Essay on Medias Unrealistic Portrayal of the Ideal Body

Media exists in many forms; billboard ads, television ads, magazine ads, newspapers, websites etc. Daily advertisements surround us every step of the way from the skies to subways, and from our work to our homes. It’s unthinkable what impact do these advertisements play in the lives of many people. Media is a very strong tool to have control of because it has great influence on the mind of the viewer and also sometimes creates norms that the society starts to incorporate in the â€Å"Normal norms.† Media promotes the young and adult to disfigure their bodies by portraying an â€Å"ideal† body image for men as muscular and women to be thin as being beautiful in today’s world. The image of the ideal body and beauty for men and women in the world†¦show more content†¦These are the same people that start to incorporate these unrealistic standards in to their lives and lives of others. As stated by Ewen in captains of consciousness, â€Å"Their ads, they felt, must dramatize this competition and ceremonialize the victory of the new life style.† (Page 161) During the last couple of decades media has made thinness as a new fashion for women and being muscular for men. For instance if you visit any clothing website the first image you would most likely see after their special offers are models. These models would be of well built men with open shirts (sometimes) to reveal the abs and also of women that are thin in sexy clothing. An example Armani Exchange main website (image page 4), first thing you see is a man and woman sitting by each other in revealing clothing showing off their bodies rather than the clothing for which this ad was made for. This is just one company to name but all big clothing companies such as Express, Gucci, (image page 4) and Polo Ralph Lauren all have attractive â€Å"Ultra thin† women and men with 6 pack abs on their websites, billboards, and run ways but not one image of a â€Å"normal† man or woman anywhere to be seen. Another thing that Ewen had said in captains of consciousness was how â€Å"The real insecurity women felt about â€Å"what a woman should be† is clearly manipulated in these ad of the twenties.† (Page 179)Show MoreRelated Enjoyment of Being a Girl: Overcoming Industry Standards Essay1489 Words   |  6 Pagesportrayed how the average woman looks. These portrayals can lead to loss of self-esteem and also weight loss. Women should know that they need their spiritual health to live happily and not be influenced by the images that the media portray as the â€Å"perfect† body. Women need to have a feeling of being safe, powerful and comfortable wi thin their own bodies. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å"Media has a negative impact on the way women feel about their bodies†, says Julie Parsons a clinical social workerRead MoreMedia s Effect On Teens986 Words   |  4 Pagesdisease control and prevention (CDC), the suicide rate is currently the third largest leading causes of death among teenagers, and the numbers are growing day by day. Media’s contribution to this upward trend of suicide may be debatable, but we can’t deny the influence of television commercials on teens. Through false advertisements, unrealistic standard of beauty, and social norms, Media is fueling a national epidemic of teen suicide. Despite its downside, Mass Media is widely considered to be the breakthroughRead MoreEffects of Mass Medias Ideal of Thinness1482 Words   |  6 Pagesperspectives to match that of the media’s current ideals. Concern over the media’s influence on body image has recently risen, striking the notion that many people regard the images shown throughout media as ‘real’. However, unbeknownst to them, such unbelievably thin body types are not quite attainable in reality, and therefore, individuals’ own beauty ideals and body images become unrealistic. The mass media’s ideal image of thinness has greatly impacted the overall body image of today, and has beenRead MoreTeenage Girls and Body Image Essay1291 Words   |  6 Pagesof influence from the media’s message. The problem with this is the media has a specific way of doing things and can be negative to a susceptible teenage girl. Media’s way of portraying a woman can be skewed and unr ealistic way from what reality is. Teenage girls then have a desire for this look or way. In this essay the three ways I will describe as to why the media can negatively affect a teenage girls body image is by showing unrealistic bodies and women, women whose bodies are desirable by a massRead MoreMedia Portrayal Of Beauty1140 Words   |  5 PagesMedia’s Portrayal of Beauty Some people occasionally feel that their own appearance is unacceptable to society because of what others are expecting based on published media. Those include, social media, published articles, and even movies and TV shows. The media’s portrayal of beauty has had a generational effect on american society with young people falling victim to unrealistic standards. Failing to participate in these ideals can lead to non acceptance, ostracization, and even bullying due toRead MoreThe Effects of Modern Body Image1380 Words   |  6 Pagesand shame† (Brown, n.d.). Body image, on the other hand, â€Å"is a complicated aspect of the self-concept that concerns an individual’s perceptions and feelings about their body and physical appearance† (Serdar, n.d.). According to Nordqvist, it is divided into two perceptions: positive and negative body images. He states that positive body image is â€Å"based on reality – the individual sees himself/herself as they really are; they accept parts of their body that are not ideal, but are generally happy withRead MoreMass Media s Influence On Society962 Words   |  4 Pagesin their body image (Cash, 2004).Body image is extensively publicized in mass media (Cash, 2004). Researchers have questioned this phenomenon of the impact of social media on individual’s perceptual of body image. The purpose of this study is to examine mass media portrayal of body image which has influence individual beliefs and desires to be â€Å"thin† which has resulted in an unrealistic ideal societal body image. Media portrayal the standard for beauty Mass media has depicted slender body types asRead MoreHas the Media’s Portrayal of Women Negatively Affected the Body Image of The Wykeham Collegiate Senior School Girls?3130 Words   |  13 PagesHas the Media’s Portrayal of Women Negatively Affected the Body Image of The Wykeham Collegiate Senior School Girls? Table of Contents Page Cover Page 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Review of Literature 4 Methodology and Presentation of Findings 8 Processing of Findings 12 Conclusion 14 Reference list 16 Appendix 17 Introduction It seems that the media’s portrayalRead MoreThe Media Of A Middle School Student1486 Words   |  6 PagesAs a middle school student, I was oblivious to the unrealistic portrayals in the media, but I was not able to escape its harmful grasp. It seemed every girl at the school suffered with body image issues because their perception of beauty is what they had been taught by society. Anorexia and bulimia were far too common, while self-esteem and confidence were very hard to find. Not only were the girls trying to become â€Å"beautiful,† they were also trying to act older than they were. Starting at the extremeRead MoreMedia s Portrayal Of Women1155 Words   |  5 Pageshighly unachievable and thought as as the ideal woman. An average woman exposed to these photos may feel depresssed and may want to look like the model through unsafe dieting and other eating disorders. The media has affected girls as young as six years old into changing their appearance to look similar to those idealized in television and magazines. The mass media’s portrayal of women today sets standards of beauty that are highly unattainable and unrealistic, leading to an increase of eating disorders

Differentiating Work And Keeping Learners Motivated Free Essays

The Entry to Employment ( E2E ) programme is a roll-on/roll-off class designed to supply a tract for 16-18 twelvemonth olds who are non in instruction, employment or preparation ( NEETs ) towards employment or farther instruction. As many of these scholars have non been in any kind of instruction for some clip due to exclusion or other barriers to their acquisition, they may get with a deficiency of apprehension of their ain abilities, current degree of cognition and, frequently, larning troubles that may or may non hold been identified antecedently. Using instance surveies of pupils that have been anonymised, this paper will analyze ways in which work can be differentiated for pupils, peculiarly those with larning troubles, in a group that has a broad scope of abilities. We will write a custom essay sample on Differentiating Work And Keeping Learners Motivated or any similar topic only for you Order Now It will besides look at ways to actuate scholars affected by their ain realization that they may non be at the same degree of their equals to work towards makings at their ain criterion. Main Body Over the last 2 old ages I have been learning pupils in the Foundation Department of East Riding College where I have taught scholars with mild larning troubles and other barriers to larning. In this clip the section has besides taken on the proviso of an E2E class which has been developed to offer NEETs a path into farther instruction, apprenticeships or employment. The purpose of the class is to develop the scholars ‘ basic literacy, numeracy and ICT accomplishments and besides supply other topics that will heighten their employment and societal accomplishments to a degree that would be acceptable to an employer. Although E2E Entitlement Curriculum states that: Some immature people may come in E2E with larning troubles and disablements or may come into E2E at below entry degree. The function of E2E for these scholars, and their advancement and accomplishment through the programme will necessitate to be carefully negotiated. Every consideration should be taken to guarantee that immature people are non placed permissively on E2E because their behavior or demands may forbid them being placed elsewhere ( LSC, 2006, p.6 ) . It has been my experience that some scholars that are referred to E2E arrive with larning troubles that are non statemented or have ne’er been identified because the scholar has non been in any kind of instruction for some clip due to exclusion from school or other barriers to instruction. As Petty, observes: â€Å" Each scholar is alone and has single demands. If the demands of our scholars are discovered and met, the opportunities of success are greatly increased † ( Petty, 2009, p.530 ) . So it is indispensable that initial and diagnostic appraisals are carried out for each of the scholars every bit shortly as possible to place any acquisition troubles and enable schemes to be put into topographic point to supply support for the pupil. Motivation, as with all instruction, is an of import factor that affects scholars on the E2E class. Scales points out that â€Å" Everyone is motivated to larn ; it ‘s portion of what it means to be human. † ( Scales, 2008, P. 237. ) , but besides clarifies that â€Å" Learning is natural ; instruction, unluckily is n’t. † ( Scales, 2008, p.238 ) . In the instance of many E2E pupils, although â€Å" street wise † due to life experiences, farther formal instruction would non hold been envisaged in their ain hereafter. They have small or no intrinsic motive to take up analyzing and comply with class demands. Whereas intrinsic motive in instruction can be seen as a desire for the pupil to larn for their ain demands and involvements, extrinsic motive is frequently a major portion of larning utilizing the proviso of wagess, competition or countenances ( Harkin et al. 2001, p.67 ) . Although extrinsic motive can be utile when set abouting boring undertakings, it is evidently more desirable for a pupil to develop an intrinsic motive to larn. Self-efficacy, as described by Bandura, in his societal cognitive theory is â€Å" the belief in one ‘s capablenesss to form and put to death the classs of action required to pull off prospective state of affairss † ( Bandura, 1995, p. 2 ) . He besides states that a individual with strong self-efficacy will develop strong intrinsic motives towards undertakings and involvements ( Bandura, 1994 ) . Initially many of the pupils are placed on the class by Connexions. As it is non ever their ain pick to re-join instruction, their lone motive to fall in the class appears to be extrinsic, for illustration in the signifier of Education Maintenance Allowance or as portion of a tribunal order. Much has to be done to actuate these scholars and many extrinsic incentives need to be applied such as congratulations and encouragement or physical wagess ( e.g. cocoa ) . A peculiar characteristic that I have observed is that although the college is in an mean sized town with several secondary schools, most of the scholars know each other due to being placed in assorted Work Related Learning or Pupil Referral groups. This can take to a peculiar type of de-motivation as new scholars join the group. This is where a scholar does non understand their ain current degree of cognition and apprehension of a topic due to the fact that they have been out of instruction for some clip and they see that their equals may be set abouting work of a higher degree than them. The scenario tends to be: because their friend is making a certain degree of work, they excessively want to make work at this degree. They so find that they are non able to make the work because of their current capablenesss and so become de-motivated because they believe themselves inferior. With respect to Reece and Walker ‘s version of Maslow ‘s hierarchy of basic human needs as appl ied to the schoolroom, ( Reece A ; Walker, 2007 ) , self-esteem is lowered and so motive is affected. O’Brien and Guiney province that: ‘Differentiation is non about trouble-shooting. It is a construct that has to be seen in an inclusive manner, using to everyone ‘ ( O’Brien A ; Guiney, 2001, p. nine ) . Of class, attending should ever be paid to the distinction of work for pupils in all categories, but for the ground mentioned above it is peculiarly of import that work is differentiated for these scholars so that their self-pride is non affected. Case 1- Student J. J. joined a new group with seven other scholars. He had travelled around the state with his household and so did non cognize any of the other scholars. On his application to fall in the class he stated that he had no acquisition troubles. His initial appraisal consequences showed that he was Entry 1 for literacy and numeracy where the other scholars were Entry 3 to Level 1. J. was upset when in the first category he was given a diagnostic numeracy trial at Entry 2 when other scholars were finishing nosologies at a higher degree. In treatment with J. it appeared that he may hold had dyslexia as he described some of the authoritative marks such as seeing drifting words and composing words backwards. He explained that he had ever thought of himself as stupe and blamed himself for his hapless literacy and numeracy accomplishments. Following a showing within the college, it was confirmed that J. did hold dyslexia and schemes were put into topographic point to back up his hereafter larning such as the allotment of a Learning Support Advisor to work with him when required. This was the initial measure in so happening ways that work could be differentiated in ways that suited J. When developing worksheets for a category, it became of import that if separate worksheets were appropriate for different degree pupils, all sets would take to the same replies or decisions. For illustration, higher degree scholars may be asked to compose an reply in a few sentences, whereas J. may be given multiple pick replies or a cloze exercising. The of import thing being that when, as a group, we could travel through work and J. would experience confident giving replies along with his equals. Mentoring was besides good to J. He would frequently understand things better if he was helped by one of his equals. Because of this, J. would work good in little groups with peculiar scholars doing certain that the groups were chosen carefully. There has been a definite alteration in J ‘s self-efficacy. Gross states that â€Å" this is brought approximately best through existent experience in confronting antecedently feared or avoided state of affairss † ( Gross, 2009, p.832 ) . J. appears to be developing an intrinsic motive to larn and is now meaning to travel on to a foundation degree class. Case 2- Student B. B. has many barriers to larning including behavioral jobs and a deficiency of appropriate societal accomplishments. B. knew many of the scholars in the group that she was fall ining and instantly wanted to make the work that they were making despite the fact that her initial appraisal had shown her to be at a lower degree of ability than her friends were presently at. It was explained to B. that she needed to work at her literacy accomplishments to achieve the degree that they were at ; after all, they had been on the class for some hebdomads already. B. did non understand this and refused to make any work that was below the degree of her equals. When given the work above her current degree, she became riotous in category due to the fact that she was unable to make the work. B. had old bad educational experiences which had, in portion, led to her exclusion from school. She had non been in instruction since the age of 11 and so her basic accomplishments were hapless. B. did non hold any farther acquisition troubles other than her societal and emotional barriers to acquisition and so schemes to actuate her rich person had to be developed. As with J. distinction has to be applied to results every bit good as the work that is devised for B. When work was set for B, it shortly became evident that she responded good to praise when she had completed undertakings good. Often she would hotfoot to hold her work marked before go oning with other undertakings. B. besides responded good to kinaesthetic acquisition manners and she enjoyed games such as lotto and card games. It became obvious that she was profoundly satisfied by the feedback she received and that this provided her motive. Behavioural theory provinces that when a stimulation is applied a right response should be rewarded and wrong responses should be discouraged. Thorndike ‘s â€Å" Law of Effect † , would look to use here where the satisfaction that a reward brings increases the desire to make the same once more in future ( Child, 2007, p.164 ) . Decision Although it may be already hard and clip devouring to develop lessons for these groups any jobs are exacerbated by the fact that the scholars may get and go forth at any clip during the roll-on/roll-off programme. This means that it is indispensable that diagnostic appraisals are completed instantly to determine accomplishment degrees, larning manners and any learning troubles or disablements. O’Brien and Guiney point out that â€Å" Sometimes teaching troubles are manipulated and become identified as larning troubles † ( O’Brien and Guiney, 2001, p.20 ) . This should non be allowed to go on. The development of intrinsic motive within scholars is a mark for all instructors but it can non ever be achieved when pupils are non receptive to larning. Extrinsic motive is frequently a major portion of the rhythm and should be used consequently. It can be seen that there is a definite demand for distinction in a group that has many scholars at differing degrees and abilities. It is highly hard to seek to learn such a group and keep motive if the undertakings are non adapted for single scholars and their educational demands. How to cite Differentiating Work And Keeping Learners Motivated, Essay examples

My greatest accomplishment free essay sample

When someone asks you to describe yourself in 3 words, it’s one of the hardest things. You don’t want to sound conceited about yourself, and you also don’t want to sound like you hate yourself. My answer has always been the same. I describe myself as an average 17 year old. Though I have traveled the world and been very lucky to experience some of the most magical opportunities. I am a girl that is not different from many others, but when you look deep down, I am. I was born in Toulouse, France and at the age of 4 my parents decided to move to Casablanca, Morocco. After 4 years, my parents got divorced, and my mother, being the adventure seeker she is, decided to move my sister and I to Florida. I had the hardest time fitting in because I was â€Å"different.† To 8 year olds, not speaking English is like walking through Magic Kingdom for your first time. We will write a custom essay sample on My greatest accomplishment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page People were amazed by me and I felt as if I belonged in the Guinness Book for being unusual. Every day was an ongoing battle with myself. I hated being the girl that stood out from everyone. When I finally learned English, I was so happy. Not because I now knew 2 languages, but because I wouldn’t be different from everyone else. Teachers are good at teaching their own preferred subjects, however they don’t seem to teach you uniqueness. Being unique or different, is one of the single greatest traits a person can have. Even though most girls seek to become the super models they see in magazines, I seek to be myself nowadays. I have tried to fit in for so many years, but now it’s my time to be me. As years have passed, I have learned who I truly am. I might look like the average 17 year old girl on the outside, but when you get to know me, I can leave a foot print on your heart. I have learned from all of my mistakes that it’s okay to be yourself. It’s okay to goof around and be childish for some quick seconds, and it’s also okay to be serious and act like a grown up at times, but in the end you need to be happy. With that being said, my greatest accomplishment is not being First Place winner at a national dance competition, my greatest accomplishment is being me. Finding myself in all of this ruckus has been a battle, but in the end I have put my flag down and claimed ownership to who I truly am.

North Carolina Regulators Essays - Rebellions In The United States

North Carolina Regulators North Carolina Regulators The North Carolina Regulators were a group of people who rebelled against corrupt government officials. The people experienced strong feelings of discontent with the way in which the provincial government's officials were conducting the affairs. The government officials were running the colony both unfairly and unjustly. Many small groups of people formed. After the spring of 1768 when the small groups allied , they called themselves the Regulators. The Wealthy colonists considered these Regulators to be ?a mob.? North Carolina had a lack of supervision from the British monarchy. The colony was isolated from the rest of the country by numerous swamps, bad road conditions and unnavigable rivers. Therefore the government officials of North Carolina became independent, in a very unfair and unjust way to the people of North Carolina, such as excessive taxes, dishonest sheriffs, and illegal fees. The injustice of the government officials urged the Regulators for justice. The once peaceful negotiators became violent, and lawless from the slowness of legal remedies taking place. The Regulators refused to pay fees, and terrorized those who administered the law. They also disrupted court proceedings. The Regulators first tried negotiations; it was the injustice of the government officials that made them resort to violence. The Regulators intentions were not to terrorize the government officials, but only to find justice. The regulators fight for justice was a problem for royal Governor William Tryon, who wanted the Regulators revolt to stop. The governor's council was determined to crush the Regulators. General Hugh Waddell was ordered to approach Hillsborough by way of Salisbury and Governor Tryon and his army proceeded more directly towards Hillsborough. General Waddell had a small force of 284 men. The Regulators saw this and attacked General Waddell's troops. The Regulators almost 2,000 men strong sent General Waddell and his troops in a quick retreat. Tryon heard of this and brought his forces to go to Waddell's rescue. A battle began. Tryon's, the much better trained, equipped, and organized army, crushed the Regulators. The only thing the Regulators wanted was justice. That's what they were fighting for. They were abused by the government officials in such away that it caused them to revolt. The Regulators were killed in battle, wounded, captured, and executed. Some were pardoned in exchange for pledging an oath of allegiance to the royal government. The War of Regulations was a foreplay to the American Revolution. The Regulators opposed Royal authority with confidence. It was a lesson of armed resistance, a lesson that would be used in the War for Independence.

Visual Arts Research Paper Example

Visual Arts Research Paper Example Visual Arts Paper Visual Arts Paper â€Å"Artist often refer or reference that which was gone before† Discuss the statement using the Renaissance artists and their interest in Classical and Hellenistic Greek concepts. The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the period roughly from the 14th to the 17th century. â€Å"Renaissance† means â€Å"re-birth† and refers to the re-birth of classical styles of learning. Also the Renaissance period considered education particularly in the arts, like philosophy, architecture and the visual arts – in general ways of viewing the world as it truly was rather than as â€Å"The Church† dictated. The Renaissance in Europe, the humanist aesthetic and the high technical standards of Greek art continued to inspire many generations of European artists. Looking further into the 19th century, the Classical traditions derived from the Classical and Hellenistic Greek periods have continued to dominate the art of the western world. The Classical period saw changes in the style and functions of sculpture. The poses become more naturalistic and the technical skill of these Greek sculptors increased. They were able to depict the human form in a variety of poses which were life like and real. From about 500 BC, the statues began to depict real people. E. g. the statues of Harmodius and Aristogeiton   displayed in Athens to mark the overthrow of the  tyranny  were said to be the first public monuments to actual people. The difficultly in creating an aesthetically real person and technical challenge stimulated much in the way of sculptural innovation during the Classical and Hellenistic Greek periods of history. Unfortunately, for us today, these works survive only in fragments, The Most famous examples surviving today are The  Parthenon Marbles†, half of which are in the  British Museum in England. In the Classical period there were many different sculptors who produced many lives like realistic works. Some of these artists or artisans include: Phidias which oversaw the design and building of the Parthenon. Praxiteles, another great Classical sculptor made the female nude respectable for the first time. This was in the later part of the Classical period in the mid-4th century BC. But the greatest works of the Classical period are considered to be the statue of Zeus at Olympia and the statue of Athena at the Parthenos. The whole point of the Renaissance is that Europeans particularly the Italians to begin with, were looking to the Classical and Hellenistic Greek teachings and giving re-birth to their explorations. Renaissance artisans were looking back to a time of great knowledge, innovation and development. They reinvestigated the human form and true human proportion. Michelangelo produced a 5m tall â€Å"David† from a solid block of white marble. His work based on the biblical David from the Goliath story is truly amazing because of its considerable consideration of the audience perspective, its accurate proportion from this vantage point and the life like stance. David† was actually based on the Classical sculptures that depicted the Greek Adonis or beautiful male athlete of the original Olympic Games. The transition from the Classical to the Hellenistic periods occurred during the 4th century BC. Following the conquests of Alexander the Great, Here Greek art became more diverse and influenced by other cultures of people who were drawn into the Greek orbit. And in the view of some art historia ns, it also declined in quality and originality. Many of the sculptures previously considered as Classical masterpieces turned out to be of the later Hellenistic age. The technical ability of the Hellenistic sculptor was clearly in evidence in such major works as the â€Å"Winged victory of Samothrace† and the â€Å"Pergamon Altar†. During this period, sculpture became more and more naturalistic. Common people, women, children, animals and domestic scenes became acceptable subjects for sculpture, which was commissioned by wealthy families for the adornment of their homes and gardens. These sculptors no longer felt obliged to depict people as ideals of beauty or physical perfection. Hellenistic sculpture was also marked by an increase in scale, which culminated in the â€Å"Colossus of Rhodes† which was made during the late 3rd Century BC. People of the Renaissance were exploratory and innovative. To explore and invent the Renaissance people looked back to the knowledge, ideas and skills of the Classical Greeks and Hellenistic periods. Of course, the Renaissance developed into its own style because it was an interpretation of classical learning more than anything. Renaissance artists, writers and learners looked back to the Greeks for information and inspiration. Many artworks of the time feature Greek deities and so on, even though people stopped believing in the long before. An example of this could be Botticelli’s Venus. Here although to us the scene is mythical Venus is again perfectly proportioned like Michelongelo’s â€Å"David†. Venus also has the same contrapposto stance which was originally developed during the Classical Greek period. This method of posing the subject gave the subject life because it illustrated a three dimensional idea which meant the subject looked like they were alive and moving through real space. As has been illustrated Renaissance artists were definitely influenced by â€Å"that which had gone before†. They used â€Å"the Golden Mean† rules for human proportion, they used imagery from Greek legends and they revisited the contrapposto stance to give their subjects life. It is impossible for any artist of any period not to be influenced by that which has gone before because society is always looking back to improve the future. An artist’s practice cannot avoid being influenced by â€Å"that which has gone before†. Rather than a period with definitive beginnings and endings and consistent content in between, the Renaissance can be seen as a movement of practices and ideas to which specific groups and identifiable persons variously responded in different times and places. They are influenced genuinely by the classical and Hellenistic part of Greek art. Shown through the artist of the renaissance, example Michelangelo which produced a 5m David. This would be in this network of diverse, sometimes converging, sometimes conflicting cultures that the Renaissance changed our imagination and our view of how we see our world for all time.

Make Singing Cake (Cooking Science Project)

Make Singing Cake (Cooking Science Project) This is the recipe for a singing cake. The cake sings while baking and then it is ready to eat! Difficulty: Average Time Required: 1 hour Heres How: Preheat oven to 350F.Grease and flour an angel food cake pan.Melt the 2 squares of chocolate, set aside.In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and set aside.Cream butter and sugar.Stir in the egg yolks.Stir in the melted chocolate.Add 1 cup raisins.Stir 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. cloves, and 4 cups sifted flour into the mixture.Stir in 1 cup chopped nuts and 1 cup jam.Now add the baking powder to the buttermilk and quickly stir into the cake mixture.Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites.Bake at 350 degrees until cake stops singing, about 45 minutes.Mmmm... tasty warm cake! Singing Cake Ingredients 1 cup butter2 cups brown sugar3 eggs, separated2 square bitter chocolate1 cup raisins1 cup nuts2 teaspoons  cinnamon1 teaspoon cloves1 cup strawberry jam4 cups sifted flour2 tsp baking powder1 cup buttermilk

How to prepare a survey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How to prepare a survey - Essay Example ds to know, which demographic constitution of the population are being surveyed, is it the old, the youth, women, men, children, the schooling, the working population, among the rest of the population. Moreover, he should know their geographic distribution, and how they can be reached effectively and which survey method will give accurate results (Acebit, 2012). Furthermore, he should understand the time schedule for the target population, which will assist in setting up the period and budget for the survey. According to Acebit (2012) & Creative Research Systems (2012), the second step is defining the survey type and the method that will be applied in conducting the survey. Since most of the surveys are quantitative in nature and involves a lot of data collection and analysis, the crucial thing here is to pick methods that will give the most precise and accurate answers as possible. Depending on their target group, surveyors can pick from the following: they can choose interview methods, which can be person-to-person or via telephone conversation. Another method is a questionnaire, which can be sent via mail, email, or given to the population in person, then collected after a given time by the surveyor. The surveyor can also use observation, whereby he/she can interact with the target population, whether participatory or non-participatory to gather data. The choice of the method in the survey shall also determine the cost and outcome of the survey, depending on the demographic nature an d distribution of the population (Creative Research Systems, 2012). The third final step in conducting a survey is designing questions and means of analysis the results after the survey. The design of the questions whether in questionnaires or interviews needs to be pointed out clear, where all audiences can answer without strain. The questions should also be well structured and not ambiguous to enable the surveyor get the most accurate results. The questions are then pre-tested

A Wedding Ceremony and Theatre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Wedding Ceremony and Theatre - Essay Example This paper stresses that  theatre is an integral aspect of human life. From a broader perspective, theatre can be said to be everywhere around people. A wedding ceremony is an excellent example of a theatrical performance that the bride and the bridegroom perform unwittingly to the guests. At the same time, the guests to a wedding are an audience to the performance of the bride and the bridegroom, their respective family members, bridesmaids, priest, and groomsmen. In a wedding situation, there is meticulous planning prior to the actual ceremony. A wedding planning phase can be considered as a period when both the bride and bridegroom and their respective families go through the ‘script’ of the scheduled ‘performance’.  This essay discusses that  the bridegroom and the bride and their respective families send invitation cards to their close friends and kin. The wedding invitation cards, in a theatre scenario, symbolize ‘tickets’ of entry t o the ‘performance arena’ which in reality is the venue of the wedding ceremony. Critical perspectives of typical wedding ceremonies across societies around the world reflect some theatrical elements that include: uniforms or costumes, spectators and performers, and a ritualistic framework.  In the United States for instance, several factors such as culture, social norms, and culture forms the basis of the majority wedding ceremonies.  Before the wedding ceremony, most brides have ceremonies that are commonly identified as ‘bridal showers’.

Didions on Morality Essay Example for Free

Didions on Morality Essay What is it that forms and drives our â€Å"moral behaviors†? Are we born with a basic sense of morality or do we develop a set of moral â€Å"social codes† to keep society from falling into chaos and anarchy? In her essay â€Å"On Morality,† Joan Didion dissects what lies beneath the surface of humanity’s morality. By recounting several stories and historical events, she shows that morality at its basic â€Å"most primitive level† is nothing more than â€Å"our loyalties to the ones we love,† everything else is subjective. Didion’s first story points out our loyalty to family. She is in Death Valley writing an article about â€Å"morality,† â€Å"a word [she] distrust more every day.† She relates a story about a young man who was drunk, had a car accident, and died while driving to Death Valley. â€Å"His girl was found alive but bleeding internally, deep in shock,† Didion states. She talked to the nurse who had driven his girl 185 miles to the nearest doctor. The nurse’s husband had stayed with the body until the coroner could get there. The nurse said, â€Å"You just can’t leave a body on the highway, it’s immoral.† According to Didion this â€Å"was one instance in which [she] did not distrust the word, because [the nurse] meant something quite specific.† She argues we don’t desert a body for even a few minutes lest it be desecrated. Didion claims this is more than â€Å"only a sentimental consideration.† She claims that we promise each other to try and retrieve our casualties and not abandon our dead; it is more than a sentimental consideration. She stresses this point by saying that â€Å"if, in the simplest terms, our upbringing is good enough – we stay with the body, or have bad dreams.† Her point is that morality at its most â€Å"primary† level is a sense of â€Å"loyalty† to one another that we learned from our loved ones. She is saying that we stick with our loved ones no matter what, in sickness, in health, in bad times and good times; we don’t abandon our dead because we don’t want someone to abandon us. She is professing that morality is to do what we think is right; whatever is necessary to meet our â€Å"primary loyalties† to care for our loved ones, even if it means sacrificing ourselves. Didion emphatically states she is talking about a â€Å"wagon-train morality,† and â€Å"For better or for worse, we are what we learned as children.† She talks about her childhood and hearing â€Å"graphic litanies about the Donner-Reed party and the Jayhawkers. She maintains they â€Å"failed in their loyalties to each other,† and â€Å"deserted one another.† She says they â€Å"breached their primary loyalties,† or they would not have been in those situations. If we go against our â€Å"primary loyalties† we have failed, we regret it, and thus â€Å"have bad dreams.† Didion insist that â€Å"we have no way of knowing†¦what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong,’ what is ‘good and what is ‘evil’.† She sees politics, and public policy falsely assigned â€Å"aspects of morality.† She warns us not to delude ourselves into thinking that because we want or need something â€Å"that it is a moral imperative that we have it, then is when we join the fashionable madmen.† She is saying this will be our demise, and she may well be correct. Hitler’s idea that he had â€Å"a moral imperative† to â€Å"purify the Aryan race† serves as a poignant reminder of such a delusion. In 1939 Hitler’s Nazi army invaded Poland and started World War II. World War II came to an end in large part due to the United States dropping two atomic bombs. If the war had continued and escalated to the point of Hitler’s Nazis and the United States dropping more atomic bombs we could have destroyed most, if not all, of humanity, the ultimate act of â€Å"fashionable madmen.† We may believe our behaviors are just and righteous, but Didion’s essay makes us closely examine our motives and morals. She contends that madmen, murders, war criminals and religious icons throughout history have said â€Å"I followed my own conscience.† â€Å"I did what I thought was right.† â€Å"Maybe we have all said it and maybe we have been wrong.† She shows us that our â€Å"moral codes† are often subjective and fallacious, that we rationalize and justify our actions to suit our ulterior motives, and our only true morality is â€Å"our loyalty to those we love.† It is this â€Å"loyalty to those we love† that forms our families, then our cities, our states, our countries and ultimately our global community. Without these â€Å"moral codes,† social order would break down into chaos and anarchy.

The Aztec Nation Essay -- essays research papers

The Aztec Nation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A distant sound is heard. It sounds like a deep drum being hit with a heavy instrument. You hear it again and strain your eyes in the direction of the sound. All around you is dense jungle. Snakes slither between your legs. You hear the sound once again. In front of you is a dense stand of ferns. You part them and look down into a wide open valley. The valley gets so wide and it is so green that it takes your breath away. But that is not what you are looking at. You are staring at a huge city with glittering buildings shining in the spring sunlight. Smoke rises up from some of the many houses. You can see and hear children playing in the wide open fields in front of the shining buildings. Lamas and chickens are being bough and sold. You see bags of gold jewelery being bought and sold. Beyond the market place you can watch a religious ceremony. You hear the scream of a person being sacrificed to one of the gods. Beyond the city there are roads made of stone and can als full of pedestrians and canoos. Who are these people and what are they doing here you wonder?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The above paragraph describes what an early explorer in Mexico might have seen between 1400 and 1500 AD. The Aztec nation is one of the largest and most advanced Indian nations to ever exist on earth. Just about every part of the Aztec life was advance to such a state that at that time of the world the people were living better than many European nations. The Aztec nation is unique in its history, economy, environment, and way of life then any other nation at that time. History   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps fifteen to twenty-five thousand years ago, small bands of hunting-gathering peoples made their way across the land bridge that was the frozen Bering Strait, migrated southward through what is now Alaska, Canada, the United States, Central America, South America, and Mexico, settling along the way. One such hunting- gathering group settled in the Central Valley of what is now Mexico (Nicholson 1985). There is a long history of civilizations in the Central Valley of Mexico; as early as several centuries before Christ agricultural tribes had already settled, and by the birth of Christ had established as their great religious center Teotihuacà ¡n. The history of the Central Valley after circa the tenth century A.D. is o... ...;  Ã‚  Ã‚   1988. Hodge, Mary. and Michael E Smith. Economies and Polities in the Aztec Realm. Austin, Texas: University of  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Texas Press, 1994. Leà ³n-Portilla, Miguel. The Aztec Image of Self and Society. Ed. J. Jorge Klow de Alva. Salt Lake City: University  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   of Utah Press, 1992. Moctezuma, Eduardo Matos. The Great Temple of the Aztecs. Trans. Doris Heyden. New York: Thames and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hudson, Ltd., 1988. Nicholson, H.B. â€Å"Aztec† World Book Encyclopaedia. 1985 ed. Shepperd, Donna Walsh. The Aztecs. New York: F. Watts, 1992. Stuart, Gene S. The Mighty Aztecs. Washington: National Geographic, 1981. Weaver, Muriel Porter. The Aztecs, Maya, and Their Predecessors Archeology of Mesoamerica. New York:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Seminar Press, 1972. Wolf, Leo. â€Å"The Axtecs: A tradition of Religious Human Sacrifice.† March 28, 1998. Available :  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www2.hmc.edu/~sbootn/aztec.htm

Shadow Kiss Chapter 19

Nineteen LISSA HAD BEEN MY best friend ever since elementary school, which was why keeping so many secrets from her lately had hurt so much. She was always open with me, always willing to share what was on her mind – but then, maybe that was because she had no choice. I used to be that way with her, yet at some point, I'd started locking my secrets in, unable to tell her about Dimitri or the real reason I'd messed up with Stan. I hated it being that way. It ate me up inside and made me feel guilty around her. Today, however, there was absolutely no way I could wiggle out of explaining what had happened at the airport. Even if I made up something, the fact that I was on half-time with Christian would be a huge tip-off that something was going on. No excuses this time. So, as much as it hurt, I gave her and Christian – as well as Eddie and Adrian, who were hanging around – the short version of what had happened. â€Å"You think you saw ghosts?† Christian exclaimed. â€Å"Seriously?† The look on his face showed me that he was already building a list of snide comments to make. â€Å"Look,† I snapped, â€Å"I told you what was going on, but I don't want to elaborate on it. It's getting worked out, so just let it drop.† †Rose †¦Ã¢â‚¬  began Lissa uneasily. A hurricane of emotions was beating through to me from her. Fear. Concern. Shock. Her compassion made me feel that much worse. I shook my head. â€Å"No, Liss. Please. You guys can think whatever you want about me or make up your own theories, but we're not going to talk about it. Not now. Just leave me alone about it.† I expected Lissa to badger me because of her normal persistence. I expected Adrian and Christian to because of their irritating natures. But even though my words had been simple, I realized I'd delivered them with a harshness both in voice and manner. It was Lissa's surprised mental reaction that alerted me to that, and then I needed only to look at the guys' faces to realize I must have sounded incredibly bitchy. â€Å"Sorry,† I mumbled. â€Å"I appreciate the concern, but I'm just not in the mood.† Lissa eyed me. Later, she said in my mind. I gave her a brief nod, secretly wondering how I could avoid that conversation. She and Adrian had met to practice magic again. I still liked being able to be close to her, but I was only able to do so because Christian was hanging around too. And honestly, I couldn't figure out why he stayed. I guess he was still a little jealous, despite everything that had happened. Of course, if he'd known about the queen's matchmaking schemes, he might have had good reason. Nonetheless, it was clear these magic lessons were starting to bore him. We were in Ms. Meissner's classroom today, and he pulled two desks together and stretched out across them, tossing an arm over his eyes. â€Å"Wake me when it gets interesting,† he said. Eddie and I stood in a central position that let us watch the door and windows while also staying near the Moroi. â€Å"You really saw Mason?† Eddie whispered to me. He turned sheepish. â€Å"Sorry†¦you said you didn't want to talk about it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I started to say yes, that was exactly what I'd said†¦but then I saw the look on Eddie's face. He wasn't asking me about this out of perverse curiosity. He asked because of Mason, because of their closeness, and because Eddie wasn't over his best friend's death any more than I was. I think he found the idea of Mason communicating from beyond the grave reassuring, but then, he hadn't been the one to actually see Mason's ghost. â€Å"I think it was him,† I murmured back. â€Å"I don't know. Everyone thinks I imagined it.† â€Å"How did he look? Was he upset?† â€Å"He looked †¦ sad. Really sad.† â€Å"If it was really him †¦ I mean, I don't know.† Eddie looked at the ground, momentarily forgetting to watch the room. â€Å"I've always wondered if he was upset that we didn't save him.† â€Å"There was nothing we could have done,† I told him, reiterating exactly what everyone had told me. â€Å"But I wondered that too, because Father Andrew had mentioned that ghosts sometimes come back for revenge. But Mason didn't look that way. He just seemed like he wanted to tell me something.† Eddie looked back up suddenly, realizing he was still on guard duty. He didn't say anything else after that, but I knew where his thoughts were. Meanwhile, Adrian and Lissa were making progress. Or rather, Adrian was. The two of them had dug up a bunch of scraggly plants that had died or gone dormant for the winter and put them in little pots. The pots were now lined up in a row on a long table. Lissa touched one, and I felt the euphoria of magic burn within her. A moment later, the scrappy little plant turned green and sprouted leaves. Adrian stared hard at it, as though it held all the secrets of the universe, and then exhaled deeply. â€Å"Okay. Here goes nothing.† He lightly placed his fingers on a different plant. Here goes nothing might have been an accurate statement, because nothing actually happened. Then, a few moments later, the plant shuddered a little. A hint of green started to grow in it and then it stopped. â€Å"You did it,† said Lissa, impressed. I could also feel that she was a little jealous. Adrian had learned one of her tricks, but she still hadn't learned any of his. â€Å"Hardly,† he said, glaring at the plant. He was completely sober, with none of his vices to mellow him. Spirit had nothing to stop it from making him feel irritable. With our moods, we actually had something in common tonight. â€Å"Damn it.† â€Å"Are you kidding?† she asked. â€Å"It was great. You made a plant grow – with your mind. That's amazing.† â€Å"Not as good as you, though,† he said, still sounding like he was ten years old. I couldn't help but pipe in. â€Å"Then stop bitching and try again.† He glanced over at me, a smile twisting his lips. â€Å"Hey, no advice, Ghost Girl. Guardians should be seen and not heard.† I flipped him off for the â€Å"Ghost Girl† comment, but he didn't notice because Lissa was talking to him again. â€Å"She's right. Try it again.† â€Å"You do it one more time,† he said. â€Å"I want to watch you†¦. I can kind of feel what you do to it.† She performed her trick on another plant. I again felt the magic flare up, as well as the joy that came with it – and then she faltered. A flash of fear and instability tinged the magic, smacking a little of when her mental state had deteriorated so badly. No, no, I begged silently. It's happening. I knew it would if she kept using the magic. Please don't let it happen again. And like that, the dark spot within her magic went away. All of her thoughts and feelings returned to normal. I noticed then that she'd also made the plant grow. I'd missed it because I'd been distracted by her lapse. Adrian had missed the magic too because his eyes were on me. His expression was troubled and very, very confused. â€Å"Okay,† said Lissa happily. She didn't realize he hadn't paid attention. â€Å"Try again.† Adrian focused his attention back on their work. Sighing, he moved to a new plant, but she gestured him back. â€Å"No, keep working on the one you started. Maybe you can only do it in small bursts.† Nodding, he turned his attention to his original plant. For a few minutes, he just did nothing but stare. Silence reigned in the room. I'd never seen him so focused on anything, and sweat was actually forming on his forehead. Finally, at long last, the plant twitched again. It grew even greener, and tiny buds appeared on it. Glancing up at him, I saw him narrow his eyes and grit his teeth, no doubt concentrating for all he was worth. The buds burst. Leaves and tiny white flowers appeared. Lissa made what could only be called a whoop of joy. â€Å"You did it!† She hugged him, and feelings of delight washed over me from her. She was sincerely happy that he'd been able to do it. And while she was still disappointed at her lack of progress, it inspired hope in her that he'd replicated her abilities. That meant they truly could learn from each other. â€Å"I can't wait until I'm able to do something new,† she said, still a tiny bit jealous. Adrian tapped a notebook. â€Å"Well, there are plenty of other tricks in the world of spirit. You've got to be able to learn at least one of them.† â€Å"What's that?† I asked. â€Å"Remember that research I did on people who'd shown weird behaviors?† she asked. â€Å"We made a list of all the different things that showed up.† I did remember. In her search to find others with spirit, she'd uncovered claims about Moroi demonstrating abilities no one had ever seen. Few people believed the reports were true, but Lissa was convinced they were spirit users. â€Å"Along with healing, auras, and dream walking, we seem to also have some super compulsion going on.† â€Å"You already knew that,† I said. â€Å"No, this is even more hard-core. It's not just telling people what to do. It's also making them see and feel things that aren't even there.† â€Å"What, like hallucinations?† I asked. â€Å"Kind of,† he said. â€Å"There are stories of people using compulsion to make others live through their worst nightmares, thinking they're being attacked or whatever.† I shivered. â€Å"That's actually kind of scary.† â€Å"And awesome,† said Adrian. Lissa agreed with me. â€Å"I don't know. Regular compulsion is one thing, but that just seems wrong.† Christian yawned. â€Å"Now that victory has been achieved, can we call it a night with the magic?† Glancing behind me, I saw that Christian was sitting up and alert. His eyes were on Lissa and Adrian, and he did not look happy about the victory hug. Lissa and Christian had broken apart, though not because they'd noticed his reaction. They were both too distracted by their own excitement to notice his glare. â€Å"Can you do it again?† asked Lissa eagerly. â€Å"Make it grow?† Adrian shook his head. â€Å"Not right away. That took a lot out of me. I think I need a cigarette.† He gestured in Christian's direction. â€Å"Go do something with your guy. He's been terribly patient through all of this.† Lissa walked over to Christian, her face alight with joy. She looked beautiful and radiant, and I could tell it was hard for him to stay too mad at her. The harsh expression on his face softened, and I saw the rare gentleness that only she could bring out in him. â€Å"Let's go back to the dorm,† she said, grabbing his hand. We set off. Eddie walked near guard with Lissa and Christian, which left me with far guard. It also left me with Adrian, who had chosen to lag behind and talk to me. He was smoking, so I got to be the one to deal with the toxic cloud that generated. Honestly, I couldn't figure out why no one in charge had busted him for this. I wrinkled my nose at the smell. â€Å"You know, you can always be our far-far guard and stay behind with that thing,† I told him. â€Å"Mm, I've had enough.† He dropped the cigarette and stamped it out, leaving it behind. I hated that almost as much as him smoking in the first place. â€Å"What do you think, little dhampir?† he asked. â€Å"I was pretty badass with that plant, wasn't I? Of course, it would have been more badass if I'd, I dunno, helped an amputee grow a limb back. Or maybe separated Siamese twins. But that'll come with more practice.† â€Å"If you want some advice – which I'm sure you don't – you guys should lay off on the magic. Christian still thinks you're moving in on Lissa.† â€Å"What?† he asked in mock astonishment. â€Å"Doesn't he know my heart belongs to you?† â€Å"It does not. And no, he's still worried about it, despite what I've told him.† â€Å"You know, I bet if we started making out right now, it would make him feel better.† â€Å"If you touch me,† I said pleasantly, â€Å"I'll provide you with the opportunity to see if you can heal yourself. Then we'd see how badass you really are.† â€Å"I'd get Lissa to heal me,† he said smugly. â€Å"It'd be easy for her. Although†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The sardonic smirk faded. â€Å"Something weird happened when she used her magic.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"I know. Could you sense it too?† â€Å"No. But I saw it.† He frowned. â€Å"Rose †¦ remember when you asked about being crazy and I said you weren't?† â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I think I might have been wrong. I think you are crazy.† I nearly stopped walking. â€Å"What the hell does that mean?† â€Å"Well†¦you see, the thing is, when Lissa did the second plant†¦ her aura dimmed a little.† â€Å"That would go along with what I felt,† I said. â€Å"It was kind of like she †¦ I don't know, grew mentally fragile for a moment, kind of like she used to. But it went away.† He nodded. â€Å"Yeah, that's the thing†¦the darkness in her aura went away and into yours. Like, I've noticed before that you guys have a big difference in auras, but this time, I saw it happening. It was like that spot of darkness jumped out of hers and into yours.† Something about that made me shiver. â€Å"What does it mean?† â€Å"Well, this is why I think you're crazy. Lissa isn't having any side effects from the magic anymore, right? And you, well†¦ you've been feeling kind of short-tempered lately and you're, like, seeing ghosts.† He said the words casually, like seeing ghosts was just something that happened from time to time. â€Å"I think whatever harmful thing there is in spirit that screws with the mind is leaking out of her and into you. It's making her stay stable, and you, well†¦ as I said, you're seeing ghosts.† It was like being smacked in the face. A new theory. Not trauma. Not real ghosts. Me â€Å"catching† Lissa's madness. I remembered how she'd been at her worst, depressed and self-destructive. I remembered our former teacher, Ms. Karp, who'd also been a spirit user – and completely out of her mind enough to become Strigoi. â€Å"No,† I said in a strained voice. â€Å"That's not happening to me.† â€Å"What about your bond? You have that connection. Her thoughts and feelings creep into you †¦ why not the madness too?† Adrian's manner was typically light and curious. He didn't realize just how much this was starting to freak me out. â€Å"Because it doesn't make any – â€Å" And then, it hit me. The answer we'd been searching for this whole time. St. Vladimir had struggled his whole life with spirit's side effects. He'd had dreams and delusions, experiences he wrote off to â€Å"demons.† But he hadn't gone completely crazy or tried to kill himself. Lissa and I had felt certain that it was because he had a shadow-kissed guardian, Anna, and that sharing that bond with her had helped him. We'd assumed it was simply the act of having such a close friend around, someone who could support him and talk him through the bad times since they hadn't had antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs back then. But what if†¦ what if†¦ I couldn't breathe. I couldn't go another single moment without knowing the answer. What time was it anyway? An hour or so before curfew? I had to find out. I came to an abrupt halt, nearly slipping on the slick ground. â€Å"Christian!† The group in front of us stopped and looked back at me and Adrian. â€Å"Yeah?† Christian asked. â€Å"I need to take a detour – or rather, we do since I can't go anywhere without you. We need to go to the church.† His eyebrows rose in surprise. â€Å"What, you need to confess something?† â€Å"Don't ask questions. Please. It'll only take a few minutes.† Concern crossed Lissa's face. â€Å"Well, we can all go – â€Å" â€Å"No, we'll be fast.† I didn't want her there. I didn't want her to hear the answer I was certain I'd get. â€Å"Go to the dorm. We'll catch up. Please, Christian?† He studied me, expression oscillating between wanting to mock me and wanting to help. He wasn't a complete jerk, after all. The latter emotion won out. â€Å"Okay, but if you try to get me to pray with you, I walk.† He and I split off toward the chapel. I moved so fast that he had to scurry to keep up. â€Å"I don't suppose you want to tell me what this is about?† he asked. â€Å"Nope. I appreciate your cooperation, though.† â€Å"Always glad to help,† he said. I was certain he was rolling his eyes, but I was more focused on the path ahead. We reached the chapel, and the door was locked, unsurprisingly. I knocked on it, staring anxiously around to see if any lights shone through the windows. It didn't look like it. â€Å"You know, I've broken in here before,† said Christian. â€Å"If you need inside – â€Å" â€Å"No, more than that. I need to see the priest. Damn it, he's not here.† â€Å"He's probably in bed.† â€Å"Damn it,† I repeated, feeling only a little bad about swearing on a church's doorstep. If the priest was in bed, he'd be off in Moroi staff housing and inaccessible. â€Å"I need to – â€Å" The door opened, and Father Andrew peered out at us. He looked surprised but not upset. â€Å"Rose? Christian? Is something wrong?† â€Å"I have to ask you a question,† I told him. â€Å"It won't take long.† His surprise grew, but he stepped aside so we could enter. We all stopped and stood in the chapel's lobby, just outside the main sanctuary. â€Å"I was just about to go home for the night,† Father Andrew told us. â€Å"I was shutting everything down.† â€Å"You told me that St. Vladimir lived a long life and died of old age. Is that true?† â€Å"Yes,† he said slowly. â€Å"To the best of my knowledge. All the books I've read – including these latest ones – say as much.† â€Å"But what about Anna?† I demanded. I sounded like I was on the verge of hysteria. Which I kind of was. â€Å"What about her?† â€Å"What happened to her? How did she die?† All this time. All this time, Lissa and I had worried about Vlad's outcome. We'd never considered Anna's. â€Å"Ah, well.† Father Andrew sighed. â€Å"Her end wasn't as good, I'm afraid. She spent her whole life protecting him, though there are hints that in her old age, she started growing a little unstable too. And then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And then?† I asked. Christian was looking between the priest and me, completely lost. â€Å"And then, well, a couple months after St. Vladimir passed on, she committed suicide.† I squeezed my eyes shut for half a second and then opened them. This was what I'd been afraid of. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Father Andrew said. â€Å"I know how closely you've followed their story. I didn't even learn this about her until reading it recently. Taking one's life is a sin, of course†¦but, well, considering how close they were, it's not hard to imagine how she may have felt when he was gone.† â€Å"And you also said that she was starting to go a little crazy.† He nodded and spread his hands out. â€Å"It's hard to say what that poor woman was thinking. Many factors were probably involved. Why was this so pressing?† I shook my head. â€Å"It's a long story. Thanks for helping me.† Christian and I were halfway to the dorm before he finally asked, â€Å"What was that all about? I remember when you guys were looking into this. Vladimir and Anna were like Lissa and you, right?† â€Å"Yeah,† I said glumly. â€Å"Look, I don't want to get between you guys, but please don't tell Lissa about this. Not until I find out more. Just tell her †¦ I don't know. I'll tell her that I suddenly panicked because I thought I had more community service scheduled.† â€Å"Both of us lying to her, huh?† â€Å"I hate it, believe me. But it's also best for her at the moment.† Because if Lissa knew that she might potentially make me insane †¦ yeah, she'd take that hard. She'd want to stop working her magic. Of course, that was what I'd always wanted †¦ and yet, I'd felt that joy in her when she used it. Could I take that away from her? Could I sacrifice myself? There was no easy answer, and I couldn't start jumping to conclusions. Not until I knew more. Christian agreed to keep it secret, and by the time we joined the others, it was almost time for curfew anyway. We had only about a half hour together, and then we all split off for bed – including me, since the part-time field experience agreement said I couldn't do nighttime duty. The Strigoi risk was low in general anyway, and my instructors were more concerned about me getting a full night's sleep. So when curfew came, I walked back to the dhampir dorm alone. And then, when I was almost there, he appeared again. Mason. I came to an abrupt halt and glanced around me, wishing someone else was there to witness this and settle the crazy-or-not thing once and for all. His pearly form stood there, hands in the pockets of his coat in an almost casual way that somehow made the experience that much weirder. â€Å"Well,† I said, feeling surprisingly calm, despite the sorrow that washed over me whenever I saw him. â€Å"Glad to see you're alone again. I didn't really like the extras on the plane.† He stared, expression blank and eyes sad. It made me feel worse, guilt twisting my stomach into knots. I broke. â€Å"What are you?† I cried. â€Å"Are you real? Am I going crazy?† To my surprise, he nodded. â€Å"Which?† I squeaked. â€Å"Yes, you're real?† He nodded. â€Å"Yes, I'm crazy?† He shook his head. â€Å"Well,† I said, forcing a joke through my hurricane of emotions. â€Å"That's a relief, but honestly, what else would you say if you're a hallucination?† Mason just stared. I glanced around again, wishing someone would come by. â€Å"Why are you here? Are you mad at us and looking for revenge?† He shook his head, and something in me relaxed. Until that moment, I hadn't realized how worried I'd been about that. The guilt and grief had been wound up so tightly in me. Him blaming me – just as Ryan had – had seemed inevitable. â€Å"Are you †¦ are you having trouble finding peace?† Mason nodded and seemed to grow sadder. I thought back to his final moments and swallowed back tears. I'd probably have a hard time finding peace too, taken from my life before it began. â€Å"Is there more than that, though? Another reason you keep coming to me?† He nodded. â€Å"What?† I asked. There were too many questions lately. I needed answers. â€Å"What is it? What do I need to do?† But anything other than a yes or no question was beyond us, apparently. He opened up his mouth as though he would say something. He looked like he was trying hard, like Adrian had with the plant. But no sound came out. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I whispered. â€Å"I'm sorry I don't understand †¦ and†¦I'm sorry for everything else.† Mason gave me one last wistful look and then vanished.

Politics & The English Language-By George Orwell Essay

1: Orwell’s thesis is somewhat stated, but also implied. His thesis is that any effect can become a cause, such that something that starts as an aid for a different ailment may eventually become detrimental. 2: Orwell’s analogy of the cause and effect of alcohol abuse to the demise of lanuage in paragraph two is very effective. It shows a chain reaction, where the person starts drinking alcohol to combat a problem in their live, but then the alcohol eventually leads to more difficult problems. 3: In Paragraph 4, Orwell uses a simile to compare â€Å"phrases tacked together† to â€Å"sections of a prefabricated henhouse†. That shows how prose consists of words that aren’t necessarily chosen for their meaning, but instead just because it’s easy. In Paragraph 12, Orwell uses a similie to compare someone â€Å"choking† to â€Å"tea leaves blocking a sink†, which shows how the author knows what he wants to say, but sometimes he has too many â€Å"stale phrases† in his head. In paragraph 15, Orwell uses a similie to compare â€Å"a mass of Latin words fall upon the facts† to â€Å"soft snow†, which blurs the outlines, and covers up the details. In paragraph 16, Orwell compares â€Å"his words† to â€Å"cavalry horses answering the bugle†, which create an analogy that is effective because both words and cavalry horses are powerful. 4: Removing the extensive uses of examples in paragraphs 5, 6, 7 and 8 weakens Orwell’s argument, and makes the passage less interesting and boring to read. The examples also aid Orwell’s credibility as a writer. 5: The additional information in the footnotes in paragraphs 7 and 8 serve to clarify and expand on his ideas. I believe that he made them footnotes, as opposed to putting the additional information right in the body of the essay, because putting the information in the body of the text would take away focus from what he was writing and the points he was trying to make. 6: Orwell may not have any doctoral qualifications to speak on language, but he establishes his ethos, his ethical appeal; by using an immense amount of examples. He should not of been more direct, he proved his point quite well in the way he already wrote the essay. 7: Orwell’s essay is organized quite exquisitely. He starts the essay with a few introductory paragraphs, then he lists 5 passages where what he just states applies, which is very good at proving his point. Then he speaks on four different sections: Dying Metaphors, Operators or Verbal False Limbs, Pretentious Diction, and Meaningless Words. He uses a ridiculous amount of examples throughout his essay. 8: Orwell’s purpose in writing the essay was to show how much language and wording can affect someone’s writing. His Post-WWII knowledge could aid the essay, because during WWII both sides (Axis & Allied) used propaganda to stress their point, and their propaganda used wording effects quite frequently to get their points across. 9: Orwell’s tone varies across the passage, but he is always trying to accomplish the same goal of the wording effect on language and writing.

Mass Media in India Essay Example

Mass Media in India Essay Example Mass Media in India Essay Mass Media in India Essay Have you ever had an original thought? Why do we dress the way we do, watch what we watch or even live the way we do. Through our means of entertainment, we are guided in how one should live their life. With the technology we have in our world we are persuaded to believe what is right and what is wrong The dictionary tells us that mass media is: those means of communication that reach and influence large numbers of people. Mass media are methods of communicating to a vast amount of people around the world. Mass Media means things such as Television, Radio, Newspapers, Internet, Magazines etc; they are a means of communication to people. The mass media have a few main functions, which include informing, educating and entertaining us. Have you ever had an original thought? Why do we dress the way we do, watch what we watch or even live the way we do. Through our means of entertainment, we are guided in how one should live their life. With the technology we have in our world we are persuaded to believe what is right and what is wrong The dictionary tells us that mass media is: those means of communication that reach and influence large numbers of people. Mass media are methods of communicating to a vast amount of people around the world. Mass Media means things such as Television, Radio, Newspapers, Internet, Magazines etc; they are a means of communication to people. The mass media have a few main functions, which include informing, educating and entertaining us. Have you ever had an original thought? Why do we dress the way we do, watch what we watch or even live the way we do. Through our means of entertainment, we are guided in how one should live their life. With the technology we have in our world we are persuaded to believe what is right and what is wrong The dictionary tells us that mass media is: those means of communication that reach and influence large numbers of people. Mass media are methods of communicating to a vast amount of people around the world. Mass Media means things such as Television, Radio, Newspapers, Internet, Magazines etc; they are a means of communication to people. The mass media have a few main functions, which include informing, educating and entertaining us. Have you ever had an original thought? Why do we dress the way we do, watch what we watch or even live the way we do. Through our means of entertainment, e are guided in how one should live their life. With the technology we have in our world we are persuaded to believe what is right and what is wrong The dictionary tells us that mass media is: those means of communication that reach and influence large numbers of people. Mass media are methods of communicating to a vast amount of people around the world. Mass Media means things such as Television, Ra dio, Newspapers, Internet, Magazines etc; they are a means of communication to people. The mass media have a few main functions, which include informing, educating and entertaining us.

Giant Impacts on the Moon Fascinate Lunar Geologists

Giant Impacts on the Moon Fascinate Lunar Geologists The early history of the Earth-moon system was a very violent one. It came just over a billion or so years after the Sun and planets began to form. First, the Moon itself was created by the collision of a Mars-sized object with the infant Earth. Then, about 3.8 billion years ago, both worlds were bombarded by debris left over from the creation of the planets. Mars and Mercury still bear the scars from their impacts, too. On the Moon, the giant Orientale Basin remains as a silent witness to this  period, called the Late Heavy Bombardment. During that time, the Moon was pummeled with objects from space, and volcanoes flowed freely as well. The History of Orientale Basin The Orientale basin was formed by a giant impact some 3.8 billion years ago. It is what planetary scientists call a multi-ring impact basin. The rings formed as shock waves rippled across the surface as a result of the collision. The surface was heated and softened, and as it cooled, the ripple rings were frozen into place in the rock. The 3-ringed basin itself is about 930 kilometers (580 miles) across. The impact that created  Orientale played an important role in the early geologic history of the Moon. It was extremely disruptive and changed it  in several ways: fractured rock layers, the rocks melted under the heat, and the crust was shaken hard. The event blasted out material that fell back to the surface. As it did, older surface features were destroyed or covered up. The layers of ejecta help scientists determine the age of surface features. Because so many objects slammed into the young Moon, its a very complex story to figure out. GRAIL Studies Orientale The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) twin probes mapped variations in the Moons gravitational field. The data they gathered tell scientists about the interior arrangement of the Moon  and provided details for maps of the concentrations of mass. GRAIL performed close-up gravity scans of the Orientale basin to help scientists figure out the concentrations of mass in the region. What the planetary science team wanted to figure out was the size of the original impact basin. So, they searched for indications of the initial crater. It turned out that the original splashdown region was somewhere between the size of the two innermost rings surrounding the basin. There is no trace of the rim of that original crater, however. Instead, the surface rebounded (bounced up and down) after the impact, and the material that fell back to the Moon obliterated any trace of the original crater. The main impact excavated about 816,000 cubic miles of material. Thats about 153 times the volume of the Great Lakes in the U.S. It all fell back to the Moon, and along with the surface melting, pretty well wiped out the original impact crater ring. GRAIL Solves a Mystery One thing that intrigued scientists before GRAIL did its work was the lack of any interior material from the Moon that would have flowed up from beneath the surface. This would have happened as the impactor punched into the Moon and dug deep beneath the surface. It turns out that the initial crater likely collapsed very quickly, which sent material around the edges flowing and tumbling into the crater. That would have covered up any mantle rock that might have flowed up as a result of the impact. This explains why the rocks in Orientale basin have a very similar chemical make up as the other surface rocks on the Moon. The GRAIL team used the spacecrafts data to model how the rings formed around the original impact site and will continue to analyze the data to understand the details of the impact and its aftermath. The GRAIL probes were essentially gravitometers that measured minute variations of the gravitational field of the Moon as they passed over during their orbits. The more massive a region is, the greater its gravitational pull. These were the first in-depth studies of the gravitational field of the Moon. The GRAIL probes were launched in 2011 and ended their mission in 2012. The observations they made help planetary scientists understand the formation of impact basins and their multiple rings elsewhere on the Moon, and on other worlds in the solar system. Impacts have played a role throughout solar system history, affecting all planets, ​including Earth.

Law,Ethicsand globaisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Law,Ethicsand globaisation - Essay Example corollary to that, because a prosperous economic life could only be attained if a society embarks upon productive ventures if it is free from the risk of loss, from adverse consequence of unforeseen incidents that, with foresight and preparation, could be averted. Economic progress comes only with confidence in the future. It is for this reason that governments in progressive countries cannot afford not to plan for a comprehensive and effective fire and safety program to address the risks posed by fire and other hazards. The concentrations of people and property within a geographical area makes the consequences of a disaster, whether man-made or natural, more severe than it otherwise should have been. It is for this reason that this study shall examine the UK and UAE efforts at improved fire and rescue capability. The law on fire service implemented in the United Kingdom is embodied in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which applies to all non-domestic premises with a few, specific, exemptions. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO) supersedes the Fire Precautions Act of 1971, in effect replacing, among other things, fire certification with a general duty to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of employees from the hazards and dangers of fire. In relation to non-employees, the duty of the premises’ owner is to take such fire precautions as may be reasonably required, given the circumstances, to ascertain their safety within the premises. Furthermore, it is the duty of such owners to carry out a fire risk assessment. The novelty of the reform is that it draws together more than 100 pieces of separate legislation in force at the time. As stated earlier, it abolishes fire safety certificates for non-domestic premises, in effect transferring the burden of responsibility onto a â€Å"responsible person†, such as an employer, a building owner, occupier, or whoever has a contractual responsibility for fire

The formation of Salt Traps and their importance in the Gulf of Mexico Research Paper

The formation of Salt Traps and their importance in the Gulf of Mexico - Research Paper Example Whereas many traps can be identified, the salt dome traps will be given the greatest emphasis on this paper. When masses of salt are thrust upward with clastic rocks, they tend to block other substances that might come along porous rocks. Due to the fact that salt is impermeable, they block the hydrocarbons in the underlying permeable rocks and create a reservoir. The Gulf of Mexico is one of the leading petroleum producing provinces in the world for more than 100 years (Hudec, Jackson & Peel 77). It remains one of the most active and intensely explored regions due principally to the tight sand and shale gas which promise greater potentials into the future. The regional stratigraphy of the Gulf of Mexico has been a bit elusive due to the fact that the classification of various features has been generally impeded by the changes of oceanic processes. Nonetheless, deep water margins that occasionally exhibit salt mobility further complicate the potentials of exploration. The most critical aspects of such a program however must rely on adequate understanding of the charge, reservoir development and trap integrity for intensive exploration activities to be deployed (Gemmer et al 202). Charge refers to the time of sedimentation processes as correlated to the allochthonous emplacement of salt as well as the rate of formation of salt welds. The process of reservoir development is critical because it determines the manner of sand distribution during the process of evolution within the basin (Seldon & Flemings 202). The third consideration which is trap integrity is crucial because it is a factor directly related to how salt trap structures chan ge over time and the influence such changes may pose to petroleum migration. The region of the Gulf of Mexico is often cited as the most potential even in the 21st century as a result of the new findings from geological explorations (Fort & Jean-Pierre 270; Seldon & Flemings 202). Deep sea oil exploration traditionally

Ethical issues Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethical issues - Article Example This is whereby human resource managers face the task of making sure employees are competent to work in the decentralized setting as opposed to how it was before. Employees will have to be able to adapt to the virtual desk to incorporate the concept of flexible work arrangements are incorporated. (Misra, 2009) Another crucial challenged encountered is the global business concept which entails that with the fast growing organizations and the world becoming a global village, human resources managers should be knowledgeable about different cultures traditions and business practices so as to be at per with the globalization process. Thus, a need to keep them always informed on global and international issues. (Misra, 2009) Managing the performance of employees has also been a key area of concern as many human resource managers are not fully aware of all field expectations. Thus, they are incapable of determining performance levels of employees and as a result, fail to access level of competence of employees. Incorporation of all sub systems in human resource management has also proved to be a cog in the wheel. For efficient performance to be achieved, it is vital that the existing departments correlate in order to produce a smooth running department. (Mathis,

Cahi-DRB and DQB1 Alleles in Sirohi Goat

Cahi-DRB and DQB1 Alleles in Sirohi Goat Genetic diversity of DRB and DQB genes of caprine MHC class II in Sirohi goat G. R. Gowane, Najif Akram, S.S. Misra, Ved Prakash and Arun Kumar Running Head: CahiDRB and DQB1 alleles in Sirohi goat ABSTRACT Objective of the study was to assess the genetic diversity of the Sirohi goat for DRB and DQB1 loci and to study their association with antibody response induced by the Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) vaccine. A total of 360 Sirohi kids were studied using Single Stranded Confirmation Polymorphism (SSCP) followed by Sequence Based Typing (SBT)-PCR for DRB and DQB1 diversity. C-ELISA was used to assess immune response post PPR vaccination. Study revealed rich diversity of MHC region. A total of 18 DRB and 15 DQB1 alleles were obtained. Allele DRB*0104 and allele DQB1*0101 were most common. All the alleles reported are new. Study revealed variability in DRB and DQB1 region not only at nucleotide but also at amino acid level with high Wu-Kabat index. A total of 16 out of 89 amino acid residue sites had more than 3 amino acid substitutions in DRB. Similarly, 19 out of 86 residue sites in DQB1 had more than 3 amino acid substitutions. Positive evolutionary selection was evident in Sirohi for MHC region. Non-significant association of DRB and DQB1 genotypes with PPRV vaccine response revealed complexity of the phenotype and importance of other factors for vaccine response. Rich diversity of DRB and DQB1 gene reflects the fitness of the population and importance of this locus for future selection programs. Keywords: Cahi-DRB, Cahi-DQB1, Major histocompatibility complex, Vaccine response 1. Introduction Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) of goats is polymorphic. A few of the genes such as Caprine Leukocyte Antigen (Cahi)-DRB and Cahi-DQB1 from this complex are recently being investigated for their polymorphism and further potential association with important diseases of goat. The class II antigens encoded by MHC class II genes bind to processed peptides from extracellular antigens and present them to epitope specific CD4+ T lymphocytes. Cahi-DRB exon 2 is polymorphic so is Cahi-DQB1, due to their importance in antigen binding groove formation and evolutionary importance in antigen capture and presentation. Peptide binding site (PBS) in goat is partly coded by DRB and DQB gene. This PBS has several pockets which are highly variable and accommodate the side chains of the bound peptide. A non-synonymous change in the nucleotide sequence of the MHC DRB or DQB1 gene can substantially substitute the coding amino acid and ultimately bring conformational change in the binding groove so as to affect the efficiency of the protein to present the antigen efficiently for further processing. Several reports exists which link the variability in DRB alleles in cattle, sheep and other mammals to resistance or susceptibility to diseases. Herrmann-Hoesing et al. [1] reported that Ovar-DRB1 alleles contribute as a host genetic factor that control provirus level in sheep. Significant association of DRB1 alleles with susceptibility and resistance to Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA) was reported by Larruskain et al. [2] in sheep. However as far as studies on goat are concerned, there are very few caprine DRB and DQB1 sequences in Gene Bank. Similarly, there is a scarcity of research database for allelic association of DRB and DQB alleles with disease resistance or susceptibility in goat. It is for no surprise that even the IPD-MHC database has no space dedicated for goat MHC. Amills et al. [3] assessed the genetic variability in DRB of goat. This was followed by a few report s [4-8] to characterize DRB locus (exon 2 of DRB) in goat. Amills et al. (2004) also characterized DQB1 locus in goat, however not much work [9] has been carried out since then for its genetic polymorphism. Genetic variability in response to vaccination is likely to become an even more significant factor in designing ideal vaccines [10]. The genes identified might also be important for disease resistance traits, and could potentially provide the tools to select good responders opening the doors for potential implications in future selection programme [11,12]. The Peste des petits ruminant (PPR) being the plague of small ruminants pose heavy threat to the rural economy of India. It is caused by a PPR virus (PPRV) of the genus Morbillivirus within the family Paramyxoviridae. India constitutes a great diversity of small ruminants with 135.17 million goat and 65.07 million sheep (19th Livestock census) [13]. In PPRV endemic regions including India, control measures involve regular vaccination with live attenuated PPR virus vaccine of lineage IV, which has high antigenic stability and induce long term immune response [14]. Currently, three live attenuated PPR vaccines (Sungri/96, Arasur/87 and CBE/97 stains) are available in India for prevention of this disease, of which, Sungri/96, developed by ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Mukteswar has undergone extensive field trial [15-17]. It is possible that the vaccine induced protection across individuals is not homogenous, wherein, vaccine gives a complete protection for a proportion of individuals while rest acquire only incomplete (leaky) protection of varying magnitude [18]. Variable vaccine response in the population has been reported for several diseases in humans as well as animals [19-27]. Role of host genetics and other non-genetic factors in variation to vaccine response especially for PPR vaccine has not been studied till today in details. The importance of host genetics in vaccine response studies is important as genetic variability may influence vaccine response and hence confound vaccine efficacy studies. Objective of the present study is to decipher the Cahi-DRB and Cahi-DQB1 polymorphisms in detail using sequence based typing polymerase chain reaction (SBT-PCR) and to associate the variation obtained with PPR vaccine elicited immune response in Sirohi goat kids maintained at the farm condition in semi-arid region of India. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1 Animals The study population was a flock of purebred Sirohi goats. The flock was located at ICAR-Central Sheep Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar in the semi-arid region of Rajasthan, India at 75025â‚ ¬Ã‚ ²E, 26018â‚ ¬Ã‚ ²N, at an altitude of 320 m above mean sea level. The data for the experiment involved 360 Sirohi goat kids. All the animals under the study belonged to same age group, i.e. weaner with mean age at vaccination 142.43 days (SD = 14.67). All the animals in this flock were kept under semi-intensive management system.   Concentrate mixture was offered ad libitum to suckling kids from 15 days of age till weaning (90 days). After 3 weeks of age till weaning, kids were sent for grazing for 3 h each in morning and evening, but not along with their dams. During the post-weaning period in addition to 8-10 h grazing and dry fodder supplementation, 300 g of concentrate mixture was provided in the evening hours after browsing. The grazing area consisted of forestland with natur al fodder trees like Khejri (Prosopis cineraria), Ardu (Ailanthus spp.), and Neem (Azadirecta indica). Bushes and surface vegetation including the improved pastures of Cenchrus ciliarisis are also available. Due to scarce grazing resources from March to June, the goats were supplemented with hay of Cenchrus, Cowpea, and Dolichos; pala leaves (Zizyphus) and fodder tree lopping. 2.2 Amplification and typing of DRB alleles Whole blood (1 ml) was collected aseptically from the jugular vein of lambs for DNA isolation (GenElute Blood Genomic DNA Kit, SIGMA) according to the manufacturers instructions. Exon 2 of the DRB gene was amplified from genomic DNA using the primers as suggested by Amills et al. [3], where DRB.1: 5-TATCCCGTCTCTGCAGCACATTTC-3 and DRB.2: 5-TCGCCGCTGCACACTGAAACTCTC-3 primers were used for amplifying 285 bp product. The reaction mixture of 50ÃŽÂ ¼l comprised of: 10X Taq Buffer (05ÃŽÂ ¼l), 25mM MgCl2 (03ÃŽÂ ¼l), 10mM dNTP (1ÃŽÂ ¼l), 20 pmol (1ÃŽÂ ¼l) of each primer, Taq DNA Polymerase (1IU), Template (1ÃŽÂ ¼l) and Nuclease Free Water (NFW) to make 50ÃŽÂ ¼l. The thermal profile was optimized for amplification of the DRB exon2 as follows: Initial denaturation (94 °C for 4 min), followed by 35 cycles (denaturation for 94 °C for 60 s, annealing at 66 °C for 60s and extension at 72 °C for 60s) and a final extension at 72 °C for 5 min. A single clear band of 285 bp on agarose gel (2%) was obtained. The amplified products were subjected to Single Stranded Confirmation Polymorphism (SSCP) for determination of the genotypic variation [28]. The samples were then grouped according to various genotypes as obtained on the SSCP gel. The representative samples were then again amplified using the PCR protocol as above and purified PCR products (GenElute„ ¢ Gel Extraction Kit, SIGMA) were sequenced by BigDye (Applied Biosystems, USA) sequencing reaction that exploits di-deoxy chain termination principle. The PCR-Sequence Based Typing (PCR-SBT) was used for further analysis. The homozygous sequences obtained were assigned an allelic name using nomenclature system as suggested by Ballingall and Tassi [29] to suit IPD MHC nomenclature system. The heterozygote samples were re-sequenced after cloning (InsTAclone PCR Cloning Kit, Thermo Fisher) to obtain one allele that was subsequently used to deduce another allele in heterozygous sample. Novel alleles were cloned, sequenced and confir med at least thrice. The amino acids at pocket positions were determined from the nucleotide sequences of the alleles using EditSeq software package V5.0 [30]. Alleles which were derived and not confirmed in SBT-PCR were not named. 2.3 Amplification and typing of DQB1 alleles Exon 2 of the DQB1 gene was amplified from genomic DNA using the primers as described by Amills et al. [31], where DQB-F: 5- CCC CGC AGA GGA TTT CGT G -3 and DQB-R: 5- ACC TCG CCG CTG CCA GGT -3 primers were used for amplifying 280 bp product having 8bp intron1, 270bp exon2 and 2bp intron2. The reaction mixture of 50ÃŽÂ ¼l comprised of: 10X Taq Buffer (05ÃŽÂ ¼l), 25mM MgCl2 (03ÃŽÂ ¼l), 10mM dNTP (1ÃŽÂ ¼l), 20 pmol (1ÃŽÂ ¼l) of each primer, Taq DNA Polymerase (1IU), Template (1ÃŽÂ ¼l) and Nuclease Free Water (NFW) to make 50ÃŽÂ ¼l. The thermal profile was optimized for amplification of the DQB exon2 as follows: Initial denaturation (94 °C for 4 min), followed by 35 cycles (denaturation for 94 °C for 45 s, annealing at 67 °C for 45s and extension at 72 °C for 45s) and a final extension at 72 °C for 5 min. A single clear band of 280 bp on agarose gel (2%) was obtained. The amplified products were subjected to Single Stranded Confirmation Polymorphism (SSCP ) for determination of the genotypic variation [28]. The samples were then grouped according to various genotypes as obtained on the SSCP gel. The PCR-SBT approach was used for analysis. Alleles were named as per requirements of the IPD-MHC database [29], derived alleles were not named. 2.4 PPR Vaccination, Sampling and ELISA for detection of antibody against PPRV vaccine As part of the scheduled vaccination program, the animals were vaccinated (1 ml subcutaneous) with freeze dried live attenuated PPR virus (Sungri 96 strain) vaccine with PPR virus titre †°Ã‚ ¥ 102.5 TCID50 (Raksha-PPR, Indian Immunologicals, India).   Whole blood was collected aseptically by jugular vein puncture from the kids at 28 days post vaccination (28DPV) for serum separation. Serum was collected and stored at ˆ’20- ¦C until testing. The ELISA for further analysis was done as described earlier [27]. 2.6 Statistical Analysis The allelic frequencies, genotypic frequencies, phylogenetic analysis and residue substitution was studied using Microsoft excel package of the MS office (2010) and EditSeq (DNA STAR) software. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using MEGA 4.0, neighbor joining method. To assess the effect of genotype on vaccine response (observed PI values), a General Linear Model (GLM) was used that included Cohort (2 levels), Sex (2 levels), age at vaccination (continuous) as fixed effects along with either DRB or DQB1 genotype. All the above analyses were performed using a statistical package SPSS [32]. 2.7 The dn/ds ratio and Wu Kabat variability index The frequencies of non-synonymous (dn) versus synonymous (ds) substitutions were calculated by the method of Yang and Nielsen [33] with the help of software PAML 4 [34]. The Wu Kabat variability index with respect to amino acids at peptide binding pockets was calculated using the formula given by Wu and Kabat [35]. Index =  Ã‚  Ã‚   The number of different amino acids occurring at a given position  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Frequency of the most common amino acid at the position Where, frequency of the common amino acid is obtained as number of times the most common amino acid occurs divided by the total number of protein examined. 3. Results and Discussion 3.1 Genetic variability for DRB Sirohi goat kids (N=360) were typed for DRB exon 2. A total of 18 new alleles were obtained after analysis in the population using SBT-PCR approach (Table 1). Out of the 18 alleles, 12 alleles were confirmed by cloning and sequencing, however 6 were derived using SBT-PCR. All 12 alleles were new and named as per the requirements of the Immuno-Polymorphism Database (IPD) following guidelines [29]. Alleles were Cahi-DRB*0701  Ã‚   (accession no. KX431913), Cahi-DRB*0104  Ã‚   (accession no. KX431914), Cahi-DRB*0402 (accession no. KX431915), Cahi-DRB*0102  Ã‚   (accession no. KX431916), Cahi-DRB*0202  Ã‚   (accession no. KX431917), Cahi-DRB*0501 (accession no. KX431918), Cahi-DRB*0401 (accession no. KX431919), Cahi-DRB*0103 (accession no. KX431920), Cahi-DRB*0203 (accession no. KX431921), Cahi-DRB*0101 (accession no. KX431922), Cahi-DRB*0201 (accession no. KX431923) and Cahi-DRB*0601 (accession no. KX431924). A total of 6 new alleles were derived using PCR-SBT approach, however not given names as per IPD-MHC nomenclature (N7, N11, N13, N16, N17, N18). Allele CahiDRB*0104 had highest frequency 29.72% followed by *0701 allele (22.64%), *0202 (13.89%) and *0102 (11.25%). In congruence with our finding, rich diversity of this region has been reported earlier in different goat breeds worldwide [3-8]. However, most of the studies were carried out using Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) PCR, whereas, the current method of SSCP followed by SBT-PCR has more power to detect the genetic variability at DRB in goat. The ratio of non-synonymous (dN) to synonymous (dS) substitution for DRB gene in the Sirohi goat population was 3.24. This ratio was significantly greater than 1 indicating positive evolutionary selection for DRB gene in the present populations. However, the results are read with caution as the evidence is presumed and not absolute, due to lack of evidence for Capra species. It may be impossible to infer the selection pressure from the dN/dS measurement [36]. In another study, 11.1 ratio for dN/dS was recorded in Peptide Binding Region of 12 Chinese indigenous goats for DRB*02 sequences [6]. PBR being polymorphic, its importance is seen here. According to Simmons et al. [37], the long-term evolution, ancient and silent mutations also carried with translated mutations and became maintained in these regions. Pathogen-host interaction is complex, according to the Red Queen hypothesis [38], to be a part of this competition, diversity of MHC is important from hosts perspective. Plotting the phylogenetic tree for allelic relationship at nucleotide level revealed that the diversity was large (Fig 1). Clustering of the alleles revealed that some alleles tended to form closer clusters than others. Fig 2 reveals the amino acid variation between the alleles and it is seen that the population is polymorphic at coding region too, thus providing enough raw material for Sirohi goat population to tackle the pathogen variability. Study found that alleles DRB*0101, *0102, *0103 and *0104 had less than or equal to 4 codon change and hence clubbed together in one family. Derived allele *N18 also formed member of this group due to similarity of amino acid sequence. Similarly, alleles *0201, *0202, and *0203 had less than 4 amino acid differences. Alleles *0401 and *0402 had less than 4 amino acid differences, whereas, alleles *0501, *0601 and *0701 differed by more than 4 amino acid differences from each group. Predicted allele *N7 was related to *0701 due to similarity at amino acid level. Derived alleles *N11, *N13 and *N17 formed a group separate from others, similarly derived allele *N16 formed a different group. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that clustering based on nucleotide similarity and differences remained almost similar to clustering based on amino acid differences. 3.2 Genetic variability for DQB1 Sirohi goat kids (N=339) were typed for DQB1 exon 2. A total of 15 new alleles were obtained after analysis in the population using SBT-PCR approach (Table 1). Out of the 15 alleles, 13 alleles were confirmed by cloning and sequencing, however 2 were derived using SBT-PCR. All 13 alleles were new and named as per the requirements of the IPD [30]. Alleles were CahiDQB1*0101 (Accession number KX431925), CahiDQB1*0201 (Accession number KX431926), CahiDQB1*0301 (Accession number KX431927), CahiDQB1*0302 (Accession number KX431928), CahiDQB1*0103 (Accession number KX431929), CahiDQB1*0501 (Accession number KX431930), CahiDQB1*0104 (Accession number KX431931), CahiDQB1*0701 (Accession number KX431932), CahiDQB1*0801 (Accession number KX431933), CahiDQB1*0102 (Accession number KX431934), CahiDQB1*070101 (Accession number KX431935), CahiDQB1*0502 (Accession number KX431936) andCahiDQB1*0202 (Accession number KX431937). A total of 2 new alleles were derived using PCR-SBT approach, however not given names as per IPD-MHC nomenclature (*N2, *N3). Allele CahiDQB1*0101 had highest frequency 27.22% followed by *070101 allele (13.02%), *N2 (11.69%) and *0201 (11.54%). Very high genetic diversity for this region has also been reported earlier [3, 31]. Similar diversity is also observed in sheep and cattle DQB1 region, however for goat there are very few studies. This study is the first report for DQB1 diversity in any Indian goat breed. To study the evolutionary stability or instability of the DQB1 region in Sirohi goat, the ratio of non-synonymous (dN) to synonymous (dS) substitution for Sirohi goat has been studied. We found that the ratio was 1.08. Yakubu et al. [9] reported a ratio of 2.14 in Nigerian goat breeds.   Results reveal balancing selection in favour of variability at DQB1 in Sirohi goat. Phylogenetic analysis for alleles reported that the diversity at nucleotide level was large (Fig 1). There was a clustering of alleles for their nucleotide substitutions and thus clubbing in one or the other family. Fig 3 reveals the amino acid variation between the alleles and it is seen that the population is polymorphic at coding region. Alleles DQB1*0101, *0102, *0103 and *0104 were in one group as they had less than 4 amino acid changes. Similarly, alleles *0201, *0202, and *0203 had less than 4 amino acid differences. Alleles *0201 and *0202 formed another family, alleles *0301 and *0302 formed separate family, and alleles 0501 and 0502 were clubbed together. It was seen that derived alleles N3 had similarity at amino acid level with allele *0201, indicative of synonymous substitution at nucleotide level.   Alleles *0701 and 070101 were in one family and they did not have a single amino acid substitution. However, they had synonymous differences at nucleotide level that resul ted in the no change at peptide level. Derived allele *N2 was related with *N3, however placed in separate group due to differences at amino acid level. 3.3 Association of DRB and DQB1 genes with PPRV vaccine elicited immune response Results of C-ELISA on sera samples at 28DPV revealed mean PI value of 69.99 ±0.42 (Min 13.32, max 91.60) with minimum PI 35.12 and maximum PI 98.82.  Ã‚   Average   age   at vaccination   was   142.43    ±Ã‚   14.67   days   with   minimum   age   93 days   and maximum   age   164   days.   Variability in the vaccine response was evident in the lambs.   Frequency distribution of Ovar-DRB and DQB1 alleles revealed rich diversity amongst Sirohi goat. A total of 16 DRB genotypes and 16 DQB1 genotypes were observed to be present in the population of Sirohi goat flock. For association analysis, genotypes with >5 occurrences in the population (11 genotypes in DRB and 12 genotypes in DQB1) were only used to avoid biased estimates. Genotypic association analysis was carried out to assess the effect of genotype (Table 2) along with other environmental factors on vaccine response in Sirohi goat sheep. In the DRB group (N=299), Genotype I(DRB*0104-*0104) had highest frequency (30.10%) followed by genotype A(DRB*0701-*0701) 22.07% and genotype M(DRB*0202-*0202) 13.38%. In the DQB1 group (N=298), highest frequency was obtained for genotype E(DQB1*0801-*0801) 20.13%, followed by genotype J(DQB1*0301-*0101) 14.43% and genotype G(DQB1*0502-*0502) 11.41%. In the model that studied the effect of DRB genotype along with other environmental factors such as cohort, sex of the animal and age group, on vaccine response, explained 63.6% variation (R2=0.636). The genotypic association study revealed non-significant (P = 0.606) effect of genotype on 28DPV PI value, whereas significant effect of cohort and age at vaccination. However, ranking of genotypes revealed that the genotype L(DRB*0102-*0102) gave highest response for PPRV vaccination at 28th day (Table 2) followed by genotype J(DRB*0402-*0402) and A(DRB*0701-*0701).   Lowest response was obtained for the genotype E(DRB*0201-*0201) preceded by D(DRB*0101-*N13) and I(DRB*0104-*0104). It was noteworthy that alleles in high ranking genotypes were exclusive to low ranking genotypes. Effect of genotype was non-significant on the vaccine response, however, the trend was visible with increasing rank and declining mean PI for 28DPV (Table 2). The variability within DRB region of Sirohi goat population was calculated using the Wu-Kabat Variability Index (Table 3). The ability of a pocket to anchor a peptide is due to the electrostatic charges of the pocket region and electrostatic charges of the peptide [39]. Out of several amino acid positions in DRB, a total of 16 different amino acid positions were polymorphic with three or more than 3 amino acid differences (residue 6, 21, 32, 35, 37, 52, 61, 62, 65, 66, 68, 69, 72, 73, 76 and 81). The region revealed Wu-Kabat index varying from 2.20 to 6.95. Highest index was observed at residue 6 (6.95%), followed by ÃŽÂ ²65 (6.41%) and ÃŽÂ ²73 (5.94%).   Present results corroborates with the earlier observations in sheep breeds [41, 42], where positive selection at important residues in DRB1 amino acid sequence was observed. In DQB1 group, again the inclusive model could explain 62% of the total variation in the 28DPV vaccine response trait (R2=0.62). The model included sex, age and cohort of the animal along with the DQB1 genotype. The effect of genotype was non-significant (P = 0.868), however, the effect of cohort and age at vaccination were highly significant (PDQB1*0104-*0701) gave highest response for PPRV vaccination at 28th day (Table 2) followed by Genotype E(DQB1*0801-*0801) and I(DQB1*0201-*0201). Lowest response was obtained for the genotype D(DQB1*0101-*N3) preceded by A(DQB1*0101-*0101) and then by F(DQB1*070101-*070101). Alleles in low ranking genotypes and high ranking genotypes were exclusive to each other and hence represent the allelic substitution as an effect for change in the vaccine response. The variability within DQB1 region of Sirohi goat population was calculated using the Wu-Kabat Variability Index (Table 4).Our result suggest a lot of interesting sites in the amino acid structure of the DQB1, where substitution has taken place. The Wu-Kabat index reveal variability starting from 2.67 at ÃŽÂ ²29, ÃŽÂ ²60 to 7.19 at ÃŽÂ ²81. A total of 19 residues in the translated sequence of DQB1 were found to be polymorphic with at least three amino acid substitutions. Similar results were reported by Amills et al. (2004), where many amino acid residues within and outside the pockets were found to be polymorphic in nature. In present study, although a significant association of these substitutions with vaccine response is not observed, but variability of the region is well explored. Many factors influence the vaccine response as a trait in mammals. Role of environmental factors as well as other MHC and non-MHC genes is important, however apart from that the nature of the responding variable is also one of the most important criteria to look for in such analysis. PPR vaccine is a strong antigen and its invasion produces a cascade of reactions responsible for antibody production. In our earlier study [27], 94.92% Sirohi kids were observed to be protected with a single dose of PPRV vaccine. Therefore in spite of having variability within the protected category, the differences between the animals is not much and hence association of minor change in the phenotype vis a vis genotype is not visible.   There are several studies which revealed the effect of QTLs and non-genetic factors in detail showing the role of non-MHC genes and environmental influences on vaccine response [12,26,27,42,]. In goat, only one study [8] could show significant association of DRB gene p olymorphism obtained by PCR-RFLP with Johnes disease. Apart from this there are no studies which reveal association of MHC genotypes with disease resistance or susceptibility in goat. 4. Conclusion The genetic variability of DRB and DQB1 gene in Sirohi goat revealed a very rich diversity of this locus with positive evolutionary trend. Our study provide first description of the evidence of such a strong diversity of MHC in Indian goat breed for DRB and DQB region. Due to complex nature of the phenotype, i.e. vaccine response, and good response to the antigen used, association with studied loci was not observed. Apart from this several factors apart from MHC also affected the outcome of the response. Observed variability within the DRB and DQB1 loci reveals potential of the breed for combating several antigenic attacks and hence importance of the studied region in antigen capture and presentation to T cells. Acknowledgements Authors duly acknowledge Department of Biotechnology (GOI) for project grant to carry out the desired work. Authors are thankful to the Director ICAR-CSWRI for providing facilities for carrying out the work. Authors are also thankful to AICRP on Goat for funding the project on Sirohi goat at ICAR-CSWRI Avikanagar. Conflict of Interest Statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. 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