Religion Hinduism and Islam Essay - 1277 Words

Hinduism and Islam are two largely practiced religions, specifically in India and the subcontinents. Both Hinduism and Islam have unique practices and traditions, which can vary depending on the town, region or people. They share a common belief in a supreme god, that being either Brahma or Allah respectively. The traditions differ on the central texts used, as well as differences in the process of reaching the afterlife and basic beliefs. Although, Hinduism might be regarded by some as a polytheistic religion in its most basic form Hinduism is based around one deity. The Brahma is the god that all of the other gods are derived from and each god is a manifestation of the one being. There are four other main deities, aside from Brahma,†¦show more content†¦Allah is the creator of everything and is held in the highest regard for Islamic people. Although there is one god, there are a multitude of prophets who bring the word of God to the Muslim people much like the multiple de ities who come from Brahma. It is believed that God sent multiple prophets to tell of the last and most significant prophet, Muhammad. These prophets also preached the Oneness of God and would tell followers to avoid sin. Muhammad, who is believed to be a prophet of God, is considered the last prophet sent by god to the Muslim people. Muhammad is believed to have brought the word of God through the Qur’an. The Prophets’ life started in Mecca where he grew up orphaned. During his life, specifically in the month of Ramadan, he would spend time in a cave outside Mecca where he originally received revelations about the sacred text. Originally Muhammad found little success preaching God’s word but eventually gained a following of Muslim people, which would turn into the tradition it is today. Although their belief in a supreme god aligns in both Islam and Hinduism, the traditions differ on the texts used centrally in each practice. The Veda, written between 1750 B CE and 600 BCE are ancient scriptures, which are the sacred texts of Hinduism. One of the forms the Veda is the Shruti, which is â€Å"that which was heard† and the other form is the Vedir seers or Rishis which means â€Å"saw†. The Veda is split into fourShow MoreRelatedThe Religions Of Islam, Hinduism, And Buddhism1241 Words   |  5 Pages Religion and politics are quite interwoven into society both in the developed world as well as in the developing world. This paper will discuss the major religions of Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism and how these faiths connect to politics of nations. Islam has always been a very mixed within state and society as a whole, with no true line between church and state. Islam began in the Arabia by the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century, and is the second largest religion in the worldRead MoreReligion : Hinduism, Islam, And Christianity1079 Words   |  5 PagesReligion is known as having a deep relationship with a supreme being or thing. Also, to believe in them with the extent of worship and to follow their practices. A few of the main religions over time have been Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. These three religions consist of ideas and practices that may be very different, but are made up of the same general idea expressed in a new form. Although their main differences, each religion seeks one thing, and that s an afterlife. Most religions areRead MoreWorld Religion : Judaism, Hinduism, And Islam Essay1391 Words   |  6 PagesWorld Religion At first glance and hearing about, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam these five religions-look and sound a lot alike. Each one was founded and developed by mankind, follow a list of religious principles and directives to live by, and they all share the same consciousness of wrong doings being reconciled. Because anyone can strike up a new religion at any time, however, religion cannot be judged on how it looks or sounds. As a comparison we will see just how differentRead MoreHinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, And Religion1531 Words   |  7 PagesHinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism these are the different types of religions that exist in our society. Religion is a prominent part of most people s lives in our contemporary world. Religion is a cultural system, in this system, there are different beliefs that are normally unique to the religion. In most religions, there is a belief in spiritual beings also known as God. Many people around the world practice their religion by following what is expected of them according to historyRead MoreThe Five Major Religions : Hinduism, Christianity, And Islam868 Words   |  4 Pagesall religions are true and that they are only different routes to God or the Real to find salvation. The religions have same similarities and some areas of conflict that Hick explain with his theory of Pluralism. Pluralism is when more than one religion is true. In the last section of the essay, Hick explain the move of Christians from being exclusive to inclusive. In this period of globalization and diversity, Pluralism is the way communities with different cultures, traditions, and religions manageRead MoreSimilarities Between Hinduism And Buddhism942 Words   |  4 PagesCCOT Essay Hinduism and Buddhism were both founded and popular in northern India by 600 CE. Although Hinduism and the Hindu caste system maintained a strong influence in South Asia throughout 600-1750 CE, the Hindu majority eventually gave way as Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and syncretic faiths gradually moved in and across the Indian Ocean basin by 1750 CE. Even then, Hinduism did spread from northern India through southern India to Southeast Asia. The caste system was maintained from 600-1750Read MoreAnalysis of Hinduism and Islam651 Words   |  3 Pages Amongst the various religions practice are Islam and Hinduism. Both of these religions are widely practiced by people who believe in the same ideals or concepts. These separate religions are similar to one another, but also contrasting. Common themes can be found between Hinduism and Islam, but the differences are predominant as well. Those who practice Islam are typically Arabic and are called Muslim’s. This practice is based off of the text called the Qur’an. The Qur’an is a bible of sorts toRead MoreDifferences Between Hinduism And Islam924 Words   |  4 PagesHinduism and Islam are two of the world’s great religions however, they differ in many regards including their beliefs in god, their ethical beliefs and the afterlife in fact, it would be quite difficult to find to two religions more different then Islam and Hinduism. One major difference is in their belief in god, Muslims are steadfastly monotheistic where Hindus are very much polytheistic. Another key difference is their views on the afterlife Hindus believe in reincarnation, whereas Muslims believeRead MoreDifferences Between Islam And Hinduism1280 Words   |  6 Pages Islam and Hinduism are both very large, popular world religions. Although the two religions have some common ground, there are many distinct differences between the two religions. Many of the differences are centered around two major beliefs. The two major beliefs are the means of salvation and the number of Gods the followers of the religions worship and believe in. Religions often answer questions about spiritual life. A question that is often asked is, â€Å"What happens after death?† Many peopleRead MoreIslam, Hinduism, Buddhism And Christianity Comparison1025 Words   |  5 PagesPractices of Hinduism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity Comparison Hinduism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity developed centuries ago and have been practiced since then to today. Groups of people who practice these religions are bound to the conventional norms, beliefs, cultures and way of life of each. Each religion has a particular faith in a supreme being (Woodhead, Partridge Kawanami, 2016). Muslims believe in Allah, Christians believe in Jesus Christ, Hindus believe in

The Lost Symbol Chapter 71-75 Free Essays

string(71) " a side door of the Adams Building and out into the cold winter night\." CHAPTER 71 Mal’akh stood naked in the billowing warmth of his steam shower. He felt pure again, having washed off the last remaining scent of ethanol. As the eucalyptus-infused vapors permeated his skin, he could feel his pores opening to the heat. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lost Symbol Chapter 71-75 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Then he began his ritual. First, he rubbed depilatory chemicals across his tattooed body and scalp, removing any traces of body hair. Hairless were the gods of the seven islands of Heliades. Then he massaged Abramelin oil into his softened and receptive flesh. Abramelin is the sacred oil of the great Magi. Then he turned his shower lever hard to the left, and the water turned ice cold. He stood beneath the frigid water for a full minute to close his pores and trap the heat and energy within his core. The cold served as a reminder of the icy river in which this transformation had begun. When he stepped from the shower, he was shivering, but within seconds, his core heat emanated up through his layers of flesh and warmed him. Mal’akh’s insides felt like a furnace. He stood naked before the mirror and admired his form . . . perhaps the last time he would see himself as a mere mortal. His feet were the talons of a hawk. His legs–Boaz and Jachin–were the ancient pillars of wisdom. His hips and abdomen were the archways of mystical power. Hanging beneath the archway, his massive sex organ bore the tattooed symbols of his destiny. In another life, this heavy shaft of flesh had been his source of carnal pleasure. But no longer. I have been purified. Like the mystical eunuch monks of Katharoi, Mal’akh had removed his testicles. He had sacrificed his physical potency for a more worthy one. Gods have no gender. Having shed the human imperfection of gender along with the earthly pull of sexual temptation, Mal’akh had become like Ouranos, Attis, Sporus, and the great castrati magicians of Arthurian legend. Every spiritual metamorphosis is preceded by a physical one. Such was the lesson of all the great gods . . . from Osiris, to Tammuz, to Jesus, to Shiva, to the Buddha himself. I must shed the man who clothes me. Abruptly, Mal’akh drew his gaze upward, past the double-headed phoenix on his chest, past the collage of ancient sigils adorning his face, and directly to the top of his head. He tipped his head toward the mirror, barely able to see the circle of bare flesh that waited there. This location on the body was sacred. Known as the fontanel, it was the one area of the human skull that remained open at birth. An oculus to the brain. Although this physiological portal closes within a matter of months, it remains a symbolic vestige of the lost connection between the outer and inner worlds. Mal’akh studied the sacred patch of virginal skin, which was enclosed by the crownlike circle of an ouroboros–a mystical snake devouring its own tail. The bare flesh seemed to stare back at him . . . bright with promise. Robert Langdon soon would uncover the great treasure that Mal’akh required. Once Mal’akh possessed it, the void on top of his head would be filled, and he would at last be prepared for his final transformation. Mal’akh padded across his bedroom and took from his bottom drawer a long strip of white silk. As he had done many times before, he wrapped it around his groin and buttocks. Then he went downstairs. In his office, his computer had received an e-mail message. It was from his contact: WHAT YOU REQUIRE IS NOW WITHIN REACH. I WILL CONTACT YOU WITHIN THE HOUR. PATIENCE. Mal’akh smiled. It was time to make final preparations. CHAPTER 72 The CIA field agent was in a foul mood as he descended from the reading-room balcony. Bellamy lied to us. The agent had seen no heat signatures whatsoever upstairs near the Moses statue, nor anywhere else upstairs for that matter. So where the hell did Langdon go? The agent retraced his steps now to the only place they’d spotted any heat signatures at all–the library’s distribution hub. He descended the stairs again, moving beneath the octagonal console. The noise of the rumbling conveyors was grating. Advancing into the space, he flipped down his thermal goggles and scanned the room. Nothing. He looked toward the stacks, where the mangled door still showed hot from the explosion. Other than that, he saw no– Holy shit! The agent jumped back as an unexpected luminescence drifted into his field of vision. Like a pair of ghosts, the dimly glowing imprints of two humanoids had just emerged from the wall on a conveyor belt. Heat signatures. Stunned, the agent watched as the two apparitions circled the room on the conveyor loop and then disappeared headfirst into a narrow hole in the wall. They rode the conveyor out? That’s insanity. In addition to realizing they had just lost Robert Langdon through a hole in the wall, the field agent was now aware that he had another problem. Langdon’s not alone? He was just about to switch on his transceiver and call the team leader, but the team leader beat him to it. â€Å"All points, we’ve got an abandoned Volvo on the plaza in front of the library. Registered to one Katherine Solomon. Eyewitness says she entered the library not long ago. We suspect she’s with Robert Langdon. Director Sato has ordered that we find them both immediately.† â€Å"I’ve got heat signatures for both of them!† shouted the field agent in the distribution room. He explained the situation. â€Å"For Christ’s sake!† the team leader replied. â€Å"Where the hell does the conveyor go?† The field agent was already consulting the employee reference schematic on the bulletin board. â€Å"Adams Building,† he replied. â€Å"One block from here.† â€Å"All points. Redirect to the Adams Building! NOW!† CHAPTER 73 Sanctuary. Answers. The words echoed in Langdon’s mind as he and Katherine burst through a side door of the Adams Building and out into the cold winter night. You read "The Lost Symbol Chapter 71-75" in category "Essay examples" The mysterious caller had conveyed his location cryptically, but Langdon had understood. Katherine’s reaction to their destination had been surprisingly sanguine: Where better to find One True God? Now the question was how to get there. Langdon spun in place, trying to get his bearings. It was dark, but thankfully the weather had cleared. They were standing in a small courtyard. In the distance, the Capitol Dome looked startlingly far away, and Langdon realized this was the first moment he had stepped outside since arriving at the Capitol several hours ago. So much for my lecture. â€Å"Robert, look.† Katherine pointed toward the silhouette of the Jefferson Building. Langdon’s first reaction on seeing the building was astonishment that they had traveled so far underground on a conveyor belt. His second reaction, however, was alarm. The Jefferson Building was now abuzz with activity–trucks and cars pulling in, men shouting. Is that a searchlight? Langdon grabbed Katherine’s hand. â€Å"Come on.† They ran northeast across the courtyard, quickly disappearing from view behind an elegant U- shaped building, which Langdon realized was the Folger Shakespeare Library. This particular building seemed appropriate camouflage for them tonight, as it housed the original Latin manuscript of Francis Bacon’s New Atlantis, the utopian vision on which the American forefathers had allegedly modeled a new world based on ancient knowledge. Even so, Langdon would not be stopping. We need a cab. They arrived at the corner of Third Street and East Capitol. The traffic was sparse, and Langdon felt fading hope as he scanned for taxis. He and Katherine hurried northward on Third Street, putting distance between themselves and the Library of Congress. It was not until they had gone an entire block that Langdon finally spotted a cab rounding the corner. He flagged it down, and the cab pulled over. Middle Eastern music played on his radio, and the young Arab driver gave them a friendly smile. â€Å"Where to?† the driver asked as they jumped into the car. â€Å"We need to go to–â€Å" â€Å"Northwest!† Katherine interjected, pointing up Third Street away from the Jefferson Building. â€Å"Drive toward Union Station, then left on Massachusetts Avenue. We’ll tell you when to stop.† The driver shrugged, closed the Plexiglas divider, and turned his music back on. Katherine shot Langdon an admonishing look as if to say: â€Å"Leave no trail.† She pointed out the window, directing Langdon’s attention to a black helicopter that was skimming in low, approaching the area. Shit. Sato was apparently dead serious about recovering Solomon’s pyramid. As they watched the helicopter land between the Jefferson and Adams buildings, Katherine turned to him, looking increasingly worried. â€Å"Can I see your cell phone for a second?† Langdon handed her his phone. â€Å"Peter told me you have an eidetic memory?† she said, rolling down her window. â€Å"And that you remember every phone number you’ve ever dialed?† â€Å"That’s true, but–â€Å" Katherine hurled his phone out into the night. Langdon spun in his seat and watched as his cell phone cartwheeled and splintered into pieces on the pavement behind them. â€Å"Why did you do that!† â€Å"Off the grid,† Katherine said, her eyes grave. â€Å"This pyramid is our only hope of finding my brother, and I have no intention of letting the CIA steal it from us.† In the front seat, Omar Amirana bobbed his head and hummed along with his music. Tonight had been slow, and he felt blessed to finally have a fare. His cab was just passing Stanton Park, when the familiar voice of his company dispatcher crackled over the radio. â€Å"This is Dispatch. All vehicles in the area of the National Mall. We have just received a bulletin from government authorities regarding two fugitives in the area of the Adams Building . . .† Omar listened in amazement as Dispatch described the precise couple in his cab. He stole an uneasy glance in his rearview mirror. Omar had to admit, the tall guy did look familiar somehow. Did I see him on America’s Most Wanted? Gingerly, Omar reached for his radio handset. â€Å"Dispatch?† he said, speaking quietly into the transceiver. â€Å"This is cab one-three-four. The two people you asked about–they are in my cab . . . right now.† Dispatch immediately advised Omar what to do. Omar’s hands were trembling as he called the phone number Dispatch had given him. The voice that answered was tight and efficient, like that of a soldier. â€Å"This is Agent Turner Simkins, CIA field ops. Who is this?† â€Å"Um . . . I’m the taxi driver?† Omar said. â€Å"I was told to call about the two–â€Å" â€Å"Are the fugitives currently in your vehicle? Answer only yes or no.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Can they hear this conversation? Yes or no?† â€Å"No. The slider is–â€Å" â€Å"Where are you taking them?† â€Å"Northwest on Massachusetts.† â€Å"Specific destination?† â€Å"They didn’t say.† The agent hesitated. â€Å"Is the male passenger carrying a leather bag?† Omar glanced in the rearview mirror, and his eyes went wide. â€Å"Yes! That bag doesn’t have explosives or anything in–â€Å" â€Å"Listen carefully,† the agent said. â€Å"You are in no danger so long as you follow my directions exactly. Is that clear?† â€Å"Yes, sir.† â€Å"What is your name?† â€Å"Omar,† he said, breaking a sweat. â€Å"Listen, Omar,† the man said calmly. â€Å"You’re doing great. I want you to drive as slowly as possible while I get my team out in front of you. Do you understand?† â€Å"Yes, sir.† â€Å"Also, is your cab equipped with an intercom system so you can communicate with them in the backseat?† â€Å"Yes, sir.† â€Å"Good. Here’s what I want you to do.† CHAPTER 74 The Jungle, as it is known, is the centerpiece of the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG)–America’s living museum–located adjacent to the U.S. Capitol Building. Technically a rain forest, the Jungle is housed in a towering greenhouse, complete with soaring rubber trees, strangler figs, and a canopy catwalk for more daring tourists. Normally, Warren Bellamy felt nurtured by the Jungle’s earthy smells and the sunlight glinting through the mist that filtered down from the vapor nozzles in the glass ceiling. Tonight, however, lit only by moonlight, the Jungle terrified him. He was sweating profusely, writhing against the cramps that now stabbed at his arms, still pinned painfully behind him. Director Sato paced before him, puffing calmly on her cigarette–the equivalent of ecoterrorism in this carefully calibrated environment. Her face looked almost demonic in the smoke-filled moonlight that streamed down through the glass ceiling overhead. â€Å"So then,† Sato continued, â€Å"when you arrived at the Capitol tonight, and you discovered that I was already there . . . you made a decision. Rather than making your presence known to me, you descended quietly into the SBB, where, at great risk to yourself, you attacked Chief Anderson and myself, and you helped Langdon escape with the pyramid and capstone.† She rubbed her shoulder. â€Å"An interesting choice.† A choice I would make again, Bellamy thought. â€Å"Where is Peter?† he demanded angrily. â€Å"How would I know?† Sato said. â€Å"You seem to know everything else!† Bellamy fired back at her, making no attempt to hide his suspicion that she was somehow behind all this. â€Å"You knew to go to the Capitol Building. You knew to find Robert Langdon. And you even knew to X-ray Langdon’s bag to find the capstone. Obviously, someone is giving you a lot of inside information.† Sato laughed coldly and stepped closer to him. â€Å"Mr. Bellamy, is that why you attacked me? Do you think I’m the enemy? Do you think I’m trying to steal your little pyramid?† Sato took a drag on her cigarette and blew the smoke out of her nostrils. â€Å"Listen carefully. No one understands better than I do the importance of keeping secrets. I believe, as you do, that there is certain information to which the masses should not be privy. Tonight, however, there are forces at work that I fear you have not yet grasped. The man who kidnapped Peter Solomon holds enormous power . . . a power that you apparently have yet to realize. Believe me, he is a walking time bomb . . . capable of initiating a series of events that will profoundly change the world as you know it.† â€Å"I don’t understand.† Bellamy shifted on the bench, his arms aching in his handcuffs. â€Å"You don’t need to understand. You need to obey. Right now, my only hope of averting a major disaster is to cooperate with this man . . . and to give him exactly what he wants. Which means, you are going to call Mr. Langdon and tell him to turn himself in, along with the pyramid and capstone. Once Langdon is in my custody, he will decrypt the pyramid’s inscription, obtain whatever information this man is demanding, and provide him with exactly what he wants.† The location of the spiral staircase that leads to the Ancient Mysteries? â€Å"I can’t do that. I’ve taken vows of secrecy.† Sato erupted. â€Å"I don’t give a damn what you’ve vowed, I will throw you in prison so fast–â€Å" â€Å"Threaten me all you like,† Bellamy said defiantly. â€Å"I will not help you.† Sato took a deep breath and spoke now in a fearsome whisper. â€Å"Mr. Bellamy, you have no idea what’s really going on tonight, do you?† The tense silence hung for several seconds, finally broken by the sound of Sato’s phone. She plunged her hand into her pocket and eagerly snatched it out. â€Å"Talk to me,† she answered, listening carefully to the reply. â€Å"Where is their taxi now? How long? Okay, good. Bring them to the U.S. Botanic Garden. Service entrance. And make sure you get me that god-damn pyramid and capstone.† Sato hung up and turned back to Bellamy with a smug smile. â€Å"Well then . . . it seems you’re fast outliving your usefulness.† CHAPTER 75 Robert Langdon stared blankly into space, feeling too tired to urge the slow-moving taxi driver to pick up the pace. Beside him, Katherine had fallen silent, too, looking frustrated by their lack of understanding of what made the pyramid so special. They had again been through everything they knew about the pyramid, the capstone, and the evening’s strange events; they still had no ideas as to how this pyramid could possibly be considered a map to anything at all. Jeova Sanctus Unus? The secret hides within The Order? Their mysterious contact had promised them answers if they could meet him at a specific place. A refuge in Rome, north of the Tiber. Langdon knew the forefathers’ â€Å"new Rome† had been renamed Washington early in her history, and yet vestiges of their original dream remained: the Tiber’s waters still flowed into the Potomac; senators still convened beneath a replica of St. Peter’s dome; and Vulcan and Minerva still watched over the Rotunda’s long-extinguished flame. The answers sought by Langdon and Katherine were apparently waiting for them just a few miles ahead. Northwest on Massachusetts Avenue. Their destination was indeed a refuge . . . north of Washington’s Tiber Creek. Langdon wished the driver would speed up. Abruptly, Katherine jolted upright in her seat, as if she had made a sudden realization. â€Å"Oh my God, Robert!† She turned to him, her face going white. She hesitated a moment and then spoke emphatically. â€Å"We’re going the wrong way!† â€Å"No, this is right,† Langdon countered. â€Å"It’s northwest on Massachu–â€Å" â€Å"No! I mean we’re going to the wrong place!† Langdon was mystified. He had already told Katherine how he knew what location was being described by the mysterious caller. It contains ten stones from Mount Sinai, one from heaven itself, and one with the visage of Luke’s dark father. Only one building on earth could make those claims. And that was exactly where this taxi was headed. â€Å"Katherine, I’m certain the location is correct.† â€Å"No!† she shouted. â€Å"We don’t need to go there anymore. I figured out the pyramid and capstone! I know what this is all about!† Langdon was amazed. â€Å"You understand it?† â€Å"Yes! We have to go to Freedom Plaza instead!† Now Langdon was lost. Freedom Plaza, although nearby, seemed totally irrelevant. â€Å"Jeova Sanctus Unus!† Katherine said. â€Å"The One True God of the Hebrews. The sacred symbol of the Hebrews is the Jewish star–the Seal of Solomon–an important symbol to the Masons!† She fished a dollar bill out of her pocket. â€Å"Give me your pen.† Bewildered, Langdon pulled a pen from his jacket. â€Å"Look.† She spread the bill out on her thigh and took his pen, pointing to the Great Seal on the back. â€Å"If you superimpose Solomon’s seal on the Great Seal of the United States . . .† She drew the symbol of a Jewish star precisely over the pyramid. â€Å"Look what you get!† Langdon looked down at the bill and then back at Katherine as if she were mad. â€Å"Robert, look more closely! Don’t you see what I’m pointing at?† He glanced back at the drawing. What in the world is she getting at? Langdon had seen this image before. It was popular among conspiracy theorists as â€Å"proof† that the Masons held secret influence over our early nation. When the six-pointed star was laid perfectly over the Great Seal of the United States, the star’s top vertex fit perfectly over the Masonic all-seeing eye . . . and, quite eerily, the other five vertices clearly pointed to the letters M-A-S-O-N. â€Å"Katherine, that’s just a coincidence, and I still don’t see how it has anything to do with Freedom Plaza.† â€Å"Look again!† she said, sounding almost angry now. â€Å"You’re not looking where I am pointing! Right there. Don’t you see it?† An instant later, Langdon saw it. CIA field-operations leader Turner Simkins stood outside the Adams Building and pressed his cell phone tightly to his ear, straining to hear the conversation now taking place in the back of the taxi. Something just happened. His team was about to board the modified Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter to head northwest and set up a roadblock, but now it seemed the situation had suddenly changed. Seconds ago, Katherine Solomon had begun insisting they were going to the wrong destination. Her explanation–something about the dollar bill and Jewish stars–made no sense to the team leader, nor, apparently, to Robert Langdon. At least at first. Now, however, Langdon seemed to have grasped her meaning. â€Å"My God, you’re right!† Langdon blurted. â€Å"I didn’t see it earlier!† Suddenly Simkins could hear someone banging on the driver’s divider, and then it slid open. â€Å"Change of plans,† Katherine shouted to the driver. â€Å"Take us to Freedom Plaza!† â€Å"Freedom Plaza?† the cabbie said, sounding nervous. â€Å"Not northwest on Massachusetts?† â€Å"Forget that!† Katherine shouted. â€Å"Freedom Plaza! Go left here! Here! HERE!† Agent Simkins heard the cab screeching around a corner. Katherine was talking excitedly again to Langdon, saying something about the famous bronze cast of the Great Seal embedded in the plaza. â€Å"Ma’am, just to confirm,† the cabbie’s voice interjected, sounding tense. â€Å"We’re going to Freedom Plaza–on the corner of Pennsylvania and Thirteenth?† â€Å"Yes!† Katherine said. â€Å"Hurry!† â€Å"It’s very close. Two minutes.† Simkins smiled. Nicely done, Omar. As he dashed toward the idling helicopter, he shouted to his team. â€Å"We’ve got them! Freedom Plaza! Move!† How to cite The Lost Symbol Chapter 71-75, Essay examples

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee free essay sample

Americans who have always looked westward when reading about this period should read this book facing eastward†. Despite the popularity of the eyewitness accounts, Brown is not an absentee narrator. In the book Brown emphasizes two main points, the language he uses and the storyline of the book. He uses these two things to give the eyewitness accounts as much impact as possible. In the process, he attempts to defile his enemy in all kinds of different manners: The way Brown makes his readers; view eastward is by using the faults that have plagued the Native Americans. Brown’s way of emphasizes language allows the readers to connect to the Native Americans and this allows the book to thrive and continue. This book differs from a lot of other books about Native Americans, because he uses many Native American interpretations. For example, the Sioux and Cheyenne’s frequently see trains pass through their land in the Powder River country. We will write a custom essay sample on Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Says Brown: ‘‘Sometimes they saw Iron Horses dragging wooden houses on wheels at great speed along the tracks . They were puzzled over what could be inside the houses. ’’ Brown uses the terms ‘‘Iron Horses’’ and ‘‘wooden houses’’ to describe trains and train cars, as a Native American at this time would have perceived them. Brown also uses the Native American designations for U. S. military ranks in his descriptions. For example, to a Native American at this time, a general was known as a â€Å"Star Chief† and a colonel was an â€Å"Eagle Chief†. In addition, Brown refers to prominent American historical figures by their Native American names. For example, many Native Americans called General George Armstrong Custer ‘‘Hard Backsides,† â€Å"because he chased them over long distances for many hours without leaving his saddle †. Brown also uses Native American naming systems for natural processes like time. Because Americans during this time divide the year into twelve months and refer to these months by names like May and June, however, Native Americans referred to these time periods by their relationship to nature. So, in Brown’s book, May is â€Å"the Moon When the Ponies Shed† and June is â€Å"the Strawberry Moon†. By using distinctly Native American interpretations like these in his narration, Brown takes his readers deep into the Native American experience. In the process, the reader begins to identify with the Native Americans. When readers identify with characters, they tend to feel sympathy for them. Through Dee Browns thesis, Brown organizes his story to maximize his readers’ sympathetic emotions. Brown establishes a three? part structure for most chapters, which demonstrates again and again that Native Americans lost no matter what they did. Francis Paul Prucha for examples states that â€Å"The materials have been selected to make the authors point, not to present a balanced view of what happened, from the Native American standpoint or from any other†. Typically, the chapter begins with a discussion of a chief or tribe who has lost something, generally a piece of their land and still has more to lose. For example, in the beginning of the second chapter, Brown notes: â€Å"As the result of two deceptive treaties, the woodland Sioux surrendered nine? tenths of their land and were crowded into a narrow strip of territory along the Minnesota River†. Following the discussion of what has been already lost; Brown introduces the second part, the struggle. For Native Americans in the nineteenth century, the struggles were many, whether they decided to go to war or did not. Many tribes in the book do choose to fight to retain their remaining land and freedom. In most cases, the tribes win some battles but end up losing the war. The U. S. soldiers are too advanced and numerous to be defeated, something that the Native Americans begin to realize. For example, Little Crow is cautious about fighting at first, because he had been to the East and seen the power of the Americans. They were everywhere and with cannons they would destroy everything in their path. Even when the Native Americans outnumber the whites, the military technology can be the decisive factor in the victory. As many Native Americans learned, even though they had bravery, numbers, and massive charges all of that would mean nothing if the Native Americans were armed only with bows, lances, and clubs. In cases where the Native Americans try to remain peaceful, Brown shows many ways that they are provoked into war. In several cases, settlers or miners hungry for the Native Americans’ remaining land spread lies in an effort to get the government to take their land. During the Civil War, Native Americans were sometimes provoked into fighting because it was the safer of two options for white, male citizens. For example, Brown says there was political pressure on soldiers from Coloradans who wanted to avoid the military draft of 1864 by serving in uniform against a few poorly armed Indians rather than against the Confederates farther east. Even after the Civil War, when the draft was no longer an issue, some drafted soldiers used lies to provoke Native Americans and kill them because peace was not profitable for the settlers. The final part of Brown’s argument in most chapters is the ending. Due to the massive struggles that Native Americans faced whether or not they chose to remain peaceful, most chapters end badly. The chiefs, who are often depicted as strong in the beginning and middle of the chapters when they are fighting for their land and people, end up dead, in prison, in exile, or on a reservation with the rest of their people. Even the exceptions to this rule, such as the chapter depicting Red Clouds successful war, ultimately end negatively. Red Cloud’s story is an example of the overall structure of the book. The book starts out with many Native Americans living free and retaining parcels of their land. As the story progresses and the white emigration start to take over, large armies and groups of white settlers cut down the various tribes. By the end of the book, the effect of white emigration has impacted around so much of the country that most Native Americans are dead, in prison, or on scattered reservations. To conclude I felt the effect on the reader is profound. Brown has gotten his readers to root for the underdogs by using eyewitness accounts and language to draw readers into the Native American experience. Yet, in each chapter Brown steadily crushes any hope that the reader might have for the Native Americans winning much of anything by using his plot. By using these strategies, Brown makes his readers feel more into the book by trying to make them sympathize to the Natives. Brown’s tone, or attitude towards his subject matter, is one of barely restrained outrage, and he wants readers to get angry, too. Tom Phillips, another reviewer states, â€Å"Brown has gone too far at some points and is guilty of the same faults as those who created the raditional image of the Native American as savage, alcoholic and expendable†.

Plato On Justice Essays (1846 words) - Socratic Dialogues

Plato On Justice Plato (428-347 BC) The Greek philosopher Plato was among the most important and creative thinkers of the ancient world. His work set forth most of the important problems and concepts of Western philosophy, psychology, logic, and politics, and his influence has remained profound from ancient to modern times. Plato was born in Athens in 428 BC. Both his parents were of distinguished Athenian families, and his stepfather, an associate of Pericles, was an active participant in the political and cultural life of Periclean Athens. Plato seems as a young man to have been destined for an aristocratic political career. The excesses of Athenian political life, however, both under the oligarchical rule (404-403) of the so-called Thirty Tyrants and under the restored democracy, seem to have led him to give up these ambitions. In particular, the execution (399) of Socrates had a profound effect on his plans. The older philosopher was a close friend of Plato's family, and Plato's writings attest to Socrates' great influence on him. After Socrates' death Plato retired from active Athenian life and traveled widely for a number of years. In 388 BC he journeyed to Italy and Sicily, where he became the friend of Dionysius the Elder, ruler of Syracuse, and his brother-in-law Dion. The following year he returned to Athens, where he founded the Academy, an institution devoted to research and instruction in philosophy and the sciences. Most of his life thereafter was spent in teaching and guiding the activities of the Academy. When Dionysius died (367), Dion invited Plato to return to Syracuse to undertake the philosophical education of the new ruler, Dionysius the Younger. Plato went, perhaps with the hope of founding the rule of a philosopher-king as envisioned in his work the Republic. The visit, however, ended (366) in failure. In 361, Plato went to Syracuse again. This visit proved even more disastrous, and he returned (360) to the Academy. Plato died in 347 BC. Plato's published writings, of which apparently all are preserved, consist of some 26 dramatic dialogues on philosophical and related themes. The precise chronological ordering of the dialogues remains unclear, but stylistic and thematic considerations suggest a rough division into three periods. The earliest dialogues, begun after 399 BC, are seen by many scholars as memorials to the life and teaching of Socrates. Three of them, the Euthyphro, Apology, and Crito, describe Socrates' conduct immediately before, during, and after his trial. The early writings include a series of short dialogues that end with no clear and definitive solution to the problems raised. Characteristically, Plato has Socrates ask questions of the form "What is X?" and insist that he wants not examples or instances of X but what it is to be X, the essential nature, or Form, of X. In the Charmides the discussion concerns the question "What is temperance?"; in the Laches, "What is courage?" in the Euthyphro, "What is holiness?" The first book of the Republic may originally have been such a dialogue, devoted to the question "What is justice?" Socrates holds that an understanding of the essential nature in each case is of primary importance, but he does not claim himself to have any such understanding. A formal mode of cross-examination called elenchus, in which the answers to questions put by Socrates are shown to result in a contradiction of the answerer's original statement, reveals the ignorance of the answerer as well. Typically, these answerers are self-professed experts (the title characters of the Gorgias and Protagoras, for example, were leading Sophists; thus their inability to provide a definition is particularly noteworthy. In the Apology, Socrates describes his mission as one of exposing this ignorance, an exposure he takes to be a necessary preliminary to true wisdom. Although the dialogues appear to end in ignorance, the dialectical structure of each work is such that a complex and subtle understanding of the concept emerges. The dialogues of the middle period were begun after the founding of the Academy. Here more openly positive doctrines begin to emerge in the discourse of Socrates. The dialogues of this period include what is widely thought to be Plato's greatest work, the Republic. Beginning with a discussion on the nature of justice, the dialogue articulates a vision of an ideal political community and the education appropriate to the rulers of such a community. Justice is revealed to be a principle of each thing performing the function most appropriate to its nature, a principle of the proper adjudication of activity and being. In political terms, this principle is embodied in a society in

12 Types of Language

12 Types of Language 12 Types of Language 12 Types of Language By Mark Nichol A variety of terms distinguish the kinds of languages and vocabularies that exist outside the mainstream of standard, formal language. Here are twelve words and phrases that denote specific ideas of language usage. 1. Argot An argot is a language primarily developed to disguise conversation, originally because of a criminal enterprise, though the term is also used loosely to refer to informal jargon. 2. Cant Cant is somewhat synonymous with argot and jargon and refers to the vocabulary of an in-group that uses it to deceive or exclude nonusers. 3. Colloquial Language Anything not employed in formal writing or conversation, including terms that might fall under one or more of most of the other categories in this list, is a colloquialism. Colloquial and colloquialism may be perceived to be pejorative terms, but they merely refer to informal terminology. Colloquial language whether words, idiomatic phrases, or aphorisms is often regionally specific; for example, variations on the term â€Å"carbonated beverage† including soda, pop, and coke differ in various areas of the United States. 4. Creole A creole is a more sophisticated development of a pidgin, derived from two or more parent languages and used by people all ages as a native language. 5. Dialect A dialect is a way of speaking based on geographical or social factors. 6. Jargon Jargon is a body of words and phrases that apply to a specific activity or profession, such as a particular art form or athletic or recreational endeavor, or a medical or scientific subject. Jargon is often necessary for precision when referring to procedures and materials integral to a certain pursuit. However, in some fields, jargon is employed to an excessive and gratuitous degree, often to conceal the truth or deceive or exclude outsiders. Various types of jargon notorious for obstructing rather than facilitating communication are given names often appended with -ese or -speak, such as bureaucratese or corporate-speak. 7. Lingo This term vaguely refers to the speech of a particular community or group and is therefore loosely synonymous with many of the other words in this list. 8. Lingua Franca A lingua franca is a language often adopted as a common tongue to enable communication between speakers of separate languages, though pidgins and creoles, both admixtures of two or more languages, are also considered lingua francas. 9. Patois Patois refers loosely to a nonstandard language such as a creole, a dialect, or a pidgin, with a connotation of the speakers’ social inferiority to those who speak the standard language. 10. Pidgin A simplified language arising from the efforts of people speaking different languages to communicate is a pidgin. These languages generally develop to facilitate trade between people without a common language. In time, pidgins often evolve into creoles. 11. Slang A vocabulary of terms (at least initially) employed in a specific subculture is slang. Slang terms, either invented words or those whose meanings are adapted to new senses, develop out of a subculture’s desire to disguise or exclude others from their conversations. As US society becomes more youth oriented and more homogenous, slang becomes more widespread in usage, and subcultures continually invent new slang as older terms are appropriated by the mainstream population. 12. Vernacular A vernacular is a native language or dialect, as opposed to another tongue also in use, such as Spanish, French, or Italian and their dialects as compared to their mother language, Latin. Alternatively, a vernacular is a dialect itself as compared to a standard language (though it should be remembered that a standard language is simply a dialect or combination of dialects that has come to predominate). 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Words for Facial ExpressionsConfusing "Passed" with "Past"20 Clipped Forms and Their Place (If Any) in Formal Writing

ALGORITHM - MEANING

ALGORITHM MEANING In the most basic sense, an algorithm is a process- a set of detailed instruction that must be carried out in a particular order and follows logic to attain a given result. An algorithm is a well-defined procedure or set of rules guaranteed to achieve a certain objective. You use an algorithm every time you follow the directions to put together a new toy, use a recipe to make cookies, or defrost something in the microwave (personal algorithms). When the term algorithm used in math, it typically refers to a set of steps or procedures used to solve a mathematical computation. In mathematics, an algorithm is a specific series of steps that will give you the correct answer every time. For example, in grade school, you and your classmates probably learned and memorized a certain finite steps or procedures for addition, subtraction and multiplying etc. (standard algorithms). Algorithm are of two type: informal (personal) and formal (standard) algorithm. An informal algorithm is a procedure that the student him/herself figured out while a formal algorithm is a process and procedure that has been taught to them. It may or may not be similar to a conventional algorithms (formal algorithms). Examples on Informal Algorithms Examples on Formal Algorithms 1. ADD the given numbers 109 + 207 Jimmy did like this. David did like this. =100+9+200+7 109-9=100 =300+16 207-7=200 =316 200+100=300 9+7=16 300+16=316 2. Multiply the given number 25Ãâ€"13 25(20+5) x13(10+3) ————– 15 60 50 + 200 ————— 325 1. ADD the given numbers 109+207 1 109 + 207 ——– 316 ——– 2. Multiply the given number 25Ãâ€"13 1 25 x13 ———— 75 +25x ———— 325 MERITS OF INFORMAL ALGORITHMS They learn to think and use their common sense, as well as new skills and knowledge. Students who invent their own procedures: Learn that their intuitive methods are valid and that mathematics makes sense. Become more proficient with mental arithmetic. Are motivated because they understand their own methods, as opposed to learning by rote. Become skilled at representing ideas with objects, words, pictures, and symbols. Develop persistence and confidence in dealing with challenging problems. ADVANTAGES OF THE FORMAL ALGORITHMS Plunkett (1979), Thompson (1997), Usiskin (1998) and other writers offered several reasons for this. These included :  ¢ Standard algorithms are powerful in solving classes of problems, particularly where the computation involves many numbers, where memory may be overloaded.  ¢ Standard algorithms contracted, summarizing several lines of equation involving distributivity and associativity.  ¢ Standard algorithms are automatic, being able to be taught to, and carried out by, someone without having to analyze the underlying basis of the algorithm.  ¢ Standard algorithms are fast, with a direct route to the answer.  ¢ Standard algorithms provide the written record of computation, enabling teachers and students to locate any errors in the algorithm.  ¢ Standard algorithms can be instructive.  ¢ For teachers these are easy to manage and assess. DISADVANTAGES OF THE FORMAL ALGORITHMS Kamii and Dominick (1998), McIntosh (1998), and Northcote McIntosh (1999) have potential dangers that can be summarized as follows :  ¢ They do not correspond to the ways in which people tend to think about numbers.  ¢ They encourage children to give up their own thinking and creativity, leading to loss of ownership of ideas .  ¢ The traditionally-taught (standard) algorithm may no longer be the most efficient and easily learned.  ¢ They tend to lead to blind acceptance of results and over-zealous applications. Given the focus on procedures that require little thinking, children often use an standard algorithms when it is not at all necessary.  ¢ There is a high probability that the students will lose conceptual knowledge in the process of gaining procedural knowledge. There is also the use of relevance. Students use standard algorithms for only a small proportion of their calculation.

Education and Testing Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Education and Testing Standards - Essay Example "Under No Child Left Behind, states are required to include annual assessments in reading/language arts and mathematics in grades 3 through 8 along with and at least once in grades 10 through 12. Additionally, all states are to begin annual assessment of their students in science at least once in each grade band 3-5, 6-9, and 10-12 (NCLB: Standards and Assessments, 2009). This paper deals with NCLB in the State of Texas. There isn't any significant difference in the NCLB for Texas when compared to the one in any other state. Nonetheless NCLB in Texas is unique to education in this state (Adopted Amendments to 19 TAC). The achievement standards have been set by time-bound plans that require the level of students' performance to rise within a set period after analyzing and improving the quality of teachers and the educational system which rewards schools that meet their targets and has consequences for schools that fail to meet the standards (Mitzel, Howard C; 2005). Simultaneously, the need to involve parents and also society in raising the achievement standards of the student are mentioned. Efforts are also being made to make the curriculum suitable for the students' grasp although no examples were outlined to show just how students could improve on the basis of the new curriculum. The curriculum consists... The credits for each discipline are provided (Adopted Amendments to 19 TAC). The methods of raising achievement levels are left to "extending existing achievement standards" and that "instruction will need to improve for students to meet future standards" (Mitzel, Howard C; 2005, p4). Teachers' Standards The achievement standards outlined for NCLB are tough considering that even teachers have to be updated on their skills in order to be equal to their tasks. The important aspect of making the right beginning is present in the NCLB and the state educational boards have been making the right moves by interacting with teachers and getting their skills updated and also keeping teachers under scrutiny to gauge their interaction with the students (Summary Description of California Housse). At one inspection it was found that "approximately one-third, or almost 5,000 of all school districts in considered rural. As Department officials have traveled the country listening to teachers and state and district officials, they frequently have heard that the highly qualified teacher provisions of the No Child Left Behind law don't adequately accommodate the special challenges faced by teachers in small, rural districts. Often, the teachers in these areas are required to teach more than one academic subject. This new flexibility is designed to recognize this challenge and provide additional time for these teachers to prove that they are highly qualified" (New No Child Left Behind Flexibility: Highly Qualified Teachers, 2004). National Standards For a nation with fifty states, it is difficult to pursue a uniform policy without coming across situations where different states see issues in a different way. Nonetheless, since NCLF has flexible measurements the states have been given

Early Complex Societies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Early Complex Societies - Essay Example During this period society consisted of small groups and developed language, rituals, and used basic tools made of stone. The Neolithic Revolution, a term given the adoption of agriculture, transformed economic, political, and social organization. Its beginning can be found in the Middle East as early as 10,000 B.C.E. The use of agriculture gradually spread or was adopted independently in centers, including parts of India, North Africa, America and Europe. It was not until about 3500 B.C.E. that the changes brought about by the Neolithic revolution brought about the development of early complex societies. Locations situated close to fertile river banks suited the development early complex societies because their economic production was based upon agriculture. Rivers were also used for cleansing and drinking as modern reticulation did not exist. Irrigation methods and calendars were developed to advance agricultural efficiency. Later, boats were constructed and used for transportation and trade. As the societies grew denser some of the other technological advances introduced were the potter's wheel, wheeled vehicles, improved shipbuilding allowing seafaring ships, and bronze tools. The four great river valleys commonly recognised as forming the basis of early civilizations are the Tigris and Euphrates river valley in Mesopotamia, the Indus River Valley in India, the Nile River valley in Africa, and the Huang He River valley in China (Stearns, Adas Et al.) Technology and the reorganisation of societal structures increased the economic viability of the now sedentary communities causing population sizes to increase dramatically. As the populations had vested interests in their land, ownership of property became more important which lead to increasingly complex societies where specialization, economic, political, and religious functions flourished. The increases in economic production also promoted migration and trade, which furthered the diffusion of the technologies and intellectual capital necessary for the spread of early social complexity. Horse domestication ( +- 4000 B.C.E.) and bronze metallurgy played a pivotal role in this and influenced the development of societies from China to Egypt. Advances in transportation technologies between approximately 3500 and 2000 B.C.E., such as "wheeled carts and wagons appeared in Mesopotamia" (Bentley 760), the construction of seaworthy sailing vessels by the Mesopotamians and Egyptians meant that although the population of the early complex society were sedentary, they did not develop exclusively in isolation. According to Bentley, "Mesopotamians and Egyptians traded with each other at least by 3500 B.C.E" (Bentley 760). The theory that the ideas and technology necessary for the formation of complex societies spreads through migration and trade is called the cultural diffusionism. The Olmec society in the Americas (1400 BCE to about 400 BCE) is a notable exception as in terms of this theory cultural diffusionism could not have been the sole driving force for the spread of complex societies. Middle Eastern complex societies began in about 3500 B.C.E. with the Mesopotamians and continued with the Sumerians. In around 1800 B.C.E., the Babylonian Empire came to supremacy uniting all

Alzheimer’s Disease Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Alzheimer’s Disease Research Paper Essay Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in elderly individuals. Currently, 4.5 million people in the United States approximately have Alzheimer’s disease. (Burns) Alzheimer’s disease presents the victim with a sharp decline in memory, language, visuospatial perception, executive functioning and decision-making. Because this disease is so harsh on people’s personality, behavioral and psychiatric symptoms are frequently present in Alzheimer’s disease. The impact Alzheimer’s disease has on health care is significant and estimated to cost $100 billion dollars per year and predicted to rise as it is a demand to find new medication and the number of Alzheimer’s disease individual rise. (Burns) There is medication available, however there is currently no cure, the medications that are given have symptoms that do not alter the negative progression of the disease. Alzheimer’s disease is defined as progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain’s nerve cells and neurons resulting in a loss of memory, thinking, language skills, and behavioral changes. (Burns) Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by cognitive dysfunction, psychiatric symptoms, behavioral disturbances, and difficulty performing daily activities. Alzheimer’s disease is currently the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and presently 4.5 million Americans are living with it. Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia in elder individuals. (Burns) Even though there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, the health care costs are extremely high, being just over 100 billion dollars per year. The hopefulness of the development of a cure or new therapies becomes more desperate every year for new advances in the future. (Burns) The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in every individual vary; the disease can be extremely severe and other times slightly mild. Because Alzheimer’s disease is progressive it advances as time goes on, it starts off as the individual becomes forgetful and looses a small amount of memory and continues to severe dementia and loosing memory completely. The cognitive dysfunction of a person with Alzheimer’s disease includes memory loss, language difficulties, and executive dysfunction, which consists of a loss of higher level planning and intellectual coordination skills. (Burns) The psychiatric symptoms and behavioral disturbances can be anything from depression and agitation to hallucinations. The psychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease can also be collectively termed as non-cognitive symptoms. (Burns) The general symptoms of memory loss is always the first symptom of a majority of the cases of Alzheimer’s disease. The gradual onset of memory loss has the same symptoms as normal aging, because ageing shows symptoms of some dementia as well, this can understandably become confusing to diagnose, and however Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. (Burns) The onset of Alzheimer’s disease is sly and emerges with a mild loss of memory and continues on with difficulty in finding the right word to go along with sentences. A diagnoses occurs only when the symptoms interfere significantly with everyday life such as social and work functions. Personal and emotional changes within the individual are very common for people who have Alzheimer’s disease. Major depressive disorder occurs in 20-35% of cases, while anxiety reaches 15-25% of people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. (Burns) Every 67 seconds someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease. Women seem to get his the hardest with this disease. In a women’s 60’s, the estimated risk for developing Alzheimer’s is 1 in 6 and two thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are women. (Burns) Not only are women more likely to have Alzheimer’s, women are also more likely to be caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease leads to nerve cell death and tissue loss throughout the brain. Over time, the brain shrinks dramatically because of this, affecting nearly all of its functions, especially the memory. The cortex of the brain  shrivels up and damages areas involved in thinking, planning, and remembering. (Fackelmann) Shrinkage is especially threatening in the hippocampus, which is the area that forms new memories. The ventricles, which are the fluid-filled spaces within the brain, grow larger to fill in the places that have shriveled up. The tissue within an Alzheimer’s patient has fewer nerve cells and synapses than a healthy brain. Nerve cells and synapses are what carry messages throughout the brain they are crucial to the biological computations that make up perception and thought. The dead nerve cells contain tangles, which are made up of twisted strands of another protein. The small clumps can clock the synapse and can activate the immune system to trigger inflammation. (Fackelmann) The plaques and tangles spread throughout the cortex in a predictable pattern as Alzheimer’s disease progresses. The rate of the progression of the tangles and plaques within the brain varies significantly. (Fackelmann) People with Alzheimer’s disease live an average of 8 years, but some individuals can survive up to 20 years. In a severely advanced Alzheimer’s disease most of the cortex is severely damaged. (Fackelmann) This is where the brain had shrunk dramatically because of widespread cell death. In this stage, individuals lose their ability to communicate, recognize their family and loved ones, and to care for themselves in their daily activities. The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown, however researchers have linked several risk factors with Alzheimer’s disease such as an increasing age, family history, head injury (anti-inflammatory drugs have been associated as a reduction of risk), depression, hypertension, high cholesterol, low physical and cognitive activity, diabetes, diseases that cause mutations of chromosomes 1, 14, and 21, ApoE genotype, and individuals diagnosed with down syndrome eventually develops the neurological symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. (Fackelmann) The genetic contribution to Alzheimer’s disease is a risk. The risk for the first degree of relatives of people with the disease is estimated at 10-40% higher than unrelated people. (Whalley) The fact that monozygotic twins (twins who share 100% of their genetic material) have a higher concordance rate than dizygotic twins indicates that there is a significant genetic  component to Alzheimer’s disease. (Whalley) Because of the risks stated above, researches suggest that environmental factors are also a contribution to the diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease. Environmental factors is confirmed by the fact that the strongest association is not true across all races; 50% of white patients with Alzheimer’s disease do not carry an e4 allele (ApoE genotype), which is a significant risk in getting Alzheimer’s disease. (Whalley) The cure for Alzheimer’s disease is uncertain and is mainly focused on therapeutic treatments that help some dementia and other symptoms associated with it. For clinical reasons, non-drug interventions should be used initially, especially if the symptoms are not causing stress or placing the individual at risk to themselves or to others. If non-drug remedial interventions have no effect, cholinesterase inhibitors are the conventional drug treatment of choice for Alzheimer’s disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors have a moderate beneficial symptoms associated with the drug. The drug modifies symptoms in the minority of people with Alzheimer’s disease because it is nicely tolerated in the majority of individuals. Memantine is a drug that is a glutamatergic antagonist that trials have found effective in individuals that have severe dementia, however it is restricted to those in clinical trials. Cholinesterare inhibitors and memantine are known to produce little identifiable improvements in the activities of daily life. Non-drug approaches are not effective in helping memory loss, even though there are therapeutic techniques that help retain memory and can offer support for people with mild dementia. Sources Burns, A. Alzheimers Disease. British Medical Journal, 338, 467-471. Retrieved June 2, 2014 Fackelmann, K. Forcasting Alzheimers Disease. Science News, 149, 312-313. Retrieved June 2, 2014 Whalley, L. Genetics of Alzheimers Disease. British Medical Journal (clinical research edition), 1556. Retrieved June 2, 2014

The Placebo Effect: How Strong Is The Power of Suggestion? :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Placebo Effect: How Strong Is The Power of Suggestion? For years, scientists have sought to find an explanation for the placebo effect. Although many hypotheses exist, there is no one reason defining why or how the placebos work. Some researchers argue that the phenomenon doesn't even occur; that the placebo effect is merely random error and that any improvement said to be caused by a placebo is simply a spontaneous recovery in the patient's condition (2)(3). Other scientists argue that Pavlovian conditioning supports an explanation for the effect: If patients have previously shown improvement from being in a medical setting or from taking medicine, they are conditioned to experience positive effects every time they are in the same situation (1). A second explanation for the placebo effect is that any drug (or placebo) given to a patient will reduce their stress levels. Because many illnesses begin under high-stress circumstances, or exhibit more extreme symptoms under stressful situations, many of the patient's symptoms are likely to im prove (2)(4). The first question that must be answered before delving into the hypotheses behind the placebo effect is whether or not the phenomenon even exists. Certain physicians and scientists claim that "positive effects" of a placebo are, in actuality, just the body's natural ways of healing itself and the immune system's defenses kicking in soon after the placebo is taken (2). Basically, these researchers argue that improvement in a patient's condition after being administered a placebo is merely a coincidence. Negative effects that are often blamed on placebos are viewed by these researches in the same way: nausea or headaches that are claimed to be a placebo's side effects may be spontaneously occurring symptoms (3). It has been established that colds, nausea, headaches and flus will indeed go away eventually, regardless of whether we take drugs or not. But how can studies that show that placebos have an effect on more serious and chronic illnesses, or potentially fatal conditions, such as hypertension, asthma, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia be explained? One theory comes from Pavlov's experiment on conditioned reflexes. In this experiment, Pavlov rang a bell before giving food to a dog. After a numerous trials, no food was given after the bell rang, but the dog still salivated and expected the food. This reflex was an involuntary bodily response to an outside stimulus. Similarly, many people have experienced relief after visiting a physician or taking a medication.

A Comparison and Contrast of Andrew Marvell’s

Andrew Marvell’s To His Coy Mistress and Robert Herrick’s Corinna’s Going A-Maying are poems which both present a familiar theme in literature which is Carpe diem which means seize the day. The poems tell about different situations wherein you have to take advantage of the moment because such instances are not permanent and wouldn’t last long.â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† is about a young man professing his love for a young lady, but the lad responds by being playfully hesitant and demure, as though she was full of uncertainty (Marvell, 1999). But according to the female, dallying as such will not do, because youth will pass them by swiftly, so there is a need for them to take advantage of the situation. He then expounds that if they had the luxury of time, then they could their days idly, admiring each other while leisurely passing time.But for them the reality is that time is not on their side because it s a winged chariot ever racing along, they wou ldn’t know exactly when their youth will be gone, but it is certain that if they don’t seize the moment, the only thing that would await them would be the grave.In â€Å"Corinna’s Going A-Maying†, the narrator urges Corinna to wake up and get up early on the first of May, so that she would be able to enjoy the fun of the day, as well as the beautiful flowers of the month of May (Herrick, 2008). She is also told to hurry her morning prayers so that she can already go out into the fields to enjoy May.The narrator also told her that while she spent her time sleeping, many couples have already been engaged, many had played the kissing game, and several other things that could encourage Corinna to go out. In the end, she is told to go while they’re still in their prime, to seize the opportunity before they grow old and die. With life being short, if Corinna would let the opportunity pass, then she couldn’t turn back the hands of time.The title â €Å"To His Coy Mistress† would mean that the lady love of young man is not an easy catch. It is phrased in a way that the author reports the plea of a young man to his beloved. The title â€Å"Corinna’s Going A-Maying† implies that Corinna would eventually go out and enjoy the month of May, as she is being persuaded by the narrator.Marvell’s poem is written in the first person point of view, though it is presented as a plea of some other person. It reports of what goes on inside the mind of the man, as his thoughts were manifested through the words in the poem.It shows of an impatient young man, who desperately urges the young lady not to waste any more time temporizing and playing hard-to-get. It can be seen as more of a selfish desire for something carnal rather than true love by the man, as he is overflowing with passion, like he can’t contain it anymore. He can be characterized as more of an immature and selfish person than a loving one.On the other hand, Herrick’s poem is also in the first persona point of view that of a narrator. He is an unnamed individual who urges Corinna to get up of from the bed, go out, and enjoy the first of May. The narrator tells more of the events that Corinna had missed while she was spending her time sleeping. It is more of an exposition of the joys that May brings, and what they could expect in the coming times. The narrator is more of a persuasive individual, telling every kind of story just to convince Corinna that she needs to go out of bed already.The setting of â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† is not specified in the poem. There is no scene that presents such a place in which the characters would interact. The young man and the young lady are assumed to be from somewhere in England, as suggested by the River Humber which was mentioned in the poem. In â€Å"Corinna’s Going A-Maying† there is also no specified place of interaction for the people in the poem. It can be assumed that it is in the house of Corinna, wherein she is still in her bedroom, still sleeping.It is evident that for both poems, the speaker or the narrator spoke first of beautiful things before telling about the consequences of not seizing the day or grabbing the opportunity. In the poem â€Å"To His Coy Mistress,† it was shown that if the lady and the man were to have the luxury of time, then they could afford of being idle, praising and adoring each other for hundreds of years to come.In the poem â€Å"Corinna’s Going A-Maying†, the narrator speaks of wonderful things that can be done outside, in order to fully enjoy May. They can pick flowers, interact with other people, and explore love with the opposite sex. However, in the end, the speakers in both poems stated that if they don’t seize the opportunity, then the only thing certain for them is that they would grow old and eventually die, without the chance of enjoying the opportunity that they missed.Andrew Marvell and Robert Herrick’s poems tell the readers about grabbing the opportunity while it is there. We cannot afford to let the opportunity pass us by because we would end up losing it forever. We don’t have the luxury of time, and we would eventually find ourselves aging, and unable to do the things when we were young. This is why we should grab every opportunity and seize the day.References:Herrick, R. (2008). Corinna's Going A-Maying.  Ã‚   Retrieved September 17, 2008, from http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/corinna-s-going-a-maying/Marvell, A. (1999). To his Coy Mistress.  Ã‚   Retrieved September 17, 2008, from http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/marvell/coy.htm  

The Concept of American Dream in the Revolutionary Road

Over the years, many heroes and heroines especially from the West fought so hard in order to give people unlimited opportunities, freedom, material prosperity and individual happiness. The concept â€Å"American dream† as a national ideal is associated with independence and freedom as one individual fulfill his dream through fulfilling his innate passion and desires. This concept gives American citizens the expectations that their government should create a society that will reward drive and innovation or a society that will generate growth.But at the same time, one should be responsible for himself to develop as a full man and woman without the barriers of the older civilizations since this had already been slowly erected by the political leaders in the past. Initially the concept of American Dream considering its historical basis is described as a; â€Å"dream in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability o r achievement.It is a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth and position† (Garfinkle 206). In past years, American Dream is perceive as a promise that each human being has the freedom to make his own life according to his will or choices. This promise made the Americans dreamers, hopeful and independent wanting to take advantage of a freedom of self expression that not every culture has.But this established social structure has a profound influence over individual inner experiences. Contrary to the common impression of upward social mobility due to the â€Å"American Dream,† this mobility can lead to an inner struggle between socially and personally held values of the individuals. It is also inevitable to anticipate that upwar d social mobility will increase the likelihood of the experience of depression and frustration due to the resultant feelings of ambivalence.Due to the promises of American Dream, it is inevitable that American citizens will create mental expectations that if it fails they will have a feeling of depression and hopelessness. These feelings of hopelessness and depression due to unfulfilled passion and expectations are illustrated in the main characters of the film Revolutionary Road. The movie is an indictment of American life that focuses on how the unfulfilled hopes and aspirations of April and Frank Wheeler, main protagonists and married couple, affected them emotionally and psychologically.The seemingly unrealistic and romantic expectations of April Wheeler illustrate tattered remains of American Dream that not achieving it will cause inner death. Though the couple experienced financial security in the middle class suburban America, does that guarantee a meaningful life? Even thoug h they are living comfortably, both believe that they are not truly free. They want a satisfying life free from suburban paralysis whose kind of lifestyle seems routinary. Fulfillment of passion, dreams and hopes with total freedom and independence is what American Dream is for April Wheeler.But financial security and practical opportunities paralyses and hinders her husband to leave America, and so the conflict begins. April wants to escape financial practicalities, routines and her simple role only confined in domesticity and motherhood. Determine to escape the mediocrity and suburbanites that surround them, the couple decides to move in Europe to develop and practice their artistic sensibilities, free from the consumerist demands of capitalist America.But their relationship is thrown into jeopardy because of their frequent squabbling, misunderstanding and unnecessary anxieties from their American Dream. The film is set in the 1950’s in the ordinary suburbs of Connecticut w here every family and employee seems to have the same routines everyday. Frank and April Wheeler, the main characters, are afraid to be like anyone else in their community who seems content and who are afraid to explore outside their comfort zone of financial security.So they believe that they are untypical middle class family living in the suburbs as they still attach in their youthful passion and still believes in life’s adventure. They have promised never to be dragged into the monotonous world of the people around them. But despite their wits, talents and good looks, the couple suddenly find themselves slowly becoming the individuals they swore never to be; a plain, unhappy housewife who longs for fulfillment; a man with a boring job and an existence as dreary as the rest of the neighborhood.April, a failed aspiring theatrical actress starts the novel in a local theatrical group. This experience of April in the initial part of the novel is embarrassing and is a disaster t hat sows the seeds of her discontent. She soon realizes how dull her life is, a life that is far from what she imagines her life will be with Frank Wheeler. Frank, a naturally dreamer, lost his direction and works at Knox Business Machines as an ordinary office employee, while April becomes a typical housewife looking after her two kids.The novel depicts April as a housewife frustrated and emotionally conflicted after being trapped in the suburban life. This given reality is such a discouragement for both especially for April and so she devises a plan to reverse their fortunes and present fate. April discusses plans to escape and leave everything behind in their suburban life to live in Paris where she will fulfill her artistic talents in performance and Frank will find out what he really wants to do with his life. Paris for her will give them opportunities to fulfill what they really wanted in life; total freedom, adventure and happiness.At first though hesitant, Frank agreed as he also wants to achieve the promises of venturing the unpredictability of life in Paris. When Frank gets promoted though, their much awaited departure is being stalled, and they find their marriage crumbling. Frank knows that his promotion is only a lifetime opportunity and somehow he doesn’t want to take it as a risk in a life (Paris) that is no guarantee yet. The perpetual squabbling of the couple is due to April’s strong desire to break out from the prison of bourgeois family life.Apparently Wheelers miss the culture and intellectual quiver of their youth. So when not arguing passionately, they drink a lot and often hang out with their friends and neighbors, the Campbells. But April strongly believes that as a bright, beautiful and gifted couple, their future has strong possibility of greatness if only they will take the risk. April’s depression and apparent desperation to escape her present life eventually made them betray each other and their very true self. April is being corrupted by her strong desire to depart herself to her monotonous life in Connecticut.As noted, April and Frank are not the usual suburban types, but people who consider themselves better than the people in their neighborhood; they mock people as they feel like their living their life half sleep. One of their frequent outside activities is to visit with another couple, spending few hours complaining about how unproductive everyone else is. Frank hates his white collar job and April just stays home with the kids but since they believe that they have potentials and resources, they know they can change their lives for the better.But what do individuals do when they are intelligent and high willed enough not to be satisfied with the conformity and blandness of their surroundings, but lack the drive to ever escape mediocrity, because they are, fundamentally, much more a part of their environment than they imagine? Frank, after hesitating whether going to Paris is a reaso nable and practical thing to do especially after he was being promoted made him somehow like everybody else who is afraid to let go of financial security and assurance. Perhaps Frank and April are not extraordinary and different as they would want to think.But nonetheless their character reflects American Dream—a life far from mediocrity and a life where one creates his own individuality and sense of identity. Moreover, their characters reminds the viewers to come face to face to their own mediocrity, challenges them to be honest with themselves and tries sincerely to know whether their aspirations fit their potentials and capabilities. Sometimes one’s ambitions and hopes are unrealistic. The promises of American Dream inspire the character to hope so much in the future and so that when those hopes are being unfulfilled, the character experiences great depression.â€Å"The problem with the society isn't necessarily that it's hypocritical or conformist or mediocre, but that it produces people with such a horrible gap between aspiration and capacity – it gives them the leisure and intelligence to want a fuller life while robbing them of the backbone to get it† (Yates xxi).But one can approach April’s character in this novel positively as she seems to know herself. She is taking concrete steps in order to accomplish her desires. She is a woman who wants to explore and find herself through her given talents and skills.She is confident that given a chance, she can prove herself in the world of arts. April definitely knows that this is the only way to find her self again and to eventually feel that her existence has a purpose after all—not just confined to being a mother and being a wife. While Frank though he realizes his vague ambition to be someone other than an office worker did not seek any alternative self. Instead after being identified and flattered in his mundane job, their plans to go Paris became unnecessary for h im. When April conceives their third child, their plan to leave America crumbles.When April discovers that she is pregnant, she is demotivated while Frank feels thrilled, not just for having the baby itself in the future but this will be his scapegoat to refuse Paris. April decided to abort the baby because she knows that this will greatly interfere her plans to go in Paris but Frank dissuade her and so they embark on a marital duel. April’s desperation becomes self destructive which is apparent when the latter has bled to death after attempting to induce a miscarriage. Frank on the other hand lacks will and boldness for change.His dream for financial security and the affirmation he acquired from his company because of his sudden promotion made him set aside his wife’s dream to escape the monotonous and boring lifestyle in America. Basically American Dream in this novel specifically in April’s character means fulfilling one’s passion and desires through s kills and talents. But for Frank American Dream is somehow based on practicalities, that is financial security and opportunities â€Å"all I want is to get enough dough coming in to keep us solvent for the next year or so, till I can figure things out; meanwhile, I want to retain my own identity†.But apparently he sometimes excites himself to try something new as he is a man who naturally loves adventure and in trying something not routinary, he might find his true self and his true identity. Frank’s acquisition of a higher position that assure his family’s financial security and his acquisition of affirmation from his company hindered April to fulfill her American dream for freedom of artistic self expression. At the end, it can be said that it is Frank who wins.But when April dies in her effort to fight the forces keeping her in her suburban housewife lifestyle, Frank due to pain becomes absorbed by the work he had once despised, and â€Å"dies† an inwa rd death. At the end both of them is being failed by their American Dream.Work Cited: Garfinkle, Norton. The American Dream Vs. the Gospel of Wealth: The Fight for a Productive Middle-Class Economy. Connecticut USA Yale University Press, 2007 Yates, Richard. Revolutionary Road. New York USA Vintage Contemporaries, 2000

Is Scarifice What Hamlet Wanted English Literature Essay Essay Example

Is Scarifice What Hamlet Wanted English Literature Essay Essay Example Is Scarifice What Hamlet Wanted English Literature Essay Essay Is Scarifice What Hamlet Wanted English Literature Essay Essay that is all that you can trust for from Hamlet ; that he was above all else, true to himself.

Incorporating Quality Through Business Excellence Models Case Study

Incorporating Quality Through Business Excellence Models - Case Study Example TQM is the management function, which should be incorporated in all the processes that will happen in an organization. Furthermore, if Excellence is inbuilt into that TQM, then there will be optimal quality in all the processes, making the organization’s every initiative a successful endeavor. So, this paper by focusing on the â€Å"Excellence Models† from the perspective of TQM, will discuss how excellence can be managed optimally in an organization with the leader playing the optimal role. According to princeton.edu, Excellence can be defined as the â€Å"quality of excelling and also possessing good qualities of the highest degree†. The term gives the same meaning when analyzed from the organizational perspective as well. That is, when the organization manufactures products or offers services, during that process, they have to incorporate quality in every level. Only if the quality is incorporated at every level, the product or service will be of optimal quali ty, when it reaches the intended clients. Otherwise, the clients can find out the deficiency in quality in the initial stages or later, and surely it will be disliked by them. While trying to achieve than expected quality, organizations in many sectors will also or should also try to achieve excellence. This standard or level of excellence could be something that is set by the organization themselves or by certain external agencies focusing on quality testing and certifications. Thus, if the organizations following its own quality standards or external standards, achieve excellence in quality, it can maximally reach the ‘minds’ of the customers. When they entice their minds, they can ‘make’ the customers use their hands to buy the product or utilize the services.

Leader Profile Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leader Profile - Research Paper Example In 1997, he was elected to the state senate of Illinois, where he worked as the Public Health and Welfare Committee’s chairman (Leanne, 2009). President Obama’s experience in public service is rooted in his resolute belief in the potential to bring people together around a politics of cause. He improved health care for the elderly and their children, lessened the burden of taxes for working families, and he passed a key ethics reform (Boeckelman & Dupuis, 2007). As a senator of the United States, he worked hard to launch innovative lobbying reform, bring government transparency by setting up federal expenditure online, and confining the most dangerous weapons in the world (Leanne, 2009). However, the office of the United States presidency is a many-sided vocation that necessitates several forms of leadership approaches. President Obama has attracted the attention of the American people as well as foreigners owing to his charismatic personality (Bill, 2009). A charismatic leader has a mysterious capability of persuading others to his standpoint and influences them to achieve a cause or purpose larger than themselves. A charismatic style is transformational if it appeals to a permanent transformation in individuals who accept and adopt the leader’s vision (Leanne, 2009). President Obama, so far, has drawn a lot of people to his vision which has the capacity to have a considerable effect on both foreign and domestic relations (Leanne, 2009). Barack Obama’s personality shows that he is self-assured and determined; humbly superior and self-asserting; amiable, cooperative, and willing to help; fairly good-natured and sociable; and quite responsible (Bill, 2009). The combination of determined and cooperative patterns in the personality of President Obama indicates a ‘self-assured negotiator’ personality type.

Should the primary objective of management be to increase the wealth Essay - 1

Should the primary objective of management be to increase the wealth of shareholders and owners - Essay Example The objective of management is characterized by four concepts namely goal, scope, definiteness and direction. Managers view objectives as the business values that should be achieved. Therefore, the scope of these values must be well defined, in addition to inclusion of extra goals. Management objectives can be classified as primary, secondary, personal or social. The following paper is a critical debate on the question: Should the primary objective of management be to increase the wealth of shareholders and owners? Focus will be laid on the general objectives of management and the way in which they should be prioritized for maximum benefits. Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction is a principle performance estimate in business management (Decker and Learning, 2001). The primary objective of any business management should be focused upon customer satisfaction. This will provide the avenues required for profits that generate wealth of shareholders and owners. The management’s primary objectives should be related to customer satisfaction through the provision of saleable goods and services in the market. These goods should be reliable, have standard quality, competitive, reasonably priced, technologically produced and insufficient in quantity. The secondary objectives are those strategies that assist in achievement of primary objectives. Personal objectives purposes to benefit individuals in a business organization e.g. increasing the wealth of owners and shareholders. Social objectives maximizes the social gain of the community from an organization e.g. the social responsibilities of the organization to the community. Customer satisfaction includes interaction with customers in an ethical environment. Most traditional business strategists view maximization of the shareholder and owner wealth as the fiduciary obligation of business managers (Shaw, 2009: 572). This view is related to the fact that most shareholders invest in the company on the understanding that the management will steer the company on the strategy of generating profits for them. The view was also presented in an era where most capitalist were obligated to manage their own business enterprises. The recent emergence of joint stock companies meant that the managerial control of corporations has technically been divorced from ownership. However, business theorists have failed to establish a mechanism that can harmonize the interests of managers and shareholders to prevent the former from enriching themselves at the expense of the latter. This is has been proven by the recent behavioural trends whereby the managers awards themselves lux urious pay and remuneration packages without any benefits to the shareholders. Managing Efficiency Efficiency is the guiding principle for any successful business. There is no business that has ever risen to top of the industry through slow, outdated and clunky management practices. In the current business environment, the management that only focuses on compliance to stockholder expectations while ignoring inefficiency does not succeed (Morris, Schindehutte and Allen, 2005: 726-735). The imperative issues that should be recognized include cost

What do you think the most serious problem in the world Why Essay

What do you think the most serious problem in the world Why - Essay Example Knowing the broader implications of ideas allows one to move beyond the superficial nature (and seemingly discreteness) of our modern problems. With this foundation, it seems the most serious problem afflicting the world today is nihilism, which is the idea that values do not and cannot exist. Nihilism can take form in philosophy, but it is more recognizable in actions. Incidentally, there are a number of examples of nihilism applied to action that correlate to what the BBC found were the most serious problems. A recent example was the 2011 London riots, in which youth rioters destroyed and looted urban streets. As one commentator notes, â€Å"Nihilism, or the conviction that life on Earth is totally pointless, saps the young of their energy, their ambition, and their will to strive, struggle and triumph† (Dean). In this case, people commit violence not to achieve something, but for violence for violence’s sake. On a larger scale, in his book Ominous Parallels, philosopher Leonard Peikoff indicates that Nazi Germany arose out a culture of nihilism, which fanned the flames of extreme poverty, military aggression, and genocide. Anders Behring Breivik, perpetrator of the Oslo terrorist attack, committed his crime in the attempt to destroy as much value as possible (Nowicki). In fact, this is a consistent theme across time and space, among humankind’s most grievous catastrophes and crimes: the desire to destroy and the results of that attitude. BBC World Service. "Poverty most serious world problem, says global poll." 17 January 2010. BBC World Service. 16 September 2011

The Use of Mixl1 in Ex Vivo and Chimeric Organ Regeneration

The Use of Mixl1 in Ex Vivo and Chimeric Organ Regeneration Anokhi Kashiparekh   TA: Goheun Kim Regenerative medicine is a field in biology that uses the underlying cell properties of differentiated growth to create entire tissues and organs from that cell. Regeneration in its true form, applies human pluripotent stem cell (hPSCs) differentiation, to make new organs like the natural regeneration of the human liver or that of the zebrafish heart (Mostoway et al, 2013). A very useful area for such a technique is the organ donation and replacement discipline. One of the greatest challenges for organ replacement is the shortage of organs donated for the cause. This is where the field of regenerative medicine can come in use. If the cells of the person in need of the organs can differentiate in a way that fills up the niche left by the diseased or missing organ, there could be a remarkable decrease in the need for organ transplantation and organ rejection. However, the development of the human organs is a gradual process and may take longer than the time the patient has to survive. A tactic to increase the speediness and the efficiency of organ regeneration is to manipulate certain genes to promote either ex vivo differentiation or differentiation in a chimeric host with a faster developmental time than humans. Specific genes can be engineered to perform specific functions, like prompting apoptosis using the Bcl-2 gene or assessing mesodermal markers using Wnt3 (Wu et al, 2016). Inducing Mixl1, the endoderm and mesoderm formation transcription factor, can play an important role in generating organs from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Mixl1 plays an important role in chimeric and ex vivo regeneration models; although further research is required on the viability of these models. The Mixl1 transcription factor binds to the Mix gene and is a part of the hox gene family that codes for homeodomain proteins. The most important function of the Mixl1 is the regulation of cell fate and differentiation during the developmental stages of an organisms life. It regulates the formation of the endodermal and mesodermal layers and consequently can be used to manipulate hPSCs towards a particular lineage of growth. This principal property of the Mixl1 gene, as well its interactions with other genes, has been the focus of genetic regenerative medicine, in order to understand the role and consequent use of said genes. Various experiments have tried to incorporate the Mixl1 system in stem cell growth but two of the most widely known models are the ex vivo regeneration model and the chimeric model. Both of these models rely on the property of Mixl1 to guide iPSCs towards either endodermal or mesodermal fate. The basic difference between these models is the environment in which these cells are allowed to differentiate. The ex vivo model allows cell differentiation and growth outside an organism, generally in a laboratory. It is a widely preferred model due to the fact that cells from an organism can be extracted, cultured in a lab and placed back in the same organism. Each step in the experiment can be tracked and monitored and all the cells are cultured in a sterile environment. Thus, the cells placed back inside the animal are safe from potential bacteria or viruses. However, this also means that the organs generated from this may not be compatible with the surrounding tissue when introduced in an organisms body, due to the lack of interaction with other cells. Ex vivo culture of cells and ultimate organ regeneration is a step towards solving the problem of limited availability of desired cells. This ex vivo model of organ regeneration makes use of different substrates to recreate a natural differentiating environment for the cultured cells. However most times it is hard to push the hPSCs towards a particular lineage of growth, i.e. mesodermal or endodermal. The Mixl1 gene with its property to establish cell fate, is useful in resolving this. The forced expression of Mixl1 in hPSCs, in the right environment, with particular substrates and specific protein mediums, can promote ex vivo cell differentiation. Ex vivo culture, with connection to the Mixl1 gene is efficient due to the control over time of forced expression of the Mixl1 gene as well as external monitoring of the growth. Liu et al (2011)3 established this by using Là °Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ °5ÃŽÂ ²1 and Là °Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ °6ÃŽÂ ²1 protein ligands to promote Mixl1 induced hPSCs, in a BMP4 medium. The procedure included purifying polypeptides, culturing the hPSCs and allowing them to differentiate. The results showed that the differentiation of cells peaked on the third (to) fourth day of culture when both the LÃŽÂ ±5ÃŽÂ ²1 and Là °Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ °6ÃŽÂ ²1 protein ligands were used. This gradual growth was tracked using immunofluorescence and analyzed by flow cytometry. The results of this experiment encompass both the usefulness as well as the disadvantages of an ex vivo regeneration of organs using Mixl1. The biggest challenge encountered in an ex vivo organ regeneration model is the limited number of substrates that the hPSCs can use and differentiate into a mesodermal lineage. In various cases, Mixl1 is induced unsuccessfully. This is due to the high substance substrate specificity of the iPSCs that do not survive long enough for Mixl1 to express and differentiate. Another case seen in Liu et al was the very minute expression of Mixl1 when cultured with various other individual ligands, showing that this procedure also requires the correct combination of substrates. Various agencies have also raised ethical concerns over culturing animal cells in labs. The obtaining of cells, external media and substrates from animal bodies is cited as animal abuse (cruelty). To minimize the use of animal products, a more specific area of the ex vivo model has been developed, called the xeno-free culture. Typically, all components required for a xeno-free culture come from the same organism while taking care that it is completely free of animal or human elements, like bovine blood for culturing media, etc. As a replacement to these essential components, researchers are trying to synthesize new protein ligands that can function in a similar pattern4. To reiterate, genetic manipulation of the ex vivo model has the potential to save lives but requires a deeper study in the areas of limited substrate compatibility and availability. In contrast to the ex vivo model, the chimeric model revolves around cell differentiation inside a living body. Chimeras are organisms made up of a combination of two or more zygotes and thus this model introduces extraction from and cell differentiation in two different individuals. Generation of embryonic chimeras is of both practical and conceptual importance as it provides a method to assess the developmental competence of cells. The cells of the different individuals on the same embryo can be tracked and genes can be manipulated to create a chimeric organism that can act as a vessel for organ generation. Blastocyst complementation and target organ complementation are two important techniques in chimeric organ regeneration. While blastocyst complementation uses iPSCs transferred to an embryo of another species, generally a porcine embryo, target organ complementation is focused on the regeneration of specific organs of the body. Due to the unconventionality, the adherence to soci al and ethical limitations is of great importance and requires more research to be conducted. Experiments combining this regenerative model and the forced expression of the Mixl1 gene have been successful in producing organs in different hosts. By trying to reconcile the idea of targeted generation of organs derived by using the patients own PSCs as seen in the case of the mice, Kobayashi et al (2016) makes use of blastocyst complementation to create pancreatogenesisor nephrogenesis-disabled mice. Blastocyst complementation is a technique that makes use of induced human pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) transferred to an embryo of another species; thus, following cell growth in another body. This study used Pdx1-LacZ heterozygous mice as the chimeric hosts and injected humanized pancreatic cells in the blastocyst. This complementation was followed by the forced induction and expression of the Mixl1 gene using the pRosa26-tTA-Mixl1 vector. The data was analyzed by Western blotting and flow cytometry. The immediate result showed chimeric cells throughout the bodies of the mice. The mice were then introduced to a cell medium without Doxycycline (Dox). Immunofluorescence confirmed the distribution of cells being confined to just the guts, showing that specific target organ regeneration is possible with suitable environmental conditions and resources for the culturing cells. The forced expression of the MIxl1 gene represses mesodermal fate determination and promotes endodermal fate determination, thus helping to induce the formation of target specific organs, including the pancreas or the liver, in the disabled mice. In order to test for the amount of time Mixl1 takes to express, these mice were injected with Dox at various time intervals and the results were examined using EpCAM, an endodermal genetic marker. The cell growth apex was noted on the 4t h day of Dox administration. This leads to the belief that time is an important factor in understanding cell growth in chimeric organisms. To understand the regulation of Mixl1 based on biological functions, it was allowed to express under the influence of Oct3/4, a genetic marker seen to express in early development. The absence and presence of Dox in the host chimera was compared to establish that its absence would achieve specific target organ regeneration as compared to cell growth throughout the body. The data implied that Mixl1 presence was necessary until the epiblast stage. This gives way to the inference that the time taken for Mixl1 to express can be reduced, thus giving way to a quicker technique of organ regeneration. This model, although promising, is questionable due to the ethical controversies like the formation of human neural cells or germ cells in the host animal. This is a cause for concern due to the fact that the idea of a human brain trapped inside a mute animal is disturbing. Proper manipulation of cell differentiating genes like Mixl1 is essential to keep hPSCs from turning into cells that could humanize the host animal. While understanding and experimenting on techniques that help in human advancement, there has to be a larger focus on the social and ethical concerns of utilizing them. In conclusion, although it is limited by growing ethical concerns, genetic manipulation in chimera may help save lives with the advancement in understanding cell repair and regeneration. Thus, the idea of organ regeneration using chimerism should be looked into by science but in a way that can appeal to social principles. Another problem associated with this model of regeneration is the low success rate of differentiation in non- rodent animals2. Majority chimera experiments include rodent species as the main focus, due to both the size and relatively easy manipulation of the rodents. Although recent experiments have shown (that) porcine hosts act as good carriers for human pancreatic growth6, there is a lot of research to establish pigs as conventional hPSC hosts in order to continue chimeric research to generate bigger organs like the human heart or the human lungs. While comparing the advantages and the disadvantages of both these techniques of organ regeneration, the role and function of Mixl1 itself cannot be overlooked. Mixl1 has been shown to express within 4 days of being induced. More research may lead to a quicker expression time. Mixl1 has also helped to achieve a target specific organ regeneration by promoting mesodermal differentiation as required. The use of Mixl1 is enormous in the field of regenerative biology and can be used in other projects as well as models of regeneration. In conclusion, both ex vivo regeneration and chimeric regeneration have flaws but it is possible to refine them for better and more specific results. While the usefulness of Mixl1 cannot be denied, better models of regeneration must be established to achieve maximum efficiency for its expression. References: Mostowy, S., Boucontet, L., Moya, M. J. M., Sirianni, A., Boudinot, P., Hollinshead, M., Colucci-Guyon, E. (2013). The zebrafish as a new model for the in vivo study of Shigella flexneri interaction with phagocytes and bacterial autophagy. PLoS Pathogens, 9(9) Wu, J., Greely, H. T., Jaenisch, R., Nakauchi, H., Rossant, J., Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte. (2016). Stem cells and interspecies chimaeras. Nature, 540(7631), 51-59. Yang, L., Wang, X., Kaufman, D., Shen W. (2011) A synthetic substrate to support early mesodermal differentiation of human embryonic stem cells. Biomaterials. 2011 Nov;32(32):8058-66. Karnieli O., Friedner O., Allickson J., Zhang N., Jung S., Fiorentini D., Abraham E., Eaker S., Yong T., Chan A., Griffiths S., When A., Oh S.A consensus introduction to serum replacements and serum-free media for cellular therapies. Cytotherapy , Volume 19 , Issue 2 , 155 169. Kobayashi, T., Kato-Itoh, M., Nakauchi, H. (2015). Targeted organ generation using Mixl1-inducible mouse pluripotent stem cells in blastocyst complementation. Stem Cells and Development, 24(2), 182. Matsunari, H., Nagashima, H., Watanabe, M., Umeyama, K., Nakano, K., Nagaya, M., . . . Nakauchi, H. (2013). Blastocyst complementation generates exogenic pancreas in vivo in apancreatic cloned pigs. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 110(12), 4557-4562.