Drama is an art

Dramatization is a workmanship. Its craftsmen are entertainers. Much the same as some other work of art, appropriate preparing in theater is fundamental to pick up authority in the expertise of acting. There are numerous ways to deal with instructing acting. Gordon Phillips, a prepared proficient in the field, has built up an extremely fascinating strategy. In his book, Take it Personally, he depicts his framework as the most legit, regular, and practical.... The nearest to the manner in which nature itself works (26). Phillipss instructive strategy spins around the possibility that the entertainer must figure out how to utilize a lot of apparatuses with which he can deal with any job given to him. Through his methodology, Gordon Phillips wants to give every hopeful on-screen character a lot of instruments with which to overcome any character. The Process, as he calls it, expresses that the instruments in the on-screen characters tool kit don't involve acting all by themselves, yet r ather give the entertainer an approach to ace the specialty of acting. The fundamental part to Phillipss tool stash of acting includes balance and realization of oneself, the content, and the acting condition spoke to in the content. So as to understand this, we should initially understand the definition that Phillips is alluding to when talking about balance and realization. By balance, Phillips intends to express that before starting to handle any given character, one must free himself up to the new character; free himself of decisions and predispositions of the character. After this has been practiced, the entertainer can proceed onward to complete, or refine the character. A comprehension of what Phillips implies by these two complex thoughts currently permits us to investigate the specificssensory, physical, and passionate balance and completion. Tactile and physical balance have to do with killing oneself. The entertainer must not permit himself to be frustrated by past learning of the charac...

Can be any aspect of Urban Geology (Why geology is relevant in urban Term Paper

Can be any part of Urban Geology (Why geography is significant in urban territories.) - Term Paper Example Geography is the study of investigation of strong Earth, and specifically, the stone developments to be found underneath a particular real estate parcel. Topography gets new significance in urban zones as high-thickness populaces are found in urban zones. Its importance can't be excused the same number of current living or urban way of life issues can be fathomed or cured by information on the urban topography of a city, regardless of whether it is close to the ocean, a waterway like a lake, or a mountain that is likewise inclined to ecological risks like avalanches and glimmer floods. Another model is the nearness of underground water in urban territories where topography is significant in building tall structure structures. Crucial information and discoveries got from geologic investigations are significant in development and designing, for example, where to best find framework ventures like a dock, seaport or air terminal where there is hidden quality of the geologic materials to help such endeavor, forestall genuine harm if there is a seismic tremor, and by and large, make these structures safe so there will be no compelling reason to stress over the strength of these structures over the long haul. Numbness of these discoveries can have genuine negative results like discovering breaks on recently manufactured structures. Land is a constrained asset thus urban geography is utilized to decide the determination of the locales to expand on. In exceptionally urbanized zones like the uber urban communities of the present reality, it is an absolute necessity for specialists to have a firm handle of urban topography to assemble the best structures they can fabricate, as extremely high structures containing a few stories upwards. The race to manufacture the tallest structures on the planet depend on geography. Building upwards is the answer for restricted land (recovering pieces of the ocean is additionally conceivable) as level development is frequently unrealistic in most urban regions. A model is Hong Kong where numerous

A Castle, a Jack, and a Beanstalk

A Castle, a Jack, and a Beanstalk Once upon a late October, MIT hosted its annual Family Weekend. Relatives flew in from everywhere, and were seen passing through East Campus halls with their hushed student-children. All over MIT, festivities ensued. Numerous posters in the Infinite advertised concerts, dinners, and movie viewings. I’d never seen MIT so formal and tame. But that didn’t stifle the MIT hacking culture. (If the term sounds unfamiliar, make sure to check out this very useful post by Snively ‘11 or this breathtaking one by Rachel D. ‘16.) MIT hackers don’t look like this: Around here, the word hack “refers to a clever, benign, and ethical prank or practical joke, which is both challenging for the perpetrators and amusing to the MIT community (and sometimes even the rest of the world!).” On the sunny Saturday of Family Weekend 2014, a castle appeared on the skybridge connecting Buildings 66 and 68, looming high above the clouds. Alongside the castle extended a beanstalk. On it, hung Jack, all packed and ready for adventure. The mysterious installation grew overnight, as if from magic beans. With this, my description is almost done. I’d rather show the hack than tell, so scroll through pictures (and links) below. In conclusion, I’ll add that the week after Family Weekend, the castle resurfaced mysteriously in the East Campus courtyard. From there, it was soon claimed by parents of a little girl. She will now have a grand castle of her own. How awesome is that? I rather enjoy such happy endings.             BONUS Hacking Links: The Official IHTFP Hacking Gallery Hackers Delight: a History of MIT Pranks and Hacks   Hacking the Admissions Tube   The Greatest MIT Hacks of All Time

Great Depression Basics and Roosevelts New Deal

The Great Depression was a period of worldwide economic depression that lasted from 1929 until approximately 1939. The starting point of the Great Depression is usually listed as October 29, 1929, commonly called Black Tuesday. This was the date when the stock market fell dramatically 12.8%. This was after two previous stock market crashes on Black Tuesday (October 24), and Black Monday (October 28). The Dow Jones Industrial Average would eventually bottom out by July, 1932 with a loss of approximately 89% of its value. However, the actual causes of the Great Depression are much more complicated than just the stock market crash. In fact, historians and economists do not always agree about the exact causes of the depression. Throughout 1930, consumer spending continued to decline which meant businesses cut jobs thereby increasing unemployment. Further, a severe drought across America meant that agricultural jobs were reduced. Countries across the globe were affected and many protectionist polices were created thereby increasing the problems on a global scale. Franklin Roosevelt and His New Deal Herbert Hoover was president at the beginning of the Great Depression. He tried to institute reforms to help stimulate the economy but they had little to no effect. Hoover did not believe that the federal government should be directly involved in economic affairs and would not fix prices or change the value of the currency. Instead, he focused on helping states and private businesses to provide relief.   By 1933, unemployment in the United States was at a staggering 25%. Franklin Roosevelt easily defeated Hoover who was seen as out of touch and uncaring. Roosevelt became president on March 4, 1933 and immediately instituted the first New Deal.  This was a comprehensive group of short-term recovery programs, many of which were modeled on those that Hoover had attempted to create. Roosevelts New Deal not only included economic aid, work assistance programs, and greater control over businesses but also the end of the gold standard and of prohibition. This was then followed by the Second New Deal programs which included more long-term assistance such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Social Security System, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Fannie Mae, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC). However, there is still question today about the effectiveness of many of these programs as a recession occurred in 1937 -38. During these years, unemployment rose again. Some blame the New Deal programs as being hostile towards businesses. Others state that the New Deal, while not ending the Great Depression, at least helped the economy by increasing regulation and preventing further decay. No one can argue that the New Deal fundamentally changed the way that the federal government interacted with the economy and the role it would take in the future. In 1940, unemployment was still at 14%. However, with Americas entry into World War II and subsequent mobilization, unemployment rates dropped to 2% by 1943. While some argue that the war itself did not end the Great Depression, others point to the increase in government spending and increased job opportunities as reasons why it was a large part of the national economic recovery. Learn more about the Great Depression Era: Causes of the Great DepressionNew Deal ProgramsNew Deal AcronymsHerbert Hoover BiographyFranklin Roosevelt Biography

The Cold War - 2194 Words

At the conclusion of World War II, the United States of America emerged as the savior of Europe and became one of the leading global political powers of the subsequent age. Behind the â€Å"iron curtain† of Easter Europe, however, another superpower, the Soviet Union, which was seemingly the exact opposite of the United States in every way imaginable, exerted its force to instill and defend communism in its surrounding satellite states. The ideologies of these two countries displayed myriad incompatibilities, and over a period spanning the next four decades, the Soviet Union and the United States of America attempted to gain military, political, and social advantages over each other in order to preserve their systems of life. Especially with†¦show more content†¦The first leader of this nascent nation was Vladamir Lenin, who guided the country briefly until his death in 1924. Lenin’s successor, Joseph Stalin, led the Soviet Union through World War II until 1952. It was during Stalin’s reign that the tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States of America began to escalate. Starting with the signing of the non-aggression pact between The Soviets and Nazi-Germany, the United States grew cynical about the intentions of the U.S.S.R. This pact, formally entitled the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, essentially declared that Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union would be allies for the remainder of the war, and that neither country would make any sort of offensive on the other. Hitler, however, broke the terms of this pact when he invaded the U.S.S.R. in 1941 (Newman and Schmalbach 550). Since, Germany now posed as an enemy to the Soviets, the Soviet Union naturally joined the Allied forces. The first major summit between the leaders of the three main powers of the Allied forces, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin for The United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union respectively, was the Tehran Conference, which took place in November of 1943. Although numerous peaceful agreements were made, primarily that the UnitedShow MoreRelatedThe War Of The Cold War1644 Words   |  7 PagesThe Cold War was a state of political and military tension stemming from World War II fought primarily between the United States and the Soviet Union. Although the start and end dates of the Cold War are frequently disputed over, it is generally accepted that the conflict started at the conclusion of the Second World War and stemmed from the social climate and lingering tensions in Europe and the increasing power struggles between the Soviet Union and the United States. Along with economic separationRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War Essay1525 Words   |  7 PagesOne major war ended and another to begin. The Cold war lasted about 45 years. There were no direct military campaigns between the United States and Soviet Union. However, billions of dollars and millions of lives were lost. The United States emerged as the greatest power from World War 2. (Give Me Liberty 896) The country boasted about having the most powerful navy and air force. The United states accounted for about half of the world’s manufacturing capacity, which it alone created the atomic bombRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War757 Words   |  4 PagesAs tensions continued to augment profoundly throughout the latter half of the Cold War period, they brought forth a movement from a previous bipolar conflicting course, to one of a more multipolar nature. These tensions were now not only restricted to the Soviet Union and United states, but amongst multiple other nations of the globe. It became a general consensus that a notion of ‘peace’ was sought globally, hence, the emergence of dà ©tente. The nature of this idea in the short term conveyed itselfRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War1636 Words   |  7 PagesThe U.S. learned greatly after having been declared the victor of the Cold War. Retired four-star U.S. Army general Colin Powell said, â€Å"The long bitter years of the Cold War are over. America and her allies have won; totally, decisively, and overwhelmingly† (Reed 343). The Cold War started after World War II in 1947 and ended in 1991. The U.S. underwent a political war with the Soviet Union in hopes of advancing more rapidly in certain fields, such as nuclear weapons and space crafts. Avoiding nuclearRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War886 Words   |  4 Pagesin an infamous battle against ideologies: The Cold War. Even though war took place during this time, both powers were not involved in battle directly, hence the name cold war. The war mainly consisted of assumed and implied threats of nuclear attacks and political control over states in Europe. Even before 1945, the beginning of the Cold War, tension brewed between the U.S and the U.S.S.R. Both sides had differing views on Europe s state after the war. For instance, programs like the Marsha ll PlanRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War961 Words   |  4 Pages1945, beginning year of the Cold War. The development of cold war just started after the end of world War ||. The cold war was the result of conflict between two powerful country Soviet Union and United State. The war was regarding to the lead the world after the World War ||. The Soviet Union wanted to emerge its power to the world and so do the United States too. The research paper mainly focused on various reasons of opposition of two great power of the world Soviets and United States of AmericaRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War Essay1075 Words   |  5 PagesDuring World War II, the United States, Britain, and Russia all worked together to take down Hitler. Although after the war, the coordination between the U.S. and Russia became extremely tense which inevitably lead to the Cold War. The U.S. was worried that Russia would spread communism after World War II. Russia was concerned with the U.S. arms increase and int ervention in international affairs. The distrust between the two nations resulted in the Cold war which lasted until 1991. In 1946, WinstonRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War1052 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cold War was a result of what happened at the end of World War 2. At the end of World War 2, the Soviets held a grudge against the U.S for their delayed entrance in the World War resulting in deaths of thousands of Russians resulting in the appearance of the Cold War .The Cuban Missile Crisis was a significant flashpoint in the Cold War because it was the moment two superpowers came closest to nuclear conflict. This crisis, while posing the very real threat of global annihilation, also led toRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War1737 Words   |  7 Pages Cold War The Cold War, which is often dated from 1945 to 1989, was a constant state of political and military tension between powers in the West, dominated by the United States with NATO among its allies, and powers in the East, dominated by the Soviet Union along with the Warsaw Pact. The development of Nuclear Weapons and long range shooting missiles by the United States gave a lot of fear and caused mass destruction. 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Literature the Chronicles of Narnia and Fantasy Free Essays

Fantasy Literature and Fantastic Language Kelli Pearson Eng/290 7/30/2012 Crystal Sands Fantastic Literature and Fantastic Language Fantasy literature is fantasy in written form. Historically speaking, literature has composed the majority of fantasy works. Since the 1960s a segment of the fantasy genre has taken the form of movies, television programs, novels, video games, music and other media. We will write a custom essay sample on Literature: the Chronicles of Narnia and Fantasy or any similar topic only for you Order Now Fantasy Language is is a constructed language designed for aesthetic pleasure. Fantasy language has an irregular grammer, much like natural languages. Many are designed within the context of fictional worlds. Others represent fictional minority languages in a world not patently different from the real world, or have no particular fictional background attached. There are several different schools of Fantasy language construction. The most prominent is the naturalist school, which seeks to imitate the complexity and historicity of natural languages and has artistic language. Many do not use this language, but follow a more abstract style. The poem and story that I chose was an African Poem by Walter Dean Myers and the story the Chronicles of Narnia. While choosing the two of these I thought they were very interesting and I wanted to share. The poem is called Jeannie Had a Giggle which recites the words : Jeannie had a giggle just beneath her toes She gave a little wiggle and up her leg it rose. She tried to grab the giggle as it shimmied past her knees But it slid right past her fingers with a â€Å"‘scuse me if you please† It slipped around her middle, it made her jump and shout Jeannie wanted that giggle in, that giggle wanted out! Jeannie closed her mouth, but then she heard a funny sound As out that silly giggle flew and jumped down to the ground. Jeannie caught it with her foot just beneath her toes She gave a little wiggle and up her leg it rose. I chose this poem because I believe this poem is a form of dance. Where as in the African culture they interpret a lot of movement through dance. African dance teaches values and social patterns to help people work, mature, or praise people in their community. I feel that this poem showed how Jenny was full of Joy from head to toe. This poem expresses that values of the African religion of how they use dance to interpret praise within themselves. The fantasy story that I chose was The Chronicles of Narnia. I chose this story because it is filled with fantasy and full of imagination. According to (Matt Brennan http://cslewis. drzeus. net ) The Narnia Chronicles are surely the most popular works of writer C. S. Lewis. And although they are recognized as children’s fantasy novels, they are also popular with students and adults, including many Christian theologians. In the Narnia Chronicles, Lewis identifies the Biblical character of Jesus Christ as the character of Aslan the lion. He retells certain events in the life of Jesus to children. This way it is easier for a children to understand; most importantly, however, children can both relate to and enjoy the fantasy of Narnia. I feel that this story is a great story that uses animals to grasp the attention of the children. Narnia is a land of talking animals, and as children usually find the concept of animals and magical creatures more interesting than that of a historical reality of long ago. This story also has a religious aspect behind its creation. It speaks from the book of Genisis. Narnia proves to be the perfect vehicle for a captivating work of children’s literature. Through using animals to create the story gains interest Animals in this story are especially apparent with the use of Aslan the lion as a God figure: â€Å"The Lion opened his mouth†¦ e was breathing out a long, warm breath; it seemed to sway all the beasts as the wind sways a line of trees. † (Lewis, 1988, p. 108). This image of life-giving breath directly correlates to a passage in Genesis: â€Å"The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the ma n became a living being. † (Gen 2:7). I believe that the two compare based on religious beliefs. I have viewed the Chronicles of Narnia and this story seems to have a strong affect on many viewers and I believe it is due to the fantasy of the story but the reality of the biblical times. Aswell as the poem. Its grasp the attention of children because of the laughter but it expresses movements of the traditional praise of how the African culture expresses themselves. The Chronicles of Narnia has been criticized in the past for gender stereotyping. I think that this may have caused a lot of problems with some readers because of how the story was written about Sarah. In my poem I didn’t feel as if it had any stereotyping. The way I see it is that It just basically described a fun loving little girl who enjoys life from head to toe. These two types of literature were very different but I believe that they will both gain the interest of young children. I believe the message that the poem sends to children is that the world is the limits. Go after your dream and most importantly be Happy! The Chronicles of Narnia sends a message that the world of fantasy is real. It gives children the idea to dream and hope. I gives children the belief of following their dreams and believing in yourself. Fantasy is a world of make believe that many children thrive to have. We all have had the urge to follow our dreams. As a child many children have the dream of being a princess and in the story the little girl became a princess and that is a little girls fairy tale just like a little boys to become a warrior. In conclusion children’s fantasy plays a big part in literature. Its easy for children to understand what they are reading or being read to. Fantasy to a child is a big part of their lives. They believe in what they read and watch and its up to adults to help them understand better how to use their imagination. References Myers, W. D. (n. d. ). Jenny Had A Giggle. Retrieved from http://cslewis. drzeus. net Retrieved from http://www. wikipedia. com How to cite Literature: the Chronicles of Narnia and Fantasy, Essay examples

The Babylonian Creation Epic free essay sample

Enuma Elish is a major seven tablet Babylonian myth relating the beginning of gods, the rise of the god Marduk, the battle of between Marduk and Tiamat, and the creation of the universe and of humankind. It was one of the earliest mesapotamian literary creations discovered and found during the excavation at Nineveh(1848-76). In this paper, we shall highlight the account of this myth with its possible interpretation. We shall also compare it with the Bible for the similarities. Account of Enuma Elish: The meaning of ‘Enuma Elish’ according to Tyndale Bible Dictionary ‘when on high’ and the first two words of the epic, introducing the reader to a time when the heavens had not been named and the earth did not yet exist. The account is often known as the creation epic but it is more of the exaltation of Marduk. The text can be interpreted on several levels and from different perspectives. We will write a custom essay sample on The Babylonian Creation Epic or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But the first and probably the most important is the political level. It is a political document describing the rise of Marduk to Kingship of the gods but also sees the cosmos as a political organization. According to Enuma Elish, man is created by the interplay between Ea (the traditional Sumerio-Babylonian creator), and Marduk (who replaced the mother goddess of tradition). The particular version of creation used is that of the Atra-hasis epic, in which Ea and the mother goddess make men from clay mixed with the blood of a slain god. In the Mesopotamian myth Enuma Elish a tension developed between the first creator and their offspring. This tension led to a rapture in the initial creation, and a struggle between its god and their offspring. In the ensuing battle, the foundation is established for human existence. In the Enuma Elish, the god Marduk was the leader of the offspring who fight Tiamat, the mother who was slain in the battle. After his military victory, marduk turned back to crush Tiamat and creates the universe. He divided Tiamat’s body into two, separating the two halves with the sky and created the heavenly bodies, the mountains and the springs. He then brought Tiamat monster and the tablets of destiny back to the gods. Who again declared him king. Marduk proposed to built Babylon as a place where the gods could come to assemble, and the gods offered to do the building according to his specifications. In response Marduk had Ea created men out of the blood of the slain Kingu, so that men could do the works of god and he organized the worlds of the gods, assigning to each god his functions. The gods built the temple of Marduk in Babylon and gathered to celebrate his kingship. They awarded him fifty great names, each bearing each own power, thus, â€Å"making his way supreme†. The epic ends with an injunction that all should tell this story and rejoice in Marduk. Enuma Elish and the Bible Since the publication of the work text, comaparisions have been drawn between Enuma Elish and the Bible especially with the creation account of Genesis. Some considerations have been made to the parallels between the seven tablets of Enuma Elish and the biblical seven days of creation. Both the stories began with water; and the spirit (or wind) of God hovering on the waters bears similarity to the winds of Anu that roiled Tiamat. Just as the sky divided the waters from above and below, Tiamat’s body was divided by the sky from her lower half. They also narrated the origin and function of the sun and moon in the same manner. But there were also great differences in these two accounts that one can not just talk about the literary inter- dependence or mythological similarities. The similarity is the evidence of a shared cosmology and a shared science that understood the world as beginning and surrounding in water, a concept also found in early Greece. The importance is that these concepts were commom in the near east region which the Israelites also used to convey their own independent message. The other parallel is the scattered poetic passages that allude to the Lord’s defeat of the sea in ancient times. The defeat of the sea is often followed by the mention of the reign of God and of the creation of the world, and sometimes the building of the temple. These themes presented the fundamental biblical cluster ideas but it does not mean that the motifs have a Babylonian origin. Conclusion There are other creation myths similar to that of creation. This showed that this kind of myth was common in those days in the ancient near east region. These are just myth not the fact which can not be proved scientifically but they threw light on the historical backround. So they can not just be ignored.

In The Secret Life of Bees, w... free essay sample

In The Secret Life of Bees, written by Sue Monk Kidd, it is apparent that the social issue between Whites and African Americans arises into something bigger during the Civil Rights period. The issue of racial discrimination is amplified throughout the novel when it acts as a barrier between the protagonist character, Lily Owens, and her only mother figure, Rosaleen, who is colored. The search of freedom and spirituality of Lily, who is desperate to escape her abusive father, leads to the deliverance of guilt, abuse, and separation. Kidd uses the novel to express herself and society through the characters in The Secret Life of Bees by incorporating the interconnectedness of life, nature, and spirit (Emanuel 2). The combination of racial tensions, social wounds, and political uprisings are used by Kidd to demonstrate the universal need for love and redemption in both private and public relationships throughout the novel (Hamilton 1).Born on August 12, 1948 in Sylvester, Georgia, Kidd was exposed to racial discrimination as the Civil Rights movement took place in her adolescent years through the 1950s to the 1960s. We will write a custom essay sample on In The Secret Life of Bees, w or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Her environment was used as inspiration in The Secret Life of Bees as the setting of Sylvan, South Carolina reflects Kidds hometown of Sylvester, Georgia. Living in the South during this era, racism along with the search of spirituality played a huge role in Kidds life as her surroundings left her abandoned in pneuma. Growing up Kidd had a passion for writing in which she wrote short stories but acquired a Bachelor of Science with a Major in Nursing at Texas Christian University (TCU) in 1970. It was not until after marriage and two children later that Kidd decided in taking writing classes where she wrote her autobiography, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, in which she recounts her own attempt to find a feminine God in 1996 (Emanuel 1). As her interests in feminine theology grew, Kidd tackled her encounters of racism in society and spirit by publishing her first novel, The Secret Life of Bees, where she still possessed the search for spirituality through Lily Owens while combining the exclusion of women from society and racial discrimination. Kidd allowed this novel to reflect herselfs coming of age along with her search of having to find her own spirituality in times of white patriarchy and chauvinism (Gale Cengage).Many issues are incorporated in The Secret Life of Bees as they exemplify t he period of the Civil Rights movement where women are excluded and the main social issue becomes racism. Growing up in the South, Kidd was exposed to racial discrimination in which the racial tensions were absorbed and used as fuel for her first novel. Kidd depicts herself through the eyes of Lily Owens, the main character in The Secret Life of Bees, who experiences neglect from her parents, racial discrimination, and guilt. At only fours years of age, Lily took her own mothers life after her parents got in an argument. Dealing with this guilt of knowing what happened and not being able to talk to her father about it, Lily mourned for freedom to find answers about her mothers past. Now at fourteen years of age, Lily is in search of her mothers past as she only has a picture of the Black Madonna to follow that has Tiburon, South Carolina on it. This symbolizes Kidds own struggle and journey to find spirituality in times where racism exists while African Americans and Whites are not allowed to have interracial churches thus, leading to separation and disoriented spirits that become unfulfilled. By embracing her own life to resonate Lilys character, Kidd includes her own struggles making the novel more personal and surreal feeling. Lily shows acceptance that she has prejudice inside of her even though her mother figure and nanny, Rosaleen, is colored. T. Ray did not think colored women were smart. Since I want to tell the whole truth, which means the worst parts, I thought they could be smart, but not as smart as me, me being white. Lying on the cot in the honey house, though, all I could think was August is so intelligent, so cultured, and I was surprised by this. Thats what let me know I had some prejudice buried inside me ( Kidd 78). Lily is neglected by her father as he exposes her to racial discrimination and makes her believe it is right to mistreat colored people. Lily and Rosaleen encounter a group of Caucasian men who beat Rosaleen and land her in jail after she attempts to register to vote. This becomes the first time Lily witnesses racism and cruelty. Lily then breaks Rosaleen out of the jail hospital in which they set out on their life changing journey to Tiburon, South Carolina. Here they find the Boatwright sisters who are all African Americans and are also known as the Calendar sisters as their names are May, June, and August. The sister take Lily and Rosaleen in and give them a home and eventually a family. Lily has to overcome what she has been taught about the place of African Americans, using her own humane intuition and moral judgement (Gale Cengage 239) as she accepts the Boatwright sisters generosity and guidance. While being in the home of the sisters, they are all aware of the fake story Lily is selling them of her parents being dead and June dislikes Lily. With the reverse racism, Lily becomes shocked. Through time Lily forms a bond with all of the sisters as they become mother figures to her and also forms a romantic bond with Zachary Taylor. He captures Lilys attention as he is handsome, intelligent, and plans to become a lawyer despite how difficult it is for African Americans. Racism interferes in their relationship with Lily being Caucasian and Zach being African American as they have to hide their love affair in the home of the Boatwright sisters with hidden kisses and sweet looks to each other. Interracial relationships were not a thing during this period as it was a disgrace.

How to Use Video to Stand Out as an Author

How to Use Video to Stand Out as an Author I adore trailers, and I was thrilled to have the chance to interview Jerome McLain from BookFrenzyStudios.com about the relevance of book trailers for authors as well as the importance of having a professional one done. My eyes were opened! Hopefully my questions drew out information you, as writers and authors, can use in your marketing. Notebook trailers arent necessarily for novels! Enjoy. 1) Visual is a strong attraction for most people as has been demonstrated on Facebook and other social media. Have you seen video work for books as well? Yes. Larger publishing companies have entire departments devoted to video and book trailer creation because they realize video drives engagement on the web more than any other content. If combined with a video marketing strategy, book trailers are a fantastic book marketing tool. 2) Can a video take a book from obscure to a sales success? No. A books sales success depends on many moving parts such as launch strategy, content and timing in the marketplace. What a video CAN do is get the book noticed among its competitors. According to Invodo.com, 80 percent of consumers are more likely to make a purchase after seeing a prom video. Placing the book trailer on a webpage that contains book purchase links is highly recommended because the trailer can prompt an impulse buy response. 3) How do you cram an entire book into a thirty second, one minute, or ninety-minute segment? What is the art to a great short video trailer? I always begin 4) Are some genres more conducive or appropriate for book trailers? I believe all book genres can benefit from a trailer. It just needs to be appropriate for the tone of the book. For example, trailers dont always need to be fast-paced and dramatic. They can take a subdued approach and be just as powerful. A popular trailer style used currently is to edit together interview clips of the author discussing the book. So, it’s really a matter of creating a trailer in the style that best compliments the book. 5) Do book trailers cost a lot to do well, or are they like most things, you get what you pay for? You definitely get what you pay for. Creating a really good book trailer requires time, creativity and technical expertise. Throwing together a PowerPoint slideshow with some dramatic music does not entice many people to buy. It comes off cheap. You dont need to spend a fortune but you do need to invest enough to look professional. Pricing can range between $500 for a very nice :30 teaser video to $10,000+ which includes live actors, location filming, etc. 6) What makes for a bad trailer? All bad trailers have these elements in common: == no clear or interesting story arc == too many book details (if you tell them everything, why read the book?) == poorly chosen music (audio is 50 percent of the video!) == copyrighted music and or images (this error can prove costly!) == unprofessionally edited (images stay up longer than necessary, bad transitions, etc.) == too long in length (:30 to :60 is a good rule of thumb) 7) Can authors create trailers themselves with little experience? They definitely can create a trailer without experience but it will most likely be perceived as amateurish. Online video editing software or DIY video apps allow you to easily create video. But no software or online app can replace the knowledge, skill and talent required to produce a professional book trailer. Its like an author creating their own book cover: If they are not also experienced in graphic design and typography, it probably wont turn out well. 8) When should an author decide to do a trailer for their upcoming book? When the marketing plan for the book is being developed is a great time to consider how to use a promo video/book trailer to amplify exposure and publicity. The trailer can be used to create buzz and awareness on social media platforms as well as a visual elevator pitch for the book to the media. Also, sending a professional book trailer out to prospective reviewers creates a great first impression of the book. 9) Whats the one brief word of advice you have for authors who are on the fence about investing in a short video for their projects? Youve spent a considerable amount of time writing. Youve invested in professional editing and book cover design. Dont let the first impression of your book be determined Find out more: BookFrenzy Studios provides professional video marketing services for authors including Cinematic Book Trailers, Promotional Videos and Social Media Video Ads. To learn more, visit their website at www.bookfrenzystudios.com

Benefits of online classes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Benefits of online classes - Essay Example Therefore, working professionals or recent high school graduates see many reasons to enrol for some or all of their courses online since the benefits are numerous. Online learning offers diverse programs that allow the learners various opportunities. Students have the option of taking the traditional four year degree courses or any other ones. Regardless of the course a student wishes to enrol for, whether nursing or business management, there is an online course or a degree program that they can find. All kinds of academic degrees can also be earned online, form a certificate all the way to a doctorate. The online classes are also comparatively low-priced than the conventional college classes. Nevertheless, not all the online classes are cheaper than the traditional college classes, the costs that are associated with these classes and usually far much cheaper. For instance, there are no costs incurred for commuting and in some cases there are required course materials like books since these are available free online. Colleges and institutes of higher education have started accepting credits that have been earned through massive open online co urses that are free which is the recent advance in online learning. Online classes that are offered in this courses can assist students achieve education requirements at minimal costs. The online classes also offer a comfortable learning environment for the students who enrol for them since physical class sessions do not exist. Materials that are used by the students in the course are sent electronically, after which they read them and work on their assignments. The students do not have to deal with traffic, look for parking spaces or leave their places of employment early to rush to class. The online classes allow students a chance to plan time for classes around their day instead of having to plan the day

Critical thinking Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical thinking - Case Study Example But this is it? Absolutely not. The industry has influenced many criminals to be what they are today (Helfgott). Also, the industry plays an important part blending negativity into our society (Canter). Giving success to absolutely ‘wrong’ people is what this industry is doing since very long. The conclusion is practically the same as the principle purpose of the story. The journalist says that the business is in the hands of wrong persons. Whats more if the same proceeds, the individuals who are affected by this will have a dull future. Even though this article was written over seventy-five years ago about the fledging movie industry, it seems that the arguments both in support of and opposed to the industry are similar to those being raised today. Just what are these arguments for and against regulating the movie industry? Are there any fallacies in the reasoning? Everything has its great or terrible focuses. When we discuss motion picture industry, a ton is occurring there, on and off. The entry, however an old one, depicts the current business and additionally very little is changed from that point forward in the event that we discuss the business itself. The business, however ought to see that a significant part of the crowd are grown-ups, as well as developing adolescents and kids too. Depicting a dull side of any viewpoint will make a negative effect on them (Myers). Corrupt situations could be made. It is the states obligation to control what ought to be made to seen and what ought to be edited. The state ought to likewise understand that if this industry is controlled and balanced out, it could make marvels, create neighborly and constructive vibes around the individuals who watch them. At the same time if this is not the situation, it could be our most exceedingly terrible bad dream. I agree to what is said here by the writer. He convinced me thoroughly when he highlighted both the negative and positive

Annotated Bibliography: Nursing Care of Patient With Stroke

Annotated Bibliography: Nursing Care of Patient With Stroke This annotated bibliography will discuss three pieces of literatures, which include a Department of health policy. Demonstrating an understanding of the chosen articles with the use of additional literatures to analyse identify and explore learning and how it will influence the nursing care of patient with stroke. Furthermore, the analysis of how the literature search was performed, the database used, search term used, the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the findings and exploration of why the literature was chosen will be identified. Search Strategy Database such as CINAHL plus, British Nursing Index and Department of Health policy was utilised to acquire relevant articles and guideline relating to stroke (Achterberg, Schoonhoven Grol, 2008). This was searched using keywords such as; â€Å"self- care CVA†, â€Å"self-care management†, with the use of the Boolean operator â€Å"OR†, â€Å"AND â€Å"and â€Å"IN† which helped expand and narrow the search criteria (Petersen, 2010). To carry out the first search the keywords â€Å"self-care management† was inserted and it came up with 1878 hits, again Boolean operator â€Å"OR† was used to refine the search. However the hits were large at 40361 hits, the Boolean operator â€Å"IN† was inserted which gave less than 1657 hits. Moreover, when the search keywords â€Å"self-care stroke† was inserted to the database it came up with 1831 hits, however when the Boolean operator â€Å"AND† was added the number of hits had red uced to 51. To further narrow the search to get minimum and relevant information relating to stroke, the writer used the advance search tools by limiting the search to UK only, publications dates within 6years and excluding international. As a result of this, the first article had 30 results, second article had 500 results and the third article had 321 results. From this, the writer read 10 abstracts each from the articles that were more suitable for the research. From the ten abstract read, the writer was able to come to conclusion by choosing 1 article from each search as it contains appropriate information regarding nursing care for patient with stroke. However the policy was found using the DoH website as the database used to find the other articles were not appropriate for finding a guideline. This was search using keywords â€Å"SELF MANAGEMENT FOR STROKE†, in which gave the writer suitable information relating to stroke and how it influence nursing care (reference) Annotated Article 1 Joice, S. (2012). Self-Management following Stroke. Nursing Standard, 26 (22), 39-46 In this article the author defines the concept of self-management and describes psychological theories and emerging behaviour change techniques that nurses can use to promote positive self-care in patients who have had a stroke (McCabe Timmins, 2013). They identify the importance that nurses are in the main position to combine a wide range of behaviour change techniques that can be modify to different patients (Egan, 2009). They also identify the importance of nurses creating a therapeutic relationship through communication as it enhances the delivery of care provided (Palmer, 2000). Additionally, by providing useful communication between the nurse and patient it encourages them to take more interest in their condition and develop greater understanding and confidence in self-care management (McCabe Timmins, 2013). Many authors such as Burnard (2003), Barrett, Komaromy, Robb and Rodger (2004) and Bach and Grant (2011) agree that communication is the most important therapeutic skill compulsory for nurses. Whilst Schuster (2000) highlights that nurses must also be able to appreciate non-verbal communication, through eye contact and touch, as it is a crucial method to creating a rapport and trusting relationship with their patient before verbal communication commences. The article also identified the challenges nurses face when delivering self-management after stroke, as different policies, authors or researchers may not use same definition of self-management (Newman, Steed Mulligan 2009). Therefore, nurses have to interpret documents and apply them in different environment. Lorig Holman (2003) supports that self-management is poorly theorised, which means lack of knowledge restrict both the nurses and patients from facilitating self-care management (White, Duncan and Baumle, 2011) Although it identifies the importance of individual’s attitudes and beliefs towards recovery and response to rehabilitation, the attitudes and beliefs of the nurse also plays a role (Young and Forster, 2007). However Daniel, Grendall Wilkins (2008) states the importance of valuing people’s attitude and beliefs as it determines their motivation to participate in self- care. Therefore nurses have to be sensitive to that fact that all patients share different beliefs regarding health care issues. (Barker, 2009) The overall article highlighted the importance of nurse’s usage of different behaviour change techniques to promote positive self-management after stroke. It also identifies nurses as the main provider in promoting self-care to patients and their families in order to improve the outcome. Annotated Article 2 Rowat, A. (2011). Malnutrition and Dehydration after Stroke. Nursing Standard, 26 (14), 42-46 The aim of the article was to encourage nurses to identify the frequency and causes of malnutrition and dehydration, consider the complications it can cause and to be aware of the feeding strategies. They identify that patient presented with stroke should be assessed within the first 48 hours and swallowing should be assessed before giving any food, fluid or oral medication (NICE, 2008). They identify the video-fluoroscopy test used to observe the patient swallowing process. However the test is not practical for assessing patient with stroke as they are unable to sit independently as well as endure movement of their head (Rowe D’Antonio, 2005, Jacobsson et al, 2000). Although the video-fluoroscopy is used to detect dysphagia, it is believed to be an unreliable source as it does not identify how the patient should be fed when they return to the ward (Clayton, Jack, Ryall, Tran, Hilal Gosney 2006). The use of different trials carried out by Dennis, Lewis Warlow (2005) supports decisions about feeding patients after stroke as it illustrates the significance of enteral tube feeding reducing risks of death at 6months. The article also identifies alternative evaluation tool; Fibre optic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) has been developed as it can be used at the bedside to establish the movement of fluid and food in the larynx (Ramsey, Smithard Kalra, 2003). However it still requires a skilled operator to administer the swallowing test, therefore the person administering the tests must receive sufficient education and training in order to carry out the test accurately (Rodgers, 2005). It identifies the importance of nurses using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool as it is a valid and reliable nutritional screening tool used in hospital setting, as high number of patient with stroke experience malnutrition (NICE, 2008). However the tool is not specific to stroke and would not identify reasons the patient is malnourished, but it enables the nurses to identify the patients who need to refer to speech and language therapist (Hickson, 2006). The overall article informs nurses of the common complication arising from stroke and the tools used to examine. It also identifies the importance of teamwork between nurses and speech and language therapy in maintaining the nutrition and hydration status of the patient after stroke. Annotated Policy Department of Health. (2007). National Stroke Strategy. London: HMSO The strategy has been put in place as it provide a quality framework against which local services can secure improvements to stroke services and address health inequalities involving stroke within ten years, provide advice, guidance and support for commissioners, strategic health authorities, the voluntary sector and social care, in the planning, development and monitoring of services; and inform the expectations of those affected by stroke and their families, by providing a guide to high-quality health and social care services. The Department of Health (2007) established a national strategy for stroke facilities in England. According to DoH (2007), almost 110,000 people under the age of 65 in England have a stroke yearly and 20-30% of those people pass away within a month. They identified Stroke as the main cause of disability within adults and costing the NHS and economy  £7 billion yearly as suggested by (Leatherman, Sutherland Airoldi 2008). The DoH developed the strategy as a result of an evidence based practice (Keele, 2011), which suggest what needs to be done by recommending nurses to use the care pathway to deliver an effective care to patients with stroke (Barker, 2013). The policy was implemented to remodel the services provided to the patients, ensuring they receive the best care using resources available. However due to some nurses lack of knowledge, it could limit the resources being used effectively (Rodgers, 2005). Although the policy supports the involvement of patients and family with stroke by involving them in care planning (Benner, Kyriakidis Stannard, 2011). However the policy identifies that this can prove to be less effective when communicating with the patient due to either physical disability or limited communication as a result of the severity of their stroke (DoH,2007).Therefore the policy identifies how to interact effectively with the patient by maintaining their dignity (Masters, 2014). Overall the policy highlights the important of nurses being updated frequently on different tools available to use when caring for their patient. This ensures the patients receive an up-to-date care and restricts their stay in hospital. To conclude, the writer has demonstrated understanding of the articles and policy chosen, by using literatures to analyse and explore further reading concerning how it influences the nursing care of the stroke patient. This has equipped the writer on how effective high quality care should be delivered to patients effectively. References Achterberg, T.V, Schoonhoven, L Grol, R. (2008). Nursing implementation science: How evidence based nursing requires evidence- based implementation. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 40(4), 302-310. Bach, S. Grant, A. (2011). Communication and interpersonal skills in nursing. (2nd ed). Great Britain: Short Run Press. Barker, A.M. (2009). Advanced practice nursing: Essential knowledge for the profession. USA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Barker, J. (2013). Evidence based practice for nurses. (2nd ed.). London:SAGE. Barret, S., Komaromy, C., Robb, M. Rodgers, A. (2004).Communication, relationship and care: A reader. USA: Routledge. Benner, P., Kyriakidis, P.H. Stannard, D. (2011). Clinical wisdom and interventions in acute and critical care: A thinking-in-action approach. (2nd ed.). New York: Springer Publishing. Burnard,P. (2003). Ordinary chat and therapeutic conversation: Phatic communication and mental health nursing. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Nursing, 10 (6), 678-682. Clayton, J., Jack, C.I., Ryall, C., Tran, J., Hilal, E. Gosney, M. (2006). Tracheal pH monitoring and aspiration in acute stroke. Age and Ageing. 5 (1), 47-53. Daniels, R, Grendell, R Wilkins, F.R. (2008). Nursing fundamentals: caring and clinical decision making. (2nd ed). USA: Cengage Learning. Dennis, M.S., Lewis, S.C. Warlow, C. Food Trial Collaboration (2005b). Effect of timing and method of enteral tube feeling for dysphagic stroke patients (FOOD): a multicentre randomised controlled trial. The Lancet. 365, 9461, 764-772. Egan, G. (2009). The skilled helper: A problem management and opportunity-development approach to helping. (9th ed.). USA: Cengage Learning. Hickson, M. (2006). Malnutrition and ageing. Postgraduate Medical Journal. 82 (963), 2-8. Jacobsson, C., Axelsson, K., Osterlind, P.O. Norberg, A. (2000). How people with stroke and healthy older people experience the eating process. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 9 (2), 255-264. Joice, S. (2012). Self-Management following Stroke. Nursing Standard, 26 (22), 39-46 Keele, R. (2011). Nursing research and evidence based practice: Ten steps to success. USA: Jones Bartlett Learning. Lorig, K. Holman, H.R. (2003). Self-Management education: History, definition,outcomes and mechanisms. Annals of Behavioural Medicine. 26 (1), 1-7. Leatherman, S., Sutherland, K. Airold, M. (2008). Bridging the quality gap: Stroke. Retrieved March, 9, 2014 from http://www.wales.nhs.uk/documents/bridging_the_quality_gap.pdf Masters, K. (2014). Role development in professional nursing practice. (3rd ed). USA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. McCabe, C Timmins, F. (2013). Communication skills for nursing practice. (2nd ed). UK: Palgrave Macmillian. Newman, S., Steed, L. Mulligan, K. (2009). Chronic physical illness: Self-management and behavioural intervention. England: Open University Press. Palmer, S. (2000). Introduction to counselling and psychotherapy. London: Sage Petersen, R. (2010). Ubuntu 10.04 LTS desktop handbook. USA: Surfing Turtle Press. Ramsey, D.J., Smithard, D.G. Kalra, L. (2003). Early assessments of dysphagia and aspiration risk in acute stroke patients. Stroke. 34 (5), 1252-1257. Rodger, B.L. (2005). Developing nursing knowledge: Philosophical traditions and influences. USA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Rowat, A. (2011). Malnutrition and Dehydration after Stroke. Nursing Standard, 26 (14), 42-46 Rowe, M.R D’Antonoio, L.L. (2005). Velopharyngeal dysfunction: Evolving developments in evaluation. Current Opinion in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, 13 (6), 366-370. Schuster, P. (2000). Communication the key to the therapeutic relationship. Phiadelphia: F.A. Davis Company. United Kingdom. Department of Health. (2007). National Stroke Strategy. London: HMSO. United Kingdom. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. (2008). Stroke: National Clinical Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Initial Management of Acute Stroke and Transient Ischaemic Attack. Clinical Guideline No.68. London: HMSO. White, L., Duncan, G Baumle, W. (2011). Foundation of basic nursing. (3rd ed). USA: Cengage Learning. Young, J Forster, A. (2007). Review of stroke rehabilitation. British Medical Journal. 334 (7584), 86-90.

Relation to the Socio-Political Essay

Comparison and Contrast of the General Tones of the Sumerian and Egyptian Hymns, in Relation to the Socio-Political and Geographic History of these Nations It is interesting to note that the Egyptian and Sumerian civilizations both sprung up beside rivers: Egypt lies in the delta of the Nile while the Sumerian civilization was on the fertile Mesopotamia along the banks of Tigris and Euphrates. It is thus expected that both civilizations revere their river, and associate them with gods, because the rivers prove to be vital to their existence and a channel of life for them. These forces of nature are considered holy and addressed by prayers. Examples of such pleas can be found in both hymns â€Å"A Sumero-Akadian Prayer to Every God† and the â€Å"Hymn to the Nile. † In these prayers, however, we find very different attitudes of the early people towards their gods. In the Sumero-Akadian prayer we will read a tone of sorrow, grief and fear by a troubled soul over his offences with the gods. The introduction fearfully desire for peace with the divinity: â€Å"May the fury of my lords heart be quieted toward me. † Throughout the text we will also find out that the gods are not named, but is rather just sanctified as an existing being that may not be offended. This apparent fear of the divinity may be attributed to the structure of the Mesopotamian civilizations, where the land was divided into different city-states believed to be owned by a deity. The Sumerian state is therefore not a solid state, but is a conglomeration of small states. Consistent fear of invasion made them turn into the divine beings for protection and blessing. As a further note, in the Sumero-Akadian civilizations, the power of government is divided into two: the lugal took care of the military powers and the even more powerful ensi was the supreme religious leader who also controlled â€Å"economic and technological expertise† (Krejci and Krejcova, p. 31). It can therefore be seen that the fear of the gods was the way of the ensi to maintain political control over his dominions. Political and social structure in Egypt proved much different from the Sumerians. The whole of Egypt was controlled by only one ruler – the Pharaohs. This unity gave the Egyptians more control over their surroundings and their country. Early on, the Egyptians had a clear sense of identity (Kemp, p. 25). This control is best exemplified by their ability to time and control the flooding of the Nile. However, geographically, the Egyptians were not as lucky as the Sumerians, as they were surrounded by deserts. This made them consider the Nile as a gift from the gods, a means by which they would live. It is therefore not surprising that the â€Å"Hymn to the Nile† is a joyous song of praise. The overall theme of the hymn is perhaps best stated in the first lines: â€Å"Hail to thee, O Nile! Who manifests thyself over this land, and comes to give life to Egypt!† References Mircea Eliade `From Primitives to Zen`: A SUMERO-AKADIAN PRAYER Ancient History Sourcebook:Hymn to the Nile, c. 2100 BCE Jaroslav Krejci, Anna Krejcova (1990). Before the European Challenge: The Great Civilizations of Asia and the Middle East. SUNY Press. Barry J. Kemp (2006). Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization, 2nd Ed. Routledge

Underrated Questions on Current Social Issues Essay Topics That You Should Know About

Underrated Questions on Current Social Issues Essay Topics That You Should Know About Top Current Social Issues Essay Topics Choices The most significant thing in letter writing is its format so that you ought to know the appropriate format of both. While you have little time and the sum of pages, it's imperative not to bite more than you can chew. You should write just a word in every block. See the way your letter writing campaign can create a difference. For instance, today, the old-fashioned face-to-face conversation was phased out by social networking platforms which promise more connectivity irrespective of distance. You have to comprehend what issues are definitely the most important with you, and be informed. The social justice issues can be classified below a list of social policy problems and social awareness troubles. Lots of the modern day problems that have hit conventional media and social media headlines incorporate a list of social justice problems that it is possible to find at our essay writing services. You may continue to keep your argumentative essays for your upcoming job portfolio in case they're highly graded. Given such a job, make certain you understand or have a notion about a particular social issue you want to manage. Find more information about the case here. The problem of doctor-assisted suicide. To totally understand the political process an individual should have lots and tons of understanding of the way our society operates. You may observe advertisements everywhere urging you to get products which will supposedly improve your physical appearance. In addition, there are different joints which only draw in women or seem to get frequented by men only. There are a lot of problems, even on your own campus, that ought to be resolved. Apparently, it's quite apparent that we have to understand the significance of national integration in our lives and follow everything to provide a single identity of our nation. When it may boost their social life, it is exceedingly detrimental to their academic life and the majority of them may wind up failing. There have been a number of instances of communal and religious riots in our country and many innocent lives have endured because of the exact same. Conflicts between individuals of different religions. What Needs to be Done About Current Social Issues Essay Topics Before You Miss Your Chance Homelessness This 8 page paper gives an example study on deviance in regard to the homeless. Classic stories, excellent stories, original stories are always likely to get high price. Some people believe that children have zero power since they can't vote. Therefore, students who study industry and other relevant subjects may be interested in writing on a number of the next topics. The Appeal of Current Social Issues Essay Topics Therefore, it's critical to make them experience its different facets to enhance their knowledge. Strategy There are lots of distinct strategies which you can disclose in your w ork. General information Students that are new to the topic of social studies must be ready for in-depth education at their very first lessons. Learning There are many approaches and approaches to learning and grasping the very same materials. Another social effect of the dearth of education is poverty. There's no public interest exemption. This change may lead to a more dynamic learning environment or it may raise tensions and reinforce stereotypes. In the majority of communities, the financial status always defines someone's social status. Vital Pieces of Current Social Issues Essay Topics You also receive a great opportunity to dig more into research! Pay close attention to all things electronic, and you will be certain to find something debatable of what you see. This topic will need a lot of practice. When you're picking your topic, remember that it's much simpler to write about something which you presently have interest ineven in case you don't know a great deal a bout it. Current Social Issues Essay Topics Features Learning materials As people study, the appropriate assortment of articles dramatically boosts the practice. These topics are supposed to help students identify some helpful sources. Don't hesitate to use our sample topics to produce your own! Don't hesitate to browse through our sample topics to find some inspiration. The Start of Current Social Issues Essay Topics Therefore, every paper needs to be written carefully. Moral argumentative essay topics are a few of the simplest to get carried away with. Writing an intriguing essay about trendy topics is an opportunity to reveal your knowledge of earth. It is wise to pick a topic you could easily research on. Therefore, the topic ought to be debatable! Sure, you could have a particular topic assigned to you.

Health promoting effects of probiotics - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 20 Words: 6060 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Biology Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Introduction Health promoting effects of probiotics have gained increasing attention from consumers and producers over the past few decades (de Vrese and Schrezenmeir 2008). The term â€Å"probioticâ€Å" was coined in the 1950s (Kollath, 1953) and has been defined as live microorganisms that when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host (Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Working Group, 2002). Beneficial effects of probiotic bacteria include a reduction in gut pathogenic bacteria and harmful metabolites, gastrointestinal motility normalization, and immunomodulation. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Health promoting effects of probiotics" essay for you Create order Probiotics not only affect the intestinal flora in the large intestine but also influence other organs by modulating the immune system, intestinal permeability and providing bioactives (de Vrese and Schrezenmeir, 2008). The mechanism of action of probiotic microorganisms and their efficacy depend on their interactions with specific immuno-competent cells of the intestinal mucosa. Various probiotic strains have been shown to possess a wide range of health benefits including the re-establishment of colonic and intestinal microbiotic balance. The balance in this microbiotica is attained by reducing the intestinal pH and producing bactericidal products, organic acids and hydrogen peroxide (Saikali et al., 2004; Fric, 2002; De roos and Katan 2000). The presence of probiotics in the intestine stimulates intestinal motility, increases the production of mucus, short chain fatty acids, and amino acids and strengthens the barrier function of intestinal mucosa. Increases in the number of ben eficial bacteria in the intestine results in competition with pathogenic bacteria for nutrients, and thus survival (Gill et al., 2001; Mangell et al., 2002; Jain et al., 2004). Probiotics have been shown to possess strong therapeutic effect against diarrhea and inflammatory bowel disease (De Vrese and Marteau 2007; Peran et al., 2007, 2006). In humans and animals, bacteria of the Lactobacillus (L.) strain exist as general components of the intestinal microflora (Naidu et al., 1999) and have been shown to possess bile salt hydrolase enzyme (De Smet et al., 1994), which is responsible for deconjugation of bile salt in enterohepatic circulation. Among the various probiotic strains, L. reuteri and L. fermentum have been shown with promising health benefits. L. fermentum have been demonstrated to be capable of adhering to the epithelial cells in the small intestine and colonized (Henriksson et al., 1991; Reid et al., 2001; Rojas et al., 2002). In addition, L. fermentum possess stro ng resistance to low pH as well as bile salts and also prevent adhesion of uropathogenic bacteria by producing surface-active components (Heinemann et al., 2000). In an in vitro study, L. fermentum have been shown to affect the lipid metabolism by reducing circulating cholesterol levels (Pereira et al., 2003). The mechanism of action in reducing cholesterol could be attributed to the enzymatic deconjugation of bile acids where the bile acids after deconjugation become more insoluble and not effectively reabsorbed from the intestine. As a result, the excretion of bile acids in feces increases significantly (Usman and Hosono 1999; De Smet et al., 1994). Hence, deconjugation of bile acids by L. fermentum reduces serum cholesterol in two ways which are (a) reducing the cholesterol absorption in the intestine and; (b) inducing the demand of cholesterol for bile acid synthesis. Similarly, previous research outcomes showed a significant decrease in serum cholesterol levels after adminis tration of L. reuteri; however, this hypocholesterolemic effect persisted only during the probiotic administration. Once treatment was terminated, the cholesterol levels were found to be reversed back to their original levels before treatment (Grunewald, 1982; Massey, 1984). In contrast, Taranto et al., (2000) demonstrated the prophylactic effect of L. reuteri in the prevention of hypercholesterolemia. The authors also claimed that L. reuteri remain in the gut permanently after administration. Hence, the current study investigated the effects on consumption of two probiotic bacterial strains either L. fermentum or L. reuteri, compared to control, on plasma lipid concentrations and their kinetics, fecal bile acid clearance, body composition, as well as microbial distribution in the gastrointestinal microflora in hyperlipidemic, but otherwise healthy, individuals. Experimental design Study population Subjects were recruited from the local Winnipeg area via newspaper and radio advertisements. Potential subjects were initially screened on the phone using a questionnaire where some brief questions regarding personal health information were asked. If subjects were determined to be potentially eligible after telephone screening, they underwent a blood screening where 10 ml fasting blood samples were taken in order to test for general lipid profile including total cholesterol (T-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG). If the potential volunteer qualified, they were invited back for a subsequent screening at which time 25 ml of blood was obtained for measurement of a complete blood count and routine biochemistry test. In addition, volunteers underwent a complete medical history and physical examination. During the physical examination, the physician measured vital signs, examined the norm ality of body systems and reviewed the individuals medical history. The inclusion criteria included baseline LDL-C between 130-260 mg/dL (3.4-6.8 mmol/L), TG below 400 mg/dL (4.5 mmol/L), a body mass index (BMI) between 22 and 32 kg/m2 and aged 18-60yr. Subjects were excluded if they took medications known to affect lipid metabolism. Subjects who were diagnosed to have diabetes mellitus, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, lactose intolerance or had recently undergone major surgery were also excluded from the study. Experimental protocol The study was a controlled diet, cross-over clinical investigation using a Latin square sequence. The study consisted of three 43 day phases separated by a six week wash out interval. Subjects were randomized to one of three treatment arms: a) control yogurt; b) yogurt containing 1013 CFU of microencapsulated bile salt hydrolase promoter L. ruteri bacteria; c) yogurt containing 1013 CFU microencapsulated ferulic acid esterase promote r L. fermentum bacteria. During each treatment period, subjects were provided with a diet containing 35% of energy as fat, 50% carbohydrate and 15% protein. All meals were prepared at the metabolic kitchen located at the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals (RCFFN) using a three-day rotation menu. Individual basal energy requirements were determined using Mifflin equation (Mifflin et al., 1990) and were multiplied by a physical activity factor of 1.7. The control and two treatment yogurts comprised a part of the meals at supper and were consumed simultaneously with 4g of wheat bran. Subjects were instructed to consume their supper meal in conjunction with one treatment or control under supervision on a daily basis to monitor compliance. The remaining meals were packed for take-out. Subjects were instructed to return the empty containers to ensure that the diet was properly consumed. Blood collection protocol Twelve-hour fasting blood samples were collected on days 1, 2, 28, 29, 39, 40, 41, 42 and 43 of each of the three phases of the trial. Blood samples obtained on days 1 and 2 were used to measure baseline values for different study measurements, whereas blood samples obtained on the days 28 and 29 were used to measure midpoint values; samples collected on days 42 and 43 were used to measure endpoint values. Blood samples were collected using vacutainer tubes and centrifuged for 20 min at 3000 rpm and the separated aliquots were frozen until analysis. Stable isotope administration For the purposes of measurement of cholesterol absorption, 70 mg of 13C-labelled cholesterol was provided orally on day 39, with blood samples collected just before dosing this tracer and on the mornings of days 40, 41, 42 and 43 to follow the appearance of the isotope into the blood compartment. For purpose of measuring cholesterol synthesis, approximately 25 g deuterium water (D2O) was provided orally just after the collection of blood on day 42. Synthesis was assessed as the increase in D within blood cholesterol between day 42 and day 43. Stool sample collection protocol Two stool samples were collected from each individual at the end of each period. Subjects were provided with a â€Å"stool collection kit†. This kit consisted of two fecal collection vials, a pair of gloves, and a commode attachment (inverted hat). The commode was placed onto the toilet seat, and urine was voided so as not to contaminate the fecal sample. Once the stool had been voided into the collection device stool was scooped up and placed into the fecal collection vial (50 ml container). The vial was brought into the laboratory and frozen at -80 °C as soon as possible. Stool collections were conducted twice in the final week of each feeding period. Body composition assessment Body composition was analyzed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), a method that can accurately and rapidly assess body fat analysis. DEXA scan ser ies was conducted using General Electrics Lunar Digital Prodigy Advance at the beginning and end of each phase in order to assess body composition including overall body fat and lean mass. Analyses Blood lipid analysis Plasma T-C, TG, and HDL-C were analysed using a VITROS 350 autoanalyser. Plasma LDL-C concentrations were calculated using the Friedewald equation as described below: LDL-C (mmol/L) =T-C-HDL-C-(TG/2.2) (Friedewald et al., 1972) (1) Total apolipoprotein B (apoB-48 and apoB-100) was measured by the human apoB EIA kit (Cayman Chemical). This assay is based on the quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique. In summary, each well is pre-coated with a monoclonal antibody specific to apoB. Any apoB from serum introduced to the kit binds to this antibody. Serum samples were diluted 5000x using the sample diluent buffer provided. To each well 100 ml of standard or sample was added and the plate was incubated at room temperature on an orbital shaker for 2 hrs to allow binding. The plate was then rinsed 4 times with the provided wash buffer and 100 ml of goat polyclonal apoB antibody was added. The plate was incubated at room temperature and shaken for another hour to detect the captured apoB. Following this, the plate was washed once again (4 times) and 100 ml of donkey anti-goat IgG/HRP-conjugated antibody was added to allow for ‘sandwich recognition. After a third incubation on an orbital shaker for 1 hr at room temperature, the plate was washed for the final time (4 times) and 100 ml of chromogenic substrate TMB was added. The apoB concentration of the samples was determined by the enzymatic activity of the HRP. After 25 minutes, the plate was stopped with the 100 ml of the provided acidic stop solution, which changes the well colour from blue to yellow. This colour was then measured spectrophotometrically at 450 nm, using a microplate reader. The intensity of the colour is proportional to concentration of apoB in the wells (Absorbance ? [donkey a-goat HRP] ? [apoB]). The absorbance of the plate blanks was subtracted from the absorbance of the standards and samples. The standards were plotted using linear regression and the samples concentrati on were determined by: apoB (ng/mL) in sample = [A450- (Y-intercept)/Slope] x Dilution (2) Concentrations were then multiplied by the dilution factor (5000x) and expressed as g/L. Cholesterol fractional synthesis rate analysis The rate of deuterium from body water incorporated into RBC membrane free cholesterol over day 42 to day 43 of each phase was taken as an indicator of cholesterol fractional synthesis rate (FSR). Therefore, deuterium enrichments were measured in both RBCs and plasma water. The deuterium enrichment of free cholesterol extracted from RBCs was analyzed in samples obtained at day 42 and day 43 of each phase utilizing a gas chromatography/pyrolysis/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/P/IRMS) approach. Free cholesterol samples were extracted from RBCs through the following procedures; methanol was added to RBCs and samples were heated at 55oC in a shaking water bath for 15 min, before addition of hexane: chloroform (4:1, by volume) and double-distilled water. Thereafter, samples were centrifuged for 15 min at 1500 rpm at 4oC. Supernatants of the samples were dried down under nitrogen and re-dissolved with hexanes and subsequently transferred in injection vials. Samples were injected i nto an Agilent 6890N gas chromatograph (GC). The GC was connected to a Delta V Plus isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) through a pyrolysis furnace (alumina tubing, reactor temperature at 1450oC). A 30 m capillary column (SAC-5; Supelco, Bellefonte, CA) was installed in the GC which was programmed with the starting temperature at 60oC and isothermal for 1 min and increasing by 25oC/min to 275oC; increasing by 4oC/min to 290oC and isothermal for 3 min; increasing by 25oC/min to 308oC and isothermal for 3 min. Under these conditions, the organic hydrogen from free cholesterol was converted to H2 gas. The enrichment of this H2 gas was then detected by the Delta V Plus IRMS system. Isotopic ratios were expressed as d 2H/1H in per mil against V-SMOW (Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water). The deuterium enrichment of plasma water was analyzed by temperature conversion elemental analyzer (TC/EA)-IRMS. After correction for free cholesterol pool, FSR was taken as the indicator of the fraction of the cholesterol pool that is synthesized over days 42 and 43 was calculated as: FSR (%) = ? Deuterium / (? Plasma water * 0.478) *100 (3) Cholesterol absorption analysis The enrichment of 13C-cholesterol detected from free cholesterol extracted from RBCs was used to determine absorption (ABS) using gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS). The free cholesterol was extracted from RBCs by the procedure as mentioned above. Samples were injected into an Agilent 6890 N gas chromatograph (GC). The GC was connected to a Delta V Plus isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) through a combustion furnace (alumina tubing, reactor temperature at 940oC). A 30-m capillary column (SAC-5; Supelco, Bellefonte, CA) was installed in the GC which was programmed with the starting temperature at 60oC and isothermal for 1 min and increasing by 25oC/min to 275oC; increasing by 4oC/min to 290oC and isothermal for 3 min; increasing by 25oC/min to 308oC and isothermal for 3 min. Under these conditions, the small portion of free cholesterol was converted to CO2. The 13C content of CO2 was measured by the Delta V Plus IRMS system. Enrichments were then expressed as ? 13C/12C in per mil relative to PeeDee Belemnite (PDB) limestone. The absorption is then calculated with the area under the curve from the graph plotted with ? 13C/12C per mil relative to (PDB) over time. Body composition analysis The General Electric Prodigy Body Composition software program, EnCore 2005, was used to analyze scans and generate body composition data. Analysis of fecal bile acids All samples were dried at -66 °C on a freeze dryer until 2 consecutive weights were obtained using 2 decimal places. Lyophilized samples were stored at -80 °C until further analysis. Approximately 100 mg of lyophilized fecal sample was pulverized, added to 15 ml Pyrex glass screw top test tubes and suspended in 1 ml of ethylene glycol-KOH. Teflon lined lids were used to seal the tubes, which were then heated on a dry heat bath for 2 hrs at 115 °C. Once cooled, 1 ml of aqueous NaCl was added to the tube and vortexed for 10 sec. From here 200 ml of concentrated HCL was added and samples were vortexed for another 10 sec. Tubes were allowed to cool after acidification and 6 ml of diethyl ether was added and samples vortexed for 1 min. All samples were centrifuged at 2000 g for 4 min at 4 °C. The diethyl ether phase was aspirated and placed into a new tube. This extraction was repeated twice more with 6 ml of diethyl ether added each time. All extracts were poo led together and evaporated under nitrogen gas in a water bath set at 45 °C. The remaining residue was suspended in 3.0 ml of methanol, capped and stored at -20 °C until used for analysis. All reagents were brought to room temperature before analyses. To a 96-well co-star plate, 150 ml of reconstituted R3 (diaphorase, NAD+, NBT, oxamic acid) and 20 ml of sample or standard were added to the wells. Methanol was run as the blank. The plate was then incubated at 37 °C for 4 min. After this incubation, 30 ml of R2 (3 µHSD, tris buffer) was added and the plate was read immediately at 540 nm and this value was A1. After 5 min incubation the plate was read again at 540 nm to calculate A2. The absorbance of the standard and sample was calculated by subtracting A1 from A2. The concentration of the total fecal bile acid was calculated using the formula: Fecal bile acid concentrations (mmol/L) = ? A540sample/? A540standard standard (35 mmole/L) (4) Values obta ined from equation (4) were then converted to mmol/g of dry feces. Fecal microbial composition analysis DNA extraction Stool samples were thawed at 32 °C for 15 min and resuspended in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) in new sterile tubes. Then, approximately 150 mg of wet mass was washed in 1 ml of PBS and centrifuged at 10,000 ÃÆ'? g for 2 min. The washing step was repeated twice. DNA was extracted from the pellets by using ZR Fecal DNA Kit (D6010, Zymo Research Corp., Orange, CA), which included a bead-beating step for the mechanical lysis of the microbial cells. We followed the manufactures instruction except that we increased the bead-beating step to 3 min. DNA concentration and purity were determined spectrophotometrically by measuring the OD and A260/280 (Beckman DU/800, Beckman Coulter Inc., Fullerton, CA). Primers and Real-time PCR. Primers were assembled from the literature or newly designed and tested for specificity in silico. Those primers that did not meet our selection criteria for specificity and performance were redesigned from sequence alignments. The oligonucleotides were synthesized by University Core DNA Services (University of Calgary, Calgary, AB). Real-time PCR was carried out using an AB 7300 system (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA) and sequence detection software (Version 1.3; Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA). Each reaction was run in triplicate in a volume of 25  µl in optical reaction plates (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA) sealed with optical adhesive film (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA). Amplification reactions were carried out with Power SYBR Green PCR Master Mix (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA) mixed with the selected primer set at a concentration of 0.5  µM for each primer, and 2  µl (~12 ng) of genomic DNA. To evaluate the efficiency (E) of the amplification of each primer set, DNA templates were pooled (50 ng/reaction) and serially diluted 8 fold. Amplification efficiency was calculated from the slope of the standard curve generated from plotting the threshold cycle (CT) versus logarithmic values of different DNA concentrations using the following equation (Denman and McSweeney, 2005): E=10-1/slope (5) Relative quantification was accomplished using following mathematical model (Pfaffl, 2001): Ri = [(Etarget)?CTtarget (Controli SARAi)]/[(Eref)?CTref (Controli SARAi)] (6) Where target is the 16S rDNA gene of interest, ref is Eubacteria, ?CT is the CT deviation of the control vs treatment, i is the period, and Ri is the relative expression ratio of a target gene compared to a reference gene at a specific time point. Statistical analysis All data were expressed as mean+/- SE. Statistical significance was set at P0.05 for all analyses. Log transformation was preformed when data were determined to be not normally distributed. Differences between treatments at baseline, midpoint and endpoint for lipids, cholesterol absorption and synthesis rates, fecal bile acid concentrations, body composition were compared by using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) model for determination of diet effects. When diet effects were found to be significant, Least Squares Means was used to identify differences between diet effects. Students paired- t test was used to compare baseline and midpoint as well as baseline and endpoint within each diet. Differences of percent changes at endpoint relative to control between L. fermentum and L. reuteri treatments were also analyzed using Students paired-t test. The LSD multiple comparison test was conducted to detect significant differences among treatment groups in analyzing gut microbial compo sition parameters. Data were analyzed with the use of SAS software (version 8.0; SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC, USA). Results Two hundred and thirty seven subjects underwent blood screening sessions. Forty-eight subjects were initially recruited and thirty subjects (11 males and 19 females) completed the entire trial. Eighteen subjects dropped out due to difficulties with consuming study diets and/or with accommodating the setting of the study (n=2, dropped out on the first day), relocation to another city (n=1), problems with daily centre visiting (n=7), personal reasons (n=4), and difficulties with re-starting the study (n=4). Blood lipids in response to treatments There were no significant differences at baseline in any of the lipid parameters assessed across treatments. Yogurt containing L. fermentum resulted in lowered (P=0.0226) T-C levels compared to L. reuteri-enriched yogurt at midpoint (T-C=5.36  ± 0.15 and 5.65  ± 0.20 mmol/L for L. fermentum and L. reuteri treatments, respectively). Although no statistical difference was noted between L. fermentum and control yogurt, there was a strong tendency (P=0.058, compared by Least Squares Means) towards T-C reduction with L. fermentum treatment compared to control. Lower (P=0.0288) circulatory LDL-C levels were observed with L. fermentum treatment compared to L. reuteri containing yogurt at midpoint (LDL-C=3.37  ± 0.13 and 3.61  ± 0.15 mmol/L for L. fermentum and L. reuteri treatments, respectively). Furthermore, L. fermentum treatment tended to result in (P=0.0634, compared by Least Squares Means) lower circulatory LDL-C levels, compared to control, at midpoint. Plasma TG, HDL-C and apo B did not differ across treatments at the midpoint contrast. Although T-C and LDL-C levels were determined to be lower at midpoint as a result of L. fermentum treatment supplementation, compared to L. reuteri treatment, endpoint T-C and LDL-C levels were not statistically affec ted across three treatments. Furthermore, no treatment effect was noted in TG, HDL-C and apo B levels at endpoint. Lipids were further analyzed as percent change over time between baseline and midpoint. All three treatments resulted in T-C reductions at midpoint (P0.0001 for L. fermentum treatment; P=0.0014 for L. reuteri treatment; P=0.0061 for control). Plasma LDL-C levels were decreased (P=0.0032) by 7% from baseline in response to L. fermentum treatment. However, LDL-C levels did not appear to be decreased at midpoint in response to L. reuteri and control treatments. Circulating HDL-C levels were decreased (P0.0001 for L. fermentum treatment; P=0.0005 for L. reuteri treatment; and P=0.0008 for control) in response to all three treatments from baseline to midpoint. Plasma TG levels were reduced (P=0.0011) by 14% from baseline as a result of L. fermentum administration at midpoint. L. reuteri feeding also resulted in a significant (P=0.0012) 17% reduction at midpoint, compared to baseline. However, TG and apo B concentrations were not affected by control treatment at midpoint, compared to baseline. Furthermore, lipids were analyzed as percent change over time between baseline and endpoint. All three treatments resulted in T-C reductions at endpoint (P=0.0054 for L. fermentum treatment; P0.0001 for L. reuteri treatment; P=0.0025 for control). Plasma LDL-C levels were not decreased at endpoint as a result of L. fermentum treatment. In contrast, LDL-C concentrations were reduced by 5% from baseline in response to L. reuteri and control treatments (P=0.0344 and P=0.0111 for L. reuteri and control, respectively). Circulating HDL-C levels were decreased (P=0.0241 for L. fermentum treatment; P=0.0005 for L. reuteri treatment; and P=0.0006 for control) in response to all three treatments from baseline to endpoint. Plasma TG levels were reduced (P=0.0078) by 13% from baseline as a result of L. fermentum administration at endpoint. L. reuteri feeding also result ed in (P=0.0003) 21% reductions at endpoint, compared to baseline. However, TG and apo B concentrations were not affected by consumption of the control diet at endpoint, compared to baseline. Additional analysis was performed on a subset of data where values outside the range of two standard deviations were removed form the original data set. The treatment effects on each parameter at midpoint and endpoint remained unchanged using ANOVA. Cholesterol absorption and synthesis rate in response to treatments No treatment effect was observed in ABS in week 6 with and without outliers being removed from the original data set. However, slightly lower ABS levels were noted as a result of L. fermentum feeding, compared to L. reuteri treatment (ABS=379.83  ± 36.87 and 384.38  ± 32.14 per mil ÃÆ'— hr for L. fermentum and L. reuteri feeding, respectively). Furthermore, L. fermentum feeding resulted in a slightly smaller increase in ABS, compared to L. reuteri trea tment; however, the difference between L. fermentum and L. reuteri feeding in ABS relative to control, was not significant (L. fermentum=46.48  ± 23.88 % relative to control treatment; L. reuteri=55.73  ± 34.02 % relative to control treatment). There was no difference across treatments in FSR (FSR = 11.73  ± 1.80; 10.33  ± 1.85; 11.67  ± 1.75 %, for L. fermentum, L. reuteri and control treatment, respectively). However, once the outliers, which are outside the range of plus and/or minus two standard deviations, were removed, L. fermentum treatment resulted in a higher (P=0.0169) FSR value, compared to L. reuteri feeding. Although there was no difference in FSR between L. fermentum and control treatments, L. reuteri resulted in a lower FSR value, compared to control (P=0.0112, obtained by Least Squares Means). Fecal bile acid in response to treatments There were no differences noted across three treatments in fecal bile acid concentrations in week 6 (fecal bile acids= 33.28  ± 2.12; 32.26  ± 2.13; 30.93  ± 2.44  µmol/g dry feces, for L. fermentum, L. reuteri and control treatment, respectively). In addition, no treatment effect in fecal acid levels was identified when outliers were further removed from the original data set. However, a slightly greater percent increase in fecal bile acid concentrations relative to control was observed in response to L. fermentum, compared to L. reuteri treatment, although the difference between L. fermentum and L. reuteri was not significant (L. fermentum=19.15  ± 9.82 % relative to control; L. reuteri=13.77  ± 9.44 % relative to control treatment). Body weight and body compositions in response to treatments There were no differences in body weight of subjects at baseline or endpoint across the three treatments. In terms of body composition analysis, since ethics approval for conducting DEXA scans was not granted until February 4, 200 8, only 28 subjects were available to undergo whole body scans over the course of the study. As a result, endpoint scans of all three phases were obtained from a smaller subgroup of subjects (n=15). Among these 15 subjects, eleven subjects received scans at baseline and endpoint for L. fermentum treatment; twelve subjects were scanned at baseline and endpoint for L. reuteri treatment; and twelve subjects underwent scans at baseline and endpoint for control. No treatment effect was observed at endpoint in total lean mass and total fat mass. However, over the study period, total fat mass was decreased (P=0.0158) by 3% from baseline in response to L. fermentum treatment, while L. reuteri feeding reduced (P=0.0211) fat mass by 4% from baseline to endpoint. In addition, total fat mass was observed to be decreased (P=0.0127) by 1% from baseline with control. These changes occurred despite no statistically significant shift in body weights across treatments. Additional analysis was p erformed on a subset of data where values outside the range of two standard deviations were removed form the original data set. No treatment effect was observed at endpoint in total lean mass and total fat mass using ANOVA. Microbial abundance in response to treatments The sub-study for the microbial composition of human stool samples was conducted as a blinded study, in which the investigators were not knowledgeable of the order of the treatments.. The only designation that was available was O, M, or N. Once the RT-PCR data had been compiled it became fairly obvious that â€Å"O† was the control. At this point the treatments were unblinded and treatment designations were as follows: O = control M = Lactobacillus fermentum N = Lactobacillus reuteri The quantification of the RT-PCR data is provided relative to the control treatment. As discussed in the methods we typically use an internal control rather than an external control. The reason for this is that th e RT-PCR data are based on the efficiency of the PCR reaction. In gut samples, as with many environmental samples, there is always contamination of the DNA extract with food components which result in a decreased efficiency of the PCR reaction. Thus, if one does not take this inefficiency into account erroneous results can be obtained. The efficiency with an external standard is always high. There was a highly significant effect for Lactobacillus (P = 0.008), when the control (O) was compared to M and N. This was to be expected because both probiotic treatments, M and N, were Lactobacillus containing yogurts. The feeding of Lactobacillus exerted a synergistic effect (P = 0.038), directly or indirectly, on the Clostridium cluster IV group in the gut. Clostridium cluster IV contains a large number of butyrate producing bacteria (Collins et al., 1994). Butyrate formation in the gut is considered an important health indicator and dietary interventions that result in increased buty rate is beneficial (Flint et al., 2008). Many of the Clostridium cluster IV bacteria are able to ferment indigestible complex polysaccharides like inulin, oligofructose, xylooligosaccharides, and other polysaccharides that pass to the hind-gut undigested. This investigator was not provided with information as to other components of the yogurt, however, it can be speculated that either there were indigestible polysaccharides in the yogurt, or Lactobacillus directly influenced the Clostridium cluster IV cluster of bacteria. Discussion This report demonstrates the effects of L. fermentum, L. reuteri and control treatments on general lipid profile, cholesterol kinetics, fecal bile acid clearance and body composition, as well as microbial distribution in the gastrointestinal microflora, in hyperlipidemic, but otherwise healthy, individuals. Our current results suggest that over four weeks duration, L. fermentum containing yogurt exerted a more pronounced cholesterol-lowering eff ect compared to L. reuteri-enriched yogurt administered with a controlled-diet, in hypercholesterolemic subjects. In addition, the present data suggest a strong tendency towards cholesterol reductions with L. fermentum treatment, compared to control yogurt over four weeks. Furthermore, over the six week total study period, consumption of L. fermentum and L. reuteri containing yogurts was shown to lead to possible reductions in total body fat mass. Recent findings, primarily from in vitro and animal studies, have demonstrated the potential lipid lowering efficacy in response to administration of L. fermentum and L. reuteri treatments. L. fermentum have previously demonstrated to reduce cholesterol levels (Pereira et al., 2003). In addition, administration of L. reuteri to hypercholesterolemic mice for 7 days reduced the serum T-C by 38% compared to control hypercholesterolemic animals (Taranto et al., 1998). In our current study, L. fermentum-enriched yogurt resulted in lower T-C and LDL-C concentrations, compared to L. reuteri treatments, at the fourth week of the study. To date, human studies have not yet been conducted to directly compare L. fermentum and L. reuteri for lipid lowering efficacy. However, it was demonstrated in a previous animal study (Peran et al., 2007) that L. fermentum appeared to be more efficacious in improving inflammatory markers by producing glutathione compared to L. reuteri. In fact, erythrocyte glutathione levels were reported to be inversely correlated with serum cholesterol levels in a population-based study (Trevisan et al., 2001). Hence, our study results were, at certain degree, in agreement with the previous animal work where it was concluded that administration of L. fermentum could yield more promising health benefits, compared to L. reuteri supplementation (Peran et al., 2007). Although L. fermentum tended to result in lower T-C and LDL-C levels compared to control treatment, the differences in lipids between L. ferm entum and the control diet interventions at the fourth week did not reach statistical significance. The lack of significant differences between L. fermentum and control yogurt might be due to the composition of the background diet, which led to 5% reductions in T-C and LDL-C levels at study midpoint. If L. fermentum had been supplemented to a traditional North American diet, it is possible that the lowering effect of L. fermentum may have been significantly different from the impact of the background diet alone. Cholesterol reduction effects were observed by L. fermentum-containing yogurt supplementation at the fourth week of the study. As such, it was anticipated that more prominent lipid lowering effects of L. fermentum and L. reuteri treatments would be achieved at the sixth week, compared to the results obtained at the fourth week. Surprisingly, L. fermentum, L. reuteri and control yogurt supplementations did not differentially affect T-C and LDL-C levels at endpoint. These r esults support previous evidence of a clinical trial by Simons et al., (2006) demonstrating the no significant change in cholesterol levels after consumption of L. fermentum for ten weeks by humans. Although the dosage level of the probiotic was higher in their study (2 capsules a day and each capsule consisting 2 X 109 CFU), no effects on lipid levels were reported. In fact, clinical investigations with various other strains of Lactobacillus have shown highly inconsistent or absent effects on circulating cholesterol levels (Bukowska et al., 1997; Naruszewicz et al., 2002; Anderson and Gilliland 1999; Kiebling et al., 2002; de Roos and Katan 2000). Treatment with four Lactobacillus tablets per day (each tablet contains 2 X 106 cfu/tablet of L. acidophilus and L. bulgaricus cells) by human subjects for six weeks resulted in no change in serum lipoprotein concentrations (Lin et al., 1989). De Roos et al., (1999) have demonstrated that consumption of yogurt containing L. acidophilus fo r six weeks did not change any of the lipid levels in both normal and borderline hypercholesterolemic men and women. Taken together, it is possible that in investigating the effect of probiotics products on lipid metabolism in human, four weeks seems to be an appropriate study length to observe the optimal treatment effect. Four weeks being a more beneficial treatment duration may be due to the fact that subjects could closely adhere to study protocol for four weeks, but there may be a decline in compliance if the dietary phase lasts longer than four weeks. Alternatively, it is equally possible that some form of biological adaptation occurs after 4 weeks of consumption of these probiotics. In previous animal studies, it has been demonstrated that lactic acid bacteria could alter blood cholesterol levels by influencing cholesterol assimilation (Gilliland and Walker 1990; Gilliland et al., 1997). Our current results indicated higher cholesterol synthesis rates were observed in resp onse to L. fermentum, compared to L. reuteri feeding. The above mentioned result suggested that the higher cholesterol synthesis rate as a result of L. fermentum feeding may be due to the reduction of cholesterol absorption, compared to L. reuteri supplementation, in attempting to maintain cholesterol homeostatisis. Indeed, a slightly lower cholesterol absorption rate was observed in L. fermentum treatment group, compared to L. reuteri, although the difference in cholesterol absorption rate was not significant. However, the increase in synthesis was not sufficient to fully compensate the cholesterol deficit due to L. fermentum intake. Hence, the overall lower T-C and LDL-C levels were observed in response to L. fermentum, compared to L. reuteri feeding at midpoint. Our results were also in accordance with previous findings which indicated the Lactobacilli could exert hypocholesterolemic effect by inhibition of dietary cholesterol absorption in vitro (Gilliland and Walker 1990). I t has been shown that lactic acid bacteria might reduce serum cholesterol levels by influencing the deconjugation and dehydroxylation of primary bile acids within the intestinal tract (De Smet et al., 1998; Gilliland et al., 1985) and increasing bile excretion in feces via bile salt hydrolase (De Smet et al., 1994; Fukushima and Nakano 1995). Increased fecal bile acid after lactobacillus administration was observed in hypercholesterolemic rats (Fukushima and Nakano 1995). Hypercholesterolemic rats fed with lactobacilli showed a significant reduction in their blood cholesterol levels and significantly increased fecal total bile acids compared with a control group. (Usman and Hosono 2000, 2001; Fukushima and Nakano 1996). However, results of our current study do not appear to support the aforementioned findings in animal studies, although cholesterol reductions were noted at week 4 in response to L. fermentum treatment. The discrepancies between animal and current human results might be due to the following reasons. First, stool samples used for fecal bile acid analysis were collected in week 6 whereas cholesterol lowering effects were obtained at week 4. In fact, no treatment effect was identified in cholesterol levels at week 6. Second, due to biological differences, it is generally accepted that the results from animal and in vitro studies cannot be directly extrapolated to humans. Therefore, more human studies are required to elucidate the underlying cholesterol-lowering mechanism of probiotics products. It has been suggested that gut microbiota might play a role in obesity by regulating energy homeostasis and nutrient metabolism (Dibaise et al., 2008). Therefore, probiotics have been postulated to serve as a potential obesity treatment. Although treatment effects were not noted at endpoint, our results suggests that over the study period, body fat mass tended to be reduced by both L. fermentum and L. reuteri treatments. However, more studies are needed t o elucidate the underlying mechanisms responsible for such an effect of fat mass. In summary, our results demonstrate that consumption of L. fermentum-containing yogurt for four weeks, in the context of a controlled-diet, favorably modifies blood lipid profiles, compared to L. reuteri treatment supplementation, in hypercholesterolemic subjects. There was a strong tendency towards cholesterol reductions with L. fermentum-enriched yogurt feeding, compared to control at week four. The mechanism for the cholesterol lowering effect of L. fermentum treatment may be due to the inhibition of cholesterol absorption which was supported by the higher cholesterol synthesis rate in response to L. fermentum feeding, compared to L. reuteri treatment. In addition, both L. fermentum and L. reuteri-containing yogurt supplementations could possibly improve body composition by reducing total fat mass. Overall, our current results support the use of L. fermentum-containing yogurt as an effective prob iotics product in managing cholesterol levels and body composition, as compared to the choice of L. reuteri treatment, in hypercholesterolemic populations.