Emotional Eating Essay

Emotional eating is a disorder that involves the intake of food as motivated by an individual’s emotional state instead of biological processes (Canetti, Bachar, & Berry, 2002). Even if an individual is not hungry or already full, eating still continues as response or coping mechanism for certain emotional states, usually negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, confusion, loneliness, or sadness. Emotions related to stress also cause emotional eating. The common view of emotional eating is as a temporary condition triggered by the onset of certain emotions. Commonly, this becomes a problem for people only when this has progressed to other problems such as depression or obesity. Nevertheless, the number of people experiencing emotional eating supported efforts to address the emotional problem in clinical practice. Emotional eating could also lead to serious physiological and psychological health problems if unresolved as well as comprise the possible manifestation of other underlying clinical problems. Addressing emotional eating becomes a preventive measure and solution to more serious problems. Existing interventions include psychiatric counseling and diet monitoring by a nutritionist (Field et al. , 2008). However, the treatment of emotional eating depends on individualized diagnosis (Buchanan, 2004) because of variances in the causes and manifestations of the condition in different people. Emotional eating is a disorder with environmental and psychological components. These two components explain the causes and manifestations of emotional eating and point to intervention or treatment options that should consider these two components. The environmental component of emotional eating refers to two causes of the disorder. One is social eating or the common practice of socialization around food. Social gatherings usually bond around food with people consuming more than usual to celebrate an occasion. It is also common for friends comforting each other and providing support, to eat comfort foods that are usually high in sugar. The other is the childhood habit of food as a means of expressing care or reward resulting to the development of emotionally driven attachment to food in adulthood. The celebration of every success is food, with the quantity reflecting the value of the success to the person. All situations requiring comfort also calls for food intake. (Field et al. , 2008) The psychological component revolves around stress as the trigger for emotional eating. Stress elevates the cortisol levels of individuals. Cortisol is a hormone released by the body to respond to stress through heightened mental functioning or boost of energy. However, excessive release of cortisol could cause people to crave for food. Anxiety and depression could also cause people to eat to calm themselves or to ease their discomfort. (Canetti et al. , 2002) Current and Future Research and Treatment Directions on Emotional Eating The current research on emotional eating focuses on the causes and manifestations of emotional eating to diagnose individuals, the role of personality typologies in aiding diagnosis and identifying risk groups, the consideration of gender as a ways of determining risk groups, and treatment options. One explanation for emotional eating is general dissatisfaction. A study determining the propensity to engage in emotional eating of individuals, by using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, indicated that people placing themselves at the lower levels of the needs hierarchy have a higher propensity to eat to ease their dissatisfaction. (Timmerman & Acton, 2001) Mood association evolved as another explanation for emotional eating. Depression and negative moods have strong effects on emotional eating. The motivation for emotional eating is to experience the well-known pleasure in eating food, especially comfort foods such as sweets or junk food. Taking of midnight snacks due to the inability to sleep because of anxiety, depression and bad mood supported the association. (Bekker, van de Meerendonk, & Mollerus, 2004; Grilo & Masheb, 2004) Human ecology also emerged as a causal explanation for emotional eating. The positive factors associated to food determine emotional attachment to food in times of anxiety, depression or stress. The media also tempers people’s emotional attachment to food. (Field et al. , 2008) Research on the means of diagnosing emotional eating and other closely related eating disorders focused on personality typologies to help in identifying risk groups. People with personality disorders comprise a significant number of people diagnosed with emotional eating and other eating disorders (Picot & Lilenfeld, 2003). Individuals with low self-esteem are also more susceptible to eating disorders (Beeker et al. , 2004). Impulsiveness and thrill-seeking behaviors are also more likely to develop eating disorders with the fulfillment of cravings made to satisfy the need to experience new sensations (Grilo & Masheb, 2004). Gender, age and race are also focus of studies on risk groups for emotional eating. The study of night eating showed that men are more likely to eat food after dinner (Grilo & Masheb, 2004). Women and minority groups have greater concerns over shape and weight due to media influence and cultural norms leading to the perception of food as tempting pleasures. This leads to the attachment of comfort and pleasure to food. (Patel, Pratt, & Walcott, 2003; Ross & Wade, 2004; Vingerhoets, Nyklicek, & Denollet, 2008) There are two interlinked research trends on interventions for emotional eating. One is prevention through early detection via psychological tests. The questionnaire for eating disorders (Q-EDD) could be a diagnostic measure for emotional eating intended to apply to all eating disorders (Callahan et al. , 2003; Milos et al. , 2005). This is a general diagnostic test for all kinds of eating disorders with psychological components. The emotional eating scale (EES) remains an important specific tool in determining people susceptible to emotional eating as well as identifying the existence of concurrent disorders such as depression or personality disorders. (Palmer, 2005; Courbasson, Rizea, & Weiskopf, 2008) Interviews are important diagnostic tools in determining case history and personality factors (Callahan et al. , 2003; Palmer, 2005). The other research trend is treatment, which could be either inpatient or outpatient depending on the co-occurrence of other disorders. The goal of treatment could be the achievement of healthy weight through behavioral weight management programs, alleviation of physical complications, management of co-occurring psychological disorders through drug administration and/or psychotherapy, and ensuring non-relapse through self-help strategies (Pritts & Susman, 2003). Other interventions include anxiety and stress management, diet, exercise, and an overall healthy lifestyle for people without co-occurring psychological disorders to stop emotional eating. A number of alternative treatments exist to stop emotional eating by targeting stress such as acupuncture, relaxation exercises, and herbal medicine. (Cleary & Crafti, 2007)

A good leader Essay

INTRODUCTION There has been always considerable discussion about connection between great leaders and good followers. It is said that in order to be a good leader person should be a good follower. In my point of, a good leader is the person who also has been a good follower, person who has proven oneself ability to follow the instructions, who can subjugate one’s will to the will of others who has undertaken the responsibility of leadership, able to make constructive comments and debate issues when necessary and able to stand up for the principles in which one believes. The person who can manage to perform about mentioned missions can be called a good follower. However, it does not mean all good followers become always good leaders. There are some people who are astounding as choir singers but awful as choir directors. There are many great followers who are not good leaders. Nevertheless, it should be noted that good leaders and good followers usually posses the same characteristics and responsibilities which may be the main reason for considering an opinion that a good leaders also obliged to be a good follower. Leaders the ones who have brought our life many changes, make differences and make our life more interesting and interactive. But, if there were not followers there would not be a good leader, as, followers the most essential assets of a good leader. 1. Some people understand a leader simply as somebody whom people can follow or as someone who guides or directs others, while others define leader as a person who affects a group of people towards the achievement of a goal. With regard to follower, follower is a person who follows another`s teachings and  belief, one who admits the command, guidance and leadership of another one (www.vtaide.com). Some held conception that to be a good leader you ought to be a good follower. In order to be a leader, a person at first should learn how to be a good follower. Initially, majority of great leaders followed in the footsteps of other good leaders and utilized training to achieve their leadership goals. In order to have followers, a good leader must have ability to comprehend his or her followers and what the followers desire from the leader. And, the best way to implement it, the leader should be a good follower. As, rich people usually cannot understand poor people`s condition, if only the rich did not experience the poverty in their own life. The poor people can comprehend each other better because they have similar problems. Moreover, we are all followers in some spheres of our lives. And in this case, we can obtain some essential qualities and skills which help us to become a good leader. The reason for this is training which considered as a powerful tool in order to attract one’s vision to higher sights, increasing their performance to a higher standard, and forming a personality beyond its usual limitations to its full potential. For instance, in the history, the Apostle Peter had made a lot of mistakes before he followed Jesus. After following Jesus for three years Apostle Peter and his fellow-disciples â€Å"turned the world upside down†( John C.Maxwell,1998) Besides, leaders and followers divide some characteristics. 2. These are the following qualities: Awareness Ð ¡urrently, leÐ °ders have to know about different audiences including board members, customers, coworkers, colleagues, and the audience on the whole. You oblige to know what it tÐ °kes to bring them Ð °long, if you desire to be good a leader. In order to be a follower you should educate yourself how to be conscious of the requirements of public as well as their potential to â€Å"make one`s life hell from one second to the next† (Barbarra Kellerman) .Good followers study to read public and comprehend what distresses and stimulates them. Diplomacy When good followers meet a co-worker with frantic political beliefs or an offensive manager, they are maybe not going to struggle every fight. To take  part in a position of the follower is less risky, easier, and often simpler. Good followers observe how to handle with those who possess dissimilarities while not disregarding those differences. That is an essential leadership feature, for the reason that a manager or leader cannot afford to be unconscious to the relations of those people who surrounds him or her (www.success.bz). Courage Being a good follower indicates owning the bravery to disagree if you believe your manager, superior or leader is acting something incorrectly. That is always complicated, but it demands the strength of belief which is very essential to good leadership. Being a good leader is complex in methods that are rather alike to being a good follower. It means paying attention, being engaged, having the bravery to cry out when something is not proper way. Also, it means possessing the power and activity to encourage a leader or manager who is implementing things wisely and well. Collaboration In many cases, the leader influences if and how the goals are accomplished while followers are able to implement or break. Even though the leader may receive most of the credit, in many business sectors, followers are the people who are acting much of the creative work. Leaders who have been good followers comprehend how to work with people who can help to bring out the well enough in them. One of great leader said that â€Å"Was it the imaginative collective of team members at Apple, or did Steve Jobs really invent the iPod and iPhone? Currently, leaders may be reckoned up not only by how much is accomplished or produced, but by the quality of its members and the team or organization† (Ronald E. Riggio). Critical Thinking You need to be able to believe for yourself, in order to be a good follower. The best followers encourage and help the leader when he or she is acting the correct thing, and stand up to the leader when he or she is directed in the wrong direction. Many of the same qualities that we are enraptured with leaders competence, motivation, intelligence-are similar characteristics that we desire in the very best followers (www.lifehack.org). Besides, leaders, in spite of their degree, they also must follow. 3. Even though, leaders and followers share the same qualities, also, there is still much dissimilarity between them. Leader has to be isolated and independent in order to rely on himself. A bright example of this can be seen in the book called â€Å"Ender`s game†Ender had been isolated in order to make him struggle. That was the only way he would ever have been otherwise. Moreover, it made him untrusting, angry, strong and lonely. But, maybe these qualities made him a better soldier† (michaelhyatt.com). . Leader is usually the person who is being relied on his followers. Followers only must be efficient during the struggle. They have to be capable to implement the commands by their leader, with own skills. In other cases, it is not so essential to be that competent. They could ask aid from their leader or friends. But, leaders, cannot ask for aid from his followers because, otherwise his followers may consider him incompetent. Being a leader is not as easy as being a follower. Leaders illustrate inventiveness; when they have a general clutch for a project they can strategically lay out the most appropriate way to reach the final goal while followers require step by step instruction and expect direction to follow by the leader. They need regular approval and guarantee, in case, something goes wrong. Leaders are not content with simply expecting for the next step because they are very active. They disdain inactivity and when there is lack of progress. They are motivated by subjugating any obstacles in their way and accept responsibility. With regard to followers, they escape from amenability and would prefer when somebody else is â€Å"amenable† instead of them. Also, they agree with inaction as long as a leader does not motivate them to carry out the objectives. When followers usually experience obstacles in certain kind of work, they are not capable to manage with them alone. Leader is the one who can help to a follower how to handle with difficulties. Leaders are not afraid of a strong sense of anxiety or fear; on the contrary they prosper on it. They show that they have ability to manage with everything and very quick in making decisions. They attack fear and tackle it head on and show it who the boss is. With reference to followers, when they have to make a decision, they usually feel fear which causes to escape from a challenge without any real exculpation. Because they try rarely to make something new and they are not capable to risk (Dale Carnegie, 2010). Followers disdain any alterations and attempt to avoid them. Leaders are innovators and  intuitive so they accept changes. Moreover, they are aware that sometimes it is possible that some changes can be very beneficial and may help people to achieve their objectives as well as improving and flourishing their experiences too. 4. Like many traits of the prominent people, being a good leader is an elusive characteristic and very complicated to describe. Many people have different conception of a great leader. But, in my view, a good leader is the person who, first of all, has ability to make impossible things possible in order to be distinguished from other people and his followers. Also, a leader needs to comprehend what objectives and purposes are to be accomplished and needs to stick to those objectives and purposes and by never compromising with the truth. Even though, there are times when leader may have to yield a little, bend a little, but he should always have a clear vision of the final objective that he and his followers have wish to achieve. He must focus completely and totally to attaining the aim, by not permitting himself to be diverted, inactive, complaisant and negligent (www.fastcompany.com).In order to be a good leader, I would try to be quicker to evaluate and criticize myself in order th at I may benefit from my personal self-analysis and amend myself constantly and try to not to be hurry to adjudicate others. A good leader has to listen to constructive remark and must hear frank complaints and reckon up them with good criticism in order to appeal that which is affirmative and positive to the achievement of the objectives to which I am dedicated. If, I were a leader the first thing I would do is analyzing the aim which is needed to achieve and arranging everything in proper way. Analyzing includes not only finding out the goals, but, it also comprises followers or people who will work with you and what is the best appropriate method to attain the goal with the help of your team. When you analyze your followers, you will be aware what they desire and which qualities and abilities they have and how to help them to overcome and turn their weaknesses into the strength in order to achieve common goals. Moreover, it is vitally essential to work out and develop a strategy in order to attain objectives with a help of your team and find out your concur rents and enemies and how to overcome them so as to become more powerful and successful. A bright example of a great leader that I would like to take is Alan Mulally who is CEO of Ford Motor Corporation and also has taken the third place in the list of Great leaders in the world (Fortune  Magazine, 2014). He says that â€Å"One of the most essential tasks of the leader’s work is intensifying the process we are utilizing to attain our objectives. Furthermore, it is not only the way of simply asking, â€Å"How are we doing?† It is requiring, â€Å"How are we performing against the project? What are the spheres that demands particular attention? At the end of the year, what strategies have we worked out to ameliorate our fulfillment in next year?†(Rirk Kinkland, McKinsey Publishing 2013). 5. Some key qualities that I would like to possess and implement, if I were a leader are the following: Honesty and Responsibility An essential and basis element of a great leader is honesty. Your business and followers are a reflection of yourself, and if you are honest and behave yourself ethically it will be a key value for your followers to follow suit. Moreover, if you are not honest, responsible and reliable person you will not have people who will follow you. So, if your co-workers and followers do not trust you, it is impossible to be a leader. It is very important for the people who will follow you to be sure that they can rely on you and that you keep your promises. Also, the good leader should be dedicated towards his or her job because it shows that you feel responsibility. However, a good leader also must differentiate the people and followers whom he can trust in order not to be sure that his followers will always support him during attaining the goals. Communication Good communication skills aid the leader to communicate easily and to share ideas or exchange with opinions with his followers. Also, it is important to elude misunderstanding in an organization because knowing what you desire to be implemented might seem transparent in your head, but if you try to clarify it to somebody else and it may be comprehended in a different way which may cause to a problem. So, being capable to succinctly and clearly describe what you want to be accomplished is vitally essential. Besides, a leader should possess this trait to communicate with his client with various backgrounds. Vision Being a great leader also includes possessing and developing vision. It means having â€Å"vision† to forecast the future as if it were already here. A bright  example can be Steve Job, who often performed this. He created a transparent picture in minds of people how a new output would alter the world — before even it was launched. He had ability to make humans excited about the future which he imagined in his mind. Good leaders must develop the talent of vision in them as well as in followers to encourage them to be better in those skills which they possess. It helps to commit innovations and attain common goals. Positive Attitude A good leader should have a positive thinking and attitude in order to stimulate confidence and acquire inner strength. It is essential to remember, that confident and calm leader is a good example for his followers to feel the same. Besides, a great leader must motivate his followers and people around. If your followers feel happiness and are motivated, there are more chances to reach the best achievements and moving ahead. Also, a good leader must be capable to solve problem and find the solution to every problem which he encounters in life and not avoid it. And, it is usually easier to find solution to the problem when you are calm, confident and have positive mind-set. Conclusion By way of conclusion, it can be marked that being a leader is more complicated than many people expect it. Being leader requires many efforts, hard work and a plenty of affirmative traits which hare complex to attain. With regard to followers, it is easier to be a follower rather than being a leader. Even though, followers and leaders share similar qualities, not every good follower can become a good leader because there are many differences as well. One of the main differences between them is responsibility. Leaders oblige to be responsible not only for their actions, but, as well as they must be responsible for deeds of their followers. Furthermore, leaders are braver, creative and more inclined to risk. People who try to avoid challenges are better to be followers than being a leader of a group of people. I think every leader must always learn in order to be very smart and try to obtain more knowledge and experience in different kind of spheres. But, the main task of leaders to help people to achieve common goals and direct his followers. Also, leaders have to always try to  be a great person who can change the world to the positive side and make it better. References 1. Barbara Kellerman [2009] â€Å"How Followers are Creating Change and Changing Leaders† Available [online]: http://www.fastcompany.com/3029840/bottom-line/5-ways-being-a-good-follower-makes-you-a-better-leader [March 17, 2009] 2. Carol Giannantonio[2011] â€Å"A Great Leader Is A Great Follower† Available [online]:http://www.success.bz/articles/1833/a_great_leader_is_a_great_follower [July,2011] 3. Dale Carnegie [2010] â€Å"How to Win Friends and Influence People† Available [online]: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/15-best-leadership-books-every-young-leader-needs-read.html [February, 2008] 4. Fortune Magazine[2014] â€Å"Fortune ranks the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders† Available [online]: http://fortune.com/2014/03/20/fortune-ranks-the-worlds-50-greatest-leaders/ [March, 2014] 5. Gwen Moran[2007] â€Å"A person who influences a group of people towards the achievement of a goal† Available [online]:http://www.vtaide.com/gleaning s/leader.htm[September 26, 2007] 6. James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner[2010] â€Å"The Truth about leadership† Available [online]: http://www.fastcompany.com/3029840/bottom-line/5-ways-being-a-good-follower-makes-you-a-better-leader[September, 2010] 7. John C. Maxwell [1998] â€Å"The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership † Available from:http://michaelhyatt.com/why-the-best-leaders-are-great-followers.html [September, 2008] 8. Rik Kirkland[2006] â€Å"Leading in the 21st century† Available [online]: http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/strategy/leading_in_the_21st_century_an_interview_with_fords_alan_mulally [ November, 2013] 9. Ronald E. Riggio[2013] â€Å"Leaders lead. Followers followâ€Å"Available[online]: http://www.fastcompany.com/3029840/bottom-line/5-ways-being-a-good-follower-makes-you-a-better-leader[April, 2014]

Apis Mellifera: The Life of the Western Honey Bee Essay

Who would think that an insect less than an inch big could be of so much importance to the human society? Throughout the history of mankind, the Western Honey Bee has proven to be of many uses to the human society. The study of the honey bee has shown the true intricacy and efficiency of their colony. Each member of the colony works together in a nearly flawless environment of productivity. For these reasons, and many more, the Western honey bee has proven itself to be one of the most fascinating and useful insects there has ever been. In order to be able to understand the honey bee and its colony, one must first learn about the bee’s physical make-up. Similar to a typical insect, the Western honey bee can be divided into three major sections; these sections are the head, thorax, and abdomen. The first section, the head, is a very intricate part of the body. The head contains the eyes, antennae, and the mouthparts. The eyes are an intriguing feature, seeing as the honey bee has two different types of eyes. The first type is the two compound eyes. The compound eyes are more of the typical kind of eyes. These eyes can sense light and color, though the bee’s spectrum of color varies slightly from the human eye’s spectrum. The honey bee also has three simple eyes, which are called ocelli. The only known function that these eyes serve is to sense the intensity of the light (Dade 65). The two antennae also play a crucial role in the life of the bee. The antennae are the nose of the honey bee, allowing it to sense odors. Along with sensing odors, the antennae aid in their ability to taste. The mouthparts of the honey bee contain the mandibles and proboscis. The mandibles are jaws that help in chewing, grooming, and several other functions. The proboscis is similar to the human tongue in the fact that its function is to lick and suck up nectar into the honey bee’s mouth. The next section of the bee, the thorax, contains the legs and wings. These both contribute to the mobility of the bee. There are six legs on a honey bee which come in three pairs. The legs perform multiple functions, among these being that they aid in mobility, grooming, and storing pollen. The honey bee possesses two pairs of wings, the front wings and the hind wings. These wings provide for very efficient flight, allowing the bee to beat its wings at an astounding rate of 200 times per second; they have also been known to travel up to 60 kilometers on one meal (Winston 26-29). The third and final section of the bee is the abdomen. The most well-known and feared function of the bee, the stinger, is found in the abdomen. Large portions of the bee’s digestive, excretory, circulatory, and respiratory systems are also found in the abdomen. The internal systems of the honey bee are as fascinating as its physical qualities. Much like a human, the honey bee also has a digestive system. When a bee consumes food, it travels through its esophagus to its crop. While in the crop the food can be regurgitated and transferred to another bee. After passing through the crop, the food travels to the midgut. This is where the digestion and absorption of nutrients takes place in the bee. Then the digested food is either excreted through the rectum or used for energy. The circulatory and respiratory systems of the honey bee are fairly simple with the dorsal heart and aorta being the main contributors in blood circulation. Unlike a human, the bee does not have veins and arteries for the blood to travel through. Instead, the blood fills the body cavity and enters the heart through the ostia. After passing through the ostia and heart, the blood travels to the head. The honey bee respiratory system also varies a great deal from the human’s. The honey bee breathes through holes called spiracles. These spiracles are connected to the tracheae which are tubes that transport the oxygen in and the carbon dioxide out of the bee. The honey bee’s ability to fly is a very important and interesting ability. As mentioned previously, the honey bee has 4 wings, a pair of frontal wings and a pair of hind wings which are located on the thorax. There are two muscle systems that move the wings, the direct and indirect muscles. The direct muscles are attached directly to the bases of the wings, whereas the indirect muscles are located in the thorax but are not attached to the wing bases. The indirect flight muscles are much larger than the direct flight muscles and likewise play a greater role in the honey bee’s flight. The indirect muscles control the up-and-down wing strokes as well as the back and forth strokes. There are two sections of the indirect muscles, the vertical muscles and the longitudinal muscles. There is a pair of each of these two types of indirect muscles. The vertical and longitudinal muscles expand alternately; this causes the wing to flap, providing the motion for flight. This happens at an extremely quick pace, which allows the wings to beat at 200 beats per second. Not only can it do this quickly, but it can do it efficiently. The bee can travel for very long periods on just one meal. Honey bees live on just three items; these are nectar, pollen, and water. Nectar provides carbohydrates for the bees, while the pollen provides proteins. Most of the nectar and pollen that the bees collect though is used in the production of honey. In a summer, a typical honey bee colony of around 30,000 bees consumes about 20kg of pollen (Seeley 82). If you multiply out the distance required for an average travel times the 1. 3 million foraging trips that it would require to harvest 20kg of pollen, then it would be equivalent to traveling to the moon and back over seven times. The water, too, aids in the production of honey, counting for 18% of the make-up of honey (Dade 43). Though it is probably not surprising because they are called honey bees, the bees’ number one food intake is honey. The bees put out a lot of energy gathering all of their pollen and nectar; this requires them to eat a large amount in order to have enough energy to complete all of their honey production. Western honey bees often build their hives in forest tree branches. Studies have shown that the scouts are very picky when searching for a future nest site. The scouts tend to choose a nest location that is not too far from their current location, yet they prefer nests that are not too close either. Scouts seem to prefer a nest site that has an entrance facing south because the south tends to receive more sunlight. They also desire for the nest site to be positioned roughly three or four meters above the ground (Seeley 73). Once a location is decided upon by the colony, the comb construction is started immediately. The workers in the colony start to mass produce beeswax for the construction of the comb. In order to be able to produce the wax, worker bees eat pollen for the first week that they are alive. The workers really focus on building the new nest since virtually nothing can happen in the colony without the comb. Their hard work pays off; they can accomplish over 90% of the comb building in merely 45 days or even less. The bees have an intricate design for the honey comb. They form hexagonal shaped cells in the comb, maximizing the amount possible. These cells come in three different sizes. The smaller size is for the worker eggs, the slightly larger size is for the drone eggs, and the largest size is saved for the queen eggs. However, there are less than 20 cells for the queens. The left over cells that are not being used for the reproduction of the bees are put into use as storage cells. This is where honey is stored after it is formed. There are three different types of members of a honey bee colony. There are workers, drones, and the queen. All three of these play a vital role in keeping the colony working in harmony. The first of these three is the worker bee. Worker bees are female, yet they never become fully sexually developed like the queen does. The worker bees, as one can imagine, provide the work force of the colony. They are the scavengers and collectors of pollen and nectar. Worker bees also take part in the reproduction process by laying unfertilized eggs that will hatch as drones. The average life span of a worker bee varies depending on the season. If born during the spring or summer, their life span is just a month on average. However, if born during the winter then they can live for up to half of a year (Erickson, Carlson, and Garment 100). The second type in the honey bee colony is the drone. Drones are fatherless, male bees that have hatched from unfertilized eggs. As a result of having no father, the drones only have 16 chromosomes instead of the normal 32 that worker and queen bees have. The lifetime of a drone is just two months during the summer, which is the only time that they are present n a colony. When the summer is over, the drones are kicked out of the colony. In the end, this causes them to die of starvation. The only real purpose that the drones serve in the colony is to mate with the queen bee. After mating with the queen bee, the drone is killed from the process. The third and final type of bee in the honey bee colony is the queen bee. The queen bee comes from fertilized eggs and is the only member of the honey bee colony to achieve full sexual maturity. Also, the queen bee has the longest lifespan by far in the colony. She can live up to five years; however, a lifespan of one to two years is more common. The mortality rate of the queen is quite high with 60 percent of the queens dying within the first year (Erickson, Carlson, and Garment 11). The queen varies greatly from the other members of the colony. She has a smaller brain and eyes, yet a larger body. She is designed to produce thousands of eggs, and can even lay more than 2000 eggs per day. Though there are often multiple queens that are birthed at a time, there is only one reigning queen of the colony at one time. The first queen to hatch out of her cell seeks out and destroys the other queen larvae before they can develop fully. Throughout her life, the queen is catered to. The workers groom and feed the queen. The queen is the most important member of the colony; she is responsible for producing all other members of the colony. The method of reproduction in the honey bee colony is very unique. The queen bee is responsible for essentially all of the reproduction in the colony. Just five days after reaching adulthood, the queen bee will go out on what are called mating flights. On a mating flight the queen will fly out from the nest, followed by several drones. A drone will catch up to the queen bee and begin mating with her while in flight. After the queen bee has received the sperm from the drone, she will release the drone and he will fall to his death. The mating process kills the drones. The queen will mate with six to eighteen drones, or until she has enough sperm for her egg laying. Following the mating process, the queen’s fertile ovaries will enlarge; this allows for the queen to be more efficient with her egg laying. The queen can produce two to three thousand eggs per day, which is over two to three times her body weight. If the queen wishes to produce a drone, hen all she has to do is withhold the semen from the egg. The queen will lay her eggs in the cell of the comb where they will stay, being taken care of by the worker bees, until they hatch. Along with the queen, worker bees can produce drones. The workers account for a very small portion of the eggs though. The most notorious feature of the honey bee is by far their ability to sting. Nearly everyone has experienced the sharp pain of a bee sting at some point in their life. The worker bees and queen bee are capable of stinging; the drones cannot sting since they do not have a stinger. When a worker bee stings, their barbed stinger and poison sac are ripped out of the bee and the bee ends up dying. However, the queen bee does not have a barbed stinger, her stinger is smoother, and therefore she can sting multiple times without endangering her health. Honey bees, of course, have enemies and threats to their colony. These enemies vary in sizes and detriment to the colony. Some common enemies are spiders, insects, and animals. The largest threats to the honey bee colony include bears, badgers, wax moths, and humans. Bears are attracted to the colony by the sweet honey. They are very powerful and can severely damage a colony with a few swipes; the bears try to knock the combs so that they can eat the honey. This is where the defense system of the honey bees kicks in. During the bear’s attempted break in, it is common for the bear to receive quite a few stings that leave them howling in pain. There is a specific type of badger that is known for hassling honey bee colonies; they are appropriately called the honey badgers. The honey badgers team up with the honey guide, a type of bird, in finding and raiding the honey bee comb. Wax moths are detrimental to the honey bee colony for different reasons than the badgers and bears. The wax moths are an invasive pest that seeks out week bee colonies. When they find a week honey bee colony, the wax moths quickly take advantage of the situation. Wax moths can completely destroy the wax combs of the honey bee nest. The greatest threat to the honey bee population cannot be blamed upon anyone but the humans. Humans account for a large amount of damaged hives, poisoned bees, and even aid in the spreading of diseases in the bee population. Human’s pesticides can be very etrimental to the honey bees; this is largely an unintentional result, yet it is a serious problem. The largest point of interest and most useful trait of the honey bees is their aid in the pollination of flowers and crops. Without the honey bee’s contribution in pollination, farmers and gardeners around the world would be struggling to grow any form of plant life. Pollination occurs when a worker bee travels from the hive in search of food. The worker bee gathers nectar from different flowers. While the worker bee is obtaining the nectar, she is also covering herself with pollen from the flower. The bee will visit many different flowers throughout the day, and she will be bringing the pollen from different flowers to other flowers and therefore pollinating them. The honey bee is the most significant contributor of all pollinators, responsible for pollenating â€Å"more than 100 agricultural crops in the United States† (Honey Bees are Important Pollinators, para. 4). â€Å"In the United States alone, it is estimated that honeybees accomplish 1/4 of the pollination needed for all fruit produced for human consumption – an estimated $10 billion worth of work each year! (Great Plains Nature Center). The Western honey bee is of vital importance to the human population. It provides many necessities and has proven itself useful to humanity in many ways. Not only is the honey bee vitally important to the welfare of the human civilization, the insect is also a very interesting and fascinating model of a society based on hard work and efficiency. There is something benef icial for everyone to learn in observing the Western honey bee that aids them in becoming a better individual and contributor to society.

Change the U.S. into a utopia what changes would you make and why Essay

Change the U.S. into a utopia what changes would you make and why - Essay Example Since USA plays central role in world politics and is the center of international trade and economy, utopian USA should be free from racial or religious discriminations. Educating youth is the best step that can be taken to make USA a utopian state. The awareness and standard of education will have to be raised as violence and drug abuse have been increasing among the students at an alarming rate. The post 9/11 USA has become a far fetched reality than what its founding father's wanted it to be. The event was a turning point in the American foreign policy. The enforcement of the ‘Patriot Act’ held deep impacts on the civil liberties of common Americans, especially the ones belonging to ethnic and religious minorities. Racial targeting became common and people had to change or 'blend in' in order to be not picked upon. It is critical enough for US to come close to being a perfect nation as it consists of almost whole of North America. The State department though, has made significant measures to bridge the gap, by promoting cultural exchange programs across the US, by encouraging American families to host foreign students mainly from the Middle East so as to remove the stereotypes from both sides and paint a different picture altogether.

Play response paper assingment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Play response paper assingment - Essay Example e of play is entirely different, the ability of the actors to provide a sense of entertainment and interest through the use of their voice and the movements they perform is reminiscent of Jean Paul Sartre’s â€Å"No Exit†. The intrigue and central plot devices of this particular story revolve around two mischievous servants who have gorge themselves on the succulent sugary feast that their master has left behind. Aware of the fact that what they have done is inherently wrong, the servants try, unsuccessfully, to cover up their act. The manner in which the servants use their voice and movement is central is relaying to the audience the confusion, idiocy, and comedic ways in which the servants try to hide the evidence of what they have just done. Furthermore, without the availability of elaborate set design and/or complex costumes, the weight of the performance is solely rooted in the actor’s ability to express themselves through these mechanisms to their audience. Likewise, without such a performance, the comedic device of the play would not be related to the

Homework 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Homework 4 - Essay Example The US supports the Jewish Israelites against the Christian Palestinians who do not believe in Jesus and Muslims as they support the expulsion of the all Israel citizens living in Palestine. The Americans have embraced the perverted interpretation of Christianity that ignores the humane message of Jesus Christ which is the same view held by the non-Christians in Palestine. The mainline Christians in Palestine usually question about the legitimacy of the Jewish faith while some evangelical Christians back Israelites hence the reason why the US is against the Christians. The Palestine-Israel conflict for the US economy and diplomacy has huge consequences on the economy and security of the US. The passionate attachment that US have with Palestine has produced numerous evils in their country (Green 120). The conflict between the two countries has highly jeopardized the security in the US and that the conflict is responsible for the economic, moral and social

United States and education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

United States and education - Essay Example Education for all is the most important thing to be achieved by nation as a whole.Thomas Jefferson,the third president of United States of America pioneered the plan that could be implemented upon to make education available to every single citizen while considering right to education equivalent to fundamental rights and would also get over the inequality factor.He elaborated his views about education as a tool not only to make better personalities but also a better nation.His work as mentioned above have envisioned learning not just along the old philosophy of what the students are learning but also on how are they learning. The vision of learning skill is what an educator would wish to see. This is because of the rise in number of students that will provide better results. The incorporation of improved theory into regular administrative schedules and classroom will help the educators and students in concentrating on teaching and learning process and then infusing another wave of dy namicity with reference to real world context. Learning in the classroom will generate a new relationship between the world and the student thereby engaging and modernizing various methods for assessment as well as study. The broader relation between the educators and the students will give real time information to the teachers about the performance of the students. Through this they can search for newer methods to help their students. These processes will ensure more compact relationship and the students will learn in a very few period rather than the months.... Increasing reliability in the classroom can be achieved through the use of Positive teaching methods. Constructivism has been an important ingredient of Jefferson learning theory proposing learners to create their own understanding as they combine what they already believe to be true based on their past experiences with new experiences. Though modern education may consider constructivism as a philosophy of learning which has its roots primarily to the work of John Dewey (1916) and Jean Piaget (1973). Vygotsky's work (1978) also contributed to the movement toward constructivism. Jefferson emphasized that theories of learning should be shifted from orientation based on observable phenomenon to an orientation that emphasize internal cognitive processing. This shows significant shift toward constructivism. The belief that learning comes from inside continues to grow. Knowledge could only gain on which circumstance it comes from that had meaning to the learner. The learning context must be a social context in which students work together to build knowledge. The children should be encouraged to develop concepts and derive their own ideas from those introduced to them. A social learning perspective should be developed through which children learn through interaction with others. Critical thinking is one of the areas where over the decades both educators & policy make argued about schools. Much of this debate has not been based on empirical data. Even though students, right from primary schools must learn facts and basic skills, the data suggest that emphasis on advanced reasoning skills promotes higher student performance. Jefferson pedagogical models promotes this meaningful type of learning process, a process in which learning helps students make sense of new

Western Civilization.The modern era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Western Civilization.The modern era - Essay Example Western civilization is a term used to refer to cultures of European origin. This term sprang up as a way of depicting the difference between the Graeco-Roman culture and its offspring, is in distinction to the older neighboring civilizations of the Middle East. This sustained to provide as a replica of civilization in the "west" for a long time.In Ideas, Peter Watson concludes that the mix, in contemporary culture, of Enlightenment-stytle scientific rationalism and 19th-century Romantic idealism creat what he calls "the modern incoherence": Watson argues that Enlightenment science and Romantic art, Enlightenment empiricism and Romantic fundamentalism, propose inherently irreconcilable views of human experience and of the world. (Peter, Watson 2006)"There are three major themes whose development and interplay have shaped the distinctive characteristics that set Western civilization apart from the other great historic cultures. They are the growth of a tradition of rational scientific inquiry, the persistence of a tension between Judaeo-Christian religious ideals and social realities, the emergence of constitutional forms of government." (Brian Tierney, Donald Kagan and Pearce Williams L p.xi).The theory of Western culture is normally connected to the classical explanation of the Western world. In this definition, "Western culture is the set of literary, scientific, political, artistic and philosophical principles which set it apart from other civilizations. Much of this set of traditions and knowledge is collected in the Western canon."( Jones, Prudence and Pennick, Nigel, 1995). Henry, Boren, C remarks that Western civilization is "still the most dynamic element in the modern world." He further remarks that Western civilization is successor to previous civilizations that urbanized out of the Mediterranean region. In its most wide definition, Western civilization is that accumulation of political, economic, social, and intellectual traditions that has developed for 5,000 years since the appearance of the first civilizations in the ancient Near East. Today, Western civilization is primarily regarded as centering on the Atlantic community or Western Europe and those societies in the Western Hemisphere and Australasia that are offshoots of European tradition and culture (p xiv). The Modern Era Religion in the meantime has waned considerably in Western Europe, where many are agnostic or atheist. Nearly half of the populations of the United Kingdom (44-54%), Germany (41-49%), France (43-54%) and the Netherlands (39-44%) are non-theist. Religious belief in the United States is very strong that is about 75-85% of the population are religious (Zuckerman, P 2005). As Europe discovered the wider world, old concepts adapted. The Islamic world which had formerly been considered "the Orient" ("the East") more specifically became the "Near East" as the interests of the European powers for the first time interferred with Qing China and Meiji Japan in the 19th century. (Davidson, Roderic H 1960) Thus, the Sino-Japanese War in 1894-1895 occurred in the "Far East", while the troubles surrounding the decline of the Ottoman Empire simultaneously occurred in the "Near East" (Hogarth, D G1902). The uncovering and innovation of new classes of energy bring about key change. The tackling of fire contributed to cooking, ceramics, and smelting. The toggle from oxen to horses and into watermills assisted in creating the 12th-century Renaissance. The acceptance of Arab-Latin rigging on Mediterranean ships helped them to get the most of the wind and discover the more unsafe and mysterious Atlantic. Right from the beginning of 18th century, electrical gadgets began to come out, though electricity demanded other forms of energy to produce it. The growth of steam control brought about the Industrial Revolution. The discovery of the electron created 20th-century technology, culminating in the internet (Peter, Watson 2006)

Information Technology Applications in Marketing Essay

Information Technology Applications in Marketing - Essay Example This is because digital media has numerous advantages like: search ability, speed, marketing interface and perhaps most importantly, data feedback. Digital media, therefore, transcends the constraints posed by physical media and incorporates the best of personal interactivity. More importantly, digital print has been known to reduce incremental cost of production, as well as, that of content acquisition and distribution. The reason why print media is dying is because every newspaper pays writers to acquire publishing content. This makes it difficult to compete with digital media, since the latter provides free content. In the past, printed media was the most influential platform for acquisition of information since there was no other basis of doing so. At the present time, numerous individuals have resorted to electronic media like websites, e-newspapers, and online television, among others. This has led to a huge drop in newspaper circulation for the past ten years. However, this do es not mean that print media is completely obsolete because up to today there are loyal readers that prefer to get news from newspapers and other print media (Reid, n.pag). This is a notion opposed by Josefowicz (n.pag)who insists that print media is bound to die owing to poor reception and increasing popularity of digital media at all societal levels. The principal sector likely to bear the brunt of print media deterioration is that will journalism. A journalist is forced to acquire distinctive information because the internet is a threat for print media. Despite the extensive efforts of acquiring information, it is made available to people who can easily access or even download it for free. For this reason, the print industry has to lower its cost in order to sustain competition in the news industry, and this will inevitably cause its failure and that of journalism. People have always paid for monthly subscriptions for newspaper or other print media like magazines. Currently, howe ver, individuals can acquire information free of charge from the internet, a principal predicament that is shaking the print media companies financially, because they do not have the capability to offer free information. However, as Josefowicz (n.pag) states, the internet is the big problem, but in some cases it can be utilized as a solution. Print media companies can earn revenue by borrowing the internet’s business model for increasing advertising. Nevertheless, print media is still effective and in some cases it holds a variety of advantages over digital media. For instance, print media offers tangibility, an element not available in digital media. This is crucial; magazines or newspapers can be preserved for future reference, while it is possible for internet advertisements or information to get lost into the cyber space under circumstances like virus attacks. Additionally, print media has credibility owing to its sense of legitimacy. This is due to the fact that informat ion is acquired by competent journalists, and is reviewed by editors before being unveiled to the public. This is unlike in digital media where virtually everyone can gain access to information and deliver it in a manner that lacks credibility. Content Marketing Content marketing refers to a promotion method of collecting as well as distributing

Contemporary corporate governance issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Contemporary corporate governance issues - Essay Example Corporate governance has emerged as new buzzword in the modern world as far as the world of business is concerned. Generally, corporate governance is concerned with activities aimed at directing and controlling the activities of an organization, and this is done through establishment of structures, rules, and procedures that are critical in decision-making process (Baker and Anderson, 2010). The rise and development of corporate governance has brought into perspective the role, position, and importance of different stakeholders of a company. In most cases, the function, capability, and continuity of a company are attached to the behavior and relationships of different stakeholders (Baker and Anderson, 2010). The company has different stakeholders who, in one way or the other, contribute to the success and performance of the company. Major stakeholders of a company include board of governors, chief executive officer, management team, employees, customers, suppliers, society, and share holders (Davies, 2006). However, in recent times, there has been emerging debate with regard to the role and level of importance of different stakeholders of a company. There are those who view shareholders given their role as proprietors of capital to be the most important stakeholders and whose needs the company has to serve (McTaggart and Kontes 1993). On the other hand, there are those who think that, although shareholders have played a key role in providing capital and other critical investments, their possession without responsibility translates to nothing, and as a result, they have to give equal importance to other stakeholders such as employees and customers (Mallin, 2007). Still, there is another group that believes that a balance can be created so that there is no particular favor of one stakeholder, and that all stakeholders have to be considered equal and their needs satisfied equally without sabotaging the needs of others (Brink, 2011). Therefore, it may take time befo re perfect and meaningful consensus is reached. However, this is likely not to bring to stop the continued debate on the role and level of importance of different stakeholders. More debates, suggestions, criticisms, and all kinds of discussions are likely to come up in an attempt to divulge more information and understanding on these new emerging issues in corporate governance. Motivated by these aspects, the aim of this paper is to concisely make an argument with regard to the extent a company exists for the benefit of its shareholders. In doing so, attempt is made to discuss agency theory and the potential problems likely to emerge when such theories are put into practice. Shareholders Shareholders in any organization are viewed to be the suppliers of capital, and in return, they are likely to demand for corporate efficiency, honesty, productivity, and profitability (Freeman, Harrison, Wicks, Parmar, and De Colle, 2010). In this way, shareholders are perceived to possess and execu te certain powers that directly show the ability to control the functions. In doing so, the shareholders are motivated by their investments in the company, which they want or demand to bring positive returns and profits (Bain and Barker, 2010). For a long time, theories such as agency theory have tried to evaluate the role and position of shareholders and subsequently, justified why there is need to maintain and enhance shareholders value as a paramount thing in the organization and throughout its lifetime (Mallin, 2007). Shareholders, as the prime investors in the organization, are perceived to be the owners of the company and their interests are likely to supersede all other interests. Once they have invested in the company, shareholders are likely to manifest different motives, behaviors, and even ambitions. All these

Suppliments and Herbs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Suppliments and Herbs - Essay Example Sheep Sorrel The herb is gaining popularity from its actions against cancer and use as anti-inflammatory. It is readily available, and there is no yet evaluation from FDA. It has various components within it that support its function in prevention and treatment of cancer. It contains the beta-carotene that performs the antioxidant function that increases the T-cells to kill cancerous cells and WBCs. The herb has polysaccharides and rutins that prevent cancerous growth and tumors. The herb further contains oxalic acid that has anticancer and antitumor properties. All these components within the herb assist in the prevention of cancer and reducing the side effects of chemotherapy. Patients suffering from gout, kidney stones, and arthritis should avoid using this herb due to its side effects. Garlic There is also evidence supporting that Garlic is a herb that can prevent and treat cancer. The research shows that it is one of the best remedies for the disease. The herb has sulfur compounds that neutralize carcinogens and further contribute to shrinking of the tumor. It acts to stop the carcinogens and facilitate repair of DNA by use of vitamins and minerals to prevent the possibility of cancer. They also have allium compounds that boost immune cells to fight cancer. Garlic further has flavonoids and arginine that are beneficial to health. Nonetheless, patients using these herbs need to take precaution due to their side effects. High consumption of these herbs may cause strong body odors and in some cases, there are allergies.

The Revolutions Essay Example for Free

The Revolutions Essay A revolution is a relatively sudden and absolutely drastic change. This may be a change in the social or political institutions over a relatively short period of time or a major change in its culture or economy. Some revolutions are led by the majority of the populace of a nation, others by a small band of revolutionaries. These periods are called revolutions as they are capable of bringing significant modifications in an existing constitution. Within revolution itself, however, repetition also plays a crucial role.    The revolution must strike twice: once for the form, once for the content. Revolution and revolutionary attempts which occur in the present appear as a means of vindicating the past, of redeeming the past.   Every revolutionary effort seeks to correct the mistakes of the past.   Revolution is the repetition of past mistakes, in a way which vindicates the present, and provides for the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Revolutionary changes are  taking place on a gigantic scale under our very eyes without our  realization of their trend and significance. We are in the midst  of the mad whirl of this raging world hurricane so that our mental  vision is obscured; our mind is paralyzed by the very magnitude  of the furious struggle of frenzied social and psychic forces. Man and  society are now being forged into new forms. In theoretical terms, the direct cause of a revolution is generally expressed in terms of two sets of conditions objective and subjective factors. Objective Factors are the things outside your head, independent (at least directly) from your thoughts and emotions. If you get laid off work, if a war starts, if it rains on you on your way to the pub, you cant change things by closing your eyes and wishing them away. Of course, your thoughts may have an indirect effect, when they lead to action, like joining a union or remembering your umbrella, but  generally you dont have much control over what happens in the world . The objective factors in a revolution are events outside the control of any individual or small group, such as a stock-market crash or an invasion, which lead people to re-examine their society, and, possibly, act to change it. For example, changes in British society at the end of the second World War2 were triggered to a certain extent by the hardships of war. Subjective Factors, on the   other hand, are the things inside your head your thoughts on life , the universe and everything, down to whether you think it will start raining while youre on   your way to the pub (it will bring your umbrella!). Since the subjective factors in a revolution are those that depend on individual people, they are obviously the ones that revolutionary groups try to change. Of course, there can be no strict division between subjective and objective factors it is the thoughts in your head that decide whether or not you will join a union, vote for a strike or pass a picket, which side of the barricade you will be on. Equally, your decisions, and the actions that result from them, will have an effect on the ideas of the people around you. Opportunity for revolution only arises at particular times, when both the subjective and objective conditions necessary for success are present at the same time. A social revolution is a fundamental and relatively rapid transformation of social, political, and economic institutions, and it is accompanied by mass-based insurrection. Further, change in the socio-political and economic institutions has to occur in a mutually reinforcing fashion and the change till now has brought capitalism and socialism and has created mass – production techniques without which it is difficult to even imagine life right now. Social factors responsible for a revolution to occur encompass a wide range starting from the social ills to the wide spread communal disharmony. Society plays a crucial role in giving a drastic kick in a revolution to occur. Failure of reforms, natural calamities and lack of transparency can be the possible social causes accelerating a revolution. Intellectual causes are difficult to quantify in terms of their effects, but they are nonetheless important in effecting actions and ideologies of participants. Intellectual causes can range from  economic exploitation to discrimination at various levels.   Basically be it any sort of revolution it starts at an intellectual level. While the non-dogmatic and open-ended character of a tradition does ease the problems of modernization, especially in the initial stages, the same tradition must be able to maintain social   order. Political stability is one of the basic conditions for sustained development.  Such stability stems from shared value system emanating usually from religion in most traditional societies. The value system engenders social consensus and makes political stability possible. A well-ordered society is as important a consideration as economic resources before the consideration of any investment company. Since modernization is essentially a vocational civilization, it presupposes discipline and work culture. Connections between literate culture and modernity are obvious, but often ignored in development literature. Industry runs on oil but modernity operates on the basis of literacy as a minimum requirement. In due course high literate cultures flourished in societies where world religions had penetrated. This is where the transformation has its base culture too is a dynamic term it keeps changing for the better and the cultures which resist change are blown away with the Wind of Revolution and a new modified culture sets in . Thus the cultural preconditions of a revolution are exigencial necessity by which modernization began in leading Asian societies , instrumental utility that drives societies towards industrialization that can produce power , plenty and progress and elective affinity refers to the way in which the members of a society easily accept those changes or apparently new ideas which have echoed in their past experiences. 3 Revolutions and revolts in general are connected in some way or other with direct, obvious, physical discomfort, especially hunger, and possibly lack of clothing and fuel. Not that this is the cause of revolutions; the causes are quite different. A match will cause an explosion in a powder magazine, but not in a tank of water; and similarly a famine will bring about a revolution in a society where the underlying conditions are such as to favor the spread of such ideas and where other proper circumstances are present. Now, all such matters as lack of nutrition and lack of heat are dependent in great degree on the climate. In a cold country, a severe winter is directly a cause of physical discomfort; people freeze in such weather. Further, the early frosts preceding a cold winter lessen the crop, transportation becomes difficult, and generally a famine is more likely to result in such a year. In a warm country, a similar result occurs when the summer is excessively hot, the heat parching and drying the crops so that food is scarce can at one stage lead to a revolution . When people are involved in struggle, even for limited goals, this causes them to question wider issues, and become more open to new and radical ideas. Aristotle rightly said that â€Å" Revolutions are not about trifles , but spring from trifles.† The consequences of a revolution can have a wide range starting from discontent in some to contentment in majority , from undemocratic to a democratic consensus from efforts to life sacrifices and from a smaller to a wider horizon in life . The revolution is a median point this side of spontaneity against the prospect of waiting for the revolution to create itself according to Lenin. Thus history itself heals no wounds, history itself is not an autonomous abstract process, but is the result of labor in any sense: intellectual, manual, or evolutionary. Bibliography 1 . http://wwwen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revoulutions Lenin’s theory Aristotle’s theory

Reactions to The Birth of a Nation

Reactions to The Birth of a Nation Mohammad A. Mian The Emergence of Modern America It can be argued that no other film in American history has been as controversial as D.W. Griffiths silent epic film, The Birth of a Nation. The Birth of a Nation, which first premiered on February 8th, 1915, and was based on Thomas Dixons novel and play The Clansmen.[1] The film is set in the American Civil War and the period of Reconstruction during the 19th century, and chronicles the lives of two families, the Stonemans and the Camerons.[2] The Stonemans are an abolitionist Unionist family from the North, whereas the Camerons are a Southern family loyal to the Confederate cause during the American Civil War.[3] Throughout The Birth of a Nation, African Americans are portrayed as being savages, violent thugs, sexual predators, ill mannered brutes, and ballot stuffers. For this reason, despite the films positive reception among the American public and news outlets at the time of its release; The Birth of a Nation received a negative response from African Americans and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, both of which protested against the films premiere across American cities. Despite the criticism, the film was defended by various news outlets and Griffith himself. Many contemporary film critics and historians regard The Birth of a Nation as Americas first great cinematic feature, despite its controversial portrayal of African Americans. The focal point of The Birth of a Nation are two juxtaposed families, the Stonemans and the Camerons. Members of the Stoneman household are Austin Stoneman, an American legislator and abolitionist, his sons Phil and Todd, and his daughter Elsie.[4] The Cameron family consists of Dr. Cameron, a Southern physician and staunch Confederate after the outbreak of the Civil War, his wife Mrs. Cameron, his two daughters, Margaret and Flora, and his three sons, Benjamin, Wade, and Duke.[5] At the beginning of the film, Phil and Todd visiting the Cameron family estate in South Carolina.[6] Upon immediately seeing Margaret, Phil falls in love with her, whereas Benjamin is awestruck by a picture of Elsie.[7] A few months later, the American Civil War erupts, and the Cameron sons enlist in the Confederate Army, while Phil and Todd uphold their loyalty to the Union by joining the army of general Ulysses S. Grant.[8] During the war, Black militiamen attack and ransack the Cameron estate, but the wo men of the household are saved by a Confederate contingent which routs the militia.[9] The portrayal of African American soldiers as brutes and savages strongly correlates with the stereotypical portrayal of Blacks the filmmakers envisioned. By the conclusion of the war, Todd, Wade, and Duke are killed in the conflict, while Benjamin is captured and taken to a hospital in Washington D.C.[10] At the hospital, Benjamin meets Elsie, with whom he develops a romantic relationship. The deaths of Todd, Wade, and Duke were emotionally appealed to the films audience, many of whom likely lost relatives in the Civil War. During his stay at the hospital, Benjamin is informed that he is to be executed by hanging due his associations with the Confederate guerillas.[11] In order to seek a pardon for Benjamin, Elsie and Mrs. Stoneman meet with Abraham Lincoln, and both of them manage to convince the President to pardon him.[12] After President Lincolns assassination, Austin Stoneman and his fellow republicans impose harsh measures on wealthy White Southerners, such as land confiscation, ushering in the Reconstruction period in American history.[13] Austin Stoneman travels to the South Carolina to oversee the implementation of the reconstruction policies of the Republicans.[14] He is accompanied by a Mulatto governor, Silas Lynch.[15] Lynch is portrayed as having psychotic characteristics, a common stereotype of African Americans among White Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[16] In the Southern cities visited by Stoneman and Lynch, African American soldiers are seen harassing Whites, while triumphantly parading on the streets.[17] In these particular scenes, Black militias are portrayed as being ill mannered and brutish in comparison to the naÃÆ'Â ¯ve and gentle White Southerners.[18] During the regional elections, Whites are shown as being barred from voting, whereas African Americans cast multiple votes without any issue.[19] After the elections, the African Americans who are elected to South Carolinas legislature are portrayed as being ill mannered, as the film once again highlights seeks to portray them as being brutish.[20] Laws in favour of African Americans are also enacted, which require Whites to respect Black soldiers in their cities, and mixed marriages are also legalized.[21] All of these factors, culminate in Benjamins founding of the Ku Klux Klan to counter the ever increasing power of African Americans in the South.[22] After Elsie hears about the activities perpetrated by Benjamins organization against African Americans in the South, she abruptly ends their relationship.[23] Meanwhile, Bens sister, Flora commits suicide after being pursued by Gus, a Black freedman who seeks a romantic relationship with her.[24] Gus incontrollable carnal desires are meant to portray him as a sexual predator, a common stereotype associated with African American men during the late 1800s and early to mid 1900s.[25] After personally witnessing his sisters demise, Benjamin has Gus lynched by his fellow Klan members, and places his corpse in front of Lynchs house.[26] Lynch immediately issues orders to suppress the activities of the Klan, and in the process Benjamins father is arrested for being associated with the organization.[27] He is, however, ironically rescued by his loyal Black servants with Phil Stonemans aid.[28] After hearing of the imprisonment of Mr. Cameron, Elsie attempts to convince Lynch to stop his crac kdown on the Klan.[29] Lynch refuses and attempts to rape Elsie, but she is saved by Benjamin and other Klan members who also manage to capture Lynch.[30] The capture of Lynch by the Klan is meant to emphasize the heroicness of the Ku Klux Klan as defenders of White Americans, and stereotype African Americans as savages. In the following election day, Black voters are stopped from voting by members of the Ku Klux Klan, and Margaret and Phil, and Elsie and Benjamin are married.[31] The film concludes with the title Dare we dream of a golden day when the bestial War shall rule no more? But instead the gentle Prince in the Hall of Brotherly Love in the City of Peace.[32] Following its release in 1915, The Birth of a Nation was praised by American film critics writing for various news outlets during the following few decades, without any mention of the films racial stereotypes of African Americans. One notable review of the film is Seymour Sterns article BIRTHDAY OF A CLASSIC: The Twentieth Anniversary of Birth of a Nation Recalls Its Significance in The New York Times, which was published on March 24th, 1935. Despite their being a twenty-year gap between the films release and Sterns review, he reflected the view Americans had of the film upon its initial release. Stern wrote It appeared twenty years ago as an unforeseen and unprecedented phenomenon in the old fashioned movie world of the day. With it the cinema became one stroke of art, and its first masterpiece was acclaimed by the critics. Simultaneously was once and for all delivered from the gaudy dominion of the vaude-ville show, which at the time had a stranglehold upon it-and David Wark Griffith entered into the long and magnificent reign as the kin of directors.[33] Stern further praised the films impressive photography by stating The picture is so remarkable from such a variety of important aspects that it is not easy immediately to select any given one. Griffith introduced a multitude of technical innovations that have since become the part and parcel of filmcraft. Here for the first time he used night photography, self-focus photography, moving camera shots, lap dissolves, the split screen and acute camera angles. The low-angle shots of mounted clansmen looming over the frightened Negroes are unforgettable. His subtle use of the iris in this film marks the fruition of that device.[34] From both of these statements, it is evident that Stern had high regard for the film. In fact, he had such high regard for the film that he described it as one which innovated and transformed the entire motion picture industry. Sterns review of the film also showcase the prejudiced White Americans had towards African Americans, as he did not once mention the films controversial portrayal of Blacks as a hindrance to the films visual magnificence.[35] Furthermore, Sterns referral to African Americans as Negroes further suggest that he largely agreed with their portrayal in the film, which is not surprising considering the fact that African Americans continued to be stereotyped in American media until after the Second World War. While Stern had nothing but praise for the film, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People protested against the film, as did African American veterans of the First World War. In the year of and years following The Birth of a Nations release, many African Americans protested against its release in theatres. While the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People opposed the film immediately upon its initial release, they did not take direct court action against it until after the First World War. The NAACP launched its court case against the film in the State of New York in 1921, and it was covered by The New York Times in an article titled FOES OF KLAN FIGHT BIRTH OF A NATION: Ask Motion Picture Board to Forbid Revival Here-Griffith and Dixon Defend Film. The article, published on December 3rd, 1922, stated Demands that a revival showing of The Birth of a Nation be prohibited in this state as a glorification of the Klu Klux Klan and part of a local drive by Rev. Oscar Haywood to increase membership of the Klan were made yesterday at a hearing before the motion picture commission of the State of New York by Walter F. White, Assistant Executive Secretary for the Advancement of Colored People; Henry W. Shields, Senator Elect from the 21st District; and Alderman George W. Harris.[36] The NAACPs protests were carried out against a rescreening of the film in the State of New York in 1921.[37] Many of those involved were influential members of the African American community, and they were displeased by their portrayal in the film.[38] Eventually the protest resulted in a court case against the film, in which D.W. Griffith was also present.[39] Unfortunately for the NAACP, the judge of the case ruled in favour of the films screening by stating that it did not, in any way, promote the Ku Klux Klan, but rather, was a reflection of post-Civil War America.[40] The protests showcased the racial tensions present in the United States during the early 20th century, and they also reflected upon the desire of African Americans to see the film have its theatre permits revoked. For many African Americans, the film added to their negative image among many White Americans, an image which they sought eradicate. To make matters worse, the judicial authorities did not support the ple as of the NAACP. However, opposition to the film existed even before the official involvement of the NAACP, as in May 1921, African American war veterans protested against the films screening in front of the Capitol Theatre in New York.[41] In May 1921, African American veterans of the First World War and their wives protested against the screening of The Birth of a Nation in Capitol Theatre in New York. On May 21st, 1921, Negroes Oppose Film was published in The New York Times, and it covered these protests. The article reflected the opinions of the war veterans on the film by stating Negro ex-servicemen in uniform, flanked by negro women, gathered in front of the Capital to protest against the revival of The Birth of a Nation. Some of the pickets carried placards which read We represented America in France, why should The Birth of a Nation misrepresent us here? Others distributed circulars published by the Nation Association for the Advancement of Colored People which demanded, Stop the Klu Klux Klan propaganda in New York.[42] Ultimately, these protests did not result in a victory for the picketers, as five of their organizers were arrested by the police, including three women, although, they would all be released within a few days.[43] The failure of the protests evidenced the lack of regard the American political establishment had for African American war veterans and the stereotypical portrayal of their community in the film. In fact, D.W. Griffith continued to defend the film, and after the May protests, he was quoted by The New York Times as saying It is a source of regret to me that purely advised people are endeavoring to stir up animosity against The Birth of a Nation. The opposition is misguided, and was misproven and laid away many years ago. The leading villain in the story is a white man, who leads a misguided following into conflicts which do not reflect upon the negro. It there were the slightest ground for protest against the film it seems to me that white men would have claim to it than negroes. I shall be quite willing, however, to submit the matter under oath to the consideration of the court.[44] Griffiths comments are not surprising considering the popular attitude towards African Americans at the time. However, his assertion that African Americans were not the leading villains in the film has no justifiable ground considering the films stereotypical portrayal of them. It is also interesting to note that Griffith was open to take the matter to court. Considering the lack of regard American courts had for African Americans at the time, this is also not surprising. The lack of sympathy for African Americans among American courts is further evidenced by lack of intervention by federal courts against the film. For this reason, despite a ban on the film in three states and a few cities upon its initial release in 1915, it seemed that the film would continue to be screened in American theatres due to its popularity among the White populace.[45] Indeed, the NAACP continued to protest against the film up to the 1950s, as the film was continuously revived in American theatres. In 1950, picketers rallied against the revival of The Birth of a Nation outside the Beverly Theatre at 823 Third Avenue.[46] The protesters were upset the controversial film was being screened in the New York once again, despite it being 35 years since its initial release. The President of the NAACPs branch in New York, Lindsey H. White, led the protests, which was covered by The New York Times article FILM REVIVAL PROTESTED: N.A.A.C.P. Pickets Birth of a Nation at Beverly Theatre.[47] According to the article The revival of D.W. Griffiths silent-film classic The Birth of a Nation, was protested yesterday by Lindsey H. White, president of the New York branch, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Mr. White stated that the film, now being shown at the Beverly Theatre, 823 Third Avenue, distorts the historical truths of Negro and White in the reconstruction governments that were set up in various at the close of the Civil War. The NAACP has been picketing at the theatre since Saturday.[48] The article reflects upon the frustration among African Americans to have the films screening in the Beverly Theatre stopped. It also showcases that while it had been three decades since the films release, American attitudes towards the films content largely remained the same. Despite this, the popularity of the film had largely declined, as Americans became more interested in the Western genre of films in the 1950s and 1960s. With the decline of the film, it has become common knowledge that the film is no longer as popular, nor as widely viewed as it once was since the 1970s. For contemporary film historians from the 1990s onwards, the film is still regarded as one which transformed the American film industry. Perhaps no lines from a contemporary critics review of The Birth of a Nation better capture the films legacy on American cinema than these from Molly Haskells article In The Birth of a Nation,: The Birth of Serious Film in The New York Times The defining moment for the motion picture as a mass medium, an art form and a disturbingly powerful social force occurred on a bitterly cold night on March 3, 1915, at the Liberty Theatre in New York. It was the world premiere of D.W. Griffiths The Birth of a Nation, an event of such cultural magnitude that 80 years later, controversies still rage about the film among film scholars about its racially charged images.[49] Throughout her review, Molly praises the film for its ground-breaking innovations, vivid, imagery, and ability to keep an audience engaged, which is remarkable for a film 2 hour and 40 minutes long silent film produced in the early 20th century.[50] She is, however, critical of the films content, especially its negative portrayal of African Americans, as she does not agree with their stereotypical mannerisms in the film.[51] Nevertheless, she concludes her review by stating In Griffiths masterpiece sublimity of expressed was marred by melodramatic racism. Yet The Birth of a Nation, warts and all, remains a milestone: the movie that catapulted the medium from its 19th-century peep-show origins into its status as the great new art form of the 20th century.[52] Thus, it can be said that, while The Birth of a Nation remains a controversial film among, there is no doubt it transformed the film industry into a corporate giant. Upon its initial release in 1915, The Birth of a Nation was positively received by the American public and news outlets alike. However, the film was staunchly opposed by Africans Americans for its stereotypical portrayal of their community. Furthermore, the film reflected the tensions which existed between African Americans and White Americans from the late 19th to mid 20th century. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples was at the forefront of the opposition to the film, and remained so until the 1950s, after which the film declined in popularity. Almost all film historians agree that the film innovated the American film industry. However, they have criticized the film for its discriminatory portrayal of African Americans. Bibliography Films Griffith, D.W. The Birth of a Nation. 12 Reel Film. Directed by D.W. Griffith. New York: Epoch Producing Co., 1915. Primary Sources DEFENDS FILM PRODUCTION: Griffith Says He Regrets Complaint Against Birth of a Nation.' The New York Times, May 9th, 1921. Accessed March 20th, 2017. FILM REVIVAL PROTESTED: N.A.A.C.P. Pickets Birth of a Nation at Beverly Theatre. The New York Times, May 19th, 1950. Accessed March 20th, 2017. FOES OF KLAN FIGHT BIRTH OF A NATION: Ask Motion Picture Board to Forbid Revival Here- Griffith and Dixon Defend Film. The New York Times, December 3rd, 1922. Accessed March 20th, 2017. NEGRO PICKETS IN COURT: Decision Reserved on Protest Against Film The Birth of a Nation. The New York Times, May 10th, 1921. Accessed March 21st. NEGROES OPPOSE FILM: Ex-Service Men Say Birth of a Nation Misrepresents Them. The New York Times, May 7th, 1921. Accessed March 20th. Haskell, Molly. In The Birth of a Nation, The Birth of Serious Film. The New York Times, November 20th, 1995. Accessed March 21st, 2017. Stern, Seymour. BIRTHDAY OF A CLASSIC.: The Twentieth Anniversary of Birth of a Nation Recalls Its Significance. The New York Times, Mar 24, 1935. Accessed March 20th, 2017. Secondary Sources Christensen, Terry. Reel Politics, American Political Movies from Birth of a Nation to Platoon. New York: Basil Blackwell Inc, 1987. [1] D.W. Griffith. The Birth of a Nation. 12 Reel Film. Directed by D.W. Griffith (New York: Epoch Producing Co., 1915). Film. [2] Ibid. [3] Ibid. [4] Ibid. [5] D.W. Griffith. The Birth of a Nation. 12 Reel Film. Directed by D.W. Griffith. Film. [6] Ibid. [7] Ibid. [8] Ibid. [9] Ibid. [10] Ibid. [11] Ibid. [12] Ibid. [13] D.W. Griffith. The Birth of a Nation. 12 Reel Film. Directed by D.W. Griffith. Film. [14] Ibid. [15] Ibid. [16] Ibid. [17] Ibid. [18] Ibid. [19] Ibid. [20] Ibid. [21] Ibid. [22] Ibid. [23] D.W. Griffith. The Birth of a Nation. 12 Reel Film. Directed by D.W. Griffith. Film. [24] Ibid. [25] Ibid. [26] Ibid. [27] Ibid. [28] Ibid. [29] Ibid. [30] Ibid. [31] Ibid. [32] Ibid. [33] Seymour Stern. BIRTHDAY OF A CLASSIC.: The Twentieth Anniversary of Birth of a Nation Recalls Its Significance. (The New York Times, Mar 24, 1935), X4. [34] Ibid. [35] Seymour Stern. BIRTHDAY OF A CLASSIC.: The Twentieth Anniversary of Birth of a Nation Recalls Its Significance., X4. [36] FOES OF KLAN FIGHT BIRTH OF A NATION: Ask Motion Picture Board to Forbid Revival Here-Griffith and Dixon Defend Film. (The New York Times, December 3rd, 1922), 29. [37] Ibid. [38]ÂÂ   FOES OF KLAN FIGHT BIRTH OF A NATION: Ask Motion Picture Board to Forbid Revival Here-Griffith and Dixon Defend Film., 29. [39] Ibid. [40] Ibid. [41] NEGROES OPPOSE FILM: Ex-Service Men Say Birth of a Nation Misrepresents Them. (The New York Times, May 7th, 1921), 8. [42] Ibid. [43] NEGRO PICKETS IN COURT: Decision Reserved on Protest Against Film The Birth of a Nation. (The New York Times, May 10th, 1921), 6. [44] DEFENDS FILM PRODUCTION: Griffith Says He Regrets Compl

Biodegradable Polymers: Processes of Degradation

Biodegradable Polymers: Processes of Degradation Introduction The ISO definition of a biodegradable polymer is â€Å"an irreversible process leading to a significant change of the structure of a material, typically characterized by a loss of properties (e.g. integrity, molecular weight, structure or mechanical strength) and/or fragmentation. Degradation is affected by environmental conditions and proceeds over a period of time comprising one or more steps† Biodegradable and compostable processes are essentially the same mechanism of how materials irreversibly breakdown into their fundamental composition, CO2, H2O, CH4 and other low-molecular weight products. The major difference is on how they go about the decomposition, biodegradation occurs naturally where microorganisms metabolise the material, where as composting takes place under strict conditions rate of degradation and the end product is non-toxic. The process of composting will also be affected by the size of the particles, large pieces may not be compostable but shreds of the same material may be compostable. Materials can also be composted at homes and the end product used in gardening, but some materials may not compostable at home and may require an industrial process. Biodegradable and compostable polymers should not be confused with biopolymers, which are naturally occurring polymers that readily degrade in the environment, starch, cellulose, proteins are a few examples of biopolymers, while the former are polymers engineered to degrade in the environment through one or more mechanisms of degradation. The degradation of a polymer should into consideration the other mechanisms of material degradation (oxidation, hydrolysis, photo-degradation, thermal-degradation) which can affect the polymer before or during the biodegradation process, or maybe the only mechanism acting on the polymer [ 41.wang ]. As more people are becoming more eco-conscious and aware of global warming, although not directly responsible, more effort is put into discovering new sustainable plastics and better manufacturability of these degradable polymers. History and why bioplastics? The first polymers, or plastics as it generally known, recorded in history were produced by The Horners Company in London [BPF site] which used horn and tortoiseshell as the predominant early natural plastic in the year 1284. But it is in the early 18th century that the plastic industry started to build up its momentum, it is during the period Alexander Parkes invented the first plastic in the 1850s [makingthemodernworld]. Today polymers are the most widely used material playing in an important role in civil construction to human wellbeing. A pair in Germany were awarded the patent to their invention of Casein Plastic as the first bioplastic derived from milk, but it was in 1990 that ICI Ltd launched the first commercially available biodegradable plastic. With the world consumption of plastics increasing to 100 million tonnes annually , from 5 million tonnes in the 1950s,[M.Avella] and growing at a rate of 4% annually. They can only be recycled or dumped into a landfill, which are becoming scarce [J_H_Song] , and with more governments of the developed world taking advantage of the developing world, where they send their nations waste to be disposed to and where it cannot be dealt efficiently due to the lack of proper facilites. What goes into the landfills cannot be controlled and the mixture of waste releases toxic agents from the more volatile waste, and gases, most notably methane from the other degradable waste, into the atmosphere which would be difficult to capture it everywhere, which is utilised in the U.K. Total solid waste in the EU is 520 Kg/year per person of which 10%-15% is plastics, more than 50 Kg, of which 40% is sent to landfills [mooney brian p] which is about 10 million tonnes, with the EU population at 0.5 billion [eurostat]. Recycling polythene carrier bags rather than producing new plastic has many environmental benefits such as: Reducing energy consumption by almost 67% Produces 33% of sulphur dioxide and 50% of nitrous oxide uses almost 90% less water Emits almost 250% less carbon dioxide One of the most important factors that it saves 1.8 million tonnes of oil for one tonne of polythene recycled. [wasteonline] Not accounting for the total carbon footprint of the process. But recycling is not very efficient process compared to producing new materials, every time plastic is recycled it loses about 10% of it mass, [green plastics] reducing the mass of the material to 73% of its original after only 3 recycles. The current proven world crude oil reserves of about a total of 1,342 billions of barrels[eia.doe.gov, no title], is estimated to run out by 2040[imeche] at current rate of consumption, though there are critics who would oppose these figures, therefore even more urgency in developing sustainable biodegradable polymers by then is required with the population doubling. How they are made? Biodegradable polymers can be based on a variety of environmentally sustainable materials, or a combination of different biomass, and also from bacteria. The most basic material that is used is starch which is abundantly available, large quantities present in corn and potatoes but also all vegetables, and at a low price. Cellulose is another commonly and easily accessible material that is being used to produce bioplastics. Certain oil based polymers have a degree of biodegradability too, polymers such as polycarbonate, polyhydroxybutyrate and poly vinyl alcohol [ BrodyMarsh ] or other biomaterials added to make it biodegradable though it may not be possible for the polymer to degrade 100%. Not all biodegradable polymers are derived from biomaterials or oil some can be synthesised, Aliphatic polyesters [ mulch films ]. Starch Starch molecules are polymers of Glucose molecules, where all the sugars are oriented in the same direction, as shown in the diagram below. Starch is made up of two types of molecules amylose and amylopectin, depending on the type of the plant starch can contain upto 25% amylose and 80% amylopectin [Poon, introduction to organic]. Starch granules diameter are averagely in the range 5-40  µm, depending on the source, they are not suitable in the plastic industry as they are difficult to process during extrusion and injection moulding. Starch therefore has to be processed, physically and chemically, before it can be used as thermoplastic starch, TPS, which usually includes heating it up in the presence of water to form a gelatinous material, but may require further treatment as this type of TPS is not moisture resistant [ 36/41.wang ]. To ensure that polymers were degraded in the environment after their service life starch was mixed with a range of polymers, such as polyethylene [ 50 Ke.Ty ], but because these class of polymers contain non-degradable polymers which will not be degraded, and cannot be seen, they cannot be called biodegradable polymers. Thermoplastics starch are therefore mixed with vinyl alcohol to create composites that tend to be more stable, but reducing the starch content in the thermoplastic polymer composite will reduce the biodegradability of the polymer[37]. TPS mixed with other biodegradable polymers ensure a 100% rate of degradation, which is not the case as mentioned when mixed with other polymers. TPS are mixed with synthetic polymers such as poly-(lactic acids) (PLA), poly(glycolic acids) (PGA) etc. [50,ke.ty] PLA blended with starch can reduce the costs of the polymer in addition to greatly reducing its rate of degradation, the raw materials of PLA is produced by fermenting carbohydrates from renewable sources, such as corn [50]. Cellulose Cellulose is a type of polysaccharide, a carbohydrate, found in plant cell walls and the most abundant organic material on earth, 40% of all organic matter [ green plastics ], it is produced by plants by natural photosynthesis from CO2 and water, at an annual rate of 200 billion tonnes, of which 6 billion tonnes are used [ 45.simon.J ] . Cellulose is similar to starch with the main difference being the molecular arrangement, in starch the molecules are highly branched and in cellulose the molecules are linear. Due to the arrangement molecular structure of cellulose, it cannot be processed into a thermoplastic but has to be converted to derivatives e.g esters and ethers to reduce the intermolecular forces for molecular flow to occur under heat and shearing conditions, unlike processing starch it does not require moisture [ thermoplastic starch ]. Attempts to produce polymers from cellulose, like polymers from starch, during past half a century were discouraged by textbooks expressing that because cellulose has a rigid backbone it cannot be converted to a polymeric material [ 54.yoshioka]. The figure shows various polymer derivatives from starch and cellulose, with the hydrogen in the starch molecules replaced by the R groups to form different polymers [ 14.second grn rev ]. Nitrocellulose, a highly explosive material, for instance is produced by reacting cellulose with a nitrating acid, mixture of nitric and sulphuric acids, and with alcohol or a plasticizer, such as camphor to make it more flexible and mouldable, added to stabilise the process [ 40.azom ]. Cellulose acetate is one of the more important and used cellulose derived biodegradable polymers, usually prepared from high grade cellulose, obtained from fast growing tress or cotton linters [ 53.alexander ]. It is commonly prepared by synthesising raw cellulose acetic acid followed by acetic anhydride in the presence of sulphuric acid, which acts as a catalyst, producing primary cellulose acetate, known as cellulose triacetate. The triacetate can then be formed into a solution, using methylene chloride as a solvent, which can then be dry-spun to form fibres, to produce cellulose diacetate. Finally cellulose diacetate can be dissolved, acetone as a solvent, to form fibres known as cellulose acetate [ britannica ]. All three groups of cellulose acetate are similar, what differentiates them is the percentage of hydroxyl groups that are acetylated, according to the Federal Trade Commission, of America, 92% of hydroxyl groups must have acetylated to refer it as a cellulose acetate, els e the generally referred to it as cellulose triacetate [ 52.rulesreg] . To produce a process-able polymer the cellulose acetate particles is mixed with a liquid additive, mixing thoroughly using a high speed mixer resulting into fine grained powder and extruded to form granules. Processing parameters that apply are 20-30D screw-type mixer, temperature range 160-190  °C and pre-drying for 2 hours at 70 °C. These granules can then be subjected to standard thermoplastic processing techniques [ 53.alexander ]. Lignin is another second most abundant component of woody plants, 20% of all organic material [green plastics], which is not yet used to its full potential, small amount used in various industries. There are new methods being developed to produce lignocellulosic biomass. Proteins There is not a huge amount of information available on biodegradable polymers derived from proteins. One reason may be that plants do not contain a high amount of proteins to be efficient enough to produce polymers, such as 100 grams of corn contains only 3.22 grams of proteins but 19.02 grams of carbohydrates, almost 6 times as much. Soybean the highest protein containing 36 grams of protein and almost as much carbohydrates, but yielding only 50% of the crop per unit area when compared to maize [ 61.lobell ]. Protein just like starch and cellulose can be regarded as a polymer made up of chains of various amino acids. Proteins from various crops have been used to produce polymers, especially zein and gluten, produced in maize and wheat respectively. Zein-gluten composite polymer can be produced by having wheat gluten coated with zein, [ 62.kim,sanghoon ] . The process does not require extrusion processes or high temperature, but only requires of zein to be purified. Kim Sanghoon describes a relatively simple method of producing a protein based biodegradable polymer, from gluten, zein, ethanol and distilled water, and compressed in an aluminium mould. Other methods of producing protein based polymers include using wood fibres mixed with gluten is plasticized using glycerol, water and ethanol, and extrusion moulded,[ 65.Wu.Qiangxian ] unlike the Sanghoon method. Sources of proteins used to produce biodegradable polymers include feather-meal, waste animal proteins [60.feathermeal], soy bean [ 58.nanda], egg white [ 39. Egg white ]. Synthetic Biodegradable Polymers Biodegradable polymers can be synthesised in lab, but because the costs involved the materials are further mixed with a natural polymer, usually starch, as it is abundant and cheaply available or a cellulose derived polymer. A few of the synthetic biodegradable polymers to name are polyglycolide (PGA), polylactides (PLA) (also known as Poly (lactic acid)), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). Synthetic polymers can generally offer greater advantages compared to naturally derived polymer, as they can be engineered to have the desirable properties, and have more consistency, unlike naturally derived polymers they do not depend on the source of the raw material which can influence the properties and quality of the final polymer. Aliphatic polyesters are the most widely and commercially used synthetic polymers available, a few are named above, other polymers that have emerged in the market are polyester containing aromatic moieties. The synthetic biodegradable polymers may be classified into three groups, but the literature will only review polyesters Polyesters Polymers containing both esters and other heteroatom-containing linkages in the main chains Polymers with heteroatom-containing linkages other than ester linkages in the main chain Biodegradable polyesters can be synthesised in a number of ways Polycondensation reaction diols and dicarboxylic acids Self-polycondensation of hydroxyacids Ring opening polymerisation Of the above three processes polycondensation, also known as step-growth polymerisation, and ring opening polymerisation are more widely. Some polyesters synthesised by polycondensation are Poly (lactic acid), Poly (glycolic acid), Polycaprolactone. The process involves the monomers of the two raw material reacting to progressively form long chain polymers, as the secondary name suggests. One disadvantage of the process is that the water production from the reaction must be continuously removed, leading to lengthy reaction times and producing varying chain length polymers. [ reviewed by 75.RaySmith/ 73. Okada ] Poly (lactic acid), a linear aliphatic polyester, based on lactic acid, which can be produced by fermenting carbohydrates or by chemical method. Lactic acid contains both the hydroxyl and carboxyl groups needed for polycondensation, but requires removal of water, by azeotropic distillation, as mentioned, to avoid poor yield, further production methods of various aliphatic polyesters is provided M. Bhattacharya.[ by Bhattacharya p337 in 75.RaySmith ] Ring opening polymerisation is a form of addition polymerisation, where cyclic monomers join a reactive centre (terminal end of a polymer),a range of anionic, cationic and coordinative initiators/catalyst are mentioned in scientific literature, to form long chain polymers though ionic propagation. [R Jerome p77 reviewed by 75.RaySmith]. Ring opening polymerisation is advantageous than polycondensation such that it takes place in milder reaction conditions and there are no side reactions, giving a more controlled end product [ 73.okada ], one of the most used polymers in the market Nylon 6 is produced using this process. The ring-opening polymerisation can be initiated by many organometallic derivatives of metals such as Al, Sn, Y, Nd, Yb, Sm etc, which have d-orbitals of favourable energy, metal alkoxides, e.g. aluminium alkoxides, tin alkoxides, may acts as typical initiators. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are a class of biodegradable polymer, polyesters , produced by using bacteria, e.g. Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Ralstonia etc, especially members of the Halobactereicae, as the production centre. The PHA is synthesised within the bacteria that functions as an energy storing water-insoluble compound in the cytoplasm of the bacteria cell[80.anderson]. Bacteria that do not produce PHA can be modified to produce them, e.g. cloning PHA operon, nucleotide sequences of DNA that control the production of PHA, into E. Coli bacteria allows the production of PHA by the bacteria. PHA are then produced by the bacteria when it supplied with source of high carbon content, like glucose under nutrient-limiting conditions. The described way producing is considerably more expensive than oil based polymers there have been suggestions of using products from the food industry as a feedstock for the bacteria to produce PHA, malt waste from a brewery is one of the suggestions, where b acteria produced upto 70% polymer, of dry cell weight (DCW). [82. Yu.Peter] Recent research groups have been forced to find alternate methods of producing PHA, due to the costs involved in the conventional method, and have been experimenting successfully with transgenic plants, where the only raw materials required would be CO2, for carbon, and sunlight. Other areas that have attracted research to produce polymers of the PHA family are the cyanobacteria, that produce the P(3HB) by oxygenic photosynthesis, but their yield rates are very small compared to the conventional method.Synechococcus MA19, a unicellular thermopile, can store upto 55% DCW. [reviewed by 78. philip] Rubber Rubber is an elastomer and a polymer of isoprene, it can be synthesised or be derived from the Brazilian rubber tree, Hervea Brasiliensis, from which most natural rubber is derived, but unlike the name suggest, over 95% of natural rubber in 2008 was produced in Asia, mostly south Asia, but synthetic rubber still makes a greater portion of the market, 56% of the world supplied with synthetic rubber. Rubber like material was developed based on thermal polymerization epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) with triethlyene glycol diamine (TGD), which produce a polymer behaving as a rubber-like elastomer [reviewd in 107.soybean]. Another method to produce natural rubber is by using PHA, which is obtained from bacteria as described, which will therefore be completely biodegradable. The PHA surface is however hydrophobic making it difficult for the microorganisms to inhabit on the surface an degrade, hence its increasing its shelf life significantly, but still be degradable in a composting environment. [109.rubber bacteria] Properties and Enhancements The most important property for all biodegradable polymers, or degradable polymers, is that are completely degradable into basic components, CO2 CH4 and H2O , including any other organic compound, by the means of microbial attack, or any other naturally occurring process for the polymers that classified as degradable by other means. Properties of biodegradable material should be separated into three categories, the naturally derived polymers, synthetic polymers and the composite of these polymers. Naturally Derived polymers TPS shows excellent degradability and composting ability in the soil, partly due to the water solubility of starch. It also has a good oxygen barrier and is not electrostatically chargeable [ 7.Lorcks ]. Unmodified starch polymer have poor processability and mechanical properties, compared to the other polymers available, but plasticising the starch, by addition of water, can assist in processing of the starch, and treating it at a certain temperature would transform the starch into TPS, which show thermoplastic behaviour and properties. As seen in Figure the pure form of TPS has the least period of degradation, but treating it with other biodegradable polymer to enhance its properties increases the time it takes to completely degrade. Cellulose in water-insoluble and like starch fully degradable, and composed of D-gylcopyranoside units, but unlike starch, linked by ÃŽ ±-(1-4) bonds, it is linked by ÃŽ ²-(1-4) bonds. The molecular arrangement of cellulose, explained previously, and the bond type contributes to the longer periods it takes to degrade, which is transferred to the polymer it is based on. Cellulose will readily decompose on heating, therefore cannot be heated to process, but is synthesised into cellulose acetate which like starch shows properties and characteristics of a thermoplastic, but the time it takes to degrade is reduced as the cellulose content of the polymer is reduced. Cellulose and starch the two of most used and abundant organic compounds having similar properties, except the time to full degradation, both have the characteristic of their glass transition temperature and melting temperature being close to their decomposition temperature. M. Gaspar [83.reduce water absoption] conducted experiments to examine and improve water absorption in starch based polymers. The experiment contains four specimens of TPS, TPS w/Cellulose, TPS w/hemicelluloses, TPS/polycaprolactone and TPS w/zein each composite having the same proportion, by weight, of the additive. The results showed that TPS w/zein had the highest tensile strength Youngs modulus and TPS w/cellulose the lowest tensile strength and TPS w/polycaprolactone the lowest Youngs modulus. The table shows a few of the mechanical properties of the polymers described above, noting that the 2 different types of starch have significantly differently poreprties. Film type Test condition Tensile strength (MPa) Elongation at break (%) Water vapor permeability (gmm/m2daykPa) Reference Cassava starch 25 °C 75% RH 9.0-17.0 9.0-28.0 [86] Corn starch 25 °C 75% RH 3.8-4.3 4.0-10.0 [86] Low density polyethylene 38 °C 90% RH 7.6-17.3 500.0 0.08 [88] High density polyethylene 38 °C 90% RH 17.3-34.6 300.0 0.02 [88] Cellulose acetate 38 °C 90% RH 48.5-82.7 15.0-45.0 [88] Polyester 38 °C 90% RH 178.0 70.0-100.0 [88] Cellophane 38 °C 90/0% RH 7.27 [89] PLA is a synthetic biodegradable polymer, that is brittle and has poor impact strength, leading to failure of the material by cracking and tearing, and therefore preventing a more widespread use of the polymer in the packaging industry. Another PLA property is its natural yellow tint, which again is a factor that prevents it uses in the packaging industry, which leads to poor presentation of a consumer product. PLA is therefore blended with other biodegradable polymers (to keep it 100% biodegradable) to improve the properties that are most desirable. Usually is PLA mixed with plasticizers such as pole-ÃŽ µ-caprolactone, poly (vinyl acetate), starch, poly(hydroxyl butyrate), providing the PLA with more ductility, but having a negative effect on the tensile strength[91 to 99]. The brittleness of PLA can be counter acted by mixing it with a plasticiser, which also reduces the already low glass transition temperature further reducing its end product applications.[100 101] F.Byrne [90] tested PLA mixed various available masterbatches, commercially available polymer additives, to check the enhancements, and the results are as in table, of them all PLA dcS511-Ice clear appears to be the best option for an additive as it removes the tint from the material. Table Thermal, mechanical, optical and surface properties of PLA and PLA/masterbatch blends Properties determined Units PLA Biomax Strong PLA dcS511 PLA dcS515-N PLA dcS511-Ice clear Glass transition temperature oC 59 59 59 58 58 Melting temperature oC 150 150 151 150 151 Crystallinity % 9 0 5 7 4 Tensile strength MPa 68 66 67 66 64 Tensile modulus MPa 2.3 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.1 Impact strength N 90 390 90 90 90 Shore D hardness 69D 59D 64D 69D 64D Haze % 19.5 67.9 20.6 13.5 10.9 Yellowness index 7.2 10.0 5.8 10.8 0 Another method of improving the properties of polymers is by producing polymers, an example can be of PLA matrix with natural fibres which may include plasticizers, but still remain completely biodegradable. An experiment included using polypropylene (PP) and PLA matrix, including PLA with plasticizer, with flax fibres. The pure PLA had better mechanical properties than the pure PP, and reduced tensile strength as composites. The results showed the PLA with 30 wt.% flax fibre are a 50% stronger than similar composites made from PP, another study [104 sisal] used sisal fibre in a PLA/Starch composite but resulted in poor mechanical properties. PLA/triacetin, plasticizer, composite with flax fibre reduced the strength of the composite but made it more ductile, effect of the plastizer. PP/flax fibre of 30 wt.% are commonly used in industrial applications that has an elongation to break of 2.7% with a tensile strength of 29MPa, even though fibres greatly increased the PLA strength its ductility was reduced to successfully replace the PP composite a suitable fibre could be researched or PLA/15wt.%Triacetin with elongation to break 2.6% and tensile strength 37.2MPa could be used. When using natural fibres in a polymer matrix composite the inconsistency of natural fibres length and properties must be considered, therefore using synthetic biodegradable fibres, cellulosic origins, an even quality can be obtained[105.herrmann]. Degradation Oil based plastics are resistant to biodegradation, and most other forms of degradation, as the micro organisms responsible for the degradation of these polymers are unable to consume it, mainly due the impenetrable oil based matrix which are they are made from and the surface in contact with the soil is smooth [reviewed in 113 p,p,future] . Another class of polymers are the partially degradable are oil based polymers composites with a easily degradable fibre, e.g. starch, which breakdown as the microorganisms attack the starch and leave the oil based polymer particles behind, which degrade at a much slower rate, but unnoticeable because of the size. Complete degradation of a material occurs through various mechanisms, by microorganisms, light, water etc. Biodegradation can be generally be classified into two categories aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation, where the final products of each of the degradation are CO2, H20 and biomass of aerobic and CO2, CH4 and biomass of anaerobic. CPolymer + O2 à   CO2 + H2O + CResidue + C Based biomass Generally in plastics the amorphous region is more vulnerable to degradation by hydrolysis, as water is easily penetrated into this region. The degradation can be classified into surface degradation and bulk degradation, where surface degradation occurs when the degrading agents are not able to penetrate into the bulk layer of the material and act only on the material surface. Spherulites may be visible on the material undergoing surface degradation. It must be noted that materials in the environment may not be degraded by one specific mode of degradation but a combination of different mechanisms, so it would be sensible to consider degradation of a polymer in the soil to have two mechanisms of degradation acting on it, biodegradation and hydrolytic degradation, and photo-degradation if it is exposed to sunlight. Degradation can be considered to occur in two phases, disintegration and mineralization. The disintegration of polymers may occur through hydrolytic degradation, photo-degradation or thermal-degradation by exoenzymes, mediated or not [114. scott]. The hydrolytic degradation is most likely to occur and have a greater role in the process of the biodegradation of the polymer, the figure below shows the subdivisions of hydrolysis. The mineralization takes place when the microorganisms start to metabolize the disintegrated polymer particles and convert them to common inherent digestion products [6 Krzan]. Natural rubber exists in the environment the various microorganisms required to metabolise the polymer are already widely distributed in the environment. The process starts by the oxidation at the double bond of the polymer chain, leading to the formation of carbonyl, peroxide or epoxide groups. The microorganisms secrete a rubber degrading extracellular enzyme, which in a sense start a chain reaction, as lower-molecular weight fractions are further metabolised by the microorganisms. An industrial scale degradation