The Go-Between

The Go-Between Essay †The Go-Between† is a short story written by Ali Smith in 2009. The story was written for a collection of short stories written to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the United Nations’ adoption of the universal declaration of human rights. The writer found inspiration in article 13, which describes the right to freedom of movement. The story follows the 33-year-old former microbiologist who gives us a direct insight into what it means to be African refugees on the border between Morocco and Spain. â€Å"I was a microbiologist, before. † (Page 3, line 32-33)The narrator is even, for some reason, fled his native Cameroon, and has on several occasions tried to flee across the border to Europe. None of his attempt is successful, and they have cost him part of his ear and a finger. He explains in detail about how flight tests were done and what treatment he has received from the authorities. The narrator has abandoned himself to escape and ha ve now settled in the Spanish city of Ceuta, located in Morocco. Here he lives in a small room with three others, where he works as a guide (Go-between) for newly arrived refugees.He establishes contact between aid organization doctors and refugees. He speaks several languages and can put the switch in position. â€Å"The French doctors can be Italian, Spanish, French, English, for instance. I speak these, and also some others. † (Page 2, line 31-32) The novel provides a powerful insight into the miserable and tragically conditions refugees in North Africa. The story is told through a first person narrator, who tells the story in the past tense. The narrator seems to be at a distance of the actions he describes.The narrator is authoritarian by virtue of the fact that he is anticipating the events of the story. Given the fact that the story is told by a first person narrator, there is only one point of view. Obviously we are dealing with an inner point of view; the events are being viewed with inner sight from the narrator's point of view. We are only told about the narrator's own thoughts and what he feels and senses. As mentioned, the narrator has several times attempted to flee to Europe, but all the experiments have failed, and he has every time been sent back.The first time the narrator is trying to reach Europe, his ladder number two breaks, and he gets caught out in nowhere between the two fences that separates Europe and Africa. Here he lives for six weeks, with the help of the workers who are about to put the fence up. Finally prisoners police him and send him back to Africa. The second time the narrator, along with 500 other refugees, tries to jump over the two fences that separate them from Europe. During the trial he, loses a part of his ear, then they all get caught and sent back to Africa.Before repatriation, they are chased by dogs, beaten with sticks and shot at. They are not officially recorded, as is supposed, but are simply sent back to Africa. The third and fourth escape attempt takes place in the water, but the narrator gets picked up by patrols boats both times. One of those times he loses a finger on one of the barbed wire fence that is set up under water. After the many unsuccessful escape attempts, the narrator helps the African refugees who arrive from Ceuta. â€Å"†¦ I help the French doctors. Borders are not always visible!I can go between people and places. I can go to the bits of the city they can’t, or the buildings they can’t, or the people they don’t know about, or the people who don’t wish to be seen. I can take them with me; I can tell the people its okay. † (Page 2, line 39-42) The writer uses an unusual writing style in his short story, which starts in medias res with a question; â€Å"You know what Spain is? † (Page 1, line 1) That the story starts in medias res means that there is no introduction or opening, and the reader is not presented to the situation, persons or setting of the story.So you don't know what has happened in advance of the situation you are presented to. The most conspicuous feature in the story in terms of writing style is the fact that it is written like if the narrator is talking to somebody. That we can tell by the questions, the informal, the casual language and the missing questions marks. It is almost like you are reading a part of a conversation between the narrator and someone else. We are only introduced to the narrator, which makes him the main character.The only things we know about him is his former work and his physique. As mentioned before, he is a educated man who speaks several languages. He does also quote the scientist Van Leeuwenhoeck. We are told that he is 33 years old, and in the end of the story he describes himself as a slight man. â€Å"I’m a small, slight man. I’m not a big man. I’m lean and slight. My stature is slight. My coat is a bit too slight – here comes the winter. † (Page 4, line 120-121) The story seems to be critical of the problems concerning freedom of movement in the world.We’ve been given an insight in a world where freedom of movements is non-existent. To show this, Ali Smith uses irony as a very effective way of calling people’s attention to the problem, which he is perfectly illustrating through the short story. He wants to draw people’s attention to the fact that the human right are not fulfilled, and that politicians all over the world has to look at this problem, because the people who are supposed to register the refugees apparently don’t know how to do their job.The refugees are injured, humiliated and chased, â€Å"†¦ with dogs, sticks, electric shock sticks and gun†¦ † (Page 1, line 23-24) The short story can be seen as a wake-up call to the world. Instead of celebrating the anniversary, action should be taken. â€Å"Now it the time to actually fulfil the rights we have given people and not just be satisfied with the ways things are functioning at the moment. † – Ali Smith

Ap Bio Chapter 35 Notes

Chapter 35 Plant Structure, Growth, and Development Lecture Outline Overview: Plastic Plants? †¢ The fanwort, an aquatic weed, demonstrates the great developmental plasticity that is characteristic of plants. o The fanwort has feathery underwater leaves and large, flat, floating surface leaves. o Both leaf types have genetically identical cells, but the dissimilar environments in which they develop cause different genes involved in leaf formation to be turned on or off. In addition to plastic structural responses of individual plants to specific environments, plant species have adaptations in morphology that benefit them in their specific environments. o For example, cacti have leaves that are reduced to spines and a stem that serves as the primary site of photosynthesis. These adaptations minimize water loss in desert environments. †¢ The form of any plant is controlled by environmental and genetic factors. As a result, no two plants are identical. †¢ Angiosperms make up 90% of plant species and are at the base of the food web of nearly every terrestrial ecosystem. Most land animals, including humans, depend on angiosperms directly or indirectly for sustenance. Concept 35. 1 The plant body has a hierarchy of organs, tissues, and cells. †¢ Plants, like multicellular animals, have organs that are composed of different tissues, and tissues that are composed of different cell types. o A tissue is a group of cells with common structure and function. o An organ consists of several types of tissues that work together to carry out particular functions. Vascular plants have three basic organs: roots, stems, and leaves. The basic morphology of vascular plants reflects their evolutionary history as terrestrial organisms that inhabit and draw resources from two very different environments. o Vascular plants obtain water and minerals from the soil. o Vascular plants obtain CO2 and light above-ground. †¢ To obtain the resources they need, vascular p lants have evolved two systems: a subterranean root system and an aerial shoot system of stems and leaves. †¢ Each system depends on the other. o Lacking chloroplasts and living in the dark, roots would starve without photosynthates, the sugar and other carbohydrates imported from the shoot system. Conversely, the shoot system depends on water and minerals that roots absorb from the soil. Roots provide anchorage, absorption, and storage. †¢ A root is an organ that anchors a vascular plant in the soil, absorbs minerals and water, and stores sugars and starches. †¢ Most eudicots and gymnosperms have a taproot system, consisting of one large vertical root (the taproot) that develops from an embryonic root. †¢ The taproot produces many small lateral, or branch, roots. o In angiosperms, taproots often store sugars and starches that later support flowering and fruit production. Taproot systems generally penetrate deeply and are well adapted to deep soils. †¢ In se edless vascular plants and most monocots, including grasses, the embryonic root dies and does not form a main root. †¢ Instead, many small roots grow from the stem. Such roots are adventitious, a terms describing a plant organ that grows in an unusual location. †¢ Each small root forms its own lateral roots, giving rise to a fibrous root system—a mat of thin roots that spread out below the soil surface. o A fibrous root system is usually shallower than a taproot system and is best adapted to shallow soils with light rainfall. Grass roots are concentrated in the upper few centimeters of soil. As a result, grasses make excellent ground cover for preventing erosion. †¢ The root system helps anchor a plant. †¢ In both taproot and fibrous root systems, absorption of water and minerals occurs near the root tips, where vast numbers of tiny root hairs enormously increase the surface area. o Root hairs are short-lived, tubular extensions of individual root epiderma l cells. †¢ Some plants have modified roots. Some arise from roots, while others are adventitious, arising above-ground from stems or even from leaves. Some modified roots provide additional support and anchorage. Others store water and nutrients or absorb oxygen from the air. Stems consist of alternating nodes and internodes. †¢ A stem is an organ consisting of alternating nodes, the points at which leaves are attached, and internodes, the stem segments between nodes. †¢ At the angle formed by each leaf and the stem is an axillary bud with the potential to form a lateral shoot or branch. †¢ The growth of a young shoot is usually concentrated at its apex, where there is an apical bud, or terminal bud, with developing leaves and a compact series of nodes and internodes. The presence of a terminal bud is partly responsible for inhibiting the growth of axillary buds, a phenomenon called apical dominance. o By concentrating resources on growing taller, apical dominan ce is an evolutionary adaptation that increases the plant’s exposure to light. †¢ In the absence of a terminal bud, the axillary buds break dormancy and give rise to lateral shoots complete with their own apical buds, leaves, and axillary buds. o This is why pruning trees and shrubs makes them bushier. †¢ Modified shoots with diverse functions have evolved in many plants. These shoots, which include stolons, rhizomes, tubers, and bulbs, are often mistaken for roots. Leaves are the main photosynthetic organs of most plants. †¢ The leaf is the primary site of photosynthetic organs of most plants, although green stems are also photosynthetic. †¢ Although leaves vary extensively in form, they generally consist of a flattened blade and a stalk, the petiole, which joins the leaf to a stem node. o Grasses and other monocots lack petioles. In these plants, the base of the leaf forms a sheath that envelops the stem. Monocots and eudicots differ in the arrangement o f veins, the vascular tissue of leaves. †¢ Most monocots have parallel major veins that run the length of the blade, while eudicot leaves have a branched network of major veins. †¢ Plant taxonomists use floral morphology, leaf morphology, the branching pattern of veins, and the spatial arrangement of leaves to help identify and classify plants. o For example, simple leaves have a single, undivided blade, while compound leaves have several leaflets attached to the petiole. o Many large leaves are compound, which allows them to withstand strong winds without tearing. The structural adaptation of compound leaves also confines pathogens that invade the leaf to one leaflet. †¢ Most leaves are specialized for photosynthesis. †¢ Some plants have leaves that have become adapted for other functions, including tendrils that cling to supports, spines of cacti for defense, leaves modified for water storage, and brightly colored leaves that attract pollinators. Plant organs a re composed of three tissue systems: dermal, vascular, and ground. †¢ Each organ of a plant has three tissue systems: dermal, vascular, and ground tissues. Each system is continuous throughout the plant body. †¢ The dermal tissue system is the plant’s outer protective covering. †¢ In nonwoody plants, the dermal tissue system is a single layer of tightly packed cells, or epidermis. †¢ The epidermis of leaves and most stems secretes a waxy coating, the cuticle, which helps the aerial parts of the plant retain water. †¢ In woody plants, protective tissues called periderm replace the epidermis in older regions of stems and roots. †¢ The epidermis has other specialized characteristics consistent with the function of the organ it covers. For example, the root hairs are extensions of epidermal cells near the tips of the roots. o Trichomes, outgrowths of shoot epidermis, reduce water loss and reflect light. They protect against insects with sticky secret ions of insecticidal biochemicals. †¢ The vascular tissue system is involved in the transport of materials between roots and shoots. o Xylem conveys water and dissolved minerals upward from roots into the shoots. o Phloem transports sugars, the products of photosynthesis, to the roots and sites of growth, such as developing leaves and fruits. †¢ The vascular tissue of a root or stem is called the stele. In angiosperms, the root stele forms a solid central vascular cylinder, while the stele of stems and leaves consists of vascular bundles, separate strands of xylem and phloem. †¢ Both xylem and phloem are complex tissues with a variety of cell types. †¢ The ground tissue system is tissue that is neither dermal nor vascular. †¢ Ground tissue is divided into pith, internal to vascular tissue, and cortex, external to the vascular tissue. †¢ The functions of specialized cells within ground tissue include photosynthesis, storage, and support. Plant tissues ar e composed of three basic cell types: parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma. Plant cells are differentiated, with each type of plant cell possessing structural adaptations that make specific functions possible. o Cell differentiation may be evident within the protoplast, the cell contents exclusive of the cell wall. o Modifications of cell walls also play a role in plant cell differentiation. †¢ The major types of differentiated plant cells are parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma, water-conducting cells of the xylem, and sugar-conducting cells of the phloem. †¢ Mature parenchyma cells have primary walls that are relatively thin and flexible; most lack secondary walls. The protoplast of a parenchyma cell usually has a large central vacuole. †¢ Parenchyma cells are often depicted as â€Å"typical† plant cells because they generally are the least specialized, but there are exceptions. o For example, the highly specialized sieve-tube elements of the phloem ar e parenchyma cells. †¢ Parenchyma cells perform most of the metabolic functions of the plant, synthesizing and storing various organic products. o For example, photosynthesis occurs within the chloroplasts of parenchyma cells in the leaf. o Some parenchyma cells in the stems and roots have colorless plastids that store starch. The fleshy tissue of most fruit is composed of parenchyma cells. †¢ Most parenchyma cells retain the ability to divide and differentiate into other cell types under special conditions, such as the repair and replacement of organs after injury to the plant. †¢ In the laboratory, it is possible to regenerate an entire plant from a single parenchyma cell. †¢ Collenchyma cells have thicker primary walls than parenchyma cells, although the walls are unevenly thick. †¢ Grouped into strands or cylinders, collenchyma cells help support young parts of the plant shoot. Young stems and petioles often have strands of collenchyma just below the epi dermis, providing support without restraining growth. †¢ Mature collenchyma cells are living and flexible and elongate with the stems and leaves they support. †¢ Sclerenchyma cells have thick secondary walls usually strengthened by lignin; they function as supporting elements of the plant. †¢ Sclerenchyma cells are much more rigid than collenchyma cells. †¢ Unlike parenchyma cells, sclerenchyma cells cannot elongate. †¢ Sclerenchyma cells occur in plant regions that have stopped lengthening. Many sclerenchyma cells are dead at functional maturity, but they produce rigid secondary cells walls before the protoplast dies. o In parts of the plant that are still elongating, secondary walls are deposited in a spiral or ring pattern, enabling the cell wall to stretch like a spring as the cell grows. †¢ Two types of sclerenchyma cells, fibers and sclereids, are specialized entirely for support. o Fibers are long, slender, and tapered, and usually occur in group s. ? Fibers from hemp are used for making rope, and fibers from flax are woven into linen. o Sclereids are irregular in shape and shorter than fibers.They have very thick, lignified secondary walls. ? Sclereids impart hardness to nutshells and seed coats and the gritty texture to pear fruits. †¢ The water-conducting elements of xylem, the tracheids and vessel elements, are elongated cells that are dead at functional maturity. o The thickened cell walls remain as a nonliving conduit through which water can flow. †¢ Both tracheids and vessels have secondary walls interrupted by pits, thinner regions where only primary walls are present. †¢ Water moves from cell to cell mainly through pits. †¢ Tracheids are long, thin cells with tapered ends. Because their secondary walls are hardened with lignin, tracheids function in support as well as transport. †¢ Vessel elements are generally wider, shorter, thinner-walled, and less tapered than tracheids. †¢ Vessel e lements are aligned end to end, forming long micropipes or xylem vessels. †¢ The ends are perforated, enabling water to flow freely. †¢ In the phloem, sucrose, other organic compounds, and some mineral ions move through tubes formed by chains of cells called sieve-tube elements. †¢ Sieve-tube elements are alive at functional maturity, although a sieve-tube element lacks a nucleus, ribosomes, and a distinct vacuole. The end walls, the sieve plates, have pores that facilitate the flow of fluid between cells. †¢ Each sieve-tube element has a nonconducting nucleated companion cell, which is connected to the sieve-tube element by numerous plasmodesmata. †¢ The nucleus and ribosomes of the companion cell serve both that cell and the adjacent sieve-tube element. †¢ In some plants, companion cells in leaves help load sugar into the sieve-tube elements, which transport the sugars to other parts of the plant. Concept 35. 2 Meristems generate cells for new organs. A major difference between plants and most animals is that plant growth is not limited to an embryonic or juvenile period. †¢ Most plants demonstrate indeterminate growth, growing as long as the plant lives. †¢ In contrast, most animals and certain plant organs, such as flowers, leaves, and thorns, undergo determinate growth, ceasing to grow after they reach a certain size. †¢ Indeterminate growth does not mean immortality. †¢ Annuals complete their life cycle—from germination to flowering to seed production to death—in a single year or less. o Many wildflowers and important food crops, such as cereals and legumes, are annuals. The lives of biennials span two years, with flowering and fruiting in the second year. o Radishes and carrots are biennials that are harvested after the first year. †¢ Plants such as trees, shrubs, and some grasses that live many years are perennials. o Some buffalo grass of the North American plains has been growing fo r 10,000 years from seeds that sprouted at the end of the last ice age. o Perennials do not usually die from old age but from an infection or some environmental trauma, such as fire or drought. †¢ A plant is capable of indeterminate growth because it has perpetually embryonic tissues called meristems. Apical meristems, located at the tips of roots and in the buds of shoots, supply cells for the plant to grow in length. †¢ This elongation, primary growth, enables roots to extend through the soil and shoots to increase their exposure to light and carbon dioxide. †¢ In herbaceous plants, primary growth produces almost all of the plant body. †¢ Woody plants also show secondary growth, progressive thickening of roots and shoots where primary growth has ceased. †¢ Secondary growth is produced by lateral meristems, cylinders of dividing cells that extend along the lengths of roots and shoots. The vascular cambium adds layers of vascular tissue called secondary xyle m and phloem. o The cork cambium replaces the epidermis with thicker, tougher periderm. †¢ The cells within meristems divide to generate additional cells, some of which remain in the meristematic region, while others differentiate and are incorporated into the tissues and organs of the growing plant. o Cells that remain as sources of new cells are called initials. o Cells that are displaced from the meristem, called derivatives, continue to divide until the cells they produce become specialized within developing tissues. At the tip of a winter twig of a deciduous tree is the dormant apical bud, enclosed by scales that protect its apical meristem. †¢ In the spring, the bud sheds its scales and begins a new spurt of primary growth. †¢ Along each growth segment, nodes are marked by scars left when leaves fell in the autumn. †¢ Above each leaf scar is either an axillary bud or a branch twig. †¢ Farther down the twig are whorls of scars left by the scales that en closed the apical bud during the preceding winter. †¢ Each spring and summer, as primary growth extends the shoot, secondary growth thickens the parts of the shoot that formed in earlier years. Concept 35. Primary growth lengthens roots and shoots. †¢ Primary growth produces the primary plant body, the parts of the root and shoot systems produced by apical meristems. o Herbaceous plants and the youngest parts of woody plants represent the primary plant body. †¢ Apical meristems lengthen both roots and shoots. However, there are important differences in the primary growth of these two systems. †¢ The root tip is covered by a thimble-like root cap, which protects the meristem as the root pushes through the abrasive soil during primary growth. o The cap also secretes a polysaccharide slime that lubricates the soil around the growing root tip. Growth in length is concentrated just behind the root tip, where three zones of cells at successive stages of primary growth are located. †¢ These zones—the zone of cell division, the zone of elongation, and the zone of differentiation—grade together. †¢ The zone of cell division includes the root apical meristem and its derivatives. o New root cells are produced in this region, including the cells of the root cap. †¢ The zone of cell division blends into the zone of elongation, where cells elongate, sometimes to more than ten times their original length. It is this elongation of cells that is mainly responsible for pushing the root tip, including the meristem, into the soil. o The meristem sustains growth by continuously adding cells to the youngest end of the zone of elongation. †¢ In the zone of differentiation, cells complete differentiation and become distinct cell types. †¢ The primary growth of roots produces the epidermis, ground tissue, and vascular tissue. †¢ Water and minerals absorbed from the soil must enter the plant through the epidermis, a single layer of cells covering the root. Root hairs greatly increase the surface area of epidermal cells. †¢ Most roots have a vascular cylinder of xylem and phloem. o In eudicot roots, xylem radiates from the center like a star, with phloem developing between the arms of the xylem â€Å"star. † o In monocot roots, the vascular tissue consists of a central core of parenchyma surrounded by alternating xylem and phloem. The central region, called pit, is distinct from stem pith. †¢ The ground tissue of roots consists of parenchyma cells that fill the cortex, the region between the vascular cylinder and the epidermis. Cells within the ground tissue store sugars and starches, and their plasma membranes absorb water and minerals from the soil. †¢ The innermost layer of the cortex, the endodermis, is a cylinder one cell thick that forms a selective barrier between the cortex and the vascular cylinder. †¢ Lateral roots may sprout from the outermost layer of the vascula r cylinder, the pericycle. o A lateral root pushes through the cortex and epidermis to emerge from the established root. o The vascular tissue of the lateral root is continuous with the vascular cylinder of the primary root. The apical meristem of a shoot is a dome-shaped mass of dividing cells at the shoot tip. †¢ Leaves arise as leaf primordia on the flanks of the apical meristem. †¢ Axillary buds develop from islands of meristematic cells left by apical meristems at the bases of the leaf primordia. †¢ Within a bud, leaf primordia are crowded close together because the internodes are very short. †¢ Most of the elongation of the shoot occurs by growth in length of slightly older internodes below the shoot apex. †¢ In some plants, including grasses, internodes continue to elongate all along the length of the shoot over a prolonged period. These plants have meristematic regions called intercalary meristems at the base of each leaf. o This explains why grass c ontinues to grow after being mowed. †¢ Unlike its central position in a root, vascular tissue runs the length of a stem in strands called vascular bundles. o Because the vascular system of the stem is near the surface, branches can develop with connections to the vascular tissue without having to originate from deep within the main shoot. †¢ In most eudicots, the vascular bundles are arranged in a ring, with pith inside and cortex outside the ring. The vascular bundles have xylem facing the pith and phloem facing the cortex. †¢ In the stems of most monocots, the vascular bundles are scattered throughout the ground tissue rather than arranged in a ring. †¢ In both monocots and eudicots, the stem’s ground tissue is mostly parenchyma. †¢ Many stems are strengthened by collenchyma cells just beneath the epidermis. †¢ Sclerenchyma fiber cells also provide support. †¢ The epidermal barrier of leaves is interrupted only by stomata, tiny pores that regulate gas exchange between the surrounding air and the photosynthetic cells inside a leaf. Each stomatal pore is flanked by two specialized epidermal cells called guard cells. o The term stoma can refer to either the stomatal pore or the entire stomatal complex, the pore and two guard cells. †¢ The stomata are also the major avenues of evaporative water loss from the plant—a process called transpiration. †¢ The ground tissue of the leaf, the mesophyll, is sandwiched between the upper and lower epidermis. †¢ The mesophyll consists mainly of parenchyma cells specialized for photosynthesis. †¢ In many eudicots, a layer or more of columnar palisade mesophyll lies above spongy mesophyll. CO2 and oxygen circulate through the labyrinth of air spaces around the irregularly spaced cells of the spongy mesophyll. †¢ The air spaces are particularly large near stomata, where gas exchange with the outside air occurs. †¢ The vascular tissue of a leaf is cont inuous with the vascular tissue of the stem. †¢ Leaf traces, connections from vascular bundles in the stem, pass through petioles and into leaves. †¢ Vascular bundles in the leaves are called veins. Each vein is enclosed in a protective bundle sheath consisting of one or more layers of parenchyma. o Bundle-sheath cells are prominent in leaves that undergo C4 photosynthesis. Within a leaf, veins subdivide repeatedly and branch throughout the mesophyll. †¢ The xylem brings water and minerals to the photosynthetic tissues, and the phloem carries sugars and other organic products to other parts of the plant. †¢ The vascular infrastructure also functions to support and reinforce the shape of the leaf. Concept 35. 4 Secondary growth adds girth to stems and roots in woody plants. †¢ The stems and roots of most eudicots increase in girth by secondary growth. †¢ The secondary plant body consists of the tissues produced by the vascular cambium and the cork cambiu m. The vascular cambium adds secondary xylem (wood) and secondary phloem, increasing vascular flow and support for the shoot system. o The cork cambium produces a tough, thick covering consisting of wax-impregnated cells that protect the stem from water loss and invasion by insects, bacteria, and fungal spores. †¢ Primary and secondary growth occur simultaneously but in different regions. o Elongation of the stem (primary growth) occurs at the apical meristem, but increases in diameter (secondary growth) occur farther down the stem. †¢ All gymnosperms and many eudicots have secondary growth, but it is rare in monocots. The vascular cambium is a cylinder of meristematic cells that may be one cell thick. †¢ The vascular cambium forms successive layers of secondary xylem to its interior and secondary phloem to its exterior. †¢ The accumulation of this tissue over the years accounts for most of the increase in diameter of a woody plant. †¢ The vascular cambium d evelops from parenchyma cells that retain the capacity to divide. o In a typical woody stem, the vascular cambium forms as a continuous cylinder outside the cortex and primary xylem and inside the pith and primary phloem. In a typical woody root, the vascular cambium forms in segments between the primary phloem, the lobes of primary xylem, and the pericycle. †¢ Viewed in cross section, the vascular cambium appears as a ring of initials. o As these cells divide, they increase the circumference of the vascular cambium, adding secondary xylem to the inside of the cambium and secondary phloem to the outside. †¢ Some initials are elongated, with long axes parallel to the axis of the stem or root. o These initials produce cells such as tracheids, vessel elements, and fibers of the xylem. They also produce sieve-tube elements, companion cells, parenchyma, and fibers of the phloem. †¢ Other initials are shorter, oriented perpendicular to the axis of the stem or root. o These initials produce vascular rays that transfer water and nutrients laterally within the woody stem, store sugars and starches, and aid in wound repair. †¢ As secondary growth continues over the years, layer upon layer of secondary xylem accumulate, producing the tissue we call wood. †¢ Wood consists mainly of tracheids, vessel elements (in angiosperms), and fibers. These cells, dead at functional maturity, have thick, lignified walls that give wood its hardness and strength. †¢ The first tracheid and vessel cells formed in the spring (early wood) have larger diameters and thinner walls than the cells produced later in the summer (late wood). o The structure of the early wood maximizes delivery of water to new, expanding leaves. o The thick-walled cells of later wood provide more physical support. †¢ In temperate regions, secondary growth in perennial plants ceases during the winter. †¢ This pattern of growth—cambium dormancy, early wood production, and late wood production—produces annual growth rings. Dendrochronology is the science of analyzing tree ring growth patterns. o Scientists can use ring patterns to identify climate change. †¢ As a tree or woody shrub ages, the older layers of secondary xylem, known as heartwood, no longer transport water and minerals. o Heartwood contains resins and other compounds that protect the core of the tree from fungi and insects. †¢ The outer layers, known as sapwood, continue to transport xylem sap. †¢ Because each new layer of secondary xylem has a larger circumference, secondary growth enables the xylem to transport more sap each year, supplying more leaves. Only the youngest secondary phloem, closest to the vascular cambium, functions in sugar transport. †¢ The older secondary phloem dies and is sloughed off as part of the bark. †¢ Early in secondary growth, the epidermis produced by primary growth splits, dries, and falls off the stem or root. †¢ The e pidermis is replaced by two tissues produced by the first cork cambium, which arises in the outer cortex of stems and in the outer layer of the pericycle of roots. †¢ The first tissue, phelloderm, is a thin layer of parenchyma cells that forms to the interior of the cork cambium. The cork cambium also produces cork cells, which accumulate at the cambium’s exterior. †¢ Waxy material called suberin deposited in the cell walls of cork cells before they die acts as a barrier against water loss, physical damage, and pathogens. †¢ A cork cambium and the tissues it produces make up a layer of periderm, a protective layer that replaces the epidermis. †¢ Because cork cells have suberin and are compacted together, the periderm is impermeable to water and gases. †¢ In most plants, water and minerals are absorbed in the youngest parts of the roots. The older parts of the roots anchor the plant and transport water and solutes between roots and shoots. †¢ In a reas called lenticels, spaces develop between the cork cells of the periderm. o These areas within the trunk facilitate gas exchange with the outside air. †¢ The thickening of a stem or root splits the first cork cambium, which loses its meristematic activity and differentiates into cork cells. †¢ A new cork cambium forms to the inside, resulting in a new layer of periderm. †¢ As this process continues, older layers of periderm are sloughed off. o This produces the cracked, peeling bark of many tree trunks. Bark is all tissues external to the vascular cambium, including secondary phloem (produced by the vascular cambium), the most recent periderm, and all the outer layers of periderm. Concept 35. 5 Growth, morphogenesis, and differentiation produce the plant body. †¢ The development of body form and organization is called morphogenesis. †¢ During plant development, a single cell, the zygote, gives rise to a multicellular plant of a particular form with funct ionally integrated cells, tissues, and organs. †¢ Each cell in the plant body contains the same genomes, but different patterns of gene expression cause cells to differentiate. The three developmental processes of growth, morphogenesis, and cellular differentiation act to transform the fertilized egg into a plant. Molecular biology is revolutionizing the study of plants. †¢ Modern molecular techniques enable plant biologists to investigate how growth, morphogenesis, and cellular differentiation give rise to a plant. †¢ Much of this research has focused on Arabidopsis thaliana, a small weed in the mustard family. o Thousands of these small plants can be cultivated in a few square meters of lab space. o With a generation time of about six weeks, Arabidopsis is an excellent model for genetic studies. Arabidopsis also has one of the smallest genomes of all known plants. †¢ Arabidopsis was the first plant to have its genome sequenced, in a six-year multinational proje ct. o More recently, rice and poplar trees have had their entire genomes sequenced. †¢ Arabidopsis has a total of about 26,000 genes, with fewer than 15,000 different types of genes. †¢ Now that the DNA sequence of Arabidopsis is known, plant biologists are working to identify the functions of every one of the plant’s genes. †¢ To aid in this effort, biologists are attempting to create mutants for every gene in the plant’s genome. Study of the functions of these genes has already expanded our understanding of plant development. †¢ By identifying each gene’s function, researchers aim to establish a blueprint for how plants develop, a major goal of systems biology. †¢ One day it may be possible to create a computer-generated â€Å"virtual plant† that will enable researchers to visualize which plant genes are activated in different parts of the plant during the entire course of development. Growth involves both cell division and cell expansion. †¢ Cell division in meristems increases the cell number, thereby increasing the potential for growth. However, it is cell expansion, especially cell elongation, that accounts for the increase in plant mass. †¢ The plane (direction) and symmetry of cell division are important determinants of plant form. o If the planes of division by a single cell and its descendents are parallel to the plane of the first cell division, a single file of cells will be produced. o If the planes of cell division of the descendent cells vary at random, an unorganized clump of cells will result. †¢ Although mitosis results in the equal allocation of chromosomes to daughter cells, cytokinesis may be asymmetrical. Asymmetrical cell division, in which one cell receives more cytoplasm than the other, is common in plant cells and usually signals a key developmental event. o For example, guard cells arise from an unspecialized epidermal cell through an asymmetrical cell division to fo rm a large unspecialized epidermal cell and a small guard cell â€Å"mother cell. † o Guard cells form when the small mother cell divides in a plane perpendicular to the first cell division. †¢ The plane in which a cell will divide is determined during late interphase. †¢ Microtubules in the outer cytoplasm become concentrated into a ring, the preprophase band. Although this ring disappears before metaphase, its â€Å"imprint† consists of an ordered array of actin microfilaments that remains after the microtubules disperse and signals the future plane of cell division. †¢ Cell expansion in animal cells is quite different from cell expansion in plant cells. o Animal cells grow by synthesizing a protein-rich cytoplasm, a metabolically expensive process. †¢ Growing plant cells add some protein-rich material to their cytoplasm, but water uptake by the large central vacuole accounts for 90% of a plant cell’s expansion. o This enables plants to gro w economically and rapidly. For example, bamboo shoots can elongate more than 2 m per week. †¢ Rapid expansion of shoots and roots increases plants’ exposure to light and soil, an important evolutionary adaptation to the immobile lifestyle of plants. †¢ In a growing plant cell, enzymes weaken cross-links in the cell wall, allowing it to expand as water diffuses into the vacuole by osmosis. †¢ The wall loosens when hydrogen ions secreted by the cell activate cell wall enzymes that break the cross-links between polymers in the wall. †¢ This reduces restraint on the turgid cell, which can take up more water and expand. Small vacuoles coalesce to form the cell’s central vacuole. †¢ The greatest expansion of a plant cell is usually oriented along the plant’s main axis. o The orientation of cellulose microfibrils in the innermost layers of the cell wall cause this differential growth, as the cell expands mainly perpendicular to the â€Å"grai n† of the microfibrils. o The orientation of microtubules in the cell’s outermost cytoplasm determines the orientation of cellulose microfibrils, the basic structural units of the cell wall. Arabidopsis mutants confirm the role of cytoplasmic microtubules in cell division and growth. Studies of Arabidopsis mutants have confirmed the importance of cytoplasmic microtubules in both cell division and expansion. †¢ For example, fass mutants have unusually squat cells, which follow seemingly random planes of cell division. †¢ The roots and stems of fass mutants lack the ordered cell files and layers. †¢ Fass mutants develop into tiny adult plants with all their organs compressed longitudinally. †¢ The organization of microtubules in fass mutants is abnormal. o In interphase cells, the microtubules are randomly positioned. Preprophase bands do not form prior to mitosis. o Therefore, the cellulose microfibrils deposited in the cell wall cannot be arranged to determine the direction of the cell’s elongation. †¢ Cells with a fass mutation expand in all directions equally and divide in a haphazard arrangement, leading to stout stature and disorganized tissues. Morphogenesis depends on pattern formation. †¢ Morphogenesis organizes dividing and expanding cells into multicellular tissues and organs. †¢ The development of specific structures in specific locations is called pattern formation. Pattern formation depends to a large extent on positional information, signals that continuously indicate each cell’s location within an embryonic structure. †¢ Within a developing organ, each cell responds to positional information by differentiating into a particular cell type. †¢ Developmental biologists are accumulating evidence that gradients of specific molecules, generally proteins or mRNAs, provide positional information. o For example, a substance diffusing from a shoot’s apical meristem may â€Å"in form† the cells below of their distance from the shoot tip. A second chemical signal produced by the outermost cells may enable a cell to gauge its position relative to the radial axis of the developing organ. o Developmental biologists are testing the hypothesis that diffusible chemical signals provide plant cells with positional information. †¢ One type of positional information is polarity, the identification of the root end and shoot end along a well-developed axis. †¢ Axial polarity results in morphological and physiological differences. †¢ The unidirectional movement of the hormone auxin causes the emergence of adventitious roots and shoots from the appropriate ends of plant cuttings. The establishment of axial polarity is a critical step in plant morphogenesis. †¢ The first division of a plant zygote is normally asymmetrical and may initiate the polarization of the plant body into root and shoot ends. †¢ Once this polarity has been induced, it i s very difficult to reverse experimentally. o In the gnom mutant of Arabidopsis, the first division is symmetrical, and the resulting ball-shaped plant lacks roots and leaves. †¢ Other genes that regulate pattern formation and morphogenesis include master regulatory genes called homeotic genes, which mediate many developmental events, such as organ initiation. For example, the protein product of the KNOTTED-1 homeotic gene is important for the development of leaf morphology, including the production of compound leaves. o Overexpression of this gene causes the compound leaves of a tomato plant to become â€Å"supercompound. † Cellular differentiation depends on the control of gene expression. †¢ The diverse cell types of a plant, including guard cells, sieve-tube elements, and xylem vessel elements, all descend from a common cell, the zygote, and share the same DNA. The cloning of whole plants from single somatic cells demonstrates that the genome of a differentiated cell remains intact and can dedifferentiate in tissue culture and give rise to the diverse cell types of a plant. †¢ Cellular differentiation depends, to a large extent, on the control of gene expression. †¢ Cells with the same genomes follow different developmental pathways because they selectively express certain genes at specific times during differentiation. †¢ The activation or inactivation of specific genes involved in cellular differentiation depends on positional information—where a particular cell is located relative to other cells. For example, two distinct cell types in Arabidopsis, root hair cells and hairless epidermal cells, develop from immature epidermal cells. o Cells in contact with one underlying cortical cell differentiate into mature, hairless cells, while those in contact with two underlying cortical cells differentiate into root hair cells. o The homeotic gene GLABRA-2 is normally expressed only in hairless cells. If it is rendered dysfu nctional, every root epidermal cell develops a root hair. Clonal analysis of the shoot apex emphasizes the importance of a cell’s location in its developmental fate. In the process of shaping an organ, patterns of cell division and cell expansion affect the differentiation of cells by placing them in specific locations relative to other cells. †¢ Thus, positional information underlies all the processes of development: growth, morphogenesis, and differentiation. †¢ One approach to studying the relationship among these processes is clonal analysis, mapping the cell lineages (clones) derived from each cell in an apical meristem as organs develop. †¢ Researchers use mutations to distinguish a specific meristematic cell from the neighboring cells in the shoot tip. For example, a somatic mutation in an apical cell that prevents chlorophyll production produces an â€Å"albino† cell. o This cell and all its descendants appear as a linear file of colorless cells running down the long axis of the green shoot. †¢ To some extent, the developmental fates of cells in the shoot apex are predictable. o For example, clonal mapping has shown that almost all the cells derived from division of the outermost meristematic cells become part of the dermal tissue of leaves and stems. It is not possible to pinpoint precisely which cells of the meristem will give rise to specific tissues and organs, however, because random changes in rates and planes of cell division can reorganize the meristem. o For example, the outermost cells usually divide in a plane parallel to the surface of the shoot tip. o Occasionally, however, an outer cell divides in a plane perpendicular to this layer, placing one daughter cell beneath the surface, among cells derived from different lineages. †¢ In plants, a cell’s developmental fate is determined not by its membership in a particular lineage but by its final position in an emerging organ.Phase changes mark majo r shifts in development. †¢ In plants, developmental changes can occur within the shoot apical meristem, leading to a phase change in the organs produced. o One example of a phase change is the gradual transition from a juvenile phase to an adult phase. o In some plants, the result of the phase change is a change in the size and shape of leaves. o The leaves of juvenile and mature shoot regions differ in shape and other features. o Once the meristem has laid down the juvenile nodes and internodes, they retain that status even as the shoot continues to elongate and the meristem changes to the mature phase. If axillary buds give rise to branches, those shoots reflect the developmental phase of the main shoot region from which they arise. o Although the main shoot apex may have made the transition to the mature phase, the older region of the shoot continues to give rise to branches bearing juvenile leaves if that shoot region was laid down when the main apex was still in the juven ile phase. o A branch with juvenile leaves may actually be older than a branch with mature leaves. †¢ The juvenile-to-mature phase transition points to another difference in the development of plants versus animals. o In an animal, this ransition occurs at the level of the entire organism, as a larva develops into an adult animal. o In plants, phase changes during the history of apical meristems can result in juvenile and mature regions coexisting along the axis of each shoot. Genes controlling transcription play key roles in a meristem’s change from a vegetative to a floral phase. †¢ Another striking phase change in plant development is the transition from a vegetative shoot tip to a floral meristem. †¢ This transition is triggered by a combination of environmental cues, such as day length, and internal signals, such as hormones. Unlike vegetative growth, which is indeterminate, the production of a flower by an apical meristem stops primary growth of that shoo t. †¢ This transition is associated with switching â€Å"on† floral meristem identity genes. †¢ The protein products of these genes are transcription factors that help activate the genes required for the development of the floral meristem. †¢ Once a shoot meristem is induced to flower, positional information commits each primordium arising from the flanks of the shoot tip to develop into a specific flower organ—a sepal, petal, stamen, or carpel. Viewed from above, the floral organs develop in four concentric circles, or whorls. o Sepals form the fourth (outermost) whorl, petals form the third, stamens form the second, and carpels form the first (innermost) whorl. †¢ Organ identity genes, or plant homeotic genes, regulate positional information and function in the development of the floral pattern. o Mutations in these genes may lead to the substitution of one type of floral organ for the expected one. †¢ Organ identity genes code for transcript ion factors. †¢ Positional information determines which organ identity genes are expressed in which particular floral-organ primordium. In Arabidopsis, three classes of organ identity genes interact to produce the spatial pattern of floral organs. †¢ The ABC model of flower formation identifies how these genes direct the formation of four types of floral organs. †¢ The ABC model proposes that each class of organ identity genes is switched â€Å"on† in two specific whorls of the floral meristem. o A genes are switched on in the two outer whorls (sepals and petals), B genes are switched on in the two middle whorls (petals and stamens), and C genes are switched on in the two inner whorls (stamens and carpels). Sepals arise in those parts of the floral meristems in which only A genes are active. o Petals arise in those parts of the floral meristems in which A and B genes are active. o Stamens arise in those parts of the floral meristems in which B and C genes are a ctive. o Carpels arise in those parts of the floral meristems in which only C genes are active. †¢ The ABC model can account for the phenotypes of mutants lacking A, B, or C gene activity. o When gene A is missing, it inhibits C, and vice versa. o If either A or C is missing, the other takes its place.

Developing individuals and teams ( CMI Level 3 Diploma) Assignment

Developing individuals and teams ( CMI Level 3 Diploma) - Assignment Example I believe that factors such as a clear communication of the objective to team members, frequent communication between team members, knowledge sharing, willingness to help each other, a high degree of engagement of team members with the team objective and able leadership contribute to the effectiveness of the team. Absence of these factors can make a team ineffective. Question 3 I believe that working as a team increases the probability of success and chances of achieving project objectives. Cross-functional knowledge sharing between team members increases the overall competency of a team. Working as a team creates the scope for team members to share knowledge through interactive communication and a diversity of ideas increases the level of creativity within the team. Every team member has a distinct competency and skill level and combinations of such team members creates the scope for the team to sail through a turbulent environment. ... I have successfully operated my role of a team coordinator while working with different teams, and I believe that my ability to adapt in difficult conditions has significantly helped me in such context. There were no such occasions while I was asked to work outside of your preferred role; hence it is not possible for me to answer these questions. Question 5 I believe a good team player should have the characteristics such as: 1) ability to respect other team members because without respecting opinions of other team members, it would not be able to trust the capacity of other team members, which can destroy the team objectives in the contingent period; 2) ability to coordinate with team members in fulfilling the project objectives because lack of coordination between team members can slow down the pace of project completion; and 3) ability to follow orders without asking unnecessary questions to authority because renouncing the direction of authority would increase disruption in the t eam. Question 6 In my team, a situational leadership model was followed and each of us had the chance to show leadership skills during the contingent period by exposing our skill set. Working in a democratic environment and encouraging team members to make decisions in the contingent period was the major strength of the situational leadership model. But, in some cases, absence of a particular leader had created chaos of ideas among team members. Part 2 Answer 1 Fitzsimons, James and Denyer (2011) and Pearce and Manz (2005) defined leadership as the ability of individuals to influence the thinking process of others and also move others in the direction of the very individual. Every institution needs good

Analysis Of Speech Event Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Analysis Of Speech Event - Essay Example He also expressed his great respect for President Bush, and that â€Å"he had performed magnificently during the crisis†, which had followed the September 11th attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, â€Å"and he had shown real qualities of leadership which had been required at that time†. The purpose of the interview was to obtain information on crucial world matters from a world leader. In this interview with only one main interviewee, the criterion of role, status and norm as applied to Tony Blair was one of power, and the questions were also formulated according to the needs of the situation. Since Mr. Blair had on earlier occassions been interviewed by Larry King, (as seen in the welcome given to him by King: â€Å" A return visit for the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Tony Blair†) he had a good rapport with him. He paid less attention to role, status and norm, and hence his responses approached proximity language. He spoke about talking with U.S. President George Bush several times a week, as it was necessary to â€Å"keep closely in contact with key allies and partners, so that we are working things through together, because one of the almost unique features of this crisis is how many different facets it’s got†.

Factors Influencing Health Seeking Behaviors of African Americans Research Paper

Factors Influencing Health Seeking Behaviors of African Americans experiencing Stroke Symptoms A Systematic Review - Research Paper Example According to Wiley (2009), only 56.3% of African American respondents identified brain as the organ where stroke occurs. Among stroke symptoms, hemiparesis, speech disturbance, headache and blurred vision were the best recognized. Primary risk factors for stroke were correctly identified and included hypertension, family history of stroke, obesity, smoking and cocaine abuse. From the perspective on study results, Wiley et al (2009) found significant deficiencies in stroke literacy among African American study sample. Because of poor stroke literacy in Wiley's et al study (2009), participants were not likely to activate EMS. Consequently, poor literacy on stroke symptoms among African American population jeopardizes the effectiveness of early prevention therapy. King et al (2001) in their study aimed to determine whether African American individuals suffered from stroke (n=103) presented for treatment within the first 3 hours, a critical period needed for effective treatment with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). Through Stroke Survey Tool, King et al (2001) determined that an average time needed for African American victims to present for treatment constituted 24.68 hours.

Sacrament of Reconciliation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Essay Example The Israelites were constantly reprimanded for their transgressions against God through the prophets. The reference about the sacrament of reconciliation can be seen in the history of the Israelites. They were the recipients of mercy and grace due to their covenant with God. Yet at the individual and community level, they would engage in wickedness and evil deeds. Thus there was a need for compromise and exoneration which was the right of the Israelites due to their special status. The New Testament enjoins kindness and mercy for all human beings irrespective of color, caste or creed. Jesus Christ proclaimed the liberation of humanity from sins through repentance and clemency. Faith is a powerful force that enables human beings to abstain from sin and wickedness. Such a state can be acquired only through grace, mercy, and affection. Thus it can be seen that the New Testament modifies the concept of repentance and forgiveness in numerous ways. The early Church devised a system of expi ation and atonement that was public in nature. An individual who had perpetrated a sin would have to offer penance through his outwardly actions and behaviors. Such individuals had to perform religious rites and rituals in a systematic manner. They had to engage in worship, charity, and abstain from worldly desires (Coffey, 67). The severity of sins would determine the number of years in which the individuals would complete their penance. The public system of atonement would lead to the ostracism of individuals as they were prevented from participating in Christian rituals. The system was harsh and ruthless since it exerted unnecessary burden on individuals. The system eventually met its demise through the reforms of Irish monks. The new system for expatiation and atonement was implemented at the private level. Further penance had to be completed until a specific time period. The Irish monks devised an

Integrating Faith and Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Integrating Faith and Learning - Essay Example Faith in God automatically gives faith in the self and only then, one learns the right things at the right time in the right way. Hence, learning and faith have to be integrated to reduce the gap between faith and learning. We can pour into a vessel only when it is empty. When the mind and soul are focused on God, it is free from negative thoughts and distractions. It is then easy to conceive what one learns; fear and anxiety do not haunt the mind. The mind becomes strong and a strong mind can concentrate and learn anything with ease. Therefore, I would start my day with intense prayers to the lord in the first place. We have or make a life-long commitment to Jesus; a lifetime commitment keeps the mind focused. Statistics too would require a life long commitment. This has to be borne in the mind. As during prayers, we open the heart to the lord, while learning statistics we should open our heart so that research is perfect and learning is intense. Relational Evangelism teaches us to share knowledge. When we share knowledge, when we teach others what we have learned the knowledge becomes firm. Statistics is a subject where the foundation has to be firm and the application of theory has to be done at the right place. If I share, if I teach others what I have understood, I would never forget what I have learnt. Statistics requires a lot of research and planning. A constant reflection on and search on God’s ideas leads us closer to God; a constant search, an in-depth research to get to the truth, will help me to integrate statistics in my life. To understand the taste and feel of water we have to take a dip in the water. Standing on the banks we can only talk theory. Similarly, to understand God we have to become one with him; to understand statistics we have to get to the roots, do intense research and learning; become one with it. Christianity is not a viewpoint imposed on world knowledge; it provides a clarifying platform for engaging all

The Great American Indigence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Great American Indigence - Research Paper Example If the income distribution of a market is not equal, then the resource allocation becomes ineffective. In such circumstances, the economy gets bifurcated into two groups namely, the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’. An increase in the strength of the latter is the underlying factor which generates poverty in the economy. This research paper will explain the poverty of U.S. in details. United States Poverty: Poverty is the state of misery that can exist in any nation in the world. If a nation is poor, then it is not capable of meeting the basic requirements of its citizens. Poverty not only dampens the economic prosperity of a country, but also brings about the downfall of human development in a nation1. This research paper will consider the extent of poverty in United States. It was earlier believed by the economists that poverty only had its presence in the lagging and underdeveloped nations in the world. However, the contemporary economic affairs of the world show that rich developed nations like, United States, also house substantial amount of poverty in its domestic economy. Poverty in United States: As recorded in 2011, the level of poverty in United States was about 15%. It was estimated that around 46.2 million individuals in the country were poor11. The median level of the family incomes of the individuals of the country had fallen by almost 1.5% from 2010 to 2011. It has been claimed by the researchers that the poverty in U.S. is actually responsible for the rise in the country’s level of unemployment. After the globalization of the world economy in 1990, the competences of the developed nations have fallen significantly. The fall in the core competences in U.S. have resulted in a decline in employment opportunities in the nation. The fall in the income prospects have increased the poverty in U.S. Then again, the poverty in U.S. is seen to be generally urban in nature. III. Causes of Poverty There are various causes or reasons that have caused the poverty in U.S. The big American corporate companies always outsource their requirement of skilled labor workforce from t he developing nations in the world. This is because skilled and educated workers in those nations are available at a cheaper cost. This has made the U.S. workforce less competitive in nature, thereby lacking the proper knowledge which is needed for maintaining high paid jobs. Thus, lack of higher education and knowledge among the youth of U.S. is a prime reason for its impending urban poverty. The recession in the world economy since 2007 has added fuel to the fire of dismay for the U.S. individuals. Low velocity of money circulation in the economy has reduced the productivity and investment thresholds of the nation2. A fall in the level of productivity in the economy has been responsible for the job losses in the nation. In figure 1 at the end, it can be observed that down the years from 1968 to 2012, the workforce participation in U.S. did not increase. Rather, the trend shows a fall in the employment opportunities. Then again, it is obvious and quite natural that the population s trength of the country has increased with time. The employment level in the nation has not increased in equivalence to the rise in the population of the nation10. This shows that a large proportion of the individuals in U.S. is unemployed and therefore, leads their lives as poor urban individuals. The

Marketing Communication of Adidas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Communication of Adidas - Essay Example The firm that is analyzed in the paper is Adidas. Created in 1925 by Adolf ‘Adi’ Dassler, Adidas has dominated the sports apparel and footwear market for over 80 years. Adidas started off as a sports footwear company that designed special shoes for athletes, however, over the years Adidas expanded into sports goods as well. After its success in Germany Adidas expanded to the United States in 1968, and captured the American market in a matter of few years. Adidas’ success worldwide can be attributed not only to its unmatched quality and innovation but also to its marketing strategies. Being a premier sports brand, Adidas has been prominent in the sports world at all levels which has been a huge success factor for the brand. The broad product offering of Adidas has enabled it to capture a global market for itself; the product categories include Football, Basketball, Running, Training and Outdoor sports. Customization and innovation are key growth drivers for the bra nd. Adidas is identified with performance and in order to uphold that brand image it serves its consumers five performance benefits through its products which are designed to be faster, stronger, smarter, cooler and natural. Marketing communication plays a pivotal role when it comes to establishing brand name, loyalty and engaging consumers. The marketing communication of Adidas seeks to achieve three main objectives: creating brand awareness, identifying a need that the brand or product fulfills and finally encouraging action from the audience. It achieves these by employing seamless marketing and communication leadership strategies, rendering authenticity through strategic partnerships and extending brand reach through endorsements and partnerships. A very important growth driver is the brand’s history with athletes and Global sports which has not only created a favorable brand image but also brand awareness and loyalty in the Global arena. Endorsements and sponsorships hav e been the central marketing communication tool of Adidas. By virtue of its nature, the brand has the power to dominate the world of sports through strategic partnerships and celebrity endorsements. The most crucial perhaps, have been endorsements by athletes such as Ian Thorpe, Andre Agassi, Kaka, Zidane, David Beckham et al who embody the brand image and product philosophy and consequently create very favorable attitudes in consumers towards the brand. The brand is, therefore, not only preferred by athletes across the world but also by ordinary consumers who have a passion for sports and who idolize those athletes. Another marketing tool of the brand is associating the brand philosophy to tangible outcomes. This not only renders legitimacy to the brand but also sensationalizes it and therefore leaves a very far reaching impact by creating a brand appeal that is second to none. The ‘golden ball’ for instance was the official football for FIFA World Cup 2006. The brandà ¢â‚¬â„¢s association with major sporting events, leagues, clubs and sports associations as partner, sponsor and licensee has also been a central pillar in propping its marketing communication. Among many such associations some mention worthy partnerships and sponsorships include; the

Religious teaching Essay Example for Free

Religious teaching Essay Religious teachings offer the only sound basis for moral reasoning. Critically examine arguments for and against this opinion. Morality is the knowledge and practice of what is moral, which may, according to your personal view be instinctive, be associated with religion and culture, or be acquired by reasoning. Most, if not all religions have a human moral code, which follows Gods will. Religious people will consult their religious text, whether it is the Bible, Quran or Torah ect, when making a moral decision. Very often these religious texts will lay out a set of rules or guide lines. In Christianity it is the 10 Commandments, in Buddhism it is the 8 Fold Path. Although these rules do provide a good moral base, if taken to their logical conclusion they are objective and absolute, leaving no room for the flexibility needed in todays society. This is taking a Deontological approach; this is when a person has a set of rules that they consider to be absolutely right. They abide by these rules, as they are more important than the effect or outcome. We can use the example of abortion and the 10 Commandments. These religious laws state that Thou shalt not kill. If taken absolutely this means that abortion is wrong no matter what the circumstances are, even if the child will be born severely disabled or will be born into extreme poverty. For many people moral values are relative to a specific society, time and circumstances, and their moral view can change through changed circumstances, needs, beliefs and knowledge. This flexibility is known as relativism and is the opposite of absolute. This is also known as taking a Consequential approach, when a person looks to the outcome, and decides how to act to achieve that result. They have in mind the aim and believe that actions can be deemed moral if they achieve that aim the end justifies the means. Because of this many individuals often experience conflict in making moral decisions because they have no absolute code of what is right or wrong. There are several different methods subjective morality: Utilitarianism is the view that you decide whether an action is right or wrong by looking at the consequences, and you should choose they action that will produce the most happiness/least-suffering to the greatest number of people. If we consider whether abortion is right or wrong using the utilitarianism view we would have to say that it depends on the individual situation, and whether the baby would be born healthily or not, and whether the baby would be loved, and the number of people affected by the pregnancy, amongst other things. Natural Law states that morality should use the natural form of behaviour, and that humans and society should follow this natural law. Therefore anything that is deemed as un-natural is wrong. This means that in the case of abortion it is always wrong, as pregnancy is a natural occurrence and it should not be ended un-naturally. Social contract theory claims that laws and morals are a human invention upon which we agree to make life better for ourselves. When making a moral decision a person would have to consider the impact upon society and peoples freedom, amongst other things. Once again considering the case of abortion, a person using social contract theory, would consider the effect having a baby would have on their lives, the lives of people around them, and how the life of the bay would be once it is born. I conclude by saying that I think that religious teachings do not offer the only sound basis for moral reasoning. I feel that the individual situation also needs to be considered when making a moral decision as every case has different circumstances. I also feel that although the religious laws do give a good, sound basis for morality the objective and absolute rules stated by religion do not leave room for the flexibility needed in todays society.

A Study About Blue Eye Technology

A Study About Blue Eye Technology Blue Eyes system provides technical means for monitoring and recording the operators basic physiological parameters. The most important parameter is saccadic activity1, which enables the system to monitor the status of the operators visual attention along with head acceleration, which accompanies large displacement of the visual axis (saccades larger than 15 degrees). Complex industrial environment can create a danger of exposing the operator to toxic substances, which can affect his cardiac, circulatory and pulmonary systems. Thus, on the grounds of plethysmographic signal taken from the forehead skin surface, the system computes heart beat rate and blood oxygenation. The BlueEyes system checks above parameters against abnormal (e.g. a low level of blood oxygenation or a high pulse rate) or undesirable (e.g. a longer period of lowered visual attention) values and triggers user-defined alarms when necessary. Quite often in an emergency situation operator speak to themselves expressing their surprise or stating verbally the problem. Therefore, the operators voice, physiological parameters and an overall view of the operating room are recorded. This helps to reconstruct the course of operators work and provides data for long-term analysis. BlueEyes consists of a mobile measuring device and a central analytical system. The mobile device is integrated with Bluetooth module providing wireless interface between sensors worn by the operator and the central unit. ID cards assigned to each of the operators and adequate user profiles on the central unit side provide necessary data personalization so different people can use a single mobile device (called hereafter DAU Data Acquisition Unit). The overall system diagram is shown in Figure 1. The tasks of the mobile Data Acquisition Unit are to maintain Bluetooth connections, to get information from the sensor and sending it over the wireless connection INTRODUCTION: Imagine yourself in a world where humans interact with computers. You are sitting in front of your personal computer that can listen, talk, or even scream aloud. It has the ability to gather information about you and interact with you through special techniques like facial recognition, speech recognition, etc. It can even understand your emotions at the touch of the mouse. It verifies your identity, feels your presents, and starts interacting with you .You ask the computer to dial to your friend at his office. It realizes the urgency of the situation through the mouse, dials your friend at his office, and establishes a connection. Human cognition depends primarily on the ability to perceive, interpret, and integrate audio-visuals and sensoring information. Adding extraordinary perceptual abilities to computers would enable computers to work together with human beings as intimate partners. Researchers are attempting to add more capabilities to computers that will allow them to interact like humans, recognize human presents, talk, listen, or even guess their feelings. The BLUE EYES technology aims at creating computational machines that have perceptual and sensory ability like those of human beings. It uses non-obtrusive sensing method, employing most modern video cameras and microphones to identifies the users actions through the use of imparted sensory abilities . The machine can understand what a user wants, where he is looking at, and even realize his physical or emotional states. EMOTION AND COMPUTING: Rosalind Picard (1997) describes why emotions are important to the computing community. There are two aspects of affective computing: giving the computer the ability to detect emotions and giving the computer the ability to express emotions. Not only are emotions crucial for rational decision making as Picard describes, but emotion detection is an important step to an adaptive computer system. An adaptive, smart computer system has been driving our efforts to detect a persons emotional state. An important element of incorporating emotion into computing is for productivity for a computer user. A study (Dryer Horowitz, 1997) has shown that people with personalities that are similar or complement each other collaborate well. Dryer (1999) has also shown that people view their computer as having a personality. For these reasons, it is important to develop computers which can work well with its user. By matching a persons emotional state and the context of the expressed emotion, over a period of time the persons personality is being exhibited. Therefore, by giving the computer a longitudinal understanding of the emotional state of its user, the computer could adapt a working style which fits with its users personality. The result of this collaboration could increase productivity for the user. One way of gaining information from a user non-intrusively is by video. Cameras have been used to detect a persons emotional state (Johnson, 1999). We have explored gaining information through touch. One obvious place to put sensors is on the mouse. Through observing normal computer usage (creating and editing documents and surfing the web), people spend approximately 1/3 of their total computer time touching their input device. Because of the incredible amount of time spent touching an input device, we will explore the possibility of detecting emotion through touch. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENT SPEECH RECOGNITION: It is important to consider the environment in which the speech recognition system has to work. The grammar used by the speaker and accepted by the system, noise level, noise type, position of the microphone, and speed and manner of the users speech are some factors that may affect the quality of speech recognition .When you dial the telephone number of a big company, you are likely to hear the sonorous voice of a cultured lady who responds to your call with great courtesy saying Welcome to company X. Please give me the extension number you want. You pronounce the extension number, your name, and the name of person you want to contact. If the called person accepts the call, the connection is given quickly. This is artificial intelligence where an automatic call-handling system is used without employing any telephone operator. THE TECHNOLOGY: Artificial intelligence (AI) involves two basic ideas. First, it involves studying the thought processes of human beings. Second, it deals with representing those processes via machines (like computers, robots, etc). AI is behavior of a machine, which, if performed by a human being, would be called intelligent. It makes machines smarter and more useful, and is less expensive than natural intelligence. Natural language processing (NLP) refers to artificial intelligence methods of communicating with a computer in a natural language like English. The main objective of a NLP program is to understand input and initiate action. The input words are scanned and matched against internally stored known words. Identification of a key word causes some action to be taken. In this way, one can communicate with the computer in ones language. No special commands or computer language are required. There is no need to enter programs in a special language for creating software. SPEECH RECOGNITION: The user speaks to the computer through a microphone, which, in used; a simple system may contain a minimum of three filters. The more the number of filters used, the higher the probability of accurate recognition. Presently, switched capacitor digital filters are used because these can be custom-built in integrated circuit form. These are smaller and cheaper than active filters using operational amplifiers. The filter output is then fed to the ADC to translate the analogue signal into digital word. The ADC samples the filter outputs many times a second. Each sample represents different amplitude of the signal .Evenly spaced vertical lines represent the amplitude of the audio filter output at the instant of sampling. Each value is then converted to a binary number proportional to the amplitude of the sample. A central processor unit (CPU) controls the input circuits that are fed by the ADCS. A large RAM (random access memory) stores all the digital values in a buffer area. This digit al information, representing the spoken word, is now accessed by the CPU to process it further. The normal speech has a frequency range of 200 Hz to 7 kHz. Recognizing a telephone call is more difficult as it has bandwidth limitation of 300 Hz to3.3 kHz. As explained earlier, the spoken words are processed by the filters and ADCs. The binary representation of each of these words becomes a template or standard, against which the future words are compared. These templates are stored in the memory. Once the storing process is completed, the system can go into its active mode and is capable of identifying spoken words. As each word is spoken, it is converted into binary equivalent and stored in RAM. The computer then starts searching and compares the binary input pattern with the templates. t is to be noted that even if the same speaker talks the same text, there are always slight variations in amplitude or loudness of the signal, pitch, frequency difference, time gap, etc. Due to this reason, there is never a perfect match between the template and binary input word. The pattern matching process therefore uses statistical techniques and is designed to look for the best fit. The values of binary input words are subtracted from the corresponding values in the templates. If both the values are same, the difference is zero and there is perfect match. If not, the subtraction produces some difference or error. The smaller the error, the better the match. When the best match occurs, the word is identified and displayed on the screen or used in some other manner. The search process takes a considerable amount of time, as the CPU has to make many comparisons before recognition occurs. This necessitates use of very high-speed processors. A large RAM is also required as even though a spoken word may last only a few hundred milliseconds, but the same is translated into many thousands of digital words. It is important to note that alignment of words and templates are to be matched correctly in time, before computing the similarity score. This process, termed as dynamic time warping, recognizes that different speakers pronounce the same words at different speeds as w ell as elongate different parts of the same word. This is important for the speaker-independent recognizers. THE SIMPLE USER INTERST TRACKER (SUITOR): Computers would have been much more powerful, had they gained perceptual and sensory abilities of the living beings on the earth. What needs to be developed is an intimate relationship between the computer and the humans. And the Simple User Interest Tracker (SUITOR) is a revolutionary approach in this direction. By observing the Webpage a netizen is browsing, the SUITOR can help by fetching more information at his desktop. By simply noticing where the users eyes focus on the computer screen, the SUITOR can be more precise in determining his topic of interest. It can even deliver relevant information to a handheld device. The success lies in how much the suitor can be intimate to the user. IBMs BlueEyes research project began with a simple question, according to Myron Flickner, a manager in Almadens USER group: Can we exploit nonverbal cues to create more effective user interfaces? One such cue is gaze-the direction in which a person is looking. Flickner and his colleagues have created some new techniques for tracking a persons eyes and have incorporated this gaze-tracking technology into two prototypes. One, called SUITOR (Simple User Interest Tracker), fills a scrolling ticker on a computer screen with information related to the users current task. SUITOR knows where you are looking, what applications you are running, and what Web pages you may be browsing. If Im reading a Web page about IBM, for instance, says Paul Maglio, the Almaden cognitive scientist who invented SUITOR, the system presents the latest stock price or business news stories that could affect IBM. If I read the headline off the ticker, it pops up the story in a browser window. If I start to read the story, it adds related stories to the ticker. Thats the whole idea of an attentive system-one that attends to what you are doing, typing, reading, so that it can attend to your information needs. PARTS OF A BLUE EYE SYSTEM : The major parts in the Blue eye system are Data Acquisition Unit and Central System Unit. The tasks of the mobile Data Acquisition Unit are to maintain Bluetooth connections, to get information from the sensor and sending it over the wireless connection, to deliver the alarm messages sent from the Central System Unit to the operator and handle personalized ID cards. Central System Unit maintains the other side of the Blue tooth connection, buffers incoming sensor data, performs on-line data analysis, records the conclusions for further exploration and provides visualization interface. THE HARDWARE: Data Acquisition Unit Data Acquisition Unit is a mobile part of the Blue eyes system. Its main task is to fetch the physiological data from the sensor and to send it to the central system to be processed. To accomplish the task the device must manage wireless Bluetooth connections (connection establishment, authentication and termination). Personal ID cards and PIN codes provide operators authorization. Figure Showing Jazz-multi Sensor Communication with the operator is carried on using a simple 5-key keyboard, a small LCD display and a beeper. When an exceptional situation is detected the device uses them to notify the operator. Voice data is transferred using a small headset, interfaced to the DAU with standard mini-jack plugs. The Data Acquisition Unit The Data Acquisition unit comprises several hardware modules figure showing data acquisition unit  · Atmel 89C52 microcontroller system core  · Bluetooth module (based on ROK101008)  · HD44780 small LCD display  · 24C16 I2C EEPROM (on a removable ID card) CENTRAL SYSTEM UNIT : Central System Unit hardware is the second peer of the wireless connection. The box contains a Bluetooth module (based on ROK101008) and a PCM codec for voice data transmission. The module is interfaced to a PC using a parallel, serial and USB cable. The audio data is accessible through standard mini-jack sockets over view of central system unit To program operators personal ID cards we developed a simple programming device. The programmer is interfaced to a PC using serial and PS/2 (power source) ports. Inside, there is Atmel 89C2051 microcontroller, which handles UART transmission and I2C EEPROM (ID card) programming. THE SOFTWARE: Blue Eyes softwares main task is to look after working operators physiological condition. To assure instant reaction on the operators condition change the software performs real time buffering of the incoming data, real-time physiological data analysis and alarm triggering. The Blue Eyes software comprises several functional modules System core facilitates the transfers flow between other system modules (e.g. transfers raw data from the Connection Manager to data analyzers, processed data from the data analyzers to GUI controls, other data analyzers, data logger etc.). The System Core fundamental are single-producer-multi-consumer thread safe queues. Any number of consumers can register to receive the data supplied by a producer. Every single consumer can register at any number of producers, receiving therefore different types of data. Naturally, every consumer may be a producer for other consumers. This approach enables high system scalability new data processing modules (i.e. filters, data analyzers and loggers) can be easily added by simply registering as a costumer Connection Manager is responsible for managing the wireless communication between the mobile Data Acquisition Unit the central system. The Connection Manager handles:  · communication with the CSU hardware  · searching for new devices in the covered range  · establishing Bluetooth connections  · connection authentication  · incoming data buffering  · sending alerts Data Analysis module performs the analysis of the raw sensor data in order to obtain information about the operators physiological condition. The separately running Data Analysis module supervises each of the working operators. The module consists of a number of smaller analyzers extracting different types of information. Each of the analyzers registers at the appropriate Operator Manager or another analyzer as a data consumer and, acting as a producer, provides the results of the analysis. Visualization module provides a user interface for the supervisors. It enables them to watch each of the working operators physiological condition along with a preview of selected video source and related sound stream. All the incoming alarm messages are instantly signaled to the supervisor.The Visualization module can be set in an off-line mode, where all the data is fetched from the database.Watching all the recorded physiological parameters, alarms, video and audio data the supervisor is able to reconstruct the course of the selected operators duty. The physiological data is presented using a set of custom-built GUI controls:  · a pie-chart used to present a percentage of time the operator was actively acquiring the visual information · A VU-meter showing the present value of a parameter time series displaying a history of selected parameters value. BLUE-EYES BENEFITS: Prevention from dangerous incidents Minimization of ecological consequences financial loss a threat to a human life Blue Eyes system provides technical means for monitoring and recording human-operators physiological condition. The key features of the system are:  · visual attention monitoring (eye motility analysis)  · physiological condition monitoring (pulse rate, blood oxygenation)  · operators position detection (standing, lying)  · wireless data acquisition using Blue tooth technology  · real-time user-defined alarm triggering  · physiological data, operators voice and overall view of the control room recording  · recorded data playback Blue Eyes system can be applied in every working environment requiring permanent operators attention:  · at power plant control rooms  · at captain bridges  · at flight control centers. APPLICATIONS : One of the main benefits of speech recognition system is that it lets user do other works simultaneously. The user can concentrate on observation and manual operations, and still control the machinery by voice input commands. Another major application of speech processing is in military operations. Voice control of weapons is an example. With reliable speech recognition equipment, pilots can give commands and information to the computers by simply speaking into their microphones-they dont have to use their hands for this purpose. Another good example is a radiologist scanning hundreds of X-rays, ultrasonograms, CT scans and simultaneously dictating conclusions to a speech recognition system connected to word processors. The radiologist can focus his attention on the images rather than writing the text. Voice recognition could also be used on computers for making airline and hotel reservations. A user requires simply to state his needs, to make reservation, cancel a reservation, or ma ke enquiries about schedule. CONCLUSION: The nineties witnessed quantum leaps interface designing for improved man machine interactions. The BLUE EYES technology ensures a convenient way of simplifying the life by providing more delicate and user friendly facilities in computing devices. Now that we have proven the method, the next step is to improve the hardware. Instead of using cumbersome modules to gather information about the user, it will be better to use smaller and less intrusive units. The day is not far when this technology will push its way into your house hold, making you more lazy. It may even reach your hand held mobile device. Any way this is only a technological forecast. In future it is possible to create a computer which can interact with us as we interact each other with the use of blue eye technology. It seems to be a fiction, but it will be the life lead by BLUE EYES in the very near future. ordinary household devices such as televisions, refrigerators, and ovens may be able to do their jobs when we look at them and speak to them.

Indecision, Hesitation and Delay in Shakespeares Hamlet - Excessive H

Hamlet – the Hesitation and Indecision      Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare’s Hamlet presents a hero who hesitates to avenge his dead father when given the opportunity – what should be his judgment? This paper examines the decision from various points of view.    Mark Rose, in â€Å"Reforming the Role,† comments on how the hero’s hesitation to kill at the propitious moment, coupled with his later hasty decision to kill, have left the protagonist a changed man:    [. . .] the prince who returns from sea is a changed man, resigned, detached, perhaps â€Å"tragically illuminated.† Having refused to kill the king when the time was every way propitious – that is, when he found Claudius kneeling in empty not genuine prayer – and then, having chosen his own moment to act only to find   that instead of the king he has murdered Polonius, Hamlet seems to have allowed his sinews to relax. He has let himself be thrust aboard ship, let himself in effect be cast onto the sea of fortune that is so common an image in Shakespeare and the Elizabethan poets, an image recalling that â€Å"sea of troubles† against which he had earlier taken arms. When the opportunity to escape the king’s trap arises, Hamlet seizes it, leaping aboard the pirate ship, but what he is doing now is reacting to circumstances rather than trying to dominate them wholly. (126-27)    Is there a connection between verbal hesitation and hesitation in action and decisions? Lawrence Danson in the essay â€Å"Tragic Alphabet† discusses the hesitation in action by the hero; this is related to his hesitation in speech:    To speak or act in a world where all speech and action are equivocal seeming is, for Hamlet, both perilous and demeaning, a kind of whoring. The whole vexed qu... ...g.† Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Rpt. from Tragic Form in Shakespeare. N.p.: Princeton University Press, 1972.    Rose, Mark. â€Å"Reforming the Role.† Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Rpt. from Homer to Brecht: The European Epic and Dramatic Traditions. Ed. Michael Seidel and Edward Mendelson. N.p.: Yale University Press, 1977.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957. Indecision, Hesitation and Delay in Shakespeare's Hamlet - Excessive H Hamlet – the Hesitation and Indecision      Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare’s Hamlet presents a hero who hesitates to avenge his dead father when given the opportunity – what should be his judgment? This paper examines the decision from various points of view.    Mark Rose, in â€Å"Reforming the Role,† comments on how the hero’s hesitation to kill at the propitious moment, coupled with his later hasty decision to kill, have left the protagonist a changed man:    [. . .] the prince who returns from sea is a changed man, resigned, detached, perhaps â€Å"tragically illuminated.† Having refused to kill the king when the time was every way propitious – that is, when he found Claudius kneeling in empty not genuine prayer – and then, having chosen his own moment to act only to find   that instead of the king he has murdered Polonius, Hamlet seems to have allowed his sinews to relax. He has let himself be thrust aboard ship, let himself in effect be cast onto the sea of fortune that is so common an image in Shakespeare and the Elizabethan poets, an image recalling that â€Å"sea of troubles† against which he had earlier taken arms. When the opportunity to escape the king’s trap arises, Hamlet seizes it, leaping aboard the pirate ship, but what he is doing now is reacting to circumstances rather than trying to dominate them wholly. (126-27)    Is there a connection between verbal hesitation and hesitation in action and decisions? Lawrence Danson in the essay â€Å"Tragic Alphabet† discusses the hesitation in action by the hero; this is related to his hesitation in speech:    To speak or act in a world where all speech and action are equivocal seeming is, for Hamlet, both perilous and demeaning, a kind of whoring. The whole vexed qu... ...g.† Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Rpt. from Tragic Form in Shakespeare. N.p.: Princeton University Press, 1972.    Rose, Mark. â€Å"Reforming the Role.† Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Rpt. from Homer to Brecht: The European Epic and Dramatic Traditions. Ed. Michael Seidel and Edward Mendelson. N.p.: Yale University Press, 1977.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.

The catcher in the rye and the stranger Essay -- essays research paper

Holden Caulfield and Mersault have both been alienated in their worlds as the authors have so clearly portrayed in both books. But as much as both have been alienated, one is an essentialist while the other remains an existentialist. Holden Caulfield being the essentialist that he is, has psychological motivation for every action he takes. He is a teenager that is struggling with the fact that everyone has to grow up, which to him means that you have to become â€Å"phony or corrupt†. While on the other hand Mersault, the existentialist, does things for no reason whatsoever. He is a completely aloof, unattached , unemotional person. He doesn’t think much about events or their consequences, nor does he express much feeling in relationships or during emotional times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The similarities between Holden and Mersault are the way they are both in a sense alienated from the worlds in which they live in. Holden Caulfield believes that all adults are phony so he doesn’t want to become one and so he distances himself from the adult world. He feels that when you’re a child you view the world without any bias, you see everything for what it is. So to stay a child he constantly flunks out of schools back and forth. When you graduate from highschool you are going to the next level whether it be college or whatever else you want to do, everyone around you will view you as an adult and you yourself will become one. After highschool, most people tend to grow up but Caul...