Essay 3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

3 - Essay Example â€Å"Liberalism also holds that international politics can be a non-zero-sum game, that it is possible to have win-win situations in which gains of one or more countries do not have to come at the expense of others† (Rourke & Boyer 20). For example, the establishment of the United Nations was meant for all countries to cooperate for mutual gain with each other. Liberalism believes humans have a mutual bond that they can draw on to identify with and forge ties with people around the world. Realism sees that international politics is moved by an ever competitive agenda of self-interest among nations. Realists believe that the decisive dynamic among countries is a struggle for power in an effort by each to preserve or, preferably, improve its military security and economic welfare in competition with other countries (Rourke & Boyer 16). Realism views human beings as naturally divided by a form of national allegiance to their nation or to another focus of national identity such as cultural heritage or religious beliefs. A good example is Chancellor Otto von Bismarcks’s unification of Germany during the 19th century. Bismarck unified the once shattered German nations not for the sake of the spirit of unity, but to form a single and powerful imperial nation as a great power in Western

Analyzing the major challenges i faced as a member of a writing Essay

Analyzing the major challenges i faced as a member of a writing community (IMPORTANT worth 20% of my grade) - Essay Example Despite the advantages associated with excellent writing skills, international students face challenges in development of effective writing skills. The challenge is adverse when the English is not the student’s first language. Students from Arabic and French speaking African countries face massive challenges because they must study English as a language before developing the necessary writing skills. Language learning is the process that requires time. For instance, early introduction to language leads to a better understanding of the language. For this case, students study English language at an old stage when in college. Such late introduction to a new language will adversely affect the writing skills of the students. For my case I started studying language in high school and despite the aggressive learning approach, I have not reached a satisfactory level. Therefore, the main challenge is to understand the language and developing the necessary skills with the focus being on the writing skills and style (Briggs 56). The introduction of the various languages at the infant stage of life may be beneficial for the students compared to the current college approach employed. The main challenge in international writing is the understanding of the Standard English for academic use, which affects article or publication quality. Language understanding and proficiency is vital in the development of the necessary writing skills and can be improved through practice and writing. In addition, there are five domains, which an international student can experience difficulties when developing academic writing skills (Briggs 20). The first challenge is the difference in culture. Difference in culture leads to culturally coined problems. The assumed and actual differences in the concepts of academic writing between the country of origin and host country can affect the writing significantly. In fact, it is a considerable challenge for international students because of the difference in understanding and perception. Some words may be translated to give a different meaning to the whole situation. The use of slang within the college causes a challenge because it affects understanding and meaning of words for international student. Academic writing approach between the different nations illustrates the difference in writing concepts which will be evident in the writings. According to Briggs, the observation by teachers indicates that the problems related to cultural adjustment, language and learning are products of cultural differences. The main challenge with culture is the difference in the learning style between country of origin and study country. For instance, the Middle Eastern culture does not encourage male and females interacting freely in the learning environment (Briggs 56). Therefore, the students may face the challenge when studying in the western countries which have no gender related restriction. Such changes will affect the international student and in turn reduce or lead to poor academic success. Culture is a vital issue in learning for international students because it affects perception and understanding. The international students are faced with general-linguistic problems, which result from linguistic knowledge or competency of the student. These are problems that cannot be accounted for by the students because of the second language deficiency (Briggs 23). Additionally, the ability of the student to

Moral Significance of Personhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Moral Significance of Personhood - Essay Example It was John Locke who cut loose the conceptual strands that held together the personal and biological dimensions of humanity in his essay, Of Identity and Diversity. It was this along with his assumption that not all human beings may be persons that launched the debate in regard to the human ascendancy over other beings. The teleological argument has been largely done away with as advances in reproductive technology, medical genetics, and treatments continually assail the rationality of God and his hand in the affairs of the humans. As biological science discover the marvels of the human body, scientists and modern philosophers are emboldened to deny the Creator-variable and the soul, citing the brain as fundamental in the existence of the human reason. Michael Tooley (2001) presented the functional definition of personhood with his dissection of the brain. Here, he outlined that the brain is scientifically divided into two regions and that the upper part is mainly responsible for the personhood of a person: The upper brain†¦ contains the neuron-psychological basis not only of higher mental functions such as self-consciousness, deliberation, thought and memory but also of consciousness of even the most rudimentary sort. (p. 117) The destruction of this region, say in an accident or as a result of a disease, is tantamount not just to the destruction of certain general capacities but of states that underlie personal identity as well. This basis of personhood follows a utilitarian or functional approach.

Eastern Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Eastern Philosophy Essay Compare and contrast the Hindu doctrine of Atman-Brahman with the Buddhist notion of non-atman. What was the Buddha reacting against? Is Buddhism to be considered a religion or a philosophy? Hindus strongly believe that in an uncreated, eternal, infinite, transcendent, and all-embracing principle, which, comprising in itself being and non-being, is the sole reality, the ultimate cause and foundation, source, and goal of all existence. This sole magnanimous reality is called brahman. As the All, brahman causes the universe and all beings to emanate from its core and morphs itself into the universe, or assumes its guise. Brahman is in every matter in this world and is the â€Å"Self† (atman) of all living beings. Brahman plays crucial roles such as the creator, preserver, or transformer, and â€Å"reabsorber† of all matters. Yet it is Being in per se, without attributes and qualities, hence impersonal, it may also be conceived of as a personal high God, usually as Vishnu or Siva. This fundamental belief in and the essentially religious search for ultimate reality which implies â€Å"The One that is the all† have continued almost unaltered for more than 50 centuries and have been the central focus and core of Indias spiritual life (www. rystalinks. com/hindu). Siddhartha Gautama also called the Buddha, and Vardhamana called Mahavira â€Å"the great teacher of Jainism† . Several heterodox teachers who organized bands of ascetic followers. Every group mandated itself to follow a certain code of conduct. They received generous support from prominent families and merchants. The latter were growing in wealth and influence, and most of them were searching for alternative forms of religious activity that would give them a more significant role than did orthodox Brahmanism or that would be less expensive to support. Which, in a way, was considered an opposition to doctrines and teachings of Brahmanism. It is suffice to say that Buddhism has similarities with Brahmanism yet at odds with one another (www. crystalinks. com/hindu). Buddhism is considered as a religion for Buddhists yet a philosophy for some. It is a set of doctrines and teachings that is usually describe as a religion. Compared to other religions, other Buddhists allege that Buddhism is not a religion per se, which is a contradiction of their faith to their chosen religion. Other sects say that it is a mere philosophy that are bounded by the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the one who founded Buddhism. Buddhism is called Buddha Dharma and Dhamma as well, which is defined as the â€Å"Teachings of the Awakened One† in Pali and Sanskrit which are ancient Buddhist texts. This was the reaction of the Buddha during his spiritual quest: experimented with extreme asceticism, which at that time was seen as a powerful spiritual practice such as fasting, holding the breath, and exposure of the body to pain e found, however, that these ascetic practices brought no genuine spiritual benefits and in fact, being based on self-hatred, that they were counterproductive. After renouncing the principles of asceticism and concentrating instead upon meditaion and Anapanasati as well Gautama is believed to have discovered what Buddhists call the Middle Way which is path of moderation that lies in between the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. It lead s to the Four Noble Truths and eventually to the Eight Fold Path which will constitute the attainment of Nirvana. Discuss the Buddist teachings on the nature of the Middle Way as a strictly moral doctrine. What constitutes the path of virtue. What are the Four Noble Truths and how does one obtain Nirvana through the cessation of desire? The main principle of Buddhist doctrine is the called the Middle Way which was discovered by the Buddha prior to his bodhi or enlightenment. The Middle Way or Middle Path has a handful of definitions. Usually it is charaterized by the practice of non-extremism and a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and opposing self-mortification. It is considered in taking a middle ground between specific metaphysical perspectives as well. Which things ultimately either exist or do not exist. An explanation of the state of Nirvana and ultimate enlightenment where all dualities amalgamate and cease to exist as separate entities. The essence of the Middle way as a strictly moral doctrine is bounded by the path of virtue which is called as the Eight Fold Path as well. Buddhist doctrine, stated by the Buddha in his first sermon near Benares, India. The path is regarded as the way for individuals to deal with the problems named in the Four Noble Truths The path consists of right understanding (faith in the Buddhist view of existence), right thought (the resolve to practice the faith), right speech (avoidance of falsehoods, slander, and abuse), right action (abstention from taking life, stealing, and improper sexual behavior), right livelihood (rejection of occupations not in keeping with Buddhist principles), right effort (development of good mental states), right mindfulness (awareness of body, feelings, and thought), and right concentration (meditation). It is also called the Middle Path, because it steers a course between sensuality and asceticism. Following the Path leads to escape from suffering and attainment of Nirvana (Britannica. com). The Path of Virtue if imminet will lead to the emergence of the Eight Fold Path after the cessation of the Four Noble Truths, which after it culminates will eventually lead to the attainment of Nirvana The Buddhist doctrine of the Middle way guides this conviction and belief by an apt understanding of The Eight Fold Path as a means of attaining the state of Nirvana. Furthermore, The doctrines are essential and crucial in order for a being to not only understand the very essence of Nirvana but what culminates after the attainment of such state as well. The Buddhist Doctrine implored by the Buddha in his initial teachings are significant towards the road to Nirvana. The four noble truths constitute a means of attaining nirvana which is not plausible for some. Dukkha or the nature of suffering is actually the noble truth of suffering that implies that birth is suffering per se and other physiological notions are suffering as well. An amalgamation from what is displeasing is suffering, thus separation from what it pleasing is suffering and not to achieve what one desires is suffering. A sufferings origin or Samudaya is the noble realization of the origin of suffering. This yearning leads to a renewed existence that will be accompanied by delight and lust which leads to the craving of sensual pleasure then craving for existence and eventually, the craving for destruction. Cessation of suffering or Nirodha is the noble truth for the abrupt cessation of suffering. It is regardless of the cessation of the similar crasving, te giving up, and finally the relinquishing of it, the freedom and not the non-reliance from it. The fourth noble truth is The Way or Magga which leads to the cessation of suffering. It is the noble truth of the way which leads to he cessation of suffering. The Eightfold Path namely: that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration as well. These are the four great truths of Buddhinsm. Dukkha implies that all existence is afflicted with suffering. Second, Samudaya identifies desire, thirst, or craving as the source of suffering, which intangibly binds beings to samsara or the cycle of existence. Nirodha asserts that cessation of craving will bring suffering to a halt. Finally, The Eightfold Path which culminates the four noble truths implies he omission of suffering and the escape from samsara. These Four Noble Truths are bounded to the idea of Nirvana in which one can attain a state of â€Å"finitude that will lead to absolute reality of positive and negative efforts that may lead to the attainment of Nirvana. Discuss the Buddist doctrine of non-atman (non-substantiality). How does it comprise the three Marks of Existence and what does it mean to say that all form is emptiness. Hint:`There is Nirvana but no-one attains it. In order to achieve Nirvana, one must endure the three marks of existence namely: Dukkha, Anicca, and Anatta. These three are bounded by the Buddhist notion that after meditation they will conclude all the physical and mundane matters. Dukkha, for its part, is striving for what a person desires while enduring suffering and torment yet after an ordeal you might find happiness in achieving what one desires. Eventually, boredom which is a form of suffering will divert a person from such boredom by indulging in a pursuit of new forms of pleasure. Boredom is a result of a ramification of our interest in a matter which a person desires which captivated us at first. Anicca is the inconstant and impermanent per se. Each person can undergo by the use of our senses which is dependent on the right conditions for its existence. Everything is constantly changing and is always in sporadic influx. Matters are constantly coming into being as well as ceasing to be. The crucial point is that a phenomena may arise and cease due to complex states and conditions that do not occur within our whims. Though we have a finite ability to generate a change to our possessions, previous experience tells us that our feeble attempts have no guarantees that the outcome of the efforts will also be according to our â€Å"liking†. Lastly, Annata is the unceasing change of permanent essence which is conceived through the virtue of existence. A human beings personality is an orthodox appelation applied to the consortium of physical and mental components which each is mandated to a constant influx yet there is not central essence or core which is similar to a â€Å"bundle theory† of mind and soul. Nirvana is the finite state of the Mahayana ideology. It the state in which the attempt to grasp reality is halted in a holistic way, by means of the realization of its impossibility. Evidently, it is and preposterous and absurd to presume that nirvana per se as a state to be achieved. Nirvana is not the state of coming to terms with reality due to the fact that such state cannot generate either a positive or negative aura. In its negative nature, Nirvana is said to be as â€Å"no waves† and â€Å"blowing out†, implying that achieving such state would mean tranquility of ones existence. Yet these statements offer minimal attributes of nirvana. Nirvana as â€Å"finite† is an anti-thesis to positive attributes and words such as eternal and omnipresent though its positive comprehension is bound by intellect. Buddha, for his part, will never answer question in a postive manner regarding the notions of nirvana. Considering it is not out of sheer prudence but practicality as well. Coming into terms with â€Å"finitude† eventually concludes nirvana that is an absolute reality. By directing awareness away from finitude and towards the intuitive core of the brain, an individual consciously grips reality. The negative part of the effort are not sufficient enough to realize Nirvana. Nirvana is not present and will not be realized by grasping finitude yet the Buddha suggested that it is possible and effortless to achieve Nirvana by the means of directing awareness and channeling its energy internally through positive efforts. There is a deliberate mistake in which the belief of the right motivation culminates the achievement of nirvana, in which samsara or finitude is part of nirvana which s infinitude and coming into terms with samsara will embody achieving nirvana in an apt manner. The notion of renouncing Nirvana is a deliberate and evident contradiction because it obviously contradicts it very purpose. Such misguided attribute is a sheer reflection of the Buddhist meditation practice of sitting without being occupied by preconceived notions. Renouncing nirvana with the apparent purpose of eventually realizing nirvana is a deliberate contradiction.

The Role of Perception Essay Example for Free

The Role of Perception Essay What is perception? How can a persons perception of others impact an organizations behavior? What are the positive and negative effects of using perceptive shortcuts when judging others? How are decisions in real world organizations actually made? How can our perceptions shape ethical or moral decisions? These are the questions that will be attempted to be answered in this essay. According to Robbins, S. (2005) Perception is a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment. The role of perception in the decision-making process goes beyond the five senses (1) sight, (2) hearing, (3) smell, (4) taste, and (5) touch. The representation of perception in decision-making is based on a persons internal understanding and personal analysis of environmental observations combined with past experiences. Consequently, perception varies from one individual to the next. There are many factors that can influence or shape a persons perception during the decision-making process. Robbins, S. (2005) identifies three types of factors that influence perception:1.Factors in the Perceiver: Personal Characteristics†¢Attitudes: feelings, beliefs or behavioral tendencies towards specific people, ideas, objects etc. †¢Personality: individual behaviors, temperament, emotions or state of mind. †¢Motives: reasoning toward problem-solving or achieving a goal†¢Interests: selective concentration on personal likes or dislikes†¢Experience: knowledge gained from past involvements or exposure. †¢Expectations: what is hoped to be achieved. 2.Factors in the Target: Observed Characteristics†¢Novelty: uniqueness. †¢Motion†¢Sounds†¢Size†¢Background†¢Proximity†¢Similarity3.Factors in the Situation:†¢Time†¢Work setting†¢Social settingHow can a persons perception of others impact an organizations behavior? To find the answer to such a  question one must first understand organizational behavior. According to Robbins, S. (2005) organizational behavior (OB) is defined as a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on behavior within organizations, for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving an organizations effectiveness. Organizations are run by human beings, not machines. For that reason, a persons perception can have either a positive or negative impact on an organizations behavior depending on the factors that influence his or her perceptions. Ones perception of other individuals within an organization can influence the level of commitment as well as cooperation of employees within an organization. Take family-owned and operated (managed) businesses for instance. According to Barnett, T. and Kellermanns, F. (2006) Securing the commitment and cooperation of nonfamily [sic] employees is likely to be more difficult if they do not perceive that decision outcomes, decision processes, and decision makers are fair or just. Non-family employees perceptions of the fairness of human resource (HR) practices in such areas as: positions of authority, wages, promotions, discipline and so on within family-owned businesses may vary depending on the existent of family influence within the organization. Barnett, T. and Kellermanns, F. (2006) identifies non-family perceptions of HR practices at three different levels of family influence as:1.Low levels of family influence tend to have little impact on the fairness of HR practices. 2.Moderate levels of family influence tend to have positive effects on the fairness of HR practices. 3.High levels of family influence tend to have negative effects on the fairness of HR decision processes and outcomes. Clearly, a persons perception of others can impact an organizations behavior in many different ways because the overall organizational behavior is not just based on one persons perspective but rather a collective perspective of all the employees within the organization. However, it is  possible for a single person or a small group of people to affect an organizations behavior i.e. the CEO, family members etc. depending on their level of influence or control over the organization. What are the positive and negative effects of using perceptive shortcuts when judging others? Perceptive shortcuts can affect the quality of a persons decision-making and performance. According to Robbins, S. (2005) some of the most frequently used shortcuts include:†¢Selective perception: selective interpretation based on ones expectations. †¢Halo Effect: bias opinion based on first impression or single attribute. †¢Contrast effects: assessment of persons qualities based on others with similar qualities. †¢Projection: Attributing ones own characteristics to other people. †¢Stereotyping: preconceived notion about an individual based ones perception of the group to which that person belongs. †¢Self-fulfilling prophecy: A situation in which one person inaccurately perceives a second person and the resulting expectations cause the second person to behave in ways consistent with the original perception. Positive effects of using perceptive shortcuts when judging others:†¢Simplify the amount of information being received. †¢Having express knowledge of individual characteristics allows interviews to go quickly. †¢Grouping people based on similar characteristics can help interviewers to extract applicants with specialized skills quickly. †¢It is easier to judge an applicant positively if the interviewer perceives that they are alike. Negative effects of using perceptive shortcuts when judging others:†¢Unwarranted conclusions from vague information. †¢Having limited knowledge of individual characteristics can lead to hiring a person not suited for a particular position. †¢Grouping people based on similar characteristics can lead to distort perceptions of applicants. †¢When interviewers perceive applicants to be like themselves their ability to respond to the applicants differences becomes distorted. These lists could go on and on, but notice that: in theory, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Decisions made in real world organizations are not quite so cut and dry. How are decisions in real world organizations actually made? In real world organizations decisions depend great deal on the accuracy of managerial perceptions. However, due to the aspect of human nature (shortcut perceptions), the accuracy of managerial perceptions may vary. This often causes some managers to have inaccurate or unrealistic perceptions of an organization. In one case study on the accuracy of managers perceptions Mezias, J. and Starbuck, W. (2003) evaluated 70 different managers and found that:About 35% of the managers had very accurate perceptions, with errors below 11%. About 35% of the managers greatly underestimated sales, with errors ranging from −75% to almost −100%. About 24% of the managers overestimated sales to extreme degrees, with errors ranging from 200% to 4800%. Overall, about two-thirds of the managers expressed unrealistic notions of their business units sizes in monetary terms. Noticeably, several managers did have accurate organizational perceptions. However, the percent of managers with inaccurate perceptions was much higher. One would not have to speculate which managers used shortcut perceptions. Unfortunately, shortcuts cause a continual bias for error. Organizations concerned with production growth, sales growth, manufacturing concentration and so forth need to follow a more rational decision-making process in order to maximize performance. The rational decision-making process depicts how decisions should be made. Robbins, S. (2005) lists the six steps in the rational decision-making process as:1.Define the problem: compile information regarding the problem. 2.Identify the decision criteria: identify all the relevant criteria that will be important in solving the problem. 3.Allocate weights to the criteria: rank criteria in order from most important to least important. 4.Develop the alternatives: list all the viable alternatives while being aware of all the possible consequences of each alternative. In addition to the rational decision-making process5.Evaluate the alternatives: analyze and evaluate each alternative in reference to the solution to the problem and rank in order of viability to possible consequences. 6.Select the best alternative: the alternative with the highest rating for success and lowest rating for adverse consequences. How can our perceptions shape ethical or moral decisions? First, one must look at the criteria for ethical or moral decision-making before determining how a persons perceptions shape ethical or moral decisions. Robbins, S. (2005) lists three different criteria that can be use in making ethical decisions as:1.Utilitarian: liberal ethical element i.e. the greatest good for the greatest number2.Rights: legal or moral entitlement i.e. protecting the basic rights of individuals3.Justice: being just or fair element i.e. equitable distribution of benefits and costsEach criterion has benefits as well as drawbacks. For example:†¢Utilitarianism: promotes efficiency and production of the organization, but can result in a lack of regard for the  rights of individual workers, generally minorities. †¢Rights: protects the rights of individual workers, but can result in a decline in the efficiency and productivity of the organization†¢Justice: promotes equitable distribution of benefits and costs, but can result in more uncertainty in the effects on efficiency and profits. Observably, these examples of the criteria for ethical or moral decision-making clearly identify the dilemmas of managerial decision-making. Consequently, one might be more inclined to see how managers perceptions of organizational values may sometimes merge with their personal values to form individual business ethical judgments. According to Hunt and Vitell, (1986):This ethical judgment is assumed to be influenced by deontological evaluations (doing what one believes to be right regardless of its consequences), teleological evaluations (assessing ones action in light of its consequences in the tradition of utilitarianism), or a balance of these two perspectives suggested in the theoretical framework posited by past researchers and practitioners. In conclusion: Perception is the process by which an individual obtains, interprets, selects, and classifies sensory information. Perception in decision-making is based on a persons internal understanding of reality rather than reality itself. Therefore, a persons perception of other individuals within an organization can influence the level of commitment as well as cooperation of employees within an organization. Perceptive shortcuts are a combination of various mental shortcuts used to save time in the decision-making process. Perceptive shortcuts can have both positive and negative affects in the quality of a persons decision-making and performance. Decisions in real world organizations are made by using a combination of perceptive shortcuts and the rational decision-making process. Ethical or moral decisions are shaped by a persons perception of the balance between organizational values and his or her personal value system. Based on these findings, one can conclude that successful people do try to make rational and logical decisions. However, due to internal and external factors of perception not all decisions are rational and logical.  The reality of it all is that people are people, and to err is human. References Barnett, T. and Kellermanns, F. (2006). Are We Family and Are We Treated as Family? Nonfamily Employees Perceptions of Justice in the Family Firm. Entrepreneurship: Theory Practice; Vol. 30 Issue 6, p837-854, 18p, 1 diagram. Retrieved November 8, 2007, from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ehost/detail?vid=15hid=101sid=8db3f227-5161-4202-a37e-220847ed375d%40sessionmgr107Fritzsche, D. and Oz, E. (2007). Personal Values Influence on the Ethical Dimension of Decision Making. Journal of Business Ethics. Vol. 75 Issue 4, p335-343, 9p. Retrieved November 9, 2007, from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ehost/detail?vid=3hid=9sid=179955d8-0df8-48d7-ad28-786c88c92be7%40sessionmgr8Mezias, J. and Starbuck, W. (2003). Studying the Accuracy of Managers Perceptions: A Research Odyssey. British Journal of management. Vol. 14 Issue 1, p3-17, 15p, 5 charts, 5 graphs. Retrieved November 7, 2007, from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ehost/detail?vi d=11hid=101sid=8db3f227-5161-4202-a37e-220847ed375d%40sessionmgr107Robbins, S. (2005). Organizational behavior (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Measurement of Anti-proliferative Activity Experiment

Measurement of Anti-proliferative Activity Experiment Human cancer cell lines A549 (Lung carcinoma), MCF-7 (Breast adenocarcinoma), DU 145 (Prostate carcinoma), DLD-1 (Colorectal adenocarcinoma), FaDu (squamous cell carcinoma of pharynx) were obtained from American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), USA. These cells were cultured in DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS and antibiotic combinations in 5% CO2 humidified atmosphere at 37 0C. A colorimetric sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay was used for the measurement of anti-proliferative activity as described before (Adaramoye et al., 2011; Fricker and Buckley, 1995; Keepers et al., 1991; Skehan et al., 1990). It is the second major technique for testing and is the more preferred. This basically depends on the incur of the negatively charged pink amino xanthine dye, sulphorhodamine B (SRB) through basic amino acids in the cells. The released dye will give a more intense colour and more absorbance, when the number of cells and amount of dye is taken up is greater, after fixing, when the cells are lysed, (Skehan et al., 1990). The SRB assay is sensitive, simple, reproducible and more rapid than the formazan-based assays and gives better linearity, a good signal-to-noise ratio and has a stable end-point that does not require a time-sensitive measurement, as do the MTT or XTT assays (Fricker and Buckley, 1995; Keepers et al., 1991). Ten thousand cells were seeded to each well of 96-well plate, grown overnight and exposed to test samples at 100  µg/ml concentration for 48 h. Cells were then fixed with ice-cold tri-chloro acetic acid (50% w/v, 50 µl/well), stained with SRB (0.4% w/v in 1% acetic acid, 50 µl/well), washed and air dried. Bound dye was dissolved in 150 ÃŽ ¼L of 10mM Tris base and plates were read at 510 nm absorbance (Epoch Microplate Reader, Biotek, USA). Anti-proliferative activity of test samples was calculated as: % inhibition in cell growth = [100-(Absorbance of compound treated cells/ Absorbance of untreated cells)] x100. Principal component analysis PCA was carried out based on the contents of eighteen bioactive compounds in fruits and leaves of five Cassia species, using STATISTICA 7.0 software. When the contents of investigated compounds were below the quantitation limit or not detected in the samples, the values of such elements were considered to be zero. Results and discussion Optimization of chromatographic and MS/MS conditions Complete separation of proximate analytes is certainly not required for MS/MS detection. In this study, chrysophanic acid and emodin are having same product ion, while catechin and epicatechin are having same precursor and product ion. Therefore, mobile phase was optimized using different compositions of solvents and adjusting their gradient elution for separation of all the compounds. Acetonitrile possesses stronger elution ability in comparison to methanol, which shortens the elution time and thus selected for this method. On the basis of the polarity of anthraquinones, phenolics, flavonoids and terpenoids in the extracts of Cassia species samples, an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 (2.1 mm Ãâ€" 50 mm, 1.7 µm; Waters, Milford, MA) column was selected for their separation, which was more suitable for acidic mobile phase with smoother baseline in the separation as compared to other tested columns. Compared with acetic acid, formic acid was found more effective for ionization of compounds det ected in the negative ESI mode. Thus, different concentration strengths (0.05%, 0.1% and 0.2%) of formic acid were investigated, and finally 0.1% formic acid concentration was selected for analysis. Therefore, optimized gradient elution with 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min with the column temperature of 30 °C resulted in separation of the 18 compounds in less than 8 min chromatographic run time. All the compound dependent MS parameters (precursor ion, product ion, declustering potential (DP) and collision energy (CE) were carefully optimized for each targeted compound in negative ESI mode, which was performed by flow injection analysis (FIA). The chemical structures of 18 components were characterized based on their retention behaviour and MS information such as quasimolecular ions [M-H], fragment ions [M-H-COO], [M-H-COO-CH3], [M- CO-H2O] compared to related standards and literatures (Pandey et al., 2014; Wei et al., 2013; Xia et al., 2011; Yu et al., 2009). MRM parameters: DP, EP, CE and CXP were optimized to achieve the most abundant, specific and stable MRM transition for each compound as shown in Table 1. MRM extracted ion chromatogram of analytes are shown in Fig. 1. Analytical Method Validation The proposed UPLC-MRM method for quantitative analysis was validated according to the guidelines of international conference on harmonization (ICH, Q2R1) by linearity, LOQs and LODs, precision, solution stability, and recovery. Linearity, LOD and LOQ The internal standard method was employed to calculate the contents of eighteen analytes in Cassia species. The stock solution was diluted with methanol to different working concentrations for the construction of calibration curves. The linearity of calibration was performed by the analytes-to-IS peak area ratios versus the nominal concentration and the calibration curves were constructed with a weight (1/x2) factor by least-squares linear regression. The applied calibration model for all curves was y = a x + b, where y = peak area ratio (analyte/IS), x = concentration of the analyte, a = slope of the curve and b = intercept. The LODs and LOQs were measured with S/N of 3 and 10, respectively as criteria. The results were listed in Table 1. All the calibration curves indicated good linearity with correlation coefficients (r2) from 0.9990 to 0.9999 within the test ranges. The LODs for each analyte varied from 0.02-1.34 ng/mL and LOQs from 0.06-3.88 ng/ml and were much lower than those obtained with previous HPLC methods (Chewchinda et al., 2012; Chewchinda et al., 2014; Chewchinda et al., 2013; Ni et al., 2009; Prakash et al., 2007). Precision, Stability and Recovery The intra-day and inter-day variations, for the determination of precision of the developed method, were evaluated by determining the eighteen analytes in six replicates on a single day and by duplicating the experiments over three successive days. The overall intra-day and inter-day precision were not more than 3.37 %. Stability of sample solutions stored at room temperature was evaluated by replicate injections at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h. The RSDs value of stability of the eighteen analytes ≠¤ 3.19 %. A recovery test was applied to evaluate the accuracy of this method. Three different concentration levels (high, middle and low) of the analytical standards were added into the samples. Three replicates were performed at each level. The percentage recoveries were calculated according to the following equation: (detected amount–original amount) Ãâ€" 100% / added amount. The analytical method developed had good accuracy with overall recovery in the range from 97.75-105.09 % (RSD ≠¤ 2.42 %) for all analytes (Table 1).

Westerns :: essays research papers

Westerns The settlement of the west has prompted storys which have captivated the public throughout this century. More than any other historic event it has been written about in books, magazines and comic books. Screen writers are no exception, it has been the most popular subject of motion pictures from their inception. It's nearness in history is one of the most important reasons for it's success. Soon after the west's settlement, motion pictures became popular. Parents and grandparents were telling stories that were made even more real by the events seen on the big screen. A person could much more easily imagine events occuring within the past 50 years or so as compared to 150 years with the revolution. This nearness in history gave stories of the west a realistic appeal for the masses. With the turn of the century came the industrial revolution. At this time the average person's life changed radically. People now became "factory workers," clocking in and leaving their brains at the door. The glamour offered by these stories gave the majority of people a short escape from the everyday "grind." People were able to ride off into the sunset for a few hours becoming a rugged individual who makes a difference as opposed to the faceless body that may turn one screw hour after hour. Storylines variety was endless for the west's story tellers. Any story could be written and placed as a western. The love interest, hated villian and old enemy all fit in a western. If a writer did not want to take the time to develop an enemy, one was readily available in the native americans. The wests stories can be varied by switching points of view as