Urdu †The Origin and History of the Language Essay

The term Urdu derives from a Turkish word ordu meaning camp or army. The Urdu languagedeveloped between the Muslim soldiers of the Mughals armies who belonged to various ethnicities like Turks, Arabs, Persians, Pathans, Balochis, Rajputs, Jats and Afghans. These soldiers lived in close contact with each other and communicated in different dialects, which slowly and gradually evolved into present day Urdu. It is for this reason that Urdu is also referred to as Lashkari Zaban or language of the army. During its development Urdu language also assumed various names like the term Urdu-e-Maullah meaning the exalted army which was given by Emperor Shah Jahan and the term Rekhta meaning scattered (with Persian words) which was coined by the scholars for Urdu poetry. History and Evolution of Urdu Language Evolution and development of any language is dependent on the evolution and development of a society where that language is spoken. Various invasions and conquests on a place affect the development of its language. Urdu is no exception as it also underwent various stages of development. Urdu belongs to the Indo-Aryan family of languages. Urdu by origin is considered to be a descendent of Saur Senic Prakrit. The term Prakrriti means root or basis. It is a later version of Sanskrit. As Prakrit language began to develop, it was influenced by Western Hindi dialects of Khari Boli, Brij Bhasa and Haryanvi. With the coming of Insha’s Darya-e-Latafat*, a need was felt to differentiate Urdu with other languages especially Hindi. It became a Hindi-Urdu controversy and as a result Khari Boli and Devanagari became the identity of Indians while Urdu and Persian of Muslims. In this context, Persian and Arabic words replaced with Sanskrit served the purpose of differentiating Hindi from Urdu . Urdu emerged as a distinct language after 1193 AD – the time of the Muslims conquest. When the Muslims conquered this part of the continent, they made Persian the official and cultural language of India. As a result of the amalgamation of local dialects and the language of the invaders – which was either Persian, Arabic and Turkish, a new language evolved which later became Urdu. During the Mughals reign, Urdu was  spoken in palaces and court and till the end of the Mughal rule; Urdu was the official language of most of Mughal states. This was the time when Urdu had become Persianized and enriched with Persian words, phrases and even script and grammar. With the coming of the British, new English words also became part of the Urdu language. Many English words were accepted in their real form while others were accepted after some modifications. Currently, Urdu vocabulary contains approximately 70% of Persian words and the rest are a mixture of Arabic and Turkish words. However, there are also traces of the French, Portuguese and Dutch language in Urdu. But these influences are little. Urdu was taken to other parts of the country by soldiers, saints and sufis and by the common people. As a result of the political, social and cultural contacts amongst the people of different speech and dialects, a mixed form of language formed called ‘Rekhta’ (Urdu and Persian in mixed form). Soon people started to use the new language in their speech and in literature which resulted in the enrichment of Urdu language and literature. Urdu Literature The origin of Urdu literature dates back to the 13th century in India during the Mughal rule. One of the most eminent earliest poets who made usage of Urdu in his poetry is Amir Khusro who can be called the father of Urdu language. In literature, Urdu was usually used along side Persian. Mughal kings were the great patrons of art and literature and it was under their rule that Urdu language reached its zenith. There used to be a tradition of ‘Sheri Mehfils’ (poetic gatherings) in the kings’ courts. Abul Fazal Faizi and Abdul Rahim Khankhana were the famous Urdu poets of Mughal court. Likewise, Mirza Ghalib, Allama Iqbal, Hakim Momin, Ibrahim Zauq, Mir Taqi Mir, Sauda, Ibn-e-Insha and Faiz Ahmed Faiz have contributed to the evolution of Urdu language through their literary works. It is indeed true that Hindi and Urdu are descendents of the same language i.e. Prakrit, but where the Hindi took influence from Sanskrit and adopted Devanagri script of writing, Urdu absorbed words from Persian, Turkish and Arabic languages and adopted Persian-Arabic script and Nastaliq calligraphic style of writing and emerged as a separate language. But beside common ancestry, the two languages are as different as can be. There are marked grammatical, phonological and lexical differences in both languages. Urdu was also used  as a tool by the Muslims for freedom struggle and for creating awareness among Muslim communities in South Asia to unite under the banner of Independence from British Raj. For this, services of Maulana Hali, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Allama Iqbal are notable, who through their poetry and prose provoked the necessary spark in the lives of the Muslims. Urdu was chosen to become the national language of Pakistan at the time of Independence from British. Urdu is now the national language of Pakistan, spoken and understood thoroughly by majority of the population Urdu Poetry and Its Impact Anything written in any language has its own effects on its readers. And it influences their emotions and feelings. Urdu is the most progressive language and it has dramatic effects on the social, culture and literature of the generations. The most important role ofUrdu language is that it integrated the communities in the oriental societies. The defeaters and conquerors of the countries India ,Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries has accepted the social ,cultural effects of their language. These conquerors were spoken Arabic and Persian. And these regions were speaking many different languages. To interact with each other they needed one common language. .this interaction developed a common communicative language called Urdu Basic source to spread Urdu language is poetry. Poetry played a very important role for establishment of the language As T.S. Eliot says, â€Å"Poetry should help, not only to refine the language of the time, but to prevent it from changing too rapidly.† Sixteenth to till nineteenth century has the masters of Urdu poetry .it is the golden time period for theUrdu poets. The poets of these days are following the grand masters. The noticeable effects of poetry are in the â€Å"Gazal† it also has romantic effects. People of different languages like to listen and read â€Å"Gazal†. Our history has the masters of the â€Å"Gazal†. The most popular names of the Gazal master are Mirza Galib, Mir Taqui Mir, Etc. nazam (poem) is also a form of poetry. Nazam (poem) depicts a continuous single theme ad mostly associated with philosophy. Nazam has marvelous social and political effects Nazam has changed the social and political structure of nations. The most  popular nazam writers are Allama Muhammad Iqbal and josh. Both nazam and Gazal played a tremendous role to transform the thoughts of individuals and groups alike. In the history of Urdu literature Josh Mallihabadi was the grand poet who’s contribution is remarkable in the Urdu literature. Other forms of Urdu poetry are also contributed but for the short time period. The mixture of Arabic and Persian gave the richness to Urdu but with the concept of modernization and popularity of west culture in the East Urdu language in distorting

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 63-67

CHAPTER 63 Lieutenant Collet stood alone at the foot of Leigh Teabing's driveway and gazed up at the massive house. Isolated.Dark.Good ground cover.Collet watched his half-dozen agents spreading silently out along the length of the fence. They could be over it and have the house surrounded in a matter of minutes. Langdon could not have chosen a more ideal spot for Collet's men to make a surprise assault. Collet was about to call Fache himself when at last his phone rang. Fache sounded not nearly as pleased with the developments as Collet would have imagined. â€Å"Why didn't someone tell me we had a lead on Langdon?† â€Å"You were on a phone call and – â€Å" â€Å"Where exactly are you, Lieutenant Collet?† Collet gave him the address. â€Å"The estate belongs to a British national named Teabing. Langdon drove a fair distance to get here, and the vehicle is inside the security gate, with no signs of forced entry, so chances are good that Langdon knows the occupant.† â€Å"I'm coming out,† Fache said. â€Å"Don't make a move. I'll handle this personally.† Collet's jaw dropped. â€Å"But Captain, you're twenty minutes away! We should act immediately. I have him staked out. I'm with eight men total. Four of us have field rifles and the others have side arms.† â€Å"Wait for me.† â€Å"Captain, what if Langdon has a hostage in there? What if he sees us and decides to leave on foot? We need to move now! My men are in position and ready to go.† â€Å"Lieutenant Collet, you will wait for me to arrive before taking action. That is an order.† Fache hung up. Stunned, Lieutenant Collet switched off his phone. Why the hell is Fache asking me to wait? Collet knew the answer. Fache, though famous for his instinct, was notorious for his pride. Fache wants credit for the arrest.After putting the American's face all over the television, Fache wanted to be sure his own face got equal time. Collet's job was simply to hold down the fort until the boss showed up to save the day. As he stood there, Collet flashed on a second possible explanation for this delay. Damage control. In law enforcement, hesitating to arrest a fugitive only occurred when uncertainty had arisen regarding the suspect's guilt. Is Fache having second thoughts that Langdon is the right man? The thought was frightening. Captain Fache had gone out on a limb tonight to arrest Robert Langdon – surveillance cachee, Interpol, and now television. Not even the great Bezu Fache would survive the political fallout if he had mistakenly splashed a prominent American's face all over French television, claiming he was a murderer. If Fache now realized he'd made a mistake, then it made perfect sense that he would tell Collet not to make a move. The last thing Fache needed was for Collet to storm an innocent Brit's private estate and take Langdon at gunpoint. Moreover, Collet realized, if Langdon were innocent, it explained one of this case's strangest paradoxes: Why had Sophie Neveu, the granddaughter of the victim, helped the alleged killer escape? Unless Sophie knew Langdon was falsely charged. Fache had posited all kinds of explanations tonight to explain Sophie's odd behavior, including that Sophie, as Sauniere's sole heir, had persuaded her secret lover Robert Langdon to kill off Sauniere for the inheritance money. Sauniere, if he had suspected this, might have left the police the message P. S.Find RobertLangdon.Collet was fairly certain something else was going on here. Sophie Neveu seemed far too solid of character to be mixed up in something that sordid. â€Å"Lieutenant?† One of the field agents came running over. â€Å"We found a car.† Collet followed the agent about fifty yards past the driveway. The agent pointed to a wide shoulder on the opposite side of the road. There, parked in the brush, almost out of sight, was a black Audi. It had rental plates. Collet felt the hood. Still warm. Hot even. â€Å"That must be how Langdon got here,† Collet said. â€Å"Call the rental company. Find out if it's stolen.† â€Å"Yes, sir.† Another agent waved Collet back over in the direction of the fence. â€Å"Lieutenant, have a look at this.† He handed Collet a pair of night vision binoculars. â€Å"The grove of trees near the top of the driveway.† Collet aimed the binoculars up the hill and adjusted the image intensifier dials. Slowly, the greenish shapes came into focus. He located the curve of the driveway and slowly followed it up, reaching the grove of trees. All he could do was stare. There, shrouded in the greenery, was an armored truck. A truck identical to the one Collet had permitted to leave the Depository Bank of Zurich earlier tonight. He prayed this was some kind of bizarre coincidence, but he knew it could not be. â€Å"It seems obvious,† the agent said,† that this truck is how Langdon and Neveu got away from the bank.† Collet was speechless. He thought of the armored truck driver he had stopped at the roadblock. The Rolex. His impatience to leave. I never checked the cargo hold. Incredulous, Collet realized that someone in the bank had actually lied to DCPJ about Langdon and Sophie's whereabouts and then helped them escape. But who? And why? Collet wondered if maybe this were the reason Fache had told him not to take action yet. Maybe Fache realized there were more people involved tonight than just Langdon and Sophie. And if Langdon and Neveu arrived inthe armored truck, then who drove the Audi? Hundreds of miles to the south, a chartered Beechcraft Baron 58 raced northward over the Tyrrhenian Sea. Despite calm skies, Bishop Aringarosa clutched an airsickness bag, certain he could be ill at any moment. His conversation with Paris had not at all been what he had imagined. Alone in the small cabin, Aringarosa twisted the gold ring on his finger and tried to ease his overwhelming sense of fear and desperation. Everything in Paris has gone terribly wrong.Closing his eyes, Aringarosa said a prayer that Bezu Fache would have the means to fix it. CHAPTER 64 Teabing sat on the divan, cradling the wooden box on his lap and admiring the lid's intricate inlaid Rose. Tonight has become the strangest and most magical night of my life. â€Å"Lift the lid,† Sophie whispered, standing over him, beside Langdon. Teabing smiled. Do not rush me.Having spent over a decade searching for this keystone, he wanted to savor every millisecond of this moment. He ran a palm across the wooden lid, feeling the texture of the inlaid flower. â€Å"The Rose,† he whispered. The Rose is Magdalene is the Holy Grail.The Rose is the compass that guides the way.Teabing felt foolish. For years he had traveled to cathedrals and churches all over France, paying for special access, examining hundreds of archways beneath rose windows, searching for an encrypted keystone. La clef de voute – a stone key beneath the sign of the Rose. Teabing slowly unlatched the lid and raised it. As his eyes finally gazed upon the contents, he knew in an instant it could only be the keystone. He was staring at a stone cylinder, crafted of interconnecting lettered dials. The device seemed surprisingly familiar to him. â€Å"Designed from Da Vinci's diaries,† Sophie said. â€Å"My grandfather made them as a hobby.† Of course, Teabing realized. He had seen the sketches and blueprints. The key to finding the Holy Grail lies inside this stone.Teabing lifted the heavy cryptex from the box, holding it gently. Although he had no idea how to open the cylinder, he sensed his own destiny lay inside. In moments of failure, Teabing had questioned whether his life's quest would ever be rewarded. Now those doubts were gone forever. He could hear the ancient words†¦ the foundation of the Grail legend: Vous ne trouvez pas le Saint-Graal, c'est le Saint-Graal qui vous trouve. You do not find the Grail, the Grail finds you. And tonight, incredibly, the key to finding the Holy Grail had walked right through his front door. While Sophie and Teabing sat with the cryptex and talked about the vinegar, the dials, and what the password might be, Langdon carried the rosewood box across the room to a well-lit table to get a better look at it. Something Teabing had just said was now running through Langdon's mind. The key to the Grail is hidden beneath the sign of the Rose. Langdon held the wooden box up to the light and examined the inlaid symbol of the Rose. Although his familiarity with art did not include woodworking or inlaid furniture, he had just recalled the famous tiled ceiling of the Spanish monastery outside of Madrid, where, three centuries after its construction, the ceiling tiles began to fall out, revealing sacred texts scrawled by monks on the plaster beneath. Langdon looked again at the Rose. Beneath the Rose. Sub Rosa. Secret. A bump in the hallway behind him made Langdon turn. He saw nothing but shadows. Teabing's manservant most likely had passed through. Langdon turned back to the box. He ran his finger over the smooth edge of the inlay, wondering if he could pry the Rose out, but the craftsmanship was perfect. He doubted even a razor blade could fit in between the inlaid Rose and the carefully carved depression into which it was seated. Opening the box, he examined the inside of the lid. It was smooth. As he shifted its position, though, the light caught what appeared to be a small hole on the underside of the lid, positioned in the exact center. Langdon closed the lid and examined the inlaid symbol from the top. No hole. It doesn't pass through. Setting the box on the table, he looked around the room and spied a stack of papers with a paper clip on it. Borrowing the clip, he returned to the box, opened it, and studied the hole again. Carefully, he unbent the paper clip and inserted one end into the hole. He gave a gentle push. It took almost no effort. He heard something clatter quietly onto the table. Langdon closed the lid to look. It was a small piece of wood, like a puzzle piece. The wooden Rose had popped out of the lid and fallen onto the desk. Speechless, Langdon stared at the bare spot on the lid where the Rose had been. There, engraved in the wood, written in an immaculate hand, were four lines of text in a language he had never seen. The characters look vaguely Semitic, Langdon thought to himself, and yet I don't recognize the language! A sudden movement behind him caught his attention. Out of nowhere, a crushing blow to the head knocked Langdon to his knees. As he fell, he thought for a moment he saw a pale ghost hovering over him, clutching a gun. Then everything went black. CHAPTER 65 Sophie Neveu, despite working in law enforcement, had never found herself at gunpoint until tonight. Almost inconceivably, the gun into which she was now staring was clutched in the pale hand of an enormous albino with long white hair. He looked at her with red eyes that radiated a frightening, disembodied quality. Dressed in a wool robe with a rope tie, he resembled a medieval cleric. Sophie could not imagine who he was, and yet she was feeling a sudden newfound respect for Teabing's suspicions that the Church was behind this. â€Å"You know what I have come for,† the monk said, his voice hollow. Sophie and Teabing were seated on the divan, arms raised as their attacker had commanded. Langdon lay groaning on the floor. The monk's eyes fell immediately to the keystone on Teabing's lap. Teabing's tone was defiant. â€Å"You will not be able to open it.† â€Å"My Teacher is very wise,† the monk replied, inching closer, the gun shifting between Teabing and Sophie. Sophie wondered where Teabing's manservant was. Didn't he hear Robert fall? â€Å"Who is your teacher?† Teabing asked. â€Å"Perhaps we can make a financial arrangement.† â€Å"The Grail is priceless.† He moved closer.† You're bleeding,† Teabing noted calmly, nodding to the monk's right ankle where a trickle of blood had run down his leg. â€Å"And you're limping.† â€Å"As do you,† the monk replied, motioning to the metal crutches propped beside Teabing. â€Å"Now, hand me the keystone.† â€Å"You know of the keystone?† Teabing said, sounding surprised. â€Å"Never mind what I know. Stand up slowly, and give it to me.† â€Å"Standing is difficult for me.† â€Å"Precisely. I would prefer nobody attempt any quick moves.† Teabing slipped his right hand through one of his crutches and grasped the keystone in his left. Lurching to his feet, he stood erect, palming the heavy cylinder in his left hand, and leaning unsteadily on his crutch with his right. The monk closed to within a few feet, keeping the gun aimed directly at Teabing's head. Sophie watched, feeling helpless as the monk reached out to take the cylinder. â€Å"You will not succeed,† Teabing said. â€Å"Only the worthy can unlock this stone.† God alone judges the worthy, Silas thought. â€Å"It's quite heavy,† the man on crutches said, his arm wavering now. â€Å"If you don't take it soon, I'm afraid I shall drop it!† He swayed perilously. Silas stepped quickly forward to take the stone, and as he did, the man on crutches lost his balance. The crutch slid out from under him, and he began to topple sideways to his right. No! Silas lunged to save the stone, lowering his weapon in the process. But the keystone was moving away from him now. As the man fell to his right, his left hand swung backward, and the cylinder tumbled from his palm onto the couch. At the same instant, the metal crutch that had been sliding out from under the man seemed to accelerate, cutting a wide arc through the air toward Silas's leg. Splinters of pain tore up Silas's body as the crutch made perfect contact with his cilice, crushing the barbs into his already raw flesh. Buckling, Silas crumpled to his knees, causing the belt to cut deeper still. The pistol discharged with a deafening roar, the bullet burying itself harmlessly in the floorboards as Silas fell. Before he could raise the gun and fire again, the woman's foot caught him square beneath the jaw. At the bottom of the driveway, Collet heard the gunshot. The muffled pop sent panic through his veins. With Fache on the way, Collet had already relinquished any hopes of claiming personal credit for finding Langdon tonight. But Collet would be damned if Fache's ego landed him in front of a Ministerial Review Board for negligent police procedure. A weapon was discharged inside a private home! And you waited at the bottom of the driveway? Collet knew the opportunity for a stealth approach had long since passed. He also knew if he stood idly by for another second, his entire career would be history by morning. Eyeing the estate's iron gate, he made his decision. â€Å"Tie on, and pull it down.† In the distant recesses of his groggy mind, Robert Langdon had heard the gunshot. He'd also heard a scream of pain. His own? A jackhammer was boring a hole into the back of his cranium. Somewhere nearby, people were talking. â€Å"Where the devil were you?† Teabing was yelling. The manservant hurried in. â€Å"What happened? Oh my God! Who is that? I'll call the police!† â€Å"Bloody hell! Don't call the police. Make yourself useful and get us something with which to restrain this monster.† â€Å"And some ice!† Sophie called after him. Langdon drifted out again. More voices. Movement. Now he was seated on the divan. Sophie was holding an ice pack to his head. His skull ached. As Langdon's vision finally began to clear, he found himself staring at a body on the floor. Am I hallucinating? The massive body of an albino monk lay bound and gagged with duct tape. His chin was split open, and the robe over his right thigh was soaked with blood. He too appeared to be just now coming to. Langdon turned to Sophie. â€Å"Who is that? What†¦ happened?† Teabing hobbled over. â€Å"You were rescued by a knight brandishing an Excalibur made by Acme Orthopedic.† Huh? Langdon tried to sit up. Sophie's touch was shaken but tender. â€Å"Just give yourself a minute, Robert.† â€Å"I fear,† Teabing said,† that I've just demonstrated for your lady friend the unfortunate benefit of my condition. It seems everyone underestimates you.† From his seat on the divan, Langdon gazed down at the monk and tried to imagine what had happened. â€Å"He was wearing a cilice,†Teabing explained. â€Å"A what?† Teabing pointed to a bloody strip of barbed leather that lay on the floor. â€Å"A Discipline belt. He wore it on his thigh. I took careful aim.† Langdon rubbed his head. He knew of Discipline belts. â€Å"But how†¦ did you know?† Teabing grinned. â€Å"Christianity is my field of study, Robert, and there are certain sects who wear their hearts on their sleeves.† He pointed his crutch at the blood soaking through the monk's cloak. â€Å"As it were.† â€Å"Opus Dei,† Langdon whispered, recalling recent media coverage of several prominent Boston businessmen who were members of Opus Dei. Apprehensive coworkers had falsely and publicly accused the men of wearing Discipline belts beneath their three-piece suits. In fact, the three men did no such thing. Like many members of Opus Dei, these businessmen were at the† supernumerary† stage and practiced no corporal mortification at all. They were devout Catholics, caring fathers to their children, and deeply dedicated members of the community. Not surprisingly, the media spotlighted their spiritual commitment only briefly before moving on to the shock value of the sect's more stringent† numerary† members†¦ members like the monk now lying on the floor before Langdon. Teabing was looking closely at the bloody belt. â€Å"But why would Opus Dei be trying to find the Holy Grail?† Langdon was too groggy to consider it. â€Å"Robert,† Sophie said, walking to the wooden box. â€Å"What's this?† She was holding the small Rose inlay he had removed from the lid.† It covered an engraving on the box. I think the text might tell us how to open the keystone.† Before Sophie and Teabing could respond, a sea of blue police lights and sirens erupted at thebottom of the hill and began snaking up the half-mile driveway. Teabing frowned. â€Å"My friends, it seems we have a decision to make. And we'd better make it fast.† CHAPTER 66 Collet and his agents burst through the front door of Sir Leigh Teabing's estate with their guns drawn. Fanning out, they began searching all the rooms on the first level. They found a bullet hole in the drawing room floor, signs of a struggle, a small amount of blood, a strange, barbed leather belt, and a partially used roll of duct tape. The entire level seemed deserted. Just as Collet was about to divide his men to search the basement and grounds behind the house, he heard voices on the level above them. â€Å"They're upstairs!† Rushing up the wide staircase, Collet and his men moved room by room through the huge home, securing darkened bedrooms and hallways as they closed in on the sounds of voices. The sound seemed to be coming from the last bedroom on an exceptionally long hallway. The agents inched down the corridor, sealing off alternate exits. As they neared the final bedroom, Collet could see the door was wide open. The voices had stopped suddenly, and had been replaced by an odd rumbling, like an engine. Sidearm raised, Collet gave the signal. Reaching silently around the door frame, he found the light switch and flicked it on. Spinning into the room with men pouring in after him, Collet shouted and aimed his weapon at†¦ nothing. An empty guest bedroom. Pristine. The rumbling sounds of an automobile engine poured from a black electronic panel on the wall beside the bed. Collet had seen these elsewhere in the house. Some kind of intercom system. He raced over. The panel had about a dozen labeled buttons: STUDY†¦ KITCHEN†¦ LAUNDRY†¦ CELLAR†¦ So where the hell do I hear a car? MASTER BEDROOM†¦ SUN ROOM†¦ BARN†¦ LIBRARY†¦ Barn! Collet was downstairs in seconds, running toward the back door, grabbing one of his agents on the way. The men crossed the rear lawn and arrived breathless at the front of a weathered gray barn. Even before they entered, Collet could hear the fading sounds of a car engine. He drew his weapon, rushed in, and flicked on the lights. The right side of the barn was a rudimentary workshop – lawn-mowers, automotive tools, gardening supplies. A familiar intercom panel hung on the wall nearby. One of its buttons was flipped down, transmitting. GUEST BEDROOM II. Collet wheeled, anger brimming. They lured us upstairs with the intercom! Searching the other side of the barn, he found a long line of horse stalls. No horses. Apparently the owner preferred a different kind of horsepower; the stalls had been converted into an impressive automotive parking facility. The collection was astonishing – a black Ferrari, a pristine Rolls-Royce, an antique Astin Martin sports coupe, a vintage Porsche 356. The last stall was empty. Collet ran over and saw oil stains on the stall floor. They can't get off the compound.The driveway and gate were barricaded with two patrol cars to prevent this very situation. â€Å"Sir?† The agent pointed down the length of the stalls. The barn's rear slider was wide open, giving way to a dark, muddy slope of rugged fields that stretched out into the night behind the barn. Collet ran to the door, trying to see out into the darkness. All he could make out was the faint shadow of a forest in the distance. No headlights. This wooded valley was probably crisscrossed by dozens of unmapped fire roads and hunting trails, but Collet was confident his quarry would never make the woods. â€Å"Get some men spread out down there. They're probably already stuck somewhere nearby. These fancy sports cars can't handle terrain.† â€Å"Um, sir?† The agent pointed to a nearby pegboard on which hung several sets of keys. The labels above the keys bore familiar names. DAIMLER†¦ ROLLS-ROYCE†¦ ASTIN MARTIN†¦ PORSCHE†¦ The last peg was empty. When Collet read the label above the empty peg, he knew he was in trouble. CHAPTER 67 The Range Rover was Java Black Pearl, four-wheel drive, standard transmission, with high- strength polypropylene lamps, rear light cluster fittings, and the steering wheel on the right. Langdon was pleased he was not driving. Teabing's manservant Remy, on orders from his master, was doing an impressive job of maneuvering the vehicle across the moonlit fields behind Chateau Villette. With no headlights, he had crossed an open knoll and was now descending a long slope, moving farther away from the estate. He seemed to be heading toward a jagged silhouette of wooded land in the distance. Langdon, cradling the keystone, turned in the passenger seat and eyed Teabing and Sophie in the back seat. â€Å"How's your head, Robert?† Sophie asked, sounding concerned. Langdon forced a pained smile. â€Å"Better, thanks.† It was killing him. Beside her, Teabing glanced over his shoulder at the bound and gagged monk lying in the cramped luggage area behind the back seat. Teabing had the monk's gun on his lap and looked like an old photo of a British safari chap posing over his kill. â€Å"So glad you popped in this evening, Robert,† Teabing said, grinning as if he were having fun for the first time in years. â€Å"Sorry to get you involved in this, Leigh.† â€Å"Oh, please, I've waited my entire life to be involved.† Teabing looked past Langdon out the windshield at the shadow of a long hedgerow. He tapped Remy on the shoulder from behind.† Remember, no brake lights. Use the emergency brake if you need it. I want to get into the woods a bit. No reason to risk them seeing us from the house.† Remy coasted to a crawl and guided the Range Rover through an opening in the hedge. As the vehicle lurched onto an overgrown pathway, almost immediately the trees overhead blotted out the moonlight. I can't see a thing, Langdon thought, straining to distinguish any shapes at all in front of them. It was pitch black. Branches rubbed against the left side of the vehicle, and Remy corrected in the other direction. Keeping the wheel more or less straight now, he inched ahead about thirty yards. â€Å"You're doing beautifully, Remy,† Teabing said. â€Å"That should be far enough. Robert, if you could press that little blue button just below the vent there. See it?† Langdon found the button and pressed it. A muted yellow glow fanned out across the path in front of them, revealing thick underbrush on either side of the pathway. Fog lights, Langdon realized. They gave off just enough light to keep them on the path, and yet they were deep enough into the woods now that the lights would not give them away. â€Å"Well, Remy,† Teabing chimed happily. â€Å"The lights are on. Our lives are in your hands.† â€Å"Where are we going?† Sophie asked.† This trail continues about three kilometers into the forest,† Teabing said. â€Å"Cutting across the estate and then arching north. Provided we don't hit any standing water or fallen trees, we shall emerge unscathed on the shoulder of highway five.† Unscathed.Langdon's head begged to differ. He turned his eyes down to his own lap, where the keystone was safely stowed in its wooden box. The inlaid Rose on the lid was back in place, and although his head felt muddled, Langdon was eager to remove the inlay again and examine the engraving beneath more closely. He unlatched the lid and began to raise it when Teabing laid a hand on his shoulder from behind. â€Å"Patience, Robert,† Teabing said. â€Å"It's bumpy and dark. God save us if we break anything. If you didn't recognize the language in the light, you won't do any better in the dark. Let's focus on getting away in one piece, shall we? There will be time for that very soon.† Langdon knew Teabing was right. With a nod, he relatched the box. The monk in back was moaning now, struggling against his trusses. Suddenly, he began kicking wildly. Teabing spun around and aimed the pistol over the seat. â€Å"I can't imagine your complaint, sir. You trespassed in my home and planted a nasty welt on the skull of a dear friend. I would be well within my rights to shoot you right now and leave you to rot in the woods.† The monk fell silent.† Are you sure we should have brought him?† Langdon asked. â€Å"Bloody well positive!† Teabing exclaimed. â€Å"You're wanted for murder, Robert. This scoundrel is your ticket to freedom. The police apparently want you badly enough to have tailed you to my home.† â€Å"My fault,† Sophie said. â€Å"The armored car probably had a transmitter.† â€Å"Not the point,† Teabing said. â€Å"I'm not surprised the police found you, but I am surprised that this Opus Dei character found you. From all you've told me, I can't imagine how this man could have tailed you to my home unless he had a contact either within the Judicial Police or within the Zurich Depository.† Langdon considered it. Bezu Fache certainly seemed intent on finding a scapegoat for tonight's murders. And Vernet had turned on them rather suddenly, although considering Langdon was being charged with four murders, the banker's change of heart seemed understandable. â€Å"This monk is not working alone, Robert,† Teabing said,† and until you learn who is behind all this, you both are in danger. The good news, my friend, is that you are now in the position of power. This monster behind me holds that information, and whoever is pulling his strings has got to be quite nervous right now.† Remy was picking up speed, getting comfortable with the trail. They splashed through some water, climbed a small rise, and began descending again. â€Å"Robert, could you be so kind as to hand me that phone?† Teabing pointed to the car phone on the dash. Langdon handed it back, and Teabing dialed a number. He waited for a very long time before someone answered. â€Å"Richard? Did I wake you? Of course, I did. Silly question. I'm sorry. I have a small problem. I'm feeling a bit off. Remy and I need to pop up to the Isles for my treatments. Well, right away, actually. Sorry for the short notice. Can you have Elizabeth ready in about twenty minutes? I know, do the best you can. See you shortly.† He hung up. â€Å"Elizabeth?† Langdon said. â€Å"My plane. She cost me a Queen's ransom.† Langdon turned full around and looked at him.† What?† Teabing demanded. â€Å"You two can't expect to stay in France with the entire Judicial Police after you. London will be much safer.† Sophie had turned to Teabing as well. â€Å"You think we should leave the country?† â€Å"My friends, I am far more influential in the civilized world than here in France. Furthermore, the Grail is believed to be in Great Britain. If we unlock the keystone, I am certain we will discover a map that indicates we have moved in the proper direction.† â€Å"You're running a big risk,† Sophie said,† by helping us. You won't make any friends with the French police.† Teabing gave a wave of disgust. â€Å"I am finished with France. I moved here to find the keystone. That work is now done. I shan't care if I ever again see Chateau Villette.† Sophie sounded uncertain. â€Å"How will we get through airport security?† Teabing chuckled. â€Å"I fly from Le Bourget – an executive airfield not far from here. French doctors make me nervous, so every fortnight, I fly north to take my treatments in England. I pay for certain special privileges at both ends. Once we're airborne, you can make a decision as to whether or not you'd like someone from the U. S. Embassy to meet us.† Langdon suddenly didn't want anything to do with the embassy. All he could think of was the keystone, the inscription, and whether it would all lead to the Grail. He wondered if Teabing was right about Britain. Admittedly most modern legends placed the Grail somewhere in the United Kingdom. Even King Arthur's mythical, Grail-rich Isle of Avalon was now believed to be none other than Glastonbury, England. Wherever the Grail lay, Langdon never imagined he would actually be looking for it. The Sangreal documents.The true history of Jesus Christ.The tomb of Mary Magdalene.He suddenly felt as if he were living in some kind of limbo tonight†¦ a bubble where the real world could not reach him. â€Å"Sir?† Remy said. â€Å"Are you truly thinking of returning to England for good?† â€Å"Remy, you needn't worry,† Teabing assured. â€Å"Just because I am returning to the Queen's realm does not mean I intend to subject my palate to bangers and mash for the rest of my days. I expect you will join me there permanently. I'm planning to buy a splendid villa in Devonshire, and we'll have all your things shipped up immediately. An adventure, Remy. I say, an adventure!† Langdon had to smile. As Teabing railed on about his plans for a triumphant return to Britain, Langdon felt himself caught up in the man's infectious enthusiasm. Gazing absently out the window, Langdon watched the woods passing by, ghostly pale in the yellow blush of the fog lights. The side mirror was tipped inward, brushed askew by branches, and Langdon saw the reflection of Sophie sitting quietly in the back seat. He watched her for a long while and felt an unexpected upwelling of contentment. Despite his troubles tonight, Langdon was thankful to have landed in such good company. After several minutes, as if suddenly sensing his eyes on her, Sophie leaned forward and put her hands on his shoulders, giving him a quick rub. â€Å"You okay?† â€Å"Yeah,† Langdon said. â€Å"Somehow.† Sophie sat back in her seat, and Langdon saw a quiet smile cross her lips. He realized that he too was now grinning. Wedged in the back of the Range Rover, Silas could barely breathe. His arms were wrenched backward and heavily lashed to his ankles with kitchen twine and duct tape. Every bump in the road sent pain shooting through his twisted shoulders. At least his captors had removed the cilice. Unable to inhale through the strip of tape over his mouth, he could only breathe through his nostrils, which were slowly clogging up due to the dusty rear cargo area into which he had been crammed. He began coughing. â€Å"I think he's choking,† the French driver said, sounding concerned. The British man who had struck Silas with his crutch now turned and peered over the seat, frowning coldly at Silas. â€Å"Fortunately for you, we British judge man's civility not by his compassion for his friends, but by his compassion for his enemies.† The Brit reached down and grabbed the duct tape on Silas's mouth. In one fast motion, he tore it off. Silas felt as if his lips had just caught fire, but the air pouring into his lungs was sent from God. â€Å"Whom do you work for?† the British man demanded.† I do the work of God,† Silas spat back through the pain in his jaw where the woman had kicked him. â€Å"You belong to Opus Dei,† the man said. It was not a question. â€Å"You know nothing of who I am.† â€Å"Why does Opus Dei want the keystone?† Silas had no intention of answering. The keystone was the link to the Holy Grail, and the Holy Grail was the key to protecting the faith. I do the work of God. The Way is in peril. Now, in the Range Rover, struggling against his bonds, Silas feared he had failed the Teacher and the bishop forever. He had no way even to contact them and tell them the terrible turn of events. My captors have the keystone! They will reach the Grail before we do! In the stifling darkness, Silas prayed. He let the pain of his body fuel his supplications. A miracle, Lord.I need a miracle.Silas had no way of knowing that hours from now, he would get one. â€Å"Robert?† Sophie was still watching him. â€Å"A funny look just crossed your face.† Langdon glanced back at her, realizing his jaw was firmly set and his heart was racing. An incredible notion had just occurred to him. Could it really be that simple an explanation?† I need to use your cell phone, Sophie.† â€Å"Now?† â€Å"I think I just figured something out.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I'll tell you in a minute. I need your phone.† Sophie looked wary. â€Å"I doubt Fache is tracing, but keep it under a minute just in case.† She gave him her phone. â€Å"How do I dial the States?† â€Å"You need to reverse the charges. My service doesn't cover transatlantic.† Langdon dialed zero, knowing that the next sixty seconds might answer a question that had been puzzling him all night.

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Sustainable Development and Underlying Contradictions - Essay Example As Pless, Thomas & GÃ ¼nter, sustainable development commences at the time of producing the raw materials and here the farmers are the owners of the projects, which foster on sustainable development. The experts inform the farmers on the need and the importance of using the eco-friendly means to produce the raw materials with fewer impacts on the lives of the people. After this consideration, the sustainability strikes up to the industrial handling of the products (Pless, Thomas & GÃ ¼nter 2012, p 902). The products before they are processed or even after should not be contaminated in the process of manufacturing it. The sustainable means of production in the industries should be fully incorporated into the production of the products (Monsanto Case Study, 12).Though at the point of production, the company should try all its best to be efficient in the production, but should also consider the effects of the production on the lives of the people and the entire environment. The supply of the products should be environmentally and socially friendly in the sense that the process of supplying the products should be free from any form of pollutant or contaminate the products in the course of transporting the products to the consumers (Taman 2014, p 15). The consumption methods of the consumers are also of great implications to the achievement of objective; sustainability. When given mode of consumption contributes to the contamination of the environment (Monsanto Case Study, 23).

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Religion and fanaticism in The Kite Runner - Essay Example n is like the biblical David in his childhood, but he takes on a martyr’s ending perhaps to preserve the sainthood the author assigns him (Hosseini 54). These characteristics then set a base for description of some of the celebrated aspects of the Islamic religion. One of the aspects is adherence to love, forgiveness, redemption, and sacrifice to achieve or show honor for the first three mentioned aspects. All these beliefs derive from Allah’s ability to forgive and love even those who out rightly and knowingly transgress against him. Instances where the actions of a character are as a result of religious grounding include Hassan forgiving Amir for the things he did to him. He later on sacrificed his life protecting Amir’s Property while he was hiding from the Taliban in America a clear sign of forgiveness. Courage is also a vital character â€Å"requirement† in the Islamic religion. Some analysts’ confer that, the Islamic religion places women who stay home to protect their families at the same level as men who do not war for the cause of the religion. Amir, the Main character and narrator, lacks courage , and this puts him in an awkward position even with his father (Hosseini 76). Amir’s lack of courage causes him to do awful things. He betrays Hassan’s honor by failing to help him and then cunningly getting rid of him to avoid the guilt. These circumstances lead to the emergence of yet another theme associated with the Islamic faith, redemption. Amir wallows in feelings of guilt from as early as twelve years. Amir, in addition to his cowardice, has not tried to seek redemption. The author explores this theme by relaying that the narrator attributes unfortunate events to punishment. Amir punishes himself in several ways during the course of this book. For instance, he marries a tainted woman because of his personal guilt for his past actions. When Sohrab attempts suicide Amir cries out to Allah let this not be fate! All the while, Amir subtly commits

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Walking Stick with Heart Attack Detection Essay Example for Free

Walking Stick with Heart Attack Detection Essay 1. INTRODUCTION The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute states that â€Å"more than a million persons in the U.S. have a heart attack and about half (515,000) of them die in each year. About one-half of those who die do so within 1 hour of the start of symptoms and before reaching the hospital†. A heart attack happens to a person when the blood flow and oxygen supply to heart muscle is blocked, and it is mostly caused by the Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). CAD occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle (coronary arteries) become hardened and narrowed. It often causes irregular heart beat or rhythm by blocking blood stream. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute suggest that â€Å"everyone should know the warning signs of a heart attack and how to get emergency help†. The symptoms of heart attack can be detected by observing electrocardiogram (ECG) waveform. An ECG is an electrical recording of the heart and is used in the investigation of heart disease. An electrical impulse initiates muscle contraction, which results in heart beating. The spacing between pulses provides a measure of the heart’s rhythm, whereas the height of the pulses is an indicator of pumping strength. By observing the ECG waveform, the heart condition of the patients can be explained by doctors. The ECG Library shows many samples of abnormal ECG waveform, and they are mostly collected from aged people who are more than 55 years old. The senior citizens are more prone to have heart attack than young people. The Walking Stick with Heart Attack Detection is specially designed to help the senior citizens who need walking aids by walking sticks and have the most possibility of heart attack. The walking stick is used as detection unit and as the medium asking for medical help. 1.1 Overview of Design The ECG circuitry unit on the wrist captures abnormal heart beat signal from the patient. The microcontroller on the stick runs a heart attack algorithm. Warning is given out to the person about his heart condition. The Bluetooth emergency calling system calls for medical help at the moment of heart   attack. This project aims to shorten the time between the moment of heart attack and the arrival of medical personal. The warning before the emergency call will give the patient a chance to avoid heart attack. Figure 1.1 Block Diagram of Walking Stick with Heart Attack Detection Two biosensors worn on the user’s wrists send the real ECG signal to the analog ECG circuitry. The amplified and filtered analog output of the circuitry is converted from analog to digital signal and transmitted to the unit on the walking stick. The ECG circuitry unit, the A/D converter, and the transmitter are worn on one of the user’s wrists. The wireless connection between the unit on the wrist and the main unit on the walking stick gives the user more freedom to move by avoiding wire attachment between the wrist and the stick. The receiver on the stick receives the digital ECG signal, and the microcontroller runs a heart attack algorithm to detect possible heart attack symptoms. If any symptom of heart attack is detected, the risk level rises. When the risk level reaches up to the emergency mode, the Bluetooth module activates the user’s mobile phone to call 911 for medical help. Latest mobile phones include GPS function. Therefore, the GPS unit is eliminated from the previous project as the mobile phone’s GPS can locate the user. 1.2Specifications For the design of the ECG circuitry and the ECG algorithm, the specifications of the previous project â€Å"Wireless Heart Attack Detector with GPS† were used. The frequency range of ECG signal depends on the activity of individual. The typical range is approximately from 50 Hz to 70 Hz. To cover a wide range of frequencies for all scenarios, the band-pass filter of the ECG circuitry is designed to have a lower cutoff frequency of 0.5 Hz and an upper cutoff frequency of 150 Hz. The analog output of the ECG circuitry must be in the range between -2V to 2V so that the A/D conversion operates properly. The overall amplification inside the ECG circuitry should be at least 3000 but no greater than 5000. The minimum sampling rate of A/D converter should be 400 Hz to capture the detailed ECG waveform that changes in millisecond unit. The transmitted data and the received data must be the same. No noise should be added during the transmission. The distance for reliable transmission should be wide enough so that the movement of user is not limited in the near area of the stick. 40 feet is chosen as the user is assumed to be within this distance during all his activities. All the hardware should operate with low power consumption, and the microcontroller must show the least number of error when it runs the heart attack algorithm. High risk and low risk warnings should be as short as possible. 1.3Performance Benchmarks The total delay from the moment the microcontroller output a heart attack signal to the arrival of medical assistance should be shortened as much as possible. This delay is between the output of heart attack signal and the mobile phone calling. The delay time should be less than 45 second. 1.4Subprojects Figure 1.4 Subproject Flow Chart There are three main subprojects: ECG circuit unit, Analysis Algorithm, and Bluetooth Communication. The first unit is worn on the user’s wrist, and the rest two are installed in the stick. The ECG circuit unit captures ECG waveform from the user’s wrists by electrodes. It then amplifies and filters the ECG signal. After that, the signal is digitized by an A/D converter and is transmitted to the stick. In Analysis Algorithm unit, the receiver first captures the digital ECG signal and feeds it to the microcontroller. The microcontroller runs the algorithm to detect heart attack and to raise the risk level. When a heart attack is confirmed, an emergency signal is sent to the Bluetooth Communication unit. In the Bluetooth Communication unit, the Bluetooth module activates the user’s mobile phone to call 911. Objective: Goals of Design: 1.The wireless heart attack detector captures abnormal heart beat signals. 2.The alert system on the walking stick warns the user to realize his health condition. 3.Bluetooth wireless emergency calling system calls for help at the moment of heart attack via mobile phone. Benefits: Electrocardiogram(ECG) signal transmitted wirelessly from the wrist to the main unit on the stick. This avoids the inconvenience of the attachment of the stick to the wrists. Automatic wireless emergency calling system via Bluetooth module warning mode giving the users a chance to avoid the fatal moment actively. 2.DESIGN PROCEDURE 2.1 Biosensors Since the previous project mentioned about the benefits of the Ag-AgCl ECG electrodes, we decided to use the same electrodes as our biosensors. The benefits of the electrodes include good electrical contact with human skin, low motion artifacts and strong adhesive quality to skin. 2.2 Analog ECG Circuitry Based on the â€Å"Wireless Heart Attack Detector with GPS,† we designed the three components, unity-gain buffers, differential amplifier and band-pass filter. The unity-gain buffers are needed for both wrists as impedance transformers. Although skin impedance is high, the input impedance of op-amps is infinity and the op-amps will be able to catch the bio signals out of the two electrodes. Differential amplifier will take the two bio signals and differentiate them with gain to get the desired ECG waveform. Band-pass filter will make sure that noise of frequencies outside 0.5 Hz and 150 Hz is eliminated. For the Calculation of the ECG circuitry design, the same procedure from the â€Å"Wireless Heart Attack Detector with GPS† was used and was quoted as below. The differential amplifier gain should not exceed 33 in order to prevent a 300 mV electrode offset potential from causing the system to saturate. The figure shows a diagram of the differential amplifier component of the circuit. Hence the differential amplifier produces an output that is the difference between the inputs multiplied by a gain factor. The gain is chose to be at 15; R7 and R5 are selected to be 15kÃŽ ©; R6 and R4 are selected to be 1kÃŽ ©. The lower frequency cut-off was desired to be around 0.04Hz, and upper frequency cut-off was desired to be about 150Hz. A gain of around 100 was sought from the band-pass filter. (Overall gain needed to be 1000 to 5000 with the differential amplifier having a gain no greater than 33.) A diagram of the low and high pass portions of the band-pass filter are shown in Figures 2.3 and 2.4, respectively. From eq. (6), it can be seen that the output is amplified by a gain equal to R11/R10. Since the gain is desired to be about 100, eqn. (7) and (8) can be solved. Thus R11 is selected to be 106.2 kÃŽ ©, R10 to be 1 kÃŽ ©, R8 to be 3.9 MÃŽ ©, C1 to be 1 ÃŽ ¼F and C2 to be 0.01 ÃŽ ¼F. The value of R9 is not significant and is selected to be 10 kÃŽ ©. A buffer with unity gain is needed for each input as an impedance transformer, because the skin has much higher impedance compared to the input impedance of the differential amplifier. Figure 2.5 shows a diagram of the buffer components. Figure 2.2.4 Buffer Components Diagram Since no current flows into the input terminals and v+ = v-, by applying KCL The gain is determined by R1/R2 = R3/R2. Desiring a gain of unity, R1, R2, R3, and R4 were chosen to be 10 kÃŽ © each. 2.3 Data Transmission between Wrist and the Walking Stick Our original design was to transmit the analog ECG waveform directly out of the ECG analog circuitry to the walking stick. We would use the analog signal transmission capability of the HP-3 transceiver. We wanted to make this data transmission wireless from the wrist to the stick. This would avoid the inconvenience of the stick attachment to the wrist. User can go into a car and put his stick at the back seats without detaching any wire between his wrist and the stick. He also does not have to switch the device off. When the stick falls down, it won’t drag the user’s wrist to the ground. After we browsed through the data sheet of the HP-3 transceiver, we discovered that the analog bandwidth of the transceiver pair is between 50 Hz and 28000 Hz. As discussed in the previous project, normal ECG waveform has frequency range between 50 Hz and 70 Hz. However, to cover all the possible scenarios like sleeping and fast walking, the lower and the upper cutoff frequencies were decided to be 0.5 Hz and 150 Hz. Since the range from 0.5 Hz and 50 Hz is outside the transmission bandwidth of the HP-3 transceiver, we thought about using mixer and oscillator to raise the lowest frequency of analog signal, which is 0.5 Hz, to 60 Hz. This would ensure correct transmission of the analog signal. When we discussed this idea with our TA, we were introduced to the RS232 capability of PIC. Since RS232 signal is digital, we can use the same transceiver to transmit digital signal. We no longer have to worry about the lowest frequency of the analog signal along with the mixer and the oscillator. 2.4 A/D Conversion of Analog ECG Signal to Digital ECG signal Since we are using a PIC for its RS232 feature, we thought it would be natural to use the A/D conversion feature of the PIC. We then had to decide between using an 8-bit conversion or a 10-bit conversion. 10-bit conversion would give higher resolution to the digitized ECG waveform. But, the final decision was determined by the RS232 transmission. According to the PIC-C Compiler Manual, when defining #use RS232, bits sent can only be between 5 and 9. Because 10 are not in this range, we decided to do 8-bit A/D conversion. 2.5 Heart attack detection When the microcontroller on the walking stick has received digital ECG data from the wrists, it will check for heart attack symptoms. We decided to use the heart attack algorithm developed by the previous project. We would like to indicate to the user his heart condition so that he can take proper action like slowing down or taking a rest before heart attack really happens to him. 2.6 Emergency Calling Previous project needed to use a Bluetooth module and a laptop to make an emergency call. Our goal was to eliminate the laptop. Our project will execute emergency calling with just a Bluetooth module. Bluetooth communication is wireless. The user can put his cell phone anywhere he wants as long as it is within the range of the Bluetooth communication. The user does not have to hang his cell phone to the walking stick, making his waking stick heavy and hindering his movement. 3. DESIGN DETAILS 3.1 Analog ECG Circuitry ComponentValue R1, R2, R310 kÃŽ © R4, R61 kÃŽ © R5, R715 kÃŽ © R8100 kÃŽ © R93 kÃŽ © R101 kÃŽ © R11150 kÃŽ © C11  µF C20.01  µF The band-pass filter has a lower cut-off frequency of 1.59 Hz and an upper cut-off frequency of 106.1 Hz. The gain of band-pass filter is 150, and the overall gain is 150Ãâ€"15=2250. 3.2 A/D Conversion and RS232 of PIC16F877 We use PIC16F877 as our microcontroller on the wrist. The connections to the PIC are shown in Appendix 1. Oscillator of 20 MHz is used as clock to the PIC. Analog ECG signal is sent to Pin2 RA0. Pin4 Vref- is connected to 0 V and Pin5 Vref+ is connected to 5 V. The analog signal will be digitized into 8 bits. The digital values will be between 0 and 127. 0 V will correspond to 0, 1 V will correspond to 50, 2 V will correspond to 100 and 2.5 V will correspond to 125. Since the analog ECG waveform will be amplified to only 2 V, the highest digital value will be 100. The reason of not amplifying the signal to 2.5 V is to provide some error of margin in the real world. The sampling will be done with a while loop that runs continuously with the condition always set to ‘true’. Please refer to the C codes on Appendix 5. The sampling rate of 400 Hz will be implemented by putting a delay of 2500 us in the while loop. After the digital values are obtained through the A/D conversion, the digital values are parallel 8 bits. These parallel 8 bits will be transformed into serial bits of the format of RS232. According to Wikipedia, RS-232 is a standard for serial binary data interchange between a DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) and a DCE(Data Communication Equipment). In our case, the DTE will be the PIC and the DCE will be the HP-3 transmitter. The RS232 format will consist of a ‘start’ bit, eight data bits, least-significant bit first, and a ‘stop’ bit. We also make sure the logic voltage level of RS232 will be between 0 V and 5 V as required by the HP-3 transmitter. 3.3 Digital Data Transmission of HP-3 Transceiver The digital ECG values in RS232 form will be fed into a HP-3 transmitter. HP-3 transmitter has 8 parallel selectable channels. To have simple wiring, we selected channel 0 as we only needed to ground the three ‘channel select’ pins. We are also well aware that the HP-3 transmitter does not encode or packetize the data in any manner. This will assure us that the RS232 data sent from the PIC will be the same RS232 data received at the receiver. The microcontroller at the walking stick does not have to do any decoding. 3.4 Heart Attack Algorithm of the Javelin Stamp Microcontroller The RS232 digital ECG data will be fed from the HP-3 receiver to the Javelin microcontroller. The parameters of the UART of the microcontroller are set up according to those of the PIC. The microcontroller will then get the correct Digital ECG from the PIC. These digital ECG samples will be analyzed with the heart attack algorithm developed by the previous project. Heart attack is preceded by three notable symptoms, which are weak pulse amplitude, irregular heart beat and widened QRS pulse. To check for weak amplitude, a baseline is set up by averaging all the data points. Pulse amplitude is considered as weak if it is below 50% of the baseline. Normal pulse rate is between 35 bpm (beats per minute) and 200 bpm. If the digital ECG data indicates a pulse rate outside of this range, then irregular heart beat is detected. Normal pulse width is less than 36 ms. If the digital ECG data indicates a pulse width more than 36 ms, then QRS pulse has widened 3.5 Low-Risk and High-Risk LEDs of Heart Attack The previous project set up an alert level of threshold of 5 before emergency calling is executed. In our project, we decided to use this alert level to define two conditions, low-risk and high-risk. Low risk is when the alert level is between 4 and 6. High risk is when the alert level is between 7 and 9. These two conditions will be indicated to the user with two LEDs. User can look at the LEDs and be aware of his heart condition to take proper action to avoid the fatal moment. 3.6 EB500 Bluetooth Module and Javelin Stamp Microcontroller When the alert level reaches 10, emergency calling through the user’s cell phone will be executed. In our project, the emergency calling will be done with only the Bluetooth module and the Javelin microcontroller. Laptop will not be used as an intermediate between Bluetooth module and the cell phone. When the Bluetooth module is first powered up, it is in command mode. Communication between the Bluetooth module and the microcontroller will be done in the form of UART. Please refer to the codes in Appendix 6. Microcontroller will send some commands to the Bluetooth module to set up a Bluetooth connection with the user’s cell phone. When the connection is successfully set up, which is indicated by the LED on the Bluetooth module, the module automatically switches to data mode. A successful Bluetooth connection is nothing more than a wireless serial cable. In data mode, everything sent by the Javelin microcontroller will be received by the cell phone. Commands to control a phone are called AT commands. AT commands direct a phone to dial (D), answer (A) and hang up (H). Every AT command starts with â€Å"AT† (Attention). This is the command line prefix. To make a 911 call, the following command will be sent by the microcontroller to the cell phone, â€Å"ATD911;\r†. The last character, â€Å"\r† is carriage return. The command means â€Å"Attention: Dialing 911†. The number 911 can be replaced by any phone number. Since most cell phones today have the GPS feature, the location of the user can be discovered and faster medical help can be sent to the spot.

Building Blocks of Life Essay Example for Free

Building Blocks of Life Essay Part 1: Mitosis and Meiosis Short-Answer Response Use Ch. 5 of BioInquiry and the â€Å"Comparing Mitosis and Meiosis† video as resources for Part 1 of this assignment. Write 75- to 100-word answers to the following questions. Why are the process of mitosis and meiosis both important to a living organism? Both mitosis and meiosis processes are extremely important because they are the division of chromosomes and without this division reproduction would not occur. Cell division plays an important role in the life cycle of a cell allowing the cell to grow, develop and then reproduce. If these processes did not occur then the cells would eventually die out and without the ability to be replaced by new cells then the host would die as well. When would an organism need to undergo the process of mitosis? Meiosis? An organism would need to undergo the process of mitosis in order to repair damaged cells or to start a new cell life cycle through cellular division. All cells need to be replaced on the regular basic within a living organism the cells divide and create new cells. An organism would need to undergo the process of meiosis when it needs to produce cells that are designated for sexual reproduction, such as egg or sperm cells within humans What would happen if meiosis did not occur? If meiosis did not occur then haploid cells would not be made resulting in the cell being unable to reproduce. Meiosis I reduces the number of chromosomes by half so that when fertilization occurs the number of  chromosomes would be reestablished. During meiosis II the daughter cell is a unique variation of its parent cell while still only having one pair of chromosomes. Part 2: Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration Matrix Complete the matrix. Use the following questions to aid in completion: What is the purpose of this pathway? Reactants: What does this reaction need to proceed? Products: What is produced because of the reaction? The role of ATP: Does it supply energy or store energy? Cellular respiration Photosynthesis Pathway Glycolysis Krebs cycle Electron transport Light-dependent reaction Light-independent reaction Purpose Energy Harvesting or Sugar-Splitting breakdown of glucose to single carbon molecules Converts oxygen to water Provide energy for the light-independent reaction Produces food for cellular respiration Where it takes place Cell cytoplasm Mitochondria Mitochondria Chloroplasts Chloroplasts Reactants ATP, NADH, Pyruvates,CO2,Coenzyme A,PGAL Acetyl Co-A, oxaloacetate, Citrate, Alpha ketoglutarate NADH, FADH2 Sunlight, chlorophyll, and water ATP, carbon dioxide, and NADPH Products H20, NADH, ATP Carbon dioxide and ATP 36 ATP Oxygen and ATP Carbohydrates (sugar and starch) The role of ATP Energy used to breakdown Pyruvic acid into Acetyl Co-enzyme A for the Krebs Cycle Energy to drive the electron transport High production of ATP produces energy for overall cell growth and repair Transports solar energy in the form of ATP to power other chemical reactions Fuels the formation of carbohydrates

Analysis of Healthcare in California

Analysis of Healthcare in California By Team Bluefish: Brenda Benavides Liyang Hayworth Janelle Moulder Jesse Phillips Timothy Weigand Melecia Wright Introduction In recent years, United States healthcare expenditure focused on expanding health care coverage and increasing access to medical services. For example, the state of California has been grappling with the burden of cardio-metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Though billions of dollars are spent annually to treat these lifestyle diseases, the prevalence of both obesity and diabetes is still on the rise (Meng, Pickett, Babey, Davis, Goldstein, 2014; Mirzadehgan, Harrison, DiSogra, 2004). While access to basic health services is critical to maintaining health status, it is important to also acknowledge and capitalize on the roles of social, economic and/or environmental determinants contexts within which people live as they hold tremendous potential to positively influence health status. The objective of this Issues Summary is to address the current status of health care spending in California and demonstrate how an emphasis on the underlying social, economic, and environmental determinants of health may reduce financial hardship for the state while managing its most problematic chronic diseases more effectively in the long term. Background History Although health care spending in California is high, quality of care for individuals is low. Quality of care remains low because approximately 20% of California’s population is uninsured, and the majority of these individuals avoids seeing a doctor until emergency care is required (Helfand, 2011; â€Å"Emergency as normal†, 2002). This reliance on emergency care, which should act as a safety net and not a patient’s primary source of health care, leads to steep health care costs. Healthcare spending in California has come under scrutiny since the passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010. In that year’s general elections alone, two health care spending measures were approved for the ballot. Proposition 45 would force health insurance companies to be more transparent about rate hikes and increase accountability through mandated review of requested rate changes. The other, Proposition 46, was meant to increase accountability from healthcare providers. The measure specifically required random drug testing for doctors and that those found to be impaired would face disciplinary action from the California Medical Board. Proposition 46 also proposed an increased cap on pain and suffering damages from medical negligence lawsuits. These propositions encourage increased vigilance from doctors with the aim of ultimately improving the quality of the services administered. However popular, neither of these propositions capitalized on t he potential for decreasing direct healthcare expenditures while increasing quality of care. With the increased financial cost of cardio-metabolic disease, Californians have recognized the strain that chronic disease such as diabetes and obesity-related illnesses put on the state’s health care system, as evidenced by recent policies such as Senate Bill 1000, which outlines the potential consequences of soda consumption and subsequently reduce its demand (â€Å"Warning Labels on Sugary Drinks†). Providing health education and more affordable preventative care services to vulnerable populations can significantly reduce the burden of chronic disease and its related healthcare costs. Current Status In 2011, nearly one-third of hospitalizations among Californians age 35 and older were related to diabetes; interestingly, only 8.4% of California adults had diabetes (Meng et al., 2014). According to the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) in 2009, 22.7% of California adults were obese based on their body mass index (Cook et al., 2013). Obesity is strongly associated with the incidence of chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and hypertension (Cook et al., 2013). The rising prevalence of obesity and diabetes in the United States is of particular concern among low income and minority populations (Melius, 2013). Researchers have shown that income is negatively associated with adolescent obesity: youth from low-income families were more likely to be obese than their higher income counterparts (Babey, Hastert, Wolstein, Diamant, 2010). This inverse correlation suggests that a successful intervention against obesity and its related diseases should address the conditions that drive differential behaviour and nutritional patterns in people of various socioeconomic strata (Melius, 2013). One such intervention is the proposed â€Å"soda tax† that will be on the ballot in Berkeley and San Francisco in this November’s general election. Evidence suggests that when prices of sugary drinks increase, â€Å"consumers, including low-income consumers, [make] more nutritious purchases† (Varney, 2014). The â€Å"soda tax† is estimate d to â€Å"prevent 240,000 cases of diabetes per year† according to Dr. Bibbins-Domingo, a professor of medicine at UCSF, who co-authored a study on the tax (Cook, 2014). In addition, the tax revenue generated by this measure may be utilized for programs focused on childhood nutrition (Cook, 2014). While taxes on unhealthy foods may be highly controversial, California may consider adopting other strategies that target nutritional choices and low-income populations throughout the state. Differential factors in the physical environment are also an issue. For instance, low income diets and neighbourhoods are characterized by low intake of vegetables and high consumption of fast food due to the lack of supermarkets in low-income neighborhoods (Melius, 2013). Additionally, access to public parks and other sites of recreation encourage increased physical activity, which can influence the development of obesity and diabetes (Melius, 2013). However, public parks are more likely to be absent or in a state of disrepair in low-income neighborhoods, due to limited funding or resources. Zoning regulations and incentives programs can be effective ways to produce changes in the physical environment. Finally, home environments that do not encourage healthy eating habits from an early age or encourage regular physical activity contribute to the development of obesity-related conditions (Meng et al., 2014). However, healthy eating habits and a healthy, active lifestyle is a learned behavior, which requires adequate health education, particularly early in life. Diabetes and obesity, and their comorbid conditions are expected to continue to increase in prevalence. It is absolutely essential to address the underlying factors contributing to obesity-related illnesses. With the current state of health care expenditures for acute care of largely preventable conditions, it is imperative that California consider measures that will maximize health status within the confines of a tight state health care budget (Meng et al., 2014; Helfand, 2011). These measures must include increasing access to preventative care or early intervention in the care of chronic disease. Recommendations Pandemic obesity and diabetes in the state of California and across the nation is a call to action to develop prevention strategies, rather than solely focusing and relying on providing primary health care. Both lack of physical activity and poor diet (high carbohydrate, high fat, and low fiber intake) increase the risk of developing obesity and diabetes. As such, our proposed policies are 1) establishing amicable environments encouraging physical activities 2) promoting healthy and nutritious dietary intake at a young age and 3) providing access to affordable preventive health care. The proposed policies intend to modify underlying causal determinants of disease and therefore improve the health of the general population and reduce health care related costs. Recent surveys and research on California’s population have shown that diabetes and obesity will continue to be of significant concern for the health status of the state’s population in coming years. While creating an environment where people can exercise and engage in regular physical activity and ensuring access to affordable health care are important steps to take in order to manage these diseases, we recommend prioritizing social policies aimed at improving nutrition and lifestyle choices. Californians are receptive towards policies that address social determinants of health, including early childhood nutrition, and these policies can have a tremendous impact on health outcomes in the long term at a lower cost than would be required of policies that simply increase health care services. Two policies recently approved in California that address social determinants of health are Senate Bill 402 and Assembly Bill 290. Senate Bill 402 was enacted in 2013 and requires that all hospitals with a prenatal unit adopt an infant-feeding policy that is equivalent to â€Å"Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding† (De Leà ³n, Pavley, 2013). It was adopted to manage obesity in California by addressing early life nutrition, supported by evidence that â€Å"early infant-feeding practices can affect later growth and development, particularly with regard to obesity† (De Leà ³n, Pavley, 2013). Assembly Bill 290 also aims to prevent obesity by ensuring that child care centers have an employee with â€Å"at least one hour of childhood nutrition training† as part of an already required health and safety training (California Senate, 2013). The bill targets child care centers because child care participation is at an all-time high, so they are a great space to reach a l arge number of youth at an age when â€Å"lifelong nutrition habits are formed† (California Senate, 2013). These policies have great potential to stem obesity and its associated chronic diseases and reduce healthcare costs in the future. In order to achieve our goals to positively influence health status in California, we recommend enlisting public health practitioners more frequently in the policy making process. With their background in health, social and economic determinants, and fluency in interpreting data from academically-driven research, public health practitioners are an untapped resource for policymakers. In fostering this collaboration between public health providers and our state policymakers, we will effectively bridge the data gap and provide the opportunity to maximize health status, while minimizing health care expenditures. The collaboration would promote active assessment of the impact of policy change, which can increase recognition of social determinants of health and of inter-sectoral responsibility for health (Oxford, 2013). References Author Unknown (Jun 2002). Emergency as normal. The Economist. Retrieved from  http://www.economist.com/node/1168001 Author Unknown. (n.d.). Warning Labels on Sugary Drinks. California Center for Public Health  Advocacy. Retrieved from  http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org/resources/warninglabel/WarningLabel_PressKit_FINAL.pdf Babey, S., Hastert, T., Wolstein, J., Diamant, A. (Nov 2010). Income disparities in obesity trends  among California adolescents. American Journal of Public Health, 100(11):2149-55. Retrieved from  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2951974/ Babey, S., Wolstein, J., Krumholz, S., Robertson, B., Diamant, A. (Mar 2013). Health Policy  Brief: Physical Activity, Park Access and Park Use among California Adolescents. UCLA Center for Health Policy. Research. Retrieved from  http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/publications/Documents/PDF/parkaccesspb-mar2013.pdf California Senate. (2013). AB 290 (Alejo), Child day care: childhood nutrition training.  Retrieved from  http://leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/asm/ab_02510300/ab_290_bill_20131011_chaptered.pdf Cook, C. (Oct 2014). Big Soda’s false populism. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from  http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-1028-cook-soda-tax-poor-people-20141028-story.html Cook, S.N., Giddings, B.M., Parikh-Patel, A., Kizer, K.W., Kwong, S.L., Bates, J.H., Snipes,  K.P. (Dec 2013). Obesity-Linked Cancers: A California Status Report, 1988-2009. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Public Health, California Cancer Registry. Retrieved from  http://www.ccrcal.org/pdf/Reports/CA_California1988-2009_Obesity_v6.pdf DeLeon, Pavley (2013). Senate Bill No. 402: Breastfeeding. California Senate. Retrieved from  http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/sen/sb_0401-0450/sb_402_bill_20130220_introduced.htm Diamant, A., Babey, S., Wolstein, J., Jones, M. (Aug 2010) . Health Policy Research Brief   Obesity and Diabetes: Two Growing Epidemics in California. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Retrieved from  http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/publications/Documents/PDF/Obesity%20and%20Diabetes%20Two%20Growing%20Epidemics%20in%20California.pdf Helfand, Duke (Dec 2011). California’s healthcare spending per person among lowest in U.S.  Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/07/business/la-fi-california-health-spending-20111208 Kelin, L., Ming, M. (Sep 2013). Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Leisure-time Physical  Activity in California: Patterns and Mechanisms. Race and Social Problems, 5(3):147-156. Retrieved from  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3779616/ Meng, Y.Y., Pickett, M., Babey, S., Davis, A., and Goldstein, H. (May 2014). Diabetes Tied to a  Third of California Hospital Stays, Driving Health Care Costs Higher. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Retrieved from  http://publichealthadvocacy.org/_PDFs/1in3/DiabetesHospitalStudy_PolicyBrief_FINAL.pdf Melius J. (2013). Overweight and Obesity in Minority Children and Implications for Family and  Community Social Work. Social Work in Public Health, 28:2, 119-128, DOI:  10.1080/19371918.2011.560821 Mirzadehgan, P., Harrison, G.G., DiSogra, C. (Dec 2004). Health Policy Fact Sheet: Nearly  One in Five California Adults Obese and Most Still Gaining Weight. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Retrieved from  http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/publications/Documents/PDF/Nearly%20One%20in%20Five%20California%20Adults%20Obese%20and%20Most%20Still%20Gaining%20Weight.pdf Varney, S. (Oct 2014). Soda-makers Try To Take Fizz Out Of Bay Area Tax Campaigns. NPR.  Retrieved from  http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/10/27/359325115/soda-makers-try-to-take-fizz-out-of-bay-area-tax-campaigns 1

Free Othello Essays: Four Faces of Man :: GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Othello

Four Faces of Man in Othello  Ã‚   The four main characters in the play Othello represent four different character traits of manhood: Roderigo, the failure; Othello, the hero, yet the insane lover; Cassio, the noblemen; and Iago, the villain, yet the strongest character of the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Of these four characters Roderigo reveals the weakest character traits. Iago effortlessly profits from Roderigo’s deficiency in a intelligence, in fact Iago himself said he would not waste time and effort on â€Å"such a snipe†(I iii 387) except for â€Å"sport and profit.† Towards the end of the play Roderigo reveals some traits that might classify him as a man with a spine. He finally stands up to Iago and threatens to expose the conspiracy against Othello and Cassio, but ultimately his flaws overpower his virtuous traits and he is persuaded by Iago to kill Cassio instead.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Likewise, Othello is the tragic hero of the play but his character is also weak. Jealousy is Othello’s major downfall. He reveals his insecurities in the scene where he strikes Desdemona and calls her a â€Å"devil†. Similarly, in the brothel scene, Othello’s insecurities arise when he cruelly questions Desdemona. He condemns her as a â€Å"simple bawd† and a â€Å"whore†, which he has no real proof of. Iago also easily manipulates Othello, like Roderigo, throughout the play. Othello is naive. He demonstrates that a few well-placed suggestions can alter his train of thought, such as when Iago was talking to Cassio and made Othello believe that the lieutenant was speaking of Desdemona instead of Bianca. On the whole, Othello was a weak character and a naive man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In contrast, Cassio’s character is strong. He spoke about Othello with dignity and grace, which no other character in the play does. Also, Cassio showed extreme loyalty to the Moor. Cassio’s only flaw is that he temporarily lost his power of reasoning when he was drunk and let himself be manipulated by Iago. All in all, Cassio is a good example of how a man should act; with dignity and honor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Likewise, Iago’s character is also strong. He is an intelligent man as can seen in the soliloquy where he is hatching a plan to frame Cassio â€Å"to get his place â€Å"(I iii). In the soliloquy Iago’s intelligence is revealed in the statement â€Å"How, How? - To abuse Othello’s ear / That [Cassio] is too familiar with his wife.

Anti-Slavery Issue and Childrens Magazines: 1820-1860 Essay -- Slavery

Anti-Slavery Issue and Children's Magazines: 1820-1860   By the 1820’s the issue of slavery in the southern states had become fraught with controversy. It was by no means a clear-cut difference between Northern and Southern states; many Southerners were against it and many Northerners tolerated it, feeling it was a problem that the South must solve. Most early anti-slavery societies, though, arose in the North and many made efforts to spread their views by publishing. William Lloyd Garrison’s Liberator, published weekly between 1831 and 1865, had a Juvenile Department; the paper became the organ for the American Anti-Slavery Society which Garrison started in 1833.   Among the earliest children’s magazines was the Juvenile Miscellany (hereafter   JM), begun and edited by Lydia Maria Child, and published in Boston from 1826-1834. It included occasional pieces that dealt with the problem of slavery; Child herself was an ardent abolitionist, but the slavery issue was inflammatory, and to keep her subscription base with the parents and grandparents who paid for it, the problem had to be treated with caution.   Another early periodical, The Slave’s Friend (hereafter TSF), appeared in 1836, published by the New York Anti-Slavery Society; it was specifically addressed to young readers and included abolitionist fiction, poetry, and articles. Like the Liberator it was published not only for the already-converted, but also in hopes of influencing the lukewarm and undecided. There was no question of its single-minded intent.   While TSF and JM had relatively brief runs,   the Youth’s Companion (hereafter YC)   ran for over a century, from 1827-1929, starting as a weekly family newspaper and later aimed strictly at the young. Its edito... ...New York Anti-Slavery Society,   1836-38.   Youth’s Companion, ed. Nathaniel Willis, 1827-1929.   Anonymous.  Ã‚   Pictures and Stories from Uncle Tom’s Cabin.   Boston: John P.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jewett and Co., 1853.    Secondary Sources   MacLeod, Anne Scott.  Ã‚   A Moral Tale: Children’s Fiction and American Culture,  Ã‚   1820-1860.   Hamden:   Shoe String Press-Archon, 1975.   Taketani, Etsuko.   â€Å"The ‘omnipresent aunt’ and the social child: Lydia Maria  Ã‚  Ã‚   Child’s juvenile miscellany.†Ã‚   Children’s Literature 27 (1999):   22-39.   Yankee Doodle’s Literary Sampler of Prose, Poetry, and Pictures, Being an  Ã‚  Ã‚   Anthology of Diverse Works Published for the Edification and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Entertainment of Young Readers in America Before 1900.  Ã‚   Selected from  Ã‚  Ã‚   the Rare Book Collections of the Library of Congress and Introduced by  Ã‚  Ã‚   Virginia Hamilton and Margaret N. Coughlan.   NY:   Crowell, 1974.

Literary Analysis: Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants

Ernest Hemingway’s short story ‘Hills like White Elephants’ depicts a couple, â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the girl†, casual conversation over drinks while awaiting the arrival of a train to Madrid. The story ends, as vaguely as it started, with the two about to embark on the train. Heminways’s use of ambiguous and vague language, dialogue, characterization, and metaphors in ‘Hills like White Elephants’ could leave his readers bewildered to the underlying subject matter of its plot. However, by properly citing and analyzing the literary techniques used by Hemingway; one is able to conclude that the main characters discuss their feelings and concerns about the possibility of an abortion. Throughout the short story ‘Hills like White Elephants’, Hemingway has chosen to address his main characters as â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the girl†. By patterning these words in addressing his main characters, Hemingway alludes to their difference in age and emotional maturity towards the conflict that they face. Hemingway, to suggest the female character’s younger age and her naivety about an abortion, uses the word â€Å"girl†. The reader is able to confirm that Hemingway does not conceder all females to be â€Å"girls† through the introduction the secondary character, the waitress, who brings the couple their drinks. Hemingway then continues to address this secondary as â€Å"the woman†; and thus, alluding the word â€Å"girl† only refers to the young and naive character of Jig. On the other hand, Hemingway’s usage of the word â€Å"man†, in referring to his male character, indicates a more mature and realistic view the character has on the idea of an abortion as a solution to the unwanted pregnancy. The metaphor employed by Hemingway to allude towards an abortion can be found in paragraph 46, where â€Å"the man† explains to â€Å"the girl† that the operation will simply â€Å"†¦let the air in and then it’s all perfectly natural. † (p. 445). The male character then ambiguously refers to his feelings to the pregnancy as, â€Å"†¦the only thing that bothers us. It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy. † (p. 445). An earlier allusion to the differences between the main characters, and how each will respond to their conflict, has been conveyed through their conversation found in paragraphs 17-32. The dialogue by, and associated with, â€Å"the man† is confidante, assuring, tentative, and slightly condescending towards â€Å"the girl†. Likewise, the dialogue in paragraphs 17-32 connected with â€Å"the girl† is uncertain, passive aggressive, childlike, and earnestly striving for her partner’s guidance. Ernest Hemingway’s short story â€Å"Hills like White Elephants† depicts a young couple in the mist of an uncomfortable conversation regarding their choice of action towards an unwanted pregnancy. Though the subject of an abortion is not directly addressed, in â€Å"Hills like White Elephants†, Hemingway uses ambiguous metaphors, vague dialogue, and generalized characters help him to set mood between his two main characters. The reader’s understanding and ability to recognize the usage of literary tools by Hemingway is the key to decode this hazy plot.

Importance of science Essay

Before understanding the importance of science and technology, it is important for us to understand that science and technology are closely associated with our lives. They are closely linked aspects of society and the studies and developments in both of science and technology are essential for the overall progress of society. Why is technology so important? How does scientific development affect society? Let us find out. Scientific research comprises a wide variety of fields ranging from the study of different branches of science to relatively advanced fields like space exploration, human genetics and cloning. Scientific study attempts to explore and understand the working of the physical world. It tries to analyze the occurrences in nature and gain knowledge about nature through experimentation. As scientific research aims at gaining knowledge of the complexities of nature, it is important for the progress of mankind. The seemingly impossible feats have been made possible, thanks to the scientific research. Natural sciences deal with the study of nature and human life. The studies of natural and artificial sciences reveal the relationship between nature and human life. Research in science has paved a path to many brilliant inventions and discoveries. When it comes to science and technology, we cannot forget the automobile and the transport industries that have grown tremendously on account of the developments in science and engineering. Technological advancements have driven the developments in the different modes of transport. Bicycles have transformed into scooters and sport bikes. Four and six wheeled vehicles have started running on the roads, thanks to the advancing technology. The developments in air transport have winged the common man to soar high! The importance of technology lies in the benefits of technology on society. The positive effects of technology on society are many. The advancements in technology have revolutionized human life. It has provided a great impetus to the computer and the telecommunication industry. The developments in the communication technology have made the world a smaller place. The Internet  serving as an excellent communication platform has made the world flat! The World Wide Web has proved being an enormous information base, from which information can be retrieved by the means of search engines. Information from all around the world is housed on the web. Thanks to the development of the web technology, the information can be stored in an organized manner and relevant information can be retrieved on supplying search strings to the web search engines. Digitization of information has been a major breakthrough in the world of information technology. It has made possible the compaction of information, which in turn allows efficient information storage. The most important benefit of science has been the luxury it has brought to daily life. The mechanization of industrial processes has reduced human effort. Household appliances that are in the daily use of the common man are a result of scientific research. Machines have replaced human beings in monotonous and risk-bearing tasks. Scientific discoveries have made life easy.