Darwins Nightmare Essay Example

Darwins Nightmare Essay Vladimir Lenin was one of the most influential political thinkers of his time. He took over the Russian Government with the ideas of Marx and ruled the country he thought fit. Lenin is known for his idea of Leninism which he believed the workers should be dictated by the vanguard party. Another idea that Lenin is known for is his theory on imperialism. The meaning of imperialism is when a state or a person begins to take control or have an influence of power over another state or persons. Lenin’s idea of imperialism was the new state of capitalism. The movie Darwin’s Nightmare many look at it as an economical piece but in fact it also has imperialism that Lenin believed would happen to countries over time. Lenin had 5 different points of imperialism and the movie hits every point. The first point or definition that Lenin explains about imperialism is how monopolies play a large role in economic life. In the movie the big fish factories are not ran by the people of Tanzania, but by Indian foreigners. These factories may not be considered huge monopolies, but maybe semi-monopolies. We will write a custom essay sample on Darwins Nightmare specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Darwins Nightmare specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Darwins Nightmare specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer These factories have to compete with the larger factories that have the best fish in the world, but in fact the Nile River shown in this movie has the richest fish known as the Perch, that many in Europe would pay a pretty penny for. The second aspect of imperialism that Lenin explains is that imperialism would cause a development of financial oligarchy. Financial oligarchy means that the monopolistic elitist have control over the financial capital in the economic and political countries during their imperialistic stage. The movie shows how the factories have control not over the people but also the government as well. The factories bring in revenue for the country but it does not help the people that have HIV or the people living on the streets. The women have to work as prostitutes sleeping with the pilots who take the fish from their country, which puts these women at risk for HIV and puts their lives at risk because the jobs in this country are very scarce. These monopolies do not help the people of the country. These people could be eating this fish that their catching but instead they give it to the factories for them to make money. Then there is the black market for the remains of the fish which are the head and other non-rich parts of the fish. This shows how controlled the country is by the monopolies that even the remains of the fish need to be paid for. Lenin explains that the banks have control of industry, but in the case of this film there are no banks that have control over the industry. The film does not show the banks but even if there are half decent banks in this country they are probably over ran by the government which is then over ran by the monopolies. The third example of imperialism that Lenin explains is the export of capital is of great importance. The movie is based on export of capital all the way to the end. The monopolies depend on the planes to come and pick up the fish so that they can receive their money. During Lenins writing on imperialism most commodities were developed in the advanced capital states and then exported to the rest of the world. There has been a change to that, now a days the bigger capitalistic states move their production to smaller Third World countries. This is what we see in the film, the Indians run and control the fish markets, paying the people who work there very little. They then export the fish to the countries that will pay top dollar for the fish such as Great Britain and Russia, so in the end the people running the factories make more. Lenins forth example of imperialism was that the world would be divided up among international trusts. This means that the international cartels would divide up the world based on the industry. The capitalist states would run all the smaller states making a profit off of their products. In the end the world would have a world market which then would form international cartels. Lenin condemned the formation of international cartels because he believed they would over take the Third World countries. This is not completely true in todays world but in the future it may come again. In the movie it does show signs of what Lenin is talking about. The country is divided and ran by foreigners for the most part but it only shows a few cultures that make a profit off of the fish industry. The Russians and Indians that are shown in the movie have the higher paying jobs in the film. The people unfortunately, who live in this country depend on the fish factories for them to receive any type of income. If the factories were to close down the men and women of this country would have less work than they have now. More women would turn to prostitution which would in turn spread more diseases. Lenins final example of imperialism is the worlds division of territories is completed. This means that the Great Powers divide the world into territories hunting for raw materials for their countries to stay in power. They take control of the small countries who have little capitalism and begin to take over their materials such as oil or in the case of the film their fish. This small country of Tanzania was taken over by the Indian culture for their fish so they could export it and make a profit for themselves. This country has little capitalism so it was easy for the foreigners to come in and take it over. The government probably is paid off by these factories so that they can stay in the country. Darwins Nightmare also shows issues of globalization and colonialism. The people of this poor country have to put themselves in harms way so those of the European countries can dine off of their fish. This shows how what the world has come to, instead of countries trying to help these people fight diseases and develop jobs so they can make a living they have forced them into starvation

,ms f,m ,mf s Essay

,ms f,m ,mf s Essay ,ms f,m ,mf s Essay A huge crowd took the streets of Caracas late Monday in a night-time rally against insecurity in Venezuela. People of different ages attended the event featuring opposition candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski that was held eastern Caracas. At some point during the rally, the opposition leader addressed himself to the audience and said, "This is the country we want to build; where we all can walk without any fear." Capriles said that in view that the Government does not lead to any change, then, it was time to change the administration. "Changing that reality will depend on each of you. This is a struggle for the future and life. I invite you to join me to fight united." violence The room is filled with a sweet aroma wafting from the kitchen, but the scene is bitter. Three women sit on a bench; two of them stare and listen intently at the one sitting in the middle. She points at some parts in her body, pulls up her clothes and thereby exposes some bruises and scrapes. "He hit me here, and here. He did all this to me," she sobs. She exposes one side of her torso and then the other side. She is at a turning point in her life where she can be spared another beating, maybe the last and final one. Venezuelan opposition umbrella group MUD said on Wednesday that demagogy and destruction of the country has been the results of the first 100 days of Nicols Maduro leading Venezuela. The group stated that in terms of security, "fake promises" by President Maduro

Article Review-how Collectivism affect management(International Essay

Article Review-how Collectivism affect management(International Management) - Essay Example Firstly, the majority of existing inquiries studied the issue within formal organizational setting while Van Dyne and colleagues examined organizational citizenship of residents in a housing cooperative setting where roles were not influenced by traditional employee-employer work relationships. Secondly, the study not only looked at the mere relationship between collectivism and propensity to trust and OC, but also explored the process that links the antecedents to OC. Van Dyne identified one mediator (Organization-based self-esteem) and one moderator (organizational tenure) to provide insight into the process that links these antecedents with organizational citizenship. The study involved almost 1500 participants, was conducted in two stages with 6 months between them. During the first stage the authors measured collectivism, propensity to trust, organization-based self-esteem, and the control variables using specific questionnaires. The second stage was dedicated to measuring the dependent variable, organizational citizenship. The results largely supported Van Dyne’s hypotheses and demonstrated that in non-formal organizational setting individual differences between participants (collectivism and propensity to trust) have substantial influence on OC. In particular, the authors discovered that after accounting for the effects of the main control variables including national citizenship, cooperative, and in-role behavior, both hypothesized antecedents positively correlated with subsequent OCB measured six months later. Besides, the role of organizational-based self-esteem (OBSE) as valid mediator of the effects of collectivism and propensity to trust on OC was confirmed, while organizational tenure moderated the relationship between the propensity to trust and self-esteem. Interestingly, tenure was not found to moderate the relationship between collectivism and OBSE. Usefulness analysis carried

Answering history questions Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answering history questions - Term Paper Example The Soviets would dominate Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania; Britain would control Greece; Yugoslavia would be shared by both countries. The country which was NOT mentioned at all in the bargain was Finland, of vital importance to Stalin. (3pts) 6. By early November, 1944, the Red Army, after victories in Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, reached the gates of Budapest, Hungary. Hungarian and German troops mounted a savage defense of the city; capitulation came in February 1945. (3pts) 7. ___(C)_____ Select the letter which represents the accurate chronology?(a. Failed coup against Hitler , Soviet recognition of the Polish â€Å"Lublin† or communist government , Allied capture of Cherbourg, Allied capture of Rome, Operation Overlord b. Allied Capture of Cherbourg, Allied Capture of Rome, Operation Overlord, Failed coup against Hitler, Soviet recognition of the Polish â€Å"Lublin† or communist government c. Operation Overlord , Allied Capture of Cherbourg , Failed coup against Hitler, Soviet recognition of Polish â€Å"Lublin† or communist government d. Allied capture of Rome , Operation Overlord, Allied Capture of Cherbourg, Failed coup against Hitler, Soviet recognition of the Polish â€Å"Lublin† or communist government. The airborne operation emerged mainly as a result of the 1944 operation overlord’s success, as well as the consequent Battle of Normandy. The worsening of the allied supply phenomenon and the increasing rivalries and conflicts during the time, called for the formation of an airborne solution. A number of reasons can be attributed to the failure of the Operation Market garden. Such reasons include poor planning, lack of proper and sufficient machinery, lack of enough aircrafts, errors in decision making, the destruction of the railway-bridge, harsh weather conditions, technical problems that, for example, resulted into poor communication, and generally, the overly optimistic

AR 364 HISTORY OF ART(print based) Research Paper

AR 364 HISTORY OF ART(print based) - Research Paper Example Every man is an artist. Every individual has a way to voice out what is going on inside of him and loose it out in ways that would make an impact to whoever perceives. Art as an expression reflects what is happening in a certain society and culture. If art is a work output, then it must come from inside of the artist. The freedom of every individual lets him explore the vastness of his creativity exploding into varied concepts of supreme work of art and achievements. Historically, art has evolved through time and culture. Since the evolution of human history, art is already present. Early artworks were seen on the caves and rocks. They were aesthetically basic, devoid of colors, no definite forms and lacking in medium. Regardless of their simplicity, they are renowned important due to the message and content that they carry. What they have done is considered supreme and historically significant. Their art is their way of expression of what they perceive in their nature. Due to their simple cave wall caricatures and sketches, man’s civilization was traced. The message of an artwork reveals the environment at certain point in the history. There is a dynamic relationship of the artist with the environment, whether internal or external. With all his intellect, emotions, and religious beliefs, he freely cast out what he infers from his system. There are various factors that affect the artist’s works such as geographical, historical, religion, politics, and other day to day happenings can make artists resolved into expressions painted in canvasses to portray soundless words. This symbiotic human cycle produces a total artwork that is directed into shaping the world creating history and directing the course of the future. Art has been evident since the early period of Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic period in 30,000 BC to 2,000 BC. Man has expressed what they perceived from nature through

Assessment Frameworks of Multiple Stressors

Assessment Frameworks of Multiple Stressors A review of environmental and human health risk assessment frameworks of multiple stressors: the case of endocrine disruptors Abstract This review is a compilation of the recommended approaches and methods for the development of a risk assessment framework of multiple stressors. Some of the driving forces contributing to address this subject are the current demands of stakeholders like the drinking water industry, the society and regulators of evaluating the risks of mixtures of contaminants that may harm human beings and the environment. Therefore, our work aims at exploring the possibility of integrating within the risk assessment, environmental, human and societal aspects, acknowledging new international regulations and policies for the safe use of chemicals which enforce the integrative study of the hazards of multiple chemicals on humans and the environment throughout their life-cycle. We chose the group of compounds called endocrine disruptors as an example of multiple stressors because of their emerging relevance and the fact that they usually integrate complex mixtures, originate from multiple sources and ex ist in several environmental compartments, generating adverse effects on receptors through different routes and pathways. Their actions may be severe chronic and long-term modifications of the normal development and reproduction patterns of the individual and/or its progeny, eventually representing systemic risks at the population level which may affect sustainability and biodiversity. Due to the ubiquity of these chemicals, it is necessary to address the inclusion of human beings as potential receptors and deal with risk assessment in an integrated manner. As endocrine disruptors may provoke differentiated responses relative to the developmental stage, acting through varied mechanisms and at very low concentrations, with the particularity that their toxicokinetics may present sometimes unusual dose-response curves, might challenge long-term predictions and hazard characterization, adding to risk assessment uncertainties. References to the current methodologies including the applica ble bioassays, chemical analysis, modeling, statistics tools and equations to calculate joint effects considering the interactions of toxicants within a mixture are also discussed in this review. KEY WORDS: risk assessment, endocrine disruptors, multiple stressors 1. Introduction The aim of this review is to analyze the risk assessment frameworks and current practices, the integration of environmental and human health methodologies, the effects evaluation and how to assess the risk of complex mixtures of chemicals. Assessing the risks of multiple stressors for human health and the environment arises from the realization that biological and physical stressors usually coexist in complex mixtures in the natural and constructed environment, sometimes generating impacts on living creatures. Historically, since the publication in 1962 of the book â€Å"Silent Spring†, by Rachel Carson, a warning on the deleterious actions on wildlife of persistent toxicants, such as DDT, which caused a decrease of birds in Pennsylvania, became presentwas recognised among the scientific world, the media and the society. More recently, the research by Dr. Theo Colborn on the reproductive disorders of predators in the Great Lakes of North America and her book, published in 1996 â€Å"Our Stolen Future† co-authored by herself with Dianne Dumanoski and John Peterson Myers, was able to generate public awareness on the threats that EDCs might pose to human beings and the environment. Some of the driving forces for writing this review are the demands of stakeholders represented by the community, the NGOs, the health and environmental regulators, the manufacture industrial sector and the drinking water companies. For instance, the European Environment and Health Strategy emphatically stresses the gaps in knowledge related to risk assessment methodologies that include foetuses, infants and children and calls for the precautionary principle within the strategy for environmental contaminants, for which there is a sufficient level of scientific evidence at the effect level (e.g. molecular, cellular, or tissue-related) to show the likelihood of health impacts. Not enough information exists on the link between emissions of dioxins and PCBs and other substances and their accumulation in ecosystems and foodstuffs. The need for research on the understanding of the links between environmental factors and certain diseases is recognized, but, due to the complexity of the issue , the immediate action is to gather evidence in order to concrete measures to protect human health and the environment. Many reports are able to demonstrate through laboratory experiments and field surveys that exposure of animals to chemicals released into the environment exert reproductive or developmental effects on the individual and its off-spring, affecting the viability of the species at a population level (Colborn and Smolen 1997). As a matter of fact, these kind of adverse effects have been observed in wildlife and many of them can be attributed to the exposure to man-made chemicals. The cause-effect relationship is still controversial in human beings, but still a matter of concern due to the severity of probable harm that could affect individuals and populations. Thus, regulatory decisions must be informed by risk assessment on this important topic (Fenner-Crisp 2000). Endocrine-mediated effects may be more relevant in populations rather than in individuals. As there is still not consensus about a cause-effect relationship, it is recommended a science-based precautionary approach to protect public health. Further research is needed to demonstrate effects and carry out birth defect registries and epidemiology studies designed to track delayed effects of environmental exposures (Solomon and Schettler 2000). The classical paradigm of human health risk assessment authored by the National Research Council (NRC, 1983) is composed of four steps: hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment and risk characterization. This paradigm was modified in 1994 to include characterization of each component. One of the approaches considered by some authors as best suited for developing a risk assessment of multiple stressors is a cumulative risk assessment framework, which may include societal aspects with participatory involvement of stakeholders (Gentile and Harwell 2001; Callahan and Sexton 2007; USEPA 2003). The global trend towards a policy-driven integration applied to risk assessment, demanded by regulations on safety of chemicals and industrial operations should ideally include a multiplicity of stressors, compartments, geographical scales, and end-points (Assmuth and Hildà ©n 2008). For example, the new European Union Regulation on chemicals and its safe use (REACH, EC 1907/2006) enforces linking risks to human health and the environment for chemicals throughout their life cycle. In United States, the Environmental Protection Agency, still discusses both topics separately because of practical reasons, but acknowledging the need to integrate them. An overview of the most suitable risk assessment frameworks is described in this literature review, focusing on the case of mixtures of reproductive endocrine disruptors. Matters that differentiate this topic are also presented, regarding particularities in mechanistic and toxicokinetics aspects and some of the sources of uncertainties and confounding factors. Developing a novel approach to the classical risk assessment scheme is also a goal, with the intention of contributing to design a risk assessment framework comprising a choice of tests, models, computational and statistical tools. 2. Hazard identification In this stage the nature of the hazard is described taking into account toxicity data. The hazard can then be characterized deriving numerical values of acceptability of the risk, based on mechanisms of action, biological extrapolation, dose-response and dose-effect relationships, and related uncertainties (Fenner-Crisp, 2003). 2.1. Nature of the hazard Endocrine disruptors (EDCs) are substances that interfere with the endocrine system by changing homeostasis and producing developmental effects and/or diminishing the fertility of the organisms. EDCs include a broad range of substances which can be classified according to their effect. The best known are the environmental estrogens, alkylphenol and its ethoxylates, the monomer in polycarbonate manufacture bisphenol A, some pesticides and chlorinated organics. 2.2. Sources of EDCs Possible sources of watercourses pollution with EDCs are wastewater sewage discharge, industrial effluents, or point and non-point source contamination of watercourses with agrochemicals such as herbicides or pesticides. Sewage discharge from cities contains residues of domestic products such as personal care products, pharmaceuticals and detergents and excreta with natural and artificial steroidal hormones from contraceptive pill usage. Nonylphenol (NP) is a highly hydrophobic bioccumulating biodegradation by-product of nonylphenol ethoxylate non-ionic surfactants which persists in sewage sludge and river sediments. Its use and production have been banned in EU countries and strictly monitored in many other countries such as Canada and Japan (Soares et al. 2008). Pulp mills are some of the industries associated to studies on endocrine disruption. Bleached Kraft pulp mill effluents have been linked to both estrogenic and androgenic effects on biota, depending on the process characteristics and wastewater treatment. Several studies have associated the chlorination of organic matter to the estrogenicity of the effluent. Nowadays, the application of elemental-chlorine-free processes has diminished the risk of dioxins and furans formation, but not eliminated it, as other halogenated organics are formed by use of chlorine dioxide as bleaching agent. Various wood-extractive compounds produced in the pulping process, such as rosin acids and phytosterols and found in pulp mills effluents have also been considered potentially responsible of endocrine disruption (Hewitt et al. 2008). The main identified resin acids in pulp mill effluents are: pimaric, isopimaric, sandaracopimaric, palustric, dehydroabietic, abietic and neoabietic acid (Merilà ¤inen and Oikari, 2008). Other compounds found in this type of effluent are phenolic guaiacyl-based lignin degradation products, diterpenoids, and dimethoxy stilbene (Belknap et al, 2006). Modern analytical methods, like full-scan GC-MS have been used to identify wood related extractives in final effluent from a chlorine dioxide bleached pulp mill effluent, including monoterpenes, phenolics, fatty acids, resin acids, resin acid neutrals and sterols (Wartman et al. 2009). Receptor binding bioassays for androgens and estrogens indicated that androgens were most abundant in this effluent and the range of androgens for the various extraction protocols used was 189-283 ng/L as testosterone equivalent concentration. Some examples of common sources of EDCs and typical environmental concentrations are summarized on Table 1. Table 1.Sources of EDCs and typical environmental concentrations Origin, use and occurrence Source of environmental exposure EDC group Example molecule Typical concentrations Reference Industrial (pulp and paper mills) Contaminated fish Resin acids pimaric acid 4-140  µg g-1 Owens et al, 1994 Industrial (pulp and paper mills) Industrial wastewater treatment plant Chlorinated organics 2,4,6-trichlorophenol 1.5  µg l-1 Owens et al, 1994 Industrial (pulp and paper mills) Final stage secondary treatment Phytosterols ÃŽ ²-sitosterol 58.42  µg l-1 Landman et al, 2008 Domestic, (contraceptive pills) Sewage effluent Pharmaceuticals 17ÃŽ ±-ethynylestradiol 14-17 ng l-1 Liu et al, 2004 Human and animal excreta Sewage effluent Natural steroid hormones 17ÃŽ ²-estradiol 5.0 ng l-1 Koh YKK et al, 2007 Domestic and industrial (laundry detergents, wool scouring processes) Sewage sludge Non ionic surfactants 4-nonylphenol 829.3 mg/kg Gonzà ¡lez et al, 2010 Domestic and industrial (polycarbonate bottles) Leaching from solid waste, sewage effluent Polycarbonate bisphenol A 0.62  µg l-1 Sà ¡nchez-Avila et al, 2009 Agricultural (soil fertilization) Livestock waste Male steroid hormones testosterone 10-1830 ng l−1 Lange et al, 2002 Agricultural (dairy farming) Streams contaminated by dairy cow excreta Female steroid hormones 17ÃŽ ²-oestradiol 0.04-3.6 ng l−1 Matthiessen et al, 2006 Agricultural (weed and grass control in soybean crops) Run-off Herbicide glyphosate 0.1-0.7 mg l-1 Peruzzo et al, 2008 2.2. Dose-response assessment There are several methods to demonstrate dose-response relationships, either by in vivo or in vitro tests. Fish reproduction tests, like the ones using the model fish fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) have shown a decrease in fecundity associated with depressed steroid and vitellogenin (Vtg) production in female specimens (Ankley et al. 2008). Many of the tests rely on the measurement of an increase of Vtg as biomarker of estrogenicity as seen in several publications (Schwaiger et al. 2002; An et al. 2008; Holbech et al. 2006 Panter et al, 1998; Sohoni et al. 2001; Kunz and Fent, 2009). Tests results on resin acids show different responses in the first generation of fish than in the second (Christianson-Heiska et al. 2007). In some cases there are not many examples of in vivo tests, like for glyphosate. A fish exposure tests with this compound showed Vtg induction in female fish, indicative of estrogenic activity (An et al, 2008). An investigation working the commercial formulation of the herbicide glyphosate and human placental cells demonstrated its toxicity at concentrations lower than the usual in agricultural practices. The aromatase activity disruption seems to be due not only to glyphosate but also to co-adjuvants (the surfactant nonylphenol or others), which enhance its bioavailability and/or bioaccumulation (Richard et al. 2005; Gasnier et al. 2009). Table 2 shows some examples of dose-response experiments working with fish, crustacea, molluscs and amphibia. Varied protocols exist to develop ecotoxicity tests, in flow-through, static or partly renewal conditions, and with different duration and end-points. Only chronic effects and particularly developmental and reproductive effects were conside red. Table 2. Dose-response for endocrine disruption effects in freshwater organisms exposed to single EDCs EDC chemical name Taxonomic group Species Dose to produce effect Effect Test conditions Reference 4-nonylphenol Fish Rivulus marmoratus 300  µg l-1 Testicular agenesis and oogenesis inhibition in 100 % fish Static system, daily renewal Tanaka and Grizzle, 2002 4-nonylphenol Fish Oncorhynchus mykiss, rainbow trout 1 -10  µg l-1 10  µg l-1 High Vtg in adult male fish plasma Low hatching rate Intermittent exposure of adult fish for 4 months until spawning Schwaiger et al, 2002 4-nonylphenol Crustacean Ceriodaphnia dubia NOEC for reproduction: 1  µg l-1 Low hatching rate 7 days chronic exposure, static Isidori et al, 2005 Glyphosate Fish Carassius carassius, crucian carp 100% effluent Vtg induction in female fish (38.6 +/- 9.8  µg l-1) 3 weeks, continuous exposure An et al, 2008 Glyphosate Mollusk Pseudosuccinea columella, aquatic snail 1 mg l-1 10 mg l-1 Faster development of F3 embryos Hatching inhibition 3 generation continuous Tate et al, 1997 Estrone Fish Danio rerio LOEC: 14 ng l-1 50 ng l-1 Significant Vtg increase Higher female ratio 40 days fish sexual development test Holbech et al, 2006 17ÃŽ ²-Estradiol Fish Danio rerio LOEC: 54 ng l-1 Significant Vtg increase Higher female ratio 40 days fish sexual development test Holbech et al, 2006 17ÃŽ ²-Estradiol Fish Pimephales promelas, fathead minnow 100 ng l-1 Significant Vtg increase Testicular growth inhibition 21 days male fish exposure Panter et al, 1998 Estriol Fish Danio rerio LOEC: 0.6  µg l-1 21.7  µg l-1 Significant Vtg increase Higher female ratio 40 days fish sexual development test Holbech et al, 2006 Dehydroabietic acid (DHAA), resin acid Fish Danio rerio, zebra fish 50  µg l-1 Low plasma Vtg in female in F0; high Vtg and affected spermatogenesis in F1 males 2 generations, continuous Christianson-Heiska et al 2008 ÃŽ ²-sitosterol Fish Danio rerio 10-20  µg l-1 F1: higher ratio of male fish; F2: higher ratio of female fish 2 generation fish exposure test Nakari and Erkomaa, 2003 Quercetin, phytoestrogen Amphibian Xenopus laevis, frog 200  µg l-1 Higher female ratio > 10% abnormal testes (some with ovotestes) Exposure up to 1 month post-metamorphosis Cong et al, 2006 Phenanthrene, PAH Fish Oryzias latipes, Medaka NOEL: 100  µg l-1 Developmental, hatching 18 days, renewal Rhodes et al, 2005 Bisphenol A Mollusk Marisa cornuaretis, aquatic snail NOEC: 640  µg l-1 Developmental 12 weeks, juvenile snails Forbes et al, 2007 Bisphenol A Fish Pimephales promellas 16  µg l-1 640 and 1280  µg l-1 640  µg l-1 1280  µg l-1 Altered spermatogenesis Growth inhibition and Vtg induction in male fish Reduced hatchability in F1 generation Egg production inhibition 3 generation reproduction exposure test Sohoni et al, 2001 Bisphenol A Fish Brachydanio rerio, zebrafish EC50: 2.90  µg l-1 Embryo malformation and low hatchability 72 h exposure Liu et al, 2007 Benzo-ÃŽ ±-pirene (BaP) (PAH) Fish Fundulus heteroclitus , common mummichog 10  µg l-1 CYP19A1 expression decreased by about 50% in immature stage I oocytes Exposure for 10 or 15 days by in situ hybridization, several developmental stages Dong et al, 2008 Polychlorinated biphenyl 126 Fish Danio rerio, zebrafish LC50: 3.270 mg l-1 Developmental effects through aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation Dilutions of PCB 126 for 12 weeks SiÃ…Å ¸man et al, 2007 Polychlorinated biphenyl 126 Fish Salvelinus namaycush, lake trout 3 ÃŽ ¼g kg−1body weight Retinol depletion Oral exposure for 12 weeks; confirmation with radiolabelled retinol Palacea et al, 1997 Benzophenone-1 Fish Pimephales promelas 4919  µg l-1 Vtg induction 14 days exposure, semi-static, renewal Kunz and Fent, 2009 3. Exposure assessment 3.1. Ecosystems and human sub-populations potentially at risk of endocrine disruption effects Increasing evidence generated by scientists turn endocrine disruption into a recognized risk to the environment. Due to the ubiquity of EDCs and the widespread routes of exposure, most ecosystems and human populations are potentially at risk of endocrine disruption. Notwithstanding this fact, under the scope of a risk assessment of EDCs the potentially most vulnerable risk subgroups are identified corresponding to maternal, fetal and early developmental stages. The concern that prenatal or childhood exposure to EDCs may be responsible for abnormalities in human sexual and reproductive health are still in the hypothetical ground. However, many reports on exposure to high concentrations of recognized EDCs such as DES, certain PCBs, and DDT demonstrate this fact. At low-doses the question remains unanswered whether there could be a critical window where they could harm the fetal development (Hood 2005). Several reports on human developmental anomalies and reproductive ailments have been raising international concern, such as a seven fold increase risk of testicular cancer since 1969 to 2002 in men from several countries of Europe, United States and New Zealand. Also, the sperm density halved, as rates of cryptorchidism (undescended testicles) and hypospadias (shortened urinary tracts) simultaneously rose. It is thought that human congenital malformation of sex organs, low sperm quality, endometriosis, reduced fertility and some types of cancers of breast and testis could be linked to exposure to EDCs. More than 80000 synthetic chemicals are produced in the world and have still not been fully evaluating with regards to endocrine disruption. In 1996, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency initiated an Endocrine Disruption Screening Program to evaluate more than 15,000 chemicals calling for a policy based on the â€Å"precautionary approach† to be overcautious and protect huma n health and the environment. A historical example of policies which demanded the banning of a drug due to these after-effects is the case of diethylstilbestrol (DEADES), which used to be prescribed to pregnant women to prevent spontaneous abortions because it produced higher risk of genital deformities and cancer in the offspring, among other effects (Stair 2008). Internationally there is consensus that the most vulnerable group for EDCs exposure are children. For example, in European countries, the Strategy for Environment and Health known as â€Å"SCALE† for Science, Children, Awareness, Legislation and Evaluation, has set as a priority agenda for the evaluation diseases caused by endocrine disruptors in children. The exposure to insecticides and herbicides used in agricultural practices has been linked to developmental or reproductive effects in wild animals and also in human beings. The occupational exposure to pesticide has received much attention, as for example prolonged time-to-pregnancy was observed in male greenhouse workers exposed to pesticides before conception of their first pregnancy (Bretveld et al 2008). The domestic exposure of children to residues of pesticides in low-level long-term exposures are associated to chronic effects and include routes of exposure such as fruit or breast milk (Goodman and Laverda 2002). 3.2. Evidence of endocrine disruption effects in wildlife around the world There are reports on impacts on wildlife reproduction and development observed in invertebrates, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals, sometimes confirmed by laboratory tests. In laboratory experiments the impacts to fish populations by EDCs affect reproductive health and persistence of various fish species (Mills and Chichester 2005). Many examples of impacts due to exposure to endocrine disruptors exist in wildlife, such as the seals population decline in the Baltic and North Sea, the high levels of female egg yolk in male fish or snail imposex and intersex around the world. Intersexuality of fish has been demonstrated in several investigations carried out in rivers around the world. The findings of abnormal reproductive female-like ducts and oocytes in male fish were related to the treated sewage discharge from the cities in laboratory experiments measuring induction of plasma vitellogenin in exposed male fish (Jobling et al. 2002). Field studies were carried out using wild roach as a model fish to confirm the incidence and the severity of intersex which correlated with the predicted concentrations of the natural estrogens (E1 and E2) and the synthetic contraceptive pill estrogen (EE2) present (Jobling et al. 2006). Some case-studies have made clear that the estrogenic activity of municipal wastewater correlates to demographics. The number of inhabitants was found to correlate with changes in estrogenic activities in a research conducted at a university city in US, with seasonal fluctuations in population. The concentrations of synthetic and natural estrogens and other EDCs were measured and effects demonstrated through the application of in vivo and in vitro tests (fish exposure with Vtg induction measurement and the yeast estrogen screen) (Brooks et al. 2003). The demonstration of effects of pulp mill effluents has also been supported by fish surveys with a sampling design that includes upstream and downstream sites from the discharge pipe of the pulp mill. For instance, Munkittrick et al. (1994) have demonstrated that the absence of chlorine bleaching or the presence of secondary treatment does not eliminate estrogenic responses evidenced by decreased circulating levels of sex steroids, decreased gonadal size, which implies that there may be multiple causative agents. In other cases, androgenic effects have been noticed, such as a biased male to female ratio in fish in Sweden downstream from pulp mills (Larsson and Fà ¶rlin 2002). As seen on Table 3, several adverse endocrine effects are evidenced in various animals, from mollusks to amphibian but they also appear in higher animal species. Table 3. Effects of EDCs in wildlife evidenced through field studies Animal Effect EDCs Postulated mechanism or causative agent Reference Frog High incidence of deformed frogs in Minnesota, United States Multiple EDCs Retinoid signaling pathways activation Gardiner et al. 2003 Marine Gastropods Masculinization of female snails (imposex) occurs worldwide. Females grow accessory sex organs including sperm ducts, seminal vesicles, external sperm grooves, and penises. Exposure to low levels of tributyltin (TBT) (1ng/l) Aromatase inhibition, testosterone inhibition, or neuroendocrine disorder or interaction with retinoid receptors Novà ¡k et al. 2008 Wild roach (Rutilius rutilus) Intersex, and high plasma Vtg concentration Multiple EDCs Sewage effluent from wastewater treatment plant discharging into rivers Joblin et al. 2006 Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) Masculinization (90% affected in number of segments in the longest anal fin ray). Androgen-dependent gene expression by luciferase test Kraft pulp mill effluent Affinity for human androgen receptor (hAR) Parks et al. 2001 Eastern Mosquitofish, (Gambusia holbrooki) Androgenic activity measured by androgen receptor transcription assay with human receptor in sediment. Fish masculinization. Paper mill effluent, river Pine pulp-derived phytosteroids accumulate in river sediment where they are converted by microbes into progesterone and this into androstenedione and other bioactive steroids Jenkins et al. 2003 3.3. Conceptual model Deriving a conceptual model requires knowing the pathways and toxicokinetics of the EDCs identified in the hazard identification step. An effects-based assessment start by identifying the effects and the relevant stressors and geographically located (for example through the use of GIS software). On the other hand, the model used in stressor-based assessments, depicts how stressors affect receptors and it is commonly applied when evaluating risks of environmental pollution. If a river basin is evaluated, the sources of contamination are studied, identifying the pathways, receptors and effects. To develop the human health risk assessment component, the fish consumption of the population and the drinking water intake are two of the main factors to consider especially for the most vulnerable population, which are newborn and lactating infants. The food chain is the main source of exposure, and in particular, fish consumption and drinking water are possible sources for the nursing mother and the pathway of distribution through the milk to the baby, but the direct intake of drinking water is important in the case of formula preparation. The environmental risk assessment should consider fish, crustacean and sediment dwelling organisms within the framework. During pregnancy maternal fat is moved, releasing to the blood the bioaccumulated compounds, due to their liposolubility and persistence, through all the different exposure routes (foodstuffs, environmental, occupational) throughout her life. Acute exposure should also be considered if it happened previously to gestation or during this period. There are substances that traspass the placental barrier and chemicals reach the offspring. Also, through the breastmilk, explaining the extrangely high levels of some xenobiotics (Fernà ¡ndez et al. 2007). 3.4. Methodologies to determine dose-response in exposure assessment The analysis of exposure and effect determines the concentration of the EDC on the environment matrixes matrices (water courses, ground water, drinking water, soil, sediment, air, biota), and assesses the potential or actual effects. In order to do so, many tools are recommended and in general a tiered approach is the most suited for this task as it helps to work in a logical order and increasing the specificity of the tests. One of the main sources of exposure to most chemicals is through the food chain. The bioconcentration of organics in beef, cow milk and vegetation correlates to the octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) to predict the bioaccumulation in the aquatic and terrestrial food chains (Travis and Arms 1988). There are many models based on the characteristics of the chemicals, such as the fugacity model, which allows to predict the expected concentrations in six environmental compartments (water, air, soil, bottom and suspended sediment and fish) (MacKay et al. 1985). 3.4.1. The use of a tiered methodology to demonstrate endocrine disruptive effects This type of approach is carried out including different tests, such as bioassays, in vitro tests and field studies as part of the experimental design. The methodologies generally employed are in vivo fish reproduction exposure tests and in vitro receptor binding bioassays, for androgens and estrogens (Wartman et al., 2009). Even though there is an international trend towards diminishing the use of live organisms for experimentation for safety testing, in vivo tests are still of key importance for the confirmation of the findings of in vitro screens. Some of the most utilized tests relay on the use of fish as model experimental organism in various life-stages, as for example the 21 days reproduction fish test with fathead minnow (EPA/600/R-01/067). 3.4.2. In vitro screens and tests Some of the in vitro assays that can be used as screening tools of estrogenic activity are the following: yeast based assays, cell proliferation assays, bindin

Essay --

Nuclear energy comes from the nucleus of an atom. The source, or fuel, of nuclear energy is most commonly Uranium 235 Nuclear energy can be converted into electricity, as a secondary energy source, which flows through power lines and other sources to be transmitted to your home. Fission means to split apart. Inside the nuclear reactor, uranium atoms are split apart in a controlled chain reaction. A slow neutron can be captured by a uranium-235 nucleus, and leave it unstable when undergoing nuclear fission. If a neutron goes too fast, it will not be captured in the nucleus, so neutrons must be slowed down to increase their chance to the captured in the reactors. The pressurized water reactor is better to the environment than the boiling water reactor because more of pressurized water reactor is enclosed in a containment structure, which produces less radiation to the surrounding area. Uranium is found in uranium mines. Searching for uranium is sometimes easier to find than for other mineral resources because the radiation signature of uranium's decay products allows deposits to be recognized and charted from the air. The energy released by the fission that takes place in a nuclear reactor is converted and generated into electricity. Both fission and fusion are actively used in providing power for the missions in space. They create higher velocities that increase the speed of rockets. Nuclear energy can be used by archaeologists, geologists and anthropologists in defining the age of rocks, insects, etc. It can be used in the treatment of cancer through the use of radiotherapy. Nuclear Energy can also be used in Food and Agriculture, Sterilization, Tracing Pollutants, Detecting Leaks in Pipelines, and Power Sources. http://ww... ... energy than what the lasers originally shot at the target. Preparing for a typical fusion reaction takes weeks, but the reaction is completed in less than one-billionth of a second. At the core of the reaction, the pressure is 150 billion times atmospheric pressure. "The density and temperature of the plasma created is nearly three times that at the center of the Sun," Omar Hurricane wrote. Does not emit greenhouse gases Creates a huge amount of energy in small amounts of fuel Can commonly find the fuel to use fusion Does not emit as much radiation as fission We haven’t been able to have a controlled reaction be able unleash huge amounts of energy on earth. We need to have a reaction where we get more energy from fusion than how much energy we need to create it. It only occurs at extremely high pressure and temperatures. Reaction lasts a very short time.

Imagery in Winter’s Tale

†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. It is time for Polixenes, King of Bohemia, to end his visit with his boyhood friend Leontes, King of Sicily. While the two kings prepare to bid farewell in a state room of the Sicilian palace, a Bohemian lord named Archidamus and a Sicilian lord named Camillo are in an antechamber discussing the extraordinary friendship between the two rulers. Camillo, advisor to Leontes, observes that they were inseparable when growing up: â€Å"They were trained together in their childhoods; and there rooted betwixt them then such an affection, which cannot choose but branch now† (1. . 10). †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Archidamus says nothing will ever come between the two kings. (His observation is an ironic foreshadowing of a terrible jealousy that will soon divide them. ) He also praises the Sicilian king’s little boy, Mamillius, as the finest of lads with the brightest of futures. (This, too, is an ominous observation. ) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. In the state room, King Leontes presses K ing Polixenes to linger in Sicily one more week, but Polixenes begs off, worrying about â€Å"what may chance / Or breed† (1. 2. 15-16) in Bohemia in his absence. When Hermione, the beautiful wife of Leontes, joins her husband in importuning Polixenes to extend his visit, he agrees to remain a while longer. Pulling him aside, she asks what his childhood was like with her husband. Polixenes replies, We were, fair queen, Two lads that thought there was no more behind But such a day to-morrow as to-day, And to be boy eternal. (1. 2. 78-81) When Hermione asks about their childhood adventures, Polixenes says, We were as twinn’d lambs that did frisk i’ the sun, And bleat the one at the other: what we chang’d Was innocence for innocence; we knew not The doctrine of ill-doing, nor dream’d That any did . . . . (1. 2. 83-87) After Leontes learns that Hermione has persuaded Polixenes to stay, Leontes immediately regrets extending Polixenes’s welcome, for the friendly conversation between his wife and Polixenes has envenomed him with jealousy. Apparently, Polixenes has an unduly suspicious eye. Perhaps Polixenes and his wife have become too close, Leontes thinks; perhaps they have been meeting in secret. He even begins to wonder whether his son, Mamillius, is the the product of a tryst in an earlier time between Hermione and Polixenes. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Later, suspicion builds upon suspicion. In a conversation with Camillo, the king openly accuses his wife of infidelity. Camillo, shocked, says the king sins gravely in speaking against her. The king replies, Is whispering nothing? Is leaning cheek to cheek? is meeting noses? Kissing with inside lip? stopping the career Of laughing with a sigh? (1. 2. 332-335) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ . Finally, he orders Camillo to bear a poisoned cup to Polixenes. Camillo tells the king he will perform the deadly mission, but then warns the Bohemian king that his life is in danger. During the night, Polixenes steals away. Camillo, estranged by Leontes’s behavior, accompanies Polixenes. Their sudden departure convinces Leontes his suspicions against Hermione are well founded. Angry and bitter, he publicly denounces his wife, who is soon to have another child, as an adulteress. After imprisoning her, he deprives her of the company of little Mamillius. Hermione pleads her innocence, to no avail. She is guilty; Leontes is certain of it. To confirm her guilt for others, he sends two lords, Cleontes and Dion, to the Oracle at Delphi, Greece, to request a judgment. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ After Hermione bears a daughter, her servant, Paulina, presents the infant to Leontes, hoping the sight of the little girl will quench his anger. However, wrathful as ever, Leontes disowns the child–believing it is not his own–and orders Paulina’s husband, Antigonus, to abandon it in a far-off place. Leontes then subjects Hermione to a public trial. With utmost dig nity and grace, she proclaims her innocence, declaring she has always been faithful to Leontes. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. During the trial, Cleontes and Dion return from Delphi with a sealed verdict from the great Oracle. An official of the court breaks the seal and reads the verdict: â€Å"Hermione is chaste; Polixenes blameless; Camillo a true subject; Leontes a jealous tyrant; his innocent babe truly begotten; and the king shall live without an heir, if that which is lost be not found† (3. 2. 134). †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Leontes rejects the verdict and orders the trial to continue. A servant interrupts the proceedings with tragic news: Prince Mamillius, pining for his jailed mother’s love, has died. The news staggers Leontes, and Hermione collapses. Suddenly realizing how wrong he as been, Leontes tells Hermione’s attendants to treat her gently when they escort her from the courtroom. Later, Leontes receives another shock: Hermione, too, has died. Profoundly moved, the king laments his vengeful deeds and goes off to mourn. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. What of the newly born child, the infant princess? As instructed, Antigonus leaves her in a far-off place, the coast of Bohemia, along with certain effects, including a note identifying the infant as â€Å"Perdita,† a name that came to Antigonus when he imagined he saw Hermione in a vision. But before Antigonus can return to his ship, a bear attacks and kills him and an angry sea wrecks the ship and swallows it and all aboard. Consequently, no one is left to report the fate of the child. A clown, the son of a 67-year-old shepherd, witnessed the bear attack and gives a report to his father, who discloses news of his own: He has found a baby girl on the coast along with a â€Å"bearing cloth† and gold. Sixteen Years Pass †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Shakespeare updates the audience on important developments through a speaker called Time. He tells the audience that Leontes now lives in seclusion and that the setting of the drama has shifted to Bohemia, where the son of Polixenes has fallen in love with a shepherdess. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. In Bohemia, Polixenes stews about his son, Florizel, because the young man frequently visits the house of an elderly shepherd to woo his beautiful sixteen-year-old daughter, Perdita. Because of her lowly status, she is unworthy of Florizel’s attentions, Polixenes believes. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Polixenes and Camillo, who has become the advisor of the king, decide to call at the shepherd’s house to observe Florizel and Perdita during a sheep-shearing and feast in which visitors are welcome. They wear disguises. Also present are the old shepherd and his son; a shepherdess, Mopsa (who hopes to marry the shepherd’s son) and her friend, Dorcas; and a thief, Autolycus, who has presented himself as a seller of ballads after arriving while singing a song. Earlier, Autolycus had picked the clown’s pocket on a road near the shepherd’s cottage. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. When Polixenes discovers that Florizel plans to marry Perdita, Polixenes reveals his identity and threatens retaliation against anyone who abets the wedding plans. Sympathizing with the lovers, Camillo persuades them to abscond to Sicily. Later, at Camillo’s request, Autolycus assists in the escape plan by gladly trading his shabby clothes with the princely garb of Florizel. Dressed as a commoner, Florizel will be able to avoid detection on his way to a ship. Before returning to the palace, Camillo tells the audience in an aside that he will provoke Polixenes into following the lovers. His purpose is not to betray the lovers; rather, it is to go with Polixenes to Sicily, for which Camillo has been homesick these many long years in Bohemia. His scheme works and Polixenes prepares to follow the lovers in his own ship. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Elsewhere, the old shepherd and his son are on their way to see Polixenes at his palace. The shepherd carries a box containing keepsakes of Perdita from long ago. These objects, he believes, will prove that Perdita is not his daughter and, thus, enable him and his son to escape the king’s wrath. On their way, they meet Autylocus, still dressed in Florizel’s clothes; they think he is a royal personage. When he says the king is about to embark on a ship to chase Florizel and Perdita, they offer him gold to take him to the ship and speak for them. But because he is not who he says he is, he takes them to Prince Florizel’s ship. All of them–Florizel, Perdita, Autolycus, the old shepherd, and his son–then set sail for Sicily ahead of the king’s ship. Many days pass while the ships are at sea. The setting then shifts to Sicily. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. When Florizel and Perdita arrive at the palace of Leontes and wait for an audience with him, a gentleman of the court informs the king of their presence, announcing them as the Prince and Princess of Bohemia. He says the princess is the most beautiful creature he has ever seen. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. After they are escorted into the court, Florizel greets Leontes on behalf of his father, Polixenes, saying an infirmity prevented Polixenes from making the trip himself. When Leontes inquires about the lovely Perdita, Florizel describes her as the daughter of a Libyan lord. He and the princess sojourned in that African country, he says, before sailing to Sicily to carry out a mission for his father. While Leontes visits with the young couple, all of the others from Bohemia assemble at the court: the old shepherd, his son, and Autolycus, as well as the travelers from the other ship–King Polixenes and Camillo. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Leontes, now a reformed man who is deeply sorry for his past misdeeds, reconciles with Polixenes and Camillo. The old shepherd and his son then reveal the contents of the mysterious box of keepsakes. It contains a â€Å"bearing-cloth† (3. . 77) Hermione had given to Antigonus. Leontes recognizes it as Hermione’s, unique because of a jewel on it. He also recognizes the handwriting in the note Antigonus left before a bear attacked and killed him. Just as convincing as these items identifying Perdita is the remarkable resemblance Perdita bears to Hermione. King Leontes joyfully reunites with his daughter and accepts Florizel as his future son-in-law; Polixenes accepts Perdita as his future daughter-in-law. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Leontes’s joy, though, is tinged with sadness, for he still grieves over the loss of Hermione. Paulina, the servant who sixteen years before pleaded on Hermione’s behalf, then invites Leontes to her house to show him a statue of Hermione, sculpted by an Italian master. While the royals and nobles are on their way to Paulina’s, Autolycus begs and receives the forgiveness of the old shepherd and his son for deceiving them back in Bohemia, then taking their gold and putting them on the wrong ship. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Upon viewing the statue at Paulina’s house, Leontes discovers that it is no statue; it is the real Hermione. She has been living in hiding with Paulina these many years praying for the return of her daughter. Paulina was afraid to disclose Hermione’s whereabouts for fear of interfering with the will of the Delphic Oracle, as expressed in the prediction that â€Å"the king shall live without an heir, if that which is lost be not found† (3. 2. 134). In other words, Leontes–if reunited earlier with Hermione–might have fathered another child. In so doing, he would have produced an heir before his lost child had been found. The will of the Oracle would have been defeated. When Perdita appears, Hermione rejoices and invokes the gods to bless her child. The joy of the occasion spills over to include a proposal by Leontes that Camillo and Paulina marry. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. And what of Mamillius, the little prince? Nothing can bring him back, but Leontes does have a new son in the person of Florizel. . Now Available†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Shakespeare: a Guide to the Complete Works†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. In Hardback & Paperback By the Author of This Web Site . Plot Summaries of All the Plays and Narrative Poems | Themes | Imagery | Historical Background | Glossaries Shakespeare's Theatre | Drama Terms | Essays | Analysis of the Sonnets | and Much More .. . Characters . Protagonist: King Leontes Antagonist: The King's Jealousy and Suspicious Nature . Leontes: King of Sicilia (Sicily). He is a headstrong man who is at first guided more by emotions than reason. His unfounded suspicions against his wife, Hermione, and his friend, King Polixenes, separate him from both of them and cause him to reject his infant daughter. His unjust actions also indirectly result in the death of his son, Mamillius. In many ways, he resembles the flawed protagonists of Greek tragedy; however, reforms himself before it is too late. Hermione: Honorable and loyal Queen of Sicilia. Polixenes: King of Bohemia. He opposes his son's marriage to Perdita, believing her to be a commoner. Although he accepts Perdita at the end of the play, he does so only after he learns her true identity. Whether he has overcome his prejudice against commoners remains open to question. Perdita: Extraordinarily beautiful daughter of Leontes and Hermione. Florizel: Prince of Bohemia. Mamillius: Young prince of Sicilia. His death adds a tragic element to the play. Camillo: Upright advisor of King Leontes. After Leontes order him to poison Polixenes, Camillo returns with Polixenes to Bohemia and becomes his advisor. Old Shepherd: Reputed father of Perdita. He is 67 when the infant Perdita is found and 83 at the end of the play. Clown: The shepherd's son. Autolycus: A comic thief and pedlar who assists Florizel and Perdita. Gaoler (Jailer) Paulina: Loyal attendant of Hermione. Antigonus: Kindly husband of Paulina. He rescues the infant Perdita and takes her to Bohemia. Cleomenes, Dion: Lords of Sicilia. Archidamus: A Lord of Bohemia. Mariner: Crewman of the ship that carries Antigonus and Perdita to Bohemia. Emilia: Lady attending Hermione. Mopsa, Dorcas: Shepherdesses. Rogero: Lord who tells other gentlemen that a prophecy by the Delphic Oracle has been fulfilled. Minor Characters: Other lords, gentlemen, ladies, officers, servants, shepherds, shepherdesses. . Settings . The action takes place in Sicily (or Sicilia) and Bohemia. Sicily is a large island west of the toe of Italy's boot. Bohemia was a kingdom within the boundaries of the present-day Czech republic, between present-day Poland on the north and Austria on the south. In ancient times, a Celtic people called the Boii settled the land that became Bohemia. In The Winter's Tale, Bohemia has a coastline along which ships arrive and debark. In real life, Bohemia was a landlocked region; it was entirely surrounded by terra firma. Shakespeare may have been a magnificent writer, but he was no geographer. .. Climax . The climax of a play or another narrative work, such as a short story or a novel, can be defined as (1) the turning point at which the conflict begins to resolve itself for better or worse, or as (2) the final and most exciting event in a series of events. The climax of The Winter's Tale occurs, according to the first definition, when Leontes receives news of the death of his wife and son, then owns up to the grave sin he has committed in doubting the fidelity of his wife. According to the second definition, the climax occurs in the final act when Leontes reunites with his daughter, whom he abandoned when she was an infant, and with his wife, whom he thought was dead.

My Papas Waltz essays

My Papa's Waltz essays Confessional in spirit, viewing madness as a transforming force, Theodore Roethke's poetry explores the depths of the self, attempting to achieve wholeness through destruction. His verse is finely-crafted, full of stunning images and chant-like rhythms, which echo the poetry of T. S. Eliot and William Butler Yeats. From his Modernist masters, along with others such as Gerald Manley Hopkins, Roethke learned to find objects in nature which crystallized his poetic emotions. He drew upon his early childhood in Michigan, where his father owned one of the largest and most beautiful greenhouses in the state thus his work is rich in natural imagery of the garden. The luxuriant plant life of his father's greenhouses symbolized for Roethke both abundant life and death often the wet soil and the curling garden slugs became associated with decay and loss of self, while flowers could spark a mystical sense of oneness in the poet. At the center of Roethke's universe as well as his garden was h is father, a rough and stern man of Prussian descent who often grew irate at his son's delicate nature. The death of the father engendered enormous guilt in his teenage son, and the shadow of the father loomed over Roethke as he experienced nervous breakdowns, perhaps courting madness in attempts to exorcise his inner demons. The aloof and cold father, whose love was never expressed openly, created in the young poet feelings of inadequacy, as well as contradictory desires to reconcile with the father and to flee his burdening memory. Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz" captures in dramatic fashion his relationship to his father. In the poem, whiskey has loosened Otto Roethke's stern demeanor, demolishing his habitual aloofness and moral severity. Thus the poem describes an exhilarating, as well as frightening, moment of union with the father, who has become a drunken whirlwind in the kitchen. Roethke's poetic style captures the movement of the dance, as ...

Renaissance Ideals in Shakespeares Hamlet essays

Renaissance Ideals in Shakespeares Hamlet essays Shakespeare is referred to as a Renaissance writer, specifically an Elizabethan poet and playwright. Through his many works he displays the Renaissance thought and concerns, and Hamlet is no exception. Through Hamlets contemplation of death, his character is solidly connected to the ideals of the Renaissance. The Renaissance is considered a period of rebirth for culture and learning. It is traditionally identified at the period of European history that closes the Middle Ages, spanning from the 14th to the mid-17th centuries. Considered the beginning of the modern world, the Renaissance period experienced a rebirth of ancient Greek philosophies, and a renewed interest in classical art forms and sensitivities. Many artists began to explore and expand the work done in the classical age, concentrating on the human form and the depiction of ancient mythologies. Mathematics was also of extreme importance at the time, often considered to have potential to reveal profound and universal truths. One particularly interesting philosophical movement is referred to as Renaissance Humanism. This movement concentrated on exploring Mans place in nature, considering mankind as a part of nature as opposed to the Medieval culture that considered man apart from nature, considering him privileged and removed from the base considerations of animals. Humanism acknowledged Mans place among the natural order, believing that human action can, and does, have both positive and negative effects on the world around him. These ideas developed into a push towards relying on reason when seeking truth as opposed to the Christian values that dominated the earlier times. He accepted that his role in the universe is not a passive one, and that God was to be reached not through archaic subordination and blind dedication, but through deep introspection and evidence gathered through the senses. One such archaic belief that was left behind in the ...

Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Culture - Research Paper Example In his book, Tylor defined culture as â€Å"that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society† (Tylor cited in Haviland et al., 2013, p. 10). Culture is obviously not limited to men. Women’s role in the creation and possession of culture cannot be undermined. The concept of culture has become the mainstream topic in Anthropology ever since it was first used by Tylor. Culture is a very powerful survival tool for humans, though it is a sensitive phenomenon. Culture keeps changing constantly. Owing to the fact that culture is stored in the mind only, it can easily be lost as new trends set it. Culture is omnipresent and reflects in everything in the surroundings ranging from written languages to structures and events. The artifacts and broken pots discovered by the archaeologists from underneath the earth are such remains of old civilizations that define their cultural patterns. Old civilizations made those artifacts using their cultural skills and knowledge. People tend to identify cultures by observing materialistic things. â€Å"When we think of company culture, we focus on what we can see and touch – the foosball tables, happy hours, and free lunches. But these are only artifacts, what our culture produces. It’s much harder to pinpoint the root culture† (Wherry, 2014). Real culture is what causes people to purchase certain things and decorate the place with them. Culture as part of the learned patterns and perceptions of behavior has three layers. Cultural traditions play a pivotal role in giving a unique identity to a society. By Japanese, Italian, or Indian culture, people mean shared traditions, language, and beliefs that distinguish the people of one culture from those belonging to the other. In a vast majority of cases, people sharing a certain culture have

Compare and contrast the characters of Iago and Othello in Research Paper

Compare and contrast the characters of Iago and Othello in Shakespeare's Othello - Research Paper Example In Western Literature, the protagonist of the Shakespeare’s play ‘Othello’ is considered the first black central character ever adopted in the play. This is one of the famous characters Shakespeare worked out during his writing career. In the initial stages of the play, the author beautifully dramatizes Othello’s character with love, warmth and grace. Shakespeare portrays his character as a noble guy- who was not only a loving husband but also a respected and celebrated war hero. He was an expressive person who was a fluent storyteller. However, at the closing stages of the play, Othello has come forward as an irrational, jealous and violent husband who was getting insane and finally murdered his own wife because of his extreme envy towards Lago who convinced Othello that his wife Desdemona became unfaithful to him. On the other hand, Lago- one of the most mysterious and disreputable character of the play seems to spend most of his time, from the beginning of the play, in plotting and scheming against Othello and his wife Desdemona. In the end of the play, the villain- Lago became successful in his deeds to convince Othello that his wife is no more faithful to him. He persuaded Othello to understand that his wife has been continuously cheating Othello- from the very beginning of their wedlock. Despite the plot, Lago has created, Desdemona was completely faithful. However, here it can be clearly observed that Othello was a noble guy but the circumstances changed his personality and poisoned him with extreme bitterness that came to an end with Desdemona’s murder. On the other hand, Lago was a cruel villain from the very beginning. His unkindness and meanness can be seen from the very start. He believes on absurd way of living and induces annihilation for people whom he knows the best. His character in the play does not portray any sort of motivation for the readers. As far as Othello’s status in Venice is concerned, he sta rted his career as a traveler who traveled long distances. In the initial stages he had been sold as a slave as well. From there he escaped and finally moved towards Venice where he rushed for his career and finally ended up with a glowing status of military commander. As far as Othello’s character is concerned in the city of Italy- Venice, it can be observed that his character was quite complicated to understand there. He was not only an insider but an outsider at the same time. He was a Christian by religion who was an experienced commander in military as well. He was not only admired by people but by the Senate and the Duke as well. However, it was a fact that he was a black Moor at the same time and not the local habitant of Venice. This causes racism issues, time to time, for Othello especially the father of his wife always considers his marriage with Desdemona as a result of his tricks towards her. Desdemona’s father believes that Othello enchanted her daughter w ith magic spells and foul charms. In this play, it can be observed that many characters refer Othello as a â€Å"devil†- â€Å"old black ram† and a â€Å"thick- lips† person. It is referred that Othello just inspired the lady because of his hyper- sexuality. At that point Lago showed his character and referred Othello as a ‘devil.’ He induced aggression in Brabantio that he would surely be a â€Å"grandsire† of devil like black babies. Here it can be clea