in polybags containing a mixture of soil, sand and decomposed cow dung and these are ready for transplanting after 18-24 months old (De Guzman and Simonsma, 1999). Preparation of land and planting The selection of area for plantations should clear of wild growth before monsoon. The pits of about 75cm 75cm 75cm are dug at a spacing of 6-7mts and are partially filled with compost, green leaf and mixed with top soil. Then followed by transplantation of seedlings in the main field during beginning of the rainy season (De Guzman and Simonsma, 1999). Manuring and fertilizer application Manuring is necessary for proper growth and flowering of the plant and can be done by applying cattle manure and bone meal for one plant in the initial years. This can be increased gradually. Dead and diseased shoots should be removed once or twice a year. Inorganic fertilizer is about 40gm urea, 110gm super phosphate and 80gm murate of potash of fertilizer dose can be usually recommended in the initial stage. This can be increased gradually (De Guzman and Simonsma, 1999). HARVESTING AND YIELD The flowering of the plant can be starts from the fourth year but full bearing stage is attained after 15 to 20 yrs. harvesting is done by the unopened buds when they are plump and rounded and carefully done without damaging the branches. The buds after separation are allowed to dry in the sun. The well dried buds are then processed for packaging (De Guzman and Simonsma, 1999).

AllQuiet on the Western Front :: essays research papers

All Quiet On The Western Front, written by Erich Maria Remarque, takes place in France during World War I. Paul Baumer, the narrator, was a young man who was fighting for his country, Germany. Paul was only 18 years old when the book first begins. Remarque starts the story with Paul and all of the soldiers in his company just finished with heavy front line fighting against the English and the French. He goes on in the story to explain the life of a soldier in World War I. Sometimes it was scary, funny, sad, boring, dirty, upsetting, life-threatening, but throughout ones company there was a special togetherness between the men in that company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul was a young man just out of school when he enlisted to fight for â€Å"the Fatherland,† Germany. One of his good childhood friends, Franz Kemmerich, volunteers with him to become a soldier and becomes Paul’s first experience with death when he dies from a leg amputation early in the war. Paul sat by him and watched him slowly pass away and realizes that war is real and brutal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul finds comfort with the other men in his company including Albert Kropp, Muller, and Tjaden; but the most important fellow soldier was Kat. He was a veteran soldier who knew how to survive in a war and with loss. He gave lots of advice and support to Paul during these rough times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The setting of this story takes place in France and Germany during the years 1916-1918. Remarque, the author was a veteran soldier in World War I, and he had experienced all of what Paul goes through.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He vividly illustrates life in the trenches. I could picture the dirt, the mud, the earth, the rats. I could imagine the shells going over my head missing my trench by inches, and he bullets whistling by my ears and just missing me. He explains how you may have long days off with no fighting and you have plenty of time on your hands to where the next day you get no sleep and are shooting for hours at a time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both the fighting and the down time help these men create a camaraderie that only they understand between each other. This bond between them comes about because of many different reasons. One of these reasons is because they are fighting on the same â€Å"team† against an enemy (the French and English). And if they want to accomplish their goals they have to depend on each other to do so. They are a team, a AllQuiet on the Western Front :: essays research papers All Quiet On The Western Front, written by Erich Maria Remarque, takes place in France during World War I. Paul Baumer, the narrator, was a young man who was fighting for his country, Germany. Paul was only 18 years old when the book first begins. Remarque starts the story with Paul and all of the soldiers in his company just finished with heavy front line fighting against the English and the French. He goes on in the story to explain the life of a soldier in World War I. Sometimes it was scary, funny, sad, boring, dirty, upsetting, life-threatening, but throughout ones company there was a special togetherness between the men in that company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul was a young man just out of school when he enlisted to fight for â€Å"the Fatherland,† Germany. One of his good childhood friends, Franz Kemmerich, volunteers with him to become a soldier and becomes Paul’s first experience with death when he dies from a leg amputation early in the war. Paul sat by him and watched him slowly pass away and realizes that war is real and brutal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul finds comfort with the other men in his company including Albert Kropp, Muller, and Tjaden; but the most important fellow soldier was Kat. He was a veteran soldier who knew how to survive in a war and with loss. He gave lots of advice and support to Paul during these rough times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The setting of this story takes place in France and Germany during the years 1916-1918. Remarque, the author was a veteran soldier in World War I, and he had experienced all of what Paul goes through.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He vividly illustrates life in the trenches. I could picture the dirt, the mud, the earth, the rats. I could imagine the shells going over my head missing my trench by inches, and he bullets whistling by my ears and just missing me. He explains how you may have long days off with no fighting and you have plenty of time on your hands to where the next day you get no sleep and are shooting for hours at a time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both the fighting and the down time help these men create a camaraderie that only they understand between each other. This bond between them comes about because of many different reasons. One of these reasons is because they are fighting on the same â€Å"team† against an enemy (the French and English). And if they want to accomplish their goals they have to depend on each other to do so. They are a team, a

Aristotle :: essays research papers

Aristotelian Ethics & Distributive Justice Concern with material equality as the central form of distributive justice is a very modern idea. Distributive justice for Aristotle and many other writers for millennia after him was a matter of distributing what each ought to get from merit or desert in some sense. The idea of equality was arguably anathema to Aristotle and most other theorists, including Catholic philosophers, until modern times, indeed until the nineteenth century. A common view was that social hierarchy and its attendant inequality was natural. This inference was likely little more than a naturalistic fallacy of deriving ought from is, but it seemed compelling to most writers. In the seventeenth century, the Levellers in England pushed for equality as essentially a Christian requirement. But theirs was an odd voice in the history of concern with justice before the recent era. David Hume, writing about 1751, saw distributive justice in the modern sense as pernicious. He attributed concern with such an abstract principle to writers who argued from pure reason with no attention to the possibilities of their actual world and to such religious fanatics as the Levellers (discussed further below). Although he may have had a lingering commitment to arguments from merit, his actual statement of the problems with egalitarian distribution could hardly be more modern in its arguments. He wrote that: ideas of perfect equality . . .are really, at bottom, impracticable; and were they not so, would be extremely pernicious to human society. Render possessions ever so equal, men’s different degrees of art, care, and industry will immediately break that equality. Or if you check these virtues, you reduce society to the most extreme indigence; and instead of preventing want and beggary in a few, render it unavoidable to the whole community. The most rigorous inquisiti on too is requisite to watch every inequality on its first appearance; and the most severe jurisdiction, to punish and redress it. But besides, that so much authority must soon degenerate into tyranny, and be exerted with great partialities; who can possibly be possessed of it, in such a situation as here supposed? Perfect equality of possessions, destroying all subordination, weakens extremely the authority of the magistracy, and must reduce all power nearly to a level, as well as property. (Hume 1975, p. 194) In this passage, Hume raises three of the standard arguments against equality, which can be stated in contemporary vocabulary as follows.

The Change from Idealism to Realism In the Process of Growing Up In Bot

Introduction: In both Northanger Abbey and Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen uses the concept of idealism in contrast with realism to elicit the theme of growing up and the effect it has on the characters’ points of view. This theme is most evident in the female protagonists-- Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility, and Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey. Although both characters hold an ideal world in their minds, their personalities differ enormously. While Marianne imagines the world to be perfect and romantic, Catherine lives as a heroine and is constantly on the search for frightening scenes. However, despite this major difference, both protagonists go through memorable life experiences and eventually develop their perception from idealism to realism. In other words, although they possess different personalities, both Marianne and Catherine go through similar experiences of maturing from girls with fantasies to women who are forced to face reality. This then further leads int o the question, what is the effect of growth on a person’s mentality? Marianne Dashwood’s idealism: The Dashwood family has three daughters-- Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret. Among the three, Elinor, the eldest, represents sense as she has â€Å"an excellent heart; her disposition affectionate, and her feelings [are] strong: but she [knows] how to govern them† (Austen 6). In contrast, the second youngest sister Marianne is the representation of sensibility as she is â€Å"sensible and clever, but eager in everything,† she is also â€Å"generous, amiable, interesting†¦ everything but prudent† (Austen 6). After the death of their father, all of Mrs. Dashwood’s estate is taken away by the oldest male in the family, Henry Dashwood. While Elinor and her mother... ...earn from our mistakes-- that is how we grow. In Jane Austen’s novels, Marianne and Catherine are the definition of maturing. As the stories in both progress, Marianne and Catherine learn to take on new challenges and overcome new obstacles. Although there might be heartbreaking moments in their process of growing up, both characters eventually reach their moment of realization and decide to take off their goggles of idealism so to view the world better with the sight of realism. Is not this what life is all about? Living while trying to find a better definition for â€Å"living† and to find a better interpretation of the world we live in? Works Cited Austen, J. (2005). Northanger Abbey. New York City: Barnes & Noble Classics. (Original work published 1818) Austen, J. (1995). Sense and Sensibility. New York City: Dover Publications. (Original work published 1811)

Analysis and Comparison of Iranian and American Management; the Cultural Dimensions and Values Essay

This report is aimed to represent a brief description of the Iranian management values today and compare the results with a developed country like Unites State. First it will give a description of some of the characteristics of Iran management and culture, then it is tried to categorize these characteristic base on Hofstede’s Dimensions (1980) (power distance, avoiding uncertainty, masculinity/femininity, individualism/collectivism) and Flower’s dimensions, Flower 1975, (tribalistic, egocentric, conformist, manipulative, sociocentric, existential). In the next step will be presenting of relative information about United State and at the end the comparison between the results. Most parts of this report is focused on Iran management. IRAN The name ‘‘Iran’’ was used as early as the third century BC by a ruler who described his empire as Iran-shahr and himself as the ‘‘King of Kings’’. The country is highly diverse from every point of view, especially in topography and climate. The population of Iran is estimated at some 70 million, 12 million of which live in the capital Tehran and its suburbs. The official language of Iran is Persian (Farsi) which is an Indo-European language derived from Sanskrit. The country has one of the world’s most diverse ethnic groups ever assembled in one country: Persian (56 per cent), Turk (Azari) (24 per cent), Gilaki (8 per cent), Kurd (8 per cent), Lur, Baluch, Arab and Turkaman. The religious groups are Shiite Muslim, Sunni Muslim, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian and Bahaii. At the present, Iran is an Islamic republic, ruled according to a constitution providing for executive, legislative and judicial branches. The political system comprises both elected and un-elected institutions. Iran’s economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of oil, large enterprises, village agriculture, small-scale private trading and service ventures. All large industries and the majority of medium-scale enterprises are run by the public institutions particularly the foundations which were set up during the revolution. These entities own some 20 per cent of the country’s assets, and contribute 10 per cent of GDP (Khajehpour, 2000), however, they are generally mismanaged. Management in Iran Iranian management today is interesting firstly because the country is slowly opening up to the West after two decades of ignorance on the part of Westerners as to sides of life in Iran other than the political and religious aspects. Up till quite recently, the political discourse was dominated by the belligerent official language and images of mobs demonstrating in the streets against â€Å"the devils in the West†. Now after twenty years of austere clerical regime, the reform movement is gradually gaining momentum, especially among young people who have not known life before the Revolution. Secondly Iranian management is interesting because most people confound Iranians with Arabs, believing that what they learn about Arab countries is also valid for Iran, and this obviously is a misunderstanding. We begin our discussion with bringing some insights into Iranian society and its culture. Based on Hofstede’s findings (1980) Iran is classified in near Eastern cluster including Turkey and Greece. A more recent research found that Iran is part of the South Asian cultural cluster consisting of such countries as India, Thailand and Malaysia (Javidan and Dastmalchian, 2003). For a newcomer these findings may seem very different from the image of Iran as a predominant Islamic/Middle-Eastern country which is often confused with its neighbours. The point is that as a country situated in the Middle East, Iran has many commonalities with its neighbour Muslim countries; however, due to its unique historical, linguistic and racial identities it has a different and unique culture. Collectivism A very fundamental issue in every society is the priority given to interests of individuals versus those of collectivity. Hofstede (1980) views an individualistic society as one in which beliefs and behaviours are determined by the individual; whereas in a collectivistic society the attitudes are determined by loyalty towards one’s group. The manifestations of collectivism and social networking are very common in Iranian management. Personal connections and informal channels seem more practical, whereas formal systems, official institutions and procedures are considered less efficient and even bothering. As a direct result, Iranian society tends to perate rather on the basis of personal relationships among people, than on the basis of impersonal and mechanised institutions. The use of informal channels may imply bending rules and taking advantages to which one is not formally entitled. The popular Persian term for this practice and other forms of nepotism and favouritism is Partibazi, which is a common practice in Iranian organizations. For instance, it would not be unusual for Iranian managers to hire a relative or acquaintance for a job vacancy, even though they could easily employ a more competent but unknown worker. Collectivism has also a significant influence on the communication. An outcome of collectivism is the implicit and high-context communication in Iranian culture. Iranians from an early age learn to be careful about what they say and are advised to use an indirect language for expressing their intentions (Javidan and Dastmalchian, 2003). Persian language and literature are full of nuances and metaphors which should be interpreted in their context and cannot be taken at face value. A particular and very common form of indirect language in Iranian culture is Taarof which can be translated literally as politeness, but has a much more profound significance. In fact, Taarof implies a wide range of complicated and highly polite expressions/behaviours, which should not be interpreted literally. This kind of context-bound communication is very common in Iranian organizations in both written and oral forms. Power distance This orientation concerns the extent to which the less powerful members of a society expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. This orientation concerns the extent to which the less powerful members of a society expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. Results from Yeganeh and Zhan(2007) about ‘‘hierarchy’’ reflect the high degree of hierarchical distance among Iranian managers. Hofstede (1980) considers these characteristic as power distance in his research. The antecedents of this high hierarchical distance are deeply rooted in many aspects of Iranian mythology, history, politics, religion and family structure. Manifestations of high degree of hierarchical distance are various and numerous in Iranian management. A very clear example is the over-centralization of the capital Tehran. Despite the diversity and largeness of country, all administrative bodies and decision-makings are concentrated in the capital and other provinces should obey the resolutions. Other examples include top-down management, authoritarian decision-making (Javidan and Dastmalchian, 2003) and hierarchical structure of reward systems. For instance, there is considerable gap between compensation packages intended for people working at the top of organization and those working at entry levels. Managers consider it normal that people at higher levels have more privileges than those at lower levels. An outcome of hierarchical distance, combined with effects of collectivism and family-orientation is the dominance of paternalism in Iranian organizations, which is encouraged also by Islamic virtues. Schramm-Nielsen and Faradonbeh (2002) reported that Iranian employees expected superiors to help them in a variety of issues such as financial problems, wedding expenses, purchasing of new homes, illness in the family, education of children and even marital disputes. Past-orientation Results from Yeganeh and Zhan (2007) indicate Iranian managers tend to be past- rather than future-oriented. The orientation toward past may be crystallized in honouring indigenous managerial styles and their underlying foundations. After the revolution of 1979, there was much emphasis on substitution of modern/western management by traditional/Islamic work-related principles. Therefore, Iranian executives were urged to realign their managerial styles and practices to religious, social and political values of revolutionary ideology. Not surprisingly, most of these managerial styles were not based on rationality and progress, but on old-fashioned and obsolete views which were not efficient and practical. The past orientation can be manifested also in terms of neglecting plans or setting short-time horizon and also relative high uncertainty avoidance. High uncertainty avoidance means that members of the society feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity and thus support beliefs that promise certainty and conformity. Activity orientation (being versus doing) According to Yeganeh and Zhan(2007) , ‘‘Activity Orientation’’ corresponds to masculinity dimension as described by Hofstede (1980). It is argued that in a ‘‘Doing’’ culture, people tend to view work activities as core to their existence, and they attach much importance to achievement and hard work. In contrast, in ‘‘Being’’ cultures peace of mind is cherished and emphasis is placed on immediate and unplanned actions. In reality, it is possible to witness demonstration of both ‘‘Being’’ and ‘‘Doing’’ orientations in Iranian society. For instance, a good deal of Persian literature is devoted to peace of mind, pleasure and frugality. Moreover, affected by Islamic culture, Iranians tend to view the world as an ephemeral step which does not worth hard work and which should be considered as a transitional phase toward eternal life and salvation. While these manifestations correspond to ‘‘Being’’ orientation, Iranians are known also for ‘‘Masculine’’ qualities such as individual achiever (Javidan and Dastmalchian, 2003), militant, hard-working and efficient. Bargaining Whereas doing business always means trying to negotiate the best deal in terms of price and related conditions anywhere in the world, this does not normally in the Western world extend to everyday little purchases. The bargaining represents a tradition that goes back thousands of years. According to this tradition the choice of dealer or business relation is an important one. The tradition is also that you bargain with your usual suppliers. The Western custom of shopping around for the best price and the best conditions is not well accepted. The obvious reason is that it breaks with the golden rule of trust. It takes time to build up a relationship based on trust, and so you need to have a long-term strategy and a lot of patience. Uncertainty avoidance High uncertainty avoidance means that members of a society feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity and thus support beliefs that promise certainty and conformity (Daft 2003). According to Ali and Amirshahi (2002) results, the primary values of Iranian Managers are conformist. Flower’s dimensions Based on a research by Alishahi (2002) which was conducted through istributing twenty-two hundred questionnaires to a random sample of Iranian managers, the primary values of Iranian managers are conformist, sociocentric. Indeed, the outer-directed values (conformist, sociocentric, and tribalistic) are relatively dominant. This result may have its roots in the political and cultural reality. Since the Islamic revolution, Islamic values have been propagated. The emphasis has been on achievement and human dignity and on societal causes, rather than on personal material gains, in alleviating internal problems. Both dimensions reinforce conformity and sociocentric attitudes without discounting the existential outlook and personal growth. The Islamic regime constantly reminds the public about the outside threat and the need to sacrifice personal gains for the sake of society. In addition, the core philosophy of the regime is that the poor and unfortunate segments of the society must have access to political and economic opportunities. It should be mentioned too that the current Islamic regime condones both conformity and sociocentric outlooks. In an era of transition, managers may seek to avoid uncertainty by going along with the public pronouncements of the regime. Nevertheless, certain values differ across some variables, such as size of organization, ownership, managerial position, and father’s occupation. For example, manipulative managers were found in larger organizations and in the private sector. A typical manipulative manager relies on building a network of friends and supporters, and on careful political manoeuvres. Large corporations in Iran were public or had been nationalized after the revolution. Both have experienced profound restructuring in terms of power distribution and economic partnership. Perhaps this situation created opportunities for a new allegiance to seize power and gain influence. Sociocentric value is found among lower-level managers and those with peasant, working class, and clergy origins. Those with working and lower class origins, therefore, may have developed an awareness of the enormous social differences, and may nurture the feeling of belonging to â€Å"social classes† that have little or nothing in common with upper social classes. Perhaps this in turn creates a commitment to humanistic and community causes and strengthens the desire for a just society. United State management American culture is characterized by high individualism with loosely knit social frameworks. In individualistic societies, people are supposed to take care of themselves and their immediate families. Since individualism is high in the United States, work and accomplishments are viewed as person-centred. Thus, issues of individual meritocracy and perceptions of fairness are likely to be more pronounced among American employees. Materialism, according to Abdu K. (2004), conveys the idea that being affluent, prosperous and rich should be encouraged and suggests that a certain product or service will make the user well off. However, the simplistic approach, like in the USA, conveys the â€Å"just enough idea,† which emphasizes ego needs and self-actualization, rather than just material comfort. Pluralism refers to the degree to which national culture fosters simultaneous coexistence of different ethnic groups with strong identities. In a low pluralism culture, minority groups are completely absorbed by the dominant culture. The minority groups either completely replace their identities with those of the dominant culture, or retain weaker cultural linkages with the dominant cultural group. High pluralism on the other hand characterizes simultaneous coexistence of diverse ethnic groups with strong identities. Both Iranian and American culture is non-pluralistic or ethnocentric. Ethnocentrism means that people have a tendency to regard their own culture as superior and to downgrade other cultures. In both countries cultural differences are unified into a coherent, universal work culture. Diverse groups are absorbed into the mainstream work culture to create uniform work norms, beliefs and values. In such a non-pluralistic culture, minority communities have weak identities and legitimacy. Thus, the in-group–out-group ideology may not be as prominent in non-pluralistic cultures as in pluralistic culture. Rather than compete with minority cultures, the dominant culture aims at absorbing the minority cultures. Ethnocentrism within a country makes it difficult for foreign firms to operate. Based on a research by Alishahi (2002), prevailing dominant values in the U. S. are, (egocentric, manipulative, and existential; 60% inner-directed). United state is characterized by low power distance a relatively high tolerance for uncertainty and emphasizes shared power and authority, with team members working on a variety of problems without formal guidelines, rules, and structure. Many workers in Iran expect organizations to be hierarchy.

An Introduction to Macroeconomics

Homework #1 Problem #1 Q: Use the supply and demand framework in the labor market to explain why employment has grown rapidly in the United States in recent decades while at the same time there has been a slowdown in real-wage growth. A: With the growth of both supply and demand in the US, we can see that the quantity of labor needed has increased. In the same time the wages have not increased that much, because if we have an increase in both supply and demand we will have a shift to the right of the equilibrium, which basically shows an increase in quantity of labor but not wages paid.Problem #2 Q: In a small town of 100 people, there are 10 children under 16, 10 retired people, 60 people with full-time jobs, 3 people with part-time jobs, 3 full-time students over 16, and 4 full-time homemakers. The remaining people did not have jobs, but wanted jobs. All but one of these had actively looked for a job in the previous four weeks. What is the unemployment rate in this town? Show your work.A: 100 (total number of people) – 10 (children under 16) – 10 (retired) – 4 (homemakers who are not part of the labor force) – 3 (fulltime students) – 1 (not searching for job) = 72 people labor force 72 (labor force) – 60 (full time jobs) – 3 (part-time jobs) = 9 (unemployed but seeking jobs) Employment rate = employed/labor force = (labor force – unemployed)/ labor force = 63/72 = 0. 875 = 87. 5% Unemployment rate = unemployed/labor force = 9/72 = 0. 125 = 12. 5% Problem #3 Q: High Tech, Inc. produces plastic chairs that sell for $12 each. The following table provides information about how many plastic chairs can be produced per hour.Assume that apart from labor there are additional production cost of $2 per chair. How many workers will be hired if the hourly wage for workers is $70? A: # of Workers| Chairs Produced| Income| Prod. Cost| Wage| Net Income| 1| 10| 120| 20| 70| 30| 2| 18| 216| 36| 140| 40| 3| 24| 288| 48| 21 0| 30| 4| 28| 336| 56| 280| 0| 5| 30| 360| 60| 350| -50| There will be hired only 2 workers, because after one hour of production and paying for the work, with 2 workers the company will have the highest net income equal to $40. Problem #4 Q: A report indicated that the average real wage in manufacturing declined by 2% between 1990 and 2000.If the CPI equaled 1. 30 in 1990, 1. 69 in 2000, and the average nominal wage in manufacturing was $35 in 2000, what was the average nominal wage in manufacturing in 1990? A: Year| CPI| Nominal Salary| Real Salary| 1990| 1. 30| $x| $(y+2%)| 2000| 1. 69| $35| $y| Y=35/1. 69=20. 71 (Real Salary for 2000) Y+2%= 20. 71 + 20. 71*0. 02=21. 1242 (Real Salary for 1990) X= 21. 1242*1. 30=27. 4614 (Nominal Salary for 1990) Problem #5 Q: A labor contract provides for a first-year wage of $10 per hour, and specifies that the real wage will rise by 3 percent in the second year of the contract and by another 3 percent in the third year.The CPI is 1. 00 in the first year, 1. 07 in the second year, and 1. 15 in the third year. What dollar wage must be paid in the third year? A: Year| CPI| Nominal Salary| Real Salary| 1| 1. 00| 10| Y1=10| 2| 1. 07| X1| Y2=(Y1+3%)| 3| 1. 15| X2| Y3=(Y2+3%)| Y2 = 10+10*0. 03 = 10. 3 (Real Salary Second Year) Y3 = 10. 3 + 10. 3*0. 03 = 10. 609 (Real Salary Third Year) X1 = 10. 3*1. 07 = 11. 021 (Nominal Salary Second Year) X2 = 10. 609*1. 15 = 12. 20 (Nominal Salary Third Year)

Metaphysical Poetry Essay

The metaphysical poets is a term coined by the poet and critic John Dryden to describe a loose group of British lyric poets of the 17th century, whose work was characterized by the inventive use of conceits, and by speculation about topics such as love or religion. These poets were not formally affiliated; most of them did not even know or read each other. Their style was characterized by wit and metaphysical conceits—far-fetched or unusual similes or metaphors, such as in Andrew Marvell’s comparison of the soul with a drop of dew; in an expanded epigram format, with the use of simple verse forms, octosyllabic couplets, quatrains or stanzas in which length of line and rhyme scheme enforce the sense. The specific definition of wit which Johnson applied to the school was: â€Å"†¦ a kind of discordia concors; a combination of dissimilar images, or discovery of occult resemblances in things apparently unlike. † Their poetry diverged from the style of their times, containing neither images of nature nor allusions to classical mythology, as were common. Several metaphysical poets, especially John Donne, were influenced by Neo-Platonism. One of the primary Platonic concepts found in metaphysical poetry is the idea that the perfection of beauty in the beloved acted as a remembrance of perfect beauty in the eternal realm. Though secular topics such as scientific or geographical discoveries interested them, there was also a religious or casuistic element to some of their work, by which they attempted to define their relationship with God. John Donne (between 24 January and 19 June 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, satirist, lawyer and a cleric in the Church of England. He is considered the pre-eminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are noted for their strong, sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires and sermons. His poetry is noted for its vibrancy of language and inventiveness of metaphor, especially compared to that of his contemporaries. Donne’s style is characterised by abrupt openings and various paradoxes, ironies and dislocations. These features, along with his frequent dramatic or everyday speech rhythms, his tense syntax and his tough eloquence, were both a reaction against the smoothness of conventional Elizabethan poetry and an adaptation into English of European baroque and mannerist techniques. His early career was marked by poetry that bore immense knowledge of British society and he met that knowledge with sharp criticism. Another important theme in Donne’s poetry is the idea of true religion, something that he spent much time considering and theorising about. He wrote secular poems as well as erotic and love poems. He is particularly famous for his mastery of metaphysical conceits. A Burnt ShipOut of a fired ship, which by no wayBut drowning could be rescued from the flame,Some men leap’d forth, and ever as they cameNear the foes’ ships, did by their shot decay;So all were lost, which in the ship were found,They in the sea being burnt, they in the burnt ship drown’d. John Donne A Lame BeggarI am unable, yonder beggar cries,To stand, or move; if he say true, he lies. John Donne.

Pre-1900 poetry and Atonement Comparison Essay

The poetry collection provides us with a myriad of examples of how many have to face barriers to love – some of our speakers struggle, whilst many prove love to be an indestructible force, mainly seen by writers during the earlier periods who followed more traditional values, believing in a more courtly style love such as Shakespeare in Sonnet 116. However, later on, for example in the Victorian period, as traditions fell to pieces and certain barriers became stronger than the idea of love, people had lost faith: such as Remember. Meanwhile, in Atonement, McEwan takes us on a journey through the love of Robbie and Cecilia who manage to overcome physical separation that many faced at this time due to the World War. He portrays a realistic, yet strong union, proving that even in the Modern times, love can overcome barriers. In the time of the 16th century, during the Renaissance, when Shakespeare famously published his collection of sonnets – including Sonnet 116 – barriers to love were almost seen as insignificant. Post plague, Shakespeare may be giving hope to those who wanted to hold onto tradition and religion, as the Renaissance marked a time of new ideas and a movement away from the typical ideas around love, which could be much alike McEwan in the sense that Robbie and Cecilia’s love was not broken through the war times. In Sonnet 116, love can overcome all; initially, Shakespeare strengthens the idea of love by naming the poem after the form it takes: a sonnet. Everything about this poem represents love, and nothing can get in its way, not even ‘tempests’, proving how powerful it is and how it can even overcome forces of nature. Society creates no boundaries in terms of love within this poem; the use of the metaphor of the ‘star’ signifies how love is not restricted and can be seen by all. Lastly, we see Shakespeare incorporating personification to illustrate the immortal aspect of love and how it overcomes the barrier of time: ‘Love is not Times Foole’. Clearly barriers of love are seen to be easily defeated, as McEwan also portrays in his novel that attempts to highlight Modern Age love, incorporating realistic scenarios such as the awkwardness in the library, and the issues faced due to war. Many lives were lost, and the story of Robbie and Cecilia could be considered a tragedy, as we discover they die at the end. However, our narrator Briony allows their love to transcend death and live on through use of metafiction: ‘the lovers survive and flourish’, and on paper they do. However, McEwan does highlight the truth and how sometimes, we can lose the ones we love and there is nothing we can do about it. Religion was a big deal prior to the Renaissance, but as soon as science and new ideas came into play, their began questioning of the churches authority. William Blake explores how the church becomes the force that prevents love and innocence in his poem: ‘The Garden of Love’. Much alike John Milton’s famous ‘Paradise Lost’, the poem sees religion in a critical manner, implying a need to move away from typical Christian convention. His use of ‘Thou shall not’ is a form of linguistic deviation to invoke a Biblical tone, and almost mocks the 10 commandments and sees religion as a denial of everything – even love itself. God, described as benevolent, has allowed ‘priests in black gowns’, with black signifying negativity, to walk their ‘rounds’ and observe us – not so loving after all. Our speaker uses internal rhyme to highlight how his ‘desires’ are metaphorically ‘binding with briars’, giving us a sense that doing the things that you love result in punishment. Here, love is faced with a barrier that society has pushed onto people and Blake is clearly trying to, along with Milton, become aware of this. Meanwhile, in Atonement, the idea of status can be a barrier to love, not only for Robbie and Cecilia, but Jack and Emily too. For higher classes, divorce was frowned upon, so although Emily ‘did not wish to be told’ about Jack and his absence, there was not much she could do. Meanwhile, Robbie and Cecilia had ‘known each other since they were seven’, yet she claimed ‘everything he did aimed to distance her’ just because he removed his shoes to refrain from dirtying the floor. Clearly, there was tension due to varying status, keeping the two apart for so long. Therefore, a clear barrier to love, and from moving on to continue to love, is status in Modern times. Finally, we have the Scrutiny, written by Richard Lovelace, who explores the barrier to love: lust and the need to expand horizons in terms of being with others. During the time, he, much alike other poets such as Donne, turned to carpe diem poetry. For the speaker, he ‘must all other Beauties’ – using imperatives to signify the importance of experience before settling down. The endless opportunities he has metaphorically pushes him to become a ‘skilful mineralist’, representing his need to collect a variety of things (women). Boredom had almost become a barrier to love, as well as selfishness. Meanwhile, we can similarly see that Jack, in Atonement, has too taken advantage of the other options and has taken to cheat on his wife. We also see Lola marrying her ‘rapist’, implying that not only selfishness, but shame can be a barrier to love due to the selfishness of others. Overall, barriers of love are seen to both insignificant, and also life changing. Love stories became ever harder to write, and McEwan has managed, by setting his novel at the beginning of the 20th century, where many barriers had to be faced, and love was challenged by war, separation of families and couples, and the struggles of status and judgements of society. Therefore, he has shown how easy it is to love in the 21st century, and how potentially love is much weaker as it does not have to overcome any significant obstacles, hence why 42% of marriages end in divorce. The poems can explore many barriers to love, and different approaches are taken on: traditional love that overcomes all, love that is stolen by new ideas such as the church, and a more selfish and arrogant take on love.