Sophocles Oedipus The King - 992 Words

Throughout tragedies in Greek literature, the hero always has one tragic flaw. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, Oedipus’ main flaw is his overactive hubris, which in turn clouds his overall judgment. This is evident in the Chorus’ first ode to the city of Thebes as they try to ask the Gods for the banishment of the plague. Their answer does not come from a deity, but from Oedipus himself as he enters the palace and says, â€Å"You have prayed; and you prayers shall be answered with help and release if you will obey me, and are willing to put in hand the remedy you distress requires† (Sophocles lines 213-16). By Oedipus saying this, he elevates himself to the importance of a God. The people of Thebes need to pray to him to free the plague that is ravaging the city. This is only a small taste of his arrogance early in the play. Later, the blind seer, Teiresias, comes into the palace to tell who murdered Laius. Oedipus endlessly questions him, which Teiresias only response that he does not want to utter the truth that he knows. Angered by Teiresias’ unwillingness to speak he begins to make ironic jabs at the seer’s blindness and at one point calling him outright saying that he is a â€Å"Shameless and brainless, sightless, senseless sot† (Sophocles line 374). Oedipus continues to say that because Teiresias is â€Å"Living in perpetual night you [Teiresias] cannot harm me, nor any man else that’s sees the light† (Sophocles lines 377-378). It is ironic because Teiresias knows the truth behindShow MoreRelatedOedipus The King By Sophocles848 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus the King, written by Sophocles, follows the tragic story of a king named Oedipus who goes from an all-powerful ruler to a hopeless blind peasant. Oedipus the King was written as a play and performed in front of an audience. Sophocles shows in Oedipus the King that one cannot escape the fate of the gods. Throughout the play Oedipus struggles to find a solution and change all the troubles in his life. The play observes the story of Oedipus who defies the gods and through the journey experiencesRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King884 Words   |  4 PagesKing of Thebes, owner of a family tree that identically resembles Medusa on a bad hair day, and the inspiration for a psychologically-riveting complex, Oedipus, tragic hero of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, exposes troubling truths about the human condition and, acting as an exemplary precaution for the entirety of humanity, demonstrates how a self-destructive struggle between love, anger, and fate, conveyed through an unorthodox love affair between mother and son (Who gets custody in a divorce?),Read MoreSophocles Oedipus The King1714 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"ideal tragedy† is the play â€Å"Oedipus the King† written by Sophocles. In this play, Sophocles utilizes the concept of tragedy as well the theory of the importance of scenes of recognition and reversal to create a setting, tone, and mood throughout the play. Oedipus, the mythical king of Thebes, goes through a horrendous tragedy which includes moments of recognition and reversal. These moments are key to the fame and appreciation for the play, â€Å"Oedipus the King†. Sophocles’ use of Aristotle’s conceptsRead MoreOedipus The King By Sophocles950 Words   |  4 PagesThe people throughout Oedipus’ life trues very hard to allow him to escape his fate of killing his father and then marrying his mother. In the epic poem Oedipus the King, Sophocles tells the story of the tragic downfall of Oedipus. Although many people see the role of free will that brought upon Oedipus’ doom, no matter what choices were made throughout his life, his ultimate fate would always return. The choices made at the beginning of Oedipus’ life set him up to fulfill his prophecy. His parentsRead MoreOedipus the King by Sophocles1393 Words   |  6 Pages Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, has risen many questions concerning the main character and whether or not he acts on free will or if his future is predestined by the gods. I am going to test the theory that although Oedipus believes he is acting on his own free will, he is in fact a victim of the gods. I will analyze several different sources that discuss fate and human agency in Oedipus the King and then proceed to build my original argument on the archaic debate. There has been a great dealRead MoreOedipus The King By Sophocles904 Words   |  4 Pages In Sophocles play â€Å"Oedipus the King† a deadly plague has descended upon the kingdom of Thebes, and because of this plague a dark and iniquitous secret begins to unravel itself only to reveal a web of events connecting Oedipus and others as the culprits behind all the havoc ensued. No one is the sole source responsible for the unfortunate events that befall Thebes, as well as the royal family; In fact, those who unknowingly paved the path of destruction were themselves trying to prevent it fromRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King Essay1960 Words   |  8 Pages This would have been excellent advice for the main character in Sophocles drama, Oedipus the King. However, the drama was written as a result of Sophocles life and the influence of the humanistic culture in which he lived. Throughout Sophocles life, he gained military knowledge as the son of a wealthy armor manufacturer and received an excellent Greek education with emphasis on Homeric poetry (textbook). Furthe rmore, Sophocles was very involved in politics and served as a treasurer, a generalRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King871 Words   |  4 PagesThe plays written by Sophocles, â€Å"Oedipus the King â€Å"and â€Å"Antigone† are bodies of work displayed the meaning of what Aristotle defined as a tragedy. â€Å"Oedipus the King† is a story of a king trying to avoid the fate of his life that has been prophesized before his birth. In â€Å"Antigone† is story of a girl who devoted to her family, and regardless of the orders made the king Creon. In these stories the archetypes and hamartia of Antigone and Oedipus play a major role in the story. In â€Å"Antigone† the characterRead MoreOedipus The King, By Sophocles1407 Words   |  6 PagesWhen we think about a tragic play or protagonist, most people would think Shakespeare for his common theme of his plays to end with a tragedy. In Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, tells the tale of the protagonist Oedipus. Throughout the play, Oedipus searched for his past to discover the reason why his kingdom is plagued with wilting crops and illnesses. In the end, he becomes a tragic protagonist after discovering his past was related to the previous king’s death. While the search progressedRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King2037 Words   |  9 PagesSophocles’s Oedipus the King features a chorus that sings several odes over the course of the play. In Sophocles’s play, the chorus is composed of old Theban men and represents the population of Thebes as a whole. The chorus recites a parodos, four stasima, and a brief exodus. Through the choral odes, So phocles reflects on the events and motifs of the play, including piety and faith in the Gods, the inevitability and the uncertainty of fate, and the dichotomy of right and wrong. After Sophocles establishes

Investigation Of Mysql Database And Neo4j Database

INVESTIGATION OF MYSQL DATABASE AND NEO4J DATABASE ZAHRAA MUSTAFA ABDULRAHMAN AL-ANI JUNE 2015 INVESTIGATION OF MYSQL DATABASE AND NEO4J DATABASE A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES OF ÇANKAYA UNIVERSITY BY ZAHRAA MUSTAFA ABDULRAHMAN AL-ANI IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCEINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM JUNE 2015 Title of the Thesis: Investigation Of MySQL Database And Neo4j Database Submitted by Zahraa Al-ani Approval of the Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Çankaya University. Prof. Dr. Taner ALTUNOK†¦show more content†¦I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last Name : Zahraa Al-ani Signature : Date : 18.06.2015 ABSTRACT INVESTIGATION OF MYSQL DATABASE AND NEO4J DATABASE AL-ANI, Zahraa Mustafa Abdulrahman M.Sc., Department of Mathematics and Computer Science Information Technology Program Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Dr. Abdà ¼l Kadir GÃâ€"RÃÅ"R June 2015, 55 Pages Currently, there are two major of database management systems which are used to deal with data, the first one called Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) which is the traditional relational databases, it deals with structured data and have been popular since decades from 1970, while the second one called Not only Structure Query Language databases (NoSQL), they have been dealing with semi-structured and unstructured data; the NoSQL term was introduced for the first time in 1998 by Carlo Strozzi and Eric Evans reintroduced the term NoSQL in early 2009, and now the NoSQL types are gaining their popularity with the development of the internet and the social media. NoSQL are intending to override the cons of RDBMS, such as fixed schemas, JOIN operations and handling the scalability problems. With the appearance of Big Data,

Terrorism vs. Revolutionary Free Essays

Terrorists and revolutionaries are on two sides of a wide, prominent schism. While both a terrorist and a revolutionary wish to create pivotal change, terrorists use violence nondescriptly to influence those around them, whereas revolutionaries value the process of achieving their goal as well as the goal itself. Terrorism is a word that seems to permeate modern media. We will write a custom essay sample on Terrorism vs. Revolutionary or any similar topic only for you Order Now Not a day goes by that the average American hears of the activities of a terrorist group halfway around the world. It’s easily observed that we dislike terrorists. In the context of American politics, we don’t dislike them so strongly just for their push for religious conservatism, but rather for their violent and random attacks against innocent civilians. They are radically hateful toward their ideological enemies. Which is not a relatively uncommon concept – however, terrorism has the word ‘terror’ at its core for a reason. A terrorist like Osama bin Laden, for whatever motive, wishes to affect the world politically by terrifying people into some sort of action. In the field of political science, this is the definition, and historically it has been used the same way. Terrorists don’t care how many people are injured by their actions. If anything, they encourage it, because that will attract more attention to their cause. And change does occur, too. For example, in pre-9/11 days, there was little security in airports. Now citizens have to submit to government agencies like the TSA searching them for harmful non-regulation items – everything from guns to medium-sized bottles of shampoo. Unlike revolutionaries, there are even different sub-groups of terrorism. Eco-terrorism, a new term come to light, describes someone with environmentalist motives using violent actions to urge the government to be environmentally friendly. Such instances include threats to blow up bridges or dams that cause damage to nearby ecosystems. Environmentalist and eco-friendly views are not out of the ordinary – but threatening to explode a bridge certainly is. Terrorists are otherwise referred to as extremists, because their methods of inciting change are very extreme indeed. News stories of terrorists usually involve attempted harm to civilians through bombs and explosives, whether through the mail, or underneath cars, or within an airplane thousands of feet into the atmosphere. If anyone else wanted to change politics in the US, a responsible citizen might pass around a petition – but not a terrorist. The only want to change the world in ways that harm others and cause needless violence. Revolutionaries, on the other hand, do not believe that the ends justify the means. Thinking of revolutionary figures, people like Isaac Newton, or Ralph W. Emerson come to mind. These are people who desired to change their world and did so – creating pivotal alterations and thereby becoming immortal in their various fields. They aren’t called terrorists because they didn’t behave like terrorists. Their effect on the world was done peaceably and with no violent intent whatsoever. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. is seen as a potent revolutionary in civil rights. In an effort to dispel the injustice he saw toward his people in America, he held famous demonstrations throughout the south. These demonstrations are mot famous because they were violent or destructive; on the contrary, King put an emphasis on non-violent civil protest. He was a revolutionary anti-segregation figure, and not a terrorist, because he did not use extreme and violent methods to get his views across. In conclusion, although both revolutionary figures and terrorist have high ambition to change current policy and perception; however, terrorists use violent and injurious ways to get attention whereas revolutionaries have peaceful means to acquire a goal. How to cite Terrorism vs. Revolutionary, Papers

Charismatic Christianity Sociological Perspectives †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Charismatic Christianity for Sociological Perspectives. Answer: Introduction The Christian ethics can only be understood when one has a sound knowledge of the term Christian and ethics. It is known by almost all the people that those who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ are known as Christians. The values and principles that are considered in the lives of Christians are Christian ethics. These are core values and teachings of Jesus, in which he taught his followers about the conduct and way of life they should lead. According to Christianity the emphasis was always on love and sacrifice. A fundamentalist Christian though puts a lot emphasis on personal salvation. Ethics are often defined as moral values or standards of conduct of human beings. Christians follow their holy book bible that acts as their moral guidance. Bible tells Christians how their conduct should be in the society and from what all things they are required to refrain themselves. Christian ethics puts a lot emphasis on sinners, people who commit sins, that is basically the unethical pract ices and the judgment and punishment. According to Christianity, on the day of judgment all the sinners will be punished and those who righteously led their lives will get salvation. In Christian ethics salvation is very important. It is believed by Christians that deliverance from sins is brought by having faith in Christ and following his teachings (Wadell, 2016). Christianity and Politics As far as politics is considered in Christianity, it is very important to look back in the history. According to Christian belief church is being separated from religion but looking at it with historical perspective it can be seen that is very difficult to separate church from the politics. After the roman emperor Constantine into Christianity, the church gained Christendom, a power where it could create the king of the state and could also dethrone the king or the emperors if they do not perform their duties as per the church. All the people of the society were be considered as Christian and so the church interfered in politics. The present secular states are the result of Protestantism (Outka, 2017). According to Christian Political Ethicsthat has the views of some of the famous Christian scholars from different theological and ethical frame mainly the Catholic, Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anabaptist--to address fundamental questions of state and civil society, international law and relations, the part of the nation, and matters of violence and its control. It represents a unique fusion of faith-centered ethics and social science; the contributors give their different personal Christian understandings, they describe the ethics as they understand it, that is both secular ethical thought and other some religious viewpoints from Judaism, Islam, and Confucianism. They look into different Christian views of state and society--and the limitations of each. They grab tensions that are raised within Christianity over issue of patriotism, civic duty, and loyalty to one's nation, and they examine Christian responses to pluralism and relativism, globalization, and war and peace. It shows the st riking pluralism that lies within Christianity itself. This leading volume shows the meanings of Christian citizenship and civic responsibility, and raises compelling new questions about civil disobedience, global justice, and Christian justifications for waging war as well as spreading world peace. It brings Christian political ethics out of the churches and seminaries to deal with the most sensitive and complex social issues of contemporary society. The source of most of Christian ethics is bible. For Christians bible has been the most appropriate to teaching, reapproving, correcting, and training Christians in righteousness (Raheb, 2014). Earlier the Old testament was the guiding book for the people, the books of the old testament guides the actions of the people and their actions, a lot of rules have been mentioned in the old testament regarding marriage and how people should lead their lives. Old Testament has the Ten Commandments found in the book of Exodus that is still considered as the basis of Christian ethics (Niebuhr, 2013). According to the New Testament, which in which the basis ofmoralityis theGreat Commandment, everyone should love and adore God with all heart, mind, might and soul, and to love one's neighbor as oneself.The teachings of Deut 6:4-9andLev 19:18, are reaffirmed by Jesus. Christ put together all these commands and represented himself as a model of the love required as mentioned inJohn 13:12, which is known also asThe New Commandment. Paul is one of the most important source of Christian history because he was an Apostle in his gospels he put emphasis on "Law of Christ", which is a phrase found in gospels of Paul though its understanding and the relationship ofPaul of Tarsus and Judaismremains a mystery till now. The Pauline writings are also the major source of theNew Testament household code. According to TheCouncil of Jerusalem, they said in Acts 15, which was held in Jerusalem in about 50AD. Its decree, is widely known and accepted as theApostolic Decree, it has been generally binding for several centuries and is still observed today by theGreek Orthodox (Marshall, 2014). One of the most controversial topics of all time is Abortion, as per the Christian ethics abortion is considered as sin, the church does not allow the parents to opt for abortion. Christian opinions on abortion are difficult to understand because there is no such prohibition of the act in the historical evidences. It has nowhere in the books been referred directly in both the Old Testament and New Testament books of theBible, which is followed by the Christians (Wells Quash, 2017). Some Christian writers say thatthe beliefs of earlier Christians had been variant depending upon the situations. Others say that, although nothing has been mentioned about abortion in the New Testament, it is being condemned irrespective of the stage of pregnancy, it is considered one of the most worst sin.The condemnation was maintained even when some of cases abortion is required and is not a murder of homicide. The destruction of a fetus not yet "formed" is considered as homicide according to the Churc hes. The Didache, a Christian writing of mid to late 1st century, forbids abortion in its Chapter two. As per the teachings of theRoman Catholic Church, "human life must be respected and protected right from the time of conception.Therefore, it is against the procedures that aim to destroy an embryo or fetus for any reason (even before implantation), but the church has admitted that acts, such as chemotherapy or hysterectomy of a pregnant woman who has cervical cancer, which indirectly leads to the death of the fetus, can be morally accepted.According to church holds Church that "the first right of the human person is his life" and that life begins right from the fertilization. Since the first century, the Church has declared that every act that leads to intentional abortion is a morally evil. As per the teaching that the Catechism of the Catholic Church has declared that the views "has not changed and remains unchangeable" (Hunt, Walter Hamilton, 2016). Since the twentieth centuryProtestantopinions on abortion has been changing, there Protestants can be found in both the "anti-abortion" and "abortion-rights" camps. Conservative Protestants are generally against abortion whereas "mainline" Protestants incline towards abortion-rights. African-American Protestants are more strongly taking a stand for anti-abortion than white Protestants.Even among Protestants there are people who believe that abortion should be legally accepted, also there are people who are against it and have a belief that it cannot be ethically unacceptable and hence it should remain illegal (Kreeft, 2016). Although bible does not say much onabortion, various readings of scripture make the Christians aware about the ethical views of this topic, including Genesis 4:1; Job 31:15; Isaiah 44:24, 49:1, 5; and Jeremiah 1:5, among others (Wright, 2013). The idea behind prohibition of Abortion is that according to Christianity there Ten Commandments which they have to follow and one command of the ten commandments is that one should not kill and abortion is kill a fetus, which develops into a child in the later stages if the child had not been killed or aborted (Heltzel, 2014). The Church of England wants people to reflect on the issue of abortion deeply and they have realized that every person is having a different opinion on the topic. However, the Church's governing body, The General Synod, has passed resolutions on the matters, which provide a strong Church of England position. The Church of England has the Roman Catholic view that abortion is 'gravely contrary to the moral law'. As the 1980 statement of the Board of Social Responsibility put forward. However, this statement does talk about those situations where abortion could be permissible. The 1983 resolution of Synod, after expressing concern about the number of abortions in recent years went on to recognize (Witherington, 2016). The Roman Catholic Church says that intentionally harming the fetus is a cruelest deed and wrong in every sense. It says that it is a doctrine of natural law and hence has been written as the word of God. The Church says that human life starts when a male sperm fertilizes the womans egg, and so fetus is living. From that very time a new life starts forming which is independent from the life of their biological mother and father. The characterstics that make children different from their parents like the color of our eyes, the shape of our face are all laid down in the genetic code that comes into existence gradually. Every new life that starts forming at this point is not a potential human being but a human being with potential. Since the sixteenth century, causing or having an abortion has led to automatic excommunication. This has been mentioned in the Code of Canon Law (1983): "A person who actually procures an abortion incurs automatic excommunication" (Davies, 2017). The Church condemned abortion in as early as the 2nd century CE: a document called theDidache, written in the 2nd century (sometime after 100 CE), states: "You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish". Pope John Paul II took a strong stance against it. He underpinned many of the pro-life groups which have been made to challenge the rules of abortion. The Church itself has played a major part in the politics of the abortion debate and has taken a very strong stance against abortion, describing it as murder (Crooks, 2015). In 1995, Pope John Paul II wrote an encyclical, which is basically a teaching letter to the whole Catholic Churches, calledEvangelium Vitaemeaning 'The Gospel of Life'. He said that the primary position of the Church. In his letter he directly referred to abortion, euthanasia and the destruction of human embryos evil and a sin. In October 1996, the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales published a document calledThe Common Good, which states that all human rights flow from one fundamental right: the right to life. Before that in 1980 a document in which the seven Catholic Archbishops of Great Britain England, issued a document which was called 'Abortion and the Right to Live (Simmons Sorrells, 2016). This document focused on the Church's opposition to abortion came from recognition of the basic rights of all individuals, including the unborn, who also have their own values. The Catechism of the Catholic Church has reiterated this as well. The 1992 version quotes from the documentDon um Vitae('the gift of life') from the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the department that looks into the matters of faith and morals (Atkinson et al., 2013). A few Catholics have different opinion with the Vatican line on abortion. They have given arguments against the total ban on abortion. Although the teaching of church has for a long time said that a foetus becomes a person when the egg is fertilised, distinguished theologians such as Augustine and Aquinas said this did not happen until between 40 and 80 days after conception. Other Catholics put an argument that the Church has a fixed position on the right to life of the foetus nonetheless. The Church has given affirmation to the right and the responsibility of every Catholic to follow his or her own intuition on moral subjects, even when it conflicts with Church teachings. It is often argued by people that they have their right to choose whether they want a baby and not (Brown, 2015). Conclusion Hence, it can be concluded that the church has always been strict about the matter of Abortion, it does not matter whether the church is Evangelical, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal or Methodist. All of them are opposed to the idea of Abortion and it is a grave sin. However, in the modern times there are some who strongly support Abortion, these people are known as Pr-Choice and those against Abortion are known as pro-life. Today people do not restrict themselves to the rules made by the Churches so they oppose the old rules that have been prevailing from a very long time. There are cases where there are complications in delivery and so the child has to be aborted, in those cases the church is not much strict. The church also says that it is the responsibility of every Christian to judge their actions themselves and decide what is right and what is wrong. References Atkinson, D. J., Field, D. F., Holmes, A. F., O'Donovan, O. (Eds.). (2013).New dictionary of Christian ethics pastoral theology. InterVarsity Press. Brown, R. E. (2015).An introduction to the New Testament. Yale University Press. Crooks, R. H. (2015).Introduction to Christian Ethics. Routledge. Davies, J. G. (2017).Christians, politics and violent revolution. Wipf and Stock Publishers. Heltzel, P. (2014).Jesus and justice: Evangelicals, race, and American politics. Yale University Press. Hunt, S. J., Walter, T., Hamilton, M. (Eds.). (2016).Charismatic Christianity: sociological perspectives. Springer. Kreeft, P. (2016).The Philosophy of Jesus. St. Augustine's Press. Marshall, R. (2014). Christianity, anthropology, politics.Current Anthropology,55(S10), S344-S356. Niebuhr, R. (2013).Moral man and immoral society: A study in ethics and politics. Westminster John Knox Press. Outka, G. (2017). The Ethics of Love and the Problem of Abortion.Church, Society, and the Christian Common Good: Essays in Conversation with Philip Turner, 146. Raheb, M. (2014).Faith in the face of empire: The Bible through Palestinian eyes. Orbis Books. Simmons, F. V., Sorrells, B. C. (Eds.). (2016).Love and Christian Ethics: Tradition, Theory, and Society. Georgetown University Press. Wadell, P. J. (2016).Happiness and the Christian moral life: An introduction to Christian ethics. Rowman Littlefield. Witherington III, B. (2016).New Testament Theology and Ethics(Vol. 2). InterVarsity Press. Wells, S., Quash, B. (2017).Introducing Christian Ethics. John Wiley Sons. Wright, C. J. (2013).Old Testament ethics for the people of God. InterVarsity Press.

German Immigrants free essay sample

A paper which looks at the history of German immigration to the United States. This paper studies the causes of German immigration to the United States. It investigates the treatment of German immigrants from approximately 1810-1860 by other Americans and explores why this immigration was considered particularly successful. Around the year 1700, many Germans were fleeing their homeland to find an easier life in other European countries, the Western Hemisphere, and Australia due to extremely violent conditions. Armies of various nationalities were repeatedly attacking the country. Inhabitants of the southwestern part, especially, were constantly robbed and tortured. Entire villages were often burnt down and their inhabitants killed. In 1709 about 15,000 Germans left for Britain, and 3,000 crossed the Atlantic to New York. In 1745, there were an estimated 45,000 Germans living in Pennsylvania alone. (Adams, p 2)

Important Facts About the Plateosaurus

Important Facts About the Plateosaurus Plateosaurus was the prototypical prosauropod, the family of small-to-medium sized, occasionally bipedal, plant-eating dinosaurs of the late Triassic and early Jurassic periods that were distantly ancestral to the giant sauropods and titanosaurs of the later Mesozoic Era. Because so many of its fossils have been unearthed across the expanse of Germany and Switzerland, paleontologists believe Plateosaurus roamed the plains of western Europe in sizable herds, literally eating their way across the landscape (and staying well out of the way of comparably sized meat-eating dinosaurs like Megalosaurus). The most productive Plateosaurus fossil site is a quarry near the village of Trossingen, in the Black Forest, which has yielded the partial remains of over 100 individuals. The most likely explanation is that a Plateosaurus herd became mired in deep mud, after a flash flood or a severe thunderstorm, and perished one on top of each other (in much the same way the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles have yielded numerous remains of the Saber-Toothed Tiger and the Dire Wolf, which likely got stuck while trying to pluck out already-mired prey). However, its also possible that some of these individuals accumulated slowly at the fossil site after drowning elsewhere and being carried to their final resting place by the prevailing currents. Features One feature of Plateosaurus that has caused raised eyebrows among paleontologists is the partially opposable thumbs on this dinosaurs front hands. We shouldnt take this as an indication that the (fairly dumb by modern standards) Plateosaurus was well on its way to evolving fully opposable thumbs, which are believed to have been one of the necessary precursors of human intelligence during the late Pleistocene epoch. Rather, its likely that Plateosaurus and other prosauropods evolved this feature in order to better grasp the leaves or small branches of trees, and, absent any other environmental pressures, it wouldnt have developed any further over time. This presumed behavior also explains Plateosaurus habit of occasionally standing on its two hind legs, which would have enabled it to reach higher and tastier vegetation. Classification Like most dinosaurs discovered and named in the mid-19th-century, Plateosaurus has generated a fair amount of confusion. Because this was the first prosauropod ever to be identified, paleontologists had a hard time figuring out how to classify Plateosaurus: one notable authority, Hermann von Meyer, invented a new family called platypodes (heavy feet), to which he assigned not only the plant-eating Plateosaurus but the carnivorous Megalosaurus as well! It wasnt until the discovery of additional prosauropod genera, like Sellosaurus and Unaysaurus, that matters were more or less sorted out, and Plateosaurus was recognized as an early saurischian dinosaur. (Its not even clear what Plateosaurus, Greek for flat lizard, is supposed to mean; it may refer to the flattened bones of the original type specimen.)

Buddhism in Tang Dynasty Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Buddhism in Tang Dynasty - Term Paper Example Buddhism appealed to all classes of the Chinese nation. This includes both the nation’s peasantry, as well as the aristocrats. This is primarily because Buddhism offered hope for salvation, which the people of China required, but was not offered by the previous religious settings under Taoism and Confucianism (Orzech, p. 219). This paper will examine the effects of Buddhism on Tang Dynasty’s political standing, describing reasons why emperor Taizong favored Buddhism to Confucian religion. Buddhism has had major impacts on the Asian continent, with Japan and China being the most affected cultures by the religion. The effects of Buddhism are apparent in different areas of different cultures and countries, which entail political, social, as well as cultural influences. The Tang Dynasty of China is perhaps the most interesting history phase of China’s history. The Tang Dynasty, which was under the leadership of the Tang Dynasty, was founded in 618 and culminated in 9 07. The Tang Dynasty was quite flourishing with regard to power and wealth and became the most powerful country in the entire world. During the Tang Dynasty, the region achieved significant might with regard to the economy, culture, military and politics levels. Buddhism had substantial effects on China’s, especially the Tang Dynasty (Mikael, p. 36). However, it is paramount to note that Buddhism’s incorporation into the Chinese society took a relatively long time owing to the people’s difficulty to translate Buddhist text into the Chinese language. This paper will answer the question of how Buddhism was able to stabilize imperial power in political ways during the life of Tang Dynasty. It is undisputed that Buddhism had a huge impact in developing the social, economic, cultural and political environments of China’s Tang Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism brought about major changes in the Chinese political front, especially with regard to stabili zing imperial power of the political aspects of the nation. During the rule of the Tang Dynasty, Buddhist clergy gained massive favor in the royal court of the ruling elite. They even played a role in the control of bureaucratic power. The aristocrats of the Tang Dynasty were charmed by Buddhism doctrines. This is because the model character exemplified by Buddhist doctrines appealed to the political class of the Tang Dynasty, pushing them to adopt the characteristics of the so called model character as defined by Buddhist beliefs. The Buddhist doctrines appealed to the aristocrats of the Tang Dynasty because unlike the Taoist sage, Buddhism allowed for wealth acquisition by the ruling class. An example of such doctrine includes Buddhist beliefs that while a leader should be self disciplined, respectable and critical in his thinking, the leader should not limit his acquisition of wealth or enjoyment of luxuries. This means that Buddhism presented a new model for world-bound life for the aristocrats. However, this gave leeway for aristocrats to acquire massive amounts of wealth, sometimes at the expense of the populace, which remained poor for the most part. The government of Emperor Taizong preferred Buddhism to Confucian because the latter did not approve some of the actions of the aristocrats. For instance, Confucian disallowed the acquisition of luxurious property as it termed it as improper use of power,

Teaching and Learning Algebra Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Teaching and Learning Algebra - Essay Example According to the report findings if an instructor uses a version of some of these examples, students may be denied a useful frame of reference from the very start of their algebra studies. The last example does relate algebra to arithmetic, a subject which most students will have studied, may know reasonably well and may actually use in their daily lives. But even though algebra and arithmetic both involve signs, equations, numbers and computation, approaching algebra with an arithmetic mindset can cause students major problems. As the paper declares when introduced to algebra, students must reorient their thinking and recognize that â€Å"the expressions on both sides of the equals sign are of the same nature (or structure), and that there are actions which give meaning to the equality of the expressions (for instance, the action of substituting a numerical value for the unknown)†. The process to handle the minus sign before parentheses results in simplifying the expression. Thus, in the above example, 5x – (3 – x) becomes 6x – 3, a more concise and clearer way of restating the original expression without changing its value. In algebra, there is another rule for simplifying expressions, known as combining like terms, which is the third major issue confounding algebra students. Unlike the issues of the equals sign and the minus sign, solving the issue of combining like terms is a matter of following concrete rules rather than grasping concepts.

Pros and Cons of Police Gratuities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pros and Cons of Police Gratuities - Essay Example   According to Richard Kania, there are some particular situations where police officers should be encouraged to accept gratuities. He supports his opinion on the fact that individuals who offer police officers gratuities do so as rewards, but not with the intension of corrupting the police force (Barker 47). He also gives an example of a cook who offered him a free meal in exchange of frequent visits he made to his (cook) establishment. Police officers are routinely obligated to provide such services to the community, and they should not be rewarded at all for providing such services, however; the cook felt a sense of indebtedness to Kania for security services he offered, and the cook’s response was a personal one: a free meal (Barker 51). The problem he noted is that some of his colleagues when offered such gratuities will make it a routine to collect them on a daily basis. This turns out to be the beginning of corrupting the police system. Therefore, police gratuities th at are offered with the aim of rewarding the officers for hard work should be accepted, while those offered with the aim of corrupting the police system should not be accepted. Accepting gratuities is also a way of integrating fresh police officers into the police force system. John Kleinig notes that the issue of police corruption is highly emphasized during police training, therefore, officers who accept gratuities may feel that they are already corrupted, and there is no reason why they must not accept gratuities from the public.  

Analysis The Uk Oil And Gas Industry Environmental Sciences Essay

Analysis The Uk Oil And Gas Industry Environmental Sciences Essay With this report is a PESTE Analysis of The Upstream Oil and Gas Industry in the United Kingdom. An analysis of the factors affecting the industry shows that it operates under legal, fiscal and environmental regulations where prices are determined by international organisations like the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The Upstream Oil and Gas Industry in the United Kingdom is a mature one, and after 40 years of offshore exploration, the country remains self sufficient in oil and gas. This is an important sector for the UK, supplying the majority of the countrys energy needs, and virtually all the countrys transport fuel. Economic factors that affect the industry are oil demand, price, production, investment and employment. Awareness of sustainable development and renewable energy sources is the major social factor. Technology plays a crucial role in reducing the costs of exploration and producti on of oil and gas, in addition to making the process safer and more environmental friendly. There is considerable attention being paid to the affect of oil exploration operations on the environment, and this will also determine the future of the industry. The three scenarios that can emerge for the industry mainly depend upon the oil and gas reserves left in the North Sea, the viability of their exploration and the development of alternative renewable energy sources. Introduction PESTE Analysis of the UK Upstream Oil Gas Industry What is a PESTE Analysis? PESTE shows which external factors are influencing a business or an industry, also measuring the market potential and situation. This report is to understand and assess the various determinates of the external environment that influences the UK Upstream Oil Gas Industry. The factors assessed include Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Technological and Ecological. Once completed this PESTE model will provide an in-depth understanding of the situational factors that affect and have the potential to affect the UK Upstream Oil Gas Industry now and in the future. Political / Legal Factors Political stability and a good law and order situation are conducive to the smooth functioning of the upstream oil industry. Wars and terrorism can prove detrimental to operations. There are also several legislations passed by individual governments and associations who affect the functioning of the industry. 2.1 Legislation The Upstream Oil Industry in the United Kingdom is well regulated. In addition to the laws and regulations governing business in general, there are several laws that pertain to the Oil Industry specifically. Petroleum Act 1998 (www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/19980017.htm) Hydrocarbons Licensing Directive Regulations 1995 (http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si1995/Uksi_19951434_en_1.htm) Master Deed System 2003 (www.gnn.gov.uk/gnn/national.nsf) The Offshore Installations (Emergency Pollution Control) Regulations 2002 (http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2002/20021861.htm) The Offshore Chemicals Regulations 2002 (http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2002/20021355.htm) The Offshore Combustion Installations (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Regulations 2001 (http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2001/20011091.htm) The Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations 2001 (http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2001/20011754.htm) 2.2 Taxation The North Sea Tax regime has three tiers, Petroleum Revenue Tax (PRT), Corporation Tax and a Supplementary Charge of 10%. The Budget proposals for 2004 are to remove from the scope of PRT, new tariff business. 2.3 OPEC OECD The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was formed in 1960 with 5 members. By the end of 1971 six other nations had joined. OPEC stabilizes prices in the international Oil markets with a view to eliminate fluctuations, by setting the production quotas in the member countries. Oil Price History Analysis. WTRG Economics In contrast, the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) was instituted to counterbalance the role of OPEC and has a membership of 30 countries. The core of original members was located in Europe and North America but has expanded to include Asia, Latin America and the former Soviet bloc. Economic Factors As in every industry, there are economic factors affecting the health of the industry. It is abundantly clear that economic growth will remain the primary driver of energy demand. 3.1 World Economic Growth Oil Demand The global economy has grown at an average rate of about 3% per year since 1970, and the expectation is that it will continue to grow at the same pace over the next two decades (Raymond, Lee R., (2003). The most important factor governing upstream activities is the demand for Oil, which continues to increase. 3.2 Oil Prices Crude oil prices behave much as any other commodity with wide price swings in times of shortage or oversupply. Currently the Brent Crude price is around $30 per barrel  and is heavily influenced by the current world oil price set by the OPEC and OECD. 3.3 Oil Production The current production rate is around 4.25 million boe per day (North Sea Oil Leopard Magazine 2003) this is expected to decline to 3.6 million boe per day by 2005. By 2010 the government has a target of 3 million boe per day, although some industry experts reckon that production will be below 2.5 million boe per day. 3.4 Employment in the Oil Industry The Oil Gas Industry in the UK, employs around 300,000 staff in exploration and production. Skill levels and multi-skill training are important issues keeping in view the technology improvements. 3.5 Financial Investment Investment in upstream infrastructure like pipelines, tankers etc. results in more exploration activity. Socio-Cultural Factors The Upstream Oil Gas Industry is indirectly affected by socio-cultural factors. 4.1 Awareness about Sustainable Development Conservationists and more recently the general public are showing concern about saving non-renewable energy sources and switching to renewable energy sources. 4.2 Health Safety at rigs The perception of the Oil Industry has always been that it is a dangerous environment to work. Since the Piper Alpha disaster there has been a more conscious effort by the HSE and Industry bodies to make it a safer place to work. With the perception now changing the UK Upstream Oil Industry is now attracting a better quality of manpower. Technological Factors New upstream technologies will increase access to economically exploitable new liquids and gas reserves and reduce exploration, development and production costs. They will also mitigate adverse environmental efforts and risks to public health and safety from exploration and production activities.  Technology and RD activities will be responsible for the development of alternative energy sources. 5.1 Improvements in Oil Exploration Production In the past 10 to 15 years research and development within Oil and Service Companies has seen the development of powerful new and advanced technologies and tools for use in exploration, reservoir evaluation and production. Some of these are:   3D, 4D, 4C Seismic Imaging. Horizontal, Directional and Multilateral Drilling. Advanced Drilling Completion and Stimulation Technologies. Logging Tools and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMRI). Intelligent Completion Reservoir Life Extension. New Energy Technologies in Upstream Oil Gas. The Middle East Economic Survey. 28th October 2002 5.2 Renewable Energy Technology There are a wide range of renewable energy sources available and in the process of development and use. These are Biomass, Electricity, Geothermal, Hydropower, Solar, Wind and Tidal energy. Ecological / Environmental Factors The exploration, drilling and use of oil and gas will have to be kept in check due to the detrimental effects on the world ecosystem. 6.1 Ecological Impact The ecology of the North Sea has deteriorated over 30 years of oil exploitation in spite of anti pollution regulations. Discharges of oil and chemicals have various lethal and non-lethal effects on fish, birds, molluscs, cetaceans and other mammals (The Oil Gas Industry A guide for UK Activists. Corporate Watch.) Seismic surveying, drilling and rig installation cause disturbance to seabed ecosystems. The numbers of certain varieties of fish have reduced drastically. 6.2 Climate Change The rampant use of oil and petroleum products leads to Carbon Monoxide emissions (The Oil Gas Industry A guide for UK Activists. Corporate Watch), resulting in the greenhouse effect. It has been proved that there is a rise in temperatures, which will eventually lead to the melting of icecaps, the reversing of the Gulf Stream, and eventually great changes in climate all over the world. Flooding and coastal erosion will lead to massive population migration and loss of infrastructure all over the world. Significant Issues / Trends in the UK Upstream Oil Industry 7.1 Reserves in the North Sea Basin There are 260 oil and gas fields currently under development or in production on the UKCS (248 in 2001), with remaining reserves in these developments of around 11 billion boe (Alexanders Oil Gas 2002). At the current rate of production, it will take around 10 years for the oil and gas to be exhausted. The future of the industry depends upon new finds and further development of existing fields 7.2 Viability of Exploration Initial indications from a new survey reveal the UK offshore oil and gas industry has reached a critical point in terms of its international competitiveness, with projections of investment growth not being matched by increased production volumes. New technological developments in the upstream oil field aim to improve recovery rates of existing reserves (typically only 35% of which are currently recoverable by primary and secondary recovery technologies) and also reduce relative costs. The volatility of the oil price has led to changes in the structure of the oil sector. There has been consolidation both horizontally and vertically in the traditional contracting supply chain. OPEC will continue to be a major force in setting world oil prices. Over 1998 / 1999 there was a severe reduction in oil price, but increases in the oil price since the end of 1999 have improved the cash flow for oil companies, however the recovery for the industry will depend on technology transfer and new oil finds. 7.3 Development of Alternative Energy Sources Technology has come a long way in recent years with individuals, communities and businesses recognising the benefits of switching to renewable energy. The Energy Saving Trust was set up by the UK Government after the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and is one of the UKs leading organisations investigating the development of alternative energy sources. Their goal is to achieve the sustainable, efficient use of energy and to cut carbon dioxide emissions being the key contributor to global warming. The use of alternative energy sources is one way to address this vital goal. Scenarios for the UK Upstream Oil Industry Based on the above three issues that affect the upstream oil industry in the next decade, there could be three scenarios: the optimistic, the pessimistic and the middle of the road. 8.1 Optimistic Scenario The need for affordable and clean energy will continue to increase, especially in growing economies as energy is of fundamental importance for the development of societies. The consumption of primary energy sources will increase over the next 20 year forecast and most of the increment in energy consumption will be in the form of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal). It is expected that fossil fuel prices will remain relatively low, and the cost of generating energy from renewable sources will not be competitive. The fiscal climate of the UK will encourage the long-term investment necessary to secure the development of those supplies. In the UK, PILOT a partnership of the UK Oil and Gas Industry and Government, will fulfill its vision set out for 2010. Over the next 25 years, the UK upstream industry will make 130 new discoveries and 240 new developments. Oil prices will stay at a high level and long term investment in new technology will increase productivity and find new sources of oil and gas. (About Pilot What is Pilot? Pilot. 2003) The industry will achieve a production level of 3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2010 and a sustained investment level of  £ 3 billion per year. There will be a 50% increase in the value of industry-related exports by 2005 and additional revenue of  £1 billion from new businesses. There will also be a prolonged self-sufficiency in oil and gas for the UK with 100,000 more jobs than there would otherwise have been in 2010. (About Pilot What is Pilot? Pilot. 2003 8.2 Pessimistic Scenario Environmentalists and pro-conservation groups will influence all countries to maintain the delicate ecological balance of the planet by stopping the use of fossil fuels. UK government policy and programs will back alternative energy sources and the electricity generated will rise. At the regional level, the Energy Saving Trust will work with local authorities and a range of organisations to promote the implementation of alternative energy sources. The environmental programs and government policies, particularly those designed to limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions will be implemented. More support and financial funding for long-term renewable options to bring viable options to the market will achieve this. The Government will exceed its committed target and will achieve a 50% renewables target by 2010. The manufacturing sector all over the world will proactively implement methods to use renewable sources of energy. In view of this, the price of oil will plummet, due to cleaner and cheaper alternatives for energy being available. The OPEC will loose control over regulating oil and the market will be competing with other sources of energy. This will reduce the investment in the upstream oil sector and the transfer of technology for exploiting oil more efficiently will slow down. Eventually, the phasing out and decommissioning of Oil rigs in the North Sea will commence earlier than expected. 8.3 Middle of the Road Scenario The production of oil and gas in the UK peaked in 1999 and will continue to decrease over the years if there are no new significant discoveries in the North Sea Basin (Analysis of the UK Oil Production. PeakOil. 22nd February 2001). In the meantime renewable energy sources will get a boost with more funding and research development efforts being committed in that direction. The new technologies being used to make oil exploration more cost effective will not be transferred effectively to the rig, due to a lack of investment and funding. The price of oil will not be high enough for a comfortable cash flow in the upstream oil industry. The OECD will govern the prices of energy, as it will increasingly become non-fossil fuel based. UK will export most of its oil to the developing countries whose infrastructure would not have been upgraded enough to use renewable sources of energy. Conclusion On analysing the PESTE factors affecting the Upstream Oil industry, it is apparent that the major issues that will impact the health and longevity of the industry are the remaining reserves in the mature North Sea Basin, the viability of exploration and the development of alternative renewable sources of energy. From my readings I feel that with the technology that is constantly being developed by the Oil companies Exploration and Production in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry in the United Kingdom will continue steadily for at least another 20 years. Even with renewable energy sources becoming increasingly more evident, oil and gas will remain the most important fuels for the next 20-30 years. References Internet 1.Industry survey reveals challenges ahead for UK offshore oil and gas. Alexanders Gas Oil Connections. 27th November 2002. 2.Analysis of the UK Oil Production. PeakOil. 22nd February 2001. 3.The Oil Gas Industry A guide for UK Activists. Corporate Watch. Raymond, Lee R., (2003) The Petroleum Industry in the 21st Century: Building on a Great Legacy. World Energy. 6 (2): 24-29 4.About Pilot What is Pilot. Pilot. 5.UKOOA Sustainability Strategy Striking a Balance. UKOOA. 2002. 6.North Sea Oil Leopard Magazine Professor Alex Kemp 7.North Sea Oil and the UK Economy. UKOOA. 8.Oil Price History Analysis. WTRG Economics. 22nd 9.Is OPEC necessary? Oil Online. 25th November 2002. 10.New Energy Technologies in Upstream Oil Gas. The Middle East Economic Survey. 28th October 2002. 11.Forces Driving the Petroleum Industry in 2000 and beyond. Energy Saving Trust Website

Team Based Organizations Essay -- GCSE Business Management

Team Based Organizations Introduction A team is a small group of people with complementary skills who work actively together to achieve a common purpose for which they hold themselves collectively accountable. In today’s society, there can be several different factors that are associated for a group of people to become a high performance team. For a team to achieve great performance, and deliver real benefits to the organization, they have to be able to distinguish their strengths and weaknesses. All teams need members who believe in team goals and are motivated to work with others actively to accomplish important tasks. A commitment to teamwork is found in the willingness of every member to listen and respond constructively to views expressed by others. High performance team has to give others the benefit of the doubt, provide support, and recognize the interests and achievements of others. These things are very essential for a team to be a high performance team in today’s competitive and changing business environment. High Performance Teams It takes a lot of work for a group of people to become a high performance team. High performance teams have special characteristics that allow them to excel at teamwork and achieve special performance advantages. A team that is going to be a high performance team has to consist of strong core values that help guide their attitudes and behaviors in directions consistent with the team’s purpose. Another thing that a high performance teams do is to turn general sense of purpose into specific performance objectives. Whereas a shared sense of purpose gives general direction to a team, commitment to specific performance results makes this purpose truly meaningful. Moreover, members of high performance teams should have the right mix of skills, including technical skills, problem solving and decision making skills, and interpersonal skills. Lastly, anyone can easily ague that for a team to be a high performance team they have to be creative. In the new workplace, teams must use their creativity to assist organizations in continuous improvement of operations and in continuous development of new products, services, and markets. Diversity Climate Improving the diversity climate of an organization is through the implementation of teams. To conceive a better perspective of how diversity climate applies to organizing... ...s the group can gain from the complementarities among the skills of its members. Second, different skills of team members have to be relevant to one another. For example, complimenting someone may not occur, if the skills of one team member are not relevant to the productivity of a teammate. Third, good communication is necessary for any team members to perform the relevant joint tasks and engage in a knowledgeable process to be productive Conclusion Teams are the major forces behind today’s revolutionary changes in organizations. Team based organizations are becoming the management system of the future in today’s competitive business environment. To be a high performance team the proper skills need to be present. When it regards to teams being diverse, one must take into consideration the differences and use them to their advantage. In order to be able to successful run a business, there needs to be the distinction of what group of people is qualified and capable of doing what is right for the organization to succeed. References Katherine C. Naff, Richard C. Thompson. The Impact of Teams on the Climate for diversity in Government. http://www.hf.faa.gov. July 10, 2005.

Action Plan for Effective Listening

â€Å"Action Plan for Effective Listening† Please respond to the following: Discussion 1: â€Å"Action Plan for Effective Listening. † Create a formalized action plan with specific steps describing what you can do to evaluate your progress in becoming an effective listener. Look at the sample action plan in â€Å"Thinking Activity: 3. 4† and you must review the â€Å"Eight steps of effective listening† before you are able to answer this question. Students will respond to the following: Describe exactly what you will do to improve your listening. Must show steps that relate to improving listening. It takes a lot of concentration and determination to be an active listener. Old habits are hard to break, and if your listening habits are as bad as many people's are, then there's a lot of habit-breaking to do! Be deliberate with your listening and remind yourself frequently that your goal is to truly hear what the other person is saying. Set aside all other thoughts and behaviors and concentrate on the message. Ask questions, reflect, and paraphrase to ensure you understand the message. If you don't, then you'll find that what someone says to you and what you hear can be amazingly different! Describe when and where you will try to improve your listening (days/times/places). Must be specific. I would start using active listening today to become a better communicator, improve my workplace productivity, and develop better relationships. Describe specifically how you will check your progress. Must be specific. Being an actively empathic listener means, then, that you not only make sure you're actively paying attention but that you let the speaker you know you are. You ask questions when you're not clear on what the other person is communicating, you try to infer what the person is feeling, and you let the person know that you remember what he or she actually said. You never drift off into la-la land, and your face doesn't assume that of a computer in sleep mode.

Free Essays on Exemplification Of Dulce El Decorum Est

On September 11, 2001, our world as we knew it changed forever. We were attacked by terrorist. Hundred’s of innocent people died on that day for no apparent reason. The terrorist had expected to shatter our defenses, yet all their attempt fell short. Americans united like never before. Some people ran home to their family and friends while others fell to their knees with prayer for answers. For the past year we have searched for revenge against our enemies who were accountable for that day. Today, as our search nears an end, we are faced with the threat of war. Many friends and family members have been deported overseas to fight for our country and our freedom. War is a deeply moving and unsettling thought. Some soldiers are killed while others survive, haunted with the memories of the gruesome events they have witnessed. When Wilfred Owen wrote â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est,† she captured the feelings and visions of a solider who watches a fellow solider die on the battlefield. Through Owen’s use of imagery, rhyme, and figures of speech, she communicates her theme that war is not just glory it is also gory. The name Dulce et Decorum Est means it is sweet and right to die for your country. As the narrator begins her story about a fallen solider, she portrays the setting with the use of rhyme and similes. She tells her listener, â€Å"Bent Double like old beggars under sacks, knock-kneed , coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, till on the haunting flares we turned our backs, And towards our distant rest began to trudge†. The phrases like old beggars and coughing like hags creates images of the physical condition of the soldiers. Trudging indicates that the soldiers were moving through thick mud with great difficulty. The soldiers may be moving away from the battlefield in order to revive themselves from exhaustion. In the last four lines of the stanza, she continues to paint the tainted picture of the sold... Free Essays on Exemplification Of Dulce El Decorum Est Free Essays on Exemplification Of Dulce El Decorum Est On September 11, 2001, our world as we knew it changed forever. We were attacked by terrorist. Hundred’s of innocent people died on that day for no apparent reason. The terrorist had expected to shatter our defenses, yet all their attempt fell short. Americans united like never before. Some people ran home to their family and friends while others fell to their knees with prayer for answers. For the past year we have searched for revenge against our enemies who were accountable for that day. Today, as our search nears an end, we are faced with the threat of war. Many friends and family members have been deported overseas to fight for our country and our freedom. War is a deeply moving and unsettling thought. Some soldiers are killed while others survive, haunted with the memories of the gruesome events they have witnessed. When Wilfred Owen wrote â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est,† she captured the feelings and visions of a solider who watches a fellow solider die on the battlefield. Through Owen’s use of imagery, rhyme, and figures of speech, she communicates her theme that war is not just glory it is also gory. The name Dulce et Decorum Est means it is sweet and right to die for your country. As the narrator begins her story about a fallen solider, she portrays the setting with the use of rhyme and similes. She tells her listener, â€Å"Bent Double like old beggars under sacks, knock-kneed , coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, till on the haunting flares we turned our backs, And towards our distant rest began to trudge†. The phrases like old beggars and coughing like hags creates images of the physical condition of the soldiers. Trudging indicates that the soldiers were moving through thick mud with great difficulty. The soldiers may be moving away from the battlefield in order to revive themselves from exhaustion. In the last four lines of the stanza, she continues to paint the tainted picture of the sold...

Daily Writing Tips Vocabulary Test 1

Daily Writing Tips Vocabulary Test 1 Daily Writing Tips Vocabulary Test 1 Daily Writing Tips Vocabulary Test 1 By Daniel Scocco I am glad to finally release the first test on this blog, the DWT Vocabulary Test 1. The idea of creating tests and quizzes was bouncing in my head for some time already. Such resources add interactivity to the content, and they integrate perfectly with the topics we already cover routinely. The vocabulary tests will be based on the Word of the Day category. Every 20 posts on that category a new test will be released. Feel free to post a comment below with your score. Well also have spelling and grammar tests soon, so stay tuned! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:36 Adjectives Describing LightWhen to Form a Plural with an ApostropheHow to Style Titles of Print and Online Publications

Course of GDL programme (Land law ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Course of GDL programme (Land law ) - Essay Example The first requirement that is presumed not to be followed is of s.2 Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989, which states that a contract for disposition of land must be in writing and should be signed by each party to the contract. However from the fact it is seen that there has been conveyancing of property, thus it can be said that the registration of Brain as the new owner has taken place. In registered land, the key rights interest and title are illustrated by the register which consists of three parts, that is the property register, the proprietorship register and the charges register. The property register demonstrates the type of estate held by the owner and further gives facts of the property. The proprietorship register on the other hand gives the name of the registered proprietor and goes on to state any restrictions or limitations which have been placed on the proprietor to deal with the land. Finally, the charges register lays down third party rights which exist on the estate. Under the LRA 1925 the encumbrances that exist are classified into two categories, that is overriding interests, which bind the purchaser even if not mentioned on the register, and minor interests, which will be void against the purchaser unless the interests are protected through an entry on the register. The overriding interest that can be relied upon by Wanda is s.70 (1) (g) LRA 1925. Under the LRA 2002 it has been stated that a person's right of actual occupation will be construed as an overriding interest under the LRA 2002. This section consists of, 'The rights of every person in actual occupation of the land or in receipt of the rent and profits thereof, save where enquiry is made of such person and the rights are not disclosed'. It has been said that a person who does not have any legal or equitable right in land can get no benefit from s.70 (1) (g), nor can a person who not in actual occupation. (Strand Securities Ltd v. Caswell1). In Williams & Glynn's Bank Ltd v. Boland2 it was stated that 'it is the fact of occupation that matters' and 'physical presence on the land and not some entitlement in the law' is required. Further it has been stated that the purchaser will be bound by all the overriding interests that exist at the time of the date of registration. (Abbey National Building Society v. Cann)3 The courts have dealt with the issue of what happens if an occupier of the lan is absent for a temporary period in Chhokar v. Chhokar4, where a husband in order to divest his wife from claiming an equitable interest in the matrimonial home, carried on and completed a sale of property to his collaborator, while his wife was in the hospital. He then escaped with what he got from the proceeds. Finally when the wife returned she was refused her interest because of not being physically present on the land, at the time of registration. The Court of Appeal took into account of the fact that her furniture had been there at the house, thus it was held that she was in occupation and so the purchaser was bound by the overriding interest. This case would seem to have settled the issue, however there is a problem which has been said to be in existence, that is the courts did not make any reference whatsoever, of the LRA 1925, thus it

CONTROVERSIAL CURRENT PSEUDO-SCIENCES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CONTROVERSIAL CURRENT PSEUDO-SCIENCES - Essay Example Ruppetts in 1951 – 1953, in his role as Director of the U.S. Air Forces’ ‘Project Blue Book,’ whose mandate was to investigate reports of UFOs. A UFO may be defined as, Hyneck categorizes UFO experience into nocturnal lights, daylight discs, radar, CE-1: Close Encounters of the First Kind, which include observation at close quarters, CE-2: Close Encounters of the Second Kind, with reported physical evidence, such as ground traces and electromagnetic effects, CE-3: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, in which both objects and occupants are reported and CE-4: Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind, which denotes reported abductions by aliens. (Berliner, UFO Evidence). Whatever may be the status of Ufology itself, it is an undisputed fact that â€Å"UFOs are arguably the most widely reported unexplained mysteries of this or any other century† (Stacy, UFO Evidence). As supported by Gallup polls, Ufology remains the pseudo-science with the largest number of adherents: 70% of Americans profess to believe in UFOs. The believers contend that even if the vast majority of reported sightings of UFOs are subsequently identified or traced to hoaxes or psychological phenomena, there still remains a substantial 25% of sightings which cannot be explained away. Another basis of their argument is that UFO sightings have, by and large, been reported by witnesses usually perceived as reliable: air force and airline pilots. A third contention is that UFO reports all exhibit a certain consistency of character: the objects are symmetrically shaped as spheres, cylinder or discs, all of which do not qualify for optimum aerodynamics in human terms; they travel at incredible speeds which no known aircraft has yet reached; they are luminescent; they emit invisible radioactive energy; they interfere with electrical systems; they emanate odors of ozone or formaldehyde; they are solid, with no obvious aerodynamic features. These supporters discount the commonly held

The role of intelligence in energy security. An analysis of the Essay

The role of intelligence in energy security. An analysis of the ongoing competition over Caspian Oil and Gas reserves between major states - Essay Example Former oil industry executive, and now current American Vice-President Dick Cheney famously remarked, "I cant think of a time when weve had a region emerge as suddenly to become as strategically significant as the Caspian†.1 Accordingly, access to oil has quickly become a hotly contested issue with protagonists from East to West seeking to reap the benefits of the full-scale exploitation of what has quickly become one of the most geopolitically significant regions of the globe. Aiming to explore the strategic development of the Caspian Sea region and the emergence of this territory as a globally-contested hot-spot, this dissertation will seek to address a variety of important questions. These include the following research questions which will guide this analysis: Accordingly, these questions and many more will guide our analysis of the role of intelligence in energy security in the Caspian Sea region. Seeking to provide a thorough and concise overview of the current challenges facing the full exploitation of a region which has quickly become strategically significant in geopolitical affairs, this essay will be organized in the following manner. Beginning with a brief overview of the research design, methodology and data recovery employed, this section will be followed by a concise yet relevant historical analysis of the Caspian region as well as the historical antecedents to the development of the Caspian Sea region. The Caspian Sea region is important to global energy markets as it is a newly discovered source of natural resources including oil and natural gas. Accordingly, this region has the potential to become a major exporter of oil and natural gas into the twenty first century. After more than eight years of exploration and development, in May of 2005 oil from the southernmost sections of the Caspian Sea began pumping through a new pipeline established by a British Petroleum-led

African Americans and the Prison System Essay Example for Free

African Americans and the Prison System Essay I. The History of Oppression and African Americans? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K.. III. The lasting effects of slavery: continuous oppression? K? K? K? K? K? K? K a. The lost sense of culture and cultural pride: Feeling of inferiority b. No economic foundation c. Unleveled playing field IV. Maintaining oppression? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K. PART 2 : THE NEW AGE SLAVERY: The Prison System I. The Prison Institution? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K II. Race and the Prison System? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K.. III. The lasting oppression? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K.. IV. The effects of oppression? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K a. Demise of the Black family b. Lost political voice V. Solutions? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K. VI. Closing? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K I. Introduction In the book the Mugging of Black America, Earl Ofari Hutchinson relays an interesting experience by a reporter. The reporter, who spent two and a half hours watching suspects march before Washington, D. C. Superior Court Judge Morton Berg, noted that all but one of these subjects was Black. He stated, ?  §There is an odd air about the swift afternoon? Xan atmosphere like that of British Africa in colonial times? Xas the procession of tattered, troubled, scowling, poor blacks plead guilty or not guilty to charges of drug possession, drug distribution, assault, armed robbery, theft, breaking in, fraud and arson. According to Hutchinson, the reporter witnessed more than a courtroom scene; he witnessed the legacy of slavery. This paper will attempt expand on Hutchinson?  ¦s theory. It will do so by first describing slavery and its lasting impact then it will attempt to show how the current criminal justice system mirrors slavery. PART 1: Slavery I. The History of Oppression and African Americans The history of the oppression as it relates to African Americans began in 1619. It was this year in which a Dutch ship brought the first slaves from Africa to North America. Following this arrival of twenty Africans in Virginia, white European-Americans created the institution of slavery. Slavery spread so quickly that by 1860 the original twenty slaves turned into nearly four million. In the beginning the legal status of these Africans was undefined. This absent definition created a lack of certainty which allowed for some slaves to become free after years of service. This only lasted briefly. In the 1660s, however, the colonies began enacting laws that defined and regulated slaves and the institution of slavery. One of the most important of these was the provision that black slaves, and the children of slave women, would serve for life. These ?  §breeding laws were just the beginning. Soon, slavery in the United States was governed by a body of laws developed from the 1660s to the 1860s. Even though every slave state had its own slave code and case law, it became universal that slavery was a permanent condition. In addition to slavery being a permanent condition, slaves were also, under these laws, considered property. Slaves, being property, could not own property or be a party to a contract. Since marriage is a form of a contract, slave marriages had no legal standing. Most codes also had sections regulating free blacks. Under these codes blacks who were not slaves were still subject to controls on their movements and employment. These laws served not only as a physical limitation, but an ideological one also. In addition to granting slave owners and white people power over slaves and in some cases free blacks, the laws also granted slaveholders and white-Europeans an intangible source of power. Socially, the institution of slavery allowed white slave owners to believe they had not only physical control, but physical and mental superiority over the slaves. With only a few exceptions, all slaves were Africans. This fact placed the label of inferiority on black skin. The actual institution of slavery as it relates to master and slave lasted up in till the Civil war. The American Civil War was fought, in part, over slavery. During the war, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which ?  §freed all slaves. This seemingly, brought the end of slavery throughout the United States, but unfortunately left a lasting impression. From this point on slavery took on a new form as former slaves being associated with the label of inferiority. II. The lasting effects of slavery: continuous oppression Slavery is defined by Webster?  ¦s dictionary as ?  §The state of being under the control of another person . Aalthough the actual physical control and violence supposedly ended after the emancipation proclamation, The intangible theory of supremacy derived from the institution of slavery resulted in many lasting effects. These effects in and of themselves are a form of force, a form slavery. a. The lost sense of culture and cultural pride: Feeling of inferiority Slave drivers made great efforts to eliminate African culture. For instance Africans were beaten if they were caught speaking their native languages or carrying out native rituals . Therefore, they were not able to effectively pass the languages, stories and traditions on to their children. This forced suppression resulted in the loss of verbal records and a rich legacy of history. It is no secret that there is pride in culture. Taking away the culture takes away the pride and the motivation and results in feelings of worthlessness. b. no economic foundation Slave drivers not only attempted to deprive the Africans of there culture and pride, but they successfully robbed them economically. Slaves were forced to work without pay for years while padding the pockets of the slave owners. This deficit of economics resulted in an inability to establish an economic foundation in the United States. c. Unleveled playing field Along with the deprivation of financial resources, another significant factor concerning the state of African Americans is arrested development. Slaves were deprived of opportunities to learn and become more competitive in many areas of society. Black people were not allowed to read or learn to read, so they could not take advantage of written text. All these lasting effects placed blacks in a severely disadvantaged state when slavery was abolished, led a socioeconomic structure in which white people generally held the highest ranks and Black people generally held the lowest ranks. III. Maintaining oppression In order to maintain this socioeconomic structure, there always seems to be a new form of oppression set in place to maintain ?  §slavery. As if the above detrimental effects of slavery were not enough, the White southerners were anxious to maintain more direct power and control over people with black skin, despite there classification as ?  §free. The White southerners decided to, again, use the law in order crystallize there theory of inferiority and keep black people at the lowest ranks. In 1865, southerners created Black Codes, which served as a way to control and inhibit the freedom of ex-slaves. These historic Codes controlled almost all aspects of life, and prohibited African Americans from almost all the freedoms that had been won during the Civil War. The codes, which were blatantly racist and oppressive, were eventually suspended in June 1866, during the ? §reconstruction era. During this time period in America and despite resistance, African-Americans were slowly becoming part of this nations inclusion. By 1868, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution confirmed the long awaited citizenship for Blacks in America. By 1870, the 15th Amendment was added to the Constitution which made it illegal to deny the right to vote based on race. The Reconstruction era, although short-lived, showed the first real attempts of inclusive freedom for African-Americans since the abolition of slavery. Gains were taking place: Citizenship, Voting, Education, and Politics. But, the underlying desire to have power over those in black skin never subsided. Just like the black Codes, this desire to dominate again manifested itself in another form, Jim Crow Laws. These laws promoted discrimination and the denial of equal protection by law. Just like the codes, they too were eventually abolished. Just like the Codes, Jim Crow laws, the desire of our society to suppress those in black skin will soon take another form. Today that form is the Criminal Justice System. PART 2 The New Age Slavery: The Prison System I. The Prison Institution Prisons are big in the United States. During the past 20 years, the United States experienced a massive increase in incarceration. The prison population increased fourfold, from 330,000 in 1980 to nearly 1. 4 million in 1999, and the incarceration rate increased from about 140 to about 476 per 100,000 resident populations. Today there are more than two million Americans behind bars. But even more startling is the fact that more than one-half of these incarcerated Americans have black skin. Although black Americans only make up about 12% of the US population, they account for more then 30% of all arrests, 44% of all prisoners and 40% of prisoners on death row. II. Race and the Prison System These obvious disparities in the criminal justice system can be attributed to many different things ranging from racial profiling to the lack of opportunity and poor education, but most criminal justice observers believe that these disparities have emerged from the underlying assumptions rooted in slavery. The assumption that slaves were inferior has carried over to today. Currently this theory of inferiority and desire to maintain oppression influences one of the major policies in place attacking African Americans today, the ?  §war on drugs. Most of the shocking disparities in the criminal Justice System as it relates to African Americans in prison can be attributed to the ?  §war on drugs. According to a study by Human Rights Watch, African-Americans comprise 62 percent of the drug offenders admitted to state prisons. In seven states, blacks constitute between 80 and 90 percent of all people sent to prison on drug charges. According to studies of the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights, African-Americans constitute 15 percent of the national drug users, but comprise an amazing one-third of all those arrested on drug charges and 57 percent of those convicted on drug charges. The criminal justice system generally, and contemporary crime and drug policies in particular, serve as a means for White America to control the African Americans like they did in the 1600 . III. The lasting oppression Similarly to the black codes and segregation implemented after the abolition of slavery; restrictions are placed on prisoners after they are released. Once a prisoner is released from prison, parole and the bans on public assistance, public housing restrictions, etc. create barriers and a seemingly doomed cycle of dominance. Since half of the prisoners in prison are African American, these barriers, like the lasting effects of slavery, have a disproportionate effect on our black communities. III. The effects of oppression According to the Department of Justice?  ¦s Bureau of Justice statistics, the number of adults in prison, jail, or on probation or parole reached almost 7 million during 2004. Since Blacks comprise 30 percent of probationers and 41 percent of prisoners. That means around 4,500,000 African Americans are affected directly by the criminal justice system. Unfortunately those African Americans sent to prison or under parole are not the only people affected. The impact on the black community does not stop at the prison door, conversely it goes far beyond. Even after a prisoner is released there are lasting effects to the prisoner, his or her family and the community as a whole. a. Demise of the Black family One effect of the high rate of incarceration of African American males in particular has been the decreasing number of marriageable men in the African American community. Along with high rates of homicide, AIDS-related deaths and other factors, this has created a substantial imbalance in the male-female ratio among adult African Americans. Whereas gender ratios for African Americans at birth are about 102-103 males for every 100 females, by the age range 40-44, this declines to 86 males per 100 females, whereas white rates are 100:100 for this group. b. Lost political voice The impact of the criminal justice system on the black community goes beyond the declining family structure to issues of political influence as well. As a result of laws that disenfranchise felons and ex-felons in various states, an estimated 1. 4 million African American males, or 13% of the black male adult population, is either currently or permanently disenfranchised as a result of a felony conviction. In fourteen states, a felony conviction can result in lifetime disenfranchisement, and in seven of these states, an estimated one in four black males is permanently disenfranchised. Thus, not only are criminal justice policies contributing to the disproportionate incarceration of African Americans, but imprisonment itself then reduces the collective political ability of African Americans to influence these policies. V. Solutions The constant demise in the structure of the black family, lost political influence and seemingly arrested development are all very familiar results of a history of oppression. Since these effects of slavery and disparities in the criminal justice system seemingly steam from hundreds of years ago there is no quick fix. Ideally the answer would lie in the destruction of all prejudice. But, it is impossible to erase the deep seated legacy and resurfacing effects of slavery. Therefore this problem must be attacked from a variety of different angles. Recommendations for change can be considered in the areas of awareness, legislative change, criminal justice officials?  ¦ initiatives, and criminal justice/community partnerships. The following are some suggested that will allow for a beginning to a seemingly circular and endless problem. 1. Legislative Actions Legislation should be pushed to Reconsider Mandatory Sentencing Policies and Equalize Penalties for Crack and Powder Cocaine . 2. Criminal Justice Officials?  ¦ Initiatives ?n Criminal Justice Officials should Expand Drug Policy Options And Expand the Use of Alternative Sentencing 3. Criminal Justice/Community Partnerships. The criminal Justice system and the community should attempt to Increase Community-based Diversion from the Criminal Justice System And Strengthen the Link between Communities and the Justice System VI. Closing Oppression in the form of institutionalization is nothing new to those dressed in black skin; it has been present since 1619. In this year Africans were brought to the United States and forced into the institution of slavery. Even after the abolition of slavery, a series of codes and segregation laws were set in place to maintain the suppression of black people because black skin was stigmatized as inferior. Even though the prejudice and biased codes and laws were eventually abolished themselves, this stigma remains. Because this theory of black inferiority was embedded in the American culture due to slavery, various means of oppression are able to continually resurface in different forms. Today that form is Criminal Justice System, more specifically the drug policies. Practically mirroring the institution of slavery, African Americans are being controlled and dominated by this system. Control by the USCJS includes the probation, parole, imprisonment, lost economic power, struggling communities and lost political voice. In order to end this vicious cycle of oppression, action must be taken. First people must be made aware of the disparities. Next those who are made aware must press for legislative change, criminal justice officials?  ¦ initiatives, and criminal justice/community partnerships. The challenge for the community at large is to engage in broad discussion of the mix of family, community, and government initiatives that can begin to reverse the cycle that has been set in motion in recent years. Let?  ¦s do what Abraham attempted o do in 1877, let?  ¦s end this legacy of slavery.

All Things Wise And Wonderful :: All Things Wise And Wonderful

All Things Wise and Wonderful James Herriot   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book I read is called All Things Wise and Wonderful, written by James Herriot. This is the 3rd novel in a chain of five. These novels make a very interesting and famous poem. All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All. This poem has all of James Herriot’s book titles. James Herriot was a Scottish veterinarian who lived in Scotland during the time of World War Two. You could say that this book is an autobiography because this really happened to him and he has written it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this book, James Herriot is at war in England. He is just like any of the other soldiers, doing pushups and working all day. When he has days off he likes to do his first career. This is as a veterinarian. He lives in Yorkshire, England and he goes to farms and people’s houses any time he can, just to help their animals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It all starts with him at war, nothing real scary, just attending his regular duties. He seems to be very worried about his teeth because he is terrified of dentists. So he keeps his teeth in â€Å"tip top† condition. The Army was very strict about hygiene. Then he goes on about how he likes gentle dentists. In the beginning of this exceedingly interesting book he starts to talk about women. He says that he likes women better than men, and I agree, because at this time in the English Army there where more men than women. The men would not stop cussing and yelling and acting like slobs. He missed the comfort of women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  James Herriot became a veterinarian because of his love for all the animals on this earth. He loves all animals and he knows how much an animal such as one out of twelve cows is worth to a farmer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An incident that I found interesting in the book was when he went to a Gray Hound race. He was the substitute vet. He was given the orders to take out any dog that did not look fit to run.

The Obstinate Toy Soldier in Mere Christianity Essay example -- C.S. L

In C.S. Lewis' book Mere Christianity, The Obstinate Toy Soldier is a chapter with good points. Lewis takes his reader step by step through this chapter. In paragraph one he talks about how humans are consumed with the here and now, so people do not really think about what would have happened if humans never fell. Paragraph two is about how natural life and spiritual life are not just separate, but opposing sides. Lewis says this because people are born one way and God wants them another way. If these two sides, natural and spiritual life, combined then the way people normally do things would be destroyed in the process. It is like the analogy about the people who were brought up dirty and are afraid to take a bath. Lewis states in paragraph three that if we were to try and make a toy soldier human, that the toy would not see it as helping it, but as trying to destroy it. In some ways people see God this way even though he is trying to save our souls. Paragraphs four and five shed so me light on who Jesus was. According to C.S. Lewis he was a real man of particular attributes and ever...

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and Nosocomial Infections

Bielecki et al. Research Paper Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacteria, particularly known for causing nosocomial infections (1). As a pathogen, it effectively causes disease by acquiring resistance to antibiotics that would otherwise inhibit growth (2). Reported rates of infection range from 0. 6 to 32% across various clinical environments because Pseudomonas aeruginosa has gained multi-drug resistance (2). Certain strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa treated with gamma rays can break down the hydrocarbons in crude oil and are thus useful in cleaning up oil spills (3).The genome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is 6. 3 million base pairs long, which is the largest bacterial genome to be sequenced (4). It contains about 5,570 open reading frames (4). Argyrin is a naturally synthesized antibiotic peptide extracted from myxobacteria (1). It has cytotoxic properties, suppresses the immune system, and is a highly active antibiotic used against Pseudomonas strains (1). Figure 1. Argyrin A structure. Bielecki et al chose to isolate these resistant clones in order to observe the mechanisms by which the P. eruoginosa acquires resistance to Argyrin A within the fusA1 gene (1). They isolated these clones by growing Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains on agar that contained Argyrin A (1). After incubation, the colonies that formed were able to grow in the presence of argyrin; these colonies were then streaked onto plates with Argyrin A again to ensure accuracy of obtaining resistant strains (1). A point mutation is an alteration of one base pair within a DNA sequence (5). The point mutations, which caused changes in the amino acid sequence within the fusA1 gene, were different among the six isolates (1).They might have conferred resistance because the mutations caused the same impact on the resulting protein (1). The gene was identified by sequencing the whole genome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains with the bacterial target of Argyrin A, which showed mutations within fusA1 that encode for the elongation factor EF-G in resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1). The diagram below illustrates the process of elongation during the translational phase in EF-G along with EF-Tu (12). Figure 2. Elongation during ribosome-catalyzed translation (12). Bielecki et al confirmed the identity of the gene by using genetic maps. This required sequencing the resistant strain a second time to make a reference strain to compare the genes at a specific loci (1). Adding a mutation into the sensitive Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain demonstrated a resistance phenotype (1). Surface plasmon resonance is a lab technique that involves aiming a beam of light at a thin metal sheet, which catalyzes a reaction by causing movement in the molecules behind the metal sheet (6).SPR was useful in this experiment because it confirmed that fusA1 is the target gene for Argyrin A, rather than fusidic acid, the antibiotic previously recognized (1). A heterologous protein, or a heterologue, is a protein that differs in structure and function relative to a given protein; not all proteins with different amino acid sequence necessarily differ in function (7). N-terminal His6-tags were fused to the fusA1 genes before undergoing the SPR experiments, causing the production of heterologous proteins in relation to the original fusA1 (1).According to Bielecki et al, the SPR procedures supported that Argyrin A binds to fusA1 by the resulting KD value (1). This shows that Argyrin A has a target on the heterologous protein (1). It is important to compare the variations made in the mutations because the other bacteria may have a different sequence that can still achieve resistance (1). It cannot be assumed that all bacterial strains will be identically resistant or sensitive because they all contain differences in their genomes (1). By mapping the mutated genes, the authors found the locations of the mutations in different domains (1).They deduced that the mutations exhibiting resi stance to Argyrin A in Pseudomonas aeruginosa are found on opposite sides of the domain, despite the fact that most mutations involving fusidic acid and Argyrin A are located on the same side of the domain (1). This shows that the binding sites for fusidic acid and Argyrin A must be independent of each other (1). Both fusA1 and the second gene, fusA2, encode for the elongation factor EF-G (1). The fusA2 gene was expressed 30 times less in the strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa than in the fusA1 gene, as shown by RNA sequencing (1).Homology modeling uses the model of a target protein to produce an estimated structure of a homologous template protein (8). After creating a homology model of Argyrin A’s protein structure, Bielecki et al concluded that it â€Å"most likely binds to a site distinct from that of fusidic acid, indicating a new mode of protein biosynthesis inhibition by Argyrin A† (11). Multi-drug resistant pathogens pose a very big risk on the world because the y can easily mutate their genomes to adopt resistance to a given antibiotic and persist in causing harmful diseases (1).The authors used MDR clinic isolates in order to observe the mechanisms by which these pathogens mutate to build resistance to Argyrin. The fact that eleven of the twelve isolates showed sensitivity to Argyrin suggests that Argyrin is a useful antibiotic in preventing infections by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1). There are other factors besides the uptake and export of Argyrin that affect Pseudomonas aeruginosa’s sensitivity to Argyrin, such as efflux pumps (1); however, the uptake and export of Argyrin in other bacteria does play a role in its sensitivity (9).A proteasome is a hollow protein complex with active sites that break down proteins by proteolysis (10). The degraded peptides that are produced can be used for other functions in the cell (10). Argyrin A is a factor used to inhibit proteasome function, yet there is no distinct evidence that Argyrin A bind s to the site on the proteasome (1). This paper is important because it analyzes the resistance and sensitivity to Argyrin A in various strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.This bacteria has been a leading cause in nosocomial infections, so it is important to determine which antibiotics best work to stop the spread of disease (1). About ten percent of patients in hospitals across the United States obtain a significant nosocomial infection (13). Although there are effective methods to prevent the spread of pathogens in clinical environments (13), it is important to study how bacteria acquire resistance, so that scientists can develop ways to inhibit the spread of nosocomial infections by multi-drug resistant pathogens.Bibliography Bielecki, P. , Lukat, P. , Husecken, K. , Dotsch, A. , Steinmetz, H. , Hartmann, R. W. , Muller, R. , and Houssler, S. (2012) Mutation in elongation factor G confers resistance to the antibiotic Argyrin in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Che mbiochem. 13, 2339-2345. Obritsch, M. D. , Fish, D. N. , MacLaren, R. , and Jung, R. (2005) Nosocomial infections due to multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa: epidemiology and treatment options. Pharmacotherapy. 25, 1353-1364. Iqbal, S. , Khalid, Z. M. and Malik, K.A. (1995) Enhanced biodegradation and emulsification of crude oil and hyperproduction of biosurfactants by a gamma ray-induced mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 21,  176–179. C. K. Stover, X. Q. Pham, A. L. Erwin, S. D. Mizoguchi, P. Warrener, M. J. Hickey, F. S. L. Brinkman, W. O. Hufnagle, D. J. Kowalik, et al. (2000) Complete genome sequence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, and opportunistic pathogen. Nature. 406, 959-964. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Point mutation. Accessed 17 Oct. 2012 http://www. britannica. om/EBchecked/topic/54744/point-mutation Manfield, I. (2009) Biacore surface plasmon resonance. Univ. of Leeds, Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology. Accessed 1 8 Oct. 2012 http://www. astbury. leeds. ac. uk/facil/SPR/spr_intro2004. htm Jackson, J. H. (1999) Terminologies for gene and protein similarity. Michigan State Univ. , Dept. of Microbiology. Accessed 19 Oct. 2012 https://www. msu. edu/~jhjacksn/Reports/similarity. htm Bevan, D. R. (2003) Homology modeling. Virginia Tech, Dept. of Biochemistry. Accessed on 19 Oct. 012 http://www. biochem. vt. edu/modeling/homology. html Sasse, F. , Steinmetz, H. , Schupp, T. , Petersen, F. , Memmert, K. , Hofmann, H. , Heusser, C. , Brinkmann, V. , von Matt, P. , Hofle, G. , and Reichenbach, H. (2002) Argyrins, immunosuppressive cyclic peptides from myxobacteria. I. Production, isolation, physico-chemical and biological properties. J. Antiobiot. 55, 543-551. Rape, M. , and Jentsch, S. (2002) Taking a bite: proteasomal protein processing. Nat. Cell Biol. 4, 113-116. Bielecki, P. , Lukat, P. , Husecken, K. , Dotsch, A. Steinmetz, H. , Hartmann, R. W. , Muller, R. , and Houssler, S. (2012) Mutation in e longation factor G confers resistance to the antibiotic Argyrin in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Chembiochem. 13, 2340. Simonovic, M. and Steitz, T. A. (2009) A structural view on the mechanism of the ribosome-catalyzed peptide bond formation. BBA Gene Reg. Mech. 1789, 612-623. Abedon, S. T. (2009) Nosocomial infections. Ohio State University. Accessed on 27 Oct. 2012 http://www. mansfield. ohio-state. edu/~sabedon/biol2053. htm