Sunday, May 24, 2020

A Brief History of the Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival is called Duan Wu Jie in Chinese. Jie means festival.  The most popular theory of the origin of the festival is that it was derived from the  commemoration of a great patriot poet,  Qu Yuan. Since some of the well-known traditions of the festival existed even before Qu Yuan, other origins of the festival have also been suggested. Wen Yiduo suggested that the festival may be closely  associated with dragons  because two of its  most important activities, boat racing and eating zongzi, have ties to dragons. Another view is that the festival  originated from the taboo of evil days. The fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar is traditionally considered an evil month and the fifth of the month is particularly a bad day, so a lot of taboo had been developed. Most likely, the festival was gradually derived from all of the above,  and the story of Qu Yuan adds to the allure of the festival today. The Legend of the Festival Like other Chinese festivals, there is also a legend behind the festival. Qu Yuan served in the court of Emperor Huai during the Warring States Period (475 - 221 BC). He was a wise and erudite man. His ability and fight against corruption antagonized other court officials. They exerted their evil influence on the emperor, so the emperor gradually dismissed Qu Yuan and eventually exiled him. During his exile, Qu Yuan did not give up. He traveled extensively, taught and wrote about his ideas. His works, the Lament (Li Sao), the Nine Chapters (Jiu Zhang), and Wen tian are masterpieces and invaluable for studying ancient Chinese culture. He saw the gradual decline of his mother country, the Chu State. And when he heard that the Chu State was defeated by the strong Qin State, he was in such despair that he ended his life by flinging himself into the Miluo River. Legend says after people heard he drowned, they were greatly dismayed. Fishermen raced to the spot in their boats to search for his body. Unable to find his body, people threw zongzi, eggs, and other food into the river to feed fish. Since then, people commemorated Qu Yuan through dragon boat races, eating zongzi and other activities on the anniversary of his death, the fifth of the fifth month. Festival Foods Zongzi is the most popular food for the festival. It  is a special kind of dumpling usually made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves. Unfortunately, fresh bamboo leaves are hard to find. Today you may see zongzi in different shapes and with a variety of fillings. The most popular shapes are triangular and pyramidal. The fillings include dates, meat and egg  yolks, but the most popular fillings are dates. During the festival, people are reminded of the importance of loyalty and commitment to the community.  Dragon boat races may be Chinese in origin, but today they  are held worldwide.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Choroid Plexus Location, Structure, and Function

The choroid plexus is a network of capillaries and specialized ependymal cells found in the cerebral ventricles of the brain. The choroid plexus serves two roles for the body: it produces cerebrospinal fluid and provides a toxin barrier to the brain  and other central nervous system tissue. The choroid plexus and the cerebrospinal fluid that it produces are necessary for proper brain development and central nervous system function. Location The choroid plexus is located in the ventricular system. This series of connecting hollow spaces circulates cerebrospinal fluid. Choroid plexus structures are found within both lateral ventricles as well as the third and fourth ventricles of the brain. The choroid plexus resides within the meninges, the membrane linings that cover and protect the central nervous system. The meninges are composed of three layers known as the dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater. The choroid plexus can be found in the innermost layer of the meninges, the pia mater. The pia mater membrane shelters the cerebral cortex and spinal cord. Structure The choroid plexus is composed of blood vessels and specialized epithelial tissue called ependyma. Ependymal cells contain hair-like projections called cilia which form a tissue layer that encases the choroid plexus. Ependymal cells also line the cerebral ventricles and spinal cord central canal. These altered epithelial cells are a type of nervous tissue called neuroglia  that helps to produce cerebrospinal fluid. Function The two important functions of the choroid plexus are to aid in brain development and protection. This is accomplished through cerebrospinal fluid production and brain protection via the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier. Read about these below. Cerebrospinal Fluid Production Choroid plexus arterial blood and ependymal cells are responsible for producing cerebrospinal fluid. The clear fluid that fills cavities of cerebral ventricles—as well as the central canal of the spinal cord and subarachnoid space of the meninges—is called the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Ependyma tissue separates capillaries of the choroid plexus from cerebral ventricles to regulate what enters CSF. It filters water and other substances from blood and transports them across the ependymal layer into brain ventricles. CSF keeps the brain and spinal cord safe, secure, nourished, and free of waste. As such, it is vital that the choroid plexus function properly and produce the right amount of CSF. The underproduction of CSF can stunt brain growth and overproduction can lead to the accumulation of CSF in brain ventricles, a condition known as hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus applies excessive pressure to the brain and can cause brain damage. Blood–Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier The choroid plexus also helps prevent blood and other molecules from leaking through—either leaving or entering—perforated blood vessels in the brain. The arachnoid, a largely impenetrable membrane that envelopes the spinal cord, assists the choroid plexus in this task. The protective barrier they form is called the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier. Together with the blood-brain barrier, the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier serves to block toxic blood-borne substances from entering cerebrospinal fluid and causing damage to the central nervous system. The choroid plexus also houses and transports other defensive structures that keep the body disease-free. Numerous white blood cells can be found in the choroid plexus—including macrophages, dendritic cells, and lymphocytes—and microglia, or specialized nervous system cells, and other immune cells enter the central nervous system through the choroid plexus. These are important for preventing pathogens from making their way to the brain. In order for viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other parasites to gain passage to the central nervous system, they must cross the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier. This fends off most attacks, but some microbes, such as those that cause meningitis, have developed mechanisms for crossing this barrier. Sources Liddelow, Shane A. â€Å"Development of the Choroid Plexus and Blood-CSF Barrier.†Ã‚  Frontiers in Neuroscience, Frontiers Media S.A., 3 Mar. 2015.Lun, Melody P., et al. â€Å"Development and Functions of the Choroid Plexus: Cerebrospinal Fluid System.†Ã‚  Nature Reviews Neuroscience, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Aug. 2015.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Why President Hindenburg Gave Hitler Chancellorship in 1933 Free Essays

Throughout this essay, I will be aiming to explain why President Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi party, as Chancellor in 1933. There were many factors that affected Hindenburg’s appointment however, from a behind-the-scenes power struggle between Germany’s leading politicians, the fear of Communism, and the fact that the Nazi’s were indeed the largest party represented in the Reichstag, having previously gained a large 37. 5% of the votes in 1932. We will write a custom essay sample on Why President Hindenburg Gave Hitler Chancellorship in 1933 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Under normal circumstances, Hitler would have been made Chancellor as he came from the largest party represented. However, backstage politics and a dislike towards him from Hindenburg stalled Hitler’s hopes of becoming Chancellor. But firstly, before going into detail into some of the factors, I will set the scene regarding the state of Germany and indeed the world, post WW1, leading up to 1933. Following defeat in WW2, and the abdication of the German Kaiser, Germany was in crisis, lacking leadership and support from its people. There was no support for the Provisional Government who had just signed the Armistice, despite the German people believing they were on the brink of winning the war, prompting the ‘stab in the back theory’. The following year, the new Republic, the Weimar Government signed the Treaty of Versailles, something else that angered the German people as it made Germany pay astronomical reparation sums in compensation and have its army drastically reduced to 100,000 men. Hitler used both of these stories in building support for the Nazi’s in the early 30’s. What followed was a period of hyperinflation in 1923 as Germany couldn’t keep up with the reparation demands of the Allies; many German people suffered with poverty and lost life savings. What followed however were years of prosperous fortune for the German people, known as the ‘Golden Twenties’. Gustav Stresemann led the recovery, restoring Germany’s international reputation, rebuilding a troubled economy, and seeking help from the US through the Dawes Plan in 1924, before his untimely death in 1929. 1929 saw Wall Street, the US stock exchange crash, kicking off the Great Depression. Germany was hit hard and faced mass unemployment, rising to 6 million people by 1932. It was around this time that people started taking Left Wing parties seriously, voting for the Communists and the Nazi’s. The conditions gave Hitler ammunition to gain support from the people. Hitler was a renowned public speaker and would make up any lie to please the people of Germany at any time, in any place. Coupled with his Nazi propaganda and the fear of Communism in Germany, Hitler had the perfect platform to gain votes in the Reichstag, and would soon be on his way to becoming Chancellor. Now, having looked at the history behind the years leading up to 1933, I can now look deeper into the individual factors behind Adolf Hitler cementing his position as Chancellor. In my opinion, the main reason as to why Hindenburg made Hitler Chancellor in 1923 was because the Nazi’s had indeed become the largest party in the Reichstag. As mentioned previously, the party had gained 37. 5% of the votes in the previous election, and although this wasn’t a majority politically, it had become a majority psychologically, in the fact that the Nazi’s could no longer be ignored as they had been in previous years. This was proven when Franz Von Papen, much to Hitler’s distress was given Chancellorship in late 1932. He was the leader of the Catholic Centre Party but as the Nazi’s controlled over a third of the Reichstag, he failed to gain full support. General Von Schleicher was in the same boat, as he also failed to gain full support. Enter Adolf Hitler, the only man who could truly get anything done, as he was the only man who could unite the Reichstag, making him the obvious choice for Chancellor. Another factor leading to Hitler’s rise to Chancellorship was the popularity of himself, the party, and the policies they promoted. The Nazi’s policies seemed to suit all of the German people, and he would even lie to the people in order to gain their full support. Policies such as rebuilding the army, abolishing mass unemployment, and his attitude towards ‘inferior’ races would not have gone un-noticed by Hindenburg, as he would have seen this drastic rise in support, as well as the rise in seats in the Reichstag. Coupled with the policies of the Nazi’s are Hitler’s inspiring, heart-felt speeches. Widely-regarded as one of the greatest public speakers of all time, alongside people such as Martin Luther King, he had the ability to tug on the heartstrings of people who didn’t even support the Nazi’s, especially when he spoke of making Germany great again and restoring a broken country to its former stature. This was a quality that President Hindenburg certainly wanted in his Chancellor, someone who could connect with the nation and address them with such power and belief, provided it could be controlled. Other factors leading to Hitler becoming Chancellor was the fear of Communism throughout Germany. In the years 1930-1932, the support for the German Communist party increased astronomically, due to support from the working class. It was also well documented that the German Communist Party was the largest in Europe (outside of the Soviet Union). However, not all people liked the Communists, and many large business owners and farmers chose to vote for the Nazi’s. In fact, many of the votes that the Nazi’s received were actually gained because people didn’t want to vote for the Communists and because of Hitler’s publicized hatred towards them. If the Communists had ceased to exist, many would question if the Nazi’s would have received many votes at all? In summary, there was very weak opposition to the Nazi’s, with the Democrats and Communists refusing to work together and stop the Nazi’s, no one offered a stern resistance and seemed more content with arguing than resolving Germany’s political issues. This would have also been recognised by Hindenburg, and even though he disliked Hitler he couldn’t afford to appoint a Chancellor that didn’t offer strong, effective leadership. Hitler seemed to be the perfect choice at that moment in time. Another considerable factor which helped Hitler in his rise to power was the Wall Street Crash of 1929, which eventually led to the Great Depression, something that rocked the entire world. Germany had been struck with its second economic crisis of the decade, and without Gustav Stresemann, the Weimar Government didn’t have the brain they needed to ‘steady the ship’. This led to mass unemployment, starvation, German Firms going bankrupt and people lost the confidence to invest. Mass unemployment left the Government short on money, as workers were no longer paying taxes; therefore they were unable to do anything to help the poor, making them extremely unpopular. Enter the extremist parties, and as unemployment figures rose over the coming years, so did the votes for the Nazi’s and by January 1932, the Nazi party had received 13. 4 million votes. In this time of hardship, Hindenburg had to go with who the people wanted. The Weimar Government had run its cause, and Germany needed a new Chancellor, someone who they could look at with optimism and belief. Hindenburg realised that this man was Adolf Hitler. My final reasons as to why I believe Hitler was made Chancellor in 1933, is due to the belief of Hindenburg and Von Papen that they could ultimately control Adolf Hitler, and act as puppet-master’s behind the scenes, having Hitler, the public idol, transfer their messages. They believed that if they conveyed their ideology through Hitler, the public would be more respectful of the decisions. At this point, only 3 of the 12 politicians who made up Hitler’s cabinet were actually Nazi’s, and with Von Papen as Vice-Chancellor, Hindenburg believed he could be controlled. In the following months, Hitler blamed the Reichstag Fire on the Communists and with the Presidents help, banned them from future elections and threw major Communist leaders into jail. He then forced the Nationalist party to join the Nazi’s and create a Coalition, giving him the majority he needed to pass the Enabling Law, which meant he could now do as he wished, and after President Hindenburg’s untimely death in August 1933, he became dictator of Germany. Although Von Papen and Hindenburg originally believed they could control him, Hitler had obtained way too much power over the course of 1933, in complete contrast to what they wanted him to achieve. Overall, I do not believe that there was one decisive factor that cemented Hitler’s position as Chancellor, instead, it was a mixture of a variety of circumstances that all seemed to fall in to place at the right time for the Nazi’s. Hypothetically speaking it was like a giant row of dominoes, with each domino resembling a factor, all toppling in unison. However, remove a factor, such as the Wall Street crash or the fear of Communism, and you break the chain that Hitler needed to become Chancellor. Therefore I believe that along with parts of political genius, Hitler also received numerous strokes of fortune on the road to becoming one of the most powerful leaders the world had ever seen. How to cite Why President Hindenburg Gave Hitler Chancellorship in 1933, Essay examples

Monday, May 4, 2020

Studypak free essay sample

Many species like sand ( Hiawatha signifier) are nearly extinct in wild. Conservation of such precious species is required and imparting awareness about sustainable uses of these species is a necessary. Herbarium is submitted in Salami University Ballpark Sub-campus Balancing for record. Introduction The term ethnology comes from two Greek words Tenths meaning people and Botany meaning herb, So it is the study of relationship between people and plants. This term was coined by American taxonomic botanist John W. Harbingers as study of utilization relationship between humans and their environment, including deciding uses. Richard Evans Schultz (1915-2001) is considered as the father of ethnology Queries et al. , (2001). Plants play a vital role in our lives more than animals mainly due to their extraordinary array of diverse class of biochemical with variety of biological activities (cotton, 1996; Bucking, 1999). Ethnological studies have become increasingly valuable in the development of healthcare and conservation programs in different parts of the world (Black, 1996). Priorities are established in local communities due to traditional knowledge which is characterized by tenth botanical knowledge (Briar et al, 2007). Due to deficiency of proper health care, local people used plants for medicinal uses from long ages. 27 medicinal plants were also collected from Maker, southern Pakistan (Elaborate and Latin, 1994). Due to over consumption of plants by human, most of plant species have become endangered and rare. Human existence, raising and cultivation exerts enormous stress on vegetation and results in environmental degradation (Mad et al. , 2011). Ethnological study have become increasingly valuable in development of healthcare and conservation programs in different parts of world. Plants are essential ingredient of healthier life because they provide us medicines, food, clothing, currency, ritual, dye, constructions, cosmetics and more. Plants play vital role more than animals. Plants are also beneficial for animals because the food of many animals depend on plants (All et al. , 2009). Study Area Pakistan is a district of Punjab Province, Pakistan. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, it had a population of 1,286,680 of which 14% were urban. It has since risen to 1,563,000. Pakistan is the city of the great Saint Baby Farad. Pakistan meaner clean dockland. Pakistan is located about 207 km trot Lahore and 205 km trot Umlaut. The district is bounded to the northwest by Swahili District, to the north by Okra District, to the southeast by the Suttee River and Balancing District, and to the southwest by Behavior District. Arrivals is an administrative subdivision (thesis) of Pakistan District. The city of Arrivals is the headquarters of the thesis which is administratively subdivided into 4 Union Councils. Most of the population are farmers, about 75% of the population live in villages and only 25% live in the municipal urban area. Arrivals Thesis covers n area of 295,146 acres (1180 km) with a population of about 720,000. The urban area covers 457 acres (1. 82 km) and the agriculture area covers 1274 acres (3. 18 km) approximately. Map of Arrivals Objectives The objectives of this ethnological survey are; To record the indigenous knowledge about flora of Arrivals. Plants being used locally. Which species are at the risk of endangerment in the locality. Repose a plant is being used and how? Is usage of any plant by natives is safe? To document the For what To familiarize the people with these cheap and efficient remedies which are still emitted to some people. Literature Review An ethnological survey of of thesis Burial of South Waistband agency in 1 was conducted and 72 plant species, 49 medicinal plants, 16 outrage, wood, 9 vegetables, 6 agricultural tools, 6 ornamental and 4 insecti vorous were collected from 30 plant families. Medical importance required their recognition. Chemicals obtained from herbs are used against cancer, leukemia, muscular and heart diseases.. Medical flora here is abundant so people take benefits. Dried fruits of Hiawatha coagulant are used in dyspepsia. Seeds of Malta neglect are used to lease cough and ulcer of bladder. Menthes Sylvester is extensively used against diarrhea and cooling agent. Juice of Citrus colonists with sugar is used against dropsy and externally applied on skin for disconsolation (electrodes) of skin. Study area is situated on high lands nearly 80 percent population depend upon traditional medicine. Faro et al. , 2012). Ethnological survey of Hazard Ana forest of Thesis Mainland revealed 90 vascular plant species of 56 families, 72 medicinal plants species which are used as remedies to cure Castro intestinal disorders, respiratory diseases, coetaneous implants, blood circulatory diseases and many others (Maraud et al. , 2012). Many plants have multiple uses. Major are angiosperms, 54 families, 3 were monoc otyledonous and 51 dicotyledonous. Second major use is fuel wood 50 species, fodder 32 species, fruits 8 species, 6 species are poisonous and 4 species are used for veterinary. People use them as infusion, detection and concoction. Conservation of this area is urgently needed. Gullah et al. , in 2011 surveyed ten remote villages of Dir Assistant and information from resourceful persons was collected including 85 men and 15 women. Data was collected about 26 weeds belonging to 16 families. It was estimated that area is rich in indigenous knowledge about weeds but there is large no. of neutralized weeds which could not prove useful yet. It was 1st attempt to understand importance of weeds regarding their medicinal properties. Many species like nuts of walnuts and Barbers lyceum have multiple uses like food, culinary preparation, mental tonic, sexual tonic and Jaundice, cooling agent, ulcer, colic and as fuel respectively. A survey of Kathy (Queries et al. , 2001) was conducted to gather information about medicinal plants. It was noted that people of locality largely depend upon plants for health care. An attempt was made to collect such information before it is lost. 25 herb species belonging to 18 families were recorded. A survey of Nora Desert Kinds Pakistan (Queries et al. 2010) was conducted from 1998-2001 and it was nice to know that local people have much awareness about the uses of plants. They cure cough, asthma, fever, flue, digestive troubles, inflammation and sexual diseases. 63 plant species from 29 families were recorded. 97 plant species were collected from Randal hills district Shanghai Pakistan (Briar, 007). They are used for multiple purposes. 31 are medicinal species while other are used as fuel, fodder, shelter, wood, adhesives, fiber yielding and irritants.