Wit and Humor in Shakespeares Twelfth Night free essay sample

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare is a romantic comedy set in Illyria during the Christmas season. The article analysis is a critique on the elements of folly and foolery in Shakespeare’s twelfth night. We will write a custom essay sample on Wit and Humor in Shakespeares Twelfth Night or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As defined in the critique, a fool can be â€Å"a silly or foolish person† or â€Å"one who professionally counterfeits folly for the entertainment of others, a jester, a clown†. In the analysis of the subject in twelfth night, the writer highlights that although Feste is the only professional fool in the play, many others are also subject to foolery. He then goes on to discuss the importance of Feste as a figure of comedic truth in the play and his relationships with the other characters such as: Malvolio who is seen as his antagonist, Maria who is described as his companion and Sir Toby Belch like Feste has a tendency to encourage mischief. The writer’s intention in the piece was to evaluate the idea of there being more than one fool in Shakespeare’s twelfth night. It is as a result of their combined humour and wit why the play works. He sees that during the festive season in Illyria most of the main characters are subject to foolery. Critic Stephanie Chidester in her article Twelfth Night: Motley Medley agrees with the critic as she says that â€Å"The actions and words of almost all the play’s characters fit the recognized behavior of a fool†. In my opinion the author makes a logical deduction as using his definitions of a fool I could classify all the main characters as being foolish or subjects to folly. Other than the four characters highlighted by the writer in the analysis Orsino, Viola, Olivia and Sir Andrew are all fools in some way or another. For example Orsino is foolish in his pursuit of Olivia appearing to be more in love with love itself than the woman he claims to be in love with. He does not know her, has never met her yet he declares his deep love for her. He is in love with the idea of her. Viola is foolish because of the situation her cross dressing has gotten her in as she finds herself in love with a man that she cannot tell she loves due to her disguise. Olivia like Orsino is also proven to be foolish as her promise to mourn a dead brother for seven years is excessive and abnormal. Sir Andrew Aguecheek also qualifies as the only natural fool in the play, which is seen through his slow-witted speech and foolish behavior. An example of this is seen in Act 1 scene 3 where Sir Andrew bemoans his lack of wit by saying maybe it’s because he eats too much beef. However, the writer of the analysis fails to explore all the other characters in the play that were subject to foolery instead he focuses mainly on Feste who most critics refer to as the easy and obvious fool and therefore missed the opportunity to justify his point thereby spoiling its effectiveness. In the critical piece the writer makes some valid points although most of them lack supporting evidence. In the first paragraph he makes the point that â€Å"Feste and the other characters in the play combine their silly acts and wits to invade other characters that evade reality or rather realize a dream. † This establishes one of the playwright’s main theme appearance vs. reality as when characters try to escape from reality it is up to the other characters in the play to correct this by bringing them back to reality. An example of this is found in Act 2 scene 3 where Sir Toby, a nobleman, scolds Malvolio and reminds him he is just a servant when Malvolio rebukes Sir Toby a nobleman for his unruly behavior. This shows Sir Toby brings Malvolio down from his â€Å"dream† of acting above his station, reminding him of the status quo and gives him a reality check by reminding him that he is simply a servant. However it is my belief that Shakespeare uses the disorderly, uncivil drunkard Sir Toby as a foil to Malvolio who represents self discipline and Moderation. While his foil Sir Toby represents self indulgence and excess and Shakespeare shows the downsides of both qualities through Malvolio and Sir Toby. According to critic Lauren Stranahan â€Å"Shakespeare uses the contrasting characters of Sir Toby and Malvolio to display the battle between excess and restraint, ending with the final idea that leaning too far to either direction will eventually end in displeasure† Shakespeare shows in Twelfth Night that being too restrain like Malvolio can lead to a individual being loathed by his companions like Malvolio who was loathed by the other servants. While being to indulgent, like Sir Toby, can cause out of control situations where someone gets hurt. For example Sir Andrew who was injured after being goaded into fighting Cesario by Sir Toby. In his third paragraph the critic makes the point that Feste is â€Å"the comic truth of the comedy† In my opinion this is indeed a logical statement as Feste is the one who is able to revel the truth of their actions to the characters in a humorous way. According to Alan S. Downer â€Å"Feste is allowed to speak freely and peel away the pretenses of the characters. The critic uses the example in Act 1 Scene 5 to prove his point where Feste reveals to Olivia the foolishness behind her decision to mourn her brother for seven years while her beauty fades. Feste believes that since Olivia thinks her brother’s soul is in heaven she should mourn no more. Feste is also the first person that suspects viola of her disguise and makes her aware of his suspicions. Based on the definitions given by the writer, Feste in my opinion is not the â€Å"stereotypical fool† or what you would expect a fool to be he is in fact a wise character. He is a source of laughter but not at his own expense, he amuses the audience at the expense of the other characters. Conventionally he reflects the role of the fool in the Elizabethan period. Feste is sensitive of his profession and is always aware of the circumstances he is in and the appropriateness of his folly. An example of this is seen in Act 2 scene 4, where we see Feste using his wit to subtly insult Duke Orsino who fitting the profile of a fool, lacks the intellect to realize he has been insulted. Feste reveals to both the audience and Duke Orsino that he is inconsistent in his thought, though Orsino does not realize this. This is an example of Feste bridging the gap between the audience and the characters in the play as although he is in the scene and plays a character is able to look on and comment as if he were actually in audience observing the other characters. With Feste’s help, we are able to attain a better understanding of the other characters in the play as he reveals their true personalities, which are ambiguous, not only to us, the audience, but also to the characters themselves. Therefore bridging the gap between the audience and the characters in the play and also breaking the barriers of class and convention. The writer’s comment that Malvolio is â€Å"Feste’s worst nightmare† is an unclear and unsupported statement and this gives the reader the impression that Malvolio has a personal vendetta against Feste. Malvolio is the prototypical puritan who threatens to wipe out folly altogether, in himself and in everyone else; he represents the â€Å"rationale man† who is unable to understand the fool that he has made himself out to be. The writer’s comment about Malvolio being the only character to experience â€Å"dignity reversed† is unproven in the text as the writer has not taken into consideration Olivia who threw herself at Cesario a servant and Orsino who continue to pursue Olivia despite her obvious message of not being interested. The writer doesn’t even begin to describe Sir Andrew Aguecheek who is the only natural fool in the play. Shakespeare uses these characters to symbolize the essence of twelfth Night as a time where the rules and normality of the society are cast to the wind. The critic accuses Maria of being an â€Å"undercover fool† who uses others to do her bidding. While Maria did get Feste, Fabian and Sir Toby in her plan she was not just a bystander since it was her forged letters that played I a key role in the prank. However if Maria is considered a fool because of these actions then why isn’t Viola whose disguise causes the confusion and the love triangle in the play not also considered a fool or Olivia who forgets her dignity and pursues a servant when a duke is trying to woo her. The writer gives the impression that the play resolves around the prank when in reality the prank is apart of the subplot. In my opinion not only does Shakespeare use Maria to bring out a key aspect of humor in the play with the prank but he also uses Maria as a balancing character. Maria is able to not only chastise Sir Toby and Sir Andrew for their drunken behavior but also to take part in their festivity. She is able to show the reader the balance between excess and moderation. The writer illogically concludes that at the end of the play â€Å"No harm is done as reviewers of this text we know that at the end of the play Antonio and Malvolio do not receive their happy ending. As Antonio is arrested in the end and Malvolio is ridiculed by the entire household. However, in true Shakespearean style the overall structure of the play as a comedy remains constant as Malvolio and Antonio’s unhappiness is overshadowed by the fact that Orsino and viola are married as well as Olivia and Sebastian are married. Despite the validity of several of the writers points his lack of supporting evidence lead to the points losing their effectiveness. Also, despite his in-depth analysis of Feste he doesn’t discuss the characters use of wit or what was humorous about the characters actions that according to him â€Å"made the comedy work† he could gave justified his point by using examples such as the witty word play between viola and Feste or Sir Toby’s coarse humor. However, in my opinion the success of the play is brought about by the humorous situations the characters find themselves in for example the love triangle that forms as a result of viola’s disguise. This is a common plot element in most of Shakespeare’s plays the characters must overcome the obstacles and situations that are stopping them from reaching their dreams. Shakespeare under the guise of humorous language and witty characterization is able to present the dangers of human shortcomings, relationships and love in an Illyrian setting where characters are free to reveal their true selves without normal social limitations. He is able to present the dangers of self indulgence through the characters Olivia and Orsino. He is able to warn about the folly of ambition through Malvolio. It is Shakespeare’s ability as a creative genius to use humorous language and complex witty characters to create a romantic comedy that also reveals dark truths about society that makes the play a success. In Twelfth Night most of the characters are subjected to some level of foolery. In an Analysis of fools the writer explores the way the play is controlled through comedic actions by the so called â€Å"fools† of the play. The writer’s evaluation of folly and foolery in the play is somewhat logical and sound. Twelfth Night takes the routine of ordinary life and moves it to the realm of folly. As Feste said â€Å"Foolery, Sir, does walk about the orb, like the sun, it shines everywhere† and we the reader see this all throughout twelfth night.

The History of the Valentines Day Origins

The History of the Valentines Day Origins St Valentines Day has roots in several different legends that have found their way to us through the ages. One of the earliest popular symbols of Valentines day is Cupid, the Roman god of love, who is represented by the image of a young boy with bow and arrow. Several theories surround the history of Valentines Day. Was There a Real Valentine? Three hundred years after the death of Jesus Christ, the Roman emperors still demanded that everyone believe in the Roman gods. Valentine, a Christian priest, had been thrown in prison for his teachings. On February 14, Valentine was beheaded, not only because he was a Christian, but also because he had performed a miracle. He supposedly cured the jailers daughter of her blindness. The night before he was executed, he wrote the jailers daughter a farewell letter, signing it From Your Valentine. Another legend tells us that this same Valentine, well-loved by all, received notes to his jail cell from children and friends who missed him. Bishop Valentine? Another Valentine was an Italian bishop who lived at about the same time, AD 200. He was imprisoned because he secretly married couples, contrary to the laws of the Roman emperor. Some legends say he was burned at the stake. Feast of Lupercalia The ancient Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia, a spring festival, on the 15th of February, held in honor of a goddess. Young men randomly chose the name of a young girl to escort to the festivities. With the introduction of Christianity, the holiday moved to the 14th of February. The Christians had come to celebrate February 14 as the saint day that celebrated the several early Christian martyrs named Valentine. Choosing a Sweetheart on Valentines Day The custom of choosing a sweetheart on this date spread through Europe in the Middle Ages, and then to the early American colonies. Throughout the ages, people also believed that birds picked their mates on February 14! In A.D. 496, Saint Pope Gelasius I declared February 14 as Valentines Day. Although its not an official holiday, most Americans observe this day. Whatever the odd mixture of origins, St. Valentines Day is now a day for sweethearts. It is the day that you show your friend or loved one that you care. You can send candy to someone you think is special and share a special song with them. Or you can send roses, the flower of love. Â  Most people send valentine a greeting card named after the notes that St. Valentine received in jail. Greeting Cards Probably the first greeting cards, handmade valentines, appeared in the 16th century. As early as 1800, companies began mass-producing cards. Initially, these cards were hand-colored by factory workers. By the early 20th century even fancy lace and ribbon strewn cards were created by machine.

Health and Life Sciences - 8000 word Dissertation 'To Investigate the Essay

Health and Life Sciences - 8000 word Dissertation 'To Investigate the Spiritual Significance Walking has for Older People' - Essay Example The researcher also had to wade through many previous literatures, online articles, journals, and so on to help support this research. The thesis of this research supports the spiritual significance of walking and it writes thus, â€Å"The proposed research claims that walking as a physical exercise exerts a predominant influence in people and it causes for inculcating spirituality among older people.† This is a secondary research based on a qualitative study for which various diagrams and the view points of physiologists, psychologists and other writers have been included. Another notable thing that the researcher attempts to convey through this dissertation is that the term ‘spirituality’ has undergone changes during the course of time and as such, nowadays we do not entirely connect it to religion, as practiced in ancient times. The post-modern concept of spirituality is different that it now describes spirituality as ‘connectedness to nature’ or ‘connected to environment.’ The proposed study is based on the post-modern concept of spirituality on religious grounds. The researcher has attempted his best to justify the topic through different diagrams and the perceptions of the members of different walking groups. All through the research, the researcher has endeavored to keep the morality of the research. The researcher has assured the participants that all the information collected for the purpose of this research will be kept highly confidential. An official document will be prepared for the researcher. The st udy also ensures that the researcher is aware of his/her right to keep and maintain collected data with its significance. This paper adopts the traditional style of dissertation papers and the study is concluded by stating that walking as a physical exercise exerts a predominant influence in people and it causes for inculcating spirituality among older

HIV in Nursing Issue according to Different Research Works Annotated Bibliography

HIV in Nursing Issue according to Different Research Works - Annotated Bibliography Example Even if the study of Taher and Abdelhai (2011) refers to a specific part of the population, the nurses, it could be effectively used for controlling the expansion of HIV in various social and professional groups. The research conducted by Taher and Abdelhai (2011) was divided into three phases: in the first phase, the two nursing groups were asked to complete a questionnaire (p.145). During the ‘health education intervention’ (p.145) that followed, nurses were given material related to HIV. After the completion of the above program, nurses were asked to complete another questionnaire (p.145). The comparison of the pre-session and after-session questionnaires helped the researchers to identify the role of IEC programs in controlling the expansion of HIV among nurses. It was proved that the intervention led to the increase of awareness of nurses in regard to HIV. An important increase of the general knowledge score was reported: From 7.29 before the intervention to 8.01 after the intervention (p.146). Also, undergraduates seemed to be more benefited by the intervention than the postgraduate nurses (p.146). The IEC programs can be effective in controlling the expansion of HIV within various social groups. The perceptions of nurses on caring and communicating with people that suffer from HIV can influence the performance of nurses in regard to the above activities. It is probably for this reason that Stavropoulou et al. (2011) have decided to focus on the particular subject. A key issue, also explored in the study mentioned above, is a potential effect on education on caring for people with HIV. The research has been conducted through a questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to nurses of the Technological Educational Institution of Crete, Greece. In total, 100 questionnaires were completed (p.291). A high percentage of the participants, about 40%, stated concerns for caring people with HIV (p.291).  

Five different sources of risk capital financing Research Paper

Five different sources of risk capital financing - Research Paper Example One of the most common sources of risk capital financing has been the angel investing. Most small companies that are starting have endeavored to in various online platforms with the aim of raising money. Ordinarily, an angel investor which involves equity finance uses their individual disposable finance to make their personal decision about making the investment. Normally shares are taken by the investor into the business in return for providing equity finance. This is with the aim of not only providing business with money to grow, but also bringing their experience and knowledge to help the company achieve success. This is the most significant source of investment in start up and early stage businesses in search of equity to grow the business and other investments. (Anonymous, 2010) Another source includes the venture capital. Normally venture capital aims at adding value in addition to the capital, towards the companies in which they invest. This reveals efforts of these investors to help the business grow and realize a greater return on the venture that has been undertaken. Ordinarily, venture capital is a type of equity financing that addresses the funding needs of entrepreneurs and companies that fails to seek capital from more traditional sources that includes public markets and banks. (SBA, 2012)This could be because of size, assets, and stage of development of the business. As discussed it can be noticed that angel investment differs significantly from venture capital finance that invests in businesses via managed funds that has been raised either through private or public money.Normaly,the venture entrepreneur director will invests the money on behalf of the fund. The capitalist should ensure that the investment is profitable and that it makes returns for the fund’s investors.Normaly,venture capital funds are more risk averse compared with angel investors’ and thus make fewer small investments in start

Impact of Demographics on Population Health

Impact of Demographics on Population Health Santos, Juan Nicholas V. 12000773 The demographics of a population have significant impacts on health planning, implementation, and evaluation of health interventions. One of the relevant factors that affect the following is age. 20% of New Zealanders are aged 0-14 and 25.7% are 55 years old and above. These age groups are the age groups that are more in need of healthcare and they comprise 45.7% of the New Zealand population. This means that the healthcare planning of New Zealand likely revolves around these age groups without overlooking the needs of the other age groups as well. The political climate in New Zealand is relatively stable compared to the Philippines. The New Zealand population see their government as a body that is protecting them and their interests. The New Zealand government protects the population by providing free healthcare for residents and citizens. They also give benefits and housing to residents who are unemployed, and this also affects the health of the population. The healthcare facilities in New Zealand are accessible to every member of the population and they do a very good job in taking care of the population especially people who belong to the workforce through the ACC. New Zealand is very tolerant towards the religious beliefs of the population. This affects the health planning, implementing, and evaluation because most religions have some sort of restriction on their followers. For example, some religions do not allow blood transfusions and this directly affects the health of the individual especially in a life threatening situation. The tolerance of New Zealand to different beliefs has a positive impact on health because you will feel accepted within the society. This leads to a positive outlook and will lead to improved self-esteem, which will then lead to increased productivity at work or in school. This affects the health planning of New Zealand because of religious restrictions. Since New Zealand is very tolerant and respectful of the religions of the population, they formulate a plan around these restrictions in order for the intervention to be available to all. Human Values that are being applied in New Zealand affect the overall health of the population. Honesty, equality, and fairness are enduring values in New Zealand. This affects the implementation of health interventions because nobody is trying to get a leg up on other people. New Zealanders believe in equal opportunity for the population and this is also related to health because there is an equal opportunity for access to healthcare. This affects the implementation because it makes the implementation phase easier for the healthcare professionals in making sure that everybody who needs healthcare is addressed. In comparison to the Philippines, when there are 100 blister packs of medicine for 100 people, more often than not there will be a shortage towards the end of the line because people who get theirs first tend to get more than what they are supposed to get. Ethnicity plays a major role in health because there are diseases that are more prevalent among specific ethnic groups. For example, sickle cell disease is more prevalent among Africans than any other ethnicity. This affects the health planning because even though they are a minority in New Zealand, we still have to give consideration to their being at risk to specific diseases. For the Maori people, they give importance to their language and land and they believe that the land and their language protect them from illness. This may affect the health planning and implementation because we have to adapt our interventions to the Maori way in order to be respectful of their culture. It will be easier for us to simply adapt our interventions to their culture rather than adapt their culture to our interventions. Traditions are very important especially with regard to health intervention evaluation. This is because traditional beliefs related to health are often contradictory to western medicine. Muslims, for example, refuse to take their medications from 6am to 6pm during the Ramadan. This hinders our ability to evaluate the effectiveness of the medicine because the timing of the intake of medications is very crucial in determining the effectiveness. They also traditionally believe that they should not disclose their medical history because they may have a less chance at marriage. This hinders our ability to properly assess and identify genetic predisposition to illnesses. A B The public concept of health and illness is shaped by proper health education. The public generally views health as just a state of physical well-being rather than a holistic view on health. Because of this, people tend to disregard symptoms of mental distress or social exclusion without realizing that these also contribute immensely to their health. This also affects the way the public views an illness. The public will view illness as just a state of physical sickness or disease. These misconceptions affect our planned health interventions because what we may view as important to their health, they may not place any importance on. For some people, as long as their bodies can function, they are healthy without taking into consideration the health of their mind or their inclusion within a community. CD The importance that the public puts into health is vital in getting our interventions across to the population because even if we put all our effort, if the population is not interested in what we are doing, our planned interventions will fail. Here in New Zealand, the Maori population places an importance on health. However, according to the ministry of health, 23% of Maori adults fail to see a physician due to the cost. It is somewhat contradicting because 41% of Maori adults are smokers in spite of the fact that 23% of them cannot go to a physician when they need to. Their attitude to healthcare professionals is also a factor on their health because when they have a good doctor-patient or nurse-patient relationships, it encourages them to come back again for a follow-up and enables them to trust their healthcare providers with confidential information that may have an effect on their health. Though New Zealand is a developed country with one of lowest rates of corruption in the world, inequalities still exist especially when it comes to health. There are still people and ethnic groups here in New Zealand that does not have proper access to healthcare. I think culture has the biggest impact on the planning and implementation of health interventions in New Zealand. The Pakeha, Asians, Maoris, Pacific Islanders, and other ethnicities all live in New Zealand as one thriving population. But of all these, the Maori and Pacific Islanders have the highest prevalence of smoking adults, and the lowest life expectancy among all the ethnic groups present in New Zealand. According to the National Health Committee, 39% of all Maori students leave school without earning their qualifications. This is an alarming figure because this only happens to 14% of students from all of the other ethnic groups combined and we all know that if the population has a proper education, this will lead to better socioeconomic status which will then play a major role in determining an individual’s health status. â€Å"References Goodyear, M. (2008) The Significance of Demographic Changes for the Health of the Population and its Need for Health and Related Services. Retrieved from http://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/health-information/3a-populations/demographic-changes CIA World Fact Book. (2014) Age Structure. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2010.html The National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability. (June, 1998). The Social, Cultural, and Economic Determinants of Health in New Zealand: Action to Improve Health.

Bi sexuality of emily dickinson Essay examples -- essays papers

Bi sexuality of emily dickinson The inner-workings of Emily Dickinson’s mind continue to be an enigma to literary scholars, worldwide. Dickinson’s agoraphobia caused her to live a solitary and secluded life in her Amherst, Massachusetts home for a large portion of her life. â€Å"She rarely received visitors, and in her mature years she never went out† (Ferguson, et. al.; 1895). It is also known that she was in love with a married man (no one knows for sure exactly who this man was) who eventually ended their relationship and this left her very distraught. Some scholars believe that at one point in her life, Dickinson suffered a nervous breakdown, possibly caused by the break-up of the relationship. A woman named Rebecca Patterson exposed the most dramatic and shocking revelation about Emily Dickinson’s life. Patterson’s discovered that many of the emotional love poems that Dickinson wrote were addressed to women. She published her findings in a 1951 book entitled The Rid dle of Emily Dickinson. It was later found out that Dickinson wrote many letters of sexual fantasy and longing to several women. The most notable of these women was her good friend and sister-in-law, Sue Gilbert. The discovery of Dickinson’s affection for woman does not contradict the fact that she was deeply in love with a man at some point in her life. There are many love poems that Dickinson wrote to men. In today’s society, Emily would probably be considered a bi-sexual. Homoerotic thoughts and tendencies were not a possibility during Dickinson’s time because the idea of homosexuality had yet to be socially constructed. That is the reason she had to hide the true intentions of her poetry. The love poems that Dickinson wrote to men are distinc... ... life. The last four lines in the poem specify the seeking of an emotional attachment to a woman. Dickinson’s reference to the other woman’s heart as a home implies that fact. Other examples of her poetry show that Dickinson was not receiving the emotional support she needed from heterosexual relationships, so she looked for it elsewhere. Emily Dickinson’s poetry not only contributed extensively to the world of literature but it also helped inspire the female voice to break free from the shackles of oppression that society placed upon it. Her writing told women that it was o.k. for them to express their feelings, hardships, and desires no matter how taboo the subject might have been or how negatively society would have perceived them. For these reasons Emily Dickinson’s writings and poetry will continue to be studied and admired by women for generations to come.

Resistance to British Nationalism

Since the French Revolution, the idea of self-determination has spread all around the world, unifying peoples inside nations, starting new revolutions, erasing empires, freeing colonies and scaring modern states. There are few models explaining the emergence of nationalism and the definitions of this phenomenon vary from an author to another. Anthony D. Smith says it is an ideological movement aiming at reaching self-determination and independence in the name of a nation. He also says that humanity is naturally divided into nations. But this concept is rather revealing the nationalist way of thinking because a quick look in the past is enough to show that the independence process is not instinctive. Many writers like Boyd Shafer and Louis Snyder have studied the subject since World War I in order to explain the subject but – as says Arthur Waldron – enclosing nationalism in a theory has proved to be a difficult task. An historical case of the nationalism problem is the nationalist movement in India. Indians celebrated 50 years of independence from British rule in August 1997. The end of the empire in India was a massive blow to British imperialism. This term paper first studies the steps of the western intrusion into India and then tries to describe how the Indian nationalism was born. When the European community began to expand in India, a new way of life entered cities. It was copied by the indigenous people who were seduced by western techniques. Occidental education was the main vector of acculturation since young Indians were very receptive to the European message. So the new Indian generation quickly became nationalist, socialist, and democrat. Masters like Cavour or Mazzini were the new heroes for the young students. That is why the British government prohibited the study of British History of the XIXth century in Indian schools. But it was already too late. The process could not be stopped at that stage. Indians had acquired a better knowledge of European culture and it was not received without critique. European authors who were keen on criticizing Europe – Tolstoi, for example – influenced India. So it seems that the introduction of western ideas and their critiques contributed to the emergence of nationalism. The initiation of the indigenous elite to Western History would have founded their quest for independence, following a nationalist scheme transmitted by occidental education. A complex of inferiority began to spread among Indians, mostly because of the British racist attitude. Europeans were neglecting the Indian society. From the 1830s, racist movements began to make British people feel superior. They considered Indians as physically and morally challenged. This inferiority was attested by the failure of traditional revolts like the Mutiny in 1857. Tara Chand1 says that Indians were impressed by the evident superiority of their colons in war, in administration, and in industry. Indians wanted their country to rank among the big nations, politically and industrially. From the 1870s, they became aware of their prestigious past and politicians began to use that argument in their speeches. Those same politicians also used religious festivities to spread their nationalist message. The educated elite could do better than the Congress by using the religious field. Political activities could then enter the smallest village thanks to religion. This tactic allowed leaders to unify a rising population. Mother India was born. 1Chand, Tara. History of the Freedom Movement in India. a. The East India Company and the Conquest of India The intentions of the merchants who formed the East India Company and those of Queen Elizabeth I were rarely matched by the outcome. The venture failed to achieve its stated objectives — it made little impression on the Dutch control of the spice trade and could not establish a lasting outpost in the East Indies in the early years — and yet succeeded beyond measure in establishing military dominance and a political empire for Britain in India. By the middle of the seventeenth century the East India Company could be found trading alongside Indian merchants in the East, and the Company shipped goods as diverse as cloth from southern India to Sumatra, and coffee from Arabia to India. Profits thus generated were ploughed back into buying the spices required back home. Gradually the Company built up its power base in India, opening up trading posts in Madras and Calcutta, and thwarted French attempts to emulate it there. From these secure foundations it was able to seek out new markets and sources for trading products. As European interest in the East Indies increased, so the Company modified native designs and products to suit Western tastes — the growth of the Kashmir shawl industry, and the development of the design that has become known as Paisley being one such example. The process of territorial expansion that started with the annexation of Bengal, the â€Å"private trade† which enabled merchant's in the Company's service to make fortunes on the side, coupled with a high level of corruption, meant that more and more men sought their fortunes in India. The early lifestyle of the merchant adventurer in the Company's trading posts gave way to a more conventional society, with its clubs, churches and social functions. The accoutrements of civilized life had to be imported from England, and many were adapted to suit the new circumstances. Wicker picnic hampers and tonic water all evolved from the needs imposed by the harsh Indian climate. Hugely wealthy men returning from Company service to England attracted much envy as they bought up country houses and seats in Parliament, and many of these â€Å"nabobs† kept the habits they had learnt in India. By the early nineteenth century the East India Company's writ extended across most of India. In 1773 the British government took over some responsibility for ruling British India. The â€Å"Regulating Act† set up a governor-general and council nominated partly by the East India Company and partly by the government. It was an act for establishing certain regulations for the better management of the affairs of the East India Company, as well in India as in Europe. Here is the beginning of it1: Whereas the several powers and authorities granted by charters to the united company of merchants in England trading to the East Indies have been found, by experience, not to have sufficient force and efficacy to prevent various abuses which have prevailed in the government and administration of the affairs of the said united company, as well at home as in India, to the manifest injury of the public credit, and of the commercial interests of the said company; and it is therefore become highly expedient that certain further regulations, better adapted to their present circumstances and condition, should be provided and established: †¦ †¦ And, for the better management of the said united company's affairs in India, be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That, for the government of the presidency of Fort William in Bengal, there shall be appointed a governor-general, and four counselors; and that the whole civil and military government of the said presidency, and also the ordering, management and government of all the territorial acquisitions and revenues in the kingdoms of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa, shall, during such time as the territorial acquisitions and revenues shall remain in the possession of the said united company, be, and are hereby vested in the said governor-general and council of the said presidency of Fort William in Bengal, in like manner, to all intents and purposes whatsoever; as the same now are, or at any time heretofore might have been exercised by the president and council, or select committee, in the said kingdoms. c. Clash of Cultures and the Reasons of the Conflict There are three reasons for the Indian conflict: – the religious conflict between Hindus and Muslims – the social conflict about the Untouchables – the colonial conflict about the status of India In the three conflicts, the main actor was Gandhi himself. In the first conflict, the fighting adversaries were the Hindus and the Muslims; in the second one, the adversaries were the Untouchables and Gandhi – who were fighting for their cause –, and the tradition defenders; in the last one, the adversaries were India and the British government. So, Gandhi was the link between Indians and the government. Note that the first conflict was existing before Gandhi even intervened. 1 Internet Modern History Sourcebook In 1857 the British faced a dangerous rebellion, commonly called the Indian Mutiny, a polemical name implying that it was the revolt of undisciplined soldiers. Actually it was a revolt of the Indian army, led by their officers, known as sepoys. Many Indians outside the army had been restless for decades. Rulers had been conquered and dethroned. Landowners had lost their property and been replaced by ones more friendly to the British. Religious sentiments were inflamed. The British regarded Indian beliefs as repulsive: they had outlawed the suttee, or widow burning, and suppressed the Thugs, a small sect of Holy Assassins. One officer even declared that the British were going to abolish the castes. Mysterious propaganda also circulated all over India. It infiltrated the sepoys, who announced to Muslim soldiers that certain newly issued cartridges were greased with the fat of pigs, and said to the Hindus that the same cartridges were greased with the fat of the cow. Since for the Hindus the cow was sacred, and for Muslims, to touch pork was unholy, many soldiers were outraged. The sepoys mutinied in the Ganges valley, and with them the long dormant Mogul and his court, joined in to rise against the British. India's population was rich with diverse ethnic and cultural groups. Ethnic groups were those based on a sense of common ancestry, while cultural groups could be either made up of people of different ethnic origins who shared a common language, or of ethnic groups with some customs and beliefs in common, such as castes of a particular locality. The diverse ethnic and cultural origins of the people of India were shared by the other peoples of the Indian subcontinent, including the inhabitants of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. The caste system was pervasive in India. Although it was entwined in Hindu beliefs, it encompassed non-Hindus as well. A caste was a social class to which a person belonged at birth and which was ranked against other castes, typically on a continuum of perceived purity and pollution. People generally married within their own caste. In rural areas, caste could also govern where people lived or what occupations they engaged in. The particular features of the caste system varied considerably from community to community and across regions. The life of Indians was centered in the family. Extended families often lived together, with two or more adult generations, or brothers, sharing a house. Cultural cliches and segregation seemed to be the source of nationalism in India. According to Dov Ronen,1 every human being is looking forward to self-determination. And when this quest is altered, groups crystallize to eliminate the obstacle. The aggression coming from outside provokes the creation of a certain group conscience. According to the same Ronen, there must be an intelligentsia as well as a proletariat to form an effective nationalist movement. In India, the development of the proletariat was late and modest. Nevertheless, the western penetration made new social categories emerge, like the intelligentsia. The Indian National Congress was created by a group of English-speaking urban intellectuals in 1885 to lead the struggle for India's independence. The original â€Å"moderate† leadership was soon more â€Å"militant† group, led by Bal GangadharTilak, which demanded self-rule for India. The Congress originally advocated limited democratic reforms. In 1920 it adopted the strategy of nonviolent resistance devised by Mohandas K. Gandhi. By 1929 the Congress, led by Jawaharlal Nehru, was demanding total independence. After India gained independence in 1947, the Congress controlled the central government and most of the Indian state governments for 20 years. 2. Gandhi and his fight for freedom in India When Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi came back from South Africa in 1914, he began supporting Britain in World War One. During this period, he was not involved in much politics, but rather stayed on the sidelines, so to speak, occasionally helping to recruit men. 1 Ronen, Dov. The Quest for Self-Determination. 1979 For many years, Gandhi had been friendly with Britain, but he became extremely upset at the passing of the Rowlatt Bills, which were bills that stated that those suspected of sedition could be imprisoned without trial. He immediately called a Satyagraha (â€Å"firmness in truth†, civil disobedience) struggle against Great Britain. Gandhi had meant for the citizens to use ahimsa (non-injury) methods of protesting, but they protested violently in some areas, leading to the killing of 400 Indians. By 1920, Gandhi was extremely influential among Indians. He quickly reformed the old Indian National Congress into a newer, more serious organization. He called a huge boycott of British goods and services, including schools and the like. With a leader like Gandhi, the Indian people were no longer afraid of their foreign rulers and began protesting. When police arrived, they lined up to be arrested, hoping to clog the system and stop the British. Thousands were arrested and the movement was mostly a success, but a few violent outbreaks like in the previous protest caused the INC and their president – Gandhi – to call the protest off and admit it a mistake. Gandhi himself was arrested shortly afterward in 1922 and sentenced to six years, but he was released four years early due to appendicitis. However, even this short sentence took its toll. The INC had split into two parts and the strong bond that had grown between the Hindus and Muslims when they protested together had dissolved as well. Small struggles still took place in villages, prompting Gandhi to fast for three weeks, which brought about peace effectively. Perhaps his most amazing feat was the Satyagraha against the salt tax in 1930. Instead of buying salt from the British, Gandhi and several thousand other Indians marched to the Arabian Sea and made their own salt by evaporating seawater. As a result, over 60,000 people were jailed. A year later, Gandhi met with Lord Irwin and the two agreed to allow Gandhi to act as a representative at conferences in London, but the conferences failed to help them, and upon Gandhi's return to India, he and the other leaders of the INC were jailed. While in jail, they found out that the new constitution would discriminate against the â€Å"untouchable† caste by placing them in a different electorate. Gandhi immediately started fasting for change. The government knew they had to change this portion of the constitution quickly, for if Gandhi were to die, revolution would be imminent. Gandhi resigned as president of the INC in 1934 and left the organization entirely to pursue a plan to educate â€Å"From the bottom up†, starting with the rural areas of India, which accounted for 85%1 of the population. He encouraged the peasants to spin and weave to supplement their meager incomes. He himself eventually moved to Sevagram and centered his program there. When World War Two started, the INC supported Britain on the condition that they withdraw completely from India. Gandhi demanded their withdrawal as well. The British simply jailed all of them. When the end of the war came, India became independent shortly afterward, in 1947, but it split as it became independent, forming Pakistan. Gandhi was upset that Indian freedom did not come with Indian unity, but nonetheless plunged himself into helping repair the riot ravaged areas and fasting for peace in those places where the fighting continued over religion. In that way, he performed two great feats by stopping the riots in Calcutta in September of 1947 as well as causing a truce in Delhi in January of 1948. Alas, he was not able to celebrate freedom for long, as he was shot to death on January 30, 1948, on his way to the evening prayer. Yet he died with freedom, peace, and love within his heart. The Muslim League was a Muslim political organization founded in India in 1906. Its original purpose was to protect the political rights of Muslims in India and to prevent Hindu political control of the entire Indian subcontinent once independence from the British was achieved. For several decades the group advocated Hindu and Muslim unity within India. Under league president Muhammad Ali Jinnah, however, it came to demand a separate Muslim state from the British out of concern that an independent India would be dominated by Hindus. During World War II, the Muslim League gave support to the British and in return the British allowed the league to gain strength. In 1947 the league succeeded in having the Muslim state of Pakistan separated from Hindu-dominated India. Renamed the All-Pakistan Muslim League, it became the majority political party in the first parliament of the newly created nation. Although the league has remained a political force in Pakistan, internal dissension and major losses in the 1954 elections, particularly in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), caused the party to fragment into several factions. 1Fischer, Louis. La vie du Mahatma Gandhi. Paris: Calmann-Levy, 1954. On June 3, 1947, the British Government announced the division of India. Though Gandhi had not given his consent to it, he advised the country to accept it. On August 15, 1947, the struggle for independence was over. The British rule in India came to an end after nearly 200 years, and two sovereign states, India and Pakistan appeared on the map. Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India and Sardar Patel the Deputy Prime Minister. The whole country celebrated the day. There were singing and dancing processions and parades everywhere. Free India's tricolor flag fluttered proudly on the historical Red Fort in Delhi and the National Anthem was sung in chorus. In the story of early resistance to British imperialism since the very beginning of the conflict, Gandhi has played a main role everywhere. His nonviolent philosophy was a key element in the story. That this why a study on this topic had to look at the relation Gandhi had with the masses and with the British. This relation is extremely dramatic if we want to understand how the beliefs of one man succeeded in convincing an entire people. To achieve goals as big as the struggle for independence and the peace between Hindus and Muslims, the action of one man was not enough; he had to rally the men looking forward to the same objectives. The study of British imperialism in India helps to understand some current topics like Kosovo, Eire, Algeria, and Pakistan, even if in the story of India it may be the word â€Å"imperialism† that is most relevant.

precision agriculture essays

precision agriculture essays Soil can vary from one point to the next in its chemical and physical makeup, which makes it very diverse. Crop yield and variations within the field can be influenced by soil properties, or pollutants that move through soil, and then into the groundwater, or runoff into lakes and streams. The importance of precision agriculture is to determine the exact areas that need to be managed to maximize yield, minimize environmental impacts, and optimize the use of resources. Precision agriculture also helps determine changes in soil quality over time, and the presence of pollutants such as salts, pesticides, and fertilizers. Many farmers face the same dilemma everywhere; How to increase profitability on their farms, so that they can remain competitive? The old solution would be to increase the size of the farm by economies of scale. However, many farmers believe that there could be something more accurate then just keeping daily journals of farming activities that include: planting dates, crop variety, and relying on crop consultants. Local cooperatives are now educating farmers on precision agriculture and the benefits of putting fertilizer where it is needed the most (Robert, Roggenbuck, Oct. 2002). Precision Agriculture is defined as information and technology based agricultural management system to identify, analyze, and manage site-soil spatial and temporal variability within fields for optimum profitability, sustainability, and protection of the environment. Precision agriculture requires information about soil properties, elevation, and landscapes, and how these characteristics affect plant growth and crop progress throughout the field each season. To determine crop production from one part of the field to another, yield monitors can be used. There are many different types of sensors being used in precision agriculture. The measurement of light reflected from a field are the most common sensors used. A camera with color, or co...

Origins of Yoga History Essay Example

Origins of Yoga History Essay Example Origins of Yoga History Essay Example Origins of Yoga History Essay Example The film presented for discussion in this paper is Origins of Yoga: Quest for the Spiritual. This is the movie made up by Paula Force in 2005 in the U.S. This 50 minute documentary researches the way of life and main habits of Indian yogis. However, the main idea of this documentary is the statement that hatha yoga, which is practiced by most of the Western population, is just a small element of the life of an average yogi. Moreover, the main aim of yogi lies not just in finding peace and harmony with the surrounding environment but in the lifelong search for connection with the Divine, as well. Origins of Yoga: Quest for the Spiritual The documentary begins with showing Swami Vidyanand Swaroop Brachmachari, who has experienced the life of yogi for 35 years. He speaks about the sense of being a yogi that lies in the search for connection with God. Yoga could not be considered just the branch of study or science; it is a certain way of life. Yogis travel during all their life, and that is how they live. While watching the movie, the viewers could see different yogis. It is important to underline that most of them do not wear ordinary clothes; they rub ashes onto their skin to cover body with color. Most of them spend their life traveling to northern India and Nepal. The way of life presented in documentary shows that yogis spend most of their time praying, meditating, seeking the inner harmony with God, and performing different yoga postures. Commentaries to the film are given by yogis themselves and by Dr. Georg Feuerstein, a professional Western writer about traditions and origins of yoga. The presentation of the plot of the film is rather simply organized for the better understanding. Moreover, it is presented in the way of interviews and analysis that were held at the moment. It brings the feeling of real picture of the traditions and way of life observed by yogis. In the film, one could notice that Dr. Georg Feuerstein asked people strict and simple questions that came to his head in the process of this filmmaking. There were several questions about the nature of their beliefs, the reason of women absence among yogis, positions of their families regarding their decisions to devote their lives to yoga. One would discuss the answers to these questions in the review. This documentary is easy to understand; thus, it does not look as a serious scientific research. However, it gives the viewers an opportunity to understand the origins and spiritual bases of yoga. However, most part of this film is devoted to ordinary life of yogis. Modern Western society realizes the essential value of yoga, its main ideas, and key principles. However, the origins of yoga are not widely presented and researched. People are used to the thought that yoga is a certain amount of exercise that one may perform from time to time. However, it has been already mentioned that it is the specific path to the harmonization of the inner world. It is connection with Devine that gives the understanding of real life values (Origins of yoga, 2005) It is necessary to underline that physical benefits that could be achieved with yoga are just a small part of positive results that one could gen practicing yoga. In the film, it is said that there are about 15 million yogis around the world. A real yogi is devoted to this idea of connection to the God and serving higher goal for all his life. It is something like a secret science that could open the doors to a new life. It is said that the story of formation of yoga could be said to start almost five thousand years ago. The first place that is connected with the development of yoga is the Indus Valley. The Himalayan caves are considered as the place where ancient people decided to stop their ordinary way of life and to devote their life to the Divine. That was the reason they left society and became yogis. However, the Himalayas are said to be the place fool of mystery. People there always differ from others. That is some kind of connection with nature and inner world. Origins of Yoga: Quest for the Spiritual is a feature film that presents the interviews with yogis in the places of their ordinary location. It is done to show the real picture of their life and everyday habits. That is why the viewers could see their real lifestyle, activity, habits. It is the opportunity to see yoga from the side, which shows that it not just as a number of exercises. Yoga should be considered as a lifestyle. Modern Western society possesses yoga as the mainstream as fitness, feng shui. It became popular, but people do not actually realize the real meaning of yoga. This film shows the connection of modern people to the ancient ones who began practicing yoga more than five thousand years ago. This film could be very useful for those who practice yoga or just want to start doing so. The only thing one needs to do to realize the essence of yoga is just follow this man through the streets and mountains of India. However, one needs to know this documentary is created by the fellow traveler from Los Angeles. This fellow traveler is Paula Fouce, a filmmaker, whose aim is to bring light into the story concerning the real live and habits of yogis. This film determines the main treasure of Indian yogis. They share their wisdom and their vision of the values of life. This documentary could be considered as a good material for yoga education. This movie describes and researches the science of yoga. It is even possible to speak about the interesting travelling to India without living home. There is an objective view on the origin of yoga and real habits of people who choose yoga as the lifestyle. After watching this movie, one could understand that it really differs from other films on the same topic. Others concentrate mostly on the exercises and specific techniques of yoga. This video presented the viewers with the ancient practice and its story that shows the main aim of yoga. One of the most essential benefits of this documentary is that facts are shared by yogis themselves. Paula Fouce spent a lot of years traveling and researching South Asia. She became an expert in Asian culture and traditions. It is necessary to stress that she has even co-authored Shiva (specific photographic book). Origins of Yoga is not the only film directed by Paula. She directed and produced such films as Naked in Ashes and By Many Names. Moreover, she worked on the new film Vanising nation: Tibet (Lama, 1998) This documentary gives the understanding that yoga is something more than a number of specific postures and exercises that serve to increase ones flexibility and strength. The real aim of yoga always has a deeper value that lies in the lightening the life through the inner harmony and through the transformation of the personality and his or her ego. It should be stressed that in Hinduism, Buddism the term â€Å"yoga† means â€Å"spiritual discipline†. Physical activity is just the element of yoga. To find inner harmony one needs to bring harmony to both: one’s body and one’s soul. The way one understands the world would be the result of the world`s attitude to an individual. One needs to realize that attachment brings bad habits. There exists no exact tendency as to how to present the history of yoga. One fact that is clear about the history of yoga is that it took its roots from the East. It is possible to find first sighs of yoga in ancient Shamanism. The research shows that the yoga postures were found on the artifacts that date back to 3000 B.C. Moreover, some more evidence of yoga could be found in the oldest text Rig Veda. This text is considered as the composition of hymns. The topics of these texts include ancient prayers, divine power and energy, and life of the highest value. Firstly, yoga was created and developed in order to be the science of understanding the world and search for the inner peace and harmony. However, one needs to realize that self-enlightenment become the secondary goal of yoga. Yoga actually has faced a lot of criticism during it existence. People who do not understand its purposes find it not useful for the development and enlightenment. Modern yoga differs from what has been shown in the documentary. Today, it is based on five main principles that were mentioned by Swami Sivananda: Right relaxation; Physical exercises; Proper breathing; Meditation and positive attitude to the surrounding environment (White, 2003) Even in present time, the origins of yoga are still the matter of debates in scientific society and among ordinary people. There are a lot of essential benefits of practicing yoga in one’s life. It helps one find spiritual connection with the inner world and search for the Divine power that is beyond human ordinary existence. This practice needs to be used every day in case if one is interested in getting positive results. One cannot achieve inner harmony practicing yoga twice a week in some fitness center. As it is underlined in the documentary, yoga needs to become a lifestyle. The viewers have learned from the Origins of Yoga that in order to find harmony and peace, yogis have at least two meditations a day. It is necessary to remember about balance and spiritual food. These meditations could be considered as one’s spiritual food. There are different meditations that need to be used for certain purposes. Each of them gives a different feeling. One needs to realize what emotion one is going to experience. During the meditation, one can clear one’s mind from any thoughts and relax. That is how the body and soul become free of everyday thoughts and actions. Only in such a situation, one becomes able to fee extra energy that gives the connection with the inner world and feeling of the presence of Divine. Proper breathing while meditation helps one feel relaxed and concentrate on a certain issue from one’s soul. However, one needs to remember that food that one eats influences one’s life a lot. Yogis always control their food. Certain products could help one relax (green herbal tea) and some would make one’s brain follow the inner aggression (meat). Moreover, it is necessary to remember that one should not be food oriented. Moreover, everybody should know that that one eats to live, but not lives to eat. The main food yogi concentrate their attention is spiritual food. Thus, it plays more important role in their life. People do not have not so much time to keep their mind full of different useless thoughts. Yogis understand that their main role is to be the way of connection between ordinary people and Divine powers. That is why they travel a lot. It is connected with two main reasons: Exploring new places that may bring proper energy; Sharing their knowledge and experience with others. It is important to mention that it is quite unlikely to see a woman yogi. There are several explanations given in the documentary. Women are not able to become the way of connection with the Divine, and they do not have enough skills to live the life of yogi. History shows men practicing yoga. Modern yoga concerns not only men, but women, as well. Thus, today woman practicing yoga could be seen rather often. Time changes and views regarding most ancient traditions could be changed. In the conclusion, it should be said that this documentary has high value for both: practicing yogis and ordinary people. However, film demonstrates the real life and habits of yogis in their native location. Moreover, the main aim of yogi lies not just in finding peace and harmony with the surrounding environment, but the lifelong seeking the connection with the Divine. While watching the movie it is possible to see different yogis and hear to their opinion about the aim and value of yoga. Most of them spend their life traveling to northern India and Nepal. We need to underline that yogis have life that differs from the life of ordinary people. Thus, most of them spend their time praying, meditating, seeking the inner harmony with God, and performing different yoga postures. The plot of the film is rather simple to understand. Thus, it is presented in the way of interviews and analysis that were held at the moment. It brings the feeling of real picture of the traditions and way of life observed by yogis. Modern Western society realizes the essential value of yoga and its main ideas and key principles. Nevertheless, the origins of yoga are not widely presented and researched to have the real picture of its origins. Most of people are mistaken when thinking that yoga is a certain amount of exercise that one may perform from time to time. Modern Western society possesses yoga as the mainstream as fitness, feng shui. The real spence of yoga lies in the strong connection of the inner world of person with Devine. There are a lot of essential benefits of practicing yoga, as it helps to find spiritual connection with the inner world and seek for the Divine power that is beyond our ordinary existence. This practice needs to be used every day in case if one is interested in getting positive results. This film broadens the mind of ordinary people and shows the real essence and origins of yoga. There is no need to research yoga before watching it. Thus, the language and presentation of this documentary are easy to understand and realize. Origins of Yoga could be considered the guide to the real world of yogis, their habits, and the history of yoga.

Ethical review on preimplanation genetic diagnosis (PGD) Essay

Ethical review on preimplanation genetic diagnosis (PGD) - Essay Example hemophilia or cystic fibrosis). The procedure of PGD involves the following steps. It is usually performed after a woman’s eggs have been harvested and fertilized by her partner’s sperm but before the fertilized eggs have been transferred back to her uterus. When the fertilized egg has multiplied to four and 10-cell development stage, one or two cells known as blastomeres are gently removed from each embryo. This is usually done using a microsurgery technique similar to that used in ICSI. The DNA from the removed blastomeres is then studied for any genetic diseases or disorders. If any are found to be having diseases or disorders, then those embryos are destroyed. Only those healthy embryos with no diseased genes will be transferred back to the mother. PGD has helped to diagnose numerous diseases and disorders classified as either chromosomal disorders, single gene defects or sex-linked disorders. The science of PGD has advanced so much that specific chromosomes are tested for specific disorders, for example Chromosome 13 is analysed for Breast and ovarian cancers, deafness, Wilson Disease; Chromosome 15 for Marfan Syndrome, Tay-Sachs Disease; Chromosome 16 for Polycystic kidney disease, Alpha thalassemia; Chromosome 17 for Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease; Chromosome 18 for Niemann-Pick Disease, pancreatic cancer; Chromosome 21 for Downs Syndrome; Chromosome X for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Turners Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome; and Chromosome Y for Acute myeloidleukemia (Pregnancy-Info.net. 2005). The purpose of this paper is to explain current and likely future uses of PGD, and provide a complete review on the ethical issues on PGD. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a common topic for debate as it is the technique by which early human embryos are genetically screened and then discarded or placed in the uterus. Reports that embryos are being screened for new indications such as

Module 3 SLP - microbial metabolic and environmental growth Essay

Module 3 SLP - microbial metabolic and environmental growth - Essay Example Different microbial species present varying degrees of thermal stability of its proteins and enzymes (Brooks et al., 2007). Hence, microorganisms display different temperature ranges that are optimal for their growth and metabolism. Those organisms which grow best at low temperatures (15-20 OC) are called psychrophiles. Mesophylic groups grow best at 30-37 OC while thermophilic forms grow best at a temperature range of 50-60 OC. According to a study conducted by Radke-Mitchell and Sandine (1986), L. bulgaricus has an optimum growth temperature range of 43-46 OC. On the other hand, E coli grows best at 37 OC, similar to the normal body temperature (Don, 2008). This is not surprising because E. coli forms a part of the body’s normal bacterial flora (Don, 2008). The significance of maintaining a certain range of pH for bacterial metabolism and growth is demonstrated by the fact that hydrogen ion concentration influences the integrity and functions of proteins, and other biochemical processes (Campbell and Reece, 2004). The acidity and alkalinity of the environment also affects the availability of nutrients essential for the growth of microorganisms. Those species that grow best at a pH range of 6.0-8.0 are called neutralophiles. Meanwhile, microorganisms with optimum pH growth of 3.0 or lower are classified as acidophiles while those with optima at a pH of 10.5 or higher are called alkaliphiles (Brooks et al., 2007). Beal et al. (2009) reported that L. bulgaricus achieve its highest biomass in culture when maintained at pH 5.0. Cell viability was also noted to be at its peak at pH 5.0 (Beal et al., 2009). On the other hand, the optimum pH for growth of E. coli is 6.0-8.0 (York et al., 1984). The process of energy production, termed respiration, operates by virtue of electron acceptors. Oxygen serves as an electron acceptor in bacterial respiration (Brooks et al., 20097). Organisms which strictly require oxygen for its