Obesity and its causes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Obesity and its causes - Research Paper Example cause of obesity is the availability of a variety of consumer snack products in the country containing trans fats and other preservatives with high levels of saturated fat. In today’s difficult economy, the costs of healthier foods are increasing due to rising prices in the global food supply chain, therefore consumers turn toward unhealthier food options due to pricing. The high availability of these foods in this competitive marketplace where variety and option is tremendous along with a more attractive price tag can be attributed as a significant cause of obesity increases in society. Furthermore, the method by which food manufacturers market their products to youths is another reason for the growing trend of childhood obesity. Less health food options, such as those made by Cadbury or Nestle, two well-known global chocolatiers, often use innovative advertisements are part of marketing to appeal to the child’s lifestyle and personal values. Finding these promotional connections leads youths to sample high-fat or high-calorie foods due to brand image or how the product is presented using colorful or imaginative characters. This is a psychological contribution to the escalation of obesity and is a product of business marketing, an industry which is â€Å"being lambasted for its all-too efficient efforts in pushing less healthy snack foods to children† (Alistair, 24). Obesity is also caused by the rising instances of quick service or fast food restaurant concepts which provide high fat foods products to consumers in a hurry. In today’s global marketplace and consumerism economy, many households have both parents working in order to sustain quality of lifestyle. This changing trend toward the hassled lifestyle drives many parents toward this convenience, fast service menu. McDonald’s, under pressure by health advocates, became the first fast food restaurant to post nutritional information on their packaging (Grant, 9). This illustrates that the fast food

Mass and Energy Balance Essay Example for Free

Mass and Energy Balance Essay Abstract The objective is to produce a proposal for a chemical process plant which will be able to produce 550,000 tonne/year ammonia using LPG as the raw material. Different processes where researched and then finally one was picked, steam reforming. This was decided to be the most viable and cost effective process using the raw materials we had available. The report explains in detail how the process works and all aspects of how the plant will work including the mass and energy balance across the plant. What is Ammonia Ammonia (NH3) is a stable compound and is used as a starting material for the manufacture of many important nitrogen compounds and can also be directly used as fertilisers. It is produced by reacting hydrogen and nitrogen. It is a colourless gas with a sharp odour. The boiling point is -33.35oC and its freezing point is -77.7oC.1 Care must be taken when handling ammonia as can cause deep burns in the skin; irritation in the eyes and nose and when inhaled can cause coughing, sore throat and headache.2 There are different methods for the manufacture of ammonia. The three main methods are steam reforming, partial oxidation and electrolysis. Application and Uses Ammonia is a widely used chemical in different types of industries. One of the main user of ammonia is the agricultural industries for fertilisers. Around 80% of ammonia produced is for fertilisers such as urea, ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate.3 It is also used as a building block for nitrogen containing compounds like nitric acid (HNO3). It is also used in the fibres and plastics industry for the production of acrylonitrile, melamine etc., and manufacture of explosives. Ammonia is also used in water treatment such as pH control and also in combination with chlorine to purify industrial and municipal water supplies. Less commonly uses include as a refrigerant in compression and absorption systems, manufacture of household ammonia, in the food and beverage industry 4. Figure 1: Pie chart showing the uses of Ammonia. Market Trends Globally ammonia prices have been headed up due the large demand of fertilisers that are needed in the crop production to obtain high yield6. The current selling price of ammonia in Europe goes up to $600 per tonne7. Figure 2: Shows the global demand for Ammonia (D.a.NH3- Direct application of Ammonia) As we can see from the chart the trend of ammonia demand globally is upward. It is said that the global ammonia market is to generate revenues of approx. US$102 billion in 2019. As there is continous growth in population in the developing countries the likely to cause demand for foodstuffs are to increase even further. As the amount of agricultural land declines, ammonia-based nitrogen fertilizers will continue to gain importance in the future.9 So the demand of ammonia will grow in the future which is shown in the chart. Processes There are many different processes involved in the ammonia production. The most common processes for ammonia are partial oxidation, steam reforming and electrolysis. From these 3 processes the best process route is then selected and that process would be most economical and that meetes the design brief. Partial Oxidation Partial oxidation involves the reaction of oxygen with fuel to produce hydrogen. The following equations represent the partial oxidation of ethane, propane, butane and pentane. 10 C2H6 + O2 2CO + 3H2, C3H8 + 1.5O2 3CO + 4H2, C4H10 + 2O2 4CO + 5H2, C5H12 + 2.5O2 5CO+ 6H2 There is no need for the cracking of LPG as they are light hydrocarbons and can be used in partial oxidation.11 See Partial Oxidation flow sheet (Reference 1: Partial Oxidation Flow Sheet) Hazards and Environmental Impact The main emission is carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas and Partial Oxidation process emits more carbon dioxide compared to Steam Methane Reforming. Carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by recycling it and selling it to urea and nitro-phosphate plants.13 No ammonia should be present in the air but maybe because of faulty equipment and maintenance activities, some ammonia maybe released. Ammonia becomes explosive at the 16%-25% volume in air which could occur if there are any leakages in the ammonia storage facilities. It is also toxic by inhalation and pulmonary oedema can occur up to 48 hours after exposure and could be fatal.12 Nitrogen dioxide that is released is a toxic gas can be harmful when inhaled but can be avoided as can be detected because of the smell. The large amount of waste water from this process is another problem but there is a river near the Milford Haven site. Also water pollution is a concern which may occur because of the suspended and dissolved impurities. It could also affect the aquatic life. Therefore the water must be treated in a full three stage water treatment plant before disposing it. 13 The disadvantage of partial oxidation is that the capital costs are higher for partial oxidation compared to any other process. It is estimated to be  £100-120 million for an annual production of 7.7 million GJ while for SR it will only be  £70 million. 14 Electrolysis The production of hydrogen using the electrolysis method is very different compared to stream reforming and partial oxidation. Electrolysis produces hydrogen by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using volts of current to separate the hydrogen to one electrode and oxygen at the other in a cell. Oxygen is the by-product in the process of producing ammonia which is valuable because it can be used in other chemical processes or sold to other companies for profit. In electrolysis there is no CO2 produced therefore there is no pollution. Standard electrolytic ammonia production energy consumption historically has been about 12 megawatt-hour. The fuel cost alone of making ammonia is $600 metric ton, and including capital and operating expenses that metric ton of ammonia cost about $800 to make. Compare electrolytic and using uses of natural gas as raw material the economically, for the past 100 years the cost of natural gas has not been higher than $1 and the fuel cost for a metric ton of ammonia from natural gas has been $30-$40. Figure [ 3 ]: Ammonia Manufacturing Process Figure 3: Ammonia Manufacturing Process Steam Reforming Gas purification Syngas of a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and water can be broken down in to individual components and further cleansed through purification. The syngas will enter a shift reformer, which breaks down the carbon monoxide in to hydrogen and carbon dioxide using steam (H2O). Carbon dioxide is much more environmentally friendly than CO and can either be released in to the atmosphere or used in other steam reforming processes in the future. Desulphurisation Sulphur is a problem when carrying out steam reforming as it acts as a poison for the catalysts involved. It is important that this is removed prior to the syngas entering the system. The process is carried out in the presence of a catalyst, which is usually nickel. This nickel acts as an absorber for the sulphur, and so several catalyst-filled tubes within the system with a large internal surface area will allow the sulphur to collect to be disposed of suitably. The Process Hydrocarbons usually contain sulphur which needs to be removed. The purification section is the first bed of the whole steam reforming process. Feed is passed through tubes containing zinc oxide. The sulphur in the feed reacts with the zinc oxide to produce zinc sulphide. This is to ensure that the feed travelling to the steam reformer does not poison the catalysts in this section in any way. The catalysts used in the steam reforming process are nickel-based. These are easily poisoned by sulphur species. The purified feed is mixed with steam and then is passed to the primary reformer, which involves a nickel-based catalyst where the steam reforming process is carried out. Once the hydrocarbon is cleansed of sulphur, the reforming process can begin. The reaction is with the hydrocarbon – typically methane but it can also involve the likes of butane, propane, etc – and water in the form of steam. The reaction for methane (CH4) is shown below. CH4 + H2O 3H2 + COΔH = +251kJmol-1 C3H8 + 6H2O 3CO2 + 10H2 C2H6 + 4H2O 2CO2 + 7H2 C4H10 + 8H2O 4CO2 + 7H2 C5H12 + 10H2O 5CO2 + 16H2 Reactions for other hydrocarbons, such as ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), butane (C4H10) and pentane (C5H12) are also shown, with their respective steam amounts required and the products gained. Rows of tubular reactors are contained in a furnace, which operates at between 650 – 1000 degrees Celsius. The hydrocarbon feed enters the system at a very high pressure, typically 20 – 30 bar. The process is carried out in the presence of a nickel-based catalyst which is packed into cylindrical tubes through which the steam/hydrocarbon gas mixture is passed. The catalysts act as surface for which the hydrocarbon will absorb and the steam. (Reference 2: Steam Reforming Flow Sheet) Justification Steam reforming is the most viable proposition as we have all of the raw materials available within easy access, whereas if we were to use other processes, then we would have to source other materials e.g. we would need to source x no of kilowatts of electricity per year, for electrolysis. Mass Balance Cp Values Energy Balance Material Costs Simple Plant Cost Using a base of around  £410 per ton of ammonia, and output at 550,000 tonnes, it would be assumed that the plant would produce  £225,500,000 a year of ammonia. The Burrup plant in Australia was built at a cost of  £457 million and produces roughly 800,000 tonnes a year of ammonia. Using the 2/3 power rule, as follows, will allow the costs of the new 550k p/a plant to be shown. C = Cref(S/Sref)2/3 C = 457000000 * (550,000/800,000)2/3 C =  £355,984,702 The output of the new plant is  £225,500,000, but the plant costs  £355,984,702 to build, so it would take around a year and seven months for the plant to be profitable, based on an estimation without including the costs of the raw materials. Taylor Method Pay Back Time Sustainability The environment is constantly changing, whether by nature or by human led processes. Sustainability is about trying to manage this change through balancing social, economic and environmental needs, both locally and globally for present and future generations. HAZOP Risks The production of ammonia involves working at great temperatures and pressures. As such, it is vital that the equipment used in the plant is designed to withstand these conditions to function properly. The high temperatures and pressures involved in the production of ammonia can potentially put tremendous amounts of strain on the pipes and vessels used. The risks associated with this are: * Explosions from sudden release of pressurised gases from ruptured vessels * Fragmentation from rupture of the pipes * Fire * Poisoning from exposure to leaked materials * Chemical or thermal burns, again from exposure to leaked materials Not only are these hazards life-threatening, they would also be very expensive to put right for the production company. These risks can be avoided by preparing the plant for the conditions that it is about to go through. It is more economically viable to run the steam reformer at as high a temperature and pressure as possible. Magnesium oxide-lined furnaces, MgO, has a melting point of around 2800 degrees Fahrenheit, making it ideal for lining the furnaces used in the production of hydrogen. Hydrogen itself will cause some materials to become brittle and eventually break. Hydrogen features an active electron and thus will behave like a halogen, causing erosion in the metals that it comes into contact with. This can be avoided by using high-purity stainless steel in the sections of the plant which will come into contact with the hydrogen. This steel must have a maximum hardness of 80 HRB on the Rockwell Scale. Ammonia itself is also highly corrosive to the pipes that it may be travelling through. For this reason, it is recommended that stainless steel is also used here, at a similar hardness of that shown above. Most ammonia plants use centrifugally cast high-alloy tubing to hold the nickel-base catalyst in the primary reformer furnace. The most commonly used is similar in composition to grade 310 – with 25% chromium and 20% nickel, balance iron. This has a carbon content in the range of 0.35 – 0.45% for improved high-temperature creep and rupture stress. Thermal protection of piping involves fire brick owing to the high temperatures involved.

Bilateral Trans-Scaphoid Perilunate Fracture Dislocation

Bilateral Trans-Scaphoid Perilunate Fracture Dislocation BILATERAL TRANS-SCAPHOID PERILUNATE FRACTURE DISLOCATION OF THE CARPUS. (CASE REPORT) Abstract: Trans-scaphoid perilunate fractures-dislocations are rare lesions. They occur in a high-energy trauma. The concomitent lesion of both wrists is exceptional. We report a case of bilateral trans-scaphoid perilunate dislocated wrist fracture in a 21-year-old man. The dislocation was treated by opened reduction and fractures by internal fixation. The functional outcome was satisfying after two years of follow-up. Introduction: Trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations are relatively uncommon.1 These are the most common form of the complex carpal dislocations2,3 causing marked disruption of the carpal anatomy. Time from injury to treatment (delay in treatment), anatomic classià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cation, and open or closed nature of the injury are the major factors that determine the clinical outcome in trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations.4,5 Late presentation combined with missed diagnosis often causes critical delay in the treatment of these injuries. If the acute phase is missed, then some authors recommend alternative procedures such as wrist arthrodesis and proximal row carpectomy which are relatively mutilating surgeries that leave a significant functional deficit.4,6,7 The acute phase is defined as the first week after injury, whereas the delayed phase is the period between the seventh and 45th day and after 45 days the injury is said to be in the chronic phase.4 We report the case of a patient who referred to our department two weeks after the initial trauma with bilateral dorsal trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations of the carpus. Anatomic reduction, percutaneous pin fixation of the carpus and fixation of scaphoid fractures of both wrists were performed by opened reduction under fluoroscopic control. Presentation of case: A 21-year-old, right-hand-dominant man sustained an isolated injury to his both wrists after a fall from a height of approximately 4.5 m. The carpal injuries of both wrists were missed initially and both wrists had been bandaged for two weeks after the trauma. He was referred to our department two weeks later with increasing pain. The patient reported that he fell on his outstretched hands with both wrists in extension. Both wrists were deformed in marked dorsiflexion, painful, swollen, and tender to palpation, with limitation of movement. The patient complained of paresthesia in both of his hands. On physical examination, meticulous cutaneous sensory mapping was performed of both hands to determine the area of decreased sensation. This was done with the use of the sharp end of a paperclip while applying a constant pressure. This revealed minor numbness in the median nerve distribution area of both hands (thumb, index, middle finger, and the radial side of the ring finger). The two-point discrimination was normal on both sides. The mobility of the fingers was normal but painful, and there was a slight decrase in grip strength of both hands. Motor power in abductor pollicis brevis and opponens pollicis muscles was full (5/5) on both sides. The Tinels sign was negative over the carpal tunnel in both sides. The f indings of the patient led us to think that there is not any condition like acute carpal tunnel syndrome due to fracture-dislocation.We thought that the numbness of the patient was due to temporary traction injury of the median nerve caused by dislocation on both sides. The vascular status was normal on physical examination. Study of the anteroposterior, oblique and lateral plane radiographs showed that the patient had bilateral dorsal trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations of the carpi (Fig. 1). According to the classification described by Herzberg et al., the fracture-dislocations were trans-scaphoid as path of trauma and Stage 1 as displacement of capitate on both sides.4 The patient was informed about his pathology and advised to undergo surgery. If possible the patients preference was closed treatment. Therefore, we initially recommend closed reduction and percutaneous fixation. However, if this was not possible or in the situation of a failure we informed him about the open procedure. Under general anesthesia, a closed reduction was attempted with traction manoeuvre described by Tavernier8under fluoroscopic control. The reduction was not satisfactory,we opted for the open reduction by posterior approach.After anatomical reduction was achieved, intercarpal fixation was applied to carpal bones using three K-wires. The first K-wire was applied to scaphoide- lunate, the second K-wire was applied to- lunate-triquetrum and the third K-wire was applied to capitatum-lunate. After the procedure, reduction and fixation of carpal bones was confirmed under fluoroscopy. The same procedure was repeated for the other wrist. We noticed that the scaphoid fracture was reduced spontaneously along with the reduction of the carpal bones. So we performed   fixation of the left scaphoid fracture using a 3.5 mm mini Acutrak headless compression screw through the fracture line from a dorsal-proximal to a volar-distal direction. Intraoperative fluoroscopic control confirmed anatomic redu ction of the scaphoid fracture.. Finally, standard radiograms were obtained and both wrists were immobilized in a short arm cast (Fig. 2). The patient noted complete relief of symptoms the day after surgery. The pain and the paresthesia that the patient complained preoperatively was relieved dramatically and the function recovered. The post-operative period was uneventful. Four weeks after surgery, the casts and the K-wires were removed. New casts were applied for another 4 weeks when union was visible on radiographs. The casts were removed eight weeks after surgery. There was radiographic evidence of union of the scaphoid on the left side, but on the right side radiography revealed delayed union of the scaphoid. The patient subsequently underwent 3 months of intensive range-of-motion and muscle-strengthening exercises. Intermediate clinical and radiographic examinations were performed 6 and 12 months after surgery. At the two-year follow-up, the radiographs showed normal carpal bone relationships on both sides, complete union of the scaphoid on the left side(Fig.3). Wrist motion on the left side was excellent with 70 ° of palmar flexion, 80 ° of dorsiflexion, full supination and pronation, full radial and ulnar deviation. The right wrist could achieve 60 ° of palmar flexion and 70 ° of dorsiflexion, full supination and pronation, but with a mild decrease in radial and ulnar deviation. The grip strength of the right hand was 30 kg while that of the left side was 38 kg, measured with the Jamar dynamometer (J.A. Preston, Jackson, Michigan) . Fig.3 Right wrist and Left wrist anteroposterior and   lateral view after two-years. At the two-year follow-up, the patient was symptom-free concerning median nerve functions. The patient was free of pain on the left side. On the right side there was mild pain with wrist motions due to non-union of the scaphoid.The patient was able to perform activities of daily living and he had returned to all of his previous activities. The functional outcome was good on the left side, with a Mayo wrist score of 80/100. The functional outcome was satisfactory on the right side, with a Mayo wrist score of 65/100. Radiographs of both wrists revealed no evidence of radiocarpal or midcarpal arthritis. No osteonecrosis of the lunate or the scaphoid was evident. The lunate position was correct, without signs of instability. Anatomic relationships of the carpal bones were maintained. Discussion Carpal fracture-dislocations are rare injuries; thus their classification and treatment are rather difficult. Osseous variants of this injury are common; the trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocation constitutes 61% of all perilunate dislocations and 96% of fracture-dislocations.4 The trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocation is an uncommon injury sustained due to force transmission through a hyperextended wrist.9,10 These injuries may be easily overlooked or misdiagnosed.4 After a delay in diagnosis of several weeks or months, the clinical prognosis is poor compared with injuries that are treated acutely.11 According to the classification described by Herzberg et al., we initially diagnosed our patient in the delayed phase.4Regarding the literature, the management of such injuries in case of delayed presentation is rare.12,13Dislocation in this region requires rapid realignment, as untreated perilunate dislocation will lead to serious secondary damage.13,14 Perilunate fracture-dislocations are high-energy injuries, produced by wrist hyperextension.3,15 There is disruption of the palmar capsuloligamentous complex, starting radially and propagating through the carpus in an ulnar direction.3,15 This dislocation takes a transosseous route through the scaphoid resulting in a trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocation.10 In trans-scaphoid perilunate dislocations the fractured scaphoid is the initial destabilizing factor of the carpus.16 Regarding the literature, we believe that the mechanism of injury in our patient was fall from a height on the outstretched hands. Treatment options currently used for perilunar instability patterns include closed reduction and cast immobilization, closed reduction and percutaneous pinning, and open reduction. As the awareness of the anatomy and biomechanics of these injury patterns has evolved, authors have tended toward treatment approaches that attempt to repair the injured intrinsic and extrinsic carpal ligaments, that is, open techniques.4,8,11 Most authors agree that closed reduction is the initial treatment of choice for trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations.2,8,17 In addition, treatment often requires intercarpal fixation within the proximal carpal row. Most authors have agreed that the key to a good clinical result in the management of trans-scaphoid perilunate dislocation is the anatomic union of the scaphoid and the restoration of proper alignment of the carpal bones.17 In this case, we prefer a opened reduction and intercarpal fixation with K-wires, as well as screw fixation of the scaphoid, because we didnt achieve a good fracture alignment after closed reduction . Gellman et al. suggested that anatomical reductions of the scaphoid, as well as the mid-carpal joint, and the restoration of the articular surface of the lunate are the most important aspects determining the prognosis.11An open reduction further increases the risk of a scaphoid blood supply interruption, whereas percutaneous screw fixation of the scaphoid minimizes this risk.3,17,18 In addition, a rigid fixation with a percutaneous screw can also reduce the immobilization period and allow for an earlier rehabilitation. Acutrak screw fixation allows earlier discontinuance of the cast than K-wire fixation. In our case, the range-of-motion exercises of the wrist were started earlier after the initial operation. The nonunion rate was relatively higher in the series that were treated by closed reduction.19,20 In our case study the radiographs obtained two years after surgery revealed a non-union of the right scaphoid. We believe that the delay in treatment and maybe the malrotation of the scaphoid that we overlooked on the initial radiographs led to the interruption of the blood supply which was possibly responsible for the non-union of the scaphoid. Despite the non-union of the scaphoid, the functional outcome of our patient was satisfactory, with mild pain, good range of movement and good grip strength. Similarly, Herzberg et al.4 reported that unsatisfactory radiographs did not equate to a poor clinical outcome. We planned to perform open reduction and internal fixation with grafting for the non-union of the right scaphoid. Conclusion As the injury have led bilateral dorsal trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations,  we therefore recommend minimally invasive techniques if an anatomical closed reduction and  a percutaneous rigid fixation of the scaphoid is achieved on the intraoperative evaluations.

Franz Kafkas Life Reflected in his Work, The Metamorphosis Essay

Franz Kafka's Life Reflected in his Work, The Metamorphosis The Metamorphosis written by Franz Kafka is considered one of the few great, poetic works of the twentieth century. Addressing The Metamorphosis, Elias Canetti, a Nobel Prize-winning author, has commented, "In The Metamorphosis Kafka has reached the height of his mastery: he has written something which he could never surpass, because there is nothing which The Metamorphosis could be surpassed by - one of the few great, perfect poetic works of this century" (http://www.mala.bc.ca/~mcneil/m4lec5a.htm). There are many symbolisms and parallelisms used in the story. "[Kafka's] disturbing, symbolic fiction, especially The Metamorphosis, written in German, [not] only prefigures the oppression and despair of the late 20th century" but also is an account of the dramatic transformations that had occurred during his own life ("Kafka Franz", Funk?, 2000). This beautifully written masterpiece of Kafka's is clearly symbolic of his own life and nightmare-like life experiences he had with his father . "Suppose all that you have always valued in your life was shown to be an illusion. What if your precious beliefs, maxims, platitudes, and traditions were inverted and distorted beyond recognition? You suddenly realize that what is good is bad; what is beauty is foul; what is virtue, vice. What if all your points of reference were to shift: North becomes South; black becomes white; deviant becomes saint; saint becomes deviant. Suppose that this transformation - a metamorphosis of perception - were to come to you and you alone. Suddenly you awake, and in utter solitude you discover that your values have reversed along with you: you are a roach!" (http://www.vr.net/~herzogbr/kafka/). Yo... ...s. and Ed. Corngold, Stanley. New York: Norton, 1996. 61-74. Corngold, Stanley. "Preface." The Metamorphosis. Trans. and Ed. Corngold, Stanley. Sydney: Bantan, 1972. xi Kafka, Franz. "Explanatory Notes To The Text." The Metamorphosis. Trans. and Ed. Corngold, Stanley. Sydney: Bantan, 1972. 77. Kafka, Franz. "Documents." The Metamorphosis. Trans. and Ed. Corngold, Stanley. Sydney: Bantan, 1972. 103-112. Madden, William A. "A Myth of Mediation: Kafka's 'Metamorphosis'." THOUGHT XXVI.101 (Summer 1951): 246-66. Rpt. in "Kafka, Franz." Short Story Criticism. Ed. Thomas Votteler. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale, 1996. 210-213. "Franz Kafka." Encyclopedia Of World Biogarphy. 2nd ed. 1998. "KAFKA, Franz." Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia. CD-ROM . World Almanac Education Group. 2000. "Metamorphosis by Kafka." http://www.vr.net/~herzogbr/kafka/meta09.html Franz Kafka's Life Reflected in his Work, The Metamorphosis Essay Franz Kafka's Life Reflected in his Work, The Metamorphosis The Metamorphosis written by Franz Kafka is considered one of the few great, poetic works of the twentieth century. Addressing The Metamorphosis, Elias Canetti, a Nobel Prize-winning author, has commented, "In The Metamorphosis Kafka has reached the height of his mastery: he has written something which he could never surpass, because there is nothing which The Metamorphosis could be surpassed by - one of the few great, perfect poetic works of this century" (http://www.mala.bc.ca/~mcneil/m4lec5a.htm). There are many symbolisms and parallelisms used in the story. "[Kafka's] disturbing, symbolic fiction, especially The Metamorphosis, written in German, [not] only prefigures the oppression and despair of the late 20th century" but also is an account of the dramatic transformations that had occurred during his own life ("Kafka Franz", Funk?, 2000). This beautifully written masterpiece of Kafka's is clearly symbolic of his own life and nightmare-like life experiences he had with his father . "Suppose all that you have always valued in your life was shown to be an illusion. What if your precious beliefs, maxims, platitudes, and traditions were inverted and distorted beyond recognition? You suddenly realize that what is good is bad; what is beauty is foul; what is virtue, vice. What if all your points of reference were to shift: North becomes South; black becomes white; deviant becomes saint; saint becomes deviant. Suppose that this transformation - a metamorphosis of perception - were to come to you and you alone. Suddenly you awake, and in utter solitude you discover that your values have reversed along with you: you are a roach!" (http://www.vr.net/~herzogbr/kafka/). Yo... ...s. and Ed. Corngold, Stanley. New York: Norton, 1996. 61-74. Corngold, Stanley. "Preface." The Metamorphosis. Trans. and Ed. Corngold, Stanley. Sydney: Bantan, 1972. xi Kafka, Franz. "Explanatory Notes To The Text." The Metamorphosis. Trans. and Ed. Corngold, Stanley. Sydney: Bantan, 1972. 77. Kafka, Franz. "Documents." The Metamorphosis. Trans. and Ed. Corngold, Stanley. Sydney: Bantan, 1972. 103-112. Madden, William A. "A Myth of Mediation: Kafka's 'Metamorphosis'." THOUGHT XXVI.101 (Summer 1951): 246-66. Rpt. in "Kafka, Franz." Short Story Criticism. Ed. Thomas Votteler. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale, 1996. 210-213. "Franz Kafka." Encyclopedia Of World Biogarphy. 2nd ed. 1998. "KAFKA, Franz." Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia. CD-ROM . World Almanac Education Group. 2000. "Metamorphosis by Kafka." http://www.vr.net/~herzogbr/kafka/meta09.html

Research Paper (Football’s Effects on Personal Health)

Rodney Whitehead Eng 102 Research Paper 12/10/08 Football A person’s health is one of the most important things to maintain throughout his/her life. Playing sports is a fun and effective way to stay healthy mentally as well as physically. Football is an extremely physical, mentally advanced sport and is an excellent example of this. Football is an effective way to improve the physical, mental and social aspects of a person’s health. Football dates as far back as ancient Greece. Greeks made these games, which compare to modern football, to simulate warfare and battle strategies. If you know how an ancient phalanx works, you can find similarities between it and how the offensive and defensive line interact. It’s mostly just a lot of pushing and shoving with intent to penetrate the line and break the phalanx using shields and spears in a tactical fashion to create an ideally impenetrable unit. The linebackers, and defensive backs would represent the secondary defenses. The offensive backs and receivers represented the higher ranks of warriors. It was a game they played to showcase their skills, and it was an alternative of staying in shape without spending hours in the gymnasium. It also gave them more social interactions with people who had similar interests. The game of football has without a doubt become more advanced. It has become an multitude of associations and leagues each with their own individual rules and regulations. The game itself can be very confusing to understand from a foreign standpoint. However, the object of the game is simple. The team with the ball has to get it into the opposing teams endzone. Obviously it is more complicated than that but it’s the basic idea. When weighing the pros and cons of impacts on health with playing football, there are some negative aspects that go along with it such as injuries, risks with playing in severely cold weather, and other minor problems players might have with chronic pain or irritations on the body which include joint damage, turf toe and athletes foot, etc. Injuries in professional football do happen often, but it’s a part of playing the game. I personally would have rather broken every limb on my body than not ever have played football. According to Ernest Needham, injuries are abundant but not overwhelming considering the amount of people who play the sport. â€Å"We all know that accidents will happen in the best regulated of sports (even pedestrians are not free from them); but accidents of a serious or fatal nature are very rare considering the thousands who play, and it is questionable whether the percentage does not compare favorably with those of other pastimes (Unk 1-Par 7)†. All other health risks of football which are but minor compared to injuries should just be something athletes should go through to play such a fun and beneficial game. In my eyes, football is one hundred percent beneficial. One of the best things about football is that there is a spot for and type of person. Basically big, strong men play on the line; small, fast men can usually play as cornerbacks and safeties; strong and fast men will usually play running back or linebacker; and the tall, fast guys who can catch make good receivers. One aspect of football that makes it good for human health and development is the extra conditioning that is required to stay in shape. Conditioning mainly is based around running. A good thing for football players to practice and develop often is sprinting. Speed is the most important factor when playing football and it is extremely beneficial to one's health to sprint on a regular basis. It allows the heart to adapt and operate at higher speeds without such a high exhaustion factor as would usually be the case for someone who doesn't sprint regularly or at all for that matter. Football builds up strength and endurance in every part of your body. It increases your cardiovascular muscles and decreases your resting heart rate. You also become more balanced by learning different techniques and it develops the footwork of athletes to build speed and quickness. Unk 3 Par 2) Sprinting is most commonly practiced in what we call circuits or pyramids. A circuit is a multitude of different types of sprints performed in a row with little or no rest. For example, an athlete would start with seated arm sprints and when the whistle blows, he would get up and sprint to the forty yard cone at full speed. When he reaches the cone he would back pedal 20 yards, then do fifteen seconds of high knees. After this he would then sprint out the remaining forty yards. Circuits can be performed in any order with any combination of sprinting exercises. Circuits promote endurance, acceleration, speed and exercise diversity which is an important part of adaptive health as well as a vital skill one needs to play football. Sprinting pyramids go along with the idea of starting out small and gradually increasing distance and intensity. Let’s say you’re on a standard track. From the starting line, the sprinter would sprint a short ten yards, touch the line and come back. This is followed by increments of ten usually. Once the pyramid reaches sixty yards out, the sprinter gradually goes back down in increments of ten to act as a cool-down. Pyramids develop an athletes agility, endurance and also builds an athletes ability to sprint with stability and control. As a result, sprinting is extremely beneficial to an athletes health and well-being and this demonstrates how the sprinting aspect of football is a major part in the health of an individual. Most teams also coach their athletes to run long distances. Long distance running is an excellent way to boost a human’s cardiovascular stamina and increase the strength in an athletes fast-twitch muscle system in his/her legs. The reason it is so effective in improving someone’s health is because it keeps the heart beating at a high rate for a long period of time. This sends oxygen quickly to all the body’s key receptors which is essential to maintain motor skills, and better a human’s growth and blood flow. It also enables the heart to adapt and strengthen to be able to handle such a strain for such a long period of time. This helps athletes keep energy during games and practice without getting as tired. Long distance running is usually done as a team or in smaller groups throughout the team. For example, the backs receivers will run in one group and the lineman and linebackers will run in the other. The distance teams run always varies based on the coaches, how the practice has gone so far, and the weather, but usually when I say â€Å"a long distance run†, I mean at the very least one mile. Take me for example. I run one and a half miles every day before I strength train. I don’t consider that to be a long distance run at all. It’s more like a little warm up. On Fridays I run three miles which judging by how tired I am after, I consider to be long distance running. What defines the term â€Å"long distance running† is the physical abilities of the athlete and how much they are willing to sacrifice to be a healthy person and an excellent football player. Running in football is a great building block to a healthy lifestyle. Usually people who run and do other exercises regularly will generally have more energy throughout the day than non-athletes. People who have not experienced this first-hand may think otherwise. They might think that if someone exercises everyday, it would drain them and make them tired all the time. That is definitely not the case. Exercise lowers your heart rate in times of inactivity allowing the body to operate using less energy than someone who’s heart rate may be higher during times of inactivity. For example an idle body which has a heart rate of 70 regularly will use more energy than an athlete with an idle heart rate of 52. Therefore an athlete will generally have more energy when not exercising. Overall, running is an important part of football and an excellent way to stay in shape. In the sport of football, it is essential to compete with one another to be the strongest and the fastest. This being said, strength training is extremely important and is also highly beneficial to the sport. Their are many lifts that are specific to football, but weight lifting in general is a remarkably healthy life practice. First of all, it takes a lot of calories to build and maintain muscle, therefore just weightlifting alone could be a great way to get rid of fat. Basically, if someone lift weights to lose fat, he/she will be losing fat and replacing it with muscle making him/her leaner, lighter and stronger. Lifting weights is also a healthy way to socialize. When an athlete lifts weights, he/she usually uses a spotter and if they both are in the same strength range they will usually do all their lifts together and create a friendly relationship with one another. Team chemistry is also something that is taught and practiced in all leagues. The coaches usually try to ensure the cooperation and friendship of all their teammates. This builds builds the bonds that keep a team strong and the benefit an athletes mental and social health. An person’s mental health is probably more important that his/her physical health. Football is an excellent way to develop mental strong mental health. In most cases, players need to remember all the different plays and formation in a playbook to run a solid offense. That should be easy for most people with half a brain but they also have to know how to make quick reads and shifts in blocking to make plays work based on how the defense is aligned. This is a very complex skill that only comes with experience in the game. This trait illustrates a strong mentality which is extremely healthy to develop especially in early years. According to Abby Lerner’s quote from Sian Beilock, associate professor in psychology at the University of Chicago, playing football plays a big role in developing essential language skills students need to understand complex situations. â€Å"Experience playing and watching sports has enduring effects on language understanding by changing the neural networks that support comprehension to incorporate areas active in performing sports skills,† Beilock said. (Lerner Par 4) He also said that the findings may soon be applied to education. For example, the best way to teach kids about momentum and physics may not be assigning lengthy reading assignments, but getting them up from their desks and moving. â€Å"The experience of acting something out may help them understand the concept much better (Lerner Par 5)†. Football also promotes a healthier diet. The coaches stress that their players eat healthy and many of them put their athletes on a strict eating plan. Athletes in professional football and high high division college football are usually given a meal plan to improve their health and well-being. A good meal plan would consist of foods high in protein and carbohydrates in the morning, foods high in carbohydrates at noon, and high protein and vitamins in the evening such as boiled chicken and green vegetables. Such practices, along with exercising, weightlifting and stretching, can actually reduce the risk of injury. A balanced diet can also help keep the digestive system regulated. Eating the right foods at the right times is an important part of staying healthy so it is no wonder that the health driven sport of football practices sticking to a healthy diet. Football is an extremely disciplined and physical sport, but it is probably the most fun a person can have if he/she is trying to stay healthy. Through the coaching of strength, conditioning, dieting and enhanced brain activity, football is a great way to improve the physical and mental health of individuals of all ages. Works Cited Author Unknown1. â€Å"Health Risks of Playing Football†. Publisher Unknown www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk/Fhealth. htm This articles focuses on the downside to football. It illustrates certain health risks and diseases that may be caused by playing football, both long term and short term. It tends to use a lot of statistics and credited facts throughout the article. In fact, the bulk of the article is composed of these statistics and facts. Little is shown of the writer’s own input of the subject. Author Unknown2. â€Å"Football improves health of the community†. Publisher Unknown http://www. dh. gov. uk/en/News/DH_4111986 This article illustrates the positive physical effects of football. It points out that the sport promotes a healthier diet, teaches drug and alcohol awareness and promotes good sexual health as well as social inclusion. Author Unknown3. What are the benefits of football†. Wiki-Answers. http://wiki. answers. com/Q/ This is sort of a Q and A format article. It asks the question; What are the health and physical benefits of playing football? It is followed by multiple answers from anonymous contributors. Some answers are straight and to the point and some go in depth with exciting facts in vivid detail. Lerner, Abby. â€Å"The Best Reason to Watch More Football†. Men’s Health. http://www. menshealth. com/cda/article Watching football is had been a proven way of increasing brain activity and comprehension efficiency. This article developes reasons of how and why it does and it explains them in depth. Moor, Craeg(? ). â€Å"Improve mental health through playing football†.  © 2008 Adfero Ltd. craegmoor. co. uk/news/industry/18518880/ The mental health benefits of playing football are beyond significant. Football is a great way to socialize and develop relationships with other players in an informal, fun way which has effects on a person's emotions, relationships, identity and self-esteem. This article develops these benefits in a very compact article in which I will probably have to use sentence numbers.

Mandarin Chinese Christmas Vocabulary

Mandarin Chinese Christmas Vocabulary Christmas  is not an official holiday in China, so most offices, schools, and shops remain open. Nonetheless, many  people still get into the holiday spirit during the Yuletide, and all the trappings of Christmas can be found in China,  Hong  Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.   Additionally, many people in recent years have begun celebrating Christmas in China. You can see Christmas decorations in department stores, and the custom of exchanging gifts is becoming more popular- especially with the younger generation. Many also decorate their homes with Christmas trees and ornaments. So, learning Mandarine Chinese Christmas vocabulary can be helpful if you plan to visit the region. Two Ways to Say Christmas There are two ways to say â€Å"Christmas† in Mandarin Chinese. The links provide a transliteration of the word or phrase (called  pinyin), followed the word or phrase written in  traditional Chinese  characters, followed by the same word or phrase printed in simplified Chinese characters. Click on the links to bring up an audio file and hear how to pronounce the words. The two ways to say Christmas in Mandarin Chinese are  shà ¨ng dn jià © (è â€"è ªâ€¢Ã§ ¯â‚¬ traditional Ã¥Å" £Ã¨ ¯Å¾Ã¨Å â€š simplified) or  yÄ“ dn jià © (è€ ¶Ã¨ ªâ€¢Ã§ ¯â‚¬ trad è€ ¶Ã¨ ¯Å¾Ã¨Å â€š simplified). In each of the phrases, the final two characters (dn jià ©) are the same. Dn refers to birth, and jià © means â€Å"holiday.† The first character of Christmas can be either shà ¨ng or yÄ“. Shà ¨ng translates as â€Å"saint† and yÄ“ is a phonetic, which is used for Jesus yÄ“ sÃ… « (è€ ¶Ã§ ©Å' traditional è€ ¶Ã§ ¨ £ simplified). Shà ¨ng dn jià © means â€Å"the birth of a saint holiday† and yÄ“ dn jià © means â€Å"the birth of Jesus holiday.† Shà ¨ng dn jià © is the more popular of the two phrases. Whenever you see shà ¨ng dn, though, remember that you can also use yÄ“ dn instead. Mandarin Chinese Christmas Vocabulary There are many other Christmas-related words and phrases in Mandarin Chinese, from Merry Christmas to poinsettia and even gingerbread house. In the table, the English word is given first, followed by the pinyan (transliteration), and then the traditional and simplified spellings in Chinese. Click the pinyan  listings to hear how each word or phrase is pronounced. English Pinyin Traditional Simplified Christmas shng dn ji Christmas y dn ji Christmas eve shng dn y Christmas eve ping n y Merry Christmas shng dn kui l Christmas tree shng dn sh Candy Cane gui zhng tng Christmas presents shng dn l w Stocking shng dn w Poinsettia shng dn hng Gingerbread house jing bng w Christmas card shng dn k Santa Claus shng dn lo rn Sleigh xu qio Reindeer m l Christmas carol shng dn g Caroling bo ji yn Angel tin sh Snowman xu rn Celebrating Christmas in China and the Region While most Chinese opt to overlook Christmas’s religious roots, a sizable minority do head to church for services in a variety of languages, including Chinese, English, and French. There are  approximately 70 million practicing Christians in China as of December 2017, according to  the Beijinger, a monthly entertainment guide and website based in Chinas capital. The figure represents only 5 percent of the countrys total population of 1.3 billion, but its still large enough to make an impact. Christmas services are held at an array of state-run churches in China and at houses of worship throughout Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. International schools and some embassies and consulates are also closed on Dec. 25 in China. Christmas Day (Dec. 25) and Boxing Day (Dec. 26) are public holidays in Hong Kong, so government offices and businesses are closed. Macau recognizes Christmas as a holiday and most businesses are closed. In Taiwan, Christmas coincides with Constitution Day (è ¡Å'æ† ²Ã§ ´â‚¬Ã¥ ¿ µÃ¦â€" ¥). Taiwan used to observe Dec. 25 as a day off, but currently, as of March 2018, Dec. 25 is a regular working day in Taiwan.