Effects of Different Antibiotics on E.coli Growth

Effects of Different Antibiotics on E.coli Growth The effects of antibiotics on the growth of Escherichia coli have been found in several studies and some recent studies have also focused on the tolerance and reduced growth levels in bacteria to examine the molecular changes that allow such as change. E. Coli and anti-microbial agents: In a study by Dixon et al (2004), the antibacterial effects of microcystin, which is, a cyanotoxin produced by Microcystis aeruginosa have been discussed. In the presence of microcystin, the inhibitory values for a range of hydrophobic inhibitors were significantly reduced. Dixon and his colleagues studied the direct effects of appropriate concentrations of microcystin on the integrity of bacterial inner and outer membranes and found that the presence of microcystin affects the permeability levels of entero-bacterial outer membranes. Tolerance to anti-microbial agents in seen in bacteria, which shows a slower growth rate or which no longer, multiplies. This is very common in the E. coli bacteria, which shows a decreased growth rate after being exposed to antibiotics. In clinical infections bacteria tend to multiply slowly and extended periods of anti-microbial chemotherapy are needed to eradicate these organisms and achieve complete cure. Hu and Coates (2005) used transposon mutagenesis to understand the molecular basis of antibiotic tolerance. The authors screened 5000 Escherichia coli mutants to see reductions of kanamycin tolerance in the late stationery phase and found that 4935 mutants were able to grow to the late stationery phase. The mutant KS639 was most sensitive to kanamycin. This variety of mutant showed an increased sensitivity to kanamycin and gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and rifampicin. From the data obtained it was seen that a mutant lacking intergenic regions showed reduced tolerance to kanamycin. T he studies show that interegenic regions in the E coli may be responsible for anti-microbial agents. In a study that tend to examine the effects of ciprofloxacin on E coli growth, Lueng et al studied the effects of the uptake and release of ciprofloxacin from a hydrophilic stent in an antibiotic solution and the effects of a ciprofloxacin loaded stent in inhibiting the growth of E.coli adherence were tested. The authors immersed segments of (hydrophilic stent) HS in 5 ml of ciprofloxacin solutions for 24 hours and ciprofloxacin remained in solution measure determined the uptake by the HS. CHS (ciprofloxacin-loaded stent) was placed in 5 ml of water for 24 hours and the released ciprofloxacin was measured. CHS was placed on culture plates with E coli and incubated and diameters of the inhibited zones were measured. CHS 0.5 cm in length was incubated in separate 5 ml E coli suspensions. This E coli was measured and compared with control HS. The results showed that zonal inhibition to growth of Escherichia coli was, proportional to the concentration of ciprofloxacin. Accordingly the au thors concluded that there was a free exchange (uptake and release) of ciprofloxacin along a concentration gradient between the antibiotic solution and HS. CHS reduced the number of adhered E coli, but the effect was short-livedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. Strains of E. coli and Resistance to Antibiotics: Strains of Escherichia coli that are capable of contaminating raw milk can show heightened resistance to anti-microbial drugs. The susceptibility of E. coli that originates in milk and milk products, meat and several antibiotics such as cotrimoxazole, streptomycin, cephalothin, neomycin and chloramphenicol, erythromycin, ampicillin and amikacin. The minimal inhibition concentrations were detected using a standard micro-dilution method. Babak et al (2004) stated the necessity to identify bacterial strains that have acquired potentially transmissible resistance to anti-microbial drugs. The study by Babak and his colleagues differentiated two kinds of E coli strains, one that is susceptible to the adverse effects of antibiotics and another that is resistant to anti-microbial drugs. There is a global expansion of bacterial resistance to anti-microbial agents such as methicillin and vancomycin with the Staphylococcus aureus showing increased resistance to methicillin and decreased sensitivity to vancomycin. The plague bacillus possesses a plasmid that is transferable to E. coli and has multiple antibiotic resistances. Vancomycin resistant enterococci are constantly transmitted to resistant organisms. These resistant strains have been effectively studied by McCormick (1998) to delineate the antimicrobial-resistant bacterial pathogens. Escherichia coli was found in cattle faeces and novobiocin was used in the isolation method when samples of E coli were separated in different occasions. This study by Tutenel et al (2003) effectively links the isolation of E. coli O157 samples using the antibiotic novobiocin suggesting the adverse effects of antibiotics on bacterial growth or survival. In a recent study by Chartone-Souza et al (2005), a tetracycline-platinum complex was synthesized which was found to be as effective as tetracycline itself in inhibiting bacterial growth of E coli and in this particular study two Escherichia coli sensitive bacterial strains. This tetracycline complex is six times more potent that tetracycline against E Coli HB101/pBR322, a bacterial strain that has developed a resistance to tetracycline. According to Chartone-Souza and others their study is extremely important given the fact that emergent resistance strains of E coli have made it difficult to treat bacterial infections with tetracycline. Conclusion: From the studies discussed above, we see two distinct trends of the effects of antibiotics on the growth of E. coli. Antibiotics can develop increasingly resistant mutant strains of bacteria or can inhibit the growth of a particular strain. Whatever the results are, there have been numerous studies that have substantiated the fact that antibiotics have considerable adverse effects of the growth of E. coli and other bacterial strains.

Against Capital Punishment Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"At 8:00 p.m. it was nearing the end of John Evans’ last day on death row. He had spent most of the day with his minister and family, praying and talking of what was to come. At 8:20 he was walked from his cell down to the long hall to the execution room and strapped in the electric chair. At 8:30 p.m. the first jolt of 1900 volts passed through Mr. Evans’ body. It lasted 30 seconds. Sparks and flames erupted from the electrode tied to Mr. Evans’ leg. His body slammed against the straps holding him in the chair and his fist clenched permanently. The electrode then burst from the strap holding it in place. A large puff of gray smoke and sparks pored out from under the hood that covered his face. An overpowering stench of burnt flesh and clothing began pervading the witness room. Two doctors then examined Mr. Evans and declared that he was not dead. The electrode was then refastened and Mr. Evans was given another 30-second jolt. The stench was nauseating. Again the doctors examined him and found his heart still beating. At this time the prison commissioner, who was talking on the line with Governor George Wallace of Alabama, was asked to cancel the execution on the grounds that Mr. Evans was being subject to cruel and unusual punishment. The request was denied. At 8:40 p.m. the third charge of electricity was passed through Mr. Evans body. At 8:44 p.m. he was pronounced dead. The execution took 14 minutes. Afterward officials were embarrassed by what one observer called the â€Å"barbaric ritual.† The electric chair is supposed to be a very humane way of administering death, if there is one† (Zimring, & Hawkins, 1986, p.1). Every Western Industrial nation has stopped executing criminals, except the United States. Most Western nations have executed criminals in this century, and many were executed after World War II. Then executions suddenly decreased (Clay, 1990, p.9). This is partly because the people in many European countries might have been tired of killing from the war. In most cases the countries and states that stopped capital punishment followed with its formal abolition shortly after (Clay, 1990, p.10). One reason that the United States did not end capital punishment at this time is partly due to the fact that the war was never fought on our soil and US citizens had not all lived through the death and destruction of WWII personally. Some think that ... ...yclists from Los Angeles who were innocent. The jury’s verdict in this case was based on alleged eyewitnesses and a perjured testimony. If it hadn’t been for the investigation of newspaper journalists, and the confession of the real killer, they too would have died innocent men (Bedau, 1999, November 10). Though these two stories have reassuring endings, but the chances of good outcomes happening are small. People are too commonly wrongly accused of crimes. There will always be overzealous prosecution, perjured testimony, faulty police work, coerced confessions, the defendant’s previous criminal record, and inept defense councils. People will be wrongly put to death leaving their families behind wondering who was telling the truth. As long as society chooses to ignore its moral values, and as long as it brings down the value of a human life, capital punishment will remain in use. People must do the research and see for themselves the costs to society, both in dollars and in lives, are far too high. People will always make mistakes, and with the death penalty in use innocent people will die. For these reasons the United States should follow the lead and abolish capital punishment.

Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 2

You see, we're both lonely guys,† Todd said from the back. â€Å"†There aren't any girls our age aroundhere, so we're lonely. And then when we comeacross three nice girls like you-well, we just natu rally want to get to know you better. Understand?† â€Å"So if you girls play along, we can all have fun,† Vic put in. â€Å"Fun-oh, no,† Rowan said, dismayed. Jade knew she had caught part of Vic's thought and was tryingvery hard not to pry further. â€Å"Kestrel and Jade are much too young for anything like that. I'm sorry, butwe have to say no.† â€Å"I won't do it even whenI amold enough,† Jade said. â€Å"But that isn't what these guys mean anyway they mean this.† She projected some of the images she was getting from Vic into Rowan's mind. â€Å"Oh, dear,† Rowan said flatly. â€Å"Jade, you know we agreed not to spy on people like that.† Yeah, but look what they're thinking, Jade said soundlessly, figuring that if she had broken one rule, she might as well break them all. â€Å"Now, look,† Vic said in a tone that showed he knew he was losing control of the situation. He reached out and grabbed Jade's other arm, forcingher to face him. â€Å"We're not here to talk. See?† He gave her a little shake. Jade studied his features a moment, then turned her head to look inquiringly into the backseat. Rowan's face was creamy-pale against her brownhair. Jade could feel that she was sad and disap pointed. Kestrel's hair was dim gold and she was frowning. Well?Kestrel said silently to Rowan. Well?Jade said the same way. She wriggled as Victried to pull her loser. Come on, Rowan, he's pinching me. I guess we don't have any choice,Rowan said. Immediately Jade turned back to Vic. He was still trying to pull her, looking surprised that she didn't seem to be coming. Jade stopped resisting and lethim drag her in close-and then smoothly detached one arm from his grip and slammed her hand upward. The heel of her hand made contact just under his chin. His teeth clicked and his head was knocked backward, exposing his throat. Jade darted in and bit. She was feeling guilty and excited. She wasn't used to doing it like this, to taking down prey that was awake and struggling instead of hypnotized and docile. But she knew her instincts were as good as any hunter who'd grown up stalking humans in alleys. It was part of her genetic programming to evaluate anything she saw in terms of â€Å"Is it food? Can I get it? What are its weaknesses?† The only problem was that she shouldn't been joying this feeding, because it was exactly the opposite of what she and Rowan and Kestrel had come to Briar Creek to do. She was tangentially aware of activity in the backseat. Rowan had lifted the arm Todd had been using to restrain her. On the other side Kestrel had done the same. Todd was fighting, his voice thunderstruck. â€Å"Heyhey what are you-â€Å" Rowan bit. â€Å"What are you doing?† Kestrel bit. â€Å"What the freak are you doing? Who are you? What the freak are you?† He thrashed wildly for a minute or so, and then subsided as Rowan and Kestrel mentally urged him into a trance. It was only another minute or so before Rowan said, â€Å"That's enough.† Jade said, Aw, Rowan †¦ â€Å"That'senough.Tell him not to remember anything about this-and find out if he knows where Burdock Farm is.† Still feeding, Jade reached out with her mind,touching lightly with a tentacle of thought. Then she pulled back, her mouth closing as if in a kiss as it leftVic's skin. Vic was just a big rag doll at this point, and he flopped bonelessly against the steering wheeland the car door when she let him go. â€Å"The farm's back that way-we have to go back tothe fork in the road,† she said. â€Å"It's weird,† she added, puzzled. â€Å"He was thinking that he wouldn't get in trouble for attacking us because-because of something about Aunt Opal. I couldn't get what.† â€Å"Probably that she was crazy,† Kestrel said unemotionally. â€Å"Todd was thinking that he wouldn't get in trouble because his dad's an Elder.† â€Å"They don't have Elders,† Jade said, vaguely smug.†You mean a governor or a police officer or something ? Rowan was frowning, not looking at them. â€Å"All right,† she said. â€Å"This was an emergency; we had to do it. But now we're going back to what we agreed.† â€Å"Until the next emergency,† Kestrel said, smiling out the car window into the night. To forestall Rowan, Jade said, â€Å"You think we should just leave them here?† â€Å"Why not?† Kestrel said carelessly. â€Å"They'll wake up in a few hours.† Jade looked at Vic's neck. The two little wounds where her teeth had pierced him were already almost closed. By tomorrow they would be faint red marks like old bee stings. Five minutes later they were on the road againwith their suitcases. This time, though, Jade was cheerful. The difference was food-she felt as full of blood as a tick, charged with energy and ready to skip up mountains. She swung the cat carrier and her suitcase alternately, and Tiggy growled. It was wonderful being out like this, walking alonein the warm night air, with nobody to frown in disapproval. Wonderful to listen to the deer and rabbits and rats feeding in the meadows around her. Happiness bubbled up inside Jade. She'd never felt so free. â€Å"It is nice, isn't it?† Rowan said softly, lookingaround as they reached the fork in the road. â€Å"It's the real world. And we have as much right to it as anybody else.† â€Å"I think it's the blood,† Kestrel said. â€Å"Free-range humans are so much better than the kept ones. Whydidn't our dear brother ever mention that?† Ash, Jade thought, and felt a cold wind. She glanced behind her, not looking for a car but forsomething much more silent and deadly. She realized suddenly how fragile her bubble of happiness was. â€Å"Are we going to get caught?† she asked Rowan. Reverting, in the space of one second, to a six-yearold turning to her big sister for help. And Rowan, the best big sister in the world, said immediately and positively,†No. â€Å" â€Å"But if Ash figures it out-he's the only one whomight realize-â€Å" â€Å"We are not going to get caught,† Rowan said. â€Å"Nobody will figure out that we're here.† Jade felt better. She put down her suitcase and held out a hand to Rowan, who took it. â€Å"Together forever,† she said. Kestrel, who'd been a few steps ahead, glanced over her shoulder. Then she came back and put her hand on theirs. â€Å"Together forever.† Rowan said it solemnly; Kestrel said it with a quicknarrowing of her yellow eyes. Jade said it with utter determination. As they walked on, Jade felt buoyant and cheerfulagain, enjoying the velvet-dark night. The road was just dirt here, not paved. They passed meadows and stands of Douglas fir. A farmhouse on the left, set back on a long driveway. And finally, dead ahead at the end of the road, another house. â€Å"That's it,† Rowan said. Jade recognized it, too, from the pictures Aunt opal had sent them. It had two stories, a wraparound porch, and a steeplypitched roof with lots of gables. A cupola sprouted out of the rooftop, and there was a weather vane on the barn. A real weather vane, Jade thought, stopping to stare. Her happiness flooded _back full force. â€Å"I love it, she said solemnly. Rowan and Kestrel had stopped, too, but their expressions were far from awed. Rowan looked a hairs breadth away from horrified. â€Å"It's a wreck,† she gasped. â€Å"Look at that barnthe paint's completely gone. The pictures didn't show that.† â€Å"And the porch,† Kestrel said helpfully. â€Å"It's fallingto pieces. Might go any minute.† â€Å"The work,† Rowan whispered. â€Å"The work it would take to fix this place up †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And the money,† Kestrel said. Jade gave them a cold look. â€Å"Why fix it? I like it. It's different.† Rigid with superiority, she picked up her luggage and walked to the end of the roadThere was a ramshackle, mostly fallen-down fence around the property, and a dangerous-looking gate. Beyond,on a weed-covered path, was a pile of white pickets as if somebody had been planning to fix the fencebut had never got around to it. Jade put down the suitcase and cat carrier and pulled at the gate. To her surprise, it moved easily. â€Å"See, it may not look good, but it still works-â€Å"She didn't get to finish the sentence properly. The gate fell on her. â€Å"Well, it may not work, but it's still ours,† she said as Rowan and Kestrel pulled it off her. â€Å"No, it's Aunt Opal's,† Kestrel said. Rowan just smoothed her hair back and said, â€Å"Come on.† There was a board missing from the porch steps, and several boards gone from the porch itself. Jade limped around them with dignity. The gate had given her a good whack in the shin, and since it was wood,it still .hurt. In fact, everything seemed to be made of wood here, which gave Jade a pleasantly alarmed feeling. Back home, wood was revered-,and kept outof the way. You have to be awfully careful to live in this kindof world, Jade thought. Or you're going to get hurt. Rowan and Kestrel were knocking on the door,Rowan politely, with her knuckles, Kestrel loudly, with the side of her hand. There wasn't any answer. â€Å"She doesn't seem to be here,† Rowan said. â€Å"She's decided she doesn't want us,† Kestrel said, golden eyes gleaming. â€Å"Maybe she went to the wrong bus station,†Jade said. â€Å"Oh-that's it. I bet that's it,† Rowan said. â€Å"Poorold thing, she's waiting for us somewhere, and she's going to be thinking that we didn't show up.† â€Å"†Sometimes you're not completely stupid,† Kestrel informed Jade. High praise from Kestrel. â€Å"Well, let's go in,† Jade said,to conceal howpleased she was. â€Å"She'll come back here sometime.† â€Å"Human houses have locks,† Rowan began, but this house wasn't locked. The doorknob turned in Jade's hand. The three of them stepped inside. It was dark, even darker than the moonless nightoutside, but Jade's eyes adjusted in a few seconds. â€Å"Hey, it's not bad,† she said. They were in ashabby but handsome living room filled with huge, ponderous furniture. Wood furniture, of course dark and highly polished. The tables were topped with marble. Rowan found a lightswitch, and suddenly the roomwas too bright. Blinking, Jade saw that the walls were pale apple green, with fancy woodwork andmoldings in a darker shade of the same green. It made Jade feel oddly peaceful. And anchored, somehow, as if she belonged here. Maybe it was all the heavy furniture. She looked at Rowan, who was looking around tall graceful body slowly relaxing. Rowan smiled and met her eyes. She noddedonce. â€Å"Yes.† Jade basked for a moment in the glory of having been right twice in five minutes–and then she remembered her suitcase. â€Å"Let's see what the rest of the place is like,† she said hastily. â€Å"I'll take the upstairs; you guys look around here.† â€Å"You just want the best bedroom,† Kestrel said. Jade ignored her, hurrying up a wide, carpeted flight of stairs. There were lots of bedrooms, and each one had lots of room. She didn't want the best, though, just the farthest away. At the very end of the hall was a room painted sea-blue. Jade slammed the door behind her and puther suitcase on the bed. Holding her breath, she opened the suitcase. Oh. Oh, no.Oh, no †¦ Three minutes later she heard the click of the doorbehind her, but didn't care enough to turn. â€Å"What are you doing?†Kestrel's voice said. Jade looked up from her frantic efforts to resuscitate the two kittens she held. â€Å"They'redead!† she wailed. â€Å"Well, what did you expect? They need to breathe, idiot. How did you expect them to make it through two days of traveling?† Jade sniffled. â€Å"Rowan told you that you could take only one.† Jade sniffled harder and glared. â€Å"I know.That's why I put these two in the suitcase.† She hiccuped. â€Å"At least Tiggy's all right.† She dropped to her knees and peered in the cat carrier to make sure he was all right. His ears were laid back, his golden eyes gleaming out of a mass of black fur. He hissed, and Jade sat up. He was fine. â€Å"For five dollars I'll take care of the dead ones,† Kestrel said. â€Å"No!† Jade jumped up and moved protectively in front of them, fingers clawed. â€Å"Not likethat,† Kestrel said, offended. â€Å"I don't eat carrion. Look, if you don't get rid of them somehow,Rowan's going to find out. For God's sake,girl, you're a vampire,† she added as Jade cradled the limp bodies to her chest. â€Å"Act like one.† â€Å"I want to bury them,† Jade said. â€Å"They shouldhave a funeral.† Kestrel rolled her eyes and left. Jade wrapped the small corpses in her jacket and tiptoed out after her. A shovel, she thought. Now, where would that be? Keeping her ears open for Rowan, shesidledaround the first floor. All the rooms looked like the living room: imposing and in a state of genteel decay. The kitchen was huge. It had an open fireplace and a shed off the back door for washing laundry. It also had a door to the cellar. Jade made her way down the steps cautiously. Shecouldn't turn on a light because she needed both hands for the kittens. And, because of the kittens, she couldn't see her feet. She had to feel with her toe for the next step. At the bottom of the stairs her toe found something yielding, slightly resilient. It was blocking herpath. Slowly Jade craned her neck over the bundle of jacket and looked down. It was dim here. She herself was blocking the light that filtered down from the kitchen. But she could make out what looked like a pile of old clothes. A lumpy pile. Jade was getting a very, very bad feeling. She nudged the pile of clothes with one toe. It moved slightly. Jade took a deep breath and nudged it hard. It was all one piece. It rolled over. Jade looked down, breathed quickly for a moment, and screamed. A good, shrill, attention-getting scream. She addeda nonverbal thought, the telepathic equivalent of a siren. Rowan! Kestrel! You guys get down here! Twenty seconds later the cellar light went on andRowan and Kestrel came clattering down the stairs. â€Å"I have told you and toldyou,† Rowan was sayingthrough her teeth. â€Å"We don'tuse our-† She stopped, staring. â€Å"I think it's Aunt Opal,† Jade said.

Humanity Bloomed During the Renaissance

Humanity Bloomed During the Renaissance The Renaissance, a movement that  stressed the ideas of the classical world, ended the medieval era  and heralded the start of Europes modern age. Between the 14th and 17th centuries, art and science flourished as empires expanded and cultures mixed as never before. Although historians still debate some  causes of the Renaissance, they agree on a few basic points. AHunger for Discovery The courts and monasteries of Europe had long been repositories of manuscripts and texts, but a change in how scholars viewed them sparked a massive reappraisal of classical works in the Renaissance. Fourteenth-century writer Petrarch typified this, writing about his lust for discovering texts that  had previously been ignored. As literacy spread and a middle class emerged, seeking out, reading, and spreading classical texts became commonplace. New libraries developed to facilitate access to old books. Ideas once forgotten were now reawakened, as was interest in their authors. Reintroduction of Classical Works During the Dark Ages, many classical European texts were lost or destroyed. Those that survived were hidden in churches and monasteries of the Byzantine Empire or in capitals of the Middle East. During the Renaissance, many of these texts were slowly reintroduced into Europe by merchants and scholars. In 1396 an official academic post for teaching Greek was created in Florence. The man hired, Manuel Chrysoloras, brought with him a copy of Ptolemy’s Geography from the East. A huge number of Greek texts and scholars arrived in Europe with the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The Printing Press The invention of the printing press  in 1440 was the game-changer. Finally, books could be mass produced for far less money and time than by the old handwritten methods. Ideas could be spread through libraries, booksellers, and schools in a way that wasnt possible before. The printed page was more legible than the elaborate script of books written longhand. Printing became a viable industry, creating new jobs and innovations. The spread of books also encouraged the study of literature itself, allowing new ideas to spread as cities and nations began establishing universities and other schools. Humanism Emerges Renaissance humanism  was a new manner of thinking and approaching the world. It has been called the earliest expression of the Renaissance and is described as both a product and a cause of the movement. Humanist thinkers challenged the mindset of the previously dominant school of scholarly thought, Scholasticism, as well as the Catholic Church, allowing the new thinking to develop. Art and Politics The new artists needed wealthy patrons to support them, and Renaissance Italy was especially fertile ground. Political changes in the ruling class shortly before this period had led to the rulers of most major city-states being â€Å"new men† without much political history. They attempted to legitimize themselves with conspicuous investment in and public flaunting of art and architecture. As the Renaissance spread, church and European rulers used their wealth to adopt the new styles to keep pace. The demand from the  elites wasn’t just artistic; they also relied upon ideas developed for their political models. The Prince, Machiavelli’s  guide for rulers, is a work of Renaissance political theory. The developing bureaucracies of Italy and the rest of Europe generated new  demand for highly educated humanists to fill the ranks of governments and bureaucracies. A new political and economic class emerged.   Death and Life In the middle of the 14th  century, the Black Death swept Europe, killing perhaps a third of the population. While devastating, the plague left survivors better off financially and socially, with the same wealth spread among fewer people. This was especially true in Italy, where social mobility was much greater. This new  wealth often was spent lavishly on arts, culture, and artisanal goods.  The merchant classes of regional powers such as Italy  saw a great increase in wealth from their roles in trade. This growing mercantile class sparked a financial industry to manage their wealth, generating additional economic and social growth. War and Peace Periods of peace and war have been credited with allowing the Renaissance to spread. The end of the Hundred Years War between England and France in 1453 allowed Renaissance ideas to penetrate these nations as resources once consumed by war were funneled into the arts and sciences. By contrast, the Great Italian Wars of the early 16th century allowed Renaissance ideas to spread to France as its armies invaded Italy repeatedly over 50 years.

Alessandro Scarlatti essays

Alessandro Scarlatti essays Alessandro Scarlatti was a composer during the Baroque Era. When compared with its music predecessors, Baroque music is said to be have more lavish textures, and more intense. This period of music introduced Operas, Oratorios, and Cantatas. It also brought along orchestral forms, though Operas became very popular. Operas were very popular because Italian intellectuals wanted to recapture the Greek Dramas, in which music played a major role. A distinguishing feature of the Baroque Era was the emphasis on the musics volume, texture, and pace. The previous era, (Late Renaissance) did not focus on these very much. Cannons and Fugues (strict forms of imitative polyphony) were also very popular during the Baroque Era. In this Era, composers were expected to prove their expertise whenever asked. To this, they were expected to improvise complex Fugues on a moments notice. Only the best were able to do this. Alessandro Scarlatti was born in Palermo on May 2nd 1660. Not much is known about his family, other than the fact that he had two sisters, and his parents were Sicilian, and most likely from Artistic families themselves. At the age of twelve, Alessandro and his two sisters were sent to Rome to live with relatives. There were rumors that Alessandro studied with Carissimi while there. Carissimi was an Italian composer who composed hundreds of motets and cantatas in addition to Masses, and other sacred music. When Alessandro was seventeen, he married, and not quite nine months later, their first of six children was born. At the age of eighteen, he composed his first opera, Gli Equivoci nel sembiante, which was a great success. Some may argue that this was actually his second opera. There are rumors that he composed an earlier opera, but it was never performed, and the title is unknown. Sometime between the time he was married, and his first composition, hi...

Cross Cultural Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Cross Cultural Management - Essay Example The first is to present some cultural profiling between two countries, using a range of academic models which should highlight any significant differences that are likely to occur in terms of management behaviour. Secondly, aim to critically evaluate the key communication and negotiation differences that managers should be aware of when dealing with the negotiators when they arrive. Negotiation is generally considered as a means of resolving conflict. It is a process in which problems are solved between two or more parties that attempt to settle some disagreement in a manner that is agreeable to both (Fisher, Ury & Patton 1991, pp. 1-3). Although the main principles of negotiation are easily understood, it can be extremely difficult when placed into practice. Contention between what is right or wrong; opposing views when it comes to what is fair and just; forms of communication and information exchange as well as the procedures carried out for negotiations are only a handful of the challenges that negotiators often encounter (Susskind, McKearnan & Thomas-Larner 1999, pp. 2-57). Furthermore, the process of negotiation is made difficult when different parties are negotiating across conflicting cultures (Gelfand & Brett 2004, pp. 45-47). Culture is one of the most powerful factors that determine and influence people’s way of thinking as well as behaviour an d communication (Salacuse 1993, pp. 199-208). Therefore, culture has a significant effect on the people’s means of negotiation. This essay specifically examines the impact of culture on the process of negotiation. First, it provides cultural profiling between India and Japan, and identifies differences between their culture and management behaviour. Important factors that are involved in cross cultural negotiation such as communication and negotiation differences are also tackled. In addition, the four dimensions of culture identified by Hofstede (1997, pp. 28-37) have been included,

Selfies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Selfies - Assignment Example However, some older people are trying to use selfies in the quest of associating themselves with the young generation. Selfies are though to have more benefits than disadvantages and have attracted the attention of the older generation which has been trying to use selfies to associate with the youth. Selfies are self taken photographs and with the right photo angle and posture, selfies may result in eye catching portraits, images and photos (Kraus, 2005). Selfies were not known before 2005. As camera mobile phones started to be popular, self portraits started to be appreciated. People started taking their own photos in different places and time. When social media came into being, people felt that it would be a good idea to share their selfies with their friends and family. Argument Block One Some people in the society feel that selfies are not good while others believe that they are good for the young adults and teenagers. Critics of selfies claim that the young especially those who have not gotten to adulthood may not know the limits of taking selfies. True to that, some adolescents may go to the extent of taking inappropriate selfies for example naked images. Though they are self taken and probably in secret, they would not have a good image if they are shared through the social media. Proponents of selfies disregard this claim stating that the self taken portraits are for self expression. As such, they should not matter how they are taken as long as they are expressing an issue or concern (Day, 2013). A teenager may take a selfie of some part of the body like to hear the comments of their friends for example. Teenagers that are vulnerable to relatively inappropriate selfies are those that are weight gain sensitive yet their friends are spread across the country or the globe. They would want to request their friends to comment yet they want instantaneous answers or responses after they are informed they look in a certain way, for instance being told they look fat. Some people can go to the extent of taking a selfie of their entire body to get the right response from their friends. People taking such selfies should use friend specific message media that is specific to their friends. Selfies of such nature should only be sent after requesting their friends accordingly and they approve the suggestion. Argument Block Two Other critics claim that selfies may have negative effects on especially young adolescents and teenagers. Material of all nature is shared through the social media and those who do not have certain knowledge may be curious. As such, they may try experimenting and trying out some things on their own. They are usually afraid to ask their parents. Inappropriate selfies may in fact change the behavior and perception of adolescents towards certain things. Even so, those in support of selfies claim that the content is somehow regulated. Most social media websites cannot be used by those less than thirteen years. By the time someo ne is thirteen years, they know a lot about their bodies. In that case, they would not be adversely affected in case they come across inappropriate images. At the same time, the chances of inappropriate images being posted over the social media is relatively low. In addition, social media sites do not encourage posting of inappropriate selfies. People who are likely to post inappropriate images and content are socialites. It would be extremely hard for adolescents and teenagers having socialites as their friend through social media. However, it cannot be ignored that some teenagers know such celebrities and may search for them on the internet and come across inappropriate content. Argument Block Three Critics argue that selfies are not good and may have a negative