The Influence of Fashion on People Essay - 949 Words

The Influence of Fashion on People Everyday, you’re thinking ‘Why cant I just be the most perfect human being in the world?’ If you have a wonky nose or you want larger lips you can just ask a surgeon to try and perform miracles to change you. It sounds so straightforward. You don’t need to go on holiday anymore to get a tan. You can go under a sun bed and shrivel up like a raisin or you could apply brown paint to your body. Fashion is a big part of all our lives. Why, today are we being pressurised in trying to make ourselves perfect and more beautiful? Not everyone’s perfect. Some people would say the perfect person would have blonde hair, blue eyes, slim with a lovely tan. People would say†¦show more content†¦It also must be taken into account that Plastic Surgery can be dangerous, or it could go absolutely wrong and damage your body when you become older, especially if you are still growing. Cosmetic surgery is very expensive which costs thousands of pounds, and there is no guarantee it will make you look better, in fact it could make you look and feel worse therefore, costing you lots of time, money and lots of pain for nothing. When you’re walking through the streets trying to look your best in your bright orange tan, all it is doing to you is making you feel more attractive. Using a sun bed, is a very popular way to make yourself look like you have been on holiday, sunbathing on the beach from morning till night. Sun beds are acceptable if you don’t use them too much, if however you do use them all the time it could turn out to be terrible. Many people are addicted to sun beds and use them constantly. They could then be at a great risk of getting skin cancer. Some people may argue that that sun beds are a good thing because they say that they make you feel good about yourself, make you look attractive and make you feel more confident. I would argue that sun beds are a waste of time because they don’t always work on your first few sessions, so you have to use them over and over again. Sun beds are not suitable for everyone. By this, you are spending loadsShow MoreRelatedMusic Loves F ashion Essay1190 Words   |  5 PagesLoves Fashion | | | Emily Poe, Nina Martinez, Josh Sandoval | 4/5/2011 | Research showing that in today’s society music has a big influence on what people choice to wear. We conducted surveys and distributed them though different web facilities. We asked people â€Å"How does Country/ Hip-Hop influences your fashion? â€Å" | Nina Martinez Emily Poe Josh Sandoval Music Loves Fashion History shows that music influences society with the choices we make regarding clothing fashion, fadsRead MoreFashion Is A Big Part Of Society And It Is Indispensable For Us1208 Words   |  5 PagesI. Introduction Fashion is a big part of society and it is indispensable for us. 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High fashion and streetwear are two styles that heavily influence the publicRead MoreWhen People Talk About The Word â€Å"Fashion,† It Automobility1676 Words   |  7 PagesWhen people talk about the word â€Å"fashion,† it automobility provides a sense of popular styles of clothing, accessories, and makeup. Fashion influences not only on people’s behaviors, but also influences the society as a whole, such as socially and economically. In Adorned in Dreams, the author Elizabeth Wilson, introduces that fashion is a form of art, and people can use fashion to e xpress their ideas, beliefs, and desires. Wilson also introduces the history of fashions in order to prove that peopleRead MoreImportance Of Fashion And Its Effect On Society890 Words   |  4 PagesImportance of Fashion Every year thousands of fashion magazines flood the newspaper stands and tons of new fashion lines come out each season with the hopes of being better than last season. Book such as â€Å"The devil wears Prada† and â€Å"Confessions of a shopaholic† hit the shelves and become national bestsellers. Fashion capitals such as Paris, Milan, London and New York turn into meccas for trend followers. Designers and their labels sell millions of dollars in merchandise each year to people from all walksRead More Fashion History Essay1345 Words   |  6 Pagesduring the last several decades, which played an important role in modern fashion in the UK. Everyone has a different and unique dressing style in their general life. Some styles are influenced in vintage styles which is attributing to the deep effects of old vogue, and another group of dressing styles are inclined into the fresh element. According to those different styles some of them are even evolved in the milestones in fashion history. To start this essay, it will introduce the evaluation ofRead MoreImpact Of Technology In Fashion921 Words   |  4 Pages Technological advancement in regards to Fashion As technology continues to progress fashion evolves right alongside. Before the invention of the tv the way to spread different styles and outfits was through sketches and designs. By this means it would take extended amounts of time to spread ideas of fashion from one place to another. The influence of technology on the fashion industry cannot be overlooked. Fashion is being rapidly offered to consumers at an amazingly fast rate. NowadaysRead MoreWhy Does Fashion Change Essay751 Words   |  4 PagesWhy does fashion change? Human beings have been using clothes throughout history; however as we notice today garments that were worn in the past are not the same that are being worn today. In this essay I will develop the question ‘Why does fashion change?’ and if such changes are due to fashion as such or if there is any external influences such as marketing and media. Every change in society, including differences between cultures and living styles is reflected in the way people dress andRead MoreWhat Influenced Elizabethan Fashion1293 Words   |  6 PagesWhat Influenced Elizabethan Fashion   Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many people and instances, like government officials, celebrities, the events of different time periods, music, and even social media that can influence the fashion and culture of an era. In early England, more specifically the Elizabethan Era, much of their culture was influenced by the Royal Family. Not only did the Royal Family have great impact on the time period, but the laws that enforced how the English were allowed to act and what they wereRead More Chanels Influence On Fashion Essay866 Words   |  4 PagesChanel’s Influence on Fashion Coco Chanel was one of the most influential fashion designers of the Twentieth Century and she was the first significant female fashion designer. The fashion world was impacted by Chanel’s phoenix like return to fashion after her retirement in 1953. Chanel introduced men and women to practical yet elegant styles. Although Chanel has been deceased for forty-one years her undeniable influence on fashion and women’s roles in society will be remembered for generations

Time Capsules from the Renaissance and Baroque Time...

Two time capsules were found during renovations of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence. One time capsule dates back to the Renaissance time period. Artifacts in this time capsule included a painting of The Birth of Venus, a lute, drawing of the Florence Cathedral’s dome, and a book called The Decameron. The second time capsule had artifacts from the Baroque time period. Artifacts in this time capsule included a painting of The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, a stage painting in an opera house, canvas painting of St. Petersburg, and a play called Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme These artifacts give us a glimpse of world events, and cultural patterns in the Renaissance and Baroque time period. The first artifact that is pulled out of the†¦show more content†¦Another canvas lay rolled up at the bottom of the time capsule. Once unrolled, a beautiful drawing on canvas of the Florence Cathedral’s dome was revealed. The dome was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, drawn in 1420. This dome was the largest ever built in history in this era. Flippo Brunelleschi used new methods of hoisting stone and masonry technique to construct the dome (Fiero, 2011). The Florence Cathedral highly reflects the Architectural development of the early Renaissance period. It also reflects how devoted Rome was to their religion, and how religion influenced the Romans to build magnificent architecture for a place to worship. A book lay at the bottom of the renaissance time capsule called The Decameron, by Giovanni Boccaccio. This book has 100 tales about seven young women and three young men who took shelter in a secluded villa in Florence, to escape the Black Death plague. This book shows the social class difference that was taking place during this time period within the culture. The book also goes into detail of what took place during the pandemic and the horrors people were faced with. This book is also a product of the printing press made in 1450. This allowed documentation, information, and books such as The Decameron, to be printed and passed around the world. As the second time capsule is open the artifacts inside are from theShow MoreRelatedTime Capsules from Renaissance and Baroque Periods1172 Words   |  5 PagesFor almost two years, we have been in search of what we believed were time capsules, hidden away between the years of 1400, when the Renaissance period started, and 1750 which marks the end of the Baroque period. We are pleased to announce that our nearly twenty-four year search has ended in the discovery of two such capsules. Each of these capsules contains information, vital to the understanding of past cultures and their origins, and necessary to the development of culture today. In whatRead MoreEssay Time Capsule1406 Words   |  6 PagesTIME CAPSULE NAME HUM 102: Intro to the Humanities II DATE Introduction Throughout time the humanities have evolved and proof of this evolution is seen in each of the different concepts that humanities cover. There are several time capsules that are rumored to contain pieces of some of the most influential art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. To find these capsules would be to travel back in time and hold in ones hands the true measureRead MoreRenaissance Time Capsule1187 Words   |  5 PagesRenaissance Time Capsule Rodney A. Mathis HUM/102 June 2, 2014 Dr. Julie Kares Renaissance Time Capsule As part of my introduction to humanities class, I was required to probe for a concealed time capsule from both the Renaissance and the Baroque ages. Thereafter, I was required to identify at least two examples of art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature depicted during the periods. By doing so, I expected to identify how these examples reflected world events and cultural blueprintsRead MoreArt and History: The Renaissance and the Mannerist Periods1449 Words   |  6 Pagesdrawings. this artwork has acted like a time capsule and has made it possible for people to see the views artists had on the world during their time.as technology and time progressed there was also progression in the world of art. The art of Europe comprises visual art history in Europe. Art history has been classified into time period on the basis of the techniques used and the common trends. European art has been organized into different stylistic periods which overlap each other historically as

The Sugar trade free essay sample

Oh the wonderful sweetness of money and sugar. What drove this so called sugar trade, you ask? Consumer demand, return on investment, and slavery were all very important aspects to the making of the historic events in which were the sugar trade. Consumer demand is the product of the addicting compounds which make up sugar, adding it to about everything sugar gradually became a very important aspect in the 1500s normal lifestyle. Return on investment is when you put money into something and get a profit or get your money black plus some, thus making a business out of something. Slavery was a huge part of the sugar trade, they are what made the sugar trade possible, they worked and worked constantly to provide enough sugar for familys in the New World. Consumer demand is one of many parts of the sugar trade but crucial to the survival and thriving love of the product. We will write a custom essay sample on The Sugar trade or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Sugar consumption approached nearly 10% of overall food expenditures for familys in the 1700s. After 1660 sugar imports always exceeded over all colonial products, that means that they had and wanted more sugar than any other product that was being shipped in from foreign countries. The sugar was shipped in something called a Hogshead, it was a big barrel weighing between 700 and 1200lbs, children loved to lick the remaining sugar left in the barrel after it has been emptied. People love the way sugar tastes, we have for longer than the 1500s, as a matter of fact sugar was cultivated and grown in New Guinea some 9000 years ago. The more slaves there was the more sugar was produced. Slavery is what dramatically helped the sugar trade happen and proceed for so many years before slavery became illegal and machines replaced their jobs. Slaves could be traded for many goods like powder, bullets, brass pans, tobacco pipes, and many other things. At 14 pence a day a laborer in England in the early 1700s earned about 18 British pounds a year. For instance the Hibbert family owned 1,618 slaves in 1833, that year they made 31,120 pounds. In modern day english money thats about $48523, back then that was worth a lot more than it sounds. Familys who could afford to buy slaves to start a sugar industry always made a profit and thrived at what they did. Even if you werent in the sugar trade its self you could buy and sell trades to people who were in the business and still make huge profits. The cost of slaves went up through the years of 1748-1768. Return on Investment, money in slave trade in British Caribbean doubles their money in the sugar trade. Bought slaves for 14 pounds and sold for around 32 pounds, they typically made a good profit depending on where they bought the slave and where they sold the slave. Gives England a trad position. Owned trading system, bought for cheap sold expensively. This system was called a Mercantile system or Mercantilism. This is how the system worked, the English would buy raw items for cheap and refined or made them into finished goods, in this case they would buy sugar cane and refine it until it was white refined sugar, this series of laws began in about 1660 the Parliament in England approved a entire series of new laws taking care of colonial shipping. In conclusion that is what drove the sugar trade, the financial advantages of making money influenced many familys mainly consisting of the rich to enter into the sugar industry and most if not all did very well with their business. Slavery is another huge part of the sugar trade, without them it might not have happened, people might not have made as much money either. Consumer demand, however, is obviously the most important part of what drove the sugar trade. Peoples addicting affection for the sweetening substance got greater with the increase in population and slaves. Sugar is still a huge part of our daily lives, Its branched out to many different countries now, Weve enjoyed sugar even as far back as 9000 years ago and still continue to love it today.

Pp Lab Report Digestion Sample

Pp Lab Report Digestion Paper Dependent variable. Amount of bile acids in solution amount of fiber in meal gesture in meal, size of meal particles, calories and nutrients in meal 4, Name the type to method used to measure transit time. Radiophone 5. Name the type of method used to measure the amount of bile acids in solution. Spectrophotometer Results Table 3. Effect of Fiber on Transit Time Number of Markers in Stomach Subject 1 Subject 2 Subject 3 Average percentage of the total markers Standard diet Minutes after markers ingestion. Number of markers present. 60 min 180 min 240 m in Insoluble fiber-rich diet 240 min 21 Soluble fiber-rich diet 10 19 Laboratory Report/ Hope Schaller/ Effect of Dietary Fiber on Transit Time and Bile/ Dry. Whither / 03. 08. 2015/ Page [1] of [4] Food Transition Through the Stomach 1. For the standard meal, what is the average percentage of markers remaining in the stomach at 60 min. 180 min, and 240 min? 79, 25, O 2. For the meal with insoluble fibers, what is the average percentage of markers remaining in the stomach at 60 min, 180 min, and 240 minutes? 79, 29, 4 2. For the meal with insoluble fibers vatu is the average percentage of markers remaining in the stomach at 60 min, 180 min, and 240 min? Im Bona assume this is soluble fibers since I already did soluble? F its 83, 38, 8 4 Which meal had the greatest average percentage of markers in the stomach at 180 minutes? We will write a custom essay sample on Pp Lab Report Digestion specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Pp Lab Report Digestion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Pp Lab Report Digestion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Chinook Salmon Essays - Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Oncorhynchus

Chinook Salmon Essays - Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Oncorhynchus Chinook Salmon Chinook Salmon Environmental Science Wednesday, February 26, 1997 Among the many kinds of fish harvested each year by commercial fisheries is the Oncorhynchus tshawytscha or Chinook salmon. The United States catches an averages of about three hundred million pounds of salmon each year. However some Chinook salmon have been recently listed as threatened. Man has been the main cause for the decline in Chinook salmon populations. The populations of Chinook salmon have declined for several reasons. Hydropower and it's destructiveness to the environment, pollution, and overfishing are the three main causes for the decline. The Chinook salmon is known for traveling the greatest distance back to its spawning grounds, often traveling one to two thousand miles inland. This long journey is now often interrupted by hydroelectric plants. Hydropower is a very good alternative resource for power, however it is very damaging to our salmon populations. The dams block off rivers, which block the salmon's path back to their breeding grounds. The salmon go back to the same areas, just as their ancestors did, to lay their eggs. The hydropower plant's turbines are also very dangerous to young salmon. Many of them are killed by the giant turbines on their way back to the ocean. Killing off many of the salmons new generation. Pollution is also a killer of many Chinook salmon. Pollution caused by sewage, farming, grazing, logging and mining find it's way into our waters. These harmful substances kill many species of fish and other marine life. The Chinook salmon is no exception. The chemicals are dumped into the rivers and streams and eventually these chemicals find their way to the ocean, polluting and effecting each area they pass through. The largest contributor to the decline in the Chinook salmon population is the commercial fishing industry. From a period of 1990-1992 815,000 Chinook salmon were caught by commercial fisheries. This does not include the 354,000 recreational catches. Commercial fishing is a big industry. Commercial fishers use nets, which they pull by boats. Some nets are designed so the holes in the nets are large enough for the head of the fish to fit through, and then the mesh gets caught in the fish's gills. Others are designed to circle around a school of fish and then is drawn shut. New technologies have developed factory stern trawlers which easily haul netloads of up to 100 metric tons of fish. However, when catching the salmon, fisherman use pound nets to catch the fish on their way to their spawning grounds. The average annual salmon catch in just the United States is about 300 million pounds, of that about 60 percent is canned. Salmon canning is one of the major industries of the pacific coast. To decrease the rate at which the salmon population is falling the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service yearly deposits billions of young salmon and eggs into natural breeding grounds. Salmon are also raised in and then deposited. The National Marine Fisheries Service has also proposed a recovery plan for the Chinook salmon. They plan to improve migration conditions, by increasing the area around the dams so that the salmon can get through. Also they plan to protect the fishes' spawning habitat, by improving the general management. They would also like to develop alternative harvesting methods. The effects that man has had on the Chinook salmon and many other species of salmon is very severe, any are labeled as threatened. We can reduce the causes of their population decrease by reducing the amount of fish we catch annually, reducing pollution dumped into their habitats, and by developing ways for the fish to bypass the dams.

What Is the ACT Out Of

What Is the ACT Out Of SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You may have heard of this standardized test calledthe ACT. What's this test out of? What's the highest and lowest ACT score? And what score should you try to get? I'll answer allof these questions below. What Is the ACT Out Of? When you get your ACT score report, you'll see several numbers including your composite ACT score and your individual section scores (there are four sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science). The composite ACT score is the primary number that colleges look at.The composite ACT score is out of 36.Scores range from 1 to 36. Each section is also out of 36, with scores ranging from 1 to 36 in the individual sections. To give you a sense of the range of ACT scores in the US, I've assembled this chart with approximate national ACT percentiles: Percentile ACT Score 25th 16 50th 20 75th 24 Your final ACT composite score is calculated by average the 4 section scores and rounding to the nearest whole number. For further explanation, read How Do You Calculate ACT Score? What Score Should You Aim for in theRange? You don't necessarily need to aim for a perfect 36.You should choose your target score for the ACT based on what score will get you into your target schools. Find out what the average ACT score is for accepted students to your target schools by search â€Å"[College Name] ACT† in Google. You'll likely find the school’s 25th/75th percentile scores. What are these numbers? The 25th percentile ACT score means that 25% of admitted freshmen received a score at or below that number (75% of admitted students scored higher). The 75th percentile score means that 75% of admitted freshmen received a score at or below that number (25% of admitted students scored higher). Well, what should you aim for in the 25th/75th percentile range? You should aim for a score at or above the 75th percentile score to have the best chance of being admitted. For a more in-depth explanation of what your target ACT score should be, read What is a good ACT score? A bad ACT score? An excellent ACT score? What’s Next? Learn more about the ACT test format and prepare to rock the ACT: What is the ACT? A Complete Explanation of the Test The Ultimate Study Guide for ACT Science: Tips, Practice, and Strategies The Ultimate Prep Guide to ACT Reading: Strategies, Tips, and Practice The Ultimate Study Guide for ACT English: Tips, Rules, Practice, and Strategies Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Ethical Investments Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethical Investments - Personal Statement Example Due to sheer volume and popularity of his firm he was able to earn huge profits while giving almost a penny or less to other brokers per share. He mostly made his business strategy public through interviews to reputed journals, due to which his huge earnings did not raise suspicion. For example he used to compare his profits with Standard and Poor’s who had a history of earning 14 to 16 % profit per annum. His strategy was simple; due to huge volume of trading he would buy shares of MNCs (multinational companies) and strong stock holders. He would then take option contracts on good terms and earn profit. He also made calculated buying and selling with respect to fluctuations in share market index. He would manipulate share prices by advance knowledge, artificial shortage and later flooding of shares. He also minimized losses by limiting his downside portfolio in stocks. The Ponzi scheme took advantage of a ruling in Federal law which requires firms to annually pay minimum 5% o f their funds. Since he largely dealt with charities his fraud went unnoticed over decades.

Discuss the view that American urban government was more corrupt but Essay

Discuss the view that American urban government was more corrupt but more democratic than its British equivalent in the late nineteenth century - Essay Example Apart from these considerations, questions of class, race and gender, through topics such as the roles of women, the impact of slavery and the experience of immigration, are dealt with. Before delving any further into the differences that marked the individual approaches of urban governance for these two nations, it would be imperative to indulge in a minor ‘scene setting’ exercise. Besides sharing obvious similarities in terms of language, a liberal and cultural heritage, and a democratic political system, Britain and the United States have also had pronounced differences, for their economic, political, and social structures have developed in distinctive ways. If we were to compare and contrast the historical course of the two countries and explore the significance of their similarities and differences over a period of two centuries, we would come up with wide ranging and up-to-date analyses of such issues as industrialization and urbanization, democracy and politics, class and gender, and citizenship and welfare. That brings us straight to the topic at hand: In the late nineteenth century, was American urban government more corrupt, yet more democrat ic than that of its British counterpart? To understand the relevance of the question and its subsequent answer, one would need to consider the social structure of the two countries and justify the description of Britain as a class and America as a status society since the 1870s. This prompts us to explore the responses of the two countries to social problems and, in particular the reasons following which the two countries took such different responses to the question of welfare. Finally, by considering the relationship between welfare, industrialization, democracy, class conflict, social control and ideological change in the two countries, the purpose of historical enquiry and explanation will be reached. A

The Media’s Framing of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Essay Example for Free

The Media’s Framing of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Essay It’s funny, but even the Wikipedia (let’s generously call it the â€Å"encyclopedia† of today), notes that their Israeli-Palestinian conflict article might contain a little something known as â€Å"recentism,† which, to roughly paraphrase Wikipedia, can be defined as the tendency to edit or inflate a current issue without thought to a broader historical perspective, simply because the issue or event happens to be blasting through homes and children alike and the media is playing the same gory scene over and over while vendors pump up their magazine sales by shoving suffering, impoverished, and war-torn families down unwitting consumer’s throats. But that’s the money maker. The mass media may hide things and they may create fallacies like â€Å"Wag the Dog† from time to time, but the media is essentially about money. If, for example, the President seems to want a more homey-let’s-not-worry-about-things kind of attitude, then the media will portray that attitude because, and this is the kicker, even though they are protected by the First Amendment and the whole â€Å"freedom of speech† thing, they have to write the perspective that sells. Now, recentism may sell when the war was happening five years ago, but as the conflicts rage on, the public agenda isn’t to promote war—at all. If the President was sitting in his nice big white house and promoting the war while American soldiers pile up by the body bag, then the President isn’t doing very good at his job. Very soon, if all people saw was mass conflict, death, and horrible destruction, someone would have a gun to the white house to get a better leader on that golden throne. However, if a â€Å"little† battle leaks out from time to time, and the media as a whole is on the story with the same, homogenous mono-headlines, then the public will see that there was an uprising, yes. But, if that uprising isn’t mentioned again, or it blows away like so many things after a few weeks of nothing new being reported, the public will be lulled into thinking that everything is okay and that it was just a simple little uprising. No big deal. Sure some American soldiers were sent home with flags on their caskets, but they died heroes. Purple hearts, parades, and fancy color-guard funerals. That’s what the people see. Even though the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been raging for, what ladies and gentlemen, more than fifty (more like hundreds) years, is the American public even aware that the peoples in those warring nations have been at war, bombs in the streets, children murdered, every day for as long as most of this generation has been alive? Nope. For the most part, the American public is kept in the dark. So dark that the current issue in Iraq (when was the last time the â€Å"war on terror† actually scared the public?) has even lost its juice. Terror is just a word now. Not scary, not vengeful. Just another word that has been so drilled into the minds of the public that â€Å"raising the terror alert† does no more for people than if the pollen count went into the red zone. People are so in the dark that when nine soldiers died just days ago (Londono) that most people didn’t even raise an eyebrow, because what’s the big deal with losing nine measly soldiers if the country is over on foreign land playing the philanthropic hand with democracy? Big numbers are the only things that count. Nine soldiers dead in what seems like six years (since 9/11) is nearly negligible. This is tangenting now, strictly for reasons of importance, but only Alertnet. com tallies up the body count at 3,170 US soldiers dead since the war began in the same article, (well, in the middle third of the story but at least it was mentioned) as the report on the nine dead soldiers. Now that’s a number worth hearing. But how many news reports call that fairly alarmingly number up? Not many. Actually, most striking was the amount of anti-war sites that call up the numbers, some counting American casualties as high as 23,000 (Griffis) since the war officially began in 2003. Now that number would catch some eyebrows. Freak people out, get them burning bras for peace, not war. But the President doesn’t want that. The government certainly doesn’t want that. And perhaps this is why the media keeps the death stories on the hush-hush. Frame it in a way that makes the country feel safer as a whole. Only a few soldiers are killed at a time, so the tally seems insignificant in the broader scheme of things. And thus the public agenda is to get Americans back to their daily lives, where war doesn’t exist and heiresses get caught too often without their underwear as the paparazzi catch them at some new celebrity’s bar. But that’s just a recent example of how the media skews things to keep the public agenda on the right track, lest things derail. And by golly it was a tangent of importance because if a war so dear to the hearts of Americans is lost in the media hoopla, how does a war like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is a vastly different scale, even stand a chance at global comprehension? Well, it doesn’t. And, it is perhaps the most notable war of any ever fought since times too ancient to remember. Data Collection. The data collected for this report has been a combination of news reports and Wikipedia articles. The news reports were chosen because they are exactly what the public is able to view on a daily basis and are taken with complete seriousness to report the truth of the news (sounded like a joke, didn’t it? ). As a whole, the news reports can be compared and contrasted for similar headlines, feature points, pictures, and opinionated slants. For the most part, articles have been used from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive, and it is interesting to note that the most current evening news report is dated 12/06/2006. This could be an error on Vanderbilt’s part; perhaps they haven’t updated their news archive since then, but it is much more likely that Vanderbilt has the most current news out there, which actually serves as a perfect example of how the media has prioritized this conflict in the news. No news, for Americans, can be construed as good news, even if the conflict rages on. Wikipedia articles were also reviewed, though not for the charts in the analysis of the data collection, because the Wikipedia has undeniably become something akin to the Encyclopedia Britannica of earlier years. While the articles are not purely scholarly or always written by PHD subject enthusiasts, the articles are highly peer-monitored and perhaps more free in what they are able to speak out about than a regular news article with advertisers to please and bosses with the weight of the powers that be on their shoulders. Finally, a totally independent site, dubbed â€Å"Angel for Israel,† has been reviewed because it has a catalogue of news articles chosen from recent years in an attempt to showcase the very issue of media framing and public agenda. The site even goes deeper to debunk the myths, expose the media propaganda, and review common misconceptions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While not everything on this site can be truly confirmed as to authoritative authenticity, the news articles are complete, unedited and link back to their original news source. So, a wide cross section has been chosen for data collection so that a slant of some sort can be gathered, tethered, and plumped for show. And, for editorial purposes, the full headlines and dates used for the purposes of the charts in the Analysis are presented as raw data in the Appendix. Analysis. It’s always fun to chart and show, so the data collected has been put through the supercomputer to explain how the media portrays highly sensitive (i. e. death, war, terror) news as a homogenous chunk of untitillating information to the uninformed and unconcerned public. So let’s delve. First, it’s easy to simply compare and contrast news headlines for homogenous information to depict and conclusively prove framing of the public agenda by the media. Looking at the Angel for Israel 2005 News Archive, there are 21 news articles with similar headlines. The first ten headlines for comparison are: Female Suicide Bomber Explodes at Erez Crossing, Killing Four Israelis Hamas Woman Bomber Kills Israelis Suicide Attack on Jerusalem Bus Hamas Threatens Soldier Kidnaps Suicide Bomber Kills 10 Israelis. Prisoners Freed as Bomb Kills 10 in Israel Suicide Bomber Hits Jerusalem Bus Suicide Bomber Kills 8 in Jerusalem Terrorists Infiltrate Erez Industrial Area, Killing Israeli Soldier Couple Killed in their Car Between Hebron and Beersheba, Terrorism Suspected Now, looking at the headlines, it can be said that the reports are straight and as to the point as they could be when it came down to writing the headline for the news. The problem is that the headlines are so similar that it can have a deadening effect on the public agenda. Seeing a word over and over, the word no longer has the same meaning that it did the first time it was seen. For example, the word â€Å"suicide† is used five times out of ten headlines, all having taken place between a month or so period. The word â€Å"kills† (and forms of it like â€Å"killing†) is used in the same news headlines seven times out of ten. If these were the only headlines, which they might very well be, from this period in January and February 2004, the chance is that the public will read one and miss the others because though they all discuss different events, they read as nearly the same. So, nine stories would be missed simply because of a redundancy factor that happens, for reasons probably planned and perfectly executed. That same public then believes that the violence isn’t so wide-spread because of the same framing phenomena that occurs when no news is reported. If the headlines read a bit differently then these ten conflicts and acts of terror could be read and understood and ten separate issues of violence and horror. But, as they are, they lose their potential for a reader to feel any sort of fear because of their homogenous nature. Moreover, the repetitive nature of the headlines does more than just numb a reader to their very existence and meaning, reading or hearing the same word over and over loses much more than that. Words, by their very reality, have inherent meanings to viewers in regards to reaction and understanding. For example, when the President first coined the phrase â€Å"war on terror,† the American public had the appropriate reaction and felt the same need for vengeance and duty as the words permit. Now, six years later, hearing the â€Å"war on terror† has a completely opposite effect on the public. It has become a common, annoying phrase even, because it has lost all meaning both symbolically and literally. Vengeance has not been achieved, no retribution for the â€Å"war on terror† has been sought. And symbolically, no ballads have been created to promote any sort of American pride or glory. Basically, the only thing come of this phrase is that it is said so often it means nothing. And now, any time the public reads the words â€Å"war on terror† they unconsciously close their eyes or ears to any further understanding because it means nothing anymore. Clever, the mass media, for using the â€Å"war on terror† in such a manner that it becomes nothing more important than the rising gas prices during the hot summer months. Moreover, one thing that stands out right away is the use of certain words that prevail in most all if the articles. So, let’s take a deeper look at the most prevalent words and how often they are used overall. Out of those same ten headlines, the word â€Å"kills† and â€Å"suicide† are the most influential and hold the most power over a reader, but a few other words are used often enough to draw attention for analysis. These are the words: Kills (killing, killed) –used 7 times Suicide –used 5 times Explodes –used 1 time Attack –used 1 time Threatens –used 1 time Kidnaps –used 1 time Freed –used 1 time Hits –used 7 times Terrorists (terrorism) –used 2 times Infiltrate –used 1 time On a side note, proper website and content search engine optimization relies on the ability of a writer to get the meaning of something across while also adding in the proper words to also get the attention, subliminally, of that reader or search engine. The key is that with 200 words of text, 8% of that text must be used for each main keyword. This means that at least 16 words out of 200 words must be utilized for one main keyword. For example, if an article were written on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the keyword that article was hoping to subliminally infiltrate into the reader were â€Å"suicide,† then â€Å"suicide† would have to appear 16 times in 200 words of text. The exact same formula is used in reporting and even broadcast media like advertising. Ever hear of the Energizer Bunny? Or that truly annoying â€Å"Head On† commercial promoting direct application of a lube-like substance for migraines? The reason commercials do well with the public is that even though they may lose all meaning simply from being repeated so often, repetition for products is the only thing that really sinks in enough for that public to remember what product they wanted when they get to Wal-Mart. With that said, it is easy to see why some words, the words with seemingly the most power, are used more often than others, especially in the print media. And, in an interesting phenomena known as media framing, it actually tends to have the opposite effect on readers. People don’t read the news in the same way that they view a commercial. A different part of the brain is used, and a more mechanical side of that person takes note of different things when viewing a commercial versus reading a news article, which is something having much to do with emotion. Emotion in advertising is a draw to get a listener or reader to want, no need, that product. Repetition in this case hinges on the emotion that product is able promote, to get inside the heart of the person. Because, more often than not, people buy something because they want it, not because they need it. However, emotion is generally not a thing possessed by headlines, but headlines are usually crafted with some attention getter in mind. After all, if they weren’t written for a person to be interested enough to read, then they wouldn’t get read at all. And, looking at the same ten headlines, it can almost be said that they were cleverly crafted to not get read at all, especially because of their exclusively homogenous theme running throughout. Now, to see if this theory really stands on its feet, let’s take a look at the top ten headlines from the 1997-1998 Angel for Israel News Archive. These are the ten headlines: Unilateral Measures Taken by the Palestinian Authority in Violation of Oslo Palestinian Authority’s Failure to Quell the Riots in Hebron Violates the Accord PLO’s Hiring of 150 Terrorists as Policemen is Blatant Violation of Oslo Palestinian Authority Failed to Fulfill its Commitment Under the Hebron Accord 18 Killed in Jerusalem Attack Palestinian Incitement to Violence Since Oslo A Four-Year Compendium Pronouncements by Muslim Religious Leaders Defending Suicide Attacks Palestinian Security Commitments Palestinian Anti-Semitism Prison or Hotel? PLO’s Open Door â€Å"Jail† Sheltered Jerusalem Bombers from Israel. Now, one thing in looking at these headlines is that although the conflict can be said to undeniably the same in regards to death, suicide bombers, and the level of terrorism, these articles have very little to do with reporting that issue. Instead, they promote the Palestinian government and its ability to â€Å"quell† the violence and attacks. And, this time when a bit of violence is mentioned, it stands out enough that people can read it, then read the next news about that violence being stamped out and come to an understanding that their government is doing everything in its power to take control of the country and make things safe. Moreover, each instance of violence is discussed and â€Å"defended† or â€Å"sheltered. † While these are probably the most insane and contradictory headlines of the year, they actually show a bit about the society of the time and what the public agenda was. Cleary, this was a time of being unable to admit that terrorism was a real thing, a real threat to communities even though they had been fighting a war for some hundred years. The same headlines were probably used when the United States first saw terrorist attacks, before the events of 9/11. Terrorism wasn’t even a word, or a word often used in the common vernacular, before the real attacks began, because the media didn’t want the readership to feel threaten. This way, by keeping such terms on the down low, or by making them look like flukes, easily put down by the government, the media could control the public agenda and make them believe that such things were easily enough thwarted that there was no need to worry. In an effort for fairness and uniformity, these same ten headlines will now be looked over for words of repetition. These are the main words: Authority –used 3 times Violation –used 2 times Quell –used 1 time. Commitments –used 2 times Killed –used 1 time Terror –used 1 time Attack –used 2 times Violence –used 1 time Suicide –used 1 time Defending –used 1 time Sheltered –used 1 time From these keywords, it is easy to conclude that the public agenda was much different for the mass media than it was in 2004. These years (1997-1998) were much more about promoting the government and putting down the terrorism enough that it didn’t even seem to exist. And in instances where they could do nothing but report it, the same headlines â€Å"quell† it or â€Å"defend† the terrorism to make the public believe that the situation is much different than it is. But that’s the purpose of framing in the media. And, from these examples, they have their job down. Summary and Conclusion. Well, the data doesn’t lie. Whoever controls the media (and someone does, be sure of that) controls the public agenda and what is dolled out as information as well as the why, when, and how of things. The simple fact is this: the news is not reliable. For the real numbers, perhaps only the fan sites tell the truth of things because freedom of speech still exists on the internet, if no where else. Now, not all sites and sources online are to be trusted and blah, blah, blah, but is the published report or the prime time special with Barbara Walters to be trusted either? Who can be trusted when it comes to the cold, hard, nitty-gritty truth? Well, the one thing that the American public can trust is themselves (for those willing to listen, at least). Freedom of speech was granted for the media to tell the tales they wanted to tell when the aristocracy got a little grabby, but times have changed and so has the media. Now, the only real media is the media and press that makes the most money. Without money, even small town newspapers and stations fail, and they might be the only source of news for miles around. One would think that readership would boost things a bit, but the real money is handed out by advertisers who want certain things printed and certain things revealed as deemed fit by the big guys in charge of the nation. And those big guys only share information as framed specifically for the public agenda. It’s their job. The sad truth is that the dog is wagging its tail here, vigorously, but the American public doesn’t even know what that means. Appendix. From the 1997-1998 Angel for Israel News Archive: 1997-1998 Unilateral Measures Taken By the Palestinian Authority In Violation of Oslo Provided by the Government Press Office 1997 Palestinian Authoritys Failure To Quell The Riots in Hebron Violates The Accord Provided by the Government Press Office PLOS Hiring of 150 Terrorists as Policemen Is Blatant Violation of Oslo July 1, 1997 Palestinian Authority Failed To Fulfill Its Commitments Under the Hebron Accord Provided by the Government Press Office July 1997 18 Killed In Jerusalem Terror Attack JERUSALEM (July 30) Two explosions blasted through Jerusalems busy Mahane Yehuda fruit and vegetable marketplace at 1. 15 pm this afternoon at the height of the shopping day. Initial police reports placed the death toll at 18 and over 100 injured. Jerusalem Post July 30, 1997 Palestinian Incitement To Violence Since Oslo A Four-Year Compendium Provided by the Government Press Office August 1997 Pronouncements By Moslem Religious Leaders Defending Suicide Attacks Compiled by the Israel Foreign Ministry September 1997 Palestinian Security Commitments The report was released by the Government Press Office September 9, 1997 Palestinian Anti-Semitism by Nadav Haetzni, Maariv Weekend Supplement, p. 21 September 12, 1997. Prison Or Hotel? PLOs Open-Door Jail Sheltered Jerusalem Bombers From Israel September 24, 1997 From the 2004 Angel for Israel News Archive: 2004 Female Suicide Bomber Explodes At Erez Crossing, Killing Four Israelis Israel Insider 14 Jan 2004 Hamas Woman Bomber Kills Israelis BBC News 14 Jan 2004 Suicide Attack On Jerusalem Bus BBC News 29 Jan 2004 Hamas Threatens Soldier Kidnaps BBC News 30 Jan 2004 Suicide Bomber Kills 10 Israelis By Nancy Updike, Boston Globe 30 Jan 2004 Prisoners Freed As Bomb Kills 10 In Israel By Chris McGreal, Guardian Unlimited 30 Jan 2004 Suicide Bomber Hits Jerusalem Bus BBC News. 22 Feb 2004 Suicide Bomber Kills 8 In Jerusalem Washington Post 23 Feb 2004 Terrorists Infiltrate Erez Industrial Area, Killing Israeli Soldier By Ellis Shuman, Israel Insider 26 Feb 2004 Couple Killed In Their Car Between Hebron and Beersheba, Terrorism Suspected Israel Insider 27 Feb 2004. Works Consulted. Angel For Israel. Articles from â€Å"Selected News Articles 2004† and â€Å"Selected News Articles 1997-1998. http://www. angelfire. com/mi4/angelforisrael/israel/news. html Londono, Ernesto and Sudarsan Raghavan. â€Å"118 Shiite Pilgrims Killed in Iraq Attacks: Violence Comes Days After 9 GI’s Died in Blasts. † March 7, 2001. http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/06/AR2007030600181. html Villelabeitia, Ibon. â€Å"Nine US Soldiers Killed North of Baghdad. † March 6, 2007. http://www. alertnet. org/thenews/newsdesk/L06363337. htm Griffis, Margaret, Ed. â€Å"Casualties in Iraq: The Human Cost of Occupation. † March 14, 2007. http://antiwar. com/casualties/ Wikipedia. com. â€Å"Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. † March 13, 2007. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Israeli-Palestinian_conflict —. â€Å"Wikipedia: Recentism. † March 13, 2007. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Wikipedia:Recentism.

Teen Curfews are NOT Necessary Essay -- miscellaneous

Teen Curfews are NOT Necessary â€Å"In one study the average adult surmised that teens amount for forty-three percent of all violent crimes, when in reality the number is only a mere thirteen percent, and this number is made up of only half a percent of minors.† (Stoup, Page 1) Teenagers should not be forced to follow a ridged time schedule because of a curfew. Curfews severely reduce the amount of time that minors have to do things like youth events or church groups. Some people believe that youth are inexperienced drivers that cause accidents and that a curfew would limit these accidents. Think about that for a moment removing teenagers from the road would reduce accidents but Wouldn’t Removing People aged thirty-forty also reduce traffic accidents does that mean that they are inexperienced drivers. Curfews are a quick to a much bigger problem youth are not the only ones committing crimes. Eighty-seven percent of crime is caused by adults over the age of eighteen and the amount of minors causing c rimes is only half a percent. Legitimate Reasons some Teens have them â€Å"Many will have part-time jobs, for example in fast-food restaurants or delivering newspapers. Others will wish to participate in activities such as church groups, youth clubs or school trips. Requiring adults always to take them to and from such activities is unreasonable and will ensure that many never take place in the first place, either because adults are unwilling, or are unable to do so.† (Endersby Page 3) S...

Personal Quality Essay

When there seems the world is all against one, when it seems efforts are not yielding as expected and there is rather no companion to encourage and carry on with a task at hand, a residual doggedness and resilience becomes the most important personal tools necessary to fuel the battle to success. My standard is beyond meeting average, average is rather a stepping stone to my destiny; it is no point to rest laurel and celebrate. We live in a competitive world, as such; it becomes a persona to keep fit with the survival strategy to achieve remarkable impact amidst brilliant minds. Determination is the backbone or central to the passion sustaining my resilience and doggedness when involve in a task. I have got the lots to ensure a living beyond mediocrity. In my understanding, I see no one ever oozing his way out of mediocrity like a lazy slug. Everyone I know who models a high level of excellence has won the battle of the mind and taken the right captivating thoughts. However, with risks, the individuals have chosen to fill the role of an active pen flowing with ink rather than a passive blotter that only sits and soaks what others do; they have decided to get personally involved with life rather than sitting back, frowning and watching life dwindling to a trickle and ultimately stagnating. The power of their mind expounds the basis for determination leading to the evident doggedness and resilience on the path of success. Secondly I cherish team spirit. This is one of the leading qualities of a real-time organization or researching team in institution. A contributing skill requires excellent team spirit at work without lackadaisical attitude to one’s assigned role in a cooperative academic work. The difficulty I have faced when i arrived in this country was language understanding but my intellectual curiosity and personal talent have helped me overcome that barrier tremendously. My personal achievement helped me to discover a sense of individuality and to envision the contributions I might make it to UC Universities. Furthermore, the difficulty i faced when my father was diagnosed with cancer was equally developing after all. Unfortunately i had to work and go to school at the same time that was when my GPA had dropped a bit. But this accomplishment had me persistent to work harder in school and also had me mentally tougher to face the unpredictable challenges in school and life. Now I know that life is not constant and doesn’t stay in one situation for ever. With the excellent involvement in Hospital voluntary groups for two years, I have realized now that I have to take more responsibility in life in order for me to achieve my goal. I have always dreamt of being a doctor and there I strongly believe nothing can stop me from achieving this goal. This has been my life long dream. These experiences in life have helped me grow, learn and emerged my high level of maturity.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Essay

One should not stop going for what they want. Through the struggles and obstacles being thrown at two people who are in love but the others may not be able to see it, they will always find a way back to each other. This book demonstrates the hardship two young people who are in love to find a way to each other even though at the time, interracial dating was not very common and looked down upon. During the Japanese internment in WWII, Henry, who is a first-generation Chinese American, went to an only non-white school was forced to work in the kitchen during lunch and clean after school because that was how his â€Å"scholarship† was being paid for. At that school, he met a Japanese-American girl named Keiko and became friends instantly. Even though Henry’s father was not very fond of the â€Å"enemy† Japanese people, that did not stop Henry from being her friend. One night, both Henry and Keiko snuck out to see each other. When they saw each other, Keiko gave him her family pictures because all Japanese had to get rid of any possession that could link them being known as Japanese so they could avoid being taken away. Japantown was filled with families and businesses who were forced to shut down and leave to the safer internment camps. Henry had to go through that pain of watching Keiko’s entire family leave, he was helpless to stop them but at the same time afraid that he would be herded with them for his similar physical appearance. Because it was a tradition for the Chinese to send their children back to China to complete their schooling, that is what Henry’s father did. He sent him back to China. He agrees to go if his father saves the Panama Hotel where Keiko’s family stored a lot of their belongings when they were shipped to the internment camps. While sending letters back and forth letters to Keiko, that is how Henry met the women he ended up marrying, Ethel. She worked at the post office and befriended him. As the war was going on, Keiko’s letters stop coming. The only reason why Keiko’s letter stops coming because his father interfered with the delivery of the mail for Henry’s own good. That is when Henry eventually moves on with his life, finishes school and marrying Ethel, but does not forget about Keiko. After the wife dies of  cancer he tries to find meaning for living. By doing so he goes back and visits the last Japanese habitation, which was the Panama Hotel. He never really forgot about Keiko, that was his first love. Even though Henry’s son, Marty, and Henry were not close, slowly but surely he eventually told him about Keiko. Marty and his fiancà © go out finding Keiko and sends Henry to New York to be reunited with his first love, Keiko. Being in Henry’s father’s shoes, I could see why he stopped the communication between Henry and Keiko. He was really just doing what is best for his children. At that time interracial relationships were not common but I guess nowadays parents cannot really choose who is going to marry their children. You cannot help how you feel and when you feel a certain way you will do whatever it takes to be back with the one you love. I think it was so cute how Keiko and Henry sent letters back and forth, nowadays it is only text messages or snapchats being sent. There was no sentimental feeling like there was before. Now we rely on technology as our form of communication and that is why some relationships fail. It is hard bringing your culture to America especially when you want to live the American lifestyle or culture. I know Henry’s father did not want him speaking Cantonese at home because if he spoke English, he would be more acceptable as an American. He was proud that Henry was going to an American school but of course he was not going to let some of the traditions go so therefore sends him to China. Henry’s father’s morals are very different with Henry as he grows up to being a father. When Henry has a son who is planning on marrying an American girl. At that time, dating outside the race is more acceptable. With me dating outside the Filipino race, my parents are okay with that. To them race does not matter. What matters is how the other person feels about you and vice versa. One that cares for you, takes care of you, and how they treat you should be the bigger concern and not the race. I always thought I would have to date within my race because I know that is what my parents would want, but they told me race should not matter. It is just how the other person can make you feel that matters the most. As long as I am happy, my parents are happy. I wish Henry’s father saw that Henry was happy with Keiko, but since his father was not very fond of the  Japanese, he did everything he can for them not to keep in contact. The story ends on a sweet note. The first thing Henry says when they meet was a Japanese phrase to tell her how beautiful she was, that he learned when he was a boy. Through the search from the city and pain and memories Henry had in the past, finding Keiko was the main purpose in his life. He wanted to be rekindled with his first love again. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet did a good job at alternating between telling the story at adolescent Henry’s war years with his later life in 1986. The author manages to tell the story of the Japanese evacuation, of the struggles between generations in immigrant families, and of the friendship that later turned into love between Henry and Keiko. This book also tells an important story, that of the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II and it was heartbreaking to watch Keiko’s family as they were evacuated, despite the fact that her family was more â€Å"American† than Japanese, and that Keiko was born in the U.S. Keiko’s frustration at seeing those of Japanese heritage taken away and her family’s strength as they are forced to leave behind their entire life is hard. I cannot image being taken to an unknown place with my family because of who we were. I liked how the author incorporated the generation of Chinese-American Henry and his immigrant parents. Henry’s father demands that he speak only English in their home, despite the fact that this leaves Henry unable to communicate with his parents but be more acceptable to the American culture. This book was overall a touching book. It was more than a love story between two people, it was the hardships that was going on during the WWII that kept those two from being with each other and with Henry’s father stopping communication between Keiko and Henry. I had mixed emotions because I was happy they found their way back to each other but at the same time I was upset because I wanted to know what would happen next.

To Clone or Not to Clone...That is the Question. This essay provides reasonable arguments going for human cloning.

To Clone or Not to Clone...That is the Question. This essay provides reasonable arguments going for human cloning. Wouldn't it be great if people could have children regardless of any diseases or even of their gender? Well, with human cloning, this may no longer be a dilemma to the human race. This is one of the many reasons why you should support human cloning. In addition to having a great and positive medical perspective, cloning allows individuals of great genius or talent to be duplicated and infertile or homosexual couples offspring.First of all, cloning has a very positive medical perspective. "Cloning would help scientists to understand the causes of miscarriages ? and eventually treat stillbirths or spontaneous abortion." Parents who risk passing defects into their children (through natural reproduction) can easily avoid the problems by using cloning. If a sick husband had some sort of disease, then the robust wife of that couple can just be cloned to produce a fit baby. Furthermore, damaged nervous systems could be easily treated through cloning, too.The symbol for the Raà «lian Founda tion can be seen...In the end, many diseases such as mental or physical retardation could be avoided.Secondly, cloning can allow families or societies to reproduce individuals of great genius or talent. Famous and bright scientist may be cloned so they can invent better technology or bring more intelligence to the world. We could also clone individuals who are alive and then being them together to work as a team. They may even find a cure for deadly diseases such as a cancer. Can you imagine how exceptional our world would be if we created another Steven Hawkings? Therefore, we are not harming anyone or anything with human cloning, but we are instead working for a better future by adding useful knowledge to the world.Lastly, human cloning offers infertile or homosexual couples children. There are many people who dream of and try to...

Writing with Rhythm

Writing with Rhythm Writing with Rhythm Writing with Rhythm By Guest Author This is a guest post by Hugh Ashton. If you want to write for Daily Writing Tips check the guidelines here. When I was substantially younger than I am now, I wrote masses of anguished adolescent poetry. My favorite verse form was the sonnet, a style and format that is maybe little surprising for a teenager to be writing. For those who slept through this part of their English course, a sonnet is a formal 14-line poem with a complex rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter. I no longer indulge in such musings, but I learned many tricks and techniques from writing my sonnets and other poems. First and foremost, writing poetry, especially formal poetry, tells you a good deal about the internal rhythms of the English language. Most of the spoken English language moves to a fundamental iambic rhythm: di-DUM di-DUM di-DUM. Put five of these together and you have a line of blank verse: Now is the winter of our discontent Or Is this the face that launched a thousand ships? Or The stars move still, time runs, the clock will strike, The devil will come, and Faustus must be damnd. In the second line of the last quotation, note how Marlowe breaks the rhythm slightly for emphasis (if you dont slur the word devil into one syllable, that is), and then reverts to the set rhythm for the second half of the line. You dont have to write in this formal style, of course, but you should make yourself aware of the internal stresses in English prose, and how they carry readers through your writing. Until relatively recently (a few hundred years ago), all reading was done out loud everyone read by vocalising the written words. When these rules of internal rhythm are broken, as in this quotation from a camera manual, the result is clotted prose prose which does not flow: Depth of field is the area of acceptable sharpness in front of and behind the subject in focus. The larger the F-number used (from F2.8 to F22), the deeper the depth of field. On the contrary, the smaller the F-number (from F22 to F2.8), the shallower this zone of acceptable sharpness. Its not bad English its free of jargon but its not good either. Another reason why these sentences do not flow is the lack of macro rhythm,the pauses for comprehension (and breath!) in the middle of a sentence. For another example, take this sentence from a recent Pentagon report: There is a crisis of confidence among Afghans in both their government and the international community that both undermines our credibility and emboldens the insurgents. If you read this out loud, its all got to be done in one breath. Theres no pattern to the sentence. By the time youve got to the end, you forget what the beginning was like. Heres a suggested rewriting: The Afghan people are experiencing a crisis of confidence in both their own government and the international community, and this is undermining our credibility, as well as emboldening the insurgents. Not perfect Id probably split this sentence into two but the sentence now has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Note how there is also an implied contrast between the Afghan people and the insurgents in my version that is somewhat lacking in the Pentagon original. Returning to my youthful bad poetry (and here is an example of super-macro rhythm in a piece of writing the thematic tie-up between the start of a piece and the end), the other major thing I learned from writing formal verse was to use a mental thesaurus, and not to be afraid to change the order of my words. I say a mental thesaurus, because a paper thesaurus can be too restrictive; wandering around the canyons of your mind can produce some interesting twists and turns that would never be explored using a printed page. Its all too easy to write bad ungrammatical verse: As on my bed I toss and turn Remembering things I tried to learn But relatively easy to recast these lines into something more grammatical and natural: Im lying wide-eyed in my bed While half-learned facts race round my head By forcing the grammar to be natural, I have also forced myself to think of different words and thereby avoid clichà ©s and hackneyed phrases. It works for prose too. Try to read your work out loud before you submit it. Does it work as a live reading? Does the language flow? Do the sentences hang together? Does the piece have thematic coherency? In other words, have you got rhythm? Hugh Ashton is a writer and journalist who has lived in Japan for the past 21 years. As a copywriter and rewriter of translated material, he has become increasingly pernickety and critical of his own writing and that of others. His latest published work is an alternate history novel, Beneath Gray Skies, which is available from Amazon, etc. Details of the book may be found at beneathgrayskies.com. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†8 Types of Parenthetical PhrasesCapitalizing Titles of People and Groups

Standardization of English in the British Isles Coursework

Standardization of English in the British Isles - Coursework Example Standardization of the English language was achievable for Britain soon after the borrowing of numerous vocabularies from its colonies all over the globe. The English utilized by Britain was comprehensive or all-inclusive offering diversity to the language. English was rarely exploited before standardization since other languages such as Latin and Norman French were utilized in various distinctive fields of study and administration. However, the respectability of the English language progressively rose through the years in an attempt to acquire full standards. Standardization of English within the British Isles meant normalization, which is considered containment of any prevalent discretionary variations concerning the grammatical aspects (Trudgill 1984, 32). This implied that standardization could only be accomplished within the written channel.In view of changes that took place in presenting what is considered Standard English numerous restructurings were carried out to bring about these changes. Reconstructing pronunciation, therefore, can be considered, one of the elements that contributed to the standardization of the English language inside the British Isles (Cote 2006, 3). Writers between the 16th and 17th century imparted efforts on pronunciation. Reconstructions were also done on spelling both casual and informal in individual letters in dissimilar dialects.In the past, the populace utilized dialects as forms of interactions in their societal contexts. During this time, little existed about Standard English all over the globe, since the tongue had not been integrated, with other languages, to develop the standard language. Therefore, there existed disparities in spoken English within different societal contexts, due to the existence of diverse dialects for different factions of the populace. Although dialects were as a result of geographical and social incidences. Dialects have been associated markedly with sociolinguistics, which relates to social att itudes. However, with time dialect has lost its value with the emergence of status among the general populace. The dialect lost its value during the years in history when people started gaining identities, and social status leading to the development of more formal language free of dialects. Introduction of Standard English in the British Isles, therefore, became a reality with the subject of identity and social status.

Apple Strategy (1984-2004) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Apple Strategy (1984-2004) - Essay Example It employs about 14,800 people. Apple experienced good success during the late 1980s but testing times during the 90s. John Sculley, previously the CEO joined Apple in 1983. Sculley had the valuable experience of the 'Cola-War' between Coke and Pepsi. He was full of marketing ideas and wanted to implement them in Apple as well. Steven Jobs, more of technology oriented initially found this approach little weird, but later gave Sculley a free hand. Realizing the importance of strategic alliance, Apple had a tie up with IBM in 1991 to target the areas where Apple lacked the developmental skills but owing to cultural and other differences the alliance did not last long. Sculley did an introspection and identified some key areas where more professionalism was required in the approach of Apple. For example discipline, work schedule and cost management were the areas put on notice. As part of marketing strategy, Apple also reduced the prices of existing products. But somehow this resulted in losses for Apple. In the meantime Sculley also propagated the 'Newton' series of notebooks, but somehow this series did not have many takers in the market, which resulted in further financial losses. Sculley was then replace with Michael Spindler in 1993 who lasted only three years making way for Gil Amelio, who came out with the Macintosh product range for designers and artists. From here onward Apple brought out radical changes in the marketi ng strategies as well. Amelio also realized that the 'free for all' culture where anybody was free to defy anybody in the company, is causing losses to the company. He believed in more conventional strategy where project managers are supposed to sincerely implement the strategies devised by the strategists, whatever the outcome. Apple thrived on its core competency of 'making the technology easy to use'. Amelio decided to make fullest use of this core competency in areas other than the PC segment. Apple started working on 'Copeland' the new operating system. IT experts started predicting that with the Copeland -1996 will prove to be an advance version of Windows-95. But declining sales and falling profits did not allow the launch of Copeland on time. However Apple acquired another software company NeXT with Steven Jobs back in saddle. NeXT too did not find wide acceptability in the market. This resulted in another round of introspection in Apple hierarchy. Executives from NeXT took over majority of the management portfolios. Workforce was drastically reduced, which paved the way for exit of Amelio. This, coupled with declining sales, gave rise to intense speculation in the industry about the future course of action that Apple will be taking. In August 1997 Steve Jobs announced a strategic tie-up with its lon g time rival Microsoft. Microsoft invested $150 million in Apple and the agreement stated that, 'Microsoft would develop and distribute office applications fro the Apple Macintosh while Apple would bundle Microsoft's Internet Explorer in future Mac products.' This provided a new lease of life for Apple, while for Microsoft it was a strategic move to lower the level of competition in the industry. As a result of this tie up Apple became profitable again in 1998. Now the challenging task for Jobs was to widen the market for Mac, because so far Mac was popular amongst

Physical Geography Articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Physical Geography Articles - Essay Example This article tries to define sand dune and ripples and the cause-effect relationship. The author argues that sand dunes are result of sand waves which piles up with a particular pattern over a large area mostly of desert. However, the article shows that bedforms that result to such land forms are not only caused by wind but any other fluid. It is therefore important to note that climate factor which in turn influences movement of wind and water is responsible for the various landforms that characterize Earth surface. The central idea of the article is that Dunes and ripples are considered bedforms. Increasing changes in global climate has significant effect on various land forms. The deserts are particularly in danger as temperatures plummets and humidity dwindles. The little vegetation that covers desert landforms is at the brink of complete elimination. In other words, deserts that already have scanty vegetation cover are likely to be transformed to bare land. This would lead to other features like sand dunes among others. Besides, the trend in the desert change is closely associated with rising water levels due to increasing global temperature that melts ice. This article therefor offers an insight into the complex consequences of climate change of various landforms. This article centers on the unforeseen benefits of global warming as the ice melts. The Glacial melt constitute shift of more iron deposits which are seen as facilitating growth of phytoplankton. These phytoplankton in turn help in absorbing excess carbon dioxide with marginal reduction in greenhouse effect. This fertilization observation is attributed to the silver lining that can be observed on glacial landscapes. The author of the article therefore offers an insight into the existing relationship between physical geography and climate

Amniotic Fluid Volume In Pregnancy

Amniotic Fluid Volume In Pregnancy Objectives . To assess the relationship between the amniotic fluid volume (AFV) in low risk pregnancy and the perinatal outcome, using either AFI or SDP, and to evaluate the effects of different fetal positions and Attitudes on those measurements Methods . A prospective study was performed, in which a sample of 3000 low-risk pregnant women were studied using routine ultrasound, including fetal biometry and measurement of AFI, and SDP. Data were analysed using multiple linear regression, and constructing a curve for both the AFI, and SDP measurements, according to gestational age, the fetal positions and attitudes, in addition to the assessment of the final perinatal outcome. Results . The 50th percentile remained practically constant at approximately 150 mm between the 20th and 33rd week, after which there was a decline in volume, which became evident after the 38th week. At the 40th week, the 10th percentile was around 62 mm and the 2.5th percentile around 33 mm. Among the group with intact membranes, no significant differences in perinatal outcome could be seen in relationship to the AFI and SDP, although a 50% increase in emergency operations for fetal distress was seen in women with oligohydramnios. Fetal position had significantly affected the AFI, which was remarkably lower in breech pregnancies, but without similar effect on SDP. There was no significant difference for either SDP (P = 0.8) or AFI (P = 0.3) between fetuses lying on the right or the left side of the maternal abdomen. Conclusions . The percentiles incidence of amniotic fluid measurements in low-risk pregnant women showed significant decrease with gestational age, especially after the 33rd week pregnancy. Fetal position and laterality had affected significantly the AFI, but not the SDP. Key words: Amniotic fluid index, low-risk pregnancy, obstetric ultrasonography Abbreviations: AFI: amniotic fluid index, AFV: amniotic fluid volume, GA: gestational age, p: percentile Introduction The importance of variations in volume of amniotic fluid to fetal well-being has been particularly well-established, and are closely correlated to an increase in perinatal mortality and morbidity rates (1, 2), although some doubts have recently been raised (3). Fetal well-being is an important question that can, however, remain unanswered in many situations, but progress in diagnostic techniques has resulted in better perinatal outcomes, and has also contributed to understanding the complex physiological and pathological interaction between fetus and mother (4, 5). AFI and SDP are the sonographic parameters most commonly used to estimate amniotic fluid volume. Both use a two-dimensional measurement to estimate a three- dimensional parameter and are therefore subject to error. Amniotic fluid index (AFI), a semiquantitative ultrasound measure used to denote the volume of amniotic fluid, was first described in 1987 by Phelan et al. (6, 7). Since AFI involves measurements in four quadrants and SDP only measures the deepest pocket, it is possible that fetal position would affect these two indices differently. The relative accuracy of SDP and AFI is still controversial. Using invasive methods, some studies have shown these methods to be comparable, while others have shown that one index might be better than the other. However, none of these studies took into account the potential effect of fetal position on the amniotic fluid volume indices (8). Many studies have shown an increased risk of intrapartal fetal distress in parturient women with oligohydramnios, as identified by ultrasound examination. The exact pathophysiologic mechanism of olighydramnios has not been defined, but one likely explanation is an increased risk of umbilical cord compression during uterine contractions (7,9). However, doubts remain concerning normal values of AFI for each gestational age. The reference curves established some years ago are still in use in current obstetrical practice, but there is a need for new data, using a reliable reference low-risk pregnant women sample, to establish the limits of AFI that would indicate perinatal risk (9). Some existing curves (10 13), were based on relatively small sample sizes, and normal AFI for each gestational age was not yet definitely established. The purpose of this study was to estimate the curve for the amniotic fluid volume in low risk pregnancy, using a set of obstetric sonograms of women between the 20th and 42nd week, using two established parameters, the AFI and SDP, and to assess the effects of those measurements on the final perinatal outcome, in addition to studying the effects of different fetal positions and attitudes on those measured parameters. Material and methods A prospective study was carried out to estimate and evaluate the reference curve of AFI values in low-risk pregnant women, and to follow its effects on the final perinatal outcome. The study was performed at the Feto-maternal Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at El-Minya University, Egypt. Inclusion criteria were: gestational age clearly established by last menstrual period, and confirmed by early ultrasound examination performed in first trimester of pregnancy; and gestational age between 20 and 42 weeks. Women excluded were those with pregnancy-induced hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic hypertension, gestational diabetes, fetal macrosomia, ruptured membranes, placental senescence, twin pregnancy, fetal growth restriction, fetal abnormalities, fetal death, fetal isoimmunisation, or other conditions, such as metabolic disorders, kidney and heart disorders, and hypo- and hyperthyroidism. Amniotic fluid volume was measured using a 3.5 MHz linear transducer linked to a ALOKA SS 280. A scanner using the 4-quadrant technique for the assessment of AFV, described by Phelan et al.(6, 7, 9), with a modification proposed by Jeng et al.(11). A total of 3000 women between the 20th and 42nd week of pregnancy were evaluated in this study, between August 2008 and December 2010. In order to avoid any possible bias due to repetition of examinations in women with some undetected problem, an independent sample was chosen. Therefore, only the first ultrasonographic examination of each woman was included in the study, and different sample populations were used for each gestational age, in a cross-sectional design. A formal consent had been taken form the women included in the study, after full explanation and counseling, and approval of the regional ethical committee. The uterus was imaginarily divided into right and left halves along the linea nigra on the surface of the maternal abdomen. Using the mid-point between the fundus uteri and the pubic symphysis, the uterus was also divided into upper and lower halves. With the transducer head perpendicular to the ground, the largest amniotic fluid pocket in each quadrant was identified. The vertical diameter of this largest pocket of each one of the four quadrants was then measured. The AFI was defined as the sum of the measurements of each quadrant in millimeters. All examinations were performed by only one professional in order to avoid inter-observer variability. The intra-observer variability of the measures performed with this technique was estimated to be high (correlation coefficient 0.92) (14-18). Both AFI and SDP were measured at the same time during the examination. SDP was obtained by measuring the depth of the single deepest vertical amniotic fluid pocket that was clear of umbilical cord or fetal parts (19,20). AFI was calculated as the sum of the depths of the deepest pockets from each of the four quadrants of the uterus. The position of the fetal trunk was characterized by three parameters. Initially, the ultrasound probe was placed transversely on the maternal abdominal wall, with the midpoint of the probe over the sagittal midline of the maternal abdomen, at the level of the fetal abdominal circumference (Figure 1). A vertical line (Line Y) was drawn downwards from the center of the ultrasound probe. A horizontal line (Line X) was drawn across the maximum diameter of the fetal abdominal circumference. Line X was thus divided by Line Y into a shorter part (S) and a longer part (L). The first parameter to be determined was the position of the fetal trunk. This was assigned as either fetal trunk left or fetal trunk right depending on whether L was on the left or the right side, respectively, of the maternal abdomen (21-24). Next, we determined by how much the fetal trunk lay to one side of the uterus, by calculating the laterality score, defined as S/(S + L). This score ranged from 0 to 0.5; a score of exactly 0.5 meant that the fetal trunk was on the sagittal midline of the maternal abdomen, and a score of 0 meant that the fetal trunk was to the side and did not cross over Line Y. The use of the laterality score has not been reported previously. Finally, we determined the orientation of the ventral part of the fetal abdomen: a line (Line Z) was drawn from the fetal hepatic vein to the fetal spine, and the angle (A) between Lines Z and Y was determined. Fetuses were classified into one of three groups: ventral anterior (A = 300.1 360- or0-60-), ventral lateral (A = 60.1 120- or 240.1 300-) and ventral posterior (A= 120.1 240-). Figure I. The study population was categorized into different groups according to the fetal position, and AFI and SDP in the different groups were compared. Pearsons correlation coefficient between laterality score and AFI was considered the primary outcome measure. For an r of 0.25, a minimum of 62 cases was needed at a Type I error of 0.05. Based on the curve of Jeng et al. (25), and adopting a mean AFI measurement of 140 mm at 40 weeks, and a standard deviation of 48 mm, a sample size of at least 120 measurements for each week of pregnancy was estimated, assuming an ÃŽ ± error of 0.05 and a maximum difference of 10 mm between population and sample measurements. The AFI was correlated to perinatal outcome based on the Apgar score, umbilical cord blood pH, birthweight, frequency of cesarean section for fetal distress, operative delivery for fetal distress, including both cesarean section, vaginal forceps, and ventous extractions, and referral to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Fishers exact test was used for statistical evaluation. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The computer program nQuary Advisor Release 3 (Statistical Solutions Ltd, Cork, Ireland) was used to calculate the sample size needed in order to obtain significance levels at p < 0.05 and 0.01 with 90% confidence intervals (CI). Data were analysed using multiple linear regression, and by constructing a curve of the 2.5th, 10th, 50th, 90th and 97.5th percentiles of the amniotic fluid measurements according to gestational age. All statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences for Windows version 10.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA). Students t- test, Pearsons correlation coefficient, linear regression and ANOVA were used as appropriate. A P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The 3000 pregnant women included in the study had a mean age of 25.9 years (range 13 46), with low parity (45% were primigravida). The sample was basically from a low risk population because of the exclusion criteria used. The values of the 2.5th, 10th, 50th, 90th and 97.5th percentiles of the AFI, and SDP according to gestational age are shown in Figure II, III and IV show the data after being submitted to a smoothing process using quadratic polynomial adjustments. Analysis of the 50th percentile measurements of the AFI, and SDP curve at different gestational ages revealed that these values remained practically constant, at around 150 mm, between the 20th and 33rd week of pregnancy. At this point, values began to decrease, and this decline became particularly evident after the 38th week, reaching 130 mm at the 39th week, 120 mm at the 41st week and 116 mm at the 42nd week of gestation. Table I, and II The mean gestational age at the time of examination was 33.3 Â ± 2.8 weeks. The mean SDP and AFI were 5.5 (range, 2.8 9.3) cm and 14.5 (range, 6.7 29.3) cm, respectively. There were no significant differences in mean AFI measurements when these data were controlled for age, race, literacy, parity or previous caesarean scar (data already published elsewhere) (18). Measurements of the 10th percentile remained 100 mm until the 33rd week, when an accentuated decrease started, declining even more sharply after the 38th week of gestation, reaching values 80 mm and 40 mm at the 42nd week. According to the published normal ranges, six cases had polyhydramnios (AFI = 29.3 cm at 29 weeks gestation, SDP = 9.1 cm at 37 weeks and SDP = 9.3 cm at 33 weeks gestation) and two cases had oligohydramnios (AFI = 6.7 cm at 36 weeks gestation). Twelve hundreds and five (42%) cases were fetal trunk right and 1663 (58%) were fetal trunk left. There were no significant differences between these groups with respect to gestational age (33.1 Â ± 2.4 vs. 33.4 Â ± 2.7 weeks, P = 0.7), mean SDP (5.4 Â ± 1.3 vs. 5.5 Â ± 1.4 cm, P = 0.3) and mean AFI (15.1 Â ± 5.1 vs. 14.1 Â ± 4.0 cm, P = 0.8).Table III In fact, our results showed that fetal position had a significant effect on AFI but not on SDP; the more the fetus was positioned to one side of the uterus, the lower was the AFI. Both methods show good correlation between the measurements and the actual volume of amniotic fluid. The effect of laterality score on amniotic fluid volume indices was assessed by Pearsons correlation coefficient and linear regression. It had no significant effect on SDP (r = 0.13, ÃŽ ² = 1.1, standard error = 0.9, P = 0.23). However, it did significantly influence AFI (r = 0.31, ÃŽ ² = Transverse section of maternal trunk level of fetal abdomen8.7, standard error = 3.0, P = 0.005). The regression line is shown in Figure III. In other words, when the laterality score increased, the AFI increased proportionately. When the laterality score was 0.5 (fetal trunk positioned at the midline of the maternal abdomen), the AFI was, on average, 4.35 cm higher than it was when the laterality score was 0 (fetal trunk lay on the side and did not cross the midline of the maternal sagittal plane). Figure III, IV. There were two case of high AFI (29.3 cm) in the study population. In order to exclude the possibility that the results were influenced by this single case, we repeated the analysis quadrants of the ipsilateral side, the vertical depth of these two quadrants being be much shallower compared with those on the contralateral side. Although amniotic fluid should be displaced to the contralateral side, this may not be reflected completely in a two-dimensional measurement of the depth of the other two pockets. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that AFI measurement is lower when the fetus lies on one side of the uterus instead of centrally. The difference was statistically significant and is clinically important. When the fetus lay on one side of the uterus, the AFI was, on average, 4.35 cm lower compared with the AFI for a fetus lying centrally. On the contrary, SDP is apparently rather inert to fetal position. Since SDP only measures the deepest pocket, it is understandable that the effect of fetal position on its measurement is less. Based on the results of this study, SDP may be a better index for estimation of amniotic fluid volume than is AFI, because the association between SDP and laterality score remained non-significant (P = 0.4, ÃŽ ² = 0.8, standard error = 0.9). Further analysis was also performed with linear regression to control for the effect of gestational age. These results showed that the laterality score had a significant effect on AFI (ÃŽ ² = 9.6, standard error = 3.0, P = 0.002) that was independent of gestational age (ÃŽ ² = −0.4, standard error = 0.2, P = 0.019). AFI was significantly higher in cephalic fetal position, more than with breech ones. This result had been clearly apparent after 32 weeks gestation, and with less AFI with the ventral fetal trunk attitude with the breech position, than other. SDP had not show the same picture in different fetal positions, either breech or cephalic, so SDP as an AFV parameter had not been affected with the different fetal positions. Of the 3000 fetuses, 345 were ventral anterior, 1720 were ventral lateral and 803 were ventral posterior. The respective gestational ages of these groups were 33.5 Â ± 2.7, 32.8 Â ± 2.7 and 34.2 Â ± 2.8 weeks, the SDPs were 5.5 Â ± 1.4, 5.5 Â ± 1.3 and 5.5 Â ± 1.4 cm, and the AFIs were 14.5 Â ± 5.3, 14.4 Â ± 4.4 and 14.8 Â ± 4.4 cm. None of these was significantly different between the three groups (P = 1.0, P = 0.14 and P = 0.9, respectively). The 3000 pregnant women were divided into two subgroups according to the status of the fetal membranes. The membranes were found to be ruptured at the time of the examination in 1400 (44%) women; 750 (25%) had oligohydramnios. The membranes were intact in 1600 (55); 350 (15%) had hydramnios. Table I shows the maternal variables of the two groups. The median interval between the ultrasound examination and delivery was 4 h (range 0-24 h) in the group with ruptured membranes and 6 h (range 0-70 h) in those with intact membranes. In the group with ruptured membranes there was a significant difference in the frequency of operative delivery due to feta distress between the parturients with oligohydramnios and those with a normal volume of amniotic fluid [10.6% and 3.0%, respectively, p < 0.02, OR 3.86 (range 1.34-1.11)]. No significant differences were found regarding the other variables of perinatal outcome (Table II). In the group with intact membranes, there was a 50% increased risk of operative intervention due to fetal distress (OR 1.5), though not significant (CI 0.48-4.63) (Table III). Discussion There is a variation in AFI measurements according to gestational age. Values in the current study remain relatively constant until the 33rd week of pregnancy when a progressive decrease starts, becoming particularly evident after the 38th week of gestation. The normal lower and upper limit values of the AFI commonly used up to now, which vary between 50 and 200 mm, are similar to those found in the present study up to the 40th week of pregnancy. When adopting reference values between 80 and 180 mm for every week of pregnancy (19,20), incorrect diagnosis are likely to occur. Our findings, suggested a strong influence of fetal position on sonographic indices of amniotic fluid volume. Furthermore, we recruited women with apparently normal pregnancies and hence most likely with normal amniotic fluid volumes. Further studies should look at the relationship between fetal position and amniotic fluid volume indices in cases of oligohydramnios and polyhydramnios. Pregnant women, who are classified as having oligohydramnios by these criteria, may possibly be considered normal if a reference curve of AFI specific to gestational age were used, especially in term and post-term pregnancies. The adopted limit values indicating an alteration in the AFV are variable. For the fetal biophysical profile, the measurement of just one pocket is adopted, varying from 1 to 3 cm, and considered the lower normal limit by some authors (21,22); however, in this case, total volume would be considered decreased if the AFI were used. In fact, a RCT comparing both techniques showed an overestimation of abnormal results with AFI in post term pregnancies, increasing the number of obstetric interventions (23). These variations in classifying oligohydramnios reflect doubts regarding which percentiles best express the correlation between the decrease in AFV and poor fetal outcome. When the 50th percentile AFI was compared with that reported in a previous study (14), measurements were always higher in our study at all gestational ages by approximately 50 mm up to 28 weeks, and by 30 40 mm between 32 and 40 weeks of pregnancy. On the other hand, the current 50th percentile showed fewer variations, around 10 mm at all gestational ges, compared to the results of the indian study population (15). The importance of a curve that includes the 10th and 90th percentiles is reflected in its greater capacity to identify abnormal cases. Therefore, if the 10th percentile is used as the lower normal limit, there would be less likelihood of missing a case of real oligohydramnios. A curve that included the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles would diagnose fewer cases of abnormal AFI, and this could result in more cases of oligohydramnios or polyhydramnios being included within the normal range. By adopting the 10th percentile of AFI as the diagnosis for oligohydramnios in our population, the values are higher than those found for the Chinese study up to 36 weeks, but similar around 40 weeks of pregnancy (14). When we compare the results of this study to previous published curves (10-17), similarities can be seen for the 50th percentile of AFT at all gestational ages. However, when comparing the 2.5th percentile, it is evident that the measurements in Moore and Cayles curve are lower up to the 35th week of pregnancy, after which they are higher than the values found in our study curve. The 97.5th percentile of the Moore and Cayle curve is slightly higher at all gestational ages except for the 41st and 42nd weeks. The lower limit of 2 standard-deviations and the mean values of the Jeng et al. (11) curve are slightly lower in relation to the present curve at corresponding gestational ages, except from the 37th to the 42nd week, when values remain higher than those in the present curve. The definition of normal AFI cannot, in itself, guarantee good perinatal outcome. For instance, a 42-week pregnancy with an AFI of 45 mm would be considered normal, but how physiological this value is and what real risk it represents are questions that still need to be fully answered. If the correlation between AFV and perinatal outcome can be established, this curve may have a broader clinical application in prenatal diagnosis and care. Moreover, the curve of the 2.5th, 10th, 50th, 90th and 97.5th percentiles of the AFI measurements shows a significant decrease according to gestational age, especially after the 32nd week. This measurement could, therefore, considered a normal reference curve for the evaluation of AFI. The results of the present study suggest that oligohydramnios after rupture of the membranes in low-risk pregnancies is associated with a nearly four-fold increased risk of operative delivery due to fetal distress. An ultrasound examination of AFI could thus identify those who may need intensified fetal surveillance during labor. The present study was performed on a selected group of women with low-risk pregnancy. As AFI is one of the parameters checked in high-risk pregnancies at our hospital, these parturients were excluded in order to make the study blind. By adding high-risk pregnancies, a much smaller sample size would be needed. The frequency of oligohydramnios in cases with intact membranes was unexpectedly high: 15% instead of 5% in the controls. Although our pregnancies were low-risk, a few showed signs of pregnancy complications on admission to the labor ward (Table I), which might explain the higher frequency of oligohydramnios in this group. Although there was a significant correlation between operative delivery due to fetal distress and oligohydramnios in cases of ruptured membrane (Table II), sensitivity was low (11%), and false-positive and negative rates were 46% and 23%, respectively. Thus the knowledge of oligohydramnios in these low-risk pregnancies did not cause any immediate action, only more intense surveillance during labor. In the present study there was a 50% increased risk of operative fetal delivery due to fetal distress in parturients with oligohydramnios and intact membranes. Teoh et al. studied 120 pregnancies as an admission study in early labor with intact membranes. The frequency of oligohydramnios (AFI < 5 cm) in their study was 22%, and operative delivery due to fetal distress frequency among these was 27%. Based on these data, a sample size of 100 would be sufficient. We chose, however, three times that size, as the low-risk status of their population was uncertain (9, 11). The pathophysiology of oligohydramnios before membrane rupture is unclear. One theory is that a reduced perfusion of the placenta causes hypovolemia in the fetus, and/or an automatic redistribution of fetal blood volume to vital organs with a resultant reduced blood supply to the kidneys. This in turn could lead to reduced production of urine, and thus reduce the volume of amniotic fluid. Bar- Hava et al. studied signs of redistribution, renal blood flow, and signs of oligohydramnios, but could find no correlation. There was no change in the renal artery pulsatility index (12, 14, 19). Oligohydramnios in labor after the rupture of membranes in a low-risk pregnancy is probably not caused by a reduced perfusion of the placenta, but is more probably caused by the loss of large amounts of amniotic fluid at the time of the rupture. One explanation for the significantly increased risk of operative delivery due to fetal distress in the group with ruptured membranes might be that there is an increased risk of the umbilical cord becoming trapped in an ad- verse position, at the time of the rupture, if a large amount of amniotic fluid is lost. Amnioinfusion may be a way to treat such cases in order to restore the volume of amniotic fluid and reduce the risk of compression of the umbilical cord, thus averting the need for operative delivery (11, 21, 23). As a conclusion of the current study, assessment of the AFV during pregnancy using the SDP appears to be more accurate than the AFI, especially the SDP evaluation has not been affected significantly with either different fetal positions or attitudes, but still we are in need for further controlled studies to compare the accuracy of the two modes of AFV assessment. Another conclusion drawn from our study is that an ultrasound examination, including measurement of AFI as an admission test for women presenting at the labor ward with ruptured membranes after an uneventful pregnancy, could help identify those with an increased risk of intrapartum fetal distress, namely those with oligohydramnios. Moreover Measuring AFI in low-risk pregnancies on admission to the labor ward might detect cases needing special surveillance. We are currently preparing a new ongoing study, as an extension to the current study, comparing the previous two parameters of AFV assessment in high risk pregnancies, and the preliminary results could confirm the previously mentioned results, but it is too early to get to a final conclusion.