Jest and Earnest Essay by David Woolf

Jest and Earnest Essay by David Woolf Jest and Earnest essayby David WoolfAnnie Dillard's "Jest and Earnest" is a complete contradiction. It compares three different points of views. The title itself is a juxtaposition, the word jest has to do with fun, and earnest is a sort of conservative seriousness. Dillard tries to convey her beliefs on creation and how even seemingly complete opposites have something in common. She depicts for us a vivid description of an occurrence and then justifies that occurrence. The imagery in her essay moves from a depiction of an atrocious act, to a description of beauty, and finally to a vision of both.From the get go, Dillard describes to us a scene in "jest" with frogs of all sorts laying in different positions. Some are above, some are below, and still others are right along the waters edge. Her essay progresses towards a more "earnest" situation where a frog is violently eaten by a giant water bug.dillard'sShe vividly describes the gruesome meal. The giant water bug first grips the fro g and then devours it by liquefying it's organs Using diction that would even make the hardest of biologists tremble, she is able to vividly describe to us the macabre attack and eventual consumption of the frog. She then justifies the act by stating that other carnivorous animals devour their prey in similar or even more vicious manners. Life is hypocritical she says because life itself depends upon the consumption of food yet survival depends on not becoming that food.Dillard then moves on to an act of beauty depicted by a mockingbird. The "jest" action of the mockingbird making a straight vertical decent from the roof gutter of a four story building was a beautiful, spontaneous act. Again, Dillard vividly describes the actions taken by the...

The Spanish Armada of the Anglo-Spanish War

The Spanish Armada of the Anglo-Spanish War The battles of the Spanish Armada were part of the undeclared Anglo-Spanish War between  Queen Elizabeth I of England and King Philip II of Spain. The Spanish Armada was first sighted off The Lizard on July 19, 1588. Sporadic fighting occurred over the next two weeks with the largest English attack coming on August 8, 1588, off Gravelines, Flanders. After the battle, the English pursued the Armada until August 12, 1588, when both fleets were off the Firth of Forth. Commanders and Armies England Lord Charles Howard of EffinghamSir John HawkinsSir Francis Drake35 warships, 163 armed merchant vessels Spain Duke of Medina Sedonia22 galleons, 108 armed merchant vessels The Armada Forms Built on the orders of King Philip II of  Spain, the Armada was meant to sweep the seas around the British Isles and permit the Duke of Parma to cross the Channel with an army to invade  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹England. This endeavor was intended to subdue England, end English support for the Dutch resistance to Spanish rule, and to reverse the Protestant Reformation in England. Sailing from Lisbon on May 28, 1588, the Armada was commanded by the Duke of Medina Sedonia. A naval novice, Medina Sedonia was assigned to the fleet following the death of veteran commander Alvaro de Bazan a few months earlier. Due to the size of the fleet, the last ship did not clear port until May 30, 1588. Early Encounters As the Armada put to sea, the English fleet was gathered in Plymouth awaiting news of the Spanish. On July 19, 1855, the Spanish fleet was sighted off The Lizard at the western entrance to the English Channel. Putting to sea, the English fleet shadowed the Spanish fleet, while remaining upwind to retain the weather gage. Proceeding up the Channel, Medina Sedonia had the Armada form a tightly packed, crescent-shaped formation that would allow for the ships to mutually defend one another. Over the next week, the two fleets fought two skirmishes off Eddystone and Portland, in which the English explored the Armada’s strengths and weaknesses, but were unable to break its formation. Fireships Off the Isle of Wight, the English launched an all-out assault on the Armada, with Sir Francis Drake leading the largest contingent of attacking ships. While the English enjoyed initial success, Medina Sedonia was able to reinforce those parts of the fleet that were in danger and the Armada was able to maintain formation. Though the attack had failed to scatter the Armada, it prevented Medina Sedonia from using the Isle of Wight as an anchorage and forced the Spanish to continue up the Channel without any news of Parma’s readiness. On July 27, the Armada anchored at Calais, and attempted to contact Parma’s forces at nearby Dunkirk. At midnight on July 28, the English ignited eight fireships and sent them downwind towards the Armada. Afraid that the fireships would set the ships of the Armada on fire, many of the Spanish captains cut their anchor cables and scattered. Though only one Spanish ship was burned, the English had achieved their goal of breaking up Medina Sedon ia’s fleet. The Battle of Gravelines In the wake of the fireship attack, Medina Sedonia attempted to reform the Armada off Gravelines as the rising south-westerly wind prevented a return to Calais. As the Armada concentrated, Medina Sedonia received word from Parma that another six days were required to bring his troops to the coast for the crossing to England. On August 8, as the Spanish rode at anchor off Gravelines, the English returned in force. Sailing smaller, faster, and more maneuverable ships, the English utilized the weather gauge and long-range gunnery to pummel the Spanish. This approach worked to the English advantage as the preferred Spanish tactic called for one broadside and then an attempt to board. The Spanish were further hampered by a lack of gunnery training and correct ammunition for their guns. During the fighting at Gravelines, eleven Spanish ships were sunk or badly damaged, while the English escaped largely unscathed. Spanish Retreat On August 9, 1855, with his fleet damaged and the wind backing to the south, Medina Sedonia abandoned the invasion plan and charted a course for Spain. Leading the Armada north, he intended to circle around the British Isles and return home through the Atlantic. The English pursued the Armada as far north as the Firth of Forth before returning home. As the Armada reached the latitude of Ireland, it encountered a large hurricane. Hammered by the wind and sea, at least 24 ships were driven ashore on the Irish coast where many of the survivors were killed by Elizabeth’s troops. The storm, referred to as the Protestant Wind was seen as a sign that God supported the Reformation and many commemorative medals were struck with the inscription He Blew with His Winds, and They Were Scattered. Aftermath Impact Over the following weeks, 67 of Medina Sedonia’s ships straggled into port, many badly damaged with starving crews. In the course of the campaign, the Spanish lost approximately 50 ships and over 5,000 men, though most of the ships sunk were converted merchantmen and not ships from the Spanish Navy. The English suffered around 50-100 killed and around 400 wounded. Long considered one of England’s greatest victories, the defeat of the Armada temporarily ended the threat of invasion as well as aided in securing the English Reformation and allowed Elizabeth to continue supporting the Dutch in their struggle against the Spanish. The Anglo-Spanish War would continue until 1603, with the Spanish generally getting the better of the English, but never again attempting to mount an invasion of England. Elizabeth at Tilbury The campaign of the Spanish Armada provided Elizabeth with the opportunity to deliver what is considered one of the finest speeches of her long reign. On August 8, as her fleet was sailing into battle at Gravelines, Elizabeth addressed Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester’s troops at their camp on the Thames estuary at West Tilbury: I have come amongst you as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved in the midst and heat of battle to live and die amongst you all, to lay down for my God and for my kingdom, and for my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and a king of England too. And think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any Prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm!

Was a separate Jewish state necessary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Was a separate Jewish state necessary - Essay Example Anti-Semitism is commonly said to be the cause which forced the Jews to seek out a separate homeland of their own. This idea is supported by Herzl (1896) who gives several accounts of how Jews were persecuted in his own times and those times which are recorded by history. The keenest memory of anti-Semitic behaviour comes in the form of the German Jews who were persecuted, troubled and harassed by the Nazi regime. The holocaust brought upon by the Nazi regime was a horrifying experience for the European Jews but anti-Semitic feelings also ran to a large extent across Europe and America. Isseroff (2006) says that anti-Zionist propaganda is the main reason why some people suggest that Israel was created out of pity for the Jews of Europe after the Second World War. For him the European influence existed already before the events of the Second World War : ‘Israel was created as a result of the League of Nations Mandate of 1922, which granted a mandate to Great Britain to create a "National Home" for the Jews in Palestine’ (Isseroff, 2006, Pg. 1). Even before the holocaust, and in fact, long before the discovery of the new world, there had been calls for a separate Jewish state. Arguments for a Jewish country had been put forward by many Jewish and non-Jewish thinkers who suggested that separating the Jews from mainstream Europe might be a possible answer to the Jewish question. Despite these calls for a Jewish state, there have been arguments against a separate country for Jews (Scham, 2002). These arguments are based on economic and social factors and the debate means that there is more to the story than can be discerned from a cursory glance. Even the historical background of the Jewish persecution and the problems between the Jews and other nations would require volumes of information. The counterpoints to a separate Jewish state come from many sources and although charges of anti-Semitism can be made against those

Concrete Construction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Concrete Construction - Assignment Example The joint if any, shall be carefully handled as the poor joining in the concrete process would result in weak spots which would become the locations of future problems in the channel. In order to ensure the flow of water with very low energy loss it is necessary to maintain the channel geometry in the construction. The machinery choice is also a very important component in the construction process. With a proper attachment for levelling and material lining activities the channel construction could be undertaken on a continuous mode (US patent,, 1984). This would help to maintain the required slope and the roughness condition the important criteria that influences the velocity of flow. The concrete mix design shall be prepared as per the design specification and if the construction need to be carried out in adverse condition addition of admixtures is necessary to facilitate the retention of properties of prepared concrete . Finally, proper curing of the concrete works is also required to have the better durability of the construction process. The foot bridge construction requires more care as it is indented to carry moving loads with supports given only at the locations as specified in the design document. The major components of the foot bridge , constructed over the diversion channel , are support piers at the ends and the bridge slab.

Immanuel Kant Essay Example for Free

Immanuel Kant Essay The following is taken from Immanuel Kant’s The Metaphysics of Morals (Part II, â€Å"The Science of Right†), translated by W. Hastie with emendations and paragraph numbers added by Jeremy Anderson. The complete text is available free online here. In this excerpt, Kant first explains what crime is and the different sorts of crimes (paragraph 1), which is not very important for our purposes. He then presents his view that punishment is justified by the criminals having committed a crime (par. 2). This is to be contrasted with other theories of punishment such as the Utilitarian theory, according to which punishment is justified by the good it brings to society. Kant rejects the Utilitarian theory for two reasons. First, he believes it treats criminals as mere means to others good; Kant’s Categorical Imperative forbids this. Second, the Utilitarian theory could, possibly, justify punishing an innocent person because of the good it might bring to society. To Kant, this sort of injustice is absolutely intolerable. Having explained why we punish people Kant goes on to discuss how and how much to punish criminals (par. 3-8). Here he asserts that the hurt done to the criminal should equal the hurt the criminal did to others, both in amount and in kind (in class we are calling this the Equal Punishment version of the lex talionis). The rest of the piece mostly explains what he means by this, with particular emphasis on the need for the death penalty. In paragraphs 8 and 10 Kant considers some interesting exceptions to the rule that murderers must be executed. Okay, so Kant believed that punishment should always be in response to a crime punishing someone to protect society or to deter others is immoral. Kant goes on to say that it is also immoral for a person to commit a crime, and not be punished. In other words, every crime merits a punishment; it is Kants form of equality. Kant refers to this as jus talionis, which is loosely translates as the right of retaliation. However, Kant was opposed to punishing people if it took away their humanity. In other words, if a person tortures people, that person should not be punished by torture, because doing so would be dehumanizing OURSELVES. In other words, it would be stooping to the level of the torturer. Kant did believe in Capital Punishment in fact, he insisted on it. He states in his book, Metaphysics on Morals, that according to Jus Talionis, murderers MUST die there is no earthly punishment other than death that can balance out a murder, and thus preserve Jus Talionis, the balance between crime and punishment. It is like a scale the side of justice must balance the side of injustice. An Exposition of Kant’s, Arendt’s, and Mill’s Moral Philosophy Immanuel Kant adheres to Deontological ethics. His theory offers a view of morality based on the principle of good will and duty. According to him, people can perform good actions solely by good intentions without any considerations to consequences. In addition, one must follow the laws and the categorical imperative in order to act in accordance with and from duty. Several other philosophers such as Hannah Arendt discuss Kant’s moral philosophy. In her case study: â€Å"The Accused and Duties of a Law-Abiding Citizen†, Arendt examines how Adolf Eichmann’s actions conformed to Kant’s moral precepts but also how they ran of afoul to his conception of duty. In contrast, John Stuart Mill adopts a teleological view of moral philosophy. He exposes his view of consequentialism and utilitarianism to argue that an action is morally right only to the extent that it maximizes the aggregate happiness of all parties involved regardless of the motive. In the present paper, I will expose Kant’s moral precepts and the importance of duty in his Deontological principles. Then, I will evaluate Arendt’s report on Adolf Eichmann to analyze the ways in which his actions were in accordance to or against Kant’s moral philosophy. I will conclude my discussion with an evaluation of Mill’s approach to morality in order to examine the differences between his teleological philosophy and Kant’s ethical principles. Kant’s moral philosophy is based on the categorical imperative (CI), good will, and duty. According to the CI, it is an absolute necessity, a command that humans should accord with universalizable maxims to treat people as ends in themselves and exercise their will without any concerns about the consequences or conditions of their actions. This concept can also be expressed in systematic terms by the two following formulations.

Nicole Jumper Essay -- Weight Loss Diet Nutrition Papers

Nicole Jumper The desire to change one’s body image is very prevalent in today’s society; and in most cases what people want to change is their weight. Companies who market diet programs and miracle diet drugs are very much aware of this commonality among consumers and take advantage of the susceptible nature of those who want to lose the weight and lose it fast. Among the multitude of pills, programs and promises that are offered as cures to the unhappiness of being fat, one new concept has emerged that stretches the boundaries of logic: the catabolic diet. WHAT IS THE CATABOLIC DIET? The catabolic diet is based on the concept that a person can eat â€Å"catabolic† foods that actually have a negative calorie effect. These are foods that supposedly take a person more calories to digest them than the food itself actually contains. Simply put, they are foods that burn fat instead of creating it. (http://www.rarebooks.net/beck/cataboli.htm) INFORMATION FOUND ON THE NET The creators of the catabolic diet have used the Internet as their primary marketing tool; therefore, there are many sites about the diet. Some are blatant advertisements and others pose as being informative and factual. The bottom line: all the sites found on the catabolic diet are looking to make a profit and want the browser to buy into a program. One site, http://www.blackbeard.com/newlook/, claims that the catabolic diet is so effective that, â€Å"[It] works three times faster than starvation.† Yet, after making this statement the site also says that the â€Å"Catabolic Diet is a medically created diet. . .† Needless to say there is no medical doctor’s endorsement found a... ... REFERENCES Astrup, Arne. â€Å"Dietary Approaches to Reducing Body Weight.† Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Ed. Jeff P. Holly. New York: AMA 1999. 109-120. Berstein RS; Thornton JC; Yang MU; Wang J; Redmond AM; Pierson RN Jr; Pi-Sunyer FX; Van Itallie TB. (1983a). Prediction of the Resting Metabolic Rate in obese patients. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1983 Apr, 37(4): 595-602. Brannon, Linda and Jess Feist. Health Psychology: An Introduction to Behavior and Health. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2000. Westerterp-Plantega MS; Rolland V; Wilson SA; Westerterp KR. (1999a). Satiety related to 24 h diet-induced thermogenesis during high protein/carbohydrate vs high fat diets measured in a respiration chamber. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999 June; 53(6): 495-503.

Nutrition Implications in Complex Disease: Whole Grain Oat Cereal Lowers Serum Lipids

Coronary heart disease, CHD, has been predicted to persist as the major cause of high mortality rate for the coming decades. In line with this, the development of ischemic heart disease was attributed to the increasing level of low-density lipoprotein or LDL blood cholesterol. According to the National Cholesterol Education Program or NCNEP adult treatment panel, less than or equal to 5. 17 millimole per liter (200 milligram per deciliter) is the ideal blood cholesterol level for individuals of age higher than 20 years while higher than 6. 21 millimole per liter or 240 milligram per deciliter is risky. In connection to this, about twenty nine percent of adults older than 20 years in the United States have 6. 21 millimoles per liter blood cholesterol. Meanwhile, researches have shown that consumption of dietary soluble fibers lowers blood cholesterol level as epidemiologic studies revealed that the CHD development can be alleviated by means of dietary fiber consumption. In fact, more than thirty researches that were submitted to the Food and Drug Administration of the United States by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Report validated the efficacy of soluble fiber consumption on blood cholesterol reduction. Clinical studies showed that soluble fibers from selected gums, psyllium, oat bran, pectin, and oats generally caused six percent to nineteen percent serum cholesterol reduction. Since the low cholesterol and low saturated fat diet has been employed in hypercholesterolemia medical therapy, this study aimed for the assessment of commercially available whole grain oat cereal, as employed with the step-one diet of the American Heart Association (AHA), in the reduction of blood cholesterol level. Methodology This study has enlisted fifty-seven participants from previous researches advocated by the Heart Disease Prevention Clinic. While forty-six of these participants have joined the intervention phase, only forty-three persevere and endured until the end. The participants have ages in between twenty-seven and sixty-eight years with 50th to 90th percentile range of cholesterol level based on age and gender adjustments. In the recruitment of participants, individuals with higher than 3. 39 millimole per liter of triglycerides, a body weight thirty percent higher than ideal, has major surgery and myocardial infarction history, gastrointestinal illness, unstable angina or heart failure was excluded form the enlistment. Also, those who were presently in taking up drugs for medication such as lipid-lowering agents, thiazides, antibiotics, estrogens, corticosteriods, and progesterones were excluded. In line with this, those who were taking ?-adregenic blockers needed to maintain the dosage of such drug during the duration of the study for them to become eligible. Finally, twenty-one men and twenty-two women were successfully made into the phases of this study. The phases of the intervention plan were four-week washed out stage, two-week baseline, and four-week treatment part. Throughout the intervention phases, the participants were required to maintain weight while consuming about ready-to-eat cereals twice daily within four weeks. In connection to this, all participants were mandated to abide with the AHA step-one diet design during the duration of the study. Meanwhile, physiological data such as weight, nutrient data, and lipid profiles of the participants were determined from zero to four-week baseline. Moreover, the nutrient data based on four-day food records were evaluated by the National Coordinating Center. In the intervention plan, pairing of participants was done based on gender and entry cholesterol data, whereas in each pair one was assigned to â€Å"Country Cornflakes† while the other has undergone the â€Å"Cheerios† diet. The former was the control cereal while the latter was the source of whole grain oat. Both of these cereal types were produced through cereal processing equipment and each were pre-packed into 42. 5 grams upon distribution to the participant. This was done in order to hide the identity of the commercial cereals used in this study. In connection to this, the researchers also ensured which cereal type was assigned to whom and the participants’ adherence to the consumption design by personal interviews and visitation. Meanwhile, the participants’ clinical assessment, as approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was done after twelve-hour and twenty-four fasts from food and alcoholic drinks respectively. In every visit, blood pressure, lipid profile, pulse, and body weight were accurately measured. In relation to this, participants have undergone clinical screening such as urinalysis, blood count, electrocardiogram, and physical examination. The lipid content of the blood collected through sodium-potassium ethylenediamine tetraacetic was analyzed in the University of Minnesota’s laboratory for Lipid Research Core. The high-density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides were determined. Also, very-low density lipoprotein or VLDL and LDL were precipitated; Friedewald formula was utilized for LDL calculation. Lastly, the cholesterol data of the participants before undergoing the treatment was statistically compared with their respective cholesterol data analyzed after the intervention phases by means of t-tests and analyses of covariance. Results and Discussion The participants in this study were equally divided into two groups; the control group received cornflakes food supply while the treatment group was fed on whole grain oat. Both groups have 51. 6 years as average age of the participants. Although the baseline body weight of the treatment group was five kilogram lower as compared with that of the control group, the difference did not make statistics significance. As such, there was no significant difference on the body mass index or BMI, and the baseline and post-intervention phase blood pressure among the two groups. Further, personal interviews on the participants revealed that their smoking and alcohol drinking habits as well as regular exercise in either group was maintained throughout the study. Luckily, complete blood count and blood chemistry of the participants did not change significantly during the study period. In terms of fat consumption, the total intake of the treatment group was decreased non-significantly from 56. 7 grams to 51. 8 grams. Moreover, the average diet changes were 11. 2 milligrams per deciliter and +4. milligrams per deciliter for the treatment group and the control group respectively. Similarly, among the two groups, there was no significant difference on the key nutrients before and after the duration of intervention phases. Except for soluble fiber, there were no other significant changes with respect to diet composition among the two groups. Meanwhile, whole-grain oat group incurred 3. 8% and 5. 4% changes on total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol respectively. As compare with the control group, the treatment group had a decreased of 4. % in total cholesterol and 4. 9% LDL cholesterol. Although, there was no significant difference in HDL cholesterol between the two groups, they had a 0. 20 millimole per liter LDL cholesterol difference. The exact mechanism of the cholesterol reduction was still unclear. It was theorized that the viscosity of soluble fibers lessen the rate of chime transfer in the upper gastrointestinal tract that causes low absorption rates, less blood nutrients, and changes in hormonal responses to delimited nutrients. In their hamsters study, Gallaher, Hassel, and Lee associated the reduction of plasma and liver cholesterol to the increase in the viscosity of the intestinal contents. However, viscosity was deemed only as a crucial requirement for the reduction of serum cholesterol. In this connection, it was proposed that soluble fibers hinder bile activity lessening the absorption rate. This process obstructs enterohepatic circulation leading to fast conversion rate of cholesterol to bile acids. In addition, other compound constituent of the fibers may also promote this process. For instance, tocotrienol in rice bran, oats, and barley inhibits cholesterol synthesis. Furthermore, the soluble fiber fermentation produces chain fatty acids which in turn hinder cholesterol biosynthesis. Changes in Serum Cholesterol and Sterol Metabolites after Intake of Products Enriched with an Oat Bran Concentrate within a Controlled Diet Introduction The United States Food and Drug Administration or FDA, in 1997, approved the notion concerning soluble fiber consumption and coronary heart disease or CHD risk reduction. The serum cholesterol or S-cholesterol reduction was ascribed to the soluble fiber, (1-3),(1-4) ?-D-glucan or simply ?-glucan present in oats and whole oat flour. Based on clinical claims, the consumption of three grams of ?-glucan per day results to S-cholesterol lowering and CHD risk reduction. Meanwhile, the S-cholesterol lowering mechanism was theorized to depend largely on increased bile acid activity due to viscous ?-glucan which in turn induces cholesterol and bile acid biosyntheses. The rate of cholesterol and bile acid biosyntheses can be traced on through the ratio of lathosterol to cholesterol and the presence of 7-?-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one, respectively. Thus, this study aimed to assess the S-lowering of oat bran concentrate or OBC food products incorporated in the low-saturated fat and low-cholesterol diet of hypercholesterolaemic patients. Also, the OBC effect on bile acid and cholesterol biosyntheses were examined. Methodology The recruitment of the respondents for this study was done through newspaper advertisement. Twenty-seven individuals were examined but only sixteen has passed the screening and participated in the study. The participants should have ages of 35-70 years and 50-70 years for men and women respectively. In addition, all participants should have less than six millimoles per liter S-cholesterol level. On the other hand, individuals with less than four millimoles per liter S-triacylglycerol or TG, hyperlipedaemia, less than 30 kilogram per meter square body mass index or BMI, and with cases diabetes mellitus, liver disease, thyroid problems or kidney trouble and those under hormonal therapy or cholesterol medication were excluded. Hence, the final participants were composed of seven women and nine men with average age of 57 years, 25. 4 kilogram per meter square BMI, and 7. 47 millimoles per liter S-cholesterol level. This study was a single-blind and randomized cross-over that lasted for two by three weeks with 2. 5 weeks washout period. As such, the experimental group was supplemented with OBC of about 2. 7 grams per day ?-glucan in their diet while the control group was told to maintain their typical diet. In relation to this, laboratory test such as fasting blood sampling and body weight recording were performed. The results of every clinical test were only revealed to the participants after the completion of the study. The American Heart Association recommended diet was utilized as computations of every participant’s daily food requirements and menu planning were facilitated by MATS computer program. Strict compliance with the diet was imposed through regular checking as amounts of sweet foods and drinks were regulated. For instance, maximum of 375 grams of wine or 660 milliliter of beer were only allowed per week. Additionally, participants were given copies of the foods they ate for the first week and told to stick to such as much as possible. Fasting blood sampling was done every morning as the blood samples were analyzed in terms of low density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol, TG, and high density lipoprotein of HDL cholesterol, and S-cholesterol. Further, serum lathosterol and 7-?-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one levels were determined through gas chromatography. Meanwhile, statistical treatments were done by means of MS Excel and SYSTAT package. Pearson’s correlation and t-test were employed for correlational analysis and paired comparison respectively. Results and Discussion As compared with the control group, the experimental group has incurred six percent S-cholesterol reduction based on five-gram ?-glucan daily diet. In fact, a significant correlation S-cholesterol baseline level and total S-cholesterol changes during diet period were observed. In addition, changes on the serum metabolites which reflected bile acid secretion and cholesterol biosynthesis were noted. Moreover, the solubility of ?-glucan in OBC was calculated and found only as 50%. Weight losses which denoted S-cholesterol reduction also were observed. Meanwhile, due to the delimited fat intake, HDL-cholesterol reduction was noted as TG level was decreases in some participants only. Correlational changes on lathosterol and S-cholesterol implied cholesterol biosynthesis after oat diet. This observation was attributed to increase in bile acid production that was mediated by ?-glucan which in turn caused reduction in bile acid reabsorption. This process triggered bile acid synthesis through cholesterol from plasma pool by means of LDL-receptor. Yet, no significant change on serum lathosterol and 7-?-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one levels observed on participants. High-Fiber Oat Cereal Compared with Wheat Cereal Consumption Favorably Alters LDL-Cholesterol Subclass and Particle Numbers in Middle-Aged and Older Men Introduction High in fiber diet, in parallel with low-fat intake and other dietary factors, has been associated with the reduction of cardiovascular disease or CVD risk. Based on the meta-analyses of a number of studies, ?-glucan soluble fibers in oat products lessened serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein or LDL-cholesterol. It was inferred then that the capability of soluble fibers for CVD risk reduction is in concurrence with its capacity in modifying lipoproteins and serum lipids. In a number of cases, individuals with normal profile of serum lipids developed CVD. Thus, a closer examination on blood lipids attributes may provide insights on the possible CVD risk development and modify the efficacy of intervention for the prevention of such risk. However, no research has been conducted with respect to the effects of cereal and soluble fibers on lipoprotein subclasses, and particle size and number. Also, none has reported on lipoprotein and lipid changes brought either by carbohydrate, and cereal or oat diet. Hence, this study aimed to determine cereal or oat diet on plasma lipid indexes such as LDL particle number, and lipoprotein subclasses and particle diameter. Methodology Men selected for this study were in between 25-35 years of age and have 50-75 kilogram per meter square body mass index. Individuals with CVD, diabetes, abnormal blood pressure, smoking habits, thyroid gland or eating disorders, and those who currently in any medication and with high amount consumption of fibers were excluded. At last, 36 men were successfully passed then clinical requirements that were divided into two groups. Then, weight and bodily measurements were gauged initially and periodically during the study. Nonetheless, the participants, under the instruction of dietitian, recorded their food preparations and sizes in four-day food intake. In connection to this, records of food intake were analyzed through Food Intake Analysis System or FIAS. Meanwhile, participants’ blood samples were taken before and after the twelve-week intervention. By means of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy or NMR, the concentrations and particle size of blood lipids and lipoproteins were assessed. Further, the insulin-augmented frequently sampled intravenous-glucose-tolerance test or IVGTT was applied to participants. For statistical treatments, Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality tests were employed prior to analysis of variance done through SPSS package. Also, analysis of covariance was performed for body weight changes and macronutrient intake. Nonetheless, t-tests were utilized to examine lipoprotein and lipid response differences. Results and Discussion Based on the results of this study, two large oat servings added to the regular diet of the participants, lowered small, dense LDL and LDL particle concentrations. In addition, in spite of the carbohydrate intake elevation and saturated-fat intake lowering, the concentration of triacylglycerol did not significantly increase for high-fiber oat group. In contrast, it was reported that triacylglcerol in blood increases along with the changes in lipoprotein and lipids in individuals who fed on wheat cereal with high carbohydrate intake and low-fat diet. Meanwhile, the association between triacylglycerol elevation and CVD risk development was linked on the changes in the composition of LDL and high-density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol. In relation to this, the substitution of triacylglycerol by cholesterol esters in lipoproteins results to accumulation of triacylglycerols in HDL and LDL which in turn serve as reactant in hepatic triacylglycerol lipase. Then, the removal of triacylglycerol leads to particle size decreased and density increased. Hence, in this study, the decrease in plasma tiaclyglycerol resulted to increase in LDL particle size for oat group but not with wheat cereal group. Analysis and Conclusion From the abovementioned studies, it was statistically proven that supplementation of oat cereals to the controlled diet of hypercholesterolemia patients caused blood lipids and HDL reductions. Further, oat meal diet results to LDL-particle size decreased and particle number increased which is beneficial in the part of hypercholesterolemia patients. On the other hand, it was theorized that the viscosity of soluble fibers lessen the rate of chime transfer in the upper gastrointestinal tract that causes low absorption rates, less blood nutrients, and changes in hormonal responses to delimited nutrients (Reynolds, Quiter, and Hunninghake, 2000). This process obstructs enterohepatic circulation leading to fast conversion rate of cholesterol to bile acids (Reynolds, Quiter, and Hunninghake, 2000). Thus, the increase in bile acid production as mediated by ?-glucan caused reduction in bile acid reabsorption (Davy, Davy, Ho, Beske, Davrath, and Melby, 2002). This process triggered bile acid synthesis through cholesterol from plasma pool by means of LDL-receptor (Davy, Davy, Ho, Beske, Davrath, and Melby, 2002). As a consequence, the substitution of triacylglycerol by cholesterol esters in lipoproteins results to accumulation of triacylglycerols in HDL and LDL which in turn serve as reactant in hepatic triacylglycerol lipase. Then, the removal of triacylglycerol leads to particle size decreased and density increased (Davy, Davy, Ho, Beske, Davrath, and Melby, 2002). Nonetheless, other compound constituent of the fibers may also promote this process. For instance, tocotrienol in rice bran, oats, and barley inhibits cholesterol synthesis. Moreover, the soluble fiber fermentation produces chain fatty acids which in turn hinder cholesterol biosynthesis (Reynolds, Quiter, and Hunninghake, 2000). With these reasons, the research question â€Å"What is the effect of a diet high in dietary fiber and how does it decrease LDL – cholesterol and serum lipids? † was plausibly answered.

Desiree Baby

Judge a Book by its Cover Why does race matter in a relationship? Great figures in history have noted that race should never play a role in any relationship. Allowing race to impact a relationship could easily cause it to fall apart, leading to both sides being hurt in the end. In Kate Chopin’s short story â€Å"Desiree’s Baby†, the race of Desiree and Armand’s child cause Armand to turn a cold shoulder to his wife and his child, eventually driving Desire to suicide. Armand family was old and wealthy and was very important to the Louisiana plantation. He was light skin and handsome, but his mother had black skin.His mother died when he was eight years old, so he doesn’t remember the skin tone of his mother. Armand states his name was â€Å"One of the oldest and proudest in Louisiana† (1). Therefore, Armand was born into wealth. On the other hand, Desiree was abandoned and was taken in by the Valmonde’s family. Desiree and Armand met as children growing up on the plantation. But on that time, Armand not loved her. â€Å"The wonder was that he had not loved her before; for he had known her since his father brought him home from Paris, a boy of eight, after his mother died there. (1) Falling in love with Desiree felt to Armand as if him â€Å"Had been struck by a pistol shot† (1); feeling as though his emotional towards her went past fast hard. This relationship lead to marriage and Armand gives Desiree the name he said he would. Armand didn’t want Desiree to mistreat the name that was given to her since the name she had received was very important due to Armand family background. Over period of time Armand and Desiree had a baby boy. After having the baby, it leads to a drastic change in Armand’s emotions towards his wife.I can say that Armand is a racist, because he has strict rules to his slaves. And his slaves are Negrillon. Before he married Desiree and became a father, he was very stick t o his Negrillon. After birth of his son and wife â€Å"Marriage, and later the birth of his son had soften Armand Aubigny’s† (2). The race of the baby led Armand to think otherwise about everything about his wife, Desiree. He feels as if he was lied to. The race of the three month old baby made Armand have a cold shoulder towards Desiree.He believes Desiree is not white and blames Desiree for the â€Å"Unconscious injury she had brought upon his home and name† (3). He feels as though she has caused confusion and ruckus within the family. Therefore Desiree had disrespected the name that was given to her. Intentionally he didn’t care where she was from but his actions shoed differently. He tries to stay away from the home and speaks to neither Desiree nor the baby. After Desiree received a letter from her mother saying come back home, Armand tell Desiree to leave.Armand he couldn’t take the stress of the stress anymore so therefore he told his wife t o leave. She didn’t want to leave her marriage, but as she said her good byes to her father of her child he never answered her. So she knew that was the last straw. After all, the stress Armand cause, Desiree simply gives up. She gives up on her husband and baby. She gets her baby, walks barefoot into a field that led her to somewhere. â€Å"She disappeared among the Reeds and willows that grew thick along the banks of the deep sluggish bayou; and she didn’t not come back again† (4).Therefore, Desiree killed herself and the baby because of the stressed with the race of their child Armand causes. Armand reactions to his son Quadroon appearance ultimately cause Desiree’s death. A beautiful and loving family is torn apart because of race. Without knowing someone should never judge or label a person a liar without knowing them and the full truth. Because there’s three sides to every story; both sides of the party and the truth . So in the end, never ju dge a book by its cover.

Understanding the Eval () PHP Language Construct

Understanding the Eval () PHP Language Construct The PHP eval () construct is used to evaluate an input string as PHP and then process it as such. Eval() is not a function, but it works like one in the sense that it outputs everything- except instead of outputting it as text, it outputs it as PHP code to be executed. One use of the eval() construct is to store code in a database to execute later. Example of Eval() LanguageConstruct Here is a simple example of coding for the eval() language construct. ; eval(\$a \$a\;); print $a . ; ? This code example outputs My friends are $name and $name2 when first called with the print statement, and it outputs  My friends are Joe and Jim when called the second time after running eval (). Requirements and Characteristics of Eval() The passed code cant be wrapped in opening and closing PHP tags.The passed code must be valid PHP.All statements must be terminated with a semicolon.A return statement terminates the code evaluation.Any variable defined or changed in eval() remains after it terminates.What a fatal error occurs in the evaluated code, the script exits.Because eval() is a language construct and not a function, it cant be used in higher-order functions. The Danger of Using Eval() The PHP manual discourages the use of the eval() construct, stressing its use is very dangerous because arbitrary PHP code can be executed. Users are instructed to use any other option than eval() unless that is not possible. The use of PHP eval() construct presents security risks.

Back-to-School After Hurricane Katrina

Back-to-School After Hurricane Katrina Contributed by Associate Writer Nicole Harms It has been a year since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. As children around the country are out buying their school supplies, what will the children affected by Katrina be doing? How did Hurricane Katrina affect the schools of New Orleans and the other areas that were affected? As a result of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans alone, 110 out of 126 public schools were completely destroyed. The children who survived the storm were displaced to other states for the rest of the school year. It is estimated that close to 400,000 students from Katrina-ravaged areas had to move in order to attend school. Around the country, school children, churches, PTAs, and other organizations have had school supply drives to help replenish the schools and students who were affected by Katrina. The Federal government has donated a substantial amount of money specifically for the cause of rebuilding post-Katrina schools. After a year, efforts have begun to rebuild in New Orleans and the other surrounding areas, but significant struggles face these schools. First, many of the students who were displaced have not returned, so there are fewer students to teach. The same goes for the staff of these schools. Many people had their homes completely destroyed, and have no intention of returning to the area. There is light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, though. On Monday, August 7, eight public schools in New Orleans opened. The city is attempting to transform the traditionally poor public schools in this area as they rebuild. With those eight schools, 4,000 students can now return to class in their hometown. There are forty schools scheduled to open in September, which will provide for 30,000 more students. The school district had 60,000 students before Hurricane Katrina hit. What will school be like for these kids? New buildings and materials may serve to make the schools better than they were before the storm, but no doubt children will be reminded every day of the devastation they just lived through. As they go to school without friends who are no longer in the city due to the effects of the storm, they will always be reminded of the horrors of Hurricane Katrina. The schools have had trouble finding enough teachers for the classrooms. Not only were students displaced by the storm, but most of the teachers were evacuated as well. Many of these have chosen not to return, finding jobs elsewhere. The lack of qualified teachers puts the re-opening date for some schools in limbo. Students who have returned to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina can attend any school they choose, no matter where they are living. This is part of an effort to improve the district. By giving parents the chance to choose schools, officials believe they will force all schools to improve in order to draw post-Katrina students. Teachers and staff of these post-Katrina schools will not only be teaching academics to their students but also dealing with the continuing emotional trauma these students are facing. Nearly all of their students have lost someone they knew and loved as a result of Hurricane Katrina. This creates a unique atmosphere for these teachers. This year for New Orleans schools will be a year of catching up. Students who missed large portions of last years school year will need remedial instruction. All educational records were lost to Katrina, so officials will have to begin new records for every student. While the road ahead for post-Katrina schools is a long one, the officials and staff of the newly opened schools are optimistic. They have made great strides in one years time, and have proven the depth of the human spirit. As children continue to return to New Orleans and the surrounding areas, there will be schools with open doors ready for them!

Why did the majority of Americans still support President Kennedy Essay

Why did the majority of Americans still support President Kennedy after the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion - Essay Example Kennedy dared to do what many of his predecessors failed to do. Kennedy put an end to different types of discrimination prevailed in the US society. US people values him for his contributions in spite of his faulty decisions like the Bay of Pigs invasion. In the early years of 1960s, inequality was very much prevalent in US society. Blacks were segregated in the society. Blacks could not dream of government positions those days. Blacks constantly encountered discrimination in private as well as public facilities. Blacks were forbidden from eating with whites in restaurants. They were not allowed to drink in the drinking fountains that whites use. They could not use the same bathroom used by Whites. Blacks had no permission to use the front seat of buses. Blacks occupy the back seats when whites occupy the front seats. Blacks live in the downtrodden areas as whites live in the rich suburban high quality areas. Blacks had no role in democracy as they were not allowed to vote. There wer e separate schools were Whites and Blacks. The story is different once the Civil Rights Act of 1964 came into existence1; full credit to John F. Kennedy. Failures like Bay of Pigs invasion could not undermine the popularity of this president of the United States. Civil Rights Act of 1964 has contributed much in removing unfairness from the society. Many are the achievements of President Kennedy that made people consider him as a good president. His contribution in lessening racial discrimination is noticeable. His eyes could see the inequality in the society of America. In the Presidential Inaugural address he made in 1961, he had sworn to put an end to racial discrimination. While he was occupying the office he offered federal positions to several black people. He is the first US president to give such statuses to black people. He appointed nearly 40 black people to various administrative posts like Associate White House Press Secretary, Administrator of the Housing and Home Financ e Agency, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs. He also appointed five black judges in the federal position. This brought a solace to Black Americans as they started expecting better positions in higher levels. President Kennedy’s attempt to uphold the negatively privileged people is memorable. Kennedy put an end to the discrimination in bus travel. A Supreme Court Decision of 1960 stated that segregation would be considered illegal in bus stations that were meant for interstate travel. Civil rights activists began to do Freedom Rides. According to this, Freedom Riders, black people and white people will travel together in buses to check if the new law is successful. In certain locations like Alabama, negative-minded people attacked Freedom Riders as they refused the new law. President Kennedy upheld the Freedom Riders. Later in 1961, civil rights was further implemented by Interstate Commerce Commission by making the seating in interstate buses equal to both whites and blacks. Color, creed or race differences were eliminated in the seating rules. Moreover all terminals were integrated. According to this development people can sit in any seat they want irrespective of how they appear, what color they are and whatsoever they believe in. President John F. Kennedy attempted to end discrimination in various sectors of the society. His attempts of ending discrimination in housing are memorable. Housing segregation always remained as a curse in US society. It was a major civil rights issue in the 1960s. Black people lived in the poor neighborhoods where no developmental activities would be performed. Whites lived in separate prosperous