Prospero And Shakespeare Essays - Operas, English-language Films

Prospero And Shakespeare PROSPERO AND SHAKESPEARE The Tempest is an interesting play written by the famous, William Shakespeare. It is his official and last accomplishment. This play is thought of as one of Shakespeare's romance plays. Shakespeare started to write toward the end of his career about magic and fantasy set in far-off lands. These realms that he created are written about in his plays. This particular play is famous for his usage of magic, which is carried through by the Duke of Milan (a state in Italy), who is also known as Prospero the magician. Prospero rules Shakespeare's creation of an island set far away from all realities and creates ruckus for all that land on the island. Prospero who is on an island with his daughter Miranda and some servants to assist with magic is stranded but he uses his magical powers to his advantage. Prospero is on this remote island because his brother Antonio usurped his position of Dukedom. His evil brother sent Prospero and his baby daughter sailing into sea with a boat full of wholes. Antonio sent Prospero away in such an abused boat that he assumes that Prospero had to died at sea, but this is not so. A kind-hearted man named Gonzalo changes Prospero and his daughter's fate and Prospero in return uses his magic on the island to make it some what livable for them. The play starts out so happily but then Prospero is offered a chance to use his magic and take revenge upon his evil, brother Antonio who took his place in Milan, Italy as the duke to rule. Antonio happens to set sail in waters that are close to Prospero's island. His servant, Ariel who is an airy spirit, which Prospero rescued from imprisonment and now controls can fly, play magical music, misdirect people, turn invisible, and create storms and fire, among other abilities. Also Ariel's gender is uncertain and probably indeterminate; it is referred to sometimes as he, but also takes on female forms (for instance, the nymph of I.ii.301 and the harpy of III.iii.53ff) and spends much time invisible. It is probably simplest to think of Ariel as androgynous-that is, neither male nor female) So Prospero and Ariel conjure up a huge storm (the tempest), and try and steer the ship towards the island so that his daughter and himself can return back to civilization. The ship wrecks near the isl and and Prospero uses his magic to make sure that all the passengers manage to make it safely ashore. Many interesting figures wash upon shore. These figures include, Antonio, Alonso, the King of Naples, who conspired long ago to help Antonio get rid of Prospero; the good old counselor, Gonzalo; Sebastian, Alonso's own power-hungry younger brother; and Ferdinand, Alonso's son, the Prince of Naples. The characters basically divide up into two groups, the protagonists and the antagonists. Antonio is an antagonist. He is the evil brother of Prospero, from whom he usurped the position of Duke of Milan twelve years ago. He also plots with Sebastian to kill Alonso and Gonazalo. Alsonso, the King of Naples is one of the figures belonging to the protagonist group. He was long ago involved in Antonio's plot to get rid of Prospero. He has a corruptible, power-hungry younger brother named Sebastian. He is the father of Ferdinand and the heir to the throne and he has a daughter named Claribel, who has just been married to a king fare across the sea. Gonzalo also belongs to the protagonists. He i s a well-meaning, good-hearted elderly counselor of Alonso, who helped save Prospero and Miranda's life long ago, when Antonio and Alonso betrayed them. The next character is Sebastian who is an antagonist and he is also the wicked brother of Alonso, King of Naples. He is corrupt and power-hungry, and he plots with Antonio to murder Alonso and Gonzalo. Ferdinand is part of the protagonist group and is the Prince of Naples, and the son of Alonso. He falls in love with Miranda the first time he sees her. When Ferdinand is washed onto the island alone, Ferdinand and Miranda (the young, na?ve daughter of Prospero who has grown up on the island and has seen no

Von Willebrand Disease essays

Von Willebrand Disease essays Von Willebrand disease is a condition the effects approximately 1% of the general population (Lipkind et al, 2005). In years past, there has been a great deal of research conducted related to the treatment of the disease. The purpose of this discussion is to explain what the condition is, what causes it and how it can be prevented. The research will also investigate the risk factors associated with the disease and treatment options. What causes the condition and how can it be prevented? According to the Indian journal of Medical Research Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is a bleeding disorder that is an inherited ailment (Sucheta et al, 2005). The disease can also be acquired in some rare cases (Lipkind et al, 2005) The journal explains that this disease occurs as a result of a quantitative or qualitative deficiency associated with the von Willebrand factor (VWF) (Sucheta et al, 2005). There are different forms of the disease that are determined by the different patterns of genetic transmission and defects of VWF found in plasma and platelets (Sucheta et al, 2005). The article explains that there are three different types of VWD. The 1st type is associated with a limited absence of VWF. The 2nd type is associated with a qualitative defect in the VWF. The 3rd type of VWD is associated with a complete loss of the VWF (Sucheta et al, 2005). An article found in the journal American Family Physician explains that Von Willebrands disease is the most common of all inherited bleeding disorders. Those that suffer from von Willebrands disease usually suffer from excessive bleeding following surgical or dental procedures (Perry The diagnosis of the condition can be determined through an evaluation of the patients bleeding and family history. If eit...

Overview of IS Risk Assessment (IP) Research Paper

Overview of IS Risk Assessment (IP) - Research Paper Example Measurements consist of (Sun, Srivastava, & Mock, 2006): Cost which is used to protect the information and systems Value of the information and information systems Threat probability and occurrence Effectiveness of Controls Prior to Risk Assessment Before conducting risk assessment, primary factors are considered. The identification of information assets lays the foundation for further assessment. Information assets are defined as the entities that hold organization data. A good discussion is available on ‘www.ibm.com’ which states it as, information assets precisely resembles with the nature of business and business strategy of the organization. Likewise, these information systems may be subjected to contractual and legislative compliance requiring protection from threats and mission critical systems. The information assets for an organization will be the technology assets, data asset, service asset and people asset. In a typical scenario of an organization’s net work, the owners for server hardware will be the server administration group. The owners for the applications running on the servers will be the application support group and the owners for the data, which is stored on the server, will be system development group. Question needs to be answered Moreover, the risk management process involves the implementation of safeguards and controls that are continuously observed. Likewise, risk management identifies information assets along with their weaknesses and prioritizes them as per severity and business impact. The self-examination process of risk management assists managers to identify and mark severity of information assets. However, it is not a fact that assets are only indicating as systems, they also includes people, hardware and software components. Moreover, risk management also reflects asset classification, categorization of groups with respect to business impact against each identified asset; there are certain questions that nee d to be answered: What is the most important or mission critical asset for the organization? Which asset generates profit for the organization? Which asset provides revenue for the organization? Which information asset has the most replacement cost? Which information asset requires significant protection cost? Which information asset reflects the most significant liability when breached? Phases of Risk Assessment The first phase of risk assessment is the investigation phase. The investigation phase is conducted to gather information regarding the system and resources. The threats are prioritized before assessment. The identification of critical components is conducted in order to prioritize threats. After prioritization, related plug-in is selected before execution. Risk assessment includes the scanning of all open ports of the system. This phase also conducts scanning of all known vulnerabilities. The next phase includes reporting of the findings which are extracted by investigatio n phase. The findings are then categorized in different priorities. The report illustrates open ports, number of vulnerabilities found at high status, number of vulnerabilities found at medium status, number of vulnerabilities found at low status (Fenz, Ekelhart, & Neubauer, 2011). Report also includes host information including the ‘netbios’ name, DNS name and operating system. This phas

Marketing plan for the healthcare entity (smoking campaign) Assignment

Marketing plan for the healthcare entity (smoking campaign) - Assignment Example This essay discusses the negative impact of smoking to human health. Again and again, many people including the younger generation have become addicted to this extremely dangerous habit. Smoking not only endangers the health of the one who is actually doing it, it also affects the people surrounding the smoking individual. Smoking addiction, passive smoking, and cigarette smoking in public areas are serious matters, which have to be addressed at this point. In the UAE, cigarette smoking is one of the primary causes of lung diseases and death. While there have been reports of increasing rate of smokers in the country, the ages of individuals involved in this unpleasant practice have been getting younger. To address the issue, Healy, et al. has inferred that the challenge for health promotion strategists is to seek for messages, delivery strategies, and techniques that will concentrate on the worsening issue of cigarette smoking and properly link it with the identified targeted areas. The appropriate communication channel has to be identified to reach out to the youth population. There have been reports that in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and in other Middle Eastern countries, ages of people who have been developing certain lung diseases have been getting younger. In the UAE, lung cancer has been identified a common illness among the male population, as well as in other Arab countries. (Abid 2011). Furthermore, experts have projected that this case will be getting worse in the years to come. Experts have considered smoking as the main reason for the quick spreading of lung diseases in the UAE. Middle East patients had garnered the highest percentage of

Emphysema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emphysema - Essay Example revention, there already had been 12, 790 deaths recorded in the United States only in the year 2007 caused by emphysema alone, while 3.8 million adults were diagnosed with the disease in the year 2008 (â€Å"Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary,† 2010). As emphysema affects people, this paper aims to increase the readers’ knowledge on what it is, its signs and symptoms, treatments, and other issues surrounding it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Emphysema is one form of COPD in addition to chronic bronchitis. It is chronic as it is develops as a result of â€Å"many years of assault on lung tissues from cigarette smoke or other toxins that pollute the air† (Lewis, 1999, p. 1). The American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society (2004) define it as â€Å"the presence of permanent enlargement of the air spaces distal to the terminal bronchioles, accompanied by destruction of their walls and without obvious fibrosis† (p. 8). Naturally, the lungs have defenses such as macrophages and other free-roving cells that protect it from foreign particles that could impair its natural functions of breathing and oxygenation. However, this protection from the invading particles is only limited (Boyce, 1997, p. 80). Continued smoking or exposure to polluted air, the main risk factors of emphysema, cause the particles to â€Å"tend to stay in the lungs and can cause lung damage† by scarring or forming fibrosis resulting to air sac walls being destroyed leading to COPD and other lung diseases (Crowley, 2010, p. 379; Boyce, 1997, pp. 80-81). Some reports providing link between the developments of emphysema after dental treatments have also started to appear (Gamboa-Vidal, Vega-Pizarro, & Almeida-Arriagada, 2007). Nonetheless, further studies to support such claims are still suggested. In continuation, the function of the substance elastin that allows flexibility in lungs becomes impaired with smoking habits and exposure to air pollutants (Parkinson, 2007, p. 22). The release of substance

Bacteria on Stainless Steel Surfaces | Experiment

Bacteria on Stainless Steel Surfaces | Experiment The attachment of bacteria on food processing surfaces and in the environment can cause potential cross-contamination, which can lead to food spoilage, possible food safety concerns, and surface destruction. Food contact surfaces used for food handling, storage or processing are areas where microbial contamination commonly occurs. Even with proper cleaning and sanitation regimes or practices in place, bacteria can remain attached to the surfaces and this attachment can lead to biofilm formation. The purpose of this study was to identify the presence of pathogenic microorganism in a food processing area and to evaluate the effect of the cleaning procedure on the microbial load in the food processing area. Ten replicate food contact surfaces were tested: stainless steel, marble and wood, with adjacent areas being sampled before and after cleaning. The test surfaces were analyzed with a swab method before and after the cleaning stage. The results of these studies indicate that three of ten stainless steel surface were contaminated before cleaning and no surface was contaminated after cleaning. Furthermore, three out of ten marble surfaces were contaminated before cleaning and one surface was contaminated after cleaning. Six of ten wood surfaces were heavily contaminated before cleaning and three surfaces were contaminated after cleaning. The difficulty in cleaning was related to the amount of surface damage and it is best to avoid this type of surface. Hypochlorite solution that was used for cleaning the surfaces in this study was considered to be effective against the foodborne pathogens tested. This study has highlighted the fact that pathogens remain viable on dry stainless steel surfaces and present a contamination hazard for considerable periods of time, dependent on the contamination levels and type of pathogen. Keywords: Microorganisms; Survival; Cross-contamination; Food contact surface Introduction Food contact surfaces are the chief denizen of biofilm that can host potentially harmful microorganisms. This, therefore, is a prominent phenomenon in food processing plants owing to dregs and residues of all sorts chemical, biological, organic, and/or inorganic -which build up on the surfaces of equipments that may get in contact with food (Mafu et al. 2010). The presence of these undesirable microorganisms to the material surfaces is a source of concern, as this can result in food cross-contamination, leading to food poisoning. Under favourable circumstances (temperature, pH, relative humidity), pathogenic microorganisms are able to survive and/or replicate on a large scale within the biofilm. In domestic kitchens and food processing industries, foodborne illness can result from incorrect storage of foods, particularly with respect to temperature, contamination of raw or cooked foods before consumption, by contact with other foods or utensils (food contact surfaces ) carrying path ogens, and inadequate cleaning procedures that may not see complete removal of microorganisms (Teixeira et al. 2007). In food processing industries, food contact surfaces, such as stainless steel, marble and wood may create an enabling environment for the survival of the microorganism, leading to serious hygienic problems. Furthermore, dead ends, corners, joints, valves and any other hard-to-reach places are the most appropriate areas for the presence of bacteria. (Peng et al. 2001). The value of maintenance and disinfection processes in food processing industries depends, to a large extent, on the design and maintenance programmes adopted by the company. Lack of efficacy in cleaning procedures may allow persistence and survival of pathogens in foods owing to their consistent adherence to food contact surfaces. This may lead to transfer of microorganisms from people, objects or contaminated food to other food or material, hence leading to cross-contamination. People can, in many ways, be a source of cross-contamination to foods (Holah and Thorpe, 1990). Food can be contaminated when it is handled, so it is very important that people who may be carrying or suffering from certain diseases do not handle food. Contamination can also be passed from equipment when contacting food. It specifically happens when utensils or equipment are not efficiently cleaned and sanitized between each use and may lead to development of biofilm, creating favourable conditions for the survival of the pathogens. Contamination from food to food occurs mainly when raw foods come into contact with cooked or prepared foods (Montville et al. 2001). The persistent presence of microorganisms in food processing factories, specifically on food contact surfaces despite deliberate efforts to combat the phenomenon, poses great challenges to the company. It reduces the profit margins of the industries due to the increased cost incurred in the attempts to adopt advanced cleaning services and programmes. A potential effect of the presence of microorganisms on food surfaces is food poisoning. Occurrence of food poisoning will mean great damage to the image of the company and persistent stress on the part of the management, thus derailing the progress of the company. Cross contamination is also becoming a common problem both in the kitchen setting and in industry. Transfer of resistant pathogens and microorganisms across and around these food producers through various agents and factors that propagate and carry the pathogens is a health hazard. Studies show that the level of contamination varies depending on the duplication and the rate of material handling that occurs in the factory. In this context, therefore, workersà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ hands, utensils and the broad extension of all food contact surfaces contribute to in cross contamination (Zhao et al. 1998). A thorough examination of the whole concept of microbial survival and persistence on food contact surfaces despite typical cleaning procedures and revised designs of the food contact surfaces (such as textural properties, maintained solid surface hydrophobicity) will reveal that more detailed analysis and studies should be focused on the factors that create an enabling environment for the persistent replication and presence of the foodborne pathogens in the food processing industries and kitchen setting (Scott and Bloomfield, 1990). The study of various relevant properties for the microbial adhesion process has been another imperative goal of this study and the purpose behind it is to obtain a broader knowledge base of the mechanisms of bacterial adhesion to food contact surfaces so as to formulate strategies for its control. The objective of this study is to identify the microorganisms that can survive in the food contact surface, such as stainless steel, marble and wood, even after cleaning procedures, thus increasing the risk of food cross-contamination. The study will focus on microorganisms that survive in the food processing areas even after the cleaning procedure. Foodborne pathogenic bacteria adhere to inert surfaces; they may exhibit a greater scale of resistance to chemical or ordinary cleaning and fumigating agents (Barnes et al. 1999). The concept of cross contamination is of major concern in the food processing industries that constitute a threat to human health because they cause most food borne illness outbreaks. Food poisoning is one of the consequences of adherence of microorganisms to food contact surfaces (Sattar et al. 2001). Materials and Methods Premises In order to assess the microbiological safety of a food processing area in Oman, three types of food contact surfaces were studied: Stainless steel, marble and wood. Ten surfaces of each of the three types were tested, with the adjacent areas of each one being sampled before and after cleaning. This study was performed randomly in nineteen selected Army camps kitchen. Data analysis Swabs were taken from the food processing area within the Royal Army camps kitchen and sent to the food microbiology laboratory of the environmental of health unit for analysis. The swabs were each tested for pathogenic bacteria linked with food and coliforms that can survive on the surface of food preparation areas before and after cleaning. The plates were read for the number of colonies of pathogenic bacteria and coliforms. A Phoenix machine was used to identify the bacteria and readings were taken directly from the Phoenix machine. A Phoenix is automated microbiology system is intended to provide rapid identification results for most aerobic and facultative anaerobic Gram positive bacteria as well as most aerobic and facultative anaerobic Gram negative bacteria. The identification of the Phoeonix panal uses a series of conventional, chromogenic and fluorogenic biochemical tests to identify the organism. The growth-based and enzymatic substrates are employed to cover the different types of reactivity among the range of taxa. The tests are based on the use of bacteria and deterioration of specific substrates detected by different indicator systems. Acid production is indicated by a change in phenol red indicator when an isolate is able to utilize a carbohydrate substrate. A yellow colour is produce by Chromogenic substrates upon enzymatic hydrolysis and the enzymatic hydrolysis of fluorogenic substrates results in the release of a fluorescent coumarin derivation. Organisms that utilize a specific carbon source reduce the resazurine based indicator. These results were recorded and the log reduction was calculated for each plate at each dilution rate after and before cleaning of the surface (BD Phoenix, 2007). Sampling methods and microbiological examination (Before Cleaning) Tests using the swab method were carried out on surfaces contaminated with food borne pathogens in a food processing area. Tubes containing 10 ml of sterile buffered peptone saline solution were used to wet the swabs prior to sampling. Cotton swabs were removed from their sterile packaging and were held by the stick while they were moistened with buffered peptone saline solution, the excess broth was returned into the bottle. All surfaces were prepared in sizes of 20 x 20 cm2 for survival experiments. The swabs were rotated while in contact with the food preparation surface. After the defined area was swabbed, the swab was returned to the test tube containing the buffered peptone saline solution to dislodge the bacteria. Serial dilutions of the swab solutions were prepared and duplicate pour plates were prepared for each dilution using nutrient agar, MacConkey agar and Blood agar. The plates were incubated for 24 hours at 37oC. Sampling methods and microbiological examination (After Cleaning) The surfaces were washed with hot water and chemical detergent and then rinsed with hot water. Then the surfaces (stainless steel, marble, and wood) were disinfected with 5.25% of hypochlorite solution for 10 minutes. The surfaces were allowed to dry before sampling. The swabbing method used was as above. Duplicate pour plates were prepared for each dilution using nutrient agar, MacConkey agar and Blood agar. The plates were incubated for 24 hours at 37oC. Sampling methods and microbiological examination (Control) Some of the food borne pathogen strains used as a control for these experiments on the surfaces (stainless steel, marble, and wood), such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were obtained from the Armed Forces Hospital Laboratory. For their control strains a clean stainless steel table without tiny groove was prepared as the food contact surface because it can be fabricated with a smooth cleanable finish. The table also was disinfected with 5.25 % of hypochlorite solution for 10 minutes. The surface was then washed with hot water, with chemical detergent and rinsed with hot water. The surface was allowed to dry before sampling. The test suspensions were prepared by making serial dilutions of the microorganisms in peptone saline solution. Two different levels of contamination were prepared: high contamination (approximately 106 colony forming units (CFU)/100 cm2) and low contamination (approximately 103 CFU/100 cm2), obtained by spreading 1 ml of an appropriate solution on a surface of 20 x 20 cm2 over the grid reference table. The table was allowed to dry for 15 minutes to represent the environment of food preparation area. Selective agar media were used for the enumeration of pathogens: Blood agar for Staphylococcus aureus, incubated for 24 hours at 37oC and MacConkey agar for Escherichia coli incubated for 18 à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 24 hours at 37oC. Furthermore, the effects of two different contamination levels on the survival of pathogens on dry stainless steel surfaces for 24 hours at room temperature were investigated. Result Microbial survival on food contact surface (stainless steel surface) Table 1: The Colony descriptions of the microbial survival on stainless steel surface Table 1 shows the Colony descriptions result of the microorganisms isolated from stainless steel surface. Three of ten stainless steel surface were contaminated with bacteria before cleaning. Table 2: The colony count of the microbial survival on stainless steel Sample No. Serial ten-fold dilutions in deionised water diluents colony count (CFU ml-1) before cleaning colony count (CFU ml-1) After cleaning 2 3.2 x 102 Bacteria Not Detected 6 2.6 x 102 Bacteria Not Detected 9 4.3 x 102 Bacteria Not Detected Table 2 shows the result of the colony count obtained before and after cleaning of the stainless steel surface. Table 3: Gram stain result of the microbial survival on stainless steel surface Sample No.:  2 Gram stain result:  Gram negative, rod shape Sample No.:  6 Gram stain result:  Gram positive cocci Sample No.:  9 Gram stain result:  Gram negative, rod shape Table 3 show the result of the Gram stain of bacteria that were isolated from the stainless steel surface before and after the cleaning stage. Sample No.:  2 Sample No. In phoenix machine:  344 Name of Bacteria detected before cleaning:  Klebsiella aerogenes Name of Bacteria detected After cleaning:  Not detected Sample No.:  6 Sample No. In phoenix machine:  367 Name of Bacteria detected before cleaning:  Staphlococcus aureus Name of Bacteria detected After cleaning:  Not detected Sample No.:  9 Sample No. In phoenix machine:  382 Name of Bacteria detected before cleaning:  Klebsiella aerogenes Name of Bacteria detected After cleaning:  Not detected Table 4: The Identification of bacteria by phoenix machine that survived on the stainless steel surface before the cleaning stage Table 4 show the result of bacterial identification that obtained by phoenix machine which was isolated from stainless steel surface before and after the cleaning stage. Microbial survival in food contact surface (Marble surface) Table 5: The Colony descriptions of the microbial survival on marble surface Sample of location No.:  1 Nutrient agar:  No Growth MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  No Growth Sample of location No.:  2 Nutrient agar:  No Growth MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  No Growth Sample of location No.:  3 Nutrient agar:  No Growth MacConkey agar:  Pink in colour, mucoid Blood agar:  white, large and mucous colonies Sample of location No.:  4 Nutrient agar:  No Growth MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  No Growth Sample of location No.:  5 Nutrient agar:  No Growth MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  smooth, round, grayish-white colonies Sample of location No.:  6 Nutrient agar:  No Growth MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  No Growth Sample of location No.:  7 Nutrient agar:  No Growth MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  No Growth Sample of location No.:  8 Nutrient agar:  No Growth MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  No Growth Sample of location No.:  9 Nutrient agar:  No Growth MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  No Growth Sample of location No.:  10 Nutrient agar:  Small circular colonies, yellow in colour MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  swarming motility Table 5 shows the colony descriptions result of the microorganisms isolated from the marble surface. Three of ten marble surfaces remained contaminated with bacteria before and after cleaning. Table 6: The colony count of the microbial survival on marble surface Serial dilutions in deionised water diluents colony count (CFU ml-1) before cleaning colony count (CFU ml-1) After cleaning Sample No.:  3 *TFTC Bacteria Not Detected Sample No.:  5 5.1 x 102 Bacteria Not Detected Sample No.:  10 #TMTC TMTC *TFTC: Too Few To Count #TMTC: Too Many To Count Table 6 shows the result of the colony count obtained before and after cleaning stage of marble surface. Table 7: Gram stain result of the microbial survival on marble surface Sample No.:  3 Gram stain result:  Gram negative, rod shape Sample No.:  5 Gram stain result:  Gram negative, rod shape Sample No.:  10 Gram stain result:  Gram negative, rod shape Table 7 show the result of the Gram stain of bacteria that was isolated from the marble surface before and after the cleaning stage. Table 8: The Identification of bacteria by phoenix machine that survived on the marble surface before the cleaning stage Sample No.:  3 Sample No. In phoenix machine:  301 Marble Name of Bacteria detected before cleaning:  Klebsiella pneumonia Name of Bacteria detected After cleaning:  Not Detected Sample No.:  5 Sample No. In phoenix machine:  326 Marble Name of Bacteria detected before cleaning:  Yersinia enterocolitica Name of Bacteria detected After cleaning:  Not Detected Sample No.:  10 Sample No. In phoenix machine:  381 Marble Name of Bacteria detected before cleaning:  Proteus vulgaris Name of Bacteria detected After cleaning:  Proteus vulgaris Table 8 show the result of bacterial identification that obtained by phoenix machine which was isolated from marble surface before and after the cleaning stage. Microbial survival in food contact surface (Wood surface) Table 9: The Colony descriptions of the microbial survival on wood surface Sample location No.:  1 Nutrient agar:  No Growth MacConkey agar:  Non-lactose fermenters colonies Blood agar:  White, non haemolytic colonies Sample location No.:  2 Nutrient agar:  No Growth MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  No Growth Sample location No.:  3 Nutrient agar:  smooth, translucent large colonies , greenish blue growth and pigment diffuses into medium MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  large brownish colonies Sample location No.:  4 Nutrient agar:  White, smooth, round colonies MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  No Growth Sample location No.:  5 Nutrient agar:  No Growth MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  No Growth Sample location No.:  6 Nutrient agar:  Circular, smooth, opaque colonies MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  swarming motility Sample location No.:  7 Nutrient agar:  No Growth MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  No Growth Sample location No.:  8 Nutrient agar:  smooth, translucent large colonies , greenish blue growth and pigment diffuses into medium MacConkey agar:  slight pink colonies Blood agar:  large brownish colonies Sample location No.:  9 Nutrient agar:  smooth, translucent large colonies , greenish blue growth and pigment diffuses into medium MacConkey agar:  slight pink colonies Blood agar:  No Growth Sample location No.:  10 Nutrient agar:  No Growth MacConkey agar:  No Growth Blood agar:  No Growth Table 9 shows the colony descriptions result of the microorganisms isolated from the wood surface. Six of ten wood surfaces remained contaminated with bacteria before and after cleaning. Table 10: The colony count of the microbial survival on wood surface Sample No.:   Serial ten-fold dilutions in deionised water diluents colony count (CFU ml-1) before cleaning colony count (CFU ml-1) After cleaning Sample No.:  1 6.4 x 102 Bacteria Not Detected Sample No.:  3 5.3 x 102 Bacteria Not Detected Sample No.:  4 2.7 x 102 Bacteria Not Detected Sample No.:  6 TMTC TMTC Sample No.:  8 1.67 x 103 2.9 x 102 Sample No.:  9 9.3 x 102 3.6 x 102 Table 10 shows the result of the colony count obtained before and after cleaning stage of wood surface. Table 11: Gram stain result of the microbial survival on wood surface Sample No.:  1 Gram stain result:  Gram negative, rod shape Sample No.:  3 Gram stain result:  Gram negative, rod shape Sample No.:  4 Gram stain result:  Gram negative, rod shape Sample No.:  6 Gram stain result:  Gram negative, rod shape Sample No.:  8 Gram stain result:  Gram negative, rod shape Sample No.:  9 Gram stain result:  Gram negative, rod shape Table 11 show the result of the Gram stain of bacteria that was isolated from the wood surface before and after the cleaning stage. Table 12: The Identification of bacteria by phoenix machine that survived on wood surface before the cleaning stage Sample No.:  1 Sample No. In phoenix machine:  86 wood Name of Bacteria detected before cleaning:  Acinetobacter baumannii Name of Bacteria detected after cleaning:  Not Detected Sample No.:  3 Sample No. In phoenix machine:  301 wood Name of Bacteria detected before cleaning:  Pseudomonas spp Name of Bacteria detected after cleaning:  Not Detected Sample No.:  4 Sample No. In phoenix machine:  326 wood Name of Bacteria detected before cleaning:  Enterobacter hafinae alvei Name of Bacteria detected after cleaning:  Not Detected Sample No.:  6 Sample No. In phoenix machine:  342 wood Name of Bacteria detected before cleaning:  Proteus vulgaris Name of Bacteria detected after cleaning:  Proteus vulgaris Sample No.:  8 Sample No. In phoenix machine:  369 wood Name of Bacteria detected before cleaning:  Pseudomonas aeruginosa Name of Bacteria detected after cleaning:  Pseudomonas aeruginosa Sample No.:  9 Sample No. In phoenix machine:  385 wood Name of Bacteria detected before cleaning:  Pseudomonas aeruginosa Name of Bacteria detected after cleaning:  Pseudomonas aeruginosa Table 12 shows the result of bacterial identification that obtained by phoenix machine which was isolated from wood surface before and after the cleaning stage. Control Table 13: Survival of Staph aureus and E.coli on stainless steel surfaces Staphylococcus aureus Escherichia coli Time of swab process after contamination High contamination level (106 colony) CFU/100 cm2 Low contamination level (103 colony) CFU/100 cm2 High contamination level (106 colony) CFU/100 cm2 Low contamination level (103 colony) CFU/100 cm2 After 15 minute 2.0 x 107 1.0 x 104 1.6 x 107 5.2 x 103 After 2 Hours 1.73 x 107 9.1 x 103 8.3 x 106 1.8 x 103 After 6 Hours 1.3 x 107 3.8 x 103 2.1 x 106 No growth After 12 Hours 5.8 x 106 No Growth No Growth No growth After 24 Hours No growth No Growth No Growth No growth Table 13 shows the survival of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli on stainless steel surfaces at room temperature (25oC) for 24 hours at two contamination level; high contamination level of (106 colony CFU/100 cm2) and Low contamination level (103 colony CFU/100 cm2). Discussion Sampling food contact surfaces is a complex problem, and the results depend on many factors, including the type of surface, the cleaning solution, the sources of contamination, and the temperature. The accuracy and reproducibility of all sampling methods are reduced when the numbers of bacteria on the surface are low. Some differences between methods are probably due to an uneven distribution of bacteria on the surface. The type of surface markedly influenced the cleaning results. For this study, nineteen selected premises were tested/studied (Ten replicate surfaces were tested; stainless steel, marble and wood, with adjacent areas being sampled before and after cleaning). The results of these studies indicate that three of ten stainless steel surfaces were contaminated before cleaning the surfaces and no surface was contaminated after cleaning, which means that stainless steel surfaces were more easily cleaned. Furthermore, three out of ten marble surfaces were contaminated before c leaning and one surface was contaminated after cleaning the surfaces, which means marble surfaces were easily cleaned but using the wrong cleaning products and the wrong cleaning techniques can damage the marble because marble is a calcium-based natural stone which is highly sensitive to acidic materials (Marble Institute of America, 2012). Stainless steel resists impact damage but is vulnerable to corrosion, while marble surfaces are prone to deterioration and may develop surface cracks where bacteria can accumulate (Leclercq and Lalande, 1994). Wood surfaces were particularly diffi

The Application of Utopia in Brave New World Essay -- Brave New World

The Application of Utopia in Brave New World      Ã‚   Aldous Huxley's Brave New World illustrates the loss of morality when established standards are replaced by amoral criteria.   In his novel, Huxley criticizes the practical applications of Utopia in actual society. Huxley's depiction of love, science, and religion support the ineffectiveness of implementing Utopia in everyday life.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Brave New World, Huxley shows contempt for the human emotion of love.   The people that make up his imaginary society have no conception of love or any other passion, and actually scorn the idea.   Huxley believes that along with passion comes emotional instability.   The Utopian state cannot afford any kind of instability and therefore cannot afford love.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The destruction of the family is one example of the effect of Utopia's absence of love.   In a world of bottled-births, not only is there no need for a family, but the idea is actually considered obscene.   The terms "mother" and "father" are extremely offensive and are rarely used except in science.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Huxley uses Mustapha Mond, the World Controller, to portray the vulgarity when he explains the obscenity of life before Utopia to a group of students:    And home was as squalid psychically as physically.   Psychically, it was a rabbit hole, a midden, hot with the frictions of tightly packed life, reeking with emotion.   What suffocating intimacies, what dangerous, insane, obscene relationships between the members of the family group! (37)      Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In an earlier passage, Huxley shows the effects of Mond's explanation on one boy, "The Controller's evocation wa... ... without   religion or a god.   This belief is portrayed throughout the novel.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brave New World presents a frightening view of a future civilization which has forgotten current morals and standards.   Instead of humans controlling science and their lives, science controls humans, and World Controllers decide all rules which are intended to mold society into a stable community.   Huxley's criticism of this community portrays the impractical application of Utopia in actual society.    Sources Cited and Consulted "Aldous Huxley:   Brave New World?"   http://www.huxley.net/ pp.   1-36. Birnbaum, M.   Aldous Huxley's Quest For Values.   Univ. of Tennessee Press, 1971. Firchow, P. E. The End of Utopia.   Associated Univ. Presses, Inc., N.J.:   1984. Huxley, Aldous.   Brave New World.   New York: Harper Collins, 1989.

Hospital Organization

Hospitals continue to be the largest segment of the health care industry, measured by economic volume and delivery of a wide range of professional services. HEALTH CARE SERVICES The different segments of the health care delivery system provide various combinations of services. The specific combination offered depends on a variety factors that prevail in a location, including state and local licensing laws, reimbursement structures, availability of medical personnel and facilities, and the demographic details (such as age and industrial distribution) of the potential patient population.The unique aspect of the health care industry from an audit perspective is the health care delivery system – the revenue cycle. The other cycles are essentially similar to those in manufacturing or selling enterprises. Services are generally described by a six-level classification. Those levels indicate, but do not strictly define, the type of organization, the level of medical treatment involved , or the severity of, or prognosis for, the medical situation. The levels are: †¢Preventive – Health education and prevention programs provided by business and other organizations, such as schools and family planning clinics. Primary – Early detection and routine treatment of health problems, such as are often provided by physicians’ offices, industrial and school health units, and hospital outpatient and emergency departments.†¢Secondary – Acute care services, typically provided by medical personnel, through hospitals, using elaborate diagnostic and treatment procedures. †¢Tertiary – Highly technical services, such as for psychiatric and chronic diseases, provided through specialty facilities and teaching hospitals. †¢Restorative – Rehabilitative and follow-up acre, typically provided by home health agencies, nursing homes, and halfway houses. Continuing – Long-term, chronic care, typically provided by geriatric d ay care centers and nursing homes. The growing economic magnitude of the health care system has led to increased regulatory activities focusing on health care. This increase in regulation interacts with a growing demand for more health care and for increasingly technical and complex methods of providing it. The largest and most evident regulatory activity involves reimbursement by state governments. Other regulatory activities are concerned in varying degrees with the availability and quality of health care.There are continued initiatives by state government to link such regulations to reimbursement in order to enforce compliance. The presence of multiple regulatory systems influences the demand for and the nature of professional accounting services required by health care institutions. Those systems often emphasize reporting requirements, and health care institutions tend to view compliance reporting as a major use of accounting data. Auditing services in particular are affected be cause the regulatory agencies rely heavily on the attest activities of the health care institution’s independent accountant.STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION Patient care is the essential function of a hospital. Other vital roles include medical education and research. Recently, many larger general hospitals have become total community health centers, providing a wide range of outpatient services in addition to traditional impatient care. One characteristic of the growth of the health center concept is the emergence of such diverse related organizations as real estate holding companies and medical management companies.These organizations are a response to changes in the reimbursement, regulatory, tax and financial environment facing hospital management. Such nontraditional organizational structures and patterns of activity are needed to provide adequate financial resources to support the delivery of health care by hospitals. Some observers see these changes as leading to major multi hospital systems, so that in the future a few major health entities may control the majority of the hospital beds in the country. Hospitals may be classified by type of ownership and mode of operation, as follows: Government – Hospitals operated by governmental agencies and providing specialized services to specific groups and their dependents, such as the military, veterans, government employees, the indigent and the mentally ill. †¢Investor-owned (proprietary) – Hospitals owned by individual proprietors or groups of proprietors or by the public through stock ownership. The objective of such hospitals is to operate for profit. †¢Voluntary nonprofit – Hospitals operated under the sponsorship of a community, religious denomination, or other nonprofit entity.This is the largest category (in number of hospitals), comprising two major types: teaching hospitals and community hospitals. a. Teaching hospitals – Generally university-related hospitals, t heir health care service activities combine education, research and a broad range of sophisticated patient services. Large community hospitals affiliated with medical schools and offering intern and resident programs are also considered teaching hospitals. b. Community hospitals – Hospitals that traditionally are established to serve a specific area, such as a city, town, or county, and usually offer more limited services than teaching hospitals do.Hospitals may also be categorized by the type of care provided, as short-term (acute), general, long-term general, psychiatric, and other special care. The mode of a hospital’s operation and type of care occur in various combinations, such as government psychiatric or short-term pediatric. THIRD-PARTY REIMBURSEMENT OR PAYMENT A major difference between health care entities and commercial enterprises is that the recipient of health care services – the patient – in most cases does not pay directly for the service s. Instead, payment is made by some other organization.The payment is often referred to as a â€Å"third party†. Typically, a hospital’s most significant patient revenue sources are its reimbursement contracts with third parties. In each case, there is an identifiable group of patients whose health care services are paid for, in whole or in part, by the third party. The amount of the reimbursement, as well as the eligible class of patients and other administrative matters, is covered by regulations or contracts. The major third parties are governmental agencies. Of these, the state government is the largest.Medicard is state-administered third-party reimbursement program designed to underwrite hospital costs of the medically indigent and those eligible for certain types of public welfare. Medicare is a third-party reimbursement program administered by the Health Care Financing Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services. State governments have long be en involved in reimbursement for health care services, and their involvement has increased through participation in the Medicard Program. Recently, the continued growth of third-party expenditures for reimbursement has fostered a number of state-based cost control programs.Of increasing importance are a wide variety of controls at the state level, usually referred to by terms such as state rate control. The state government has been quite active in encouraging or supporting such programs. The impact of governmental and commercial third parties on hospital is affected by when the reimbursement or payment is determined and the basis of the reimbursement or payment. Third-party reimbursement systems are either retrospective or prospective. Retrospective refers to third-party reimbursement systems that determine the amount to be paid after the services have been performed.In prospective payment systems, the amount is determined before the services have been performed. Reimbursements or payments are usually based on either the costs (to the hospital) of services performed for eligible patients or the amounts charged by the hospital for such services. The regulations or contracts of the third party contain specific provisions designed to ensure that only certain costs or charges enter into the determination of the reimbursement or payment. There are also provisions to ensure that reimbursement or payment is made only for services to eligible patients.Third-party payers can be expected to continue to refine their approach as the volume of payments increases. The difference between the hospitals established rates for services rendered and the amounts received or receivable from third-party payers known as a contractual allowance and is shown as a deduction from gross patient revenues on the statement of revenues and expenses. PAYMENTS AND SETTLEMENTS Under many retrospective reimbursement and prospective payment contracts, the hospital is paid throughout the year on a n interim basis.The payment is based on estimates of costs expected to be incurred during the year in serving patients. At the end of the fiscal year, a reimbursement report is filed with each third party, and any difference between the final cost settlements, by providing an independent basis for third-party reliance on the hospital’s accounting records. Reimbursement reports typically include cost-finding calculations that segregate direct costs by cost centers and allocate overhead costs from indirect or nonrevenue-producing centers to revenue-producing centers, using one of several allocation methods.Departments that provide direct patient services such as nursing, laboratory, and radiology are examples of revenue-producing centers, while support or overhead units such as laundry, dietary, and administrative services are typical nonrevenue-producing cost centers. This allocation produces an operating cost for each revenue-producing center, consisting of its direct costs p lus its share of indirect costs. After all costs have been assigned to revenue-producing centers, they are apportioned to the various third-party payers. STATISTICSDepartmental activity or usage statistics are employed in most cost-finding methods used to allocate overhead costs to revenue-producing centers. Some statistics, such as square feet of space, may remain unchanged from prior years. The auditor should, however, inquire whether changes have occurred. Simple observation is helpful; a new wing, department, or floor plan means that statistics must be updated. Certain statistical information is generated by the various transaction cycles. Examples of statistics that are generated in the buying cycle are: Payroll pesos – Used to allocate employee benefits, health and welfare costs, and other compensation costs. †¢Hours worked – Used to allocate nursing administration costs and sometimes employee cafeteria costs. †¢Full-time equivalent employees (FTE) â₠¬â€œ Sometimes used to allocate employee cafeteria costs. Other statistics utilized in cost-finding and third-party reimbursement are generated by departmental activity studies and surveys. Examples of such statistics are pounds of laundry, housekeeping hours of service, social service hours, and cost of drugs and medical and surgical supplies issued to nursing stations.Medicare regulations require a study of at least four 2-week periods annually. FUND ACCOUNTING The audit guide prescribes the use of fund accounting for the external financial statements of nongovernment, not-for-profit hospitals. Fund accounting entails the maintenance of separate or group accounts for hospital resources according to the spending objectives set by donors, other outside sources, or the board of trustees. (Investor-owned hospitals are regarded as business enterprises and report as such. ) Two broad classes of funds are used: †¢Unrestricted funds, which encompass assets other than those that are r estricted, as defined below.Many authorities believe that this class of funds should be referred to as general and that the term unrestricted is misleading, since restrictions other than those imposed by donors or grantors may be placed on assets of these funds. A reserve account maintained under a bond indenture provision is an example of an asset that is included in unrestricted funds but is restricted as to use. †¢Restricted funds, which encompass assets that are subject to restrictions imposed by specified external parties, that is, donors or grantors. Examples are plant replacement and endowment funds. AUDIT STRATEGY AND RISK ASSESSMENTIn many ways, the accounting systems and controls that operate in health care institutions are the same as those in any other industry. Because of regulation by governmental agencies and consumer group pressures, however audit concerns for hospital client is expanded considerably. Those concerns, fee pressures because of the nonprofit nature of many institutions, and competition among firms all create a need for this audit analysis to streamline audit procedures and improve audit efficiency as much as possible. In developing an audit strategy for a hospital engagement, the auditor had a thorough understanding of the patient mix.The geographic location of the hospital, the range of service it provides, and state regulations influence the age, financial status, and insurance coverage of the patient population. In particular, the audit strategy will vary depending on whether the services are rendered on a charge-paying or cost-reimbursement basis. If most of the hospital’s services will be paid on a cost-reimbursement basis; the propriety of costs incurred is a primary concern of the auditor. The accuracy of departmental revenue classification is also important in the cost apportionment process.The payment is made either directly by the patient or by third parties based on actual charges billed; auditing statistica l data and departmental cost classification is deemphasized since those data do not affect revenue. In planning hospital audit, it is important to have an understanding of the hospital’s current financial position and financial trends. Analyzing financial ratios may lead to a fuller understanding of the hospital’s operations and problems than could be obtained from reviewing raw data. It is also helpful to compare the hospital’s operations and financial position with those of the other institutions.Inherent risk in considerations in the health care industry revolves around the third-party reimbursement structure. A key concern is billing procedures, which are complicated by the very significant involvement of third parties. TYPICAL TRANSACTIONS, INTERNAL CONTROLS, AND AUDIT TESTS PATIENT REVENUE CYCLE The major source of revenues in a hospital is services provided to patients. Revenue was recorded, at hospital’s established rate, on the accrual basis at t he time services are performed. Patient service revenues are recorded separately by source (laboratory revenues) and by patient type (inpatient or outpatient).Additionally, the source of payment of each patient is essential information that was captured by the accounting system. Hospitals generally billed inpatients after completion of a patient’s stay in the hospital. The actual amount received by the hospital may vary depending on contractual arrangements between the hospital and the patient or a third-party payer. Services rendered to private-paying patients are billed at the established rates, except that courtesy allowances may be granted to doctors, employees, or members of religious orders and charity allowances may be granted as determined by patient needs and hospital policy.To understand the hospital’s patient revenue cycle, the auditor should become familiar with the various functions and departments that may serve patients and should also understand how tho se functions and departments relate to accounting for patient revenue. SUBSTANTIVE TESTS OF ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Hospital receivables have several characteristics not normally found in receivables of commercial organizations. First, full-rate charges to patients for services received may be settled for an amount less than the full rate because of contractual arrangements with third-party payers courtesy, charity, or other policy discounts.In addition, large amounts of receivables are paid by third-parties, and payment may be made by a single payer or combination of payers (e. g. , commercial insurance, Medicare, Medicard, workers’ compensation and the patient. ) Since a patient may have more than one insurer, it is possible for duplicate payments to be made on the patient’s account. This results in credit balances in accounts receivable, which are characteristic of hospitals with aggressive billing procedures.The auditor should review the components of these credit bala nces, and if they are significant, consider reclassifying them. Since the hospital must refund duplicate payments, the auditor should review controls over issuance and use of refund checks to determine that they are for valid credit balances and that they are payable to the proper payee. In most hospitals, accounts receivable are classified according to the patient’s billing status, generally using the following categories: †¢Inpatient:Admitted but not discharged (commonly referred to as â€Å"in-house patients†) Discharged but not billed (accounts awaiting final or â€Å"late† charges, or unbilled as a result of a backlog in billing procedures – which might indicate a control weakness) Discharged and billed †¢Outpatient: Unbilled Billed These categories of inpatients and outpatients may be expanded further to indicate private-paying status or third-party responsibility for payment. The existence and accuracy of accounts receivable are normally tested by reviewing subsequent cash receipts.The validity of admitted-but-not discharged patient receivables can be tested by comparing accounts with the daily census report or by relying on compliance tests of admitting function. Confirming balances with patients may be difficult, and the auditor should consider confirming other items, such as number of days spent in the hospital, types of insurance coverage, or, at least, the policy number and insurance company. This information confirms that the patient was in the hospital. Negative confirmations generally produce adequate results for the â€Å"self-pay† or patient portion of the bill.Typical responses for the third-party portion state that the patient believes the bill will be paid by the insurance company or that the patient is unable to confirm because of insufficient information. NONPATIENT REVENUES Revenues from sources other than patient charges consist of interest on invested funds, unrestricted gifts and grants, tr ansfers from restricted funds, and expenditures of restricted fund assets for the benefit of unrestricted (general) funds. Audit steps for material nonpatient revenues should include, but not limited to: †¢Confirming investment activity with banks or an external trustee. Reviewing date and documents underlying gifts, grants, and bequests, such as board minutes, correspondence, and acknowledgement receipts. †¢Reviewing research or grant documentation. †¢Confirming pledges (or otherwise obtaining satisfaction as to their existence) and evaluating their collectability. BUYING CYCLE Payroll. Hospital employees may be classified as professional and nonprofessional. Examples of professional staff are registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses. Nonprofessional employees include orderlies, housekeeping and maintenance personnel, and kitchen staff.Control over both professional and nonprofessional time is critical since salary costs constitute a significant portion of ho spital costs. Generally, the same payroll audit procedures used in other organizations of comparable size also apply to hospitals. Compliance testing of total payroll costs should include tests of controls over classification of costs by department, which is important for purposes of reimbursement and also for cost reporting. Misclassification of a reimbursable cost to a no reimbursable cost center could result in failure to receive reimbursement for that cost.The auditor typically reviews the appropriateness of the account distribution and traces amounts to the payroll register or distribution summaries. Those registers or summaries are tested for mathematical accuracy and then agreed to the appropriate general ledger accounts. Other Expenses. Hospital expenses are typically classified by departmental function (such as nursing services and laboratory services). Proper classification of costs by department is important for financial statement purposes as well as cost reporting and r eimbursement.The auditor should test the propriety of the general ledger account distribution by reference to purchasing documentation. Fixed Assets. Controls over the acquisition of property, plant, and equipment by a hospital should be the same for a commercial enterprise. Some hospital departments own and use expensive, highly specialized equipment, such as nuclear magnetic resonance devices. Department heads should, of course, but that involved in capital budgeting and purchasing decisions, but that involvement should not extend to overriding controls that have been instituted for purchases generally.

Hernan Cortes Conquistador Army

Hernan Cortes' Conquistador Army In 1519, Hernan Cortes embarked upon the bold conquest of the Aztec Empire. When he ordered his ships dismantled, signifying that he was committed to his expedition of conquest, he had only about 600 men and a handful of horses. With this band of conquistadors and subsequent reinforcements, Cortes would bring down the mightiest Empire the New World had ever known. Who were Cortes Conquistadors? Most of the conquistadors who fought in Cortes army were Spaniards from Extremadura, Castile and Andalusia. These lands proved fertile breeding grounds for the sort of desperate men needed in the conquest: there was a long history of conflict and much poverty there that ambitious men sought to escape. The conquistadors were often younger sons of minor nobility who would not inherit their family estates and thus had to make a name for themselves on their own. Many such men turned to the military, because there was a constant need for soldiers and captains in Spains many wars, and advancement could be fast and rewards, in some cases, could be rich. The wealthier among them could afford the tools of the trade: fine Toledo steel swords and armor and horses.   Why did the Conquistadors Fight? There was no sort of mandatory enlistment in Spain, so no one forced any of Cortes soldiers to fight. Why, then, would a sane man risk life and limb in the jungles and mountains of Mexico against murderous Aztec warriors? Many of them did it because it was considered a good job, in a sense: these soldiers would have looked upon work as a tradesman like a tanner or a shoemaker with scorn. Some of them did it out of ambition, hoping to be gain wealth and power along with a large estate. Others fought in Mexico out of religious fervor, believing that the natives needed to be cured of their evil ways and brought to Christianity, at the point of a sword if necessary. Some did it for adventure: many popular ballads and romances came out at the time: one such example was Amadis de Gaula, a rousing adventure which tells the story of the heros quest to find his roots and marry his true love. Still others were excited by the beginnings of the golden era through which Spain was about to pass an d wanted to help make Spain a world power. Conquistador Weapons and Armor During the early parts of the conquest, conquistadors preferred arms and armor which was useful and necessary on the battlefields of Europe such as heavy steel chestplates and helms (called morions), crossbows and harquebuses. These proved less useful in the Americas: heavy armor was not necessary, as most native weapons could be defended against with thick leather or padded armor called escuapil, and crossbows and harquebuses, while effective in taking out one enemy at a time, were slow to load and heavy. Most conquistadors preferred to wear escuapil and armed themselves with fine steel Toledo swords, which could hack easily through native defenses. Horsemen found that they were effective with similar armor, lances and the same fine swords. Cortes Captains Cortes was a great leader of men, but he could not be everywhere all the time. Cortes had several captains that he (mostly) trusted: these men helped him greatly. Gonzalo de Sandoval: Only in his early twenties and not yet tested in battle when he joined the expedition, Sandoval quickly became Cortes right-hand man. Sandoval was smart, brave and loyal, three important qualities for a conquistador. Unlike Cortes other captains, Sandoval was a skilled diplomat who did not solve all problems with his sword. Sandoval always drew the most challenging assignments from Cortes and he never let him down.   Cristobal de Olid: Strong, brave, brutish and not very bright, Olid was Cortes captain of choice when he needed blunt force more than diplomacy. When supervised, Olid could lead large groups of soldiers, but had little in the way of problem-solving skills. After the conquest, Cortes sent Olid south to  conquer Honduras, but Olid went rogue and Cortes had to send another expedition after him. Pedro de Alvarado: Pedro de Alvarado is the best-known today of Cortes captains. The hotheaded Alvarado was an able captain, but impulsive, as he showed when he ordered the temple massacre in Cortes absence. After the fall of Tenochtitlan, Alvarado conquered the Maya lands to the south and even took part in the conquest of Peru. Alonso de Avila: Cortes didnt like Alonso de Avila much personally, because Avila had an annoying habit of bluntly speaking his mind, but he respected Avila and thats what counted. Avila was good in a fight, but he was also honest and had a head for figures, so Cortes made him the expeditions treasurer and put him in charge of setting aside the Kings fifth. Reinforcements Many of Cortes original 600 men died, were wounded, returned to Spain or the Caribbean or otherwise did not remain with him until the end. Fortunately for him, he received reinforcements, which always seemed to arrive when he needed them the most. In May of 1520, he defeated a larger force of conquistadors under Panfilo de Narvaez, who had been sent to rein in Cortes. After the battle, Cortes added hundreds of Narvaez men to his own. Later, reinforcements would seemingly arrive at random: for example, during the siege of Tenochtitlan, some survivors of Juan Ponce de Leons disastrous expedition to Florida sailed into Veracruz and were sent swiftly inland to reinforce Cortes. In addition, once word of the conquest (and rumors of Aztec gold) began to spread through the Caribbean, men rushed to join Cortes while there was still loot, land and glory to be had. Sources: Diaz del Castillo, Bernal. . Trans., ed. J.M. Cohen. 1576. London, Penguin Books, 1963. Print.Levy, Buddy. Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma and the Last Stand of the Aztecs. New York: Bantam, 2008.Thomas, Hugh. Conquest: Montezuma, Cortes and the Fall of Old Mexico. New York: Touchstone, 1993.

Honeybees as a Resource essays

Honeybees as a Resource essays Honeybees as a Resource Honeybees are very useful to humans. As their name suggests, they make the sweet, delicious treat known as honey that we enjoy. They also make beeswax from which we make many useful items. But the most important thing bees do for us is to pollinate the plants. The honeybee visits flowers which secrete a sweet liquid called nectar. This water-like nectar is sipped from the blossoms by the bee and carried to the beehive. The raw nectar goes into the cells in almost the same condition as it was when the bee sipped it from the flowers. It is inside the hive that house bees evaporate the nectar down to the thick consistency which is what we know as commercial honey. We usually think of the main use of honey as a spread on bread, pancakes or biscuits. However, honey has a large use in cooking; such as pastries, canned foods, milk drinks, desserts, frostings, syrups, and salad dressings. Honey contains simple sugars and does not require digestion like regular sugar, so it is useful for quick energy pick up and even for diabetic people. Most honey is sold as extracted honey but it is also sold on the honeycomb which is the wax chambers the bees make in the hive in which to store the honey. The wax comes from a worker bee's belly when she is fourteen to twenty-one days old. The wax chambers are just big enough for a bee to crawl inside. Sometimes people like to eat honeycomb. It can be eaten on toast or as is; then the wax becomes like a chewing gum, but like chewing gum it should not be swallowed. In recent years a new process called the Dyce process has made it possible to make a very nice granulated honey called creamed honey which is gaining in popularity. However, granulated honey is not used much commercially because it is still an almost unknown honey product. Beeswax is the second most important product produced by the honeybees. Beeswax, the earliest of waxes, has been used in the f...

International Change and the Social World II Essay

International Change and the Social World II - Essay Example Family can be formally defined on the basis of two aspects namely as a social institution and as an ideology. The paper is aimed to discuss the two aspects of the family. In addition the, different theoretical bases in the study of sociology, the functionalist approach and the feminist perspective will be used to understand the different concepts within the family. In the study of the family, the common and universal knowledge that every individual in the society possesses is related to the function of the family as a social institution. Through the course of history until the present era though, the concept of the family is continuously developing and changing. During the early part of the 20th century, specifically the 50’s and 60’s, the concept of the family had been defined through the functionalist approach proposed by Talcott Parsons. The said theoretical perspective is mainly based on the different functions of the family as a whole as well as the role of the different members for the family. The functionalist approach can then be considered as a structured definition of the concept of the family. He defined the different functions of the family in the society such as the development of the children in terms of socialization and the stabilization of the adult personality. Parsons’ view specifically presented the family as an independent unit. The father as the one who defined the occupational role in the family and the stratification of the family based on gender were included in the said theoretical perspective (Unit B Introduction, p.58). The functionalist approach can be considered as a classical view on the concept of the family. This can be attributed to the fact that during the said era the family was more structured and there was strict cultural norms related to the roles within the family and in the society. As the needs of the people and the society changes, the theoretical perspective

My Educational Goals Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

My Educational Goals - Scholarship Essay Example I am a very dedicated and hard working person. I like helping others. During my time at college I will look for volunteering opportunities by inquiring local churches, governmental institutions, and non-profits. I want to learn as much as I can during my time in college. In college students learn from their interaction with students, professors, and non-faculty staff inside and outside the classroom. I want to study a career in criminal justice because I want to make a difference in society through my work efforts. In the United States there were a total of 10.63 million crimes committed in 2009 (Disastercenter). I am very motivated to start my college career. I know that is will a lot of sacrifice and commitment, but I am ready for the challenge of becoming a full time college student. Work Cited Page Disastercenter.com. 2010. â€Å"United States Crime Rates 1960-2009† 10 April 2011. Lewin, T. 23 July 2010. â€Å"Once a Leader US Lags in College Degrees.† The NY Times. 10 April 2011.