Science Investigatory Project Essay Example for Free

Science Investigatory Project Essay Abstract The pineapple is one of the leading products in the Philippines, as it thrives in tropical climates. However, the pineapple peelings have low commercial value and are therefore merely thrown away, contributing to the Philippines waste problem. This study entitled â€Å"Saccharification of Pineapple Ananas comosus peelings through Dilute Acid Hydrolysis† was conducted to know the concentration of sugar content which can be used for other purposes like bioethanol. Three samples were used, each sample was composed of two trials; S1T1 (60 degree Celsius for 30 min. ), S1T2 (60 degree Celsius for 60 min.), S2T1 (70 degree Celsius for 30 min.), S2T2 (70 degree Celsius for 60 min.), S3T1 (80 degree Celsius for 30 min.), S3T2 (80 degree Celsius for 60 min). The phenol- sulfuric acid method was used to determine the concentration of sugar content present in the substrate. The test revealed that the dilute acid hydrolysis is an effective way and can saccharify pineapple peelings based on the standard curve. However, the temperature and time was found out that they both have no significant difference in yielding greater concentration of sugar as what as the statistical analysis revealed using Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann Whitney U-test. INTRODUCTION Background of the study Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit which are coalesced berries. Pineapples are the only bromeliad fruit in widespread cultivation. It can be grown as an ornamental, especially from the leafy tops. Some sources say that the plant will flower after about 24 months produce a fruit during the following six months while others indicate a 20-month timetable. Pineapple is eaten fresh or canned or juiced. It is popularly used in desserts, salads, as a complement to meat dishes and infruit cocktail. The popularity of the pineapple is due to its sweet-sour taste containing 15% sugar and malic and citric fruit acids. It is also high in vitamin B1, B2, B6 and C. Its protein-digesting enzyme bromelain seems to help digestion at the end of a high protein meal. In the Philippines, pineapple leaves are used as the source of a textile fiber called pià ±a. The pineapple is a herbaceous short-lived perennial plant which grows to 1.0 to 1.5 metres ( 3.3 to 4.9 ft) tall. The plant only produces one fruit and then dies. Commercially suckers that appear around the base are cultivated. It has 30 or more long, narrow, fleshy, trough-shaped leaves with sharp spines along the margins that are 30 to 100 centimetres (1.0 to 3.3 ft) long, surrounding a thick stem. In the first year of growth the axis lengthens and thickens, bearing numerous leaves in close spirals. After 12 to 20 months the stem grows into a spike-like inflorescence up to 15 cm long with over 100 spirally arranged, trimerous flowers, each subtended by a bract. Flower colours vary, depending on variety, from lavender, through light purple to red. The ovaries develop into berries which coalesce into a large, compact, multiple accessory fruit. The fruit of a pineapple is arranged in two interlocking helices, eight in one direction, thirteen in the other, each being a Fibonacci number. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple) Saccharification is the process of breaking a complex carbohydrate into its monosaccharide components. It is the hydrolysis of carbohydrates such as cellulose and starch. It increases hydrolysis rates by reducing product inhibition of enzymes and reduces tank usage by combining the processes into one (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saccharification) Phenol Sulfuric Acid Method is an example of a colorimetric method that is widely used to determine the total concentration of carbohydrates present in foods. A clear aqueous solution of carbohydrates to be analyzed is placed in a test tube, then phenol and sulfuric acid are added.The solution turns a yellow- orange color as a result of the interaction between the carbohydrates and phenol. The sulfuric acid causes all non- reducing sugars to be converted to reducing sugars so that this method determines the total sugar present. This method is non- stoichemetric and so it is necessary to prepare a calibration curve using a series of standard known carbohydrate concentration (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phenol-sulfuric acid method). Dilute Acid Hydrolysis is a process of hydrolyzing lignocellulosic materials by subjecting dried lignocellulosic material in a reactor to a catalyst comprised of a dilute solution of a strong acid to lower the activation energy of cellulose hydrolysis and ultimately obtain higher sugar yields (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dilute acid hydrolysis). Statement of the Problem This study aims to saccharify pineapple Ananas comosus peelings through dilute acid hydrolysis. Specifically, the study attempts: 1. To know whether the dilute acid hydrolysis is an effective way of yielding concentration of sugar from pineapple peelings; 2. To determine whether the temperature has an effect on the concentration of sugar; 3. To determine whether the length of time of reacion can affect the concentration of sugar that will be obtained. Hypothesis: 1. The dilute acid hydrolysis is an effective way of yielding a greater concentration of sugar. 2. The higher the temperature of the solution, the greater the concentration. 3. The longer the time of reaction, the greater the concentration of sugar that will be obtained. Significance of the study On average, 435,000 metric tons of pineapples are produced annually in the Philippines, which is one of the country’s leading commercial fruit products. However, there are a lot of unused excess parts of the pineapple, notably the peelings, which are considered as waste and contribute to the country’s garbage problem. This study aims to utilize pineapple peelings as a substrate for Saccharification process through dilute acid hydrolysis. By means of this, the concentration of sugar present in this biomass can be determined which can be use for other purposes and for other studies such as producing bioethanol or even biofuel. Scope and Limitation This study is limited to the use of pineapple Ananas comosus peelings as a substrate for the saccharification process. The peel samples were bought from the market. The experiment was conducted at Chemical Engineering where the chemicals and other laboratory materials were obtained located at University of the Philippines at Los Baà ±os, Laguna from November to December 2010. The study focuses only on the determination of the concentration of sugar present in the pineapple peelings. Definition of Terms Absorbance- is defined as the ratio of the radiant flux absorbed by a body to that incident upon it. Glucose- is called as a simple sugar or monosaccharide Saccharification the process of breaking a complex carbohydrate (as starch or cellulose) into its monosaccharide components Spectrophotometer- consists of two instruments, namely a spectrometer for producing light of any selected color (wavelength), and a photometer for measuring the intensity of light. Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) is a clear, colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is very corrosive. Sugar- is a term for a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose characterized by a sweet flavor. In food, sugar almost exclusively refers to sucrose, which primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet. Standard curve- is a quantitative research tool, a method of plotting assay data that is used to determine the concentration of a substance. It can be used in many biological experiments.

Impact of Greek and Roman Civilization

Impact of Greek and Roman Civilization INTRODUCTION There is no ancient history without the mention of Greek and Roman civilizations. Ancient civilization was part of the history that formed the basis of the world we know today. Many people would ask why Greek and Roman civilizations became so popular in the world. In Western culture and identity, Greeks occupy a very prominent place in conception. The Greeks have made generations of influential writers and scholars especially due to their Hellenic culture. Roman civilization on the other hand was founded in 800BC on an Italian peninsular (Spielvogel, 2008). Roman civilization, which is a mighty empire, started as a monarchy and then shifted to a republic before becoming an empire. Much of ancient Rome culture got inspiration from ancient Greece (Mahaffy, 2009). Collins Randal in the book The sociology of philosophies: a global theory of intellectual change points out that culture begets itself. He points out that culture is autonomous and that culture explains its changes, terms and forms (pg 9). Collins points out that, culture beliefs such as religion, ethnic consciousness and political ideologies are not correlated with social variables such as class. Collins says that intellectual activity is basis of intellectual communities. The various aspects that make up intellectual activities include religion, social knowledge and intellectual networks. RELIGION IN GREEK AND ROMAN CIVILIZATION Greeks and Roman are intellectual communities that believed in religion. Greeks believed that religion was important because it made their lives better. They believed in many gods and goddesses (polytheistic).They believed that gods would take care of them both when they were living and when they died. The Greeks believed that their gods and goddesses were very powerful that they controlled everything from the winner of a race to waves in the ocean (Mahaffy, 2009). Each god or goddess had one or two specific roles they performed and controlled in life. The Greeks built beautiful temples for their gods where they used to go pray, worship and offer sacrifices in form of animals. The Greeks prepared festivals in honor of the gods whereby they sacrificed animals as gifts to their gods. The Greeks made large festivals that included a feast with music, plays and dancing after which they paraded and made sacrifices. An example of a Greek goddess is Athena (goddess of wisdom and war). A temp le known as Parthenon, built for the goddess stands to date. The Greeks believed that Mount Olympus was where all their gods and goddesses lived. Examples of some of the gods the Greeks worshipped and their specific roles include Zeus-supreme leader of the Gods, Hermes-messenger of the gods and Poseidon- god of the sea. Collins stated that one of the intellectual activities relating to religion is giving intellectual rituals (pg 28).Greeks showed their solidarity through religious ritual of animal sacrifices and festivities. The Romans later worshipped the same gods as Greeks but under different names (Guaitoli, 2006). The Greeks could not worship at the temple only but there were holy sites referred to as oracles. The Greeks believed their gods used signs in nature to answer their questions. They used their priests to ask their question and listen to the answers through signs. Romans just like Greeks believed in religion and attached great importance to it. Just like the Greeks, they were polytheistic, they believed that their gods were responsible for their creation and controlled their lives. Romans classified religion in to state religion and household religion (Spielvogel, 2008).Household religion involved worshipping the gods that protected the family and house. Roman houses contained a sacred place regarded as altar where every family prayed to the gods each morning. Just like the Greeks, The Romans believed in gods and goddess that they believed controlled everything in life from killing for food to falling in love. Just like the Greeks, Romans honored their gods and goddesses by building grand temples. They also offered animal sacrifices to the gods and gave them gifts that they thought would please them. They believed that if the gods were happy with them, they would in return receive good luck but if they were angry with them, something would go wrong. Political institutions in Greek and Roman Civilization City-states divided Ancient Greece with Athens as the largest city-state (Liberati Bourbon2002). City-states were many small areas sub-dividing the state. The mountainous ecology of Ancient Greece separated the city-states making it very difficult to travel from one city-state to another. Everyone believed that their city-state was better than the other was although they all worshipped the same gods and had similar traditions. Initially a few wealthy men ruled the city-states before a government system was introduced. Each city-state had its own government who ruled through democracy. The democratic government allowed people to rule and to vote for their leaders. Athens subdivided their people in to three classes; the upper class that consisted of male citizens born in Athens, middle class consisted of male citizens not born in Athens while the lower class consisted of slaves. Voting in ancient Greece took place in public assemblies and only males born in Athens voted. The upper class group discussed the laws that benefited ancient Greece but not the middle class or lower class. Ancient Rome was an empire that had emperors as the leaders. Just like Greece, a government headed by an emperor ruled Rome. The power of the government in Rome was balanced between three branches; the executive, the legislative and the judicial (Guaitoli, 2006).The executive branch consisted of two leaders (consuls), elected by the upper class to serve for one year. Their role was to order Roman army during wars and supervise the senate. Mayors, tax collectors, city police among other superior person in cities formed part of executive branch. The senate consisting 300 male citizens who owned the land formed the legislative branch. The men appointed by the consuls controlled the consuls by telling them how much to spend and on what activities. The judicial branch consisted of six judges that decided on the punishments the criminals would receive. The judges elections occurred after every two years (Guaitoli, 2006).In Rome only adults had permission to vote and just like the Greek system, males who owned the land could only do amendment or criticize law. Role of Men and women in Greek and Roman Civilization Men, women and children had different roles and responsibilities in Greek and Roman culture. In Greek culture, men wore special clothes known as chitons. Chitons showed the man status in the society specifically through the decoration. The men mostly worked as farmers or businesspersons during the day and demanded great respect while at home. Men were the ones in charge of the house and the family. Women and children in Greek culture did not eat in the same room as men. The slaves fed and entertained men during dinner as they lay on couches. Women on the other hand were not given much responsibility, they were not allowed to go to Olympics, visit the city or even eat or sleep in the same room as men. Their work was to run the household, have children and manage the slaves if they were wealthy and if not work the fields. In the Roman culture, men wore clothes known as togas. The patterns and color of a mans togas showed what his status was in the society. Men in Roman culture were the masters of the family and the house. They worked during the day and socialize with other men in the afternoon and evenings. Men in Roman culture had different roles depending on whether you were rich or poor. The man main role was to provide for his family. Women on the other hand took care of the household and children. Women in Roman culture were not too restricted as some could hold jobs such as teaching. Comparing Religion and Political Institutions in Greece and Rome Greeks and Romans portrayed many similarities in their religion beliefs and rituals. Both cultures were polytheistic, believing in many gods and goddesses. Both cultures also believed that the gods and goddesses controlled everything in life from creation, their lives and everything that goes on. Greeks and Romans believed their goods were very powerful and that they gods took care of them both when they were living and when they died. Both Greeks and Romans believed in intellectual activity of religious rituals. Both cultures honored their gods and goddesses by offering animal sacrifices. Both Greeks and Romans built beautiful temples where they used to pray and offer sacrifices to their gods and goddesses. Both cultures believed that the gods answered their prayers through natures signs. Roman believed that gods would show a sign if they were happy and they were unhappy something bad would happen. Both cultures had many gods and goddesses with each god or goddess having a specific role to play or a specific place to control. Despite having so much similarity in the religion, Greeks and Romans also have some differences in their religious beliefs. Although both cultures believed in gods and goddesses, they had named them differently. Greeks believed that their gods and goddesses live on Mount Olives (Sansone, 2004) whereas Romans did not have a specific place where all their gods and goddesses lived. Greeks religion was not classified while Roman classified their religion as either state region or household religion. Greeks had set-up holy sites known as oracles where they used to pray in, while Roman has set places in their houses known as altars where they used to pray at as a family. Greeks and Roman civilizations were similar in the way their political institutions were made. They both believed in a government system of ruling. Both Greeks and Romans voted for their leader who was the head of the government. Both cultures regarded the upper class males citizens by birth as the only significant people in law making and amendment. In both cultures, women were not allowed to vote and only adults who had attained the legal age (18 years) could vote. The differences in political institutions included issues such as the Greeks believed in democracy while the Romans it depended on the political leaders chosen. The Roman government consisted of three branches, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary while the Greek government all people ruled. Greece had subdivision called city-states with each city-state having its own government while Rome there was only one government with three branches that rules the land. CONCLUSION Roman and Greek civilization form a part of ancient history of the world. They both greatly influenced the Western culture as some of the beliefs and culture followed today got inspiration from them. When we compare the two cultures to the Collins theories of intellectual activity, it is evident that the two cultures were rich in culture intelligence. They had deep respect in religion and rituals that brought them together socially (Collins, 2000 pg 28). The social problems the two cultures exhibit is division in to classes only males who are citizens by birth are allowed to vote. Women are not mentioned anywhere in any political decisions showing gender biasness. Just as most historians suggest, Greek culture highly influenced Roman culture. In terms of religion and political institutions, the two cultures can be classified as socially intelligent despite of social division and gender inequality.

History and Patterns of Left and Right Politics

History and Patterns of Left and Right Politics ROLE OF LEFT/RIGHT IDEOLOGIES TODAY INTRODUCTION ‘Left’ and ‘Right are widely used terms today which are differently by scholars. The essay seeks to explore the history of the Lefts and Rights. It defines their views, analyses its importance in the context of the past as well as the present. The relevant terms have a different meaning in varied political systems. An attempt has been made to give it an objective, perspective and to view its varied dimensions critically. We understand how the ideological beliefs have changed over time and the importance of role played by the Left/Right has altered. The Left-Right political spectrum classifies political Positions, ideologies and parties. The Left includes the socialists, communists, secularists, anti-imperialists, anarchists and anti-capitalists. The Rights are the conservatives, capitalists, monarchists, traditionalists, Nazis and Fascists. The main factor dividing them is class. The Left’s target is ensuring social Justice via economic policies but the Rights defend private property and consumerism. The Left upholds the power of human reason to attain progress, believes in secularity and sovereignty exercised through legislature. To the Rights, this is anti-clerical, unrealistic and reveals class hatred. They believe that the Church is instrumental in binding people socially and a strong political leadership can reduce social and political divides. The Left oppose this as authoritative, repressive and dislike any religious doctrine being imposed on the population. HISTORY OF LEFT/RIGHT IDEOLOGY The term Left and Right evolved during the French Revolution of 1789, when the members of the National Assembly were demarcated. The supporters of the king were positioned to the President’s right and the revolutionists to his left. With different historical phases, the seating arrangements changed. The terms had no link to political ideology but only to seating in the legislature. The 19th century saw a cleavage between Monarchists and Republicans after the Third Republic was established there was a demarcation between supporters of a strong executive on the Right and the people who supported the primacy of the legislature on the Left. But in the twentieth century, Left and Right described the citizen’s specific political ideologies. The Rights were the party who upheld the interests of the upper or dominant classes while the left was associated with the lower economic and social classes. While the Rights favored aristocracy and wealth, the Lefts fought for equal oppor tunities for the less advantaged. (Left-Right Politics) CURRENT PATTERNS OF LEFT AND RIGHT IN DIFFERENT POLITICAL SYSTEMS Different geographical regions have different patterns of Left and Right. Political thinking has expanded from its Western European origin all over the globe except the Middle East. Most citizens including the voters and political elites in developed democratic countries use the Left/Right scale for their political programs, government, parties, candidates, issues and social movements. It plays a significant role in the making voting decisions and giving support to the political parties. Though Japan and US still have a liberal versus conservative outlook, the Left/Right considerations affected 90% of the highly educated to define where politics is shaped by religion, ideological Left/Right divisions are not considered. In Communist countries which are now being exposed to western influences, the Leftists or ex-communists parties which adhere to earlier social systems are â€Å"conservative†, whereas the Rightists are regarded as â€Å"liberal and revolutionary†. In les s developed countries like Uganda, the Left/Right dimension is seen by elites as an economic issue while the masses view it from the political angle. But in all regions the Left/Right identification is prevalent among the educated and those who are politically active. (The Limits of Ideological Globalization) RELEVANCE OF THE RIGHT/LEFT IDEOLOGIES History reveals that ‘Left’ or ‘Right’ are terms that are antithetical as well as exclusive because no doctrine can simultaneously be both ‘Left and ‘Right’. The gulf between the two cannot be bridged because they are poles apart. They are in reality descriptive because they analyze two sides of a conflict. They are evaluative as they argue on both the positive and negative aspects. Left/Right is not just related to politics but influences sociology, economics and philosophy too. The political universe has adopted two opposing ideologies – ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ which gives shape to their political thought and government. Sartre says that ‘Left and ‘Right’ are just ‘empty vessels’ without any analytical value. Political debaters have used these terms but they have no evaluative application. It can be argued that ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ are not just ideologies but are opposing programs related to solving political problems and social interests. Therefore, it is suggested that new groupings based on problems should be formed. The present democratic society is multifaceted, where many forces operate. These forces agree on some matters and disagree on others. So two contradictory forces exist but there is also an intermediate central position which leans either towards the ‘Left’ or ‘Right’. Hence there is a moderate left which leans towards the centre and an extreme left opposed to it and vice versa for the right. In politics the antithesis between Left and Right is dependent on the period and the circumstances. After the Italian unification, the Rights were predominant but this was followed by a period of Left predominance. Fascism – a Right wing movement – failed, and the Lefts rose to prominence. It is a universal fact that two opposing parts are interdependent and if one is nullified the other too becomes invalidated. Left and Right are two parts of a whole, which stand and fall together. With the decline of Communism, a radical expression of the Left, the Rights were on their way up. The collapse of the Soviet government put an end to a Left wing government of a specific historical period. In modern mass politics, this political cleavage classifies ideologies, differentiates parties and their candidate’s proposals and acts as a communication tool between politicians, the mass media and citizens. It is also instrumental in guiding the electors to comprehend complexities of politics and reach conclusions. Most people subscribe to the view that a demise of ideology has been reached and traditional differences between the ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ have been overcome. But research on electoral behavior in legislative elections has revealed that an individual’s Left/Right self placement is a major predictor of voting choices and its importance is increasing. The Left/Right is important today as an explanation of voters’ choices especially in European Parliament elections. Though the terms Left and Right are challenged by many they are still a part of political terminology. Since socialism is declining, one wonders at the future of the Left. The old Left is analyzed and assessed in order to form a new Left. In democracies, one can hear of â€Å"Left in Parliament† and â€Å"Right in Parliament†. Even politicians are termed As Left winged or Right winged. Left and Right are terms used to differentiate political thought and activity. It is now claimed that the two labels are fictitious. Both the Left and right wing movements today face complex and novel problems. In the end their programs for electorates are more or less the same and they propose the immediate ends. On the basis of this argument, the Lefts and the Rights do not have a reason to exist because alleged differences and disputes between them do not exist. Personal animosity is unreasonable because the opposing sides are arguing for the same targets. (Left and Right Significance of a Political Distinction) ALTERNATIVE DIMENSIONS TO THE LEFT/RIGHT AXIS Left and Right, today, are non-adequate terms. The present confusion may give birth to new dominant ideologies. New ideas make old alignments inappropriate. To make necessary changes, work should be done at a quicker pace, according to the current political scenario. The industrialized nations of the world, including the US are confronted with a situation where the obsolete political groups cannot be called a Left/Right axis as they have become multi-dimensional. In US, the Republicans and Democrats are confused as to how to form alliances on the basis of these dimensions. This lack of coherency is creating difficulties in taking political action. The first dimension is that of secularism versus religion. The religious group who has hitherto played a traditional role is challenged by the advent of science, which is playing a pivotal role by the influence it has. This threatens the security of the religious leaders who are retaliating by seizing political power. Another dimension is the ethnic domination versus multi-culturalism. The large ethnic groups like His panics that have arisen have wrested political control. The point now is more than inclusion versus separation and the ‘melting pot’ model US had as a part of its national creed is questionable. Thirdly, the neo-colonial dimension that prevailed is now confronted with internationalism. With the evolution of the World Bank and IM, trade is controlled by the industrialized world which in turn leads to control of political philosophy. Ethnic and religious domination is now insecure because of internationalism and secularism. The fourth dimension is that of Laissez Faire capitalism versus government oversight. Capitalist economy has resulted in social and wealth inequality. US has ignored basic infrastructure investments, health, and welfare and introduced policies which favor financial manipulation. A new wealthy class has arisen and resulting in marginalization of organized labor. Economic disparities and the growth of a wealthy class highlight the dimension of conservation versus growth. While growth is favored, its implications on earth are overseen. Overpopulation excessive consumerism and waste in industrialized countries depletes natural resources. This excess results in disaster. It has already affected the availability of fresh water and fossil fuels. Shortage of these materials would result in persuading those that have them, to give them up. The conservationists would be willing to introduce changes in consumption patterns but not make real sacrifices. (The End of Left/Right Politics) CONCLUSION After analyzing the various aspects of Left/Right politics various conclusions can be drawn. It has existed since the time of the French Revolution, yet, its significance and role in politics has changed. After analyzing the current patterns in various political systems we see that ideological differences based on the Left/Right polarization still play a vital role in politics world over. Therefore, it can be concluded that the Left/Right polarization is not redundant rather it has changed its form and ideological beliefs. REFERENCES Left-Right Politics  http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left%E2%80%93right_politics The Limits of Ideological Globalization-Hans Geser  http://socio.ch/internat/t_hgeser5.htm Left and Right Significance of a Political Distinction – Norberto Bobbio The End of Left/Right Politics – Robert Feinman  http://robertdfeinman.com/society/left_right.html

Antonio Macéo :: Antonio Maceo Biography Bio

Antonio Macà ©o: The Bronze Titan The people of Cuba had many great heroes during the Cuban War of Independence. One of these heroes, Antonio Macà ©o, contributed strength and bravery as well as leadership and patriotism. Born June 14, 1845, Antonio de la Caridad Macà ©o y Grajales was raised by his French father and Dominican mother in Santiago, Cuba. His family migrated to Cuba from Venezuela, approximately twenty years before he was born. As a young boy, he was under the influence of his godfather, an educated attorney and active participant of the Masonic lodges, or the fomenters of dissent as they were known by the government. Although he lacked the conventional education attained by many other Cuban heroes, he attempted to educate himself under the guiding influence of his godfather. The Macà ©o family itself lived quite well in a house in town, as well as, the farmland they acquired. Throughout his adolescent years, Macà ©o worked as a product distributor for one of the family farms. Having to travel great distances, he learned to navigate the surrounding terrain which proved to be a great advantage in his later years as a freedom fighter. Outside of his tasks as a product distributor, Macà ©o roamed the fields with his adolescent companions, avoiding inane conversation to cover a slight stutter in speech. Growing up into a proper and upstanding man, he married his neighborhood sweetheart, Maria Cabrales. They had two children, both of whom died at an early age. Shortly after his marriage, Antonio Macà ©o joined the liberation army. He fought with his father and brothers in the Ten Years' War (1868-1878). His effective leadership enabled him to rise in command to the position of second leader. The army, however, endured several changes which would cause its eventual disintegration of power. Many members of this army felt they could accomplish more without the leader, Carlos Manuel de Cespedes. In 1878, at the end of the Ten Years' War, Antonio Macà ©o refused to cease the war with Spain due to the existence of slavery and the imperial power's continued subordination of the people of Cuba. He left for New York later that year only to return in 1895 for the War of Independence.

Creativity, the Subconcious, and Daydreaming :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Creativity, the Subconcious, and Daydreaming When an artist of any sort is inspired they have what can very closely be compared with a spiritual feeling. Some have said that this state in which, the imagination flows so freely is that of a conscious dream. In this short essay I will explore the ideas behind creativity and this dreamlike state of inspiration. In order to do so we must first decide what creativity is and then how it is affected. Creativity ¡Ã‚ ¦ is it merely the expression of ones ideas, or must it be something that none has ever thought of before? My answer to this question is that neither idea is a proper definition for creativity. To be creative is the ability of the individual to express themselves in a passionate manner that is unique. The expression must be unique in the fact that the way in which it is expressed demonstrates the emotions and feelings of the creator. Also there are other forms of creativity such as inventing in which although the idea itself may not be completely new, or unrelated to something else, but that this idea is a composite of the information, which one has obtained throughout their life. This idea in order to be creative cannot be just a regurgitation of the ideas, but rather it must be an individual perspective. Creativity can be found in every day life in the simplest things, as in the way in which a person observes a flower that they are passing. However, what causes a c reative genius is the way in which they express their unique perspective. Creative Geniuses when asked about their feelings of inspiration have often said that they feel that their spiritualized feeling is similar to that of a dream. Could the dream-like state which artists experience during inspiration be similar to that of daydreaming? Absolutely, Day dreaming is when one ¡Ã‚ ¯s mind drifts from the task that it has been set to do. In this state we are still conscious unlike in sleeping dreams, but our mind is able to, so to speak drift into the depths of itself. There have been studies done that say that daydreaming is connected with intelligence and creativity. This is partially because sometimes our brain needs time to process information and although this is generally done during our REM sleep cycle sometimes it can carry over to our wakeful states.

The Story Behind The Atomic Bomb :: essays research papers

The story behind the atomic bomb Atomic Bomb August 6th, 1945, 70,000 lives were ended in a matter of seconds. The United States had dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Today many argue over whether or not the US should have taken such a drastic measure. Was it entirely necessary that we drop such a devastating weapon? Yes, it was. First, look at what was going on at the time the decision was made. The U.S had been fighting a massive war since 1941. Morale was most likely low, and resources were probably at the same level as morale. However, each side continued to fight, and both were determined to win. Obviously, the best thing that could have possibly have happened would have been to bring the war to a quick end, with a minimum of casualties. What would have happened had the A-bomb not been used? The most obvious thing is that the war would have continued. U.S forces; therefore, would have had to invade the home island of Japan. Imagine the number of casualties that could have occurred if this would have happened Also, our forces would not only have to fight off the Japanese military, but they would have to defend themselves against the civilians of Japan as well. It was also a fact that the Japanese government had been equipping the commoners with any kind of weapon they could get their hands on. It is true that this could mean a Japanese citizen could have anything from a gun to a spear, but many unsuspecting soldiers might have fallen victim to a surprise spear attack! The number of deaths that would have occurred would have been much greater, and an invasion would have taken a much longer period of time. The Japanese would have continued to fight the US with all of what they had; spears, guns, knives, whatever they could get their hands on, just as long as they continued to fight the enemy. As mentioned before, it is a fact that some civilians had been ready to fight our military with spears! What made it possible that the Japanese would resort to using spears? Why wouldn't they use guns or other weapons? Well, the truth was, the government just didn't have the resources to give out a gun to just any citizen. US naval blockades are one of the major reasons that Japan was so low on resources, and a main point opponents of the decision to drop the bomb constantly bring up. Japan obviously was very low on resources.

Cyberbullying as a Social Issue Essay

           There are varius social issues that need to be highlighted today, but cyberbullying has in one way or the other impacted on everybody. Bullying is categorized as hostile behavior where a prevailing group abuses its authority by threatening a less central group (Maher, 2008). Bullying is a by-product of the capitalist society that advocates for personal advancement over any other goals. From a tender age, children are encouraged to be the best they can be. Instincts push people to achieve these results at any cost. The overriding instinct in most instances is personal survival and the need to dominate others. If an person does not have the right values, they devise ways to intimidate others out of the competition. In the past incidents of bullying were limited to the relatively few cases of face-to-face bullying. All this has changed in the information age. Proliferation of communication devices combined with the internet provides fertile ground for bullying. One re ason that could explain the rise in Cyberbullying is the anonymity that the internet affords. People know that they do not have to account for their actions online and therefore tend to be more belligerent than usual. In the past the threat of physical confrontation in bullying was always present, however, the internet has largely diminished that threat. Forms of cyber bullying          Previously, I thought that only on field bullying existing. However as we went deeper in the course I realized that there exists different types of bullying. I also came to learn that cyberbullying takes more than one form. Cyberbullying refers to a range of activities done online that are harmful to the well-being of the victim (NoBullying.com). These may take the form of flaming where an argument between two people quickly spreads to include more people each taking one side of the argument and hurling insults to people on the other side. Another form is harassment, where a bully humiliates the victim by sending hurtful images, text messages, or emails about the victim. This type of bullying has grown with the recent trend of making memes. Memes are images containing a message meant to ridicule the victim. Denigration is another form of Cyberbullying; the bully attacks and tarnishes the victims through spreading false information about them.             Impersonation is another form of Cyberbullying. The bully assumes the identity of another person with malicious intent. Closely related to this is outing where someone gains personal information about the victim using dishonest means such as impersonation. The bully then publicizes that information with the aim of humiliating the victim. We also have stalking which involves following the victim online in an unjustified way. As illustrated, Cyberbullying involves a myriad of activities taking place in the online space. These activities involve both passive and active participation by victims and bullies (InDirect) Causes of online bullying               Online bullying may happen for several reasons. First, bullying by popular kids happens because they want to maintain their popularity (Donegan, 2012). Such people use bullying to validate their popularity. Often, this requires the support of backers and henchmen who remain on the sidelines cheering actively and passively as the bully brings down the victim. This kind of bullying is likely to target famous people since attacking them provides the bully with potential for attracting more attention. In addition to popularity, hurting others makes such people feel powerful. The more people they bully the more powerful they become. Taking on famous figures boosts the power of such bullies to even greater heights (NoBullying.com).                The other group of online bullies is people who are less socially successful. This group forms the bulk of cyber bullies. They find solace in bullying as it helps them cope with their low self-esteem. Their objective is to fit in with their peers and bullying provides a chance to help them achieve this goal (InDirect). Cyberbullying requires even less courage than traditional forms of bullying. The internet with its anonymity helps people show their true colours. Cyber bullies might not be bullies in real life but since the internet provides them with anonymity, they take advantage of that to bully others (Donegan 2012).               Effects of CyberbullyingStudies have shown that bullying causes emotional damage to its victims though most of these victims find it difficult to admit it. In a study involving over 3000 students, researchers learnt that out of all bullying victims, 38% felt vengeful, 37% were angry, while 24% felt helpless. Another study conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Centre using a sample size of 468 students drew almost similar conclusions. They found that out of all the female victims 39% felt frustrated, 36% felt angry and 25% felt sad about it, the males figures were 27%, 36% and 17% for each of those respective categories. Females seem to show high susceptibility to bullying than males. However, this is hardly surprising since males tend to admit emotional weakness less readily than their female counterparts do (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009).             Sociologist Robert Agnew developed the Great Strain Theory, which hypothesizes that victims of bullying can develop problematic emotions, which cause deviant behaviour. The victim goes through a vicious cycle and this can result to the victim developing antisocial behaviour as they try to process their emotions and find an outlet for their anger and frustration (Hinduja and Patchin, 2009).               Bullying also takes a toll on the bully. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention report, over 60% of males with bullying tendencies between grade six and nine were later convicted of at least one crime in their adult life. This is in comparison to 23% of people who did not bully. Forty per cent of these former bullies got at least three conviction by the time they were age 24 years; this is in comparison to 10% of those who were not bullies (Donegan, 2012). When bullies use bullying as a coping mechanism it leads to development of a vicious cycle for both the victim and the bully (Oleus, 2001). Evidently, bullying has a heavy toll on the society, the effects of this habit are long lasting, and some individuals feel the repercussions throughout their life. Solutions             Solutions to Cyberbullying will come from solving the general problem of bullying since Cyberbullying is only a subset of the wider problem of bullying. Wiseman reports a study conducted in Nevada that identified six essential elements in dealing with bullying in schools; availability of a reporting procedure, integration in the curriculum, student-centred approach with students taking the initiative of stopping the practice, prevention rather than punishment, effective punishment to deter the practice, and keeping up with technology. A solution to bullying must incorporate all stakeholders involved in growth of a child starting with parents and teachers (Wiseman, 2011). Conclusion          Capitalism subconsciously fosters bullying by placing pressure on individuals to succeed. However, this is not a reason to tolerate this vice. Competition is only good if it is fair and productive. The rise in bullying should be viewed in the context of moral decay of the society. Advances in information technology and emergence of social media have led to the evolution of bullying with new forms of bullying occurring in this new space. The toll of bullying in society is huge and steps must be taken to address this menace through legal and social means. References Donegan, Richard. â€Å"Bullying and Cyberbullying: History, Statistics, Law, Prevention and Analysis.’’ The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications 3.1(2012): 33-40. Web. 1 May 2014 Hinduja, Sameer and Patchin, Justin.(2009) â€Å"Safe and Responsible Social Networking Strategies for keeping yourself safe online.† Cyberbullying Research Centre. Web. 1 May 2014 InDirect. (2013) â€Å"Bullying on Social Networks.† Web. 1 May 2014 NoBullying.com (2010). â€Å"six unforgettable Cyberbullying cases. Tyler Clementi: New Jersey vs. Dharun Ravi, 2010†. Web. 1 May 2014. Olweus, Dan.(2001) Peer harassment: a critical analysis and some important issues. New York: Guilford Publications Wiseman, Brian (2011). Cyberbullying in schools: A research study on school policies and procedures. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Source document