Avian Influenza Essay

Avian Influenza, also known as bird flu, is a zoonotic disease with several different subtypes that affect mostly other birds, but few can be transmitted to humans. The most prevalent avian influenza virus in humans is the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) virus, which has caused over 380 confirmed cases in 15 countries (Rabinowitz, 2010). Majority of cases have been transmitted via bird-to-human, with rare cases of human-to-human transmission. Continued exposure to the virus not only poses the threat of ongoing morbidity and mortality, but also the threat of H5N1 being able to adapt and change allowing sustained human-to-human transmission. (Rabinowitz, 2010). Human exposure to H5N1 begins with the natural host for the virus, wild birds, which is then transmitted to domestic birds, and then finally reaching humans as a host. Starting with wild birds, most commonly waterfowl, the virus lives in the intestines and is shed through fecal matter, saliva, and nasal secretions. Most wild birds are resistant to infections associated with avian influenza A. Wild birds are exposed to the virus when they come into contact with contaminated nasal, respiratory, or fecal material from infected birds, most commonly fecal to oral transmission (Korteweg & Gu, 2010). Transmission to domestic birds, mainly poultry, can occur with direct contact with infected birds or indirect exposure through contaminated dirt, cages, water, and feed. Domestic birds have little to no resistance to the virus and suffer serious health issues, often resulting in death (Influenza Viruses, 2005). In the case a human is infected with H5N1, transmission routes are either through direct contact or indirect contact. Direct contact consists of people holding, catching, hunting, or playing with unknowingly infected birds. Slaughtering, defeathering, processing and preparing poultry for consumption are other ways a person can be infected through direct contact. Examples of indirect contact are touching contaminated surfaces and materials, swimming in or washing with contaminated water, living and working in areas with contaminated air, or ingesting the active virus in contaminated food (Rabinowitz, 2010). There is little evidence supporting human-to-human transmission and few cases have been confirmed. From what is known, intimate and close contact with infected individuals are possible routes of transmission (Avian Influenza A, 2005). The potential for H5N1 to develop into a strain easily transmissible from person to person in a sustained matter poses as a threat for a possible pandemic infection (Influenza Viruses, 2005). Signs and symptoms associated with H5N1 are much like those of the more common seasonal flu virus; fever, headache, sore throat, cough and rhinitis. Other symptoms include conjunctivitis, gastrointestinal complications, shortness of breath, lower respiratory problems, rhinorrhea, myalgia, diarrhea, leukopenia, lymphophenia, impaired liver function, renal impairment, and prolonged blood clotting (Apisarnthanarak, 2004). As of March 2011, over 530 confirmed human cases of H5N1 have been found in 15 countries since 2003 (WHO image 1), 85% occurring within Asian countries. Countries with the highest prevalence rates are Vietnam, Egypt, and Indonesia. Median age of those infected is 18 years old (Korteweg & Gu, 2010). A contributing behavioral factor associated with the disease being more prevalent in children and young adults is the age groups participation in the slaughter, defeathering and cooking of poultry (Smallman-Raynor & Cliff, 2008). H5N1 had not been seen in humans prior to 1997, first presenting itself in China. The virus was then seen again in humans in 2003, in Vietnam and again in China. By 2007, H5N1 had spread to Cambodia, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, Laos, Myanmar, Nigeria and Pakistan (Smallman-Raynor & Cliff, 2008). The following public health organizations have been working closely together to track and control recent outbreaks: World Health Organization (WHO), Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (Smallman-Raynor & Cliff, 2008). WHO has been responsible for providing recent data and statistics regarding H5N1 in humans. Avian Influenza is covered by GAR, WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, which is responsible for monitoring and keeping surveillance on the disease. OIE is responsible for reporting recent data relating specifically o outbreaks of avian influenza in animals. FAO, working collaboratively with OIE and WHO, â€Å"sets the context for national and regional strategies, policies, programs and projects designed to control and prevent the disease (Strategy and Policy)† from spreading. According to a study by Smallman-Raynor and Cliff (2008), fatality rates for H5N1 are greater than 50% in observed cases, which is mu ch higher than the common flu virus. The virus has spread to over fifty countries on three continents, being labeled as a panzootic disease (animal disease equivalent to a pandemic in humans). H5N1 first crossed species barriers to humans in 1997 and has extended its host range to several other mammals, causing severe disease and death. An approach to control the spread of this disease amongst birds has been culling of exposed birds, quarantine and disinfecting. However, Avian Influenza continues to spread due in part to migratory birds becoming infected (Smallman-Raynor & Cliff, 2008). The virus’s ability to evolve poses as threat and is currently classified by WHO at Phase 3 of the global pandemic alert for influenza.

Discuss the character of Holmes Essay

Discuss the character of Holmes, the construction  of the stories and why the stories were and are so popular  Sherlock Holmes is one of the greatest and renowned detectives ever to exist, except for the fact that he is fictional, created by Sir Conan Doyle. Doyle began writing Sherlock Holmes from 1822. The character Sherlock Holmes, he devised was intensely influenced by one of his university professor encountered during a lecture. His works fascinated Doyle and we can see how it reflects to some of the things Sherlock Holmes does for e.g. his extraordinary deductive skills. Doyle has successfully prevailed upon the hearts of readers with his marvellous masterpieces. A famous museum has been dedicated on Holmes behalf for his outstanding temperament. One quite intriguing fact that proves just how phenomenal Sherlock Holmes is that Conan Doyle decided to withdraw Holmes in the year 1893, as he wanted to focus more on his other desires; however, he was unsuccessful as many readers protested upon this matter, while some even sent him death threats. Therefore, he was compelled to carry on and he did this by making the unstoppable detective Sherlock Holmes’ cheat a narrow death. So in this essay I will be analysing 3 stories: ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’, ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’ in which I will be marking out the distinct characteristics of Holmes that seems to attract everyone and Conan Doyle’s brilliant techniques used to captivate vast number of people.  First, I shall discuss about Sherlock Holmes himself in detail. He enjoys his work and is incredibly determined. Motivated by the actual work and not wealth, he devotes all his time and effort into solving mysteries as Watson notifies at the start of the ‘The Speckled Band’, ‘†¦for, working as he did rather for the love of his art than for the acquirement of wealth.’ Shortly afterwards Holmes declares this himself when his client Helen Stoner admits she can only reward him in a few months time; â€Å"As to reward, my profession is its own reward.† Although he does require Helen to pay for any expense occurred during the case; â€Å"but you are at liberty to defray whatever expenses I may be put to, at the time which suits you best.† I believe since Holmes does not accept (mostly) money as a payment to his practice, he does not have any money to pay for the expenses. I presume because of Holmes’ obsession towards his work, he will take any desperate measures he has to adopt in order to comprehend the truth as Watson encouragingly notifies in ‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’, â€Å"Sherlock Holmes was a man, however, who when he had an unsolved problem upon his mind would go for days, and even for week, without rest†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Due to this extreme dedication, he completes his objectives effectively and efficiently. Hence, the immortal figure and the eagerness for his position, awards Holmes a very positive effect on the reader. We learn about Holmes’ particular self-esteem, which to some extent can be very annoying and arrogant. For example, Sherlock Holmes cannot prevent himself from producing a soft amusement expression whenever someone fails to match his intelligence for e.g. in ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’ Watson baffled, says, ‘He chuckled to himself and rubbed his long nervous hands together,’ subsequent to Holmes’ brilliantly mastered deduction. It illustrates Holmes as quite an egotistical arrogant person and takes Watson for granted since the mild vague snigger may have been a trifle mock. It was not that Watson was just some ordinary person. He had achieved the title Doctor but even his attributes was nowhere near identical to the wit of Holmes. Holmes is only passionate about cases containing strange and abnormities; in ‘The Speckled Band’, Watson comments, â€Å"he refused to associate himself with any investigation which did not tend towards the unusual, and even the fantastic.† No wonder why all the cases seem to be of the most remarkable quality and from the fact that he worked in cases the official police discarded, â€Å"and clearing up those mysteries, which had been abandoned as hopeless by the official police,† mainly because of too much intricacy. Thus, the extraordinary power he acquires makes him a valuable utility for the police force. This however also presents him as an arrogant person who believes he is too good for the cases he assumes low skilled.

Moive Review – 8 Mile

I’m a big fan of rap and hip-hop music, so one of my favorite movies is ‘8 Mile’. It is a semi-autobiographic film about Eminem’s life. Starring well-known artists in the movie industry, such as Brittany Murphy, Mekhi Phifer, Omar Benson, Kim Basinger, and Eminem himself, ‘8 Mile’ became one of the most successful movies about musicians ever made. Set in Detroit, 1995, the story revolves around a white boy named Jimmy ‘B-Rabbit’ Smith, an inspiring rapper, trying to succeed in a music style most known for black artists.Jimmy lives in a trailer park with his mother and his younger sister on 8 Mile Road, the imaginary line that separates Detroit in two halves – the have-gots and have-nots. The very first scene of the movie presents ‘The Shelter’- the building where all the rap battles take place. It is Friday night and it’s time for Jimmy to go on stage and battle lyrically with another inspiring rapper. Bu t when he gets the microphone, he ‘chokes’ and gets booed off stage.That really takes him down and he is almost ready to give up on his dream. After some dramatic twists and turns, Mr. Smith mans up, gets over his pains and plunges in the courage to go back on stage and show everybody what his level of skills is like. In some kind it reminds me of the movie ‘The White People Can’t Jump’. The movie has won many prestigious awards, including an Academic Award for Best Original Song, which makes Eminem the only music artist with an Oscar.Not only with brilliant acting, but also with very good soundtrack and deep and moving lyrics, the film will definitely touch your heart and many people will find themselves in a situation similar to Jimmy’s. To sum up, I’ll say that ‘8 Mile’ is worth watching and I’ll recommend it to not only music lovers, but also everyone interested in realistic movies that will make them think about life opportunities and one-time chances. Moive Review – 8 Mile I’m a big fan of rap and hip-hop music, so one of my favorite movies is ‘8 Mile’. It is a semi-autobiographic film about Eminem’s life. Starring well-known artists in the movie industry, such as Brittany Murphy, Mekhi Phifer, Omar Benson, Kim Basinger, and Eminem himself, ‘8 Mile’ became one of the most successful movies about musicians ever made. Set in Detroit, 1995, the story revolves around a white boy named Jimmy ‘B-Rabbit’ Smith, an inspiring rapper, trying to succeed in a music style most known for black artists.Jimmy lives in a trailer park with his mother and his younger sister on 8 Mile Road, the imaginary line that separates Detroit in two halves – the have-gots and have-nots. The very first scene of the movie presents ‘The Shelter’- the building where all the rap battles take place. It is Friday night and it’s time for Jimmy to go on stage and battle lyrically with another inspiring rapper. Bu t when he gets the microphone, he ‘chokes’ and gets booed off stage.That really takes him down and he is almost ready to give up on his dream. After some dramatic twists and turns, Mr. Smith mans up, gets over his pains and plunges in the courage to go back on stage and show everybody what his level of skills is like. In some kind it reminds me of the movie ‘The White People Can’t Jump’. The movie has won many prestigious awards, including an Academic Award for Best Original Song, which makes Eminem the only music artist with an Oscar.Not only with brilliant acting, but also with very good soundtrack and deep and moving lyrics, the film will definitely touch your heart and many people will find themselves in a situation similar to Jimmy’s. To sum up, I’ll say that ‘8 Mile’ is worth watching and I’ll recommend it to not only music lovers, but also everyone interested in realistic movies that will make them think about life opportunities and one-time chances.

A Non-Profit Organization Solve Inc Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

A Non-Profit Organization Solve Inc - Term Paper Example This has answered the needs of customers in a timely manner and provided return trade-off. Price entails the charge of the services that we are offering; this has been tricky since it determines customer base of our company. We are offering low priced services and products to allow customers afford. In addition, we are non-profit Non-Governmental Organization thus our services are public oriented. We have been able to observe the market environment and competitors’ price strategies to ensure we are relevant. Business location is a critical ingredient in success and expansion since it increases convenience between suppliers and the organization. Our location has been strategic especially in residential areas, high traffic and main roads that are easily accessible. In essence, the strategy is focused on the commuting families and individuals. In addition, the company aims at supplying their products and services to local businesses, offices, and schools. On the other hand, the location of business should be close to processing facilities, market, and source of supply. We have committed to advertising our products and services through internet Web site, which has proven to be effective. Notably, the internet is fast turning into a major promotional avenue, and the institution believes it will advance with regards to the importance over time. Furthermore, it is the most convenient means for us to wide presence from the onset. Our major customer at the moment is the S.S Conner Elementary School. After we are successful with the school we will extend our services to other poor performing elementary schools within the area before we expand to other institutions of learning within and outside the state. The image of our institution is very vital because it finds out the relationship with our customers in the education sector. Having a good image will attract customers and clients to our table. We intend to do what we do best.  We intend to do what we do best. By being the best in the education industry, we will become a respected leader in the field. The level of education in Texas should be top-notch. We also seek to promote and offer quality services. This way, clients, and prospects will acknowledge our services.

Is Investment a Matter of Evaluating Risk or Simply Luck Essay

Is Investment a Matter of Evaluating Risk or Simply Luck - Essay Example Most goals in personal investment are straightforward, in that individuals may be preserving their assets, saving for his or her retirement, funding his or her pension plan, or he or she is meeting a university spending requirement (Finke & Huston, 2003). Harrison et al., (2009), Bajtelsmit and Bernasek (2007), and Finke and Huston (2003) emphasize that personal investment constraints can be simple or complex depending on the individual and the current investment situation. The primary constraint which, individual experiences the tolerance level that an individual has the market risk. Potential return and the market risks are related, in that the desire of an individual to experience a greater return will need his or her exposure to higher market risks (Papke, 2008). In most investment cases, the time horizon is another fundamental constraint. A good example is a university endowment that has an infinite horizon has risks which are unwise for an investor who is looking to invest in his or her child’s education (Duflo & Saez, 2009). Other investment constraints include liquidity requirements, exposure to taxes, legal issues, and other factors such as avoiding some investments. Constraints on personal investments change with time and an individual must carefully study and research on these constraints before deciding on investing in any investment plan. The review provides a discussion of the technical analysis concepts. It reviews on the module showing how it works, depicting two advantages and two disadvantages. The literature reviews on the fundamental analysis, showing how the module works. The research shows two advantages and disadvantages of the analysis. Part two of the research entails the working of the random walk theory, showing and explains how it works.

Media Event Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Media Event - Assignment Example Her main objective is to find them suitable jobs or protective environment after graduation. This is to prevent them from landing in the streets. The director of this movie, Samantha Buck, demonstrates sensitivity in a dramatic way to those students with special needs as the camera keys rove in on Mimo’s reactions. Ms. Mimo is the star and a protagonist with a bright face that does not hide anything as she focuses on the audience’s emotions. The camera lingers on the students who have grown with frustrating experiences longer than comfort. The â€Å"Best Kept Secret† film is exemplary in the sense that, it never seeks to hide any truth from the framework of the narrative. This section will explore two Special Education Laws websites, and two special education court previous cases. The first website is wrightslaw.com (http://www.wrightslaw.com/caselaw.htm). This website explores various cases from the U.S Supreme Court, Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Noteworthy Cases. The first case mentioned in this website is the case of U.S Department of Justice Verses Day Care Centre in Oklahoma. The case was filed with the U.S Department of Justice. The statement of the case alleged that, the Camelot denied the person the right to participate in field trips, hence violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. The case was settled on the November 27th, 2013, the child in question, with Down Syndrome and toileting issues. The court ruled that, Camelot shall not discriminate any child on the grounds of disability. This includes full participation and enjoyment of goods, services, privileges, advantages and accommodation. The second website is the special education advisor.com (http://www.specialeducationadvisor.com/special-education-laws/brief-history-of-special-education-court-cases/). The case was heard by the Supreme Court. The case was between the Board of Education of Hendrick Hudson Central School

My Major Accomplishments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Major Accomplishments - Essay Example Learning Chinese in three months and leading a successful exchange program delegation for my previous company where I presented our company’s portfolio in the Chinese. The funds for the trip were from fundraising event that I organized. I am always ready to take responsibility, and I feel that the medium size nature of this firm will provide me with the opportunity hastily. The medium size of the firm provides the chance for the build-up of proper working relationships necessary for promoting the firm’s effectiveness and employee satisfaction. I would expect to have advanced my role in the management level, managing one of the company’s international branches. This is because I hope my skills will elevate the organization into international status. My posting will bring in originality that will ensure boosting of the competitive advantage in the market for the organization’s products and services beyond the status my previous organization is now  enjoying.

DIS7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DIS7 - Essay Example However, the state and local pension experts oppose GASB’s requirements; since the inclusion of pension liability in the balance sheet will mean its being treated as a long-term financial obligation, like bonds and claims (GASB, 2010). This is detrimental to the accounting procedures, since the pension accounted for in the balance sheet is the amount payable and paid every year. The Statement No. 60 changed reporting requirements for joint ventures and related organizations by requiring that both parties in the joint venture or other such arrangements should report their portion of revenues received, as opposed to an earlier practice where the revenue of such ventures were reported jointly under single financial statements (GASB, 2010). The statement also requires such ventures to disclose their arrangements, including the assets, rights, guarantees, liabilities and commitments. The statement sought to improve the accounting practices by improving disclosures, while at the same time creating similarity and comparability between the financial statements of the non-governmental and governmental entities (GASB, 2010). However, the statement complicates the financial reporting for joint ventures and other such organizations, and should be improved through retaining the requirements for disclosure, but eliminating separate financial reporting requirement for the parties involved jointly. .LIFO should not be a valid inventory valuation method under IFRS, because it may not give the exact stock valuation. On the event of rising stock prices, LIFO results to the understatement of the value of closing stock. This, on the other hand, raises the valuation of the costs of goods sold; resulting to a reduction in the reported profits (Bloom & Cenker, 2009). Therefore, the consequences of US companies to using LIFO, if they move to IFRS, is that the profits earned will always be

The methods and principles of accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The methods and principles of accounting - Essay Example Rules and principles of accounting are basically designed in such a way that they provide certain standardized frameworks which help in the assessment of the financial position of a firm or a government. Hence there may always be a difference from one country to another in the accounting practices that are followed. There can be a major influence of the accounting consequences of different kinds of available options with which the decision makers are faced with, on the final decision taken. Thereby, the choice between the different methods of accounting may not limit themselves to just the portrayal of results; they may also play a vital role in the actual shaping of future decisions including the organization's financial structuring, functioning and activities. Accounting is best known as the language of business and communicates the results of the business. As the accepted Lingua Franca in addition to being the medium of communication it also satisfies the role of understanding the existing as well as potential additions to the available literature. As with every credible language, Accountancy also has its own rules and syntax which comprises the principles on which the system is based, known as the Generally Accepted Principles (GAAP), International Accounting Standards, and US GAAP etc. forming the theoretical base of Accountancy, and the Double Entry bookkeeping for recording the transactions providing the Practical Base of the system. To communicate the necessary, vital and relevant information, the requirements of the prospective users are identified and a systematic process is adhered to resulting in the formation of "Financial Statements." They are primarily the Income Statement and the Position Statement which are popular as "Trading and Profit & Loss Account" and the "Balance Sheet" respectively. The Balance Sheet shows the financial status of a business at a given point of time. That is the reason, the heading of Balance Sheet reads as "Balance Sheet of Xxx Company as on 31st March, 20xx." The balance sheet shows the amount of funds the owner has in the business. To determine this amount, the assets owned are listed and a value is placed on them. Liabilities and their values also are listed. The difference between assets and liabilities is equal to the net worth, or the owner's equity in the business (Klinefelter, 2000). The income statement on the other hand reflects the performance of the entry over a period of time and hence it is headed as "Income Statement of Xxx Company for the year ended 31st March, 20xx." The major purposes of financial reporting are: Providing information which in turn becomes the basis for exercising decisions and actions by the potential users, Reflect the financial progress and present health of the business, Aid in the formulation of policies and procedures for the smooth and efficient conduct of the business, Enable the management to discharge their obligations and stewardship functions effectively Financial Reporting The end-users of financial statements need not necessarily be those of finance background. They might not be in a position to understand the complex technicalities of financial statement. People who do not have detailed understanding of the financial

The Important Effexts of Food Colours on Appetite Essay Example for Free

The Important Effexts of Food Colours on Appetite Essay The relationship between food colour and appetite has been concerned by many scientists in recent years. This project considers the importance of food colour on appetite through analysing and evaluating the effects of different food colour on appetite and then other factors that contribute to appetite are explored. As last step, comparison is conducted to find the most important element on appetite. With regard to other factors, it is concluded that the food colour play an important role in affecting appetite. This may be of interest to consumers, especially the people who want to find effective method to control and manage appetite. Contents | |Page | |Abstract | | | | | |Introduction |1 | | | | |1. The Effects of Different Food Colours on Appetite |2 | | 1. 1 The effects of red and yellow on appetite |2 | | 1. 2 The effects blue on appetite |2 | | 1. 3 The effects of green on appetite |3 | | 1. 4 The effects of purple and black on appetite |3 | | 1. 5 Evaluation of effects of food colours on appetite |3 | | | | |2. The Effects of other Factors on Appetite |5 | | 2. 1 The effect flavour of food on appetite |5 | | 2. 1. 1 The effect of smell and taste on appetite |5 | | 2. 2 The effects of ambience on appetite |5 | | 2. 2. 1 The effect of light on appetite |6 | | 2. 2. 2 The effect of sound on appetite |6 | | 2. 2. 3 The effect of temperature on appetite |7 | | 2. 3 Summary |8 | | 2. 4 Evaluate and compare the food colour and other factors |8 | | | | |Conclusion |10 | | | | |List of references |11 | Introduction In recent years, consumers have generally paied attention to the appearance of food. Since one of the most fundamental elements of food could be the food colour, when people see food at first sight, the appearance of a dish may have positive and negative influence on people’s appetite (Hutchings 1994). Counsell (1981) and Petit (2006) summarise that colour plays a crucial role in the appearance of food from a psychophysical point of view. They remark that when different wavelengths of light come into eyes, due to the combination of eyes and brain through a series of mechanisms, colour will be produced and defined. The so-called appetite is a kind of physiological needs for eating. Nevertheless, a full stomach does not stand for that people do not have appetite and a desire to eat. The purpose of this project is to find the main element among colour, flavour and ambience which can influence appetite the most. Various food colours which can be seen in daily life will first be compared to describe the different negative and positive effects on appetite and evaluate the relationship of food colours on appetite. Then, other effective factors on appetite such as food flavour and eating ambience will be taken into consideration. Since the consumers do not know how different food colour, food flavour and environment could influence their behavior, it is felt that this examination will highlight this field and help consumers to move forward a single step to perceive the factors that can affect their appetite. 1. The Effects of Different Food Colours on Appetite Natnette and John (2004) summarise that â€Å"Colour can produce autonomic biological reaction, certain emotional responses, and direct attention† (P. 826). For the majority of consumers, food colour is a kind of standard for assessing food quality prior to purchasing and consuming it (Huthings1994). He also concludes that there are several usual food colours in our daily life such as red, green, orange, purple and yellow, but some colours are difficult to find ,such as blue and black. In this connection, the different food colours and their various effects of them on people appetite will be clarified and compared. 1. 1 The effects of red and yellow on appetite In a psychological study Birren(1969) finds that red is an energetic colour which gives people a strong feeling of emotion. When people see the red colour, they may experience the feeling of happiness or peace and would make them hungry. However, yellow can stimulate people’s brain activity and makes people feel excited? comfortable and warm. It seems that people’s appetite can be improved significantly by red and yellow (Singh, 2006). Boym (2001) points that if red and yellow appear on the table at the same time, people would be likely to eat more, because the combination of red with yellow can make people feel friendly and can remember this combination deeply. The fast food company McDonalds, as everyone knows, ingeniously applies both red and yellow in their decoration, food package and even food. That could be one of the reasons why people all around the world would like to go to MacDonald and they get attracted by the its chain of restaurants. As a result, this appears to be a wise choice that just by adding some red and yellow colour to the food recipe, even people with poor appetite be more likely to purchase food products. 1. 2 The effects blue on appetite Blue food which is rarely found in the nature(Hutchings, 1994) represent peace, quiet and calmness and that is considered to have a beneficial effect on peoples physical and mental ability (Singh, 2006). Hence, people’s appetite obtain weak suppression and according to psychological finding, it is shown that when people want to lose weight, putting blue items in the kitchen would play an important role in eliminating their appetite (Allew,1998). 3. The effects of green on appetite According to Pegler (1991), no matter which kind of the food is consumed, the majority of people may think that the food is healthy and safe as long as it is green. Green food probably signifies safety in these people’s subconscious and green represents bright, fresh and natural, which could help stabilize mood and ease the tension. Following from such a concept, people would like to accept most green things. 4. The effects of purple and black on appetite Johnson (2005) researches that people prefer to avoid purple and black food in their lives, when our ancestors searched food and found in purple and black that was a fatal alarm. These colours would have been considered toxic and rotten. The effects of the long-term sense may lead to the modern people behaviour on food. Hence, people probably do not have positive feeling towards on black and purple food. 1. 5 Evaluation of effects of food colours on appetite It is almost certain that different food colours indeed influence people’s appetite. Huthings (1994) analyzs that food colour also helps consumers judge the quality of food as well. It seems quite reasonable that while some foods are chosen easily and are always in the peoples everyday diet yet the others are not so popular and are often left on the supermarket shelf that is all a matter of food colour. Besides, because food manufacturers want to attract and induce more consumers, coloured food could be found anywhere such as sweets, beverages, ice-cream and others. Tyner (1997) points out that colour is the first characteristic we notice in food, so food colour has a major function in influencing people’s appetite. 2. The Effects of other Factors on Appetite 2. 1 The effect flavour of food on appetite The combination of smell and taste can be explained by scientists to describe the perception of food flavor (Petit, 2006). However, ISO5492 (1992) summarises that smell, taste and trigeminal sensations comprise the flavour together, while odor and taste play the dominate role in flavour. 2. 1. 1 The effect of smell and taste on appetite As everyone knows, an unpleasant odour can influence and suppress people’s appetite whatever environmental or food smell is, food intake and meal times would be decrease relatively. Nevertheless, the effects of smell on appetite are complicated. Petit (2006) concludes that â€Å"smell is the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by volatile chemicals†((P. 3). According to Natnette and John (2004), smell is directly and closely connected to appetite and food intake. Different smells can stimulate people’s expectation for food which includes the taste or the quality of food and even can be evoked by the previous memorial odor (e. g. , mother’s soup). Petit (2006) says â€Å"tastes are the sensations perceived by the taste receptors when stimulated by certain soluble substances† (P. 4). According to Schiffman and Graham (2000), taste can influence food choices and appetite. Due to internal preparation for digesting, people will have a desire to eat or purchase food when they smell it. In other words, taste induces people to have needs for food and provides motivation and the impulse for eating. Hence, it seems probable that the integration of smell with taste can significantly affect people’s appetite. 2. 2 The effects of ambience on appetite Eating ambience have a relatively wide meaning (ambience here refers to the atmosphere that food is served; it actually includes many external factors such as the light, sound and temperature of the environment (Natnette and John 2006). In the following part, the effects from different lights, sound and temperature on food intake and appetite will be discussed. 2. 2. 1 The effect of light on appetite According to the research of Wansink (1994), the food consumption of people can be affected by soft lighting, the dominant reason is that soft light can make people feel more comfortable. Consumers’ resistance to delicious food will be reduced and meal times will be extended. As a result, food intake of consumers relatively may increase. Wansink (1994) also say that bright and glaring light could decrease the time people spend at on eating location because people always have better self-discipline which could explain why fast-food restaurants prefer to use bright lights, in order to accelerate the speed of eating food. 2. 2. 2 The effect of sound on appetite Music can always be heard in restaurants, which is a kind of method used to stimulate appetite and consumption. Natnette and John (2006) conclude that music which is being played in the eating atmosphere not only plays function on covering unpleasant sound, but also makes consumers feel relaxed and changing consumers’ mood. It seems clearly that the quantity of food and fluid could be affected by the different types of music (Natnette and John 2004). According to the research done by McElrea and Standing (1992), since loud and fast music can raise listeners’ heart rate and blood pressure, the speed of drinking will be enhanced. It could be concluded that fast music could improve the quantity of food consumption and food intake, because the tempo of fast music can increase the frequency of chewing (Roballey, McGreevy and Rongo,1985). By contrast, soft and slow music could reduce the speed of eating and extend the time consumers spend in the eating place; however, a greater monetary value of food will be consumed in such surrounding. In other words, if people listen to slower music or the music that they love, thay will prefer to spend a longer time in the restaurant. Hence, they can easily drink and eat more than the consumers who are not in such environment. Different types of music have various connections with people’s appetite (Roballey, McGreevy and Rongo, 1985). 2. 2. 3 The effect of temperature on appetite The effects of temperature on appetite are often not understood by consumers. The temperature includes food temperature and ambient temperature. Due to influencing the speed of metabolism from the food temperature, the reaction of the stomach to hot and cold food and beverage is different (Natnette and John 2004). Hot food (e. g. , warm milk ) appears to reduce the capability of people’s metabolism. Another study (Bre? zinova 1972) show that processed and hot food could emerge more flavour which can raise the temperature of people’s body to restrain appetite and induce satiety. In general, consumers who live in different areas have various preferences on food temperature due to difference food behaviour, culture, experience and expectation. It could be summarised that regardless of the preference for food temperature, the food temperature can affect appetite and even food intake. McConnachie and Alexander (2004) also conduct a research and came to the conclusion that people’s appetite are hugely different within hot and cold surroundings; therefore, the type of food chosen by consumers and the amount of intake will likely be depend on many factors. For instance, in winter, people whose basic metabolic rate is faster than people who live in summer need more energy and caloric consumption to produce and keep warm (Natnette and John, 2004), whereas some scientists hold the doubtful opinion(Westerterp-Platenga 1999). For this reason, it is common perception that warm food should be selected more in cold weather while cold food and beverage should be chosen more in hot condition. From the discussion and comparison above, people, generally, have positive appetite and increase food intake in the presence of cool, air conditioned ambience. 2. 3 Summary The above views indicate that food flavour and ambience of eating location appears to influence people’s appetite, food choices and food intake according to the individual’s experience, background and the expectation of food. The combination of smell and taste composes primarily flavour and affects further customers’ desire for food, while light, sound, temperature of eating location also have effects on their appetite. It could be also true that soft and warm light and loud and fast music appear to increase consumers’ food intake and extend the time of consuming, while cold and air-conditioned surroundings could improve consumption and intense appetite, vice versa. 2. 4 Evaluate and compare the food colour and other factors After viewing the appearance of food, consumers would have the visual flavour including smell and taste. That could be to say that visual flavour appears before the real flavor when it comes into consumer’s nose and mouth. Besides, Hutchings (1994) and Petit (2006) research affirm that food colour could influence people’s perception and expectation of food flavour before smelling and tasting. It seems that visual and expected flavour will be associated when people see the appearance of food in the first sight according to their previous experience, which can influence consumers’ judgement for food quality and flavour and even affect their appetite. This phenomenon may explain why coloured food exists and that would be because coloured food not only can highlight the flavour of the product but also offset the lost colour from processing (Tyner, 1997). The effects of ambience also have the positive and negative effects on people’s appetite and food intake. However, the ambience such as light, sound, temperature is external elements out of food. It seems that the main choice of food appears not to depend on food itself. Gordon, Angela and Little summarise (1962) that â€Å"the first impression of a food is usually visual and a major part of our willingness to accept a food depends on its color† (P. ix). Hence, food colour appears to play an important role in influencing people’s appetite. Conclusion Food colour could influence mostly people’s appetite than other factors when they see the food in the first sight. This may happen by the different food colours and other factors including flavor and eating ambience on appetite. These can be summarised that different food colours such as yellow, red, orange and green could encourage people to have desire to eat; however, rare purple, blue and black in food seem to be unpopular among the majority of consumers. At the same time, other factors (flavour, ambience) also could affect food choices, food intake and appetite. In discussion progress, however, owing to the fact that colour could influence flavour and the factor of food colour should be paid more attention than ambience which is the less effective element on people’s appetite. The study of effects of food colour on appetite has been considered by many scientists. Counsell (1981), Hutchings (1994), Petit (2006) and Robyn (2010) indicant that colourful foods do stimulate effectively people’s appetite when consumers notice the food before consuming. It should be noted that a detailed examination of others factors such as food shape, social variables and time-related characteristics affecting appetite lies outside of the parameters of this paper and further work could be done in this area. This would be of particular interest to those involved in the identification of natural and artificial food colour and could help avoid the problems encountered by consumers who are cheated by some pusher. References Alley, R, L. (1998) ‘The influence of physical state and colour on perceived sweetness’. Psychology 132 (5), 561-568 Berrin, F. (1969) Principles of Colour: a Review of Past Traditions and Modern Theories of Colour Harmony. London: Van Nostrand Reinhold Boym, C. (2001) ‘My McDonald’s’. Food and Culture 1(1), 6-8 Bre? zinova, V, O. (1972) ‘Sleep after a bedtime beverage’. Br Med J 2(1), 431 Counsell, J, N.(1981). Natural Colours for Food and Other Uses. England: Applied Science Publishers LTD Dalzell, J, M. (eds. ) (1997) Ingredients Handbook Food Colours. Surrey: Leatherhead Food RA Hutchings, J, B. (1994) Food Colour and Appearance. New York: Blackie Academic Professional Johnson, J. (2005) Psychology of Colour [online] available from [8 September 2012] ISO5492. (1992) â€Å"Glossary of terms relating to sensory analysis. † McConnachie, S. and Alexander, G, J. (2004) ‘The effect of temperature on digestive and assimilation efficiency, gut passage time and appetite in an Ambush foragin lizard, Cordylus Melantus Melanotus’. J Comp Physiol 174(34), 99-105 McElrea, H. and Standing, F. (1992) ‘Fast music causes fast drinking’. Perceptual and Motor Skills 75(13), 362 Natnette, S. and John, M. (2004) ‘Effect of ambience on food intake and food choice’. Nutrition 20(4), 821-838 Natnette, S. and John, M. (2006) ‘Listening to music while eating is relating to increases in people’s food intake and meal duration’. Appetite 47(21), 285-289 Pegler, Martin, M. (1991) Food Presentation and Display. New York: Retail Reporting Corporation Petit, C, E, F. (2006) Multimodal Flavour Perception: Influence of Colour and Chemesthesis. Nottingham: Nottingham University Press Roballey, C. (1985) ‘The effect of music on eating behavior’. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society 23 (3), 221-223 Singh, S. (2006) ‘Impact of color on marketing’. Management Decision 44 (6), 783 -789 Wansink, D. and Tinbergan, J, M. (1994) ‘The influence of temperature on diet in Great Tit’. Journal of Avian Biology 25(4), 261-267 Margriet, S. (1999) ‘Effects of extreme environments on food intake in human subjects’. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 58(04), 791-798.

Pecola Breedlove In The Bluest Eye English Literature Essay

Pecola Breedlove In The Bluest Eye English Literature Essay What could he do for her à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬ever. What give her. What say to her. What could a burned-out black man say to the hunched back of his eleven-year-old daughter. If he looked into her face, he would see those haunted loving eyes. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦How dare she love him? Hadnt she any sense at all? What was he supposed to do about that? Return it? How? What could his calloused hands produce to make her smile? (Morrison 127) In the above excerpt it seems nothing unusual that a father is musing on how best he could make his daughter feel loved, but what is most unusual is the outcome it yielded. In Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye it is this point in the novel that the protagonist Pecola Breedlove is raped by her father Cholly, a most unexpected thing to do and the events in her life take the worst turn. Considering this to be an incident where there is a reversal of action, this paper would focus on Pecola and the discovery or recognition that comes post the reversal as in Aristotles Poetics. According to Aristotles definition of tragedy and the tragic elements, the devices required to make an effective (complex) plot structure are peripeteia and anagnorisis, translated as reversal and recognition. F. L. Lucas paraphrases Aristotles illustration in the like manner: A peripeteia occurs when a course of action intended to produce result x, produces the reverse of x. Thus the messenger from Corinth tries to ch eer Oedipus and dispel his fear of marrying his mother; but by revealing who Oedipus really is, he produces exactly the opposite result. (111) The peripeteia that Aristotle talks of brings about the anagnorisis, the realization of the truth, the opening of the eyes, the sudden lightning-flash in the darknessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the flash may come after the catastrophe, serving only to reveal it and complete it, as when Oedipus discovers his guilt. (Lucas 114) Another translation of Aristotles work reads it as: a change from ignorance [agnoia] to knowledge [gnosin]. (Aristotle 54) Electras recognition of Orestes or Oedipus recognition that he himself is his fathers murderer is suggestive of the fact that this recognition revolves round the politics of identity which would include the struggle for recognition. In lieu of this, the paper takes into consideration Pecolas predicament as an eleven year old black girl whose sole wish is to have blue eyes and thereby her negotiation with the identification process. Pecola prayed each night, without fail (Morrison 35) for blue eyes. Morrison has stated that the reason for Pecolas desire for getting blue eyes must be at least partially traced to the failures of Pecolas own community: she wanted to have blue eyes and she wanted to be Shirley Temple à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ because of the society in which she lived and, very importantly, because of the black people who helped her want to be that.(Morrison 32) Pecola symbolically occupies the interstitial space that in other words: has no specified place, and she floats on the peripheries of the community she longs to enter like a wraith looking for its missing body. She is constantly outdoors, never able to integrate herself into the community, always left on the peripheries, literally moving from house to house searching for a fixed place of comfort and security. Pecola has become homeless because her drunken father has destroyed their home, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢and everybody, as a result, was outdoors. (Morrison 12) Morrison in the Foreword writes that she is specifically interested in the far more tragic and disabling consequences of accepting rejection as legitimate, as self-evident (Morrison à Ã¢â‚¬  ) It is necessary to point out here that in Aristotles illustrations of anagnorisis as in Electras recognition of Orestes, it is by means of footprints and a lock of hair which suggest that external features are necessary for identification, so are her eyes necessary for Pecola. But for Pecola blue eyes is something she does not possess, the symbol of the culmination of beauty as per the hegemonic culture and thus feels deprived and her existence splintered. The eyes symbolize her wholeness which is an impossibility just as the eyes themselves are and her inability to locate or position herself vis-à  -vis the normative discourse. Hence her mark of identification is not with a feature that is present but with the absent blue eyes. Barbara Christian points out that: The beauty searched for in the book is not just the possession of blue eyes, but the harmony that they symbolize. (24) But this harmony is what eludes her. Pecolas obsession with her eyes necessitates the presence of the leit motif of the mirror: Long hours she sat looking in the mirror, trying to discover the secret of her ugliness. (Morrison 34) The mirror and her quest for her identity lead us inevitably to Lacanian analysis. In the mirror stage, which is a forbidden realm for real image, we come into an image, which that world gives us, not a complete one, but fragmented, distorted image, which leads us to misrecognition(Bertons 161). Lacan believes identity which we acquire from the other is a form of fantasy and misrecognition. (Bertons 162) So, we become ourselves by way of others perspectives and others view of who we are. Kim describes it this way: Morrison explores the interplay of eyes as windows for gazes from the outside and for ones perception of the outside world (113-14). Lacan believes that the crucial point at which the child gives up the mother as love object and attaches to the father marks his exit from what he term s the imaginary and entrance into the symbolic order. In Pecolas case, Cholly Breedlove, her father, is unsuccessful in taking up the symbolic function, because he is deprived of phallic power by white culture, the ruling other in youth, and psychologically castrated, and his absence as the father figure ensures that Pecola continues her maintenance in pre-Oedipal moment, which results in lack of voice and hence the silence. Since Cholly couldnt take up the symbolic function in Pecolas post-mirror subjectivity, as a psychic subject, Pecola ultimately remains in the imaginary. Her failed attempt at gaining a unity or identifying with her father, after he rapes and abandons her, creates a void in her life. Indeed, the void in Pecolas psychic life can never be fulfilled in the domain of the symbolic. So, what Pecola does is to take the imaginary for the real. She keeps looking at her blue eyes in the mirror, and worries that her eyes are not the bluest. Pecola, as Claudia describes, lo oks like a winged but grounded bird, intent on the blue void it could not reach (Morrison 162). The moment of Chollys raping and abandoning her is crucial as Morrison writes of it in the Afterword: the silence at its center: the void that is Pecolas unbeing. (Morrison 171) F. L. Lucas opines that: the deepest tragedy occurs when their [the protagonist, here Pecola] destruction is the work of those that wish them well, or of their own unwitting hands. (112) Pecolas quest to establish the legitimacy of her identity is hindered by her father, resulting in her fragmentation, the metaphorical splintered mirror, a term which Morrison herself uses. Tragic recognition scenes are often moments of catastrophic loss as in Oedipus or that of Pecola. Contemporary theories and practices of recognition are grounded in more fundamental, ontological misrecognitions-that is, misrecognitions of the identity as well as of certain fundamental features of the social and political world and our place in it, says Stephen White.(10) Tragic anagnorisis would then involve not only in getting ones identity right, in a change from ignorance to knowledge, but also involves acknowledging often under the weight of failure, the limits to the possibility of doing so. An ontological discovery that is made by Pecola is that the one and only identity that she could have was by regressing into her childhood fantasy. In this she also acknowledges her powerlessness to contest or rather wrench her identity from the stifling, strangulating grip of the hegemonic culture codes. Morrison in the Afterword writes: She is not seen by herself until she hallucinates a s elf. (171) A critic writes that: Chollys deranged act of love was that terrifying, brutal blow which finally compelled her into madness. (Cormier 120) It is only the imaginary self, to whom Pecola converses, who actually recognizes her pair of blue eyes that the others envy. Shoshana Felman suggests as she writes that: Mental illness is a manifestation both of cultural impotence and political castration. This behaviour is itself part of female conditioning, ideologically inherent in the behavioural pattern and in the dependent and helpless role assigned to the woman as such. (119) Pecolas ontologically threatening encounter excluded her from the community in beauty and harmony and condemned her to psychic disintegration. Morrison tells the reader that It had occurred to Pecola some time ago that if her eyes, those eyes that held the pictures, and knew the sights-if those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different hence her fervent desire for those blue eyes. (46) But Pecola by her subversive desire was both under and over (but really simply outside of) the sphere of cultures hegemony as Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar would say (27) and it is the sacrilegious fiendishness of what William Blake called the Female Will' (28) that ushers in her un-being. The manner in which Oedipus determinedly searched for the murderer of the King that led to his un-being, Pecola too struggles to pursue her identity. But insanity is what awaits her as it does to all those mysterious power[s]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦who refuse to stay in her[their] textually ordained place' (Gilbert 32) For a postmodern self as Pecola the possibility of and the desire for a unitary self is absurd. The inconsistent, heterogeneous being that constitutes a subject Pecola is revealed in the end when she converses with her other: Why didnt I know you before? You didnt need me before. Didnt need you? Just because I got blue eyes, bluer than theirs, theyre prejudiced. Thats right. They are bluer, arent they? Oh, yes. Much bluerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ What? What will we talk about? Why, your eyes. Oh, yes. My eyes. My blue eyes. Let me look again. See how pretty they are. Yes. They get prettier each time I look at them. They are the prettiest Ive ever seen. (154-59) Cormier-Hamilton states, For Pecola, beauty equals happiness, and it is difficult to fault a young girl for the misperception; certainly both white and black communities in her world seem to support the idea (115). It is this misperception that paradoxically leads her to her misrecognition. The void that her father created in her could not have been fulfilled but by her un-being, hence this is an anagnorisis as anagnorisis undone or to use Darko Suvins phrase cognitive estrangement.(22) Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar write: Either way, the images on the surface of the looking glass, into which the female artist peers in search of her self, warn her that she is or must be a Cypher, framed and framed up, indited and indicted. (36) It is this apparently calm surface of the normative that Pecola challenges and threatens from the margins to which she is relegated. Her discovery or recognition, anagnorisis in Aristotelian terms is that her psychological wholeness (Cormier 111) is in her slivered state, hence a peculiar case of anagnorisis undone. Word Count 1915