Causes and Impacts of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Causes and Impacts of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic and generally progressive disorder of unknown origin which affects connective tissues. RA is commonly manifested by inflammation of the synovial membrane of joints, immobility and general fatigue (1). Concurrent and symmetric polyarticular inflammation, which is its first clinical symptom, initially involves the small joints in the hands and feet (2). RA knows no geographical or racial boundaries and may occur at any stage of life. Its prevalence and incidence increases with age (3). According to other studies, its global prevalence rate is reported as 1% and such rate is the same worldwide (2, 4). According to the World Health Organizations 2002 annual report, RA accounts for 0.8% of total years lived with disability. Besides, the mortality rate of people affected is twice than that of general population at the same age. Also, the rate of its prevalence is significantly increasing in the recent years (2, 5). Furthermore, women are more likely to develop such disease than men as 70% of the patients suffering from RA are women. The disease, which mostly occurs in the fourth and fifth decades of life, can disrupt normal daily activities (2, 6). RA may cause numerous physical complications among which chronic pain, fatigue, impaired mobility and limb deformities are the major ones (7). RA-induced complications are not limited to apparent limitations in mobility and activities of daily living; but obscure systemic effects of such disease can also lead to organ failure, death or serious health problems such as pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance and changes in self-image. Such complications can cause disabilities and permanent changes in the patients (8). The chronic nature of rheumatic diseases necessitates obtaining the required knowledge about the disease to make sound decisions for managing the health condition and developing a treatment plan tailored to the patients lifestyle. Fundamental objectives and strategies to deal with such diseases includesuppressing inflammation and autoimmune response, controlling pain, maintaining or improving joint mobility and functional status as well as increasing the patients’ awareness of the disease process (8). Encouraging patients to adopt correct and proper self-care behaviors is an important factor which contributes to successful management of the disease (9). Self-efficacy also seems extremely important in managing RA.Unpredictable courses of the disease and its varying activity can make the patients find their disease uncontrollable which, in its own turn, can decrease their self-efficacy in managing it (10). Self-efficacy is a form of self-confidence defined as ones belief in ones own ability to successfully organize and accomplish a particular task, behavior or any changes in cognitive status regardless of the underlying terms and conditions (11, 12). It is also a prerequisite for behavior change which affects the amount of efforts and level of performance (13). People with higher levels of self-efficacy hold a belief that they are able to control their life events effectively. Such perception and belief, which can affect their behaviors directly, create a standpoint for them different from that of people with poor self-efficacy (11). Hence, self-efficacy is a critical factorcontributing to the success and failure of people throughout their lives. Individuals’ perceptions of such sense, is the most powerful predictor of their ability to change risky behaviors. It also determines how they face obstacles and difficulties. The people with low self-efficacy are easily convinced that their attempts are useless so they quickly stop striving. However, those with high self-efficacy not only can remove the barriers by improving self-management skills and persistence, but they also can stand against problems and have more control over their affairs. Besides, reinforcing self-efficacy can result in maintaining and preserving health-promoting behaviors (14). Its significant role in the initiation and maintenance of healthy behaviors,in case of occurrence of any disease such as arthritis, asthma and diabetes mellitus occurs, has been frequently reported by researchers (15). Previous studies have shown that using structured education can improve it in patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well (16). It is also reported that increased self-efficacy could improve self-care skills and behaviors in the patients with diabetes mellitus (17). The evidence show that it is essential to enable the patients to take care of themselves using scheduled training programs, which are based on patient-centered approaches, including patients’ active participation in improving their quality of life.It is of extreme importance due to several reasons such as priority of prevention to treatment, the chronicity of the disease, shorter hospital stay and spending recovery period at home as well as the problems of access to health care (18-20). Atak et al (2010) reported the significant effect of education and subgroups of regular exercise, choosing healthy diet and controlling complications of the disease on the mean of total self-efficacy scores in the patients with diabetes mellitus (21). Furthermore, the results of another study revealed that education could significantly affect perceived self-efficacy in the patients with arthritis with respect to their ability to exert control over pain; however, it was not significant in terms of shin-related exercises. The researchers justified the lack of educational effects on exercise-related self-efficacy by explaining that training in a limited period of time cannot enhance the patients’ confidence in taking such action due to severe complications such as joint stiffness, pain and inflammation they experienced (22).Ø ªÃƒÅ¡Ã‚ ©ÃƒËœÃ‚ ±ÃƒËœÃ‚ §ÃƒËœÃ‚ ±Ãƒâ€ºÃ…’ Vikery et al conducted a similar study to examine the effect of self-care trainings on disease outcomes. The obtained results showed that self-care training could decrease morbidity, the number of medical visits required and consequently healthcare costs (23). Even a small percentage increase in the self-care of chronic conditions can have major effects on reducing the demand for specialized services in health care (24). Patrich (2008) believe that without training the patients and their participation in their self-care process, health care will be more costly and quality of life will be more impaired (25).Patient training is a vital aspect of nursing care for those with arthritis to enable them to live as independently as possible, take their medications correctly and safely and use assistive devices properly. Such training is focused on the type of disorder, possible changes resulting from the disorder, prescribed treatment regimen, side effects of the medications and strategies to maintain individuals’ independence and performance as well as patients safety at home (8). Several studies showed that training the patients can raise their knowledge and result in the improvement of self-management activities and health status so that they can prepare themselves for decision-making and compliance with the treatment regimen (26). It is worth mentioning that the aim of training the patients with chronic diseases is to sustain their behavior change for a longer period of time and even until the end of life.Due to the nature of the disease, immediate changesare not expected to be seen; for example prompt resolution of disabilities and difficulties is not expected to occur in case of chronic diseases such as arthritis. However, self-management training seems essential and profitable; so, the patients should obtain required knowledge and skills needed for decision-making and solving their own problems and those related to communicating with others (27).

Agricultural Climate Adaptation: Pakistan Wheat Industry

Agricultural Climate Adaptation: Pakistan Wheat Industry Agricultural Climate Adaptation plan:  A Case Study of Pakistan wheat industry Lubna Naz 1.0  Introduction 1.1 Global warming as a result of climate change is projecting higher temperature and unpredicted rainfall pattern coupled with extreme events like flash floods and storm. This never seen before phenomena would be a threat to mankind in all sphere of life if no appropriate actions are taken. As elaborated in the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of IPCC (2007), the average temperature of the globe has risen to 0.6 °C between the year 1901 to 2000 and will projected to increase more by 1.8-3.4  °C by the end of this century. 1.2 Agriculture among the various sector of the economy of Pakistan is considered to be the most fragile sector to the unexpected changes in the climate that not only affect the amount of its production and quality but also put pressure on the availability of natural resources needed for the development of agriculture sector. Concurrently, wheat being an important agricultural industry for the economy of Pakistan is not spared from the effects of climate change. As a matter of concern, it is fundamental for all associates of the industry together with policy and decision makers to work out an adaptation strategy on how to overcome the negative impact of climate change and continue to remain a competitive sector. Successful and effective adaptation measures will need both strategic and tactical approach that based on best practices to cope with the adverse effect of climate change. Furthermore, an efficient screening and monitoring will also be needed in order to have better evaluatio n of the adapted practices that whether they are effective in controlling and minimizing the unfortunate impact of climate change. 1.3 The rise in temperature, unpredicted rainfall coupled with the increase intensity of extreme events such as drought and stress all have significant impact on the wheat industry in Pakistan. High Rainfall results in flood, waterlogged condition and hail damage that negatively affect the wheat production. As a consequence, infestation of insect, pest and diseases outbreaks and result in severe damage and in some cases even complete crop loss. Similarly, increase in temperature also negatively affects the yield of the wheat and cause major economic loss in Pakistan. As reported by Rasul et al. (2011) the rise in temperature greatly reduced the wheat yield in Pakistan particularly at sowing time and grain filling period. Furthermore, Rawson and Macpherson (2000) also reported that wheat crop destroyed faster in waterlogged conditions and as a consequence seedlings of wheat die within two days and thus resulted in low yield. Apart from the low yield other identified impact of climate change on wheat industry is decrease in GDP, decrease in foreign exchange, effect policy making, penalties by buyer; for unable to supply the required amount of wheat grains, difficulty in transportation, outspread of insect and pest, affect the livelihood of the farmers and as consequence disturb the economy of the country. Many potential adaption measures such as crop management practices, new varieties, crop rotation and water management are used in wheat industry in Pakistan. However, these practices need to be customized, improve or incorporated in different ways to cope with the adverse effect of climate change. 2.0 Adaptation plan Appropriate adaptation plan is required in the wheat industry to minimize and prevent the damage caused by the adverse effect of climate change and increase the production and yield of the crop. Well planned and early adaptation strategies will not only save cost of production and cultivation techniques but in long term save millions of lives that depend on agriculture sector for their livelihood and employment. The adaptation strategies are needed at all levels of administration like local, regional and national. Therefore the objective of this paper is to set up an adaptation and mitigation plan for wheat industry in Pakistan to eradicate or minimize the challenges caused by high temperature, unpredicted rainfall and extreme weather condition. 2.1 Government involvement Pakistan is signatory to 15 Multilateral Environmental Agreements which is mainly related to climate change, biodiversity and rehabilitation. On the basis of its international commitments, Pakistan established a number of policies, projects and framework to reduce the environmental hazards such as National Disaster management Authority, Global Change Impact Study Centre and Task Force on Climate Change. However, the country is still in the hunt for further international assistance and support (khan et al. 2013). The government of Pakistan together with all the agencies involved should focus on capacity building, circulation of funds and technology, research for agriculture development, institution and framework and therefore, develop effective adaptation strategies and policies to reduce the vulnerability of wheat industry regarding changes in climate. 2.2New breeding program 2.2.1As describe earlier, temperature and rainfall both has devastating effect on wheat grain yield in Pakistan. Successful and productive plant breeding program is needed to be adapted to enhance the production and yield. The temperature is projected to increase in the northern areas of Pakistan coupled with high rainfall, in such area slow maturing cultivars having greater heat requirement should be planted that have positive effect on the photosynthetic activity of wheat. However, the region with the high temperature and decrease rainfall (arid and semi arid plains of Pakistan) the wheat cultivars having early flowering characteristics with wide row spacing should be sown as this will allow grain formation in cooler part of the year (Van Ittersum et al. 2003). Moreover, seed with good crop establishment, early hybrid vigour, responsive to increase in carbon dioxide concentration and ability to retain flower in windy and hot climate is needed to be planted (Richards 2002). Iqbal et al. (2009) also reported that crop varieties resistant to high temperature and of short duration should be planted in order to minimize the adverse impact of high temperature. 2.2.2 High temperature is expected to reduce the risk of frost and increase the grain yield. Therefore, wheat should be sown earlier so that plant can set up the grain formation in the cooler period when there is low risk of frost (Howden et al. 1999). Iqbal et al. (2009) also reported that alternative sowing dates should be used to avoid the adverse impact of high temperature on the crop at the time of sowing or other sensitive growth stages. 2.1.3 The climate change favours the infestation of insect, pest and diseases which lowered the yield of the crop. The best measure is to use integrated pest management strategy and Area Wide Management that is the coordination of the farmers and the policy makers of the entire areas. Furthermore, the use of genetically modified crop resistant to peat and disease should be introduced and cultural practices need to be modified such as mixed cropping and crop rotation to reduce the spread of disease (Stokes Howden 2008).Pakistan Agricultural research and development sector is focusing on all these strategies and development of new varieties of wheat to reduce the risk of climate change. 2.3Crop rotation and management Various crop management practices can be used to reduce the risk of the wheat crop to environmental hazards. Such as in case of heavy rainfall the growers need to adapt the zero tillage practices so as to have greater infiltration. Avoid compaction of the soil by farm, machines, human and livestock traffic (Easterling et al, 2007). However, in poor rainfall areas of Pakistan wide rows and skip row planting should be practiced to increase the yield and stability of the wheat. Hammer et al. (1996) reported that the timing, variety of the crop and rate of fertilizer application should be based on the seasonal rainfall and available soil moisture and nutrient content of the soil. Furthermore, use of modern agriculture technology like laser land levelling and crop diversification should also be included into consideration. 2.4  Milling quality 2.4.1 Wheat grain contain high level of protein content such as durum wheat but increasing level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere negatively affect protein content and hence reduce its flour quality. However, the reduction depend on the choice of cultivar selected and amount of nitrogen fertiliser applied (Rogers et al, 1998). To maintain the nitrogen content of the wheat grain, increase use of leguminous crop or increase use of nitrogen fertilizer need to be adopted (Hayman and Alston 1999). The growers should continuously monitor the nitrogen content of the paddock and should be well aware of the nitrogen management in the cropping system. Furthermore, nitrogen leaching, poor crop vigour, high rainfall during grain filling all contribute to decrease in protein content of the grain. Appropriate breeding program and effective policies is needed to enhance the quality of the harvest. 2.4.2 During the past 60 years there has been tremendous increase in flour mills in Pakistan. Starting with 19 flour mills, currently, 915 mills are working in Pakistan. It is therefore proposed that instead of having too many flour mills, only few huge mills should be accomplished which will positively affect the economy of the country. 2.5land and Water resource Management 2.5.1 Water is enormously important for agriculture sector of Pakistan and it economy, which depends on the scarce natural resources. The agricultural sector of Pakistan mainly depends on Indus river system (IRS) for 90% of its irrigation (Piracha and Majeed 2011). However, this natural resource is getting scarce with the time and proper water management practices should be reformed under the prevalence of climate change. According to Sayed (2008), the National Water Policy of the country has made a transparent and rational institutional framework policy to meet the demands of the twenty first century. Moreover, the Integrated Water Management Approach is also implemented based that is based on the utilization of both surface and ground water. The author also mentions that reallocation of water at the provincial level by balancing water availability to cropping system is one of the important task of the National Water Policy. Furthermore, according to Iqbal et al. (2009) present irri gation system of Pakistan need be customised to maximise the water use efficiency and appropriate irrigation technology should be used. Furthermore, the author also mentions that alteration in row spacing and the use of drought tolerant varieties need to be used to minimize the loss of water. The construction of small dams and checks on the Indus River and its tributaries would increase storage of water and decrease the severity of floods. 2.5.2  The unpredicted rainfall, rise in temperature and carbon dioxide concentration negative affect the composition of soil. The loss of nutrient such is phosphorus and nitrogen through surface runoff and leaching negatively affect the growth of the wheat. As reported by Hayman and Alston 1999 proper amount of nitrogen fertilizer should be added to the paddock in order to have good crop establishment. Moreover, proper soil management practices should be adopted to minimise the risk of surface runoff and leaching. 2.6  Transport infrastructure Hike in temperature as well as increase intensity and frequency of extreme events such as heavy rain, snowfall and flood have substantial impact on the transport infrastructure of Pakistan and cause severe destruction of railways, roads, shipping and airports. Effective adaptation measures should be taken to increase the resilience of infrastructure and this could be done by two ways. The first one is to construct the new infrastructure according to the magnitude and sensitivity of the particular area to the present and future predicted climate. Secondly the existing infrastructure should be made more resistant to changing climate by retrofitting and continues monitoring and maintenance. 2.7  Seasonal weather forecast As reported by Iqbal et al. (2009) the advance seasonal forecast is one of the best options to take appropriate adaptive measures. Furthermore, Crimp et al. (2006) also elaborated that â€Å"using climate information (seasonal forecast) in conjunction with system analysis producer can significantly reduce various risks†. On the basis of weather forecast, farmers need to adopt different operations. Such as if forecast is about the drier weather the farmers need to apply split application of some of nitrogen fertilizer to ensure good planting, and also maximize no till area. But if the forecast is about wetter season then farmers should sow the wheat earlier and apply fungicide to minimize the effect of leaf disease of wheat (Meinke and Hochman, 2000). 2.8  Disaster risk reduction Unpredicted pattern of monsoon rain and melting of glacier due to rise in temperature increase the level of water in the Indus Delta of Pakistan and subsequently these phenomena result in flooding. Effective strategic plan is required to maintain the continuous and balance water flow in the river and to meet the future demands of the society. As reported by sheikh et al. (2008) expansion of the natural reservoir capacity is needed in order to decrease the risk of flooding and drought and to address the consequent decrease in the river flow after all glacier have been melted. Moreover, the authors also mention that the reservoir should also be expanded in order provide the minimum water flow to the sea to prevent the intrusion of the water into the Indus delta region and to meet the future needs of the water. 2.9  Economy and Financial institution 2.9.1 As stated earlier, Pakistan economy largely depends on agriculture sector and wheat is the main staple crop of the country. The decrease in yield and quality of wheat has negative impact on the economy of Pakistan. In order to minimise the burden on the economy of Pakistan, development of new policies and appropriate measures to be implemented that could help in eradicating the hazards and catching the positive effects of climate. 2.9.2 Loan policies of financial institution can greatly limit the option for the growers to adjust farm management practices in light of change. These financial institutions may have to change their policies according to the needs of the farmer and predicted changes in the environment. Moreover, they should support and educate the farmers about onward selling and play constructive role the industry. 3.0  Barriers to adaptation strategies 3.1 Pakistan being an agriculture country is extremely vulnerable to climate change. However, Pakistan does not have the proper monitoring and screening system for the prediction of extreme events like flood, storm or changes in the climate that makes the development of short term adaptation strategies and mitigation measures immensely difficult. Although several weather station are working in different parts of the countries, but still due to the diverse topography some significant region are left uncovered (Climate Risk Adaptation Profile 2011). Moreover, the existing findings proposed that Karakorum glacier are expanding but these finding are based on the restrictive information of glacier snouts and suggest that loss of mass in Karakorum glacier reduce the quality and availability of water. As reported by to Sheik et al. (2008), there is a lack of current knowledge and evaluation techniques on the effect of climate change on the Hindu Kush region and lack of understanding and mod el assessment of glacier melting pattern and flow of water in Indus River. All these need to be address in order to have better evaluation of the problem. Moreover, the Hunza river basin has no meteorological station that severely constraint the utilization of Model River flows under climate change. References Piracha, A., and Majeed, Z. (2011). Water Use in Pakistan’s Agricultural Sector: Water Conservation under the Changed Climatic Conditions. International Journal of Water Resources and Arid Environments 1(3): 170-179. Climate Risk and Adaptation country profile. (2011). Vulnerability, risk reduction and adaptation to climate change Pakistan. Global facility for disaster reduction and recovery. Crimp S, Gaydon D, Howden M, Hall, C, Poulton P, Hochman Z. (2006) Managing Natural Resource Issues in a Variable and Changing Climate. Final Report to Land and Water Australia, Managing Climate Variability Program. pp86. Easterling, W.E., Aggarwal,P.K., Batima,P., Brander,K.M,. Erda, L., Howden, S.M., Kirilenko, A., Morton, J., Soussana,J.F., Schmidhuber, J., and Tubiello, F.N.(2007): Food, fibre and forest products. Climate Change 2007. Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Hammer, G.L., Holzworth, D.P. and Stone, R. (1996) The value of skill in seasonal forecasting to wheat crop management in a region with high climatic variability. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 47: 717-737. Howden, S.M., Reyenga, P.J., and Meinke, H. (1999) Global Change Impacts on Australian Wheat Cropping. Report to the Australian Greenhouse Office. CSIRO Wildlife and Ecology Working Paper 99/04, Canberra, pp121. IPCC (2007): Fourth Assessment Report (AR4), Climate Change 2007, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Iqbal, M.M., Arif, Goherr, M. A., and Khan, A. M. (2009). Climate-change aspersions on food security of Pakistan. A scientific journal of COMSATS – SCIENCE VISION. Vol.15 (1). Khan, F., Ahmad, A, and Atta-ur-Rehman. (2013). Tracking Adaptation and Measuring Development (TAMD) in Pakistan. Appraisal and Design Phase Report. Meinke, H. and Hochman, Z. 2000. Using seasonal climate forecasts to manage dryland crops in northern Australia. In: Hammer, G.L., Nicholls, N., Mitchell C. (eds.) Applications of seasonal climate forecasting in agriculture and natural ecosystems: The Australian experience. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, p 149-165. Rasul, G., Chaudhry, Q. Z., Mahmood, A., and Hyder, K. W. (2011). Effect of Temperature Rise on Crop Growth Productivity. pakistan journal of meteorology, 8 (15). Rawson, H. M., and Macpherson, H. G. (2000). Irrigated Wheat: Managing Your Crop. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. pp 27-28. Rogers,G.S., Gras P.W., Batey I.L., Milham P.J., Payne, L., and Conroy, J.P. (1998) The influence of atmospheric CO2 concentration on the protein, starch and mixing properties of wheat flour. Aust J Plant Physiology 25:387-393. Richards, R.A. (2002). Current and emerging environmental challenges in Australian agriculture- the role of plant breeding. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 53, 881-892. Sheikh, M. M., Iqbal, M. M., Ali, G., and Khan, A. M. (2008). Global warming in the context of Pakistan: major concerns and remedial strategies. Symposium on â€Å"Changing Environmental Pattern and its impact with Special Focus on Pakistan†. Stokes, C.J., and Howden, S.M. (2008). An overview of climate change adaptation in Australian primary industries – impacts, options and priorities. Report prepared for the National Climate Change Research Strategy for Primary Industries. Sayed, A.H. (2008). Climate change and its realities for Pakistan. Manager Policy, Freshwater World Wide Fund for Nature, Pakistan. Symposium on â€Å"Changing Environmental Pattern and its impact with Special Focus on Pakistan†. van Ittersum, M.K., Howden, S.M., Asseng, S. (2003) Sensitivity of productivity and deep drainage of wheat cropping systems in a Mediterranean environment to changes in CO2, temperature and precipitation, Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 97:255-273.

The Messiah Essay -- Musicians Handel The Messiah Essays

The Messiah Handel’s classic piece, The Messiah is undoubtedly the best selection as our classes choice for the time capsule. It has all the workings of a true musical masterpiece and a beautiful message that all should know. Our song should be chosen as a piece that has lived, will live on, and does justice to music. That is The Messiah. Many of you (including myself) didn’t quite realize who Handel was, let alone know his oratorio The Messiah. Once Joel began to play it in class, the common phrase shifted from, "What?", to, "Oh, the hallelujah song." It is a piece that nearly anyone, of any generation, knows at least by its famous chorus, Hallelujah. That is a lot to say for one song. How many of your parents actually know anything about the music you listen to? Most of the music of today just kind of fades in and then back out, which is just not the case with The Messiah. For more than 250 years, this great and most popular of oratorios has survived and endured numerous revisions and reorchestrations in performances ranging from "cast of thousands" to today's emphasis on "authentic" performances, a practice employing period instruments and small all-male choral ensembles(Wilson). When Christmas season roles around, everyone can count on hearing Handel’s own personal favorite The Messiah. This is the kind of song we need, something that links us through common knowledge and feeling, past and present. Handel combines the sheer grandeur and power of his German roots with the color of his Italian experience, joining this with the unique flavor of the English language(Alexander). His music can thus be powerful, it can be colorful and lively(like the wonderful "For unto us a child is born" chorus), or it can be stirri... ...apacity for self-renewal. We become aware that it bestows on us the special gift of aesthetic and spiritual grace. There is not one portion of this song that should make us disregard it. Think of your favorite song. Now think of what time span it has touched or will touch. Okay, think of its actually artistic quality. Lastly, think of what message, what feeling it’s trying to convey. I doubt it it compares in all aspects to the Messiah. I think you’ll agree this is the song that deserves the spot in the UTD time capsule. Works Cited Alexander, Sean. http://www.ao.net/~jmo/john/music/handelt.html). Del Rio, Chris. http://www.inkpot.com/classical/messiah.html. McEown, Nathen. http://www.psg.com/~patf/bach/messiah.html. Mulchevy , Michael. "Ved Head." Rolling Stone June 1995: 46-48. Wilson, Jason. http://www.hartfordchorale.org/Messiah.html. The Messiah Essay -- Musicians Handel The Messiah Essays The Messiah Handel’s classic piece, The Messiah is undoubtedly the best selection as our classes choice for the time capsule. It has all the workings of a true musical masterpiece and a beautiful message that all should know. Our song should be chosen as a piece that has lived, will live on, and does justice to music. That is The Messiah. Many of you (including myself) didn’t quite realize who Handel was, let alone know his oratorio The Messiah. Once Joel began to play it in class, the common phrase shifted from, "What?", to, "Oh, the hallelujah song." It is a piece that nearly anyone, of any generation, knows at least by its famous chorus, Hallelujah. That is a lot to say for one song. How many of your parents actually know anything about the music you listen to? Most of the music of today just kind of fades in and then back out, which is just not the case with The Messiah. For more than 250 years, this great and most popular of oratorios has survived and endured numerous revisions and reorchestrations in performances ranging from "cast of thousands" to today's emphasis on "authentic" performances, a practice employing period instruments and small all-male choral ensembles(Wilson). When Christmas season roles around, everyone can count on hearing Handel’s own personal favorite The Messiah. This is the kind of song we need, something that links us through common knowledge and feeling, past and present. Handel combines the sheer grandeur and power of his German roots with the color of his Italian experience, joining this with the unique flavor of the English language(Alexander). His music can thus be powerful, it can be colorful and lively(like the wonderful "For unto us a child is born" chorus), or it can be stirri... ...apacity for self-renewal. We become aware that it bestows on us the special gift of aesthetic and spiritual grace. There is not one portion of this song that should make us disregard it. Think of your favorite song. Now think of what time span it has touched or will touch. Okay, think of its actually artistic quality. Lastly, think of what message, what feeling it’s trying to convey. I doubt it it compares in all aspects to the Messiah. I think you’ll agree this is the song that deserves the spot in the UTD time capsule. Works Cited Alexander, Sean. http://www.ao.net/~jmo/john/music/handelt.html). Del Rio, Chris. http://www.inkpot.com/classical/messiah.html. McEown, Nathen. http://www.psg.com/~patf/bach/messiah.html. Mulchevy , Michael. "Ved Head." Rolling Stone June 1995: 46-48. Wilson, Jason. http://www.hartfordchorale.org/Messiah.html.

Grace OMalley :: Biography

Her Father was a main influence in her life. She is an infamous Irish rebel. She cut her hair short like a boy as a child because she thought it would show her parents that could survive the tough life at sea. Who was this wild Irish woman? Grace O’Malley, Queen of the Irish seas. Wild and dangerous, Grace O’Malley sailed the rocky Irish coast. Born in the year 1530, legend says, when her parents looked into her eyes they said they saw the light of the sea in her eye (McCully, 2). Grace’s Father was a pirate and Chieftain of the O’Malley Clan. Owen, her father, was away for many long trips. Grace thought being a pirate was fun. She asked her parents if she could tag along with Owen. Her parents found this quite funny. Frustrated, she ran off and came back with boy hair. Eventually, Grace proved to her parents that she could withstand the journey (Stanely, PAR 1). After Grace’s first voyage her parents had to face it, she was a pirate at heart. On her first trip her parents were glade she came. Reason being, she saved her father’s life. When the O’Malley Clan was heading back they were attacked. Her father made Grace hid if they were attacked. Grace, a young fearless child, didn’t do that. Instead, she watched from above. Grace, watching the attack from above, saw someone sneak behind her father. She leaped down and attacked him, saving her father (â€Å"Pirate King†, PAR3). O’Malley was a well educated person even though she was a pirate. She could read, write and speak a few different languages including Latin. This skill helped her get places and actually helped her gain respect (McCulley PAR 2). Grace was off and married at the age of 15. Not for love but for alliance. She married Donal O’Flahrety, leader of another powerful clan like the O’Malleys. Together they fought the English and other clans for one year. At the end of the year Grace released Donal. They both couldn’t bear to let each other go. Donal and Grace stayed together not for alliance, but for love this time (â€Å"Sea Queens† 31). Later he died, when is unknown. After the death of Donal she married Richard Bourke. Richard, like Donal was the leader of a powerful clan. Together they were extremely powerful. Grace mainly married Richard for more power over the West Coast of Ireland.

The Frankenstein Phenomena in Life and Education :: Mary Shelley Frankenstein Essays

The Frankenstein Phenomena in Life and Education When we consider most traditional Hollywood Frankenstein films, the 'monster' is depicted as evil because he is 'malformed' but this is not always the case. The simple one-to-one relationship of ugly equals evil was not prominent in the Mary Shelley's original book or in more true-to-text films such as The Bride or more recently Kenneth Brannagh's attempt to make the authoritative film interpretation, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. In these versions, the monster was portrayed as more human in his endeavors to question his origins, find a father and be happy. However, his physical characteristics have become the most salient feature in popular culture, so much so, that he is generally viewed as unquestionably evil bec ause his appearance offends the eye. The signs in this case are the monster's scars, his stitches, the bolts that hold his head on, the hands of a murderer sewn on, his club feet, his staggering jerky walk, his strange and retarded speech. We often take t hese signs as bei ng indexes and symbols of evil and malevolence that signify insidiousness and threat, even though these are characteristics of so many real conditions in our fellow humans. When we consider such people, we call these signs symptoms, infir mities, disabilities and medical problems. Are we so sure that we can separate how we view these signs depending on whether we are watching movies, such potent sources of how we regard our world, or when we deal with patients or students in the 'real' wor ld? Looking at how people that are considered aberrant either physically or mentally are portrayed in movies gives a good view on how society as a whole may see them, in my opinion. In the film The Bride, the monster's only companion after his escap e is a dwarf who was a circus performer. Although, this movie is definitely a more positive and sympathetic portrayal of the monster's condition, it also highlights the assumption that anybody with a physical makeup that is unusual, is considered just as much a 'monster' by society. In this discussion, I will initially take the representation of dwarves in movies and myth, and how they are perceived by society as being prototypical for a range of other physical differences that are considered negatively i n this culture. I choose dwarves because I believe they have been one of the most pervasively stereotyped groups in movies and myth and whose negative depiction continues to persist even in the politically correct era because now they can be labeled as "w eird but cool.

Continuity and Change over Time Essay Essay

Things that stayed the same in India from 300 CE to 600 CE were the Gupta rule, the caste system, Hinduism, scientific advances, and trade. Things that changed during this period were the fall in popularity of Buddhism, the decline in Silk Road trade, and the fall of the Gupta. Things that stayed the same in India from 300 CE to 600 CE were the Gupta rule, the social structure, the most popular religion, and the wealth generated by trade. Hinduism will continue to be the popular religion in India. The caste system was the main social structure. The Brahmins were the highest class in India. Because they were priests, who showed their support for the caste system, they were kept in high political standing. During this period, there were continuous advancements. This included astronomy, mathematics, literature, and medicine. They created a number system and identified pi; they also had doctors that were able to perform operations. India had been connected to trade routes since the time of Cyrus the Great (around 550 BCE). They had also mastered the monsoon winds which allowed them to trade in the Indian Ocean basin. The Silk Roads allowed for traders to sell all the way from the Chinese Empires to the Western Roman Empires. They traded spices such as pepper, cosmetics, gems and pearls. Other empires saw India’s wealth and clambered to trade with them. This allowed the spread of Buddhism to China, and Hinduism to Southeast Asia. Things that changed in India from 300 CE to 600 CE were the fall in popularity of Buddhism, the decline in Silk Road trade, and the fall of the Gupta. Once Ashoka was no longer in power, there was no one high up in the political structure that was encouraging the masses to convert to Buddhism, so they turned back to Hinduism. All along the Silk Road, illness was spreading. Rome was afflicted by the bubonic plague and small pox. To try and stop these diseases from afflicting the people of the empire, they moved to a more regional, self-sufficient form of trade. This, however, caused an economic slowdown. The end to the Gupta dynasty was because of the invasion of the White Huns. This ended in the splitting of India into smaller, regional kingdoms. Things that stayed the same in India from 300 CE to 600 CE were the social structure, the most popular religion, and the wealth generated by trade. Hinduism will continue to be the popular religion in India. Things that changed during this period included the decrease in converts to Buddhism, the epidemics plaguing the Silk Roads slowing trade, and the eventual overthrow of the reigning dynasty. Continuity and Change over Time Essay: Rome from 100 CE to 600 CE Things that stayed the same in Rome from 100 CE to 600 CE were slavery, trade, latafundias, technological advances, and family roles. Things that changed during this period were the influences of Christianity, social changes, the splitting of the Empire, and the Fall of Rome. Things that stayed the same in Rome from 100 CE to 600 CE were slavery, latafundias, trade, technological advances, and family roles. In the 2nd c. CE, over 1/3 of the Roman population was slaves. This made it hard to find work in the middle and lower class. This was mainly because of the monopoly latafundia owners had over the agricultural business. Latafundias were similar to plantations in that they were large in scale, and run on slave labor. This allowed the owners to sell their products for cheap, and cause smaller farms to have to sell their land. Trade was mainly continuous throughout the Roman Empire. They imported goods from all along the Silk Roads, from India the traded spices, from Egypt and Persia carpets and grain, from parts of the Mediterranean wine and oil, and from China silk. One of the major advances they made was the development of concrete. They created advanced sewage systems, and continued the construction of the Roman road and bridge projects. Throughout Roman history, society was run by the male head of the family, called the pater family. Women were subservient to men (except for in Sparta) but they did have a few rights. Wealthy women often wielded power behind-the-scenes. Things that changed during this period were the influences of Christianity, social changes, the splitting of the Empire, and the Fall of Rome. Social  changes within the empire became more and more apparent because the newly rich began challenging the aristocratic class. The poor class began to grow rapidly. The Roman Empire wasn’t accepting of Christianity, because of its refusal to worship any of their gods. Christianity began to spread through the Roman Empire, and Constantine created the Edict of Milan to accept Christianity within the Empire, because he converted to Christianity. Diocletian negotiated with Persia and was able to successfully divide the Roman Empire in two. Constantine ordered the construction of Constantinople. The fall of the Roman Empire was caused by several internal factors. The Barracks Emperors or the 26 claimants to the throne resulted in a power struggle. The diseases that were spreading over the Silk Roads caused Rome to begin trading regionally, eventually collapsing its imperial economy. When the Chinese continued building the Great Wall, it pushed the Huns westward towards the Visigoths. The Visigoths then pushed west, trying to escape the Huns, forcing the Germanic tribes into Rome. The Germanic tribes wreaked havoc in Rome, and eventually seized power, ending the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE. So the saying â€Å"Rome Fell when China Built a Wall† has some truth to it. Things that stayed the same in Rome from 100 CE to 600 CE were social standings of slaves, Silk Road trading, large aristocratically owned plantations, advances within the empire, and roles within the family structure. Things that changed during this period were the reigning religion, changes to social standing, the division of Rome, and the eventual end of the empire.

The novel Frankenstein written in 1831 by Mary Shelley

The novel Frankenstein written in 1831 by Mary Shelley is a tale that seems to expound on many of the ideas set forth in John Keats’ â€Å"Ode on Melancholy.† The thematic elements concur in their references to the unknown and to the unwanted and melancholic results of knowledge that lies beyond a certain threshold of life. Both works take on a very tenebrous tone and even hint at a certain inevitability in the coming of doom and the destruction of beauty. They might even be considered works that celebrate the sadder circumstances in life—which is in direct contrast to the unbridled optimism of many Romantic poets of the era. The monster created by Victor Frankenstein, as well as Frankenstein himself, enter the dreamlike and unknown territory of Lethe warned against by Keats, and in return find out first hand the inner workings of life’s melancholy.The very first line of Keats’ poem warns against entrance into the unknown, as therein lies even more evidence of the grief that life can hold. He writes, â€Å"No, no, go not to Lethe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (line 1). Lethe refers to a river found in the Greek mythologies that flowed through the underworld of Hades. This river is one that causes forgetfulness and in that way casts a shroud over reality that is similar to the misty and dreamlike sense created in the novel Frankenstein. Shelley does this using several devices, such as through the setting she creates. The story begins while the first narrator and Dr. Frankenstein sail together on a vessel in the dark and expansive waters of the Arctic. The atmosphere speaks volumes of the lack of clarity that is shown to exist on the earth. It also prefigures the idea of Dr. Frankenstein’s forgetting (as on Lethe’s waters) lessons learned from Faust about seeking too much that which lies beyond death.It can also be seen from the very first letter written by Walton that life is itself shown to be unclear and unstable in its abilit y to mete out despair and melancholy no matter which actions are performed by the persons involved. Walton writes to Margaret: â€Å"And when shall I return? Ah, dear sister, how can I answer this question? If I succeed, many, many months, perhaps years, will pass before you and I may meet. If I fail, you will see me again soon, or never† (Shelley, 4). It is clear that life is like a voyage into the Arctic or on the river Lethe. What lies ahead is unknown and what happiness has past may easily be forgotten, as quickly as sadness may come.Yet Keats’ message is much more specific than the mere pointing out of the dreamlike nature of life. It goes further to deter men from seeking out the underside of life. He specifically warns against the deliberate seeking of things that are associated with death and the underworld. He speaks of the foolhardiness of twisting Wolfs-bane or allowing Proserpine (the goddess of the underworld) to kiss one’s forehead (lines 1-4). Thi s is significant in the novel Frankenstein as the actions performed by that doctor may be compared directly to what Keats warns against.The doctor himself admits: â€Å"The moon gazed on my midnight labours, while, with unrelaxed and breathless eagerness, I pursued nature to her hidingplaces† (Shelley, 45). Frankenstein reveals that he deliberately seeks out the halls of death in his quest to give life to a cadaverous body. He goes beyond the call of the living man and ventures uninvited into the underworld to have his brow kissed by Proserpine. The warning Keats gives seems to be merited as the consequences of his actions serve only to illuminate the more melancholy aspects of life.A portentous smudge on Dr. Frankenstein’s eagerness to infuse the dead body with his new concoction of life symbolizes the doom that is foretold by Keats for those who meddle with the things of death. Frankenstein describes his state during the times leading up to the creation of his monste r, and he reveals, â€Å"I pursued my undertaking with unremitting ardour.My cheek had grown pale with study, and my person had become emaciated with confinement† (Shelley, 44). This demonstrates the toll that his illicit actions were taking on his body. It is as though Proserpine’s kiss of death were spreading through his body while he attempted to give life to the dead one lying on his table. The unfavorable circumstances that are yet to come are prefigured in this episode where Frankenstein seems to be transferring his own life to the cadaver on which he operates.Keats goes on to speak of the fall of melancholy when â€Å"fit,† and this demonstrates that sadness itself will lie in incubation during periods that seem happy. He writes, â€Å"But when melancholy fit shall fall sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (lines 11-12). This demonstrates how in the fullness of time, melancholy itself will burst forth upon the heads of those who have per formed the actions to deserve it. This is also true of the events of the novel Frankenstein. Once the scientific endeavor has been achieved, the Monster becomes a herald of fear and doom.He also becomes the hand of premature death to several of the characters, all of whom were loved by Victor. Furthermore, Keats’ comparison of melancholy’s â€Å"fall† to the weeping of a cloud makes it known that such sadness is a part of the cycle of life—and therefore gives the impression that there is no real need to seek it out, since it comes of its own accord anyway. Death would have come to Elizabeth, William, Justine and Frankenstein’s father without the help of the monster that was created. There was no real need for the Dr. Frankenstein to create that artificial taker of life, since life itself has its own built-in machinery of death.Yet Keats’ solution to the fall of melancholy holds a cryptic message that appears difficult to interpret. It is nec essary to dig deeply into its meaning before it can be reconciled with the events portrayed in Mary Shelley’s novel. He indicates that when melancholy falls, one should â€Å"glut thy sorrow on a morning rose or on the rainbow of the salt sand-wave or on the wreath of globed peonies† (lines 15-17). When one â€Å"gluts† or oversupplies something, this leads to a drop in the price of the thing.Sorrow glutted upon these things of beauty causes itself to become cheap, and therefore easily acquired. It is difficult to see how this can be a solution to sorrow at all, since it merely proliferates it. However, it does support the thesis that sorrow is easily achieved in life; and it can also be seen to fit well with the ideas of the novel Frankenstein, in which the Monster goes on a rampage and gluts sorrow upon the happiness that once existed in Victor’s world.Yet, the glut of sorrow that Keats indicates exists in life is even more visible when one considers th e condition of the Monster himself. The â€Å"life† into which he is brought is even more desolate and melancholy than that experienced by real humans. He is the only one of his kind and is marginalized by his very dissimilarity to man. His hatred and wickedness is spawned directly from this fact—which is a direct result of Frankenstein’s â€Å"[twisting] Wolfs-bane [†¦] for its poisonous wine† (Keats, lines 1-2).When the Monster speaks to Frankenstein, it is to display the condition to which he has been brought in life. He says, â€Å"I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind?† (Shelley, 147) It is this immense sorrow that the Monster’s life has brought him that overflows in its surplus and gluts itself on the morning rose of everything that is good in Frankenstein’s life. It affects the promise of his friend and brothers’ lives, and causes the shedding of his wife’s bloom and beauty.The ideas concerning the melancholy of life, which are reflected in this poem and novel, demonstrate several notions that are usually considered Romantic. The idea of something’s being Romantic gives the impression that it affects more gaiety than it really does possess. This can be shown to be true of the novel Frankenstein as the contentment that the doctor proposes to receive from fulfilling his plan is in direct contrast to what actually results from his work. Yet further ideas concerning Romanticism can also be extracted from these two works.The moral and Romantic belief in the apocalyptic events (as those portrayed in the Bible) followed by an era of peace and serenity can be shown to be reflected to some extent in the texts of the Keats’ poem and Shelley’s novel. Shelley’s protagonist is hit upon by doom and destruction as a result of the actions he performed during his life. This is also demonstrated in the melancholy that â€Å"fallsâ₠¬  in Keats’ poem as a result of the actions of one who deliberately seeks out the underside of the life. Similarly, Romantic (biblical) destruction of the earth is also purported to be a direct result of the actions of mankind. However, once the destruction is complete, peace returns to the earth.This is seen to occur at the end of the novel Frankenstein when the monster destroys his maker and then wanders off to seek his own destruction. This appears to restore equilibrium to the world. Yet, this equilibrium cannot be said to be of the same optimistic quality as the â€Å"peace and tranquility† that is supposed to follow the apocalypse. In fact, this equilibrium keeps itself closer to the theme of melancholy being present naturally within life, as it is a balance between good and evil that defines this equilibrium.The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and the poem â€Å"Ode on Melancholy† by John Keats bear many similarities to each other. They contain the i dea that seeking too much the things that lie beyond life will unleash a measure of death and sorrow that is not only unnecessary, but that will disrupt the gentle equilibrium that exists on earth. Life, in equilibrium, contains both joy and sorrow—so melancholy will come in good time without being sought.The actions of Dr. Frankenstein prove Keats’ theory to be correct in that he pushes to see beyond life and finds the death and sorrow in greater abundance than that which he sought. The optimism typical of the romantics is challenged in the ideas of these writers, as even the return of life’s equilibrium means that death and sorrow will have as much freedom to harm humans as life and happiness to comfort them.Works CitedKeats, John. 1819. â€Å"Ode on Melancholy.† The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. I.   Ã‚   M. H. Abrams, et al. New York: W.W. Norton, 1993.Shelley, Mary. 1831. Frankenstein. Bowser, BC: Aerie Publishing, 1988.