Saturday, February 29, 2020

Captain Corellis Mandolin Essay Example for Free

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin Essay Carlo asserts â€Å"War is a wonderful thing, in movies and in books.† By close reference to the novel, explore how war shows people at their worst and their best. The novel Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, written by Louis De Bernieres in 1994, explores â€Å"humanity; we sigh at their suffering as they are ripped apart and forever changed by war.†1 The quotation in the title is spoken by Carlo quite early on in the novel, at the end of chapter 15, titled ‘L’Omosessuale (4)’. He is referring to the idea that war is repeatedly shown to be patriotic, heroic, and indeed wonderful especially in film and literature. However, from Carlos’ experiences in Albania, he knows the true reality of war, as he has seen and experienced the suffering. We can trace Carlos’ progression of thought through his personal chapters; all entitled ‘L’Omosessuale’. He begins saying, â€Å"How wonderful it was to be at this war†(p.119) We hear him describe crossing the foreign border as â€Å"exhilarating†, and he and his comrades view themselves as â€Å"the new legionaries of the new empire that would last ten thousand years.†(p.119) This was his view at the very beginning of war, before he had really experienced any suffering. As he is yet to encounter any conflict, it is likely he has been influenced by the propaganda at the time, organised by the Italian leader, Mussolini. The next quotation is said slightly further on during Carlos’ experience, â€Å"How wonderful it was to be at war, until the weather turned against us.†(p.120) It is here that we begin to hear of some of the suffering that Carlo and his comrades had to endure, such as â€Å"we were ten thousand men soaked to the bone†(p.120). The real tragedy of war is death, and Carlo has had direct experience of this. He says, â€Å"War is wonderful until someone is killed†(p.122). This is when De Bernieres chooses to use graphic images to show the suffering that Carlo and his comrades endure. â€Å"I realised that I was covered with gory scraps of human flesh that were freezing fast to my uniform†(p.122). Finally, Carlo says the quotation in the title, â€Å"War is a wonderful thing, in movies and in books† on page 124. It is here that Carlo has realised the actuality of war, and can see that this idealised version is fictitious and can only be seen in movie and in books. â€Å"War scorches a trail through all of their lives. What seems, at the beginning of the novel, like a game, a challenge to manhood, a matter of honour, an occasion for political satire, becomes an appalling reality.2 Carlo asserts that war is shown to be wonderful in movies and in books. However, De Bernieres does not follow this trend, and shows the war for what it is. De Bernieres’ characters starve and die slowly with their entrails hanging out; he depicts the horror that they have to endure to fight for their country, and the suffering that they are put through. â€Å"It was as though a portion of my mind has disappeared, or as though my soul had diminished to a tiny point of grey light†(p.138). De Bernieres also shows the gore and bloodshed caused by the war, when he describes the death of Francesco. In chapter 19, L’Omosessuale (6), De Bernieres uses Carlo’s narrative to tell the reader the true details of Francesco’s death, and then the sanitised version for his mother. As well as this showing Carlos’ considerate nature, it also confirms that many people did view the war in a very different light from its reality, including Francesco’s mother. â€Å"He died on a fine day, Signora, with the sun shining and the birds singing.† â€Å"(He died on a day when the snow was melting and when, beneath that carapace, there were emerging a thousand corpses, knapsacks, rusted riffles, water bottles, illegible unfinished letters drenched in blood)† (p.148). Corelli wrote the novel, after falling in love with the Island of Cephallonia, and wanting to inform readers about what happened to this Island during World War II. For this reason, he has depicted a very real and veritable account of atrocities that occurred during the Second World War. â€Å"Everyone is shot, without regard for rank or role, even the medics and the chaplains.†3 However, in the film adaptation of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, directed by John Madden, war is viewed in a very different light. De Bernieres has said of the film â€Å"The problem is that film-makers take out all your good ideas and replace them with a load of stupid ones.†4 The depiction of war in the film is very different and many scenes seem to have been â€Å"watered down†5, in order to appeal to far wider audience. The movie has been widely criticised, after changing the story line drastically from a tragic story of the destruction and consequences of war, to a love story between Corelli and Pelagia. â€Å"Where de Bernià ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½res’ book makes it clear from the start that war is unforgivingly ugly, for a long time the film’s only hint of this is a glimpse of Mandras’s battle-scarred feet.†6 Although much of De Bernieres novel depicts the horror of war, some of the consequences of war are indeed wonderful. Corelli and Pelagia would have never found love without the intervention of war in their lives, and although ultimately war destroys their love, the moments spent together made the war endurable. The prefatory poem at the beginning on the novel shows Louis De Bernieres hinting, even before the novel has begun, that war will be an important theme throughout. ‘The Soldier’ by Humbert Wolfe describes the waste of war, and the loss of lives and of youth. Links are evident between this poem and Captain Corelli’s mandolin as they both explore the way in which war has an effect on different people. The presence of war on the Island of Cephallonia has various effects on different characters and can expose people’s flaws and merits. An excellent example of this is the contrast shown between Mandras and Antonio Corelli. Corelli has been drawn into a war that he really has no heart for. â€Å"You mean you’re a soldier by mistake?† (p. 206, Pelagia). He has no desires to be a soldier and his character is often seen as anti-military. When giving punishments he does not follow the rules that are expected of him, â€Å"To everyone’s surprise the captain pointed his pistol straight into the face of one of the culprits†(p.324). However, although he had no intention of doing so, Corelli proves to be an excellent comrade and shows morality throughout the war. â€Å"This is my morality, I make myself imagine that it is personal†(p.351). This is greatly contrasted with the character of Mandras. He has very high expectations about the life of a soldier and feels he has to prove himself to Pelagia and the rest of the Island. He resents those who know more than him, yet does not want to prove himself intellectually, as he believes â€Å"no man is a man until he has been a soldier†(p.80) Carlos’ assertion that war is wonderful in movies and in books reflects a idealised view of the war. However, Mandras believes that this view was the reality of war and he felt that becoming a soldier would make him more worthy as a man. â€Å"I’ll come back and everyone will say, That’s Mandras, who fought in the war. We owe everything to people like him.† He is indoctrinated by what is expected of him, and is predicted to conform. However high Mandras’ expectations were, the war does not elevate him, it brings him down. During his experiences in war he saw others abuse their power, and now feels he has a right to do the same, The war de-humanises him, and instead of changing him for the better it changes him for the worse. The war in Cephallonia showed the best and the worst in people. In Antonio Corelli’s case it displays his merits as he has the opportunity to exercise his humanity in the treatment of others. From the beginning of the novel, Corelli is represented as a laid-back, light-hearted leader. Although he has a great talent as a leader, he is very modest and introduces Carlo as â€Å"one of our heroes, He has a hundred medals for saving life and none for taking it†(p.202). He proves himself as an excellent comrade and Captain by being faithful to his men until the very end. â€Å"There is no honour in this war, but I have to be with my boys†(p.392). His introduction of La Scala also shows good comradeship, as it is a humorous and practical solution to having to use communal toilets. This is also a crucial element of the novel, as before they go to join the shooting line up, they sing to maintain their composure. He also shows his forgiving nature when he chooses to forgive Gunter for what he has done. â€Å"I forgive you. If I do not, who will?†(p.397). He says of himself â€Å"I am not a natural parasite†(p.305) and this is seen clearly when he avoids any confrontation with Pelagia. He is uncomfortable about living with Pelagia and her father â€Å"Tonight I shall sleep in the yard and tomorrow I shall request alternative accommodation†(p.204). Corelli’s fondness for animals is De Bernieres way of showing positive traits in a character. The fact that Corelli is so attached to Psipsina shows that he is an admirable man and the reader feel connected to him. â€Å"The captain had some engaging traits. He tied a cork to a piece of string, and sprinted about the house with Psipsina in hot pursuit†¦and if the animal happened to be sitting on a piece of music, he would go away and fetch another sheet rather than disturb her†(p.250) Corelli also shows fondness for children in his relationship with Lemoni. Although there is a language barrier, the two are able to communicate on a different level, and are able to enjoy each other’s company. â€Å"The child was whooping and laughing, and it appeared that what was transpiring was a lesson in Italian. ‘Bella fanciulla,’ the captain was saying. He was waiting for Lemoni to repeat it. ‘Bla fanshla,’ she giggled.† (p. 211) He also appears to have a very different attitude than other soldiers, when he arrives in Cephallonia with his mandolin strapped to his back, and not a gun, as you would expect from a soldier. The mandolin â€Å"that was called Antonia because it was the other half of himself.† This love for music is another engaging trait that the captain has, and is one of the reasons Pelagia falls in love with him. We also see this originality to his character when Gunter Weber, a german soldier, introduces himself. Weber says â€Å"Heil Hitler†, yet Corelli says â€Å"Heil Puccini†, showing he has a very different attitude to the war, and will not be led by anyone. This again shows his love for classical music, as Puccini was a great composer, whom Corelli was an admirer of. His relationship with Pelagia is clearly one of great love and admiration, however it also contains sexual desires, which are never consummated. â€Å"Such slender fingers, such pink nails. He imagined them engaged upon amorous and nocturnal things, and realised that he was disturbing Psipsina.†(p.259, Corelli) This shows ongoing respect for Pelagia and her father, and also shows Corelli’s caring and considerate temperament. In contrast to Corelli, the character Mandras is brutalised by war. He believes that war will change him for the better, yet it changes him for the worse. He becomes a victim of propaganda and a victim of his insecurities. Before he leaves for war he tells Pelagia â€Å"I’m a Greek†¦not a Fascist†(p.214) War changes him for the worse as he is very easily led and allows others to influence him. This may have had a positive effect on Mandras if he had chosen Iannis to guide him, yet he chooses Hector, the leader of a branch of the ELAS. Joining this group causes him to abandon his personal values, and this is seen when he whips the old man. â€Å"Mandras did not even notice that the man had stopped moving, had stopped screaming and whining†(p.233). He manages to blank out the emotions that he should be feeling, and begins to enjoy the power he holds over this old man. â€Å"If you didn’t think about what it was, it sounded weirdly beautiful†(p.234) After returning from the war, he becomes much more manipulative, especially towards Pelagia and Drosoula. â€Å"Mandras had begun his exile into inaccessibility by dramatising the idea of death†(p.180). Pelagia was â€Å"convinced that he was doing it on purpose as an act of vengeance or punishment.†(p.180). This shows a very cruel side to Mandras that we have never seen before, and it clearly takes the war to bring out this negative side of his character. He has clearly been indoctrinated by the propaganda of the war, and this is seen in chapter 63, when he recites communist slogans. â€Å"The party is never wrong. Whoever is not with us is against us†(p.447) He does not seem to be questioning what he has been told, he just repeats it. He has experienced others abusing their power during his time with the ELAS and now sees this as an approved way of behaving. â€Å"De Bernià ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½res explores power and its abuse†7 He insults and belittles Pelagia after he returns from fighting and tortures her further, even though he should see that she has suffered enough during the war. De Bernieres shows a side to Mandras that readers have never seen before. He represents him as evil and sadistic, and we see Mandras refer to Pelagia as a â€Å"slut†. His morals have disintegrated following his fighting with the ELAS, and feels that he can do whatever he wants. This is due to the fact that the ELAS would make up their own rules for their comrades to follow. The war de-humanises Mandras and he represents the damage that can be inflicted by extreme politics. In Mandras’ death, De Bernieres wants readers to feel pity for him, as it is clear the communist party has seriously indoctrinated him. He dies as a victim of the war, and a desire to prove himself worthy, and this also evokes compassion in the reader Carlo is a character in the novel who shows how war can bring out the best in people. He is a very honourable character, and has to live with the secret that he is homosexual. He puts aside his desire for Corelli in order to help the romance between Pelagia and Corelli develop. â€Å"I have loved you with the same surprise and gratitude that I see in your own eyes when you are with Pelagia†(p.384). He shows true bravery in front of the firing squad when stepping in front of Corelli to save his life. â€Å"Antonio Corelli†¦had found in front of him the titanic bulk of Carlo Guercio†(p.399). De Bernieres uses Carlo’s narrative in the chapters entitled L’Omosessuale, and this allows the readers to sympathise further with the silent suffering that Carlo has to endure during the war. His writings are eloquently written and his language is poetic and beautiful, showing the gentle side to his character. â€Å"He died on a fine day, Signora, with the sun shining and the birds singing.†(P.148, Carlo) â€Å"Father Arsenios was saved by the war†(p.292). De Bernieres absolves Arsenios after the war and liberates him from his former self. However, the characters perceive him as a mad man and cannot see that war has brought about his finest hour. He is referred to as the â€Å"crazy priest† yet he feels he is a saviour and â€Å"it is probable that, had he lived, Arsenios might have become a saint†(p.295). De Bernieres chooses to depict war in a graphic and realistic light in his novel, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. Although in many films or books war is shown to be wonderful, this idealised version is proved wrong in De Bernieres novel, as he shows the suffering that the soldiers were forced to endure. He shows that the war has different effects on different people, and it can expose their faults or their merits. Mandras is forever changed by the war, as he returns indoctrinated by the communist party. His death proves that his natural environment is the sea, where he can be accepted and does not have to prove himself. In contrast Corelli’s merits are shown to be more prominent as the war develops, and also as his love for Pelagia develops. The reader is drawn to the character of Corelli, even though he is an occupying soldier, as he shows compassion, kindness and respect during his time in Cephallonia. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. (2017, Aug 23). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Refusal Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Refusal Memo - Essay Example The community service program volunteered by the employees has been running smoothly and has been displayed on the company’s website. Dawson & Engels are thus able to improve its image as a social citizen which puts the company is a better place in the competitive scenario. This has been achieved with the help of strategic policies of the company and considering the needs, culture, and sentiments of the society (Banerjee 89). The higher management of the company is politically conservative which is compatible with the views of the employees and the individual citizens in the community. The company also encouraged its employees to participate in the listed volunteer opportunities and without them the entire employee volunteer program would be a failure. The organization has due respect to the employees of the purchasing department as well and has considered your proposal of inclusion of CNV in the list of volunteer opportunities. However, D&E has decided not to engage into the activities of CNV as functional activities and strategies of CNV in resolving community conflicts, conducting peace camps and holding sessions in the schools are politically neutral. ... Looking at the amount of cost involved in engaging into the activities of CNV and the cost-benefit analysis, it would not be prudent to accept the proposal. The company encourages your involvement in the alternate areas available in the approved list of volunteer programs or is even ready to accept new proposals that are in line with the policies of the company (Crew 45). D&E also does not intend to affront its company executives in pursuing this social activity. The company expects that this would be accepted in good spirits and is looking for more proposals in future. Dawson and Energy would continue to recognize the employees for performing outstanding work in the employee volunteer program. In cases approved by the company, the employees would continue to be eligible for the paid volunteer hours for rendering the service to the community on behalf of Dawson and Energy. Memorandum Date: 9th October, 2013. To: The Instructor From: The Student Subject: Rationale for refusal to inclu sion of CNV in the list of community services. The community services are being undertaken by Dawson and Energy as an initiative to become a good citizen of the community. The community services are being rendered in the form of employee volunteer program that is planned in consonance with the marketing director. In order to do this, the company has prepared its list of volunteering activities in different areas. In these areas, the company has taken a strategy to provide grants to the organizations that they would support for providing the community service (Hawkins 42). The company respects the culture and sentiments of the society and carries

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Compassion Fatigue Related to Oncology Nursing Research Paper

Compassion Fatigue Related to Oncology Nursing - Research Paper Example The state of the patients affects the nurses directly by making them have mood swings. This happens due to the fact that the nurses tend to empathize humanly with the patients and lose focus on mainstreaming and creating a barrier not to affect their emotions. This condition that arises due to care given to the patients is referred to as compassion fatigue. There are other conditions that arises due to provision of care like burnout, these can be successfully be distinguished from compassion fatigue. The entire nursing profession is faced with rapid exponential increase in case of compassion fatigue due to increased number of population that demands health care and the limited number of the nurses to provide the care. This paper analyzes compassion fatigue and other related concepts. Oncology is the study of the causes, development and the occurrence of cancers coupled with treatments and mitigation of the cancerous cells. Cancer is one of the most devastating medical conditions in the contemporary world and the prevalence and incidence of cancer has been on the rife for the last couple of years (Bissett 56). In 1995, another person Figley proposed another definition of what compassion fatigue implies, he advanced that the definition of compassion fatigue is ‘the cost of caring’ (FIgley 154). ... Benign cancers are those which are restricted to one part of the body and do not spread to other types of the body. These types of cancers are easy to treat and can be mitigated easily. On the other hand, the malignant cancers are the most lethal and have the tendency of spreading to other parts of the body. This is the lethal types of cancer which poses the greatest danger to the human life (Henke, Barrie, and Thomas 111). The aim of this paper then is to relate the fate of the nurses who are care providers of these patients and are at the risk of developing emotional breakdown which may impact negatively on their lives, otherwise known as compassion fatigue. The sense of compassion fatigue is then dissected in relation to the position of the nurses in light of their duties. Definition of compassionate fatigue The term compassionate fatigue first came into the public limelight in 1992 when Joinson in a nursing article that he published. In the article Joinson described compassion fa tigue as the condition in which nurses experience a change in their feeling and instead developed a sense of helplessness and emotional changes as a result of witnessing their patient going through a series of devastating conditions of illness and trauma (Bissett 194). In 1995, another person Figley proposed another definition of what compassion fatigue implies, he advanced that the definition of compassion fatigue is ‘the cost of caring’ (FIgley 154). It is therefore imperative that the concept of compassionate fatigue be conceived well in its context by the nurses so that they may not lose focus on their roles as professional nurses at a time that patients are in dire need of their services.

Friday, January 24, 2020

Islamic Financing vs the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) Essay

The research article discusses two approaches, one method is Islamic financing and other is the conventional capital asset pricing model (CAPM). Using the direct Musharakah, Islamic financing method is applied against the conventional financing method by comparing each other. Comparing the two approaches has drawn several findings; it is found that the beta-risk is lower on investments, which are based on the partnership of Islamic financing as compared to the conventional market. The risk is on the share of the lenders and others but not on the risk-return. Equilibrium exists between the relative risk and the share of lender, furthermore, it is also discussed in the article that Islamic financing is not based on the fixed and predetermined rate of interest, prediction of inflation in future and the partnerships, which are based on the minimum risk with maximum return. Islamic financing is spreading with the growth rate of 23% annually and many Islamic financing banks and institutio ns are working all over the world. The primary objective of this article is to lay down the hypothetical framework, which discusses the Profit and loss sharing based on Islamic principles with the investment of interest free partnership. According to the author, Islamic financing is based on the risk that is beard by the both parties. On the time of investment, whether agents have shortage or surplus of resources, they have to share the returns and risk on the investment they are making. General concepts of Islamic financing instruments like Mudarabah, Musharakah, Murabahah, Al-Salam and Al-Ijara are based on the mechanism of profit and loss sharing (PLS). All of these above mentioned partnerships are based on the agreed upon the subsequent loss or th... ...anagement of the stock portfolios, implementing an Islamic CAPM would ultimately result in more satisfying results that can potentially produce generous income for the investor. Works Cited Hanif, M. and U. Bhatti, 2010. Validity of CAPM: Evidence from KSE. European Journal of Economics, Finance & Administrative Sciences, Issue 20, pages 148-161. Selim, T. H. (2008). An Islamic capital asset pricing model. Humanomics, 24(2), 122-129. Hanif, Muhammad and Dar, Abubakar Javaid, Comparative Testing of Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and Shari’a Compliant Asset Pricing Model (SCAPM): Evidence from Karachi Stock Exchange - Pakistan (November 18, 2011). 4th South Asian International conference (SAICON-2012), Pearl Contenental Hotel, Bhurban, Pakistan, 05-07 December, 2012. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1961660 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1961660

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

New media Essay

New media has transformed the way we receive and produce content. New media such as the internet is making it easier for people to get their opinions across which creates content and allows a two-way dialogue. New media and technologies such social media networks change the way a person perceives the world. In the past decades, old style media was the only form of media used to receive content and sharing content was not as easy like it is nowadays. Internet can be easily accessed, with the transformation process still continuing it is now easy for the public to create and upload content which form discussions. Habermas’ conception of the public sphere (Scannell 2000). Habermas defined the idea of the public sphere as a social space in which all participants spoke as equals, made rational arguments, felt free to question authority and traditional political assumptions. New media is broadcasted though digital media and online sites such as Facebook and the internet. Content is shared and created through social media by uploading or publishing content such as images, videos and text. New media allows individuals to receive and share content. The rapid development of computer science leads to the emergence of brand-new type media which is transforming the world and the way how people perceive the world. Interactivity which distinguishes new media from their traditional counterparts endows them with capability to transform the mode of communication. Based on the powerful computer science and technologies, new media quickly engulf the whole world. Rather than evolving from traditional media and extending to new fields traditional media fail to reach, new media are completely another tool with totally different structure and mechanism against which they function. They make it possible to construct a three-dimension world resembling exactly what human beings actually live and give people a realistic feeling after stepping in. This capacity leads to a new mode of cultural representation, simulation. The implications are more than just to imitate and reveal true, but also include creating truth  creating a reality that cannot exist in the actual world. The interactivity closely associated with new media enables them the transform the conventional communication mode as well. The one-way information flow in traditional media changes into the two-way dialogue, then into â€Å"group discussion†. Virtual communities and social networks take shape. There, communication participants are no longer persons in conventional sense, but reduce into roles. A single person can have various roles to present in different spaces created by new media. An example of the two – way dialogue is the â€Å"BUST THE BUDGET† on the sbs site and through social media such as twitter people who attended the rally were able to connect and present their opinions to sbs. Online social networking communities are transforming the way we are experiencing television/network channel content. Social media connects people from local to global. Online communities talk everything that excites, entertains, energies or anything that creates an emotional bonding with certain kind of stuff. Social sites like Twitter and Facebook are the platforms where communities share information, ideas and insights. To conclude, media quickly to engulf the whole world. Rather than evolving from traditional media and extending to new fields traditional media fail to reach, new media are completely another tool with totally different structure and mechanism against which they function. They make it possible to construct a three-dimension world resembling exactly what human beings actually live and give people a realistic feeling after stepping in. This capacity leads to a new mode of cultural representation, simulation. The implications are more than just to imitate and reveal true, but also include creating truth creating a reality that cannot exist in the actual world. The interactivity closely associated with new media enables them the transform the conventional communication mode as well. The one-way information flow in traditional media changes into the two-way dialogue, then into â€Å"group discussion†. Virtual communities and social networks take shape. There, communication participants are no longer persons in conventional sense, but reduce into roles. A single person can have various roles to present in different spaces created by new media. Cultural representation and  communication are no longer what they used to be in face of the powerful engine. This is what â€Å"new† in â€Å"New Media† exactly means transformations. Reference: Media and Modernity: A Social Theory of the Media – John B. Thompson – 2014. Media and Modernity: A Social Theory of the Media – John B. Thompson The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere – J.Habermas – 2014. http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/07/06/anti-budget-rallies-held-around-country-0 Meikle, Graham & Young, Sherman (2012) Ch 3 ‘From Broadcast to Social Media’ in Media Flew, Terry (2008) â€Å"Approaches to new media† from New media Van Dyke, N., Soule, S. A., & Taylor, V. A. (2005). The targets of social movements: Beyond a focus on the state. Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change, 25, 27-51. Howley, K. (2007). Community media and the public sphere. Media studies: Key issues and debates, 342-360. Scannell, P. (Ed.). (1991). Broadcast talk (Vol. 5). Sage. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-06/storify-bust-the-budget-protests/5575378

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Drone´s Should Not Be Used unless They are Completed...

With the large strides and advancements in different branches of consumer and industrial electronics, interest in one piece of technology has grown exponentially, drones. Drones have become more than only a hobbyist’s toy, stretching into police surveillance and even into industrial uses. These drones, covering our skies, not only become a safety concern but also a privacy concern. Laws and regulations need to be put in place for the use of drones in order to protect the safety and privacy of citizens. The main reason why hobbyist drones need to be regulated is because of the public security problem that they create once they are in the hands of general consumers. The newest of the hobbyist drones can cost anywhere from $100 to upwards of $1000 and vary in sizes and weights which can be flown with a simple remote control from over a quarter mile away (â€Å"Drone 101: What is a Quadcopter†). The greater the price of the drone, the smaller the drone, and the stronger it is. This variation of costs and abilities allows consumers have the ability to choose a drone that best fits their needs and requirements. While many hobbyists use their drones to fly over cities or meadows with small cameras attached in order to record scenery, there are also many other uses (Senese). In the hands of the wrong person, these drones could possibly provide a new way for sinister acts, such as carrying illegal items or weapons across borders and into prisons, to take place without the pilot actuallyShow MoreRelatedbullet theory7360 Words   |  30 Pagesthe mass media in the belief that he could use it unify the German public behind the Nazis in the 1940s. Function The theory amp;ldquo;suggests that the message is a bullet, fired from the amp;lsquo;media gunamp;rsquo; into the vieweramp;#039;s head,amp;rsquo;amp;rdquo; states the University of Twente. In this model, the audience is passive. Viewers are sitting ducks with no chance to avoid or resist the impact of the message. Mass media, in this view, is dangerous because people believeRead MoreThe Impact Of E Commerce On Business7352 Words   |  30 Pagesthe success of an e-commerce business. In task three I will try to present all the critically assess the risks of linking business systems to the internet. In my paperwork, I will introduce the term of electronic commerce or e-commerce, which is used for the use of ICT in the external activities and relationships of the business with individuals, groups and other business. My goal here is to find out why the Ecommerce grown so rapidly. The answer lies in the unique nature of the Internet and theRead MoreAn Introduction to Hydrophonics and Controlled Environment Agriculture40110 Words   |  161 PagesIntroduction to Hydroponics and Controlled Environment Agriculture by Patricia A. Rorabaugh, Ph.D. University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center 1951 E. Roger Road Tucson, AZ 85719 Revised December, 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: Controlled Environment Agriculture and Hydroponics: Past, Present and Future The Plant How to grow greenhouse crops Plant Protection: Insects and Diseases Basic Principals of Hydroponics Transplant Production Pollination, Fertilization and BeeRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesbuilt-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Prentice Hall Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul SingaporeRead MoreEssay on Fall of Asclepius95354 Words   |  382 PagesFall of Asclepius By Harm 1 and Icrick Prologue Where should I begin? The apocalypse happened so fast. In less than a month, monsters infested every part of this world. People panicked, people died. They clawed at each other just to get out of all the infested areas around the world. There was problem about fleeing from infested areas. Everywhere was infested. There was no where anyone could go without encountering the walking plague. You know that phrase War is Hell? Well... its dead

Monday, December 30, 2019

CAM Plants Survival in the Desert

There are several mechanisms at work behind drought tolerance in plants, but one group of plants possesses a way to utilize that allows it to live in low-water conditions and even in arid regions of the world such as the desert. These plants are called Crassulacean acid metabolism plants, or CAM plants. Surprisingly, over 5% of all vascular plant species use CAM as their photosynthetic pathway, and others may exhibit CAM activity when needed. CAM is not an alternative biochemical variant but rather a mechanism enabling certain plants to survive in droughty areas. It may, in fact, be an ecological adaptation. Examples of CAM plants, besides the aforementioned cactus (family Cactaceae), are pineapple (family Bromeliaceae), agave (family Agavaceae), and even some species of Pelargonium (the geraniums). Many orchids are epiphytes and also CAM plants, as they rely on their aerial roots for water absorption. History and Discovery of CAM plants The discovery of CAM plants was begun in a rather unusual manner when Roman people discovered that some plant leaves used in their diets tasted bitter if harvested in the morning, but were not so bitter if harvested later in the day. A scientist named Benjamin Heyne noticed the same thing in 1815 while tasting Bryophyllum calycinum, a plant in the Crassulaceae family (hence, the name Crassulacean acid metabolism for this process). Why he was eating the plant is unclear, since it can be poisonous, but he apparently survived and stimulated research as to why this was happening. A few years before, however, a Swiss scientist named Nicholas-Theodore de Saussure wrote a book called Recherches Chimiques sur la Vegetation (Chemical Research of Plants). He is considered as the first scientist to document the presence of CAM, as he wrote in 1804 that the physiology of gas exchange in plants such as the cactus differed from that in thin-leaved plants. How CAM Plants Work CAM plants differ from regular plants (called C3 plants) in how they photosynthesize. In normal photosynthesis, glucose is formed when carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O), light, and an enzyme called Rubisco to work together to create oxygen, water, and two carbon molecules containing three carbons each (hence, the name C3). This is actually an inefficient process for two reasons: low levels of carbon in the atmosphere and the low-affinity Rubisco has for CO2. Therefore, plants must produce high levels of Rubisco to grab as much CO2 as it can. Oxygen gas (O2) also affects this process, because any unused Rubisco is oxidized by O2. The higher the oxygen gas levels are in the plant, the less Rubisco there is; therefore, the less carbon is assimilated and made into glucose. C3 plants deal with this by keeping their stomata open during the day in order to gather as much carbon as possible, even though they can lose a lot of water (via transpiration) in the process. Plants in the desert cant leave their stomata open during the day because they will lose too much valuable water. A plant in an arid environment has to hold onto all the water that it can! So, it must deal with photosynthesis in a different way. CAM plants need to open the stomata at night when there is less of a chance of water loss via transpiration. The plant can still take in CO2 at night. In the morning, malic acid is formed from the CO2 (remember the bitter taste Heyne mentioned?), and the acid is decarboxylated (broken down) to CO2 during the day under closed stomata conditions. The CO2 is then made into the necessary carbohydrates via the Calvin cycle. Current Research Research is still being performed on the fine details of CAM, including its evolutionary history and genetic foundation. In August 2013, a symposium  on C4 and CAM plant biology was held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, addressing the possibility of the use of CAM plants for biofuel production feedstocks and to further elucidate the process and evolution of CAM.