Comparing Roman Empire and Han Dynasty Essay Example for Free

Comparing Roman Empire and Han Dynasty Essay Roman Empire and Han Dynasty had many things in common and uncommon.During their falling era they were experiencing facts which were really similar to each other therefore emphasizing on them will make the topic.And also their characterstics were similar in their way of ruling and living so also they will be included. Firstly,to talk about their characteristics we can see that they both had well organized bureaucracy the only difference was , Han’s bureaucracy was based on Confucian ideas whereas Romans’ bureaucracy was based on their own law and classic learning. Another common characteristic about them was their emphasis on family.Han Dynasty’s were patriarchial and Romans’ were pater families.They both attached importance on engineering and made great accomplishments such as, roads,cannals,the great wall by Han Dynasty and aqueducts,domes,sewage systems,central heating by the Romans. To talk about their similarities during their fall we can say that they were affected deeply by the Germanic Invasions factor which caused both of them to loose power.They were both abrogated by the same conflicts since Germans had a great military power to constantly oppose to them.They had the same problem that caused them not to be able to protect themselves.It was their monetary problem that made them defenseless to Germans. Another problem they were both facing was they problem of not electing a new ruler that will reconstruct them and unify them. They were in total decline in morals and values.Their public health was jeopardized so they needed to find a way out to the political corruption however seeing that these empires fell it means that these needs were not provided and they could not be unified which was their common problem. To conclude , we discussed their common qualities and problems from their characteristics to their fall.It was obvious that they had many things common so this was the reason why they both fell.If they had been able to find a way out to their common problem they would have remained.

Evaluation of Human Development Theories

Evaluation of Human Development Theories This essay is going to give a critical reflection of human development theories. It will compare and contrast human development theories, linking the theories to the events observed of a child aged three and a half years in a nursery setting, over six weeks. It will also evaluate the recording method used and what I have learnt relevant to the social work practice. For the purpose of maintaining confidentiality in accordance with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), (2012), Guidance on Conduct and Ethics for Students, the child has been named under the pseudonym of Eva. Eva is a three and a half year old girl of black African origin and lives with her parents. She is the youngest in a family of three and has a sister and a brother. Both her parents work full time and she attends nursery full time. The nursery offers a wide range of activities and encourages free play. Observation Log 1 Cognitive Development I conducted six observations on Eva, over a period of six week in a nursery setting and one of the theories I was able to link to the observations, is the cognitive development theory. This theory is associated with the work of Jean Piaget (1896-1980) and his work focused on understanding how children view the world. Piaget believed that from infancy, we have the basic mental structure on which all subsequent knowledge and learning are based and due to biological maturation and environmental experience, the mental processes will have a progressive reorganization. Piagets assumption was that children are active participates in the development of knowledge and they adapt to the environment through actively seeking to understand their environment. He suggested that cognitive development happens in four stages, 0 to 2 years being the sensori motor, 2 years to 7 years the preoperational, 7 to 12 years the concrete operations, and 12 years and above the formal operations. (Beckett and Tayl or 2010) According to Crawford and Walker (2008), Piaget assumed that in the preoperational stages, (the stage Eva is) children have not yet mastered the ability to apprehend, offer judgment, inference or think actions through. He believed that children in this stage are considered to be egocentric by showing difficulty in seeing things from a point of view other that their own. They also engage in monologues, in which they will be talking, but not interacting with each other. During my observation, this was really evident and I noticed it on several occasions on Eva and the other children during free play. (Appendix ..) They also focus their attention on one aspect of the situation and have difficulty seeing that a situation may have a number of dimensions. Piaget called this centration and this was also shown in Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. They also lack reversibility by failing to understand that working backwards can restore whatever existed before. Piaget also believed that children build their understanding of the world through activities for example dramatic play. This was evident when the nursery class was rehearsing for the Christmas concert. She showed an understanding that a baby needs feeding and also talking to. At the preoperational stage they also learn skills like drawing, language and sort objects in groups. This was demonstrated in Appendix .. and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. . This showed that she understand the concept of shapes, objects and drawing skills. However, Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934), also did a study on cognitive growth and did not see children as individual explorers of knowledge, but as learners from social interactions. He emphasised the role of language and the importance of relationships and interactions between children and adults. He believed that the members of the culture, for example teacher, parents or siblings, construct the childs learning. While Piaget believed that children should not be presented with problems and materials beyond their developmental ability, Vygotsky believed that a knowledgeable adult can help them achieve the skills through what he termed as scaffolding. He referred this period of scaffolding as the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). For example during my observation Eva was playing with wooden blocks and was supposed to fit them through holes. (Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) The teacher helped her to fit in one of the blocks and later she managed to fit in the rest. Piaget and Vygotsky agreed that children build their knowledge through experiences. However, Piaget believed this happened through exploration with hands on activities. In contrast, Vygotsky believed that learning was not limited by stage or maturation. He believed that children move forward in their cognitive development with the right social interaction and guided learning. He argued that they learn through interactions, social and cultural experiences and interactions with adults. Vygotsky saw the adult as vital to the process of scaffolding the childs learning. Piagets concept have been criticised of denying other aspects of thinking such as intuition and creativity and also not examining and explaining individual differences in children. Vygotskys theory draws attention to the role of social and culture interaction and identifies the principle of scaffolding in the childrens learning. Nevertheless, Piaget and Vygotsky agreed that the children actively participant in their intellectual development. Observation Log 2 Play and Learning As I was doing my observations, I noticed that Eva was engaging in play when I was observing her for other developmental theories. According to Szarkowicz (), this is because play can be used in many different ways by children and it is an authentic way for them to demonstrate their competence in a range of developmental areas. Szarkowicz () states that, children engage in play either from a social perspective or from a cognitive perspective. When interpreting how Eva engaged in play, I can use Partens (1932) social stages of play. Partens theory looked at the social aspects of play, particularly the way play develops from being an individual solitary activity into a cooperative social experience. Parten (1932), categorised childrens play into six stages, unoccupied play, solitary play where a child plays alone and onlooker play (Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) where the child watches others play and this is to about 2 years. The other stages that can be seen from the age of 4 are parallel play (Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), where the child plays with similar toys next to another child or children, associative play where the child plays near others and share the same toys and cooperative play where the children who play together with the same toys (Appendix..). Bee and Boyd () states that, the ability to join groups of other children, and the desire to do so begins, at an early age and progresses through a developmental sequence. Parten discovered that children of different ages actually played together differently. They engage in different levels or categories of social play. However the stages of play are not in sequence and children may often engage in different stages of social pla y depending on factors such as the childs familiarity with the situation, temperament, or playmates. This was evident in Evas play and what surprised me was that she actually played in all the stages.( Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) According to Piaget (1972) play promotes mental and social abilities and helps children learn how to express and manage their feelings. Piaget argued that for children to think things through they need to play and by doing so, play facilitates and transforms the childrens thought processes. He categorised play into sensory motor, symbolic and games with rules. He proposed that when in infancy up to about to 2 years, a child is in the sensory motor stage and uses motor skill and senses to explore objects and their environment. During the preoperational stage, children engage in imaginary games and fantasy role play which he called symbolic play. (Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) And finally in the concrete operations stage, children are capable to play games following rules of games. Piaget saw play as assimilation of new materials into existing cognitive structures and in his analysis he saw play as relaxed practice time rather than time for learning and grasping in new information. (Casper and Theilheimer 2009) I also looked at other theories and Smilansky (1968) proposed three stages of play based her work with Piagets but expanded to include functional play which takes place in the first two years. Smilansky (1968) identified four types of play thus, functional play, constructive play, dramatic play, and games with rules. However, his work emphasised the importance of considering the childs cognitive development when exploring the childs levels of play. (Casper and Theilheimer 2009) According to Sheridan (), children discover the world through play and they use their senses and movements. Play is a way of constructing knowledge, developing intellectual abilities and building social skills. Piaget believed that a child could use play to mirror obnoxious experiences or experiences where he or she had no power. He believed that children often imitate and role play an adult who has power for example a teacher who is ferocious because they can imagine themselves in the position of power and this facilitates them to deal with being powerless. This is also common with children witnessing or involved in violent households. Observation Log 2 Language Development The next theory I considered in my observation is the language developmental theory and I looked at the theories Chomsky, Piaget and Vygotsky. I believe language is an important part in human development because it a major medium of social interaction. According to Beckett and Taylor (), the vocabulary of children between the ages of 3 to 6 expands from 2 word sentence to more complex sentences. They believe that as the childrens vocabulary increase, they learn the rules of grammar and they become able to use different forms of words. Whilst I was observing Eva, I noticed that most of her conversation and responses were two or three word sentences and it made me more interested on language development. Chomsky (1957) believed that sentences are routinely created practically every time. He believed that we have internal rules that enable us to decide which sentences are grammatical correct and convey our intended meanings. Chomsky believed that children have innate abilities, a genetic program to learn language and once they begin to hear language around them, they automatically understand the structure of that language. He argued that this is because of the biological dispositions, brain development and cognitive readiness. His theory emphasises the need for language in the environment to stimulate childrens innate abilities. (Crain 2005) According to Piagets theory, children are born with basic action schemas and during the sensory-motor period (birth to 2 years) they use these action schemas to assimilate information about the world. Piagets theory suggested that during the preoperational stage childrens language rapidly progress due to the development of their mental schemas, which allow them to accommodate new words and build simple sentences. (Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.) Piagets theory describes childrens language as symbolic, allowing them to venture beyond what is termed as here and now. During this stage children engage in small talks about things as the past, the future, people, feelings and events. They begin to build sentences of three or more words and their grammar becomes complex. They start to use Where, What, Why, for example, What is that? (Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.) Piaget proposed that, during the sensory-motor period, childrens language is egocentric and they talk either for themselves or for amusement. During this period, their language often shows instances of what Piaget termed animism and egocentrism. Animism refers to childrens tendency to consider everything to be alive, including non-living objects. Since they see things entirely from their own perspective, their language suggests their egocentrism. Vygotskys theory of language development suggests that children begin by realising that words are symbols for objects and they develop curiosity to what objects are called. It is then followed by the egocentric or private speech stage from 4 to 7 years, where they often talk aloud to themselves as they perform tasks or solve problems. Finally the private speech wanes and speech becomes more internalised. Piaget and Chomsky both agreed that children are not moulded by the external environment but they create mental structures on their own accord. Chomsky proposed that children automatically create grammatical forms according to the genetic design and in contrast, Piaget proposed that cognitive structures emerge from the childs own effort. Chomsky also believed that language is a highly specialised mental faculty that progresses independently and children learn entirely on their own. However, Piaget viewed language as more closely related to general cognitive development. Piaget and Vygotsky agreed that children are active learners and they contribute to their own development. They both believed that children build ways of understanding and knowledge of the world through their activities. However, Piaget believes it happens primarily through physical manipulation of objects around them and Vygotsky that it is socially mediated. Language development deals with how a child develops his/her language skills during their growth period. Nativists (Chomsky) believe that language is innate and unique to humans. Cognitive theorists (Piaget) believe language is not innate but a product of cognitive development. Finally, social interactionists (Vygotsky) believe that language acquisition is a result of both biological and environmental factors. Evaluation of the observation process (how I managed the process and as an observer how may have affected the process) Evaluation of recording method Reflection (feelings, attitudes, beliefs and professional values, anti oppressive) Ruch (2009) states that, reflective practice enables the practitioners to acknowledge the actual or potential emotional impact of the observation and be able to transfer the awareness to practice. What I learnt McKinnon (2009), states that child observation is a process which enable the worker to be responsive rather than intrusive through watching and listening in an alert and informed way that raises awareness and sharpens understanding. It involves learning how to monitor feelings and reactions and how they can provide information. The observation process provided me with an opportunity to focus on the vulnerability, resilience and the relative powerless of children in a nursery setting. It also provides me with knowledge and skills on how to conduct an observation and according to McKinnon (2009), well developed observational skills can act as a safeguard. It also provided me with an opportunity to discover and have a deeper understanding of how children communicate, play, engage with adults and most importantly about their development. IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE As a social worker student I need to have knowledge on human life course development in order to understand their use in practice as the practice requires me to take a holistic approach and understanding of an individuals circumstances. Social work practice involves interactions between people, which are influenced by each persons life course and their experience and perceptions about their own life. As a social worker student I need to have and understanding of how people develop and place peoples life situations in the context of the expectations of normal life course development. This will enable me to appreciate that a persons experience, their growth and life experiences have a direct impact on who they are and how they see their world. The social work profession is based on the supposition that people can be helped and supported to change and grow as a result of their experiences. Therefore, in order for me to be sensitive and appropriate in my communications with people and in the services I offer and provide, I need to appreciate and understand their life course and what makes them who they are. Understanding how people grow and develop is central to the role and task of a professional social worker. Crawfor d and Walker (2007) Evaluation As you examine different theories of development, you will find that some (such as Erikson and Piaget) are criticised for being too committed to identifying stages, ignoring the diversity which is found in psychosocial experience and behaviour -while others are criticised for failing to take account of the sequence in which changes occur, not being clear enough about which changes become possible at which stage, and which changes are ruled out until a certain level of maturity is reached. According to Moffatt (1996) argued that some models of human development are cultural biased and they did not include some aspect for example persons experience, race, class, gender and sexual orientation. All of these theories have their own way of interpreting language development, and to some extent, they all seem to be highly convincing. However, out of the four theories, the social interactionist view appeals to me the most; so my theory of language development is definitely the social interactionist view. Unlike Piaget, Vygotski considered language to be key to development. Although Piaget acknowledged language with development with terms such as egocentric speech, he did not believe it predominant, saying it was due to the childs inability to think from another perspective. Vygotski however, believed talking out loud gives the child a way to organize their thoughts and guide their actions.

Similarities in the Film The Hour and Mrs Dalloway

Similarities in the Film The Hour and Mrs Dalloway The similarities in the themes of the film The Hour and the novel Mrs. Dalloway. The Hours is a 2002 movie directed by Stephen Daldry and Virginia Woolfs Mrs. Dalloway has the similarities in the theme of homosexuality. Both the film and the novel depict all its action in one single day. Clarissa Dalloway in the novel and Clarissa Vaughn in the film wonder if they have the right decision to choose the right person to spend their lives with. Both the film The Hour and the novel Mrs. Dalloway   are absolute masterpieces. Virginia Woolfs Mrs. Dalloway tells the story of an entire day in the eyes of Clarissa Dalloway. It is confined to one single day, Wednesday in mid-June 1923, culminating in a party given by Clarissa Dalloway at the end of the day. Its also limited to one place, London, and emotionally to the relationship of Mrs. Dalloway with her husband Richard Dalloway, Peter Walsh, Sally Seton, and Septimus Warren Smith. Clarissa Dalloways character is developed through the thoughts which pass through her mind in one single day at different times. Whenever the big bang chimes or the backfiring of the motor engine, the point of view shifts regularly from one character to another and sometimes happens within one single sentence. At each shift, the author provides an indirect look into the characters thoughts and emotions. The narrator just reports the characters thoughts. For example, Clarissa sleeps in her own room and her isolation is a sexual failure to connect with her husband Richard. She imagines herself as a virgin nun in a white dress: Mrs. Dalloway raised her hand to her eyes, and, as the maid shut the door, she heard the swish of Lucys skirt, she felt like a nun who has left the world and feels fold round her familiar veils and responses to old devotions. (Woolf 29) The verb felt and feel shows that the narrators knowledge of the interior of the main character. Such a radical narrative techni que causes a great confusion to readers, yet at the same time enlightens the meaning of her story. From the beginning to the end of Mrs. Dalloway, there are no parts or chapters. The structure of this novel is very compact, which is concentrated in one single day on purpose. All the incidents happen in the novel is connected with each other very well. The technique that Woolf uses is the stream of consciousness which also enriches her writing. Stephen Daldrys The Hours has the same path of Virginia Woolfs Mrs. Dalloway by depicting all its action in a single day, where events take place in three different years. The first event captures Virginia Woolf in 1923, preparing to write the novel, Mrs. Dalloway, in her home, Richmond, London (Daldry, The Hour). The other year 1951, depicts the troubled, homemaker Laura Brown moves from her marriage or life to read the novel, Mrs. Dalloway (Daldry, The Hour). The third year shows the New Yorker, Clarissa Vaughan, in 2001, dedicating her entire day preparing a party for her college days friend and lover Richard. The party is in honor of Richard, an HIV-positive poet, and author about to receive a prestigious award that he finds little meaning in it (Daldry, The Hour). Clarissa Dalloway in the novel and Clarissa Vaughn in the film are throwing parties in Richards honor and both chose the same flowers. The film The Hour and the novel Mrs. Dalloway have a close correlation in terms of both the story arrangement and unfolding of the characters in the film closely captures the characters in the novel. In Virginia Woolfs Mrs. Dalloway, the theme of homosexuality takes a major part, where Mrs. Dalloway herself as the main character of the novel, does not enjoy her marriage because of poor communication and lacking of connection. Clarissas husband, Richard Dalloway, comes home with a bunch of flowers meant for his wife. However, he fails to tell Clarissa that he loves her because he could not bring himself to say he loved her; not in so many words. (118) On the other hand, Clarissa gets distracted by the memories of Sally Seton, her childhood friend and loves interest, with whom she shared a kiss, which she defines as: The most exquisite moment of her whole life†¦and she felt that she had been given a present, wrapped up, and told just to keep it, not to look at it- a diamond, something infinitely precious. (35) Mrs. Dalloway has never forgotten about Seton, who is now married to Lord Rosseter and has five boys. Clarissa Dalloway aspires to be like Sally, but she fears judgment from society about her potential homosexuality, which is one of the reasons behind her marriage does not flourish. On the contrary, in Stephen Daldrys The Hours, the theme of homosexuality is developed and portrayed in the form of the ten-year intimate relationship between Clarissa Vaughn and Sally Lester. Ten years is a long time for Clarissa and Sally to live together in the same apartment sharing everything that a husband and wife shares. Clarissa Vaughn in The Hour differs from Clarissa Dalloway in Mrs. Dalloway because she chose to not to be with Richard and ended up with Sally. Also, in the film The Hour, the interesting parts are the women in each era of the film shared a kiss with another woman. For example, Lauras neighbor Kitty drops in to ask her if she can take care of Lauras dog while Laura is in the hospital for a procedure. Kitty pretends to be cheerful; however, Laura feels Kittys fear and boldly kisses Kitty on the lips (Daldry, The Hour). Both Stephen Daldrys The Hours and Virginia Woolfs Mrs. Dalloway present a unique way of constructing stories. The idea of developing the story depicts all its action in one single day, demonstrates the creative nature of both the author Virginia Woolf and the director Stephen Daldry. The story revolves on a single day, yet, they are able to deliver the significant message with the similarities in the theme of homosexuality to the reader as a novel and film, that could have considered different writing angles. Director Stephen Daldry has done a fantastic job of delivering Virginia Woolfs Mrs. Dalloway into his own modern retelling, The Hours. Works Cited The Hours. Dir. Stephen Daldry. Paramount Pictures. 2002. Film  Ã‚   Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1925. Print.

Story Of The Dead Poets Society English Literature Essay

Story Of The Dead Poets Society English Literature Essay Charlie reveals the ideas of carpe diem in various ways. He feels that he can speak for other people, and he doesnt care if they like him or not. First, he invites girls to come to the Dead Poets Society club meeting. Then he tells them they can go in because its his cave. He also publishes an article in the school paper about how they should have girls at Welton in the name of the Dead Poet Society without the approval of any other members. He also pulls the phone call from God to gain attention, pretending to himself as a god when he says that the phone call is from God. In the end, he is expelled for punching Cameron. Charlie punches him because Cameron had just come from telling the administrators about the Dead Poets Society club and blamed Keating for everything. Charlie feels it doesnt matter if hes expelled or not. In addition, Neil seizes the day. Neil loves to do new stuffs, and come up with unique ideas. He is the one to call Keating O Captain! My Captain! and is the first able to ask him what the Dead Poets Society was. He is also the one to organize the first meeting of the club in the cave and hes also a leader. Neil also tells Todd that he must participate in the Dead Poets Society club no matter what. Each of the choices is Neils attempts to gain control over his own life. Neil lives by his fathers rules. Carpe diem motivating Neil to go after his dream of acting, but his father wouldnt let him. Going against his father, he decides to follow his heart by audition for A Midsummer Nights Dream Neil receives the part as Puck. He claims that this is the first time in his life that he knows what he wants. However, after the show his father takes him home and yells at him. He ends up committing suicide, by using his fathers gun. Knox also embraces living for the moment. Knox visits his parents friends, and soon falls in love with their daughter Chris. He broke his own rules to see her, and competed for her attention with her boyfriend Chet. At that party and after a few drinks, he makes a move on Chris and Chet was there, who then punches Knox. After that meeting, Knox does everything in his power to win her love over. Using his love of poetry, he presents one of his love poems in his English class, and is applauded by Keating. Then Knox travels to Chriss school and read his poem to her in class, later convincing her to go to a show with him. Chris does like the attention Knox gives her, and in the end, holds his hand at the play. Also, Todd finally can stand up by himself. Todd is a very quiet boy. He is the youngest of his family member and has many expectations laid upon him due to the success of his brother. Todds worst fear is that his life has no meaning. After the first day of class, Todd writes Carpe Diem on his paper, dreaming of what it would be like. But, he throws out the paper believing he has nothing to do with it Later, in class, after being asked to write a poem, Todd tells Keating he never completed the assignment after he spent many hours writing and revising his poem only to have thrown it away before class. Keating sees through Todds fear and later makes him say whatever comes to mind. This is the beginning of the change in Todd. He proves his loyalty to Keating by stand up to Camerons accusations of Keating. Todd is able to express his opinion that Cameron and the school are wrong. Students at Welton could not have any other choice for what they want to do or what type of person they want to be. But Mr. Keating teaching the boys learns to think on their own, and they all do their own stuffs with their own ideas. By doing that there were some good things happen such as Todds is a very quiet boy and shy who does not enjoy speaking himself in front of a lot of people but Mr. Keating helps him get over this fear, Todd finally finds a voice for himself that he never knew he had before, and Knox found his true love shows free thinking is an important thing in life because it lets everyone think and behave in different ways and situations. But there were some bad things such as Neils commits suicide and Charlies got expelled from his behavior shows we should learn to think before we do something.

Dinoflagellates And Bioluminescence Emission

Dinoflagellates And Bioluminescence Emission Bioluminescence is the emission of light from living organisms, without giving out appreciable or no heat. It is basically a 100% efficient system. Virtually all of the energy generated is converted into light with almost none lost in heat or sound production. It is literally a cold fire. The light results from a chemical reaction mediated by enzymes and involving specialized molecules in the organisms. Bioluminescence occurs in species too numerous to list but the most recognizable ones include dinoflagellates, some jellyfish and fireflies. Dinoflagellates and fireflies are by far the most common sources of bioluminescence in the ocean and on land respectively. Some deep sea fish are equipped with organs that produce luminescence to which prey is attracted. The flashes emitted by male and female fireflies are used as species specific signals for mating. The use of bioluminescence in an organism can be to evade predators, attacking its enemies, camouflage, food, attracting their mate s or sometimes due to organisms inside an organism. Dinoflagellates are unicellular aquatic organisms which come under the order Dinoflagellida and the class Phytomastigophorea with two uneven flagella for locomotion. Several thousand species of dinoflagellates are known to mankind. Most contain chlorophyll and are photosynthetic. Among these there are the diatoms, which are the primary producers of energy in the ocean food chain. Like many complex one celled organisms, dinoflagellates show traits of both animals and plants and are claimed by zoologists as protozoans and by botanists as algae. They are mostly marine creatures and in warm shallow waters they sometimes reproduce in enormous numbers resulting in a bloom. Many species of dinoflagellates are bioluminescent. Both heterotrophic and autotrophic dinoflagellates are known. Some can be both. They form a significant part of primary planktonic production in both oceans and lakes. Most dinoflagellates go through moderately complex life cycles involving several steps, sexual and ase xual, motile and non-motile. Some species form cysts composed of sporopollenin, and preserve as fossils. Dinoflagellates display considerable morphological variations and many share a common anatomical pattern during at least one stage of their life cycle. Most of them have two flagella inserted into their cell wall via the flagellar pores at approximately the same location. In many one of the flagella wraps around the cell and is known as the transverse flagellum, while the other longitudinal flagellum extends tangentially to the cell, perpendicular to the plane of the transverse flagellum. The beating of the longitudinal flagellum and the transverse flagellum imparts a forward and spiraling swimming motion, and defines the anterior and the posterior. The flagellar pore and point of flagellar insertion defines the ventral with the opposite side dorsal. Left and right sides of the cell are then defined as in most organisms. Basic anatomy of a thecate, dinokont dinoflagellate A depression occurs on the ventral surface at the point of flagellar insertion, and is known as the sulcus. The transverse flagellum occurs in a furrow known as the cingulum which encircles the cell except where it is interrupted by the sulcus on the ventral surface. The cell wall of dinoflagellates is subdivided into multiple polygonal amphiesmal vesicles of varying numbers from half a dozen to hundreds. In some dinoflagellates, these vesicles are filled with relatively thick cellulose plates with bounding sutures. When this occurs, the cell wall is referred to as a theca. Dinoflagellates possessing a theca are often referred to as armored dinoflagellates, while the ones which lack are referred to as naked dinoflagellates. Redrawn from Fensome et al. 1996 Schematic life cycle history of dinoflagellates Coming to the life cycle of dinoflagellates which is multi-staged and about 6 stages can be clearly identified in peridiniales dinoflagellates. The six stages are: When rapid growth and a population expansion is observed vegetative propagation dominates and takes over. Now the schizonts act as gametes and pair up to form zygotes. Due to this process one or more theca may be lost. A new theca is formed from the new diploid zygote. The activity level of the cell decreases, and with time the flagella is lost. This zygote is termed as a hypnozygote. When the theca is separated and broken and decayed the cyst is formed and completed. The cyst now settles down in the bottom on the sea. After the period of dormancy the theca is grown again and it becomes motile. For an organism to give off light, at least two chemicals are required in the presence of oxygen and the energy molecule ATP (Adenosine Tri Phosphate). The one which produces the light is generically called a luciferin and the one that drives or catalyzes the reaction is called a luciferase. Luciferase is the enzyme that catalyses the oxidation of luciferin which is the basic substrate in bioluminescent reactions. The basic reaction follows the sequence illustrated above: The luciferase catalyzes the oxidation of luciferin. Resulting in light and an inactive oxyluciferin. In most cases, fresh luciferin must be brought into the system, either through the diet or by internal synthesis. Sometimes the luciferin and luciferase are bound together in a single unit called a photo protein. This molecule can be triggered to produce light when a particular type of ion is added to the system (say calcium as it happens in the jellyfish, Aequorea victoria). Dinoflagellate luciferin is thought to be derived from chlorophyll, and has a very similar structure. In the genus Gonyaulax, at pH 8 the molecule is protected from the luciferase by a luciferin-binding protein, but when the pH lowers to around 6, the free luciferin reacts and light is produced. The structure of the luciferin in a dinoflagellate The ability to produce luminescence is strictly dependent upon the day or night cycle. In a twelve hour light or twelve hour dark cycle, dinoflagellates will only flash brightly during the dark phase. Light emitted is brightest after several hours of darkness. Early in the morning, glowing activity is reduced and they no longer give off light upon shaking or disturbing them. During the day, the dinoflagellates appear as ellipse shaped cells, pigmented red, indicating the presence of chlorophyll which enables photosynthesis to occur so they may harvest light from the sun. The luminescence is transient and the cells soon return to their resting state. Most cells flash for less than a second, however others appear toglow for 1-6 seconds. Upon repeated stimulation, light emission is much reduced. Within about half an hour of rest, the luminescence becomes brighter again. 12 hour light cycle Bioluminescence is used to evade predators which act as a type of burglar alarm for defense mechanism in dinoflagellates. They produce light when the deformation of the cell by minute forces triggers its luminescence. When the cell is disturbed by a predator, it will give a light flash lasting 0.1 to 0.5 seconds. The flash is meant to attract a secondary predator that will be more likely to attack the predator that is trying to consume the dinoflagellate. The light flash also makes the predator jump and worry about other predators attacking it, making the predator less likely to prey on the dinoflagellate.2 In most dinoflagellates, bioluminescence is controlled by an internal biological rhythm. They are on a circadian rhythm. Towards the end of daylight, luminous chemicals are packaged in vesicles called scintillons. The scintillons then migrate to the cytoplasm from the area around the nucleus. It is not currently known how the scintillons are moved to the cytoplasm. During the night light is triggered by mechanical stimulation. When action potential generates in the vacuole, the action potential propagates throughout the rest of the cell. This allows protons to pass from the vacuole to the cytoplasm. The cytoplasm becomes acidified, normally by hydrogen ions and the process is activated in the scintillons. Dinoflagellates have distinct chromosomes through the whole cell cycle although their condensation patterns vary during interphase, with a maximum unwinding corresponding with the peak of replication in S phase. They are attached to the nuclear envelope and have a unique organization. Free-living dinoflagellates have high chromosome numbers per haploid genome while parasitic dinoflagellates have only a few chromosomes. Chromosomal ultra structure varies during interphase, and lacks the typical banding pattern of mitotic eukaryotic chromosomes, reflecting the genome compartmentalization. Dinochromosomes show a banded and arched organization by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and freeze-etching that corresponds to a cholesteric organization of their DNA with a constant left-handed twist. Whole-mount chromosomes have a left-handed screw-like configuration with differentiated roughly spherical ends. Dinomitosis occurs without nuclear envelope breakdown and nucleolar disassembly an d with an extra nuclear mitotic spindle without direct contact with the chromosomes. Dinoflagellates are true eukaryotes that experienced a secondary loss of histones during evolution, constituting the only living eukaryotic knockouts of histones. The ancestral group of the alveolates, that includes the dinoflagellates, had eukaryotic histones as observed in ciliates and apicomplexans suggesting that dinoflagellates may have experienced a secondary loss of histones, and a set of primitive bacterial HLP may have been reintroduced from a prokaryotic source by gene transfer. Dinoflagellates have significant genomic differences compared with higher eukaryotes at all levels, from base composition and methylation, to the structural organization of their DNA and chromosomal domains, that nevertheless led to a similar organization and functioning of nuclear domains. The exact way they use to regulate gene silencing and activation without histones is still unknown, although the high proportion of base methylation could be involved. The very mention of red tides brings to mind the fear of dead fish and toxic seafood. Red tide is a naturally occurring, higher than normal concentration of the microscopic algae. The massive multiplication of these tiny, single-celled algae is usually found in warm saltwater and is commonly referred to as a bloom. Even though they are important producers and a key component to the food chain, dinoflagellates are also known for producing deadly toxins, especially when they are present in large numbers. They can not only kill a large range of marine species, but can also impart fatal toxins into several species, especially shellfish. Usually deadly to finfish, shellfish are relatively unaffected. These shellfish may then be eaten by humans, who are then affected by the stored toxins.

Earthquake of 1987 :: essays research papers fc

I. Introduction Earthquakes in California are certainly not a surprise. What is a surprise is their unpredictability and randomness. Geologists say there is roughly a 50 percent chance that a magnitude 8 or more quake will hit the Los Angeles area sometime over the next 30 years. And, over the past twenty years, the Los Angeles area has witnessed several earthquakes, and in particular, two that were quite devastating; the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, and the January 17, 1994, Northridge Earthquake. Given the certainty that earthquakes will occur, they still seem to come as a surprise, and leave many communities unprepared to deal with their aftermath. For example, on October 1, 1987, at 7:42 a.m. the residents of the Los Angeles basin got a jolting reminder of the perils of "living on the fault line." This was due to the so-called Whittier Narrows earthquake. Hardest hit by the quake, was Whittier (pop. 72,000). Whittier is twelve miles from downtown Los Angeles and was the community closest to the epicenter. When the quake, registering 6.1 on the Richter scale, first struck, it was thought to be centered along the Old Whittier Fault. However, after extensive study, it was determined that it was actually the result of a "new" fault, or a fault that had not previously been discovered by scientists. II. Lessons Learned From The 1987 Whittier Narrows Earthquake What are the lessons learned from the Whittier quake? And, how does this quake compare to other more recent, higher magnitude quakes? Despite the fact that regular warnings are part of California living, repeated in schools, in earthquake exercises, by local and state governments, and even in the front of telephone books, many people were caught off-guard and panicked. Fortunately, Californians learned a lot from the Whittier quake. The Whittier earthquake was not the "big one" that Angelenos perpetually wait for. This may be hard to comprehend given the extensive damage caused by the earthquake. Although classified as "moderate," the quake left more than 100 injured and six dead, including an electrical repairman buried in an underground tunnel, a college student struck by falling concrete in a campus garage, and three people who died of heart attacks brought on by the shock. As a spokesman for the city of Whittier put it, the crumbled business district "looks like downtown Beirut." (Kerr, 16). Twenty buildings there were condemned and over 2000 homes were damaged.

Like Water For Chocolate Character Descriptions :: essays research papers fc

Tita - The protagonist of the novel, Tita is the youngest daughter of Mama Elena, prohibited by family tradition from marrying so that she will be free to take care of her mother later in life. The novel follows Tita's life from birth to death, focusing mostly on her tortured relationship with Pedro and her struggle and eventual triumph in pursuit of love and individuality. Mama Elena - The tyrannical, widowed matriarch of the De La Garza clan. Mama Elena is the prime source of Tita's suffering. Her fierce temperament inspires fear in all three of her daughters. She keeps Tita from her true love, Pedro, and it is later revealed that Mama Elena herself once suffered from a lost love, embittering her for the rest of her life. Pedro - Tita's true love, and the eventual father of Roberto and Esperanza. Denied marriage to Tita by Mama Elena, he agrees to marry Rosaura, breaking Tita's heart. Nevertheless, he asserts his continued love for Tita throughout the novel and pursues her secretly. Pedro dies after he and Tita are finally blissfully united while making love at the novel's end. Rosaura - The second daughter of Mama Elena, Rosaura marries Pedro, much to the despair of Tita. Rosaura leaves the ranch when Mama Elena sends her and Pedro to San Antonio to keep Pedro and Tita apart. Her first child, Roberto, dies as an infant; her second, Esperanza, prohibited like Tita from ever marrying, weds Alex after Rosaura dies. Gertrudis - The eldest daughter of Mama Elena. Gertrudis escapes the ranch after reacting mysteriouslly to one of Tita's recipes. She runs away with a rebel soldier, works in a brothel at the Mexico-Texas border, and eventually returns to the ranch as a general in the revolutionary army. It is eventually revealed that Gertrudis is the offspring of a hidden, extramarital affair between Mama Elena and her true love, a mulatto man. Dr. John Brown - An American doctor who cares for Tita when she experiences a breakdown, and the father of Alex. John eventually falls in love with Tita and helps rehabilitate her soul, revealing to her the nature of the fire that resides in each individual. Tita becomes engaged to him, but eventually denies him marriage to pursue Pedro. Nacha - The ranch cook, of unspecified indigenous background. Nacha is the prime caretaker for Tita throughout her childhood, and provides her with the love and support that Mama Elena fails to give. She is also the source for most of the recipes in the novel. Nacha dies on the day of Rosaura's wedding but returns throughout the narrative as a spiritual guide