Nutrition - Food Essay Example for Free

Nutrition Food Essay In our today’s society, especially western countries, the issue of fast food seems to be at the top of every health related debate. As these debates become more controversial, the question of who bears the responsibility remains unanswered. In his essay, Don’t Blame the Eater, David Zinczenko attempts to answer this key question by placing the greater responsibility of America’s obesity and other fast food related health issues on the fast food industries. Contrary to Zinczenko’s argument, Raldy Balko, in his essay, What You Eat Is Your Business, states that, people should take ownership of their health and well-being, and are therefore responsible for what and how they eat. Although both Zinczenko and Balko address the issue of responsibility, though with contrast, but valid arguments, Zinczenko seems to present a more convincing argument due to the way in which he explains the politics of food, the way in which our lifestyles are altered by what we eat, and things we can do to change the way we see food and its role in our lives. Although Zinczenko hold consumers responsible to an extent, he blames the fast food industries for the rising rate of obesity and other health issues related to fast food due to their failure to provide labels for their products. Zinczenko convincingly supports his claim by noting statistical data that shows the rise in money spent to treat diabetes. â€Å"Before 1994, diabetes in children was generally caused by a genetic disorder only 5 percent of childhood cases were obesity related, or Type 2 diabetes. Today, according to the National Institutes of Health, Type 2 diabetes accounts for at least 30 percent of all new childhood cases of diabetes in this country†(Zinczenko 392). He argues that, if the fast food companies are regulated so that they are responsible for their food contents, by providing proper labels, than consumers will make informed food choices. Contrary to Zinczenko, Balko argues that what one eats should be a matter of personal responsibility. To Balko’s credit, I believe that people should take personal responsibility for their health by adding a sensible diet and exercise to their routines. Where I differ from Balko is when he says that government restrictions on food are a result of people making poor food choices. According to Balko, â€Å"a society where everyone is responsible for everyone else’s well-being is a society more apt to accept government restrictions† (397). I think Balko’s argument in this regard, is a selfish one, and is an attempt to exempt the rich from paying their fair share of taxes that would otherwise benefit the poor or some middle families who cannot afford the high cost of health insurance. Both Zinczenko and Balko seem to agree on the rising health costs that are somehow a result of fast food, these two authors seem to differ on reasons. Zinczenko argues that health care cost is on the rise because of diseases caused by fast food due to the failure of fast food companies to provide labels and that consumers should not be blame for it. However, Balko argues that it is so that, we allow the â€Å"government to come between us and our waistline† (396). Balko states that, the more the government continues to fund health issues that are direct attribute of poor food/health choices, the more people will continue to dine on fast food and engage not in an effective diet and exercise regimen. (398) The growth of the fast food industry and the rate at which fast food is consumed is so fast, and its accompanying risks of obesity and related cardiovascular diseases have become a societal epidemic. Zinczenko blames the fast food industries for the spring in the rate to which obesity have grown in the United States. Even though Zinczenko is right about the rising rate of obesity, and that the consumption of fast food forms part of its etiology, the thesis of his argument cannot be proven and therefore cannot form the basis for his claims against the fast food companies since there are other contributing factors regarding the cause, onset, and progression of obesity. Obesity is also biologically linked. These biological attributors include: genetics, hormones, enzymes, and vitamins and minerals. Some people have fat in their genes that, no matter what they do, they are just fat. Others have issues with hormonal imbalances and or inadequate enzymatic actions that would aid in the adequate digestion and absorption of certain foods. Fast food is just one of the many environmental attributes associated with obesity. So Zinczenko can accurately make his case against the fast food industries for providing labels so as to enable consumers make informed food choices and not a case of obesity. Sometimes, people are too fast to pass judgment on others, especially people that are obese. I am equally guilty of the accusation myself. I work as a nurse at a nursing home facility and, in most cases, when staff member comes to me complaining of headache, first thing I say to them is; let’s check your blood pressure and, God forbid, the blood pressure is elevated, or if that person just look fat to me, my next comment is, it is because of all the junk you eat. My judgment, though may be incorrect, is based on the fact that most of these staff members are single parents, live in inner cities, and have a total commute time of two hours to and from work. Not to mention, some of them have more than one job. However, these people are being made to feel guilty about something that is totally out their control. In most instances, their wages aren’t even enough to meet up with their rents and utilities bills. Fast food comes handy in such instance where one can spend ten dollars and get ten cheeseburgers to feed a family of three to five versus going to the grocery store where each healthy ingredient is almost equivalent to the price of the entire dinner comprising of fast food. People fall back on fast food because it is cheap. Zinczenko explains that his parents were split up and that he had to live with his mother who worked long hours just to make the monthly bills. â€Å"Lunch and dinner, for me, was a daily choice between McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken or Pizza Hut. † (Zinczenko 391). In Zinczenko’s case, his lifestyle is altered because fast food is his only option since his family is dysfunctional. His single mother has to work very hard to pay bills and provide him a meal. It doesn’t matter the kind of meal. A meal is a meal, especially for someone who doesn’t have the time to prepare a home cooked meal. The people afflicted with fast food related obesity are not to blame for what they eat because they have very little or no options regarding what they eat due to all of the above reasons. However, to Balko’s point, while people may not have the option about what they eat, they have the option to control how they eat. Zinczenko states in his essay that fast food is â€Å"the only available options for an American kid to get an affordable meal†, and so, he urges his readers not to â€Å"blame the Eater† (392). But as with Zinczenko, we are well aware of the role fast food play in our lives. We understand that, though fast may be one, or the only available meal choice that we have, the way we eat can help us determine the role these foods play in our lives. Zinczenko supports his argument about the role food play in his life by giving information about his pre-college weight. â€Å"By age 15, I had packed 212 pounds of torpid tallow on my once lanky 5-foot-10 frame† (392). Even Zinczenko believes that, consumers are as equally responsible for the way they eat. However, he maintains his argument that the fast food companies bare the greater responsibility. In conclusion, both the eater and the producer are responsible for fast food related obesity, but I believe that the fast industries should bare the greater responsibility. Fast food companies must provide their consumers with proper food labels that enable them to make inform decision about what they eat. Label should not be falsified or misleading, like in the example giving by Zinczenko about the misleading label on the â€Å"chicken salad† (393). He refers to the salad as not healthy and that it is a caloric death- trap aimed at eaters who will not suspect it. Although Balko makes some really good points, his objectives seem to me as a means to an end. Zinczenko cautions that there are few or no alternatives to what we eat and that things have to change. Balko cautions that allowing food regulations for labels means letting the government between you and your waistline. In either case, we as a people have a responsibility to consider what and how we eat.

Influencing Practice For Service Improvement In Primary Care Nursing Essay

Influencing Practice For Service Improvement In Primary Care Nursing Essay Innovation and change are currently seen as an integral part of the NHS, and nurses have an increasing responsibility in the delivery of healthcare (DOH 2004). With the introduction of clinical governance many NHS Trusts are examining the standard of care being given and are implementing new initiatives to bring the care up to standard. This essay will aim to discuss and explore the implementation of an initiative to change practice in a clinical area of a primary care setting within an NHS trust. The proposed change is that of an orientation pack for new staff. This change can be linked to one aspect of clinical governance, staff and staff management, as it was felt that this was an area that needed developing. It will explore the reasoning for the change and the leadership style that was utilised for to implement a change. It will analyse the change theory developed by Kurt Lewin (1951) and how it will influence the implementation. Key strategies for effective clinical governance involves effective teamwork, leadership, ownership, openness and, most importantly, communication. The additional recurring theme is that the public and patients need to be involved in all aspects of the planning, organisation and environment of care. Since 1999, it has been at the top of the agenda for the NHS (Sale 2005). Scally and Donaldson (1998) define clinical governance as: A system through which NHS organisations are accountable for continually improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care by creating an environment in which excellence in clinical care will flourish (p61). There are many key elements in clinical governance these have divided into seven pillars. The pillar that will be focussed on in this particular instance will be pillar 4: Staff and staff managing, it has many crucial elements essential to the structure of a trust, specifically workforce planning. Without planning there will be a lack of staff skills, knowledge and empowerment which could threaten the provision of quality clinical care (Sale 2005). An orientation pack is vital in any organisation setting. It can be overwhelming when starting a new role, and people can experience many emotions therefore there needs to be a structure in place to aid with this transition. Ward (2009) explains an orientation pack may impact retention within the nursing profession as well as increasing self confidence it will also impact staff with greater productivity and sense of direction in the work group. This is due to new employees getting to know the alignment between their role and the organisation expectations of them (Brown 2000). The primary care trust was having difficulty in retaining their staff, and had been experiencing a high turnover; there had also been some difficulties in filling the vacancies. Recruitment is ongoing, and costly the official cost is 32% of nurses annual salary, but including the building up of new staff and productivity deficit in the process it can be four times this (Foster cited by Agnew 2004). He goes on to explain in the first year if the new employee has a sense of belonging by being effectively bonded to the setting then this significantly reduces turnover. Despite these obvious advantages, it was found that there was only a general induction to the trust which every employee has within the first three months of their new employment; however no formal structure had been developed in the specific clinical area. By not having a formal orientation to the clinical area made it makes it difficult to establish the roles of the already existing team. The team is split into clusters; these clusters cover different general practices around the area, however trying to establish which cluster covered which practice was confusing. There was also found to be a lack of clarity when it came to the caseload, it was difficult to identify client groups and information was limited, this in turn was also putting possible risk to patient care. Furthermore there was no opportunity for new staff to ident ity their objectives and how to develop themselves within their role. When an initiative is being introduced to staff, they need to be aware of the reasons for the implementation. To enable successful integration into a new work place there needs to be a structured form of induction to alleviate barriers in communication and to enable a smooth transition. The proposed idea of a staff orientation pack (appendix 1) was the result of planned change. Planned change is a deliberate application of knowledge and skills by a leader, to bring about a change requires the leader to have the skills of problem solving, decision making and interpersonal and communication skills (Marquis and Huston 2006). Warrilow (2009) and Oliver (2006) both recognise that transformational leadership is focussed on, and embraces change, as it involves both the leaders and followers engaging on a common aim. They also recognise the leader to be a key element of successful strategies for managing change. Transformational leadership would be the most appropriate style to utilise when introducing the orientation pack as the underlying goal of transformational leadership is to bring about some type of change (Grimm, 2010, p76). The leaders who use this style are also regarded as change agents. A change agent should be a person skilled in the theory and implementation of planned change to be able to deal appropriately with the very real human emotions, including resistance that planned change can bring about (Marquis and Huston 2006). They can achieve this by using qualities such as charisma to motivate their followers to be able to achieve their goals, share visions and empower them (Grimm 2010). Change can be an intricate process which can have barriers which can threaten a successful implementation (McCrery and Pearce 2002). Sullivan and Decker recognise that Nurse Leaders must initiate the changes they believe are necessary to strengthen nursing practice, provide quality care, and create a better system (2005, p.217). In an organisation, to implement change they would need to follow a change theory.   There are many theorists who have developed processes of change, but Lewins theory is perhaps the one that is most recognised, user friendly and uncomplicated. The aid of a change model can be beneficial in overcoming certain obstacles. His theory of change provides the structure for understanding nurses behaviour during times of change and ways to improve the behaviour when introducing change into the workplace (Bozak 2003 p83). The model encompasses a three strep process this can be found in appendix 2. Lewins normative model of change is based on team participation, including all staff that will be affected by this change. This then increases their approval and implementation of change through a bottom-up method (Murphy 2006), furthermore identifying that achieving durable and efficient change entails the collaboration and involvement of the whole team not isolated individuals. Nevertheless, before any change is considered a plan is required that identifies the need. Baulcomb (2003) suggests guidance from Lewins (1951) force field analysis (FFA) demonstrates the complexities of the change process and how driving and resisting forces were incorporated within the planning and implementation phases'(p275). It is pertinent that the driving and restraining forces must be analyzed before implementing a planned change. Cork (2005) further explains that when implementing any change there are a number of factors that help to achieve change, this would be the driving concept for example the aim to improve orientation to the work place. Conversely, a restraining factor could be unwillingness to change or poor staff morale. Change can then only occur when one force outweighs the other, ideally for positive change the drivers must outweigh the restraining forces. The FFA for the proposed change can be found in appendix 3. The focus of the unfreeze stage is to change the status quo of the existing practice. The change agent needs to prepare the staff by identifying and challenging the need for change. The identification is necessary because changing for the sake of changes sake can cause unnecessary stress and the feel of manipulation (Marquis and Huston 2006). Involvement of colleagues from the very beginning empowers staff and makes them feel more valued. Sale (2005) identifies that staff are empowered when an environment has been created which encourages them to be actively involved in the decision making processes. However it is inevitable that there will be resistance when trying to implement a change especially when involving humans. Emotions can run high and change can be held as threatening. Conflict can also arise as it is making something different to what was (Sullivan and Decker 2005). To be able to start to overcome resistance the change agent needs to start to utilise their qualities as a leader and focus on valuing creativity and innovation form their staff (Marquis and Huston 2006). Informal discussions took place with different members of staff at various levels to explain problem had been identified and that there was a need for change. This allowed for the change agent to find common ground and start having a sense of connection with the staff (Tyrrell 1994). Staff appeared quite unsatisfied with the current status quo, however it was found that time was a resisting factor due to busy workloads. An issue that the change agent could bring to the attention of the staff is that the in the current climate workloads would not improve if there is low retention in staff, which in turn can be caused by not feeling integrated into the team properly. Part of this stage may involve making people feel uncomfortable. Another factor that would need to be considered would be a possible cost implication and who would carry it, management may feel reluctant to participate in fu nding. In the clinical setting the change agent could start to communicate their desired change via email which all staff have access to. This can give the staff the opportunity to convey their opinions on the change, which can then be reinforced with a formal team meeting which will allow the change agent to convey their purpose for change and give the staff a sense of direction, and also allowed for them to be open and honest within the team (Grimm 2010). It can also give the change agent an idea of how change may be perceived by the whole team, and possible resistance. Once the need for change has been perceived by others and the status quo has been disrupted then the change agent can go on to the next stage in the change model (Marquis and Huston 2006). Marquis and Huston (2006) states that In movement, the change agent identifies, plan and implements appropriate strategies, ensuring that driving forces exceed restraining forces (p173). It also allows for problems to be undertaken and for goals and objectives to be set, and opportunity to scope out for alternative solutions. This stage can take time as there are many factors to take into account. In appendix 2 the FFA for the proposed change identifies that restraining forces appear to have an undercurrent of human behaviour. This can be extremely difficult to overcome especially when nurses have always done something in a particular way and are reluctant to make change. As previously mentioned communication is the key to successful change and the change agent needs to keep an open line of communication when implementing the plan. A transformational leader uses effective communication to increase the motivation, morale and performance of their staff members as opposed to the usual c ommand and control staff supervision style (Lorraine 2010). Trust is also a key issue; it arises from a mutual understanding that the change would not be detrimental to the staff (Hein 1995). Hence the change agent will require the ability to communicate effectively and encourage motivation amongst the staff. According to Clark (2009) a leader needs to develop a high degree of emotional intelligence. This allows for an understanding of the emotions of their staff and manages them in a positive way to achieve the best possible outcome. Hein (2007) then continues and says it enforces the problem solving and decision making skills of the change agent allowing for staff to become more relaxed, less stressed and more open for change. If there is a continuation of motivational struggles and unwillingness to change motivational interviewing would be a preference to over overcome this. This looks at encouraging and supporting people in adopting new behaviours. The change agent would support the staff member whom is struggling with ambivalence about change. Encouragement is used so that there is recognition of the alternatives to the status quo (Bundy 2004). However, Bundy (2004) does go on to say this can be seen as quite challenging and can have elements of being confrontational. This process needs to be executed wisely. For a successful implementation education would also be a key factor. The change agent would need to educate staff on the new pack and clarify the expectations of the staff for the pack to continually be used and developed. Spencer (2001) suggests that this will give staff the confidence that they are doing the right thing and that practice is successful and sustainable. Once the plan has been established and implemented into practice, leaders need to ensure that there is maintained equilibrium. By including staff in the change, the change agent has invited them to become more attached to organisation, which leads to greater commitment, willingness and motivation (Hein 1995). Additionally it is imperative that continual support and guidance is given so that acknowledgments that all staff has embrace and understood it. Nevertheless no change should ever be frozen solid there needs to be scope for re-thawing to allow for continual changes to improve practice, however initially stabilization needs to occur for staff to reap the benefits. Refreezing actions include defining standards, documentation, training, processes and so on. The change agent would need to continue to monitor over a period of time as it can take three to six months for a change to be to be accepted (Marquis and Huston 2006). There will also be the need to make sure that people are no t pulled back to the previous stage. Ways of doing this is removing any method by which people can return, so there is nothing to return to (Straker 2010). The change agent can try to do this is by making it part of everyday practice. Once a norm is developed and there have been significant signs that it has had a positive impact such as greater staff retention then people are more inclined to use it. If the change was found to be successful then a possible scope for development would be to start to look on a wider scale and try to implement the pack into other clinical practices within the PCT. Again there will be barriers to overcome, although from the experience that the change agent had encountered in the clinical area, these barriers could seem less daunting. There would have also been greater development in their leadership skills allowing for the growth of confidence in implementing change. Change is an essential dynamic in positive growth and development; although some may be resistant to it others may embrace it and feel empowered. A recurrent theme that has appeared through the here may change process is that of communication. Excellent communication skills allow those affected by change to have their say, thus allowing barriers and resistance to be overcome. Although it may not be possible to fully eliminate barriers there may be ways to move the barriers to make them a positive. Saver (2009) also states that constant communication helps new and current staff feel valued (p19). In conclusion nurses in the present working climate have to accept necessary changes with an open mind and motivation arms. Not only should they accept changes as they take place, but should also be constantly reviewing working practices and being proactive in implementing changes as and when necessary. Change is not always welcomed, however it will allow for eradication of stagnation within the working environment (Ootim, 1997). References Agnew, T (2004) Support for staff reduces cost of recruitment. Nursing Standard. May 2004 18(35) p7 [online]: Available from Ovid URL [Accessed 11th November 2010]. Baulcomb, J (2003) Management of change through force field analysis. Journal of nursing management. Jul 2003 11(4) 275-80 [online]: Available from: EBSCO URL [Accessed 10th November 2010]. Bozak, M (2003) Using Lewins Force Field Analysis in Implementing a Nursing Information System. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing. 21(2):80-85, Mar-Apr 2003. [online] Available from: Ovid URL [Accessed 30 October 2010] Brown, J. (2000) Employee Orientation: Keeping New Employees on Board. [online] Available from: http://humanresources.about.com/lr/new_employee_orientation/189518/1/. [Accessed on 30th October 2010] Bundy, C. (2004) Changing behaviour: using motivational interviewing techniques. Journal of The Royal Society of Medicine. 97 (44):43-47, 2004. [online] Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1308798/pdf/15239293.pdf [Accessed 30 October 2010] Clark Chambers, C (2009) Creative nursing leadership and management. London: Jones and Barttlett Publishers International. Cork, A. (2005) A model for successful change management Nursing Standard Mar 2-8 19(25):40-42 [online]: Available from EBSCO URL [Accessed on 30th October 2010]. Department of Health (2004) Standards For a Better Health. London: DOH Grimm, J. (2010) Effective Leadership: Making the Difference. Journal of Emergency Nursing. January 2010 36(1):74-77, [online]. Available from: Ovid URL [Accessed 29 October 2010] Hein, E. (1995) Contemporary leadership behaviour. 5th ed Philadelphia: Lippincott Company. Hein, S. (2007) Emotional Intelligence. [online] Available from: www.http://eqi.org. [Accessed 14th November 2010] Lorraine, C (2010). Nurse Leaders Effective Communication. [online] Available from: Nurse Leaders Effective Communication | eHow.co.uk http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_6677338_nurse-leaders-effective-communication.html#ixzz15Cdizzvg. [Accessed on 14th November 2010] Marquis, B and Huston, C (2006) Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: theory and application. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Mullins, J (2007) Management and organisational behaviour. UK: Pearson Education Murphy F (2006) Using change in practice: a case study approach. Nursing Management. May 2006 13(2): 22-25. [online]. Available from: Ovid URL [Accessed on 30th October 2010] Oliver, S (2006) Leadership in health care. Musculoskeletal Care. 2006 4(1): 38-47 [online] Available from: www.interscience.wiley.com. [Accessed on 30th October 2010] Ootim, B (1997) Effective change. Nursing Management. May  1997 4(2):10. [online] Available from: Ovid URL [Accessed on 30th October 2010] Sale, D. (2005) Understanding Clinical Governance and Quality Assurance: making it happen. Basingstoke: Palgrave: Macmillan. Saver, C (2009) Closing the revolving door for OR staff. OR Manager. Mar 2009 25(3):18-19 [online] Available from: EBSCO URL [Accessed on 30th October 2010] Scally G and Donaldson LJ. (1998) Clinical governance and the drive for quality improvement in the new NHS in England. British Medical Journal 317(7150) 4 July pp.61-65 [online]. Available from: Ovid [Accessed 29 October 2010]. Spencer, S, (2001). Education for change, in: Spencer, S, Unsworth, J and Burke, W. (eds) Developing community nursing practice. Buckingham: Open University Press, pp.116-113. Straker, D. (2010). Lewin Push and Pull. [online] Available from http://www.syque.com/quality_tools/tools/Tools54.htm [Accessed 14th November 2010] Sullivan, E Decker, P (2005) Effective leadership management in nursing. 6th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Tyrrell, R (1994) Visioning: an important management tool. Nursing economics. Mar-Apr 1994 12(2): 93-94. [online]. Available from: EBSCO URL [Accessed on 10th November 2010] Unsworth, J (2001). Managing the development of practice, in: Spencer, S, Unsworth, J and Burke, W. (eds) Developing community nursing practice. Buckingham: Open University Press, pp. 69-92. Ward, CW (2009) Enhancing orientation and retention: one units success story. Journal of continuing education in nursing. Feb 2009 40(2):87-90 [online]. Available from: EBSCO URL [Accessed on 30th October 2010] Warrilow, S. (2009) Transformational Leadership Theory The 4 Key Components in Leading Change Managing Change. [online] Available from: http://ezinearticles.com/?Transformational-Leadership-TheoryThe-4-Key-Components-in-Leading-Change-and-Managing-Changeid=2755277. [Accessed on 5th November 2010]. Appendix 1 Proposed Induction pack guidelines Appendix 2 Kurt Lewins Change theory Unfreezing reducing those forces which maintain behaviour in its present form, recognition of the need for change and improvement to occur Movement development of new attitudes or behaviour and the implementation of change Refreeze stabilising change at the new level and reinforcement through supporting mechanisms, for example policies, structures or norms Mullins (2007 p736)

Male Carica Crude Solvent Extracts

Male Carica Crude Solvent Extracts Male pawpaw tree have flowers that grow on short stalks (Chin et al., 2001). Carica papaya is a native of the tropics of America, perhaps from Southern Mixico and neighouring central American (Morton, 1987). According to Eno et al. (2000), pawpaw is the fruits, of the plant. Carica papaya belong to the genus carica. Preliminary qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis of ethanol and aqueous extracts of C. papaya showed the presence of many phytocompounds. These extracts were found to inhibit these eight test micro-organisms: Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium notatum, Fusarium solani and Candida albican.(Okoye, 2011). Proximate analysis of leaves of C. papaya also showed appreciable quantity of ash content, crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, carbohydrate and high calorific value (Okoye et al., 2011). In this present work, the author intends to study the preliminary pharmaceutical constituent s of crude solvent extracts of flower and stalk of male Carica papaya since little or no work had been done in this area. The aim and objective of this work is to determined the phytocompounds present in flower and stalk of male Carica papaya; to extract the crude solvent extracts of the flower and stalk of male C. papaya and to find out whether the solvent extracts can inhibit the growth of ten pathogenic fungi. Carica papaya is composed of many biological active compounds, many of which are found concentrated in the latex, which is present in parts of the plant (Madrigal et al., 1980). Within Carica papaya plants, the concentration of bio-actives will vary with position of plant, age of plant and cutivar. Also, concentration of bioactive differs between male, hermaphrodite and female plants. Female plants exude more latex than hermaphrodite and male plants. Carica papaya latex is rich in cystein proteinases which are proteolytic enzymes (caricain, chymopapain, papain and glucylendopeptidase) these constitute 80% of latex enxymes. Other enzymes present are glycosyl hydrolases (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢-1, 3-glucanases, chitiriases and lyzozynus) protease inhibitors (cystertin and ghtaminylcyclotrunsferces and lipases (Moussaoul et al., 2001). It was reported that intake of two table spoons of pulverized papaya seeds mixed with hot water twice per day is used in the traditional management of diabetes and obesity (Adeneye and Olagunju, 2009). Carica papaya (pawpaw) contains the enzyme papain, a protease used for tendering meat and other proteins (Morton, 1987). The fruits are popu larly used and processed into juice and wine, and also cooked as vegetable (Gragson, 2001). The seeds are medically important in the treatment of sickle cell disease and poisoning related disorder. The lead tea or extract had a reputation as a tumor destroyer agent. The flesh green tea is antiseptic while the brown dried leaves are best served as tonic and blood purifier (Ezugwu, 2008). Due to its antioxidant and fibre content, it is used in treatment of ailments such as chronic indigestion, overweighing, obesity, high blood pressure (Everetta, 2003). Sample Collection and Preparation Flower stalk of male Carica papaya was collected from Adazi-enu in Anaochia Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria. It was dried under air and mild sun-shine, for about three weeks and ground into powders. The ground sample was then kept in a clean polyethylene bottle until needed for analysis. Phytochemical and the extraction of the active components are determined by the methods outlined by Harbon (Harbon, 1973). The antifungal activity of flower and stalk of male C. papaya was determined by agar well diffusion method (Okeke et al., 2001). The zone of inhibition was recorded to the nearest size in mm (Norrel, 1997). After extraction of the active components using three different solvents separately (Ethanol, Water and N-hexane), the solvent extracts were evaporated to dryness at about 67, 98 and 66 °C respectively in a water bath separately. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5mg of dry ethanolic, n-hexane and water extracts were weighed into five different labeled test tubes differently. T hen 10ml of the corresponding solvents used for extraction was added to the dried extracts to make 0.1,0.2,0.3,0.4 and 0.5mg/ml concentrations of the extracts. The MIC of flower and stalk of male Carica papaya were found out by using 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5mg/ml of each extract which were added to test tubes containing 1ml of sterile medium. The tubes were then inoculated with a drop of microbial suspension and incubated for 48 hours at 25 °C. Then 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5mg/ml of amphotericin B (for A. flavus, F. verticilloides, A. parasiticus, F. oxysporum and Fluconazole (for all candida was used for positive control and water for negative control respectively. The MIC value was determined, macroscopically after incubation in comparison with the growth and sterility control. MFC; the plates (petri-dishes) were divided into six different sections and labeled with the different concentration on the base of the plates, these were used to plate out the contents of each tube with the respective sections of the plate. The plates were incubated for 18 24 hours at 37 °C after which the MFC were recorded. Three replicates were done fo r each extract concentration and control against the fungi. Results Tables 1: Qualitative Phytochemical Analysis of Flower and Stalk of Male Carica papaya Class of phytocompound Inference Alkaloid Flavonoid Saponin Tannins Terpenoids Steroids Phenol Cardiac glycosides + + + ++ + + ++ Key: + = present, = absent Table 2: Quantitative Estimates of Phytochemical Constituents of Flower and Stalk of Male Carica papaya Class of phytocompound Inference Alkaloid Flavonoid Saponin Tannins Terpenoids Steroids Phenol Cardiac glycosides 0.53à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±0.01 0.86à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±0.02 0.37à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±0.02 2.60à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±0.01 0.21à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±0.01 0.08à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±0.01 Nil 1.87à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±0.02 Table 3: Antifungal activities of crude solvent extracts of flowers and stalk of male Carica papaya Text organisms (fungi) Conc. of extract (mg/ml) Average Diameter (mm) of Inhibition Zone +ve control for all Candida: Fluconazole others: Anaphotericin -ve Control distil Water Distill H2O EtOH N-Hexane Aspergillus niger 0.1 1.9  ± 0.20 NA NA 16.26  ± 0.25 NA 0.2 2.8  ± 0.10 NA NA 19.00  ± 0.10 NA 0.3 3.1  ± 0.02 2.33  ± 0.02 NA 21. 6  ± 0.21 NA 0.4 4.04  ± 0.10 3.21  ± 0.01 NA 23.2  ± 0.28 NA 0.5 5.00  ± 0.02 3.98  ± 0.10 2.41  ± 0.02 24.80  ± 0.01 NA Microsporum gypseum 0.1 NA NA NA 8.00  ± 0.02 NA 0.2 NA NA NA 8.60  ± 0.10 NA 0.3 NA 2-33  ± 0.02. NA 8.60  ± 0.06 NA 0.4 2.61 ± 0.01 3.21  ± 0.01 NA 9.98  ± 0.22 NA 0.5 3.22  ± 0.01 3.89  ± 0.10 NA 10.40  ± 0.01 NA Candida albican 0.1 2.40 ± 0.01 7.5  ± 0.02 2.00  ± 0.01 30.08  ± 0.02 NA 0.2 2.63 ± 0.01 8.2  ± 0.01 2.88  ± 0.02 33.20  ± 0.02 NA 0.3 3.91 ± 0.02 9.00  ± 0.03 3.12 ± 0.01 35.80  ± 0.10 NA 0.4 4.62 ± 0.02 9.97  ± 0.01 3. 92  ± 0.01 37.00  ± 0.03 NA 0.5 4.88  ± 0.10 11. 00  ± 0.02 4.17  ± 0.02 30.28  ± 0.17 Aspergillus flavus 0.1 1.21 ± 0.01 2.80  ± 0.20 NA 17.80  ± 0.10 NA 0.2 1.90  ± 0.10 3.65  ±0.10 NA 21. 00  ± 0.20 NA 0.3 2.40  ± 0.20 4.00  ± 0.02 NA 23.23  ± 0.10 NA 0.4 2.86  ± 0.01 4.86  ± 0.01 NA 25.00  ± 0.05 NA 0.5 3.16  ± 0.30 5.37  ± 0.20 NA 28.4  ± 0.10 NA Fusarium Verticilloides 0.1 NA NA NA 7.00  ± 0.30 NA 0.2 NA NA NA 7.90  ± 0.02 NA 0.3 NA NA NA 9.00  ± 0.30 NA 0.4 NA NA NA 9.58  ± 0.01 NA 0.5 NA NA NA 10.22 ± 0.07 NA Aspergillus parasiticus 0.1 1.38  ± 0.02 NA 3.73 ± 0.01 23. 80  ± 0.2 NA 0.2 2.06  ± 0.01 NA 4.02  ± 0.30 24.00  ± 0.10 NA 0.3 2.97  ± 0.02 NA 4.08  ± 0.20 25.61  ± 0.50 NA 0.4 3.30  ± 0.02 NA 4.60  ± 0.01 26. 00  ± 0.20 NA 0.5 3.88 ± 0.01 NA 4.88  ± 0.02 27.20  ± 0.10 NA Fusarium oxysporum 0.1 NA NA NA 18.37  ± 0.40 NA 0.2 NA NA NA 20.00  ± 0.20 NA 0.3 NA NA NA 21.56  ± 0.10 NA 0.4 NA NA NA 22.26  ± 0.10 NA 0.5 NA NA NA 24.00  ± 0.01 NA Candida glabrata 0.1 1. 35  ± 0.01 2. 60  ± 0.01 4. 30  ± 0.01 22.00  ± 0.01 N a 0.2 2.29  ± 0.03 4.31  ± 0.03 2. 10  ± 0.02 24.1 8  ± 0.20 NA 0.3 2 .96  ± 0.02 5.65  ± 0.01 2.80  ± 0.03 26.00  ± 0.02 NA 0.4 3. 12  ± 0.03 7. 04  ± 0.01 3. 20  ± 0.02 27.86  ± 0.30 NA 0.5 3. 84  ± 0.01 8. 52  ± 0.02 3. 90  ± 0.01 29.00  ± 0.10 NA Candida parasilosis ticum 0.1 3.80  ± 0.02 4.20  ± 0.02 2.02  ± 0.01 23.00  ± 0.10 NA 0.2 4.22  ± 0.02 4.86  ± 0.01 2.23  ± 0.02 23.86 ± 0.20 NA 0.3 4.92  ± 0.01 5.12  ± 0.02 2.77  ± 0.01 24.12  ± 0.02 NA 0.4 5.28  ± 0.02 5.66  ± 0.01 3. 12  ± 0.04 26.00  ± 0.10 NA 0.5 5. 88  ± 0.01 5.91  ± 0.01 3.93  ± 0.01 27.88  ± 0.30 NA Candida tropicalis 0.1 3.48  ± 0.20 NA 0.10  ± 0.02 2 1.00  ± 0.20 NA 0.2 4.01  ± 0.01 NA 2.1 5  ± 0.02 2 1.95  ± 0.10 NA 0.3 4.69  ± 0.02 3.66  ± 0.02 2.54  ± 0.01 23.00  ± 0.10 NA 0.4 5.20  ± 0.01 5.00 ± 0.03 3.23  ± 0.20 23.86  ± 0.02 NA 0.5 5.87  ± 0.01 6.91 ± 0.01 3. 87  ± 0.04 25.00  ± 0.03 NA Tables 4: Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) Minimum inhibitory concentration (mg/ml) Test organisms (Fungi) Water extract (MIC) Ethanol extract (MIC) Hexane extract (MIC) Aspergillus niger 0.05 ± 0.01 0.25 ± 0.01 0.45 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ± 0.01 Microsporum gypseum 0.35 ± 0.02 0.25 ± 0.03 NI Candida albican 0.05 ± 0.02 0.05 ± 0.01 0.05 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ± 0.01 Aspergillus flavus 0.05 ± 0.02 0.05 ± 0.01 NI Fusarium verticilloides NI NI NI Aspergillus parasiticus  ± 0.01 NI 0.05  ± 0.01 Fusarium oxysporum NI NI NI Candida glabrata 0.05 ± 0.01  ± 0.01 0.05  ± 0.01 Candida parasilosis 0.05  ± 0.01 0.05  ± 0.01 0.05  ± 0.01 Candida tropicalis 0.05  ± 0.01 0.25  ± 0.01 0.05  ± 0.01 NI: No Inhibition Tables 5: Minimum fungicidal Concentration (MFC) of Ten Fungi Minimum fungicidal concentration (mg/ml) Test organisms (Fungi) Water extract (MFC) Ethanol extract (MFC) N-Hexane extract (MFC) Aspergillus niger 0.04 ±0.01 0.15 ±0.03 0.23 ±0.02 Microsporum gypseum 0.30 ±0.01 0.25 ±0.01 NI Candida albican 0.02 ±0.01 0.02 ±0.01 0.02 ±0.02 Aspergilus flavus 0.05 ±0.01 0.05 ±0.02 NI Fusarium verticilloides NI NI NI Asperigillus parasiticus 0.05 ±0.01 NI 0.03 ±0.01 Fusarium oxysporum NI NI NI Candida glabrata 0.05 ±0.03 0.03 ±0.01 0.02 ±0.01 Candida parasilosis 0.05 ±0.01 0.03 ±0.01 0.05 ±0.02 Candida tropicalis 0.03 ±0.01 0.05 ±0.01 0.05 ±0.01 Key: NI: No Inhibition Discussion Table 1 and 2 showed both qualitative and quantitative estimate of phytocompounds present in the flower and stalk of male Carica papaya. The phytochemical constituents of the flower and stalk are as follows: alkaloids 0.53  ± 0.01%, floaonoid 0.08  ± 0.02% saponins 0.37  ± 0.02% tannins 2.06  ± 0.01%, terpenoid 0.02  ± 0.01%, steroids 0.08  ± 0.01, phenol nil, cardiac glycoside 1.87  ± 0.02%. The flower and stalk of male Carica papaya contain an appreciable quantity of alkaloids. It could be used to remedy some diseases, depending on the type of alkaloids it contains. The presence of alkaloids signified the possession of medicinal values within the flower and stalk. Pure isolated alkaloids are used as basic medicinal agents and fungicidal properties. The presence of steroids in the sample indicates that it could be used to decrease the presence of cholesterol in the bloodstream. Saponins have been used in the treatment of cardiovascular disorders, they facilitate and ea se the process of digestion and encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria within the intestine. Saponins also contribute to health and efficiency of the immune system by binding to germs and other pathogens as they enter the body. In this sense they function as natural anti-bodies. They are found to be antimicrobial and are particularly effective when used to treat yeast a infections. The presence of cardiac glycosides in the flower and stalk of male Carica papaya indicates that it could be used, in the treatment of congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia. Table 3 portrayed the result of antifungal activities of three solvent extracts of the flower and stalk of male Carica papaya on ten micro-organisms (fungi) investigated in this work. They are: A. niger, M. gyspseum, C. albican, A. flavus, F. verticilloides, A. paraciticus, F. oxysporum, C. glabrata, C parasilosis and C. tropicalis. Five different concentrations of aqueous, ethanolic, and normal hexane extracts were used. At 0.1-0.5mg/ml concentration, aqueous extract showed some inhibitory effect on eight out of the ten test fungi. The fungi are; A niger, M. gypseum, C. albican, A flavus, C. parasilosis, A. parasiticus, C. glabrata and C. tropicalis. No action was recorded on the two remaining test fungi: F. verticilloides and F. oxysporum. At 0.1-0.2mg/ml concentration, ethanol extract shows some inhibitory effect on seven out of the ten test fungi. These are: A, niger, M. gypseum, C. albican, A. flavus, C. glabrata, C. parasilosis and C. tropicalis. At 0.1-0.2mg/ml, ethanolic extr act shows no action against three fungi. These are; F. verticilloides, A. parasiticus, and F. oxysporum. At 0.1-0.5mg/ml, n-hexane extract indicated some inhibitory effect on six out of the ten test fungi. These are: A, niger, C. albican, A. parasiticus, C. glabrata, C. parasilosis and C. tropicalis. It had no action on four fungi. These are: M. gypseum, A. flavus, F. verticilloides and F. oxysporum.. Table 3 also showed the commercial drugs used as positive and negative control. Positive control using two different antibiotics specifically showed remarkable inhibitory effects on the ten test fungi while the negative control showed no action against the ten test fungi. Table 4 showed the results of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the aqueous, ethanolic and n-hexane extracts of flower and stalk of male Carica papaya on the ten test fungi. The least MIC of the aqueous extract 0.05  ± 0.01mg/ml was shown on five test fungi: These are A. niger, A. parasiticus, C. glabrata, C. parasilosis and C. tropicalis. MIC of the ethanolic extract 0.05  ± 0.0lmg/ml was shown on four test fungi. These are, C. albican, A. flavus, C. glabrata, and C. parasilosis. MIC of the n-hexane extract 0.05  ± 0.0lmg/ml was shown on five test fungi. These are: C. albican, A. parasiticus, C. glabrata, C. parasilosis and C. tropicalis. Table 5 showed the result of minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of the aqueous, ethanolic and n-hexane extract of flower and stalk of male Carica papaya on ten test fungi. For aqueous extract, the least MFC 0.2  ± 0.01mg/ml was shown on one test fungi,Candida albican. For ethanolic extract, the MFC 0.02  ± 0.0lmg/ml was shown on one test fungi Candida albican. For n-hexane extract the least MFC 0.02  ± 0.01mg/rnl was shown on one test fungi: Candida glabrata. Conclusion The analytical investigation showed that, the crude solvent extracts of flower and stalk of male Carica papaya have antigfungal effect on these microorganisms; Aspergillus niger, Microsporum gypseum Candida albican, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, Candida glabrata, Candida parasilosis and Candida tropicalis. This implies that crude solvent extracts of flower and stalk of male Carica papaya can be used to cure the diseases caused by the above mentioned microorganisms. Bioactive ingredients responsible for the antimicrobial properties of the flower and stalk of male C. papaya should be elucidated.         Ã‚   Male C. papaya Plant Flower and Stalk of male Carica papaya References 1.Okoye, E.I., Orakwue, F.C. and Ebeledike, A.O. (2011).Nutritive Evaluation of Seeds of Gongronema latifolium (utazi) and leaves of Carica papaya.Anachem Journal, Vol. 5(1): pp. 985 988. ISSN: 2006-5221. 2.Okoye, E.I. (2011). Preliminary Phytochemical Analysis and Antimicrobial Activity of Seeds of Carica papaya. Journal of Basic Physical Research, Vol. 2, No. 1, Pp. 66 69. ISSN: 2141- 8411. 3.Okeke M.I., Iroegbu C.U., Eze. E.N., Okoli A.S and Esimone C.O. (2001): Evaluation of extracts of the root of Landolphia owerrience for antimicrobial activity. J. Ethnopharmacol, 78:119-127. 4.Norrel S.A and Messley K.E. (1997) Microbiology Application. Prentice Hall Upper saddles River. New Jersey, pp: 85-90. 5.Harbon J.B. (1973): Phytochemical methods, A guide to modern techniquies of palnt analysis 2nd edition Chapman and Hall, London, pp 1-32,36. 6.Eno A.E., Owo O.I., Itam E.H.and R.S. Konya (2000): Blood pressure depression by the fruit juice of C. papaya (L) in renal and DOCA induced hypertension in the rat. Journal of phytotherapy research, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp.235-239. 7.Moussaoul A., Nijs M., Paul C., Wingtjens R.,Vencent J., Azarkan M., Looze Y. (2001): Revising the enzymes stored in the laticfiers of C. papaya in the context of their possible participation in the plant defence mechanism. Cellular and molecular life science. Vol. 58,pp. 556-570. 8.Morton J.F.(1987): Major medicinal plants, C.C. Thomas, Spring field, Illinois, USA, pp. 346- 346. Retrieved 23rd May, 2015. 9.Adeneye A. and Olagunju J, (2009): Preliminary hypoglycemic and hypolopideimic activities of the aqueous seed extract of Carica papaya lin, in wister rats, Biology and medicine,pp.1-10. 10.Everetta B.M., (2003): Carpaine an Alkaloid of Carica papaya, Journal of Chemistry and Pharmac

Mother and Daughter Relationships in Joy Luck Club and A Hundred Secret

Mother and Daughter Relationships in The Joy Luck Club and A Hundred Secret Senses   Ã‚  Ã‚   In life, many things can be taken for granted - especially the things that mean the most to you. You just might not realize it until you've lost it all. As I walk down the road finishing up my teenage days, I slowly have been finding a better understanding of my mother. The kind of bond that mothers and daughters have is beyond hard to describe. It's probably the biggest rollercoaster ride of emotions that I'll ever have the chance to live through in my lifetime. But, for those of us who are lucky enough to survive the ride in one piece, it's an amazing learning experience that will influence your entire future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   In Amy Tan's novels, The Joy Luck Club, and A Hundred Secret Senses, she describes relationships between mothers and daughters reflecting on her own parents experiences in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Four mothers, four daughters, four families... whose histories shift with the four winds depending on who's "telling" the stories. In 1949, four Chinese women, recent   immigrants to San Francisco, begin meeting to talk, eat dim sum, and play mahjong.. As June's mother said, "Idea was to have a gathering of   four women, one for each corner of the mahjong table" (Joy p.32) Being together in shared unspeakable loss and hope, they call themselves the Joy   Luck Club. Instead of sinking into tragedy, they choose to gather and raise their spirits. "To despair was to wish back for something already lost. Or to prolong what was already unbearable." (Joy p.134) In other words, why sit back and keep pondering the tragedy, it's better to let the past go, and move on.   Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Joy Luck Club, Tan examines the sometimes painful, often t... ...ring a closer relationship to their families.    Works Cited and Consulted "Biography of Amy Tan." DIScovering Authors Modules. 1998. GaleNet. "Criticism, Amy Tan" DIScovering Authors, Gale Research Inc, 1996. Buck, Claire. "Amy Tan." The Bloomsbury Guide to Womens Literature. Pg1065 Great Britian: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1992. Shear, Walter. "Generational Differences and the Diaspora in The Joy Luck Club." in <>Critique. Volume 34, No3, Spring 1993 pp 193-99.(on GaleNet Tan Amy. The Hundred Secret Senses, New York; Mass Market Paperback, 1996 Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club. New York; Mass Market Paperback, 1994 Willard, Nancy. "Tiger Spirits." in The Women's Review of Books. Vol.6, Nos. 10-11, July 1989, pg12.(on GaleNet) *Amy Tan interview was conducted on the front cover of the hard cover copy addition of The Joy Luck Club.   

Plain English Communication :: Free Essay Writer

Plain English Communication INTRODUCTION After researching Communication, I have developed the following conclusions, which I will explain in this memo. I will attempt to answer several questions that pertain to communication and the importance. I developed my conclusions from researching provided handouts and the Internet. HOW IMPORTANT IS COMMUNICATION? In every society, humans have developed spoken and written language as a means of sharing messages and meanings. Readers need to know what is being said not how it is being said (1). Plain English is defined as something that the intended audience can read, understand and act upon the first time they read it (4). Plain English is needed in all kinds of public information, such as forms, leaflets, agreements, and contracts. The golden rule is that plain English should be used in any information that ordinary people rely on when they make decisions (4). People have the right and the need to make informed decisions about money and the law. If the way a document is written affects that decision then that creates moral issues. WHAT ROLE DOES WRITTEN COMMUNICATION PLAY IN BUSINESS? Businesses are successful when they communicate well with their customers. There are several benefits to businesses who practice Plain English. The benefits to businesses are saving time and money with: Less paper Reduces error Less ink Increases cash flow Less printing costs Decreases storage cost Less postage Environmentally friendly Increase Sales Fewer customers complaints WHAT ISSUES OF WRITTEN COMMUNCATION MUST THE MANAGEMENT OF A BUSINESS BE AWARE? WHY? The legal, medical, pharmaceutical, and finance industries cause the most concern. Management in these industries need to remove the jargon, legal language, and technical terms from documents written for people who are not familiar with these terms. Management should use Plain English because it saves the writer and the reader time and it saves money. Also, Plain English creates a good image for an organization Plain English Communication :: Free Essay Writer Plain English Communication INTRODUCTION After researching Communication, I have developed the following conclusions, which I will explain in this memo. I will attempt to answer several questions that pertain to communication and the importance. I developed my conclusions from researching provided handouts and the Internet. HOW IMPORTANT IS COMMUNICATION? In every society, humans have developed spoken and written language as a means of sharing messages and meanings. Readers need to know what is being said not how it is being said (1). Plain English is defined as something that the intended audience can read, understand and act upon the first time they read it (4). Plain English is needed in all kinds of public information, such as forms, leaflets, agreements, and contracts. The golden rule is that plain English should be used in any information that ordinary people rely on when they make decisions (4). People have the right and the need to make informed decisions about money and the law. If the way a document is written affects that decision then that creates moral issues. WHAT ROLE DOES WRITTEN COMMUNICATION PLAY IN BUSINESS? Businesses are successful when they communicate well with their customers. There are several benefits to businesses who practice Plain English. The benefits to businesses are saving time and money with: Less paper Reduces error Less ink Increases cash flow Less printing costs Decreases storage cost Less postage Environmentally friendly Increase Sales Fewer customers complaints WHAT ISSUES OF WRITTEN COMMUNCATION MUST THE MANAGEMENT OF A BUSINESS BE AWARE? WHY? The legal, medical, pharmaceutical, and finance industries cause the most concern. Management in these industries need to remove the jargon, legal language, and technical terms from documents written for people who are not familiar with these terms. Management should use Plain English because it saves the writer and the reader time and it saves money. Also, Plain English creates a good image for an organization

Importance of Learning Asian Languages Essay

If I asked an English speaker, â€Å"Hello, how are you?†, the answer almost invariably will be â€Å"I’m fine, thank you†. This brief dialogue itself establishes a relationship between the two people. It not only stands proof of the two individuals’ ability to speak English but also their collective ability to converse in a common language. From the very beginning a certain level of trust is created as both persons can comprehend what the other is saying and thus, within the limitation of his or her expression, know what the person is thinking. With this also comes fluency in the conversation and in the vocalization of ones thoughts. Not only does this make the interaction faster, it also allows both persons to speak their mind freely and without much hesitation. Now instead, think of a French speaker asking â€Å"Commo à §ava?†, his translator translating, â€Å" How are you?†, the English speaker answering, â€Å"I’m fine, thank you† and the translator translating back, â€Å"Je suis bien, merci†. Quite evidently, the conversation becomes longer and quite tedious. But beyond that, the two individuals also feel a disconnect, as neither of them know for sure what the other is saying. The existence of the middleman disrupts the trust that would otherwise be established in the relationship. Also, both individuals hesitate and think twice before saying anything, pondering its interpretation in the other’s language. The purpose of the above examples is to show the benefit of conversing in a common language. If there is such a radical difference in communicating so briefly, the differences in longer and more complex conversations will be drastic. A common language gives the individual more access, establishes trust and therefore gives the individuals power. Throughout history we have witnessed expansion of various empires and in the process interaction of societies speaking different languages. Examples can be taken from the invasions of Indian kingdoms by the British Empire, British colonization of Australia or from the forceful inhabitation of Native American lands by the European immigrants while USA was being founded. The pattern in all these has been the same. The invaders start from trade. Through this they learn about the native people’s society and culture. Language is an inevitable need of trade and so the foreign traders learn the local language and the natives learn the tradersà ¢â‚¬â„¢. Slowly this gives the invaders access to the local community and gradually colonization takes place. Thus, we see how language gives power. Even in the current scenario, things have not changed a lot. Although the purpose of knowing a foreign language may not be to take over another country, language still gives the individual who speaks it an immense amount of power. It is so in all aspects of the word, the more people you can communicate with, the more are your chances to succeed. This power is exactly what the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard wants the citizens of Australia to have. Asia is progressing rapidly, but why would Australians knowing Asian languages â€Å"power Australia into the world’s top 10 wealthiest nations by 2025†? This is because as Asian countries progress and become global leaders, due to their economic and populous advantage, a large part of the world’s business will be conducted with or through them. India and China consist of 5/14th of the world’s population and this population spreads around the globe, knowing Mandarin or Hindi will give the speaker a great tactical advantage in an increasingly competitive world. But you may ask that if a common language is the only thing attracting Australia to have its citizens learn languages like Hindi and Mandarin, what’s wrong with their native English itself? The answer to this has two sides. The first is that English is becoming an increasingly global language and in the coming days, everyone who will do business with the Asians will almost definitely know English. In such cases, having a common language will not be enough. Knowing their native language and establishing an intimate relationship is what will give the language speakers an edge over the others. The other side is that as evidently seen today, a large percent of the Indian population speaks English and in terms of the people who do business, all of them speak English. But in the case of the rest of eastern Asia, few people, even in the corporate world speak fluent English. These aren’t baseless claims. There are various reasons behind this phenomenon such as the British rule over India for over 200 years, the mostly secondary sector development of countries like China and Japan and India’s global dependence for its services export. Since the beginning of British rule in India, many Indians have been learning English to facilitate themselves to get better jobs in the British government. Even after independence, English remained deeply incorporated in the Indian education system. Thus, English was never introduced to Indians as a global language learnt to facilitate communication as is being done now in various countries. It was imposed on on Indians as a necessity to survive in the British common wealth. This is why even the Indian lower middle class knows a moderately good level of English. Also, as India has developed, its tertiary sector has developed tremendously, specifically in the field of Information and Technology. The blooming IT industry far outmatches the demand for IT services in India and therefore there is a need to outsource these services. Thus, interaction of the average Indian with the outside world has increased and so has his need to speak English. As opposed to this, countries like China and Japan have seen the most development in the secondary sector. With the highest population and cheap labour, China has become the manufacturing hub of the world. But this surge in the manufacturing sector has resulted in only the entrepreneurs of these countries being in communication with the rest of the world. Their laborers, with no need to communicate with people outside the country, have found no need to learn English. As these Asian superpowers rise, the existing world leaders relatively decline in their economic and political status. With this in mind and considering that the whole of Europe barely amounts to half the population of China, learning learning Asian languages will be much more advantageous that learning European languages except for specific purposes. One could argue that some European languages like Spanish and French could be used in communication in earlier Spanish and French territories like South America and Quebec but this wouldn’t provide any advantage considering the economic and populous strength of Asian countries. Although all the pros favor learning Asian languages, it isn’t such an easy task, especially for a country that has been under British rule and speaks English that has a completely different script than any of the Asian languages. In this aspect it would be easier for students in Australia to learn European languages, as the script is the same as English. Another factor affecting the foreign language Australians would prefer to learn is their ancestry. Most of the Australian population consists of European immigrants who moved to Australia during the British rule. Many of these immigrants now in the 4th or 5th generation after the migration see a loss of culture in the generation following them and therefore would prefer that their children learn their mother tongue and be well rooted in their origins. Although a valid argument, people need to make a conscious choice between the past and the future. Learning their original European languages may give them a better taste of their own culture but by doing that, they are possibly depriving themselves the chance of a better future. Even the aspect of education is quite debatable. It is a well-known scientific fact that as you grow older, your ability to learn different languages decreases. The language learning agility during childhood allows children to master various languages irrespective of the differences between them. I myself have learnt English, French and Spanish, all having the same script while also knowing Hindi and Gujarati, both of which follow a different script than that of European languages. There are people out there who know various languages from many scripts and you don’t need to be a linguist to learn them, you just need to be a kid! This unconventional tactic to teach Australian citizens Asian languages could prove to be a great advantage to learners in this Asian century and could facilitate Australia to make it one of the ‘top 10 most wealthiest countries by 2025’ which, as stated by Julia Gillard, the Australian Prime Minister, is the primary goal of this initiative. To materialize this goal will take a lot of effort and will put a great toll on Australia’s education budget. If achieved though, Australia won’t be far behind the Asian giants in the coming global race.

History and Development of the Charismatic/Pentecostal Movement Essay

Charismatic movement is a religious revival movement that developed during the late 1960’s among members of several Christian denominations, notably Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, and Methodists. Charismatic believe they can become infused with the Holy Spirit. When so infused, they believe, they may be granted such charisms (gifts) as the ability to speak in tongues, to make prophecies, and to heal by faith. Charismatics share many beliefs and practices with the Pentecostal churches but do not consider themselves to be Pentecostals (Duin, 2000). Moreover, Pentecostal churches base their faith and practice on certain religious experiences that are recorded in the New Testament. Pentecostal churches teach that every Christian should seek to be â€Å"filled with the Holy Spirit. † The proof of this occurrence comes when the person speaks in tongues. That is, the person will speak in a language he has never learned. The New Testament refers to the disciples speaking in tongues on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), and mentions speaking in tongues elsewhere (Blumhofer, 2004). Pentecost is an important springtime Jewish and Christian feast. Its name comes from the Greek word fifty because Pentecost occurred on the fiftieth day after the first day of Passover. As a Jewish thanksgiving feast for the harvest, it was called Feast of Firstfruits (Exodus 23:16) and Shabuot or the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23: 15-21): â€Å"From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up the day after the seventh Sabbath and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the lord. Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and with out defect, one young bull and two rams†¦Ã¢â‚¬  From the least the 200’s, Christians celebrated Pentecost on the seventh Sunday after Easter as one of their greatest feasts. It commemorated the descent of the Holy Spirit (called Holy Ghost in older English) upon the apostles on this day (Acts 2: 1-4): â€Å"When the day of the Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled tem. † He had been promised by Jesus as â€Å"another Comforter† (John 14:16) and came to strengthen the apostles after their nine days of prayer following the ascension of Jesus into heaven. Then they showed themselves more courageous and zealous than they had been before. Pentecost was later called Whitsunday or White Sunday, because the newly baptized wore their white baptismal robes on that day, marking the end of the joyous Easter season (Pentecostalism. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2004). In masses of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, red vestments are worn on Pentecost to symbolize the tongues of fire representing the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3). This paper studies the origin of Pentecostal/Charismatic movement and knows some denominations that practice the Pentecostal beliefs. II. Discussion Pentecostal churches that emphasize glossolalia (speaking in unknown tongues). The term â€Å"Pentecostal† refers to the day of Pentecost, soon after the death of Jesus, when the disciples spoke in unknown tongues. In present-day Pentecostal churches, during the highly emotional moments of the service, members make utterances that have not been identified with any known language (Wakefield, 1999). Pentecostals also believe that they can receive other supernatural gifts. For example, they believe they can be given the ability to prophesy, to heal, and to interpret what is said when someone speaks in an unknown tongue. The New Testament refers to these gifts in I Corinthians 12-14. Aside from these distinctive qualities, however, individual Pentecostal denominations do not usually resemble each other. There are more than three dozen Pentecostal groups in the United States of America alone. They differ radically in size as well as in their interpretations of matters of faith and practice. Some of the largest Pentecostal bodies are: Church of God in Christ, 3,700,000 members; Assemblies of God, 2,100,000; United Pentecostal Church International, 500,000; Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), 455,000; Church of God in Christ, International, 200,000; International Church of the Four-square Gospel, 180,000; Pentecostal Holiness Church, 110,000; and the Pentecostal Church of God, 90,000. Pentecostal churches trace their origins to revivals of tongue-speaking that occurred at Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kans. , in 1901, and at the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles in 1906. Similar revivals also took place in Great Britain and in Europe, Asia, and Latin America during the early 1900’s. Since the 1930’s, the Pentecostal denominations have grown rapidly. With a worldwide membership estimated at seven million, the Pentecostals are sometimes called Christianity’s â€Å"Third Force,† alongside the Roman Catholicism and traditional Protestantism (Ferm, 2001). Many Pentecostal churches are Methodist in origin. John Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism, believed on perfectionism. As Methodism later decreased its emphasis on perfectionism, many American Methodists broke away and formed their own churches. Stressing the perfectionist doctrine, these bodies are became known as Holiness churches. The Pentecostal churches are usually defined as those Holiness churches that consider speaking in tongues an important sign of having attained holiness. A. Assemblies of God Assemblies of God are Protestant Christian churches forming the largest of the Pentecostal denominations. The basic belief of this denomination is that conversion is a spiritual rebirth. Speaking in tongues is the first sign that that the Holy Spirit has been received by the reborn. Members believe in the infallibility of the Bible, the second coming of Christ to rule the world, eternal bliss for believers, and eternal punishment for the wicked. The denomination is composed of churches (assemblies) that are self-governing in local affairs. Each ordained minister and one lay delegate from each assembly is a member of the General Council, which is responsible for missions, publications, and other matters affecting the entire denomination (Assemblies of God. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2004). The church arose out of a rival movement about 1900. The General Council was organized in 1914. Membership is about 2,100,000 in the United States. The church has missions in a number of African and Latin American nations. International headquarters are in Springfield, Missouri. B. Practices and Beliefs †¢ Gift of Tongues Gift of tongues in Christianity is the ability to praise God in words that cannot be identified with any known language. It is also called glossolalia (Greek: tongue talking). Speaking in tongues occurs during moments of intense religious emotion. Many people believe that the speaker is possessed by the Holy Spirit. In Pentecostal churches, the gift of tongues is considered a sign of spiritual perfection. Early in the 1960’s, speaking in tongues spread through some congregations in other denominations, especially in the Episcopal, Roam Catholic, and Methodist churches (Glossolalia. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2004). According to the Bible (Acts 2:1-13), 50 days after the Resurrection of Jesus, on the Jewish Pentecost, the Holy Spirit entered the disciples of Jesus and caused them to speak strange words. Many foreign Jews who were present understood the words, even though they were not spoken in their language. Instances of the gift of tongues are recorded in later New Testament books. However, in all these cases the words were directed to God and were not understood by any human being (Pentecostal movement. Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge). †¢ Faith healing Faith healing is another practice of Pentecostal church. Faith healing is the curing of physical and mental ailments through religious faith of the sufferers. Medical science recognizes many kinds of physical disorders that are caused or made worse by the patient’s state of mind. These ailments can often be cured or relieved by mental therapy—by changing the patient’s outlook rather than by prescribing medicine. Faith in the curing power of religion or religious relics has often brought about this mental change. Some reported cases faith healing, however, cannot be explained medically (Foster, 2006). Faith healing has been recorded in many religions under various conditions. In the Old Testament, the Syrian general Naaman was cured of leprosy when, as instructed by the prophet Elisha, he washed himself seven times in the River Jordan (II Kings 5:10-14). Jesus performed many miracles of healing. After healing a leper, Jesus said to the man: â€Å"Arise, go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole† (Luke 17:19). The apostles performed acts of healing. They believed that â€Å"prayer of faith shall save the sick† (James 5:15). III. Conclusion The Pentecostal churches stress the doctrine of perfectionism, or holiness, which states that man has free choice, while still on earth, may become sinless through uniting with God. This doctrine rose in reaction to the Calvinist doctrine of predestination, which states, in part, that man is sinful by nature and may be saved only through God’s choice. Other beliefs common to many Pentecostal churches are the fundamentalist ideas that the entire Bible is literally true and that Jesus will return physically to rule the earth; some of the Pentecostal churches also practice faith healing (Pentecostal churches.New Standard Encyclopedia). Reference 1. Blumhofer, Edith L. Thinking in the Spirit: Theologies of the Early Pentecostal Movement. The Christian Century. Volume: 121. Issue: 7. Page 43+. April 6, 2004. 2. Duin, Julia. Charismatic Movement Transcends Sects. The Washington Times. Page Number: 2. March 31, 2000. 3. Pentecostalism. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press, New York, 2004. 4. Wakefield, Dan. Fire from Heaven: The Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality and the Reshaping of Religion in the Twenty-First Century. The Nation. Volume: 260. Issue: 3. Page Number: 98+. January 23, 1999. 5. Pentecostal churches. New Standard Encyclopedia. Vol. 13, Page 456-457. 6. Assemblies of God. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press. New York, 2004. 7. Glossolalia. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press. New York, 2004. 8. Foster, Mark. Sugar Grove Pentecostal Church Draws Members. Daily Herald. Page Number: 4, Dec. 18, 2006. 9. Ferm, Vergilius. An Encyclopedia of Religion. Philosophical Library. New York,