How does neglect during infancy affect cognitive development in young c

Child maltreatment takes on many forms and child neglect is the most common. Studies have found that child neglect can be more detrimental to development than physical abuse (Colvert, E., Rutter, M., Kreppner, J., Beckett, C., Castle, J., Groothues, C. & Sonuga-Barke, 2008). Despite this fact, neglect is the least commonly reported form of maltreatment, as it does not leave bruises and marks like physical abuse (DiPanfilis, D., 2006). Neglect during infancy has been found to affect all aspects of development: physical, cognitive, and psychosocial (Hawley, T., Gunner, M., 2000). This paper will examine the effects neglect has on specific areas of cognitive functioning. According to Jean Piaget we all go through stages of cognitive development that aid us in constructing our knowledge of the world. During infancy we are in Piaget’s sensorimotor stage where we begin our construction of the world by coordinating what we think, touch, smell and taste with how we move (Santrock, J., 2011). When an infant is not given the opportunity to explore their world they are not able to progress through the sensorimotor phase effectively. Various factors may lead to the insufficient progression through the sensorimotor stage but this paper will focus specifically on neglect. Neglect is difficult to define in terms of a set of behaviors that are synonymous with neglect because what is considered neglect varies based on the age and developmental level of the child. For the purpose of this paper neglect will be defined as the denial of proper physical, educational, emotional and moral attention and care (DiPanfilis, D., 2006). In 2008 Child Protective Services received 3.3 million reports of child maltreatment and seventy-one percent of them we... ...uncil on the Developing Child, & National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs. (2011). Building the Brain’s â€Å"Air Traffic Control† System: How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/ 8. Eigsti, I., & Cicchetti, D. (2004). The impact of child maltreatment on expressive syntax at 60 months. Developmental Science, 7(1), 88-102. doi:10.1111/j.1467-7687.2004.00325.x 9. Majer, M., Nater, U. M., Lin, J.-M. S., Capuron, L., & Reeves, W. C. (2010). Association of Childhood Trauma with Cognitive Function in Healthy Adults: A Pilot Study. BMC Neurology. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/ pdfviewer?sid=95e34d47-cde9-4f93-b9ba-82931731842d%40sessionmgr14&vid=1&hid=25

Marriage-Comparison Essay

Marriage, the union of two people, is satirically presented by Evelyn Waugh in the novel ‘A Handful of Dust’ and by Edward Albee in the play ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ Both authors adopt a chilling approach to demonstrate the endemic of negative attitudes and pressures of 1930’s London and 1960’s American society placed on to moral institutions such as marriage, with the central protagonists exposed under a powerful ‘microscope’ to reveal the detrimental effects of society. Albee illustrates the emotional strains inflicted on to individuals and couples aspiring to the American Dream and more importantly the result of failing a dream that is unreachable by the majority. In Albee’s play, George and Martha are metaphysically exposed to the ‘peeling away’ of the illusion that surrounds their marriage to reveal the ‘murky opaque depths’ of reality. Waugh on the other hand shows the corrupt and barbaric upper class London society at the time of the Great Industrial Depression, evoking a story of Tony and his manipulative, ‘cat like’ wife Brenda’s failing marriage, and that of the culture and civilisation Waugh so admired. Both Albee and Waugh employ the use of irony in their chosen settings. In ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ as ‘large, boisterous’ Martha turns on the light the audience are subjected to an emotional battlefield. Set in a success driven university campus which is a microcosm of society, it is soon made clear it is not a place of learning, achievement and sophisticated culture, one of lust, deceptions and sadness, a place where ‘musical beds is the faculty sport’. People like Martha are motivated by greed and self interest; this indicates the threat of America being New Carthage, destroyed not by another country but by internal corruption and spiritual emptiness, as George reads from ‘The Decline of the West,’ Albee’s Cold War subtext is clear. In contrast Waugh gently eases the reader in to the amicable setting of rural England, with an absence of ‘harsh words’ and ‘scenes of domestic playfulness’ between the Last’s, indicating an external picture of a content marriage. The setting is an extended metaphor of their marriage. Set in Hetton Abbey, named after Arthurian Legend, indicates their marriage is similarly illusionary. With irony, Brenda is appropriately placed in to the bedroom, Guinevere, wife of King Arthur burnt for adultery; this gives the reader an ominous feel from the outset about the subsequent events. The novel depicts Tony’s love for the ancestral, primogeniture home, which like his marriage is ‘devoid of interest.’ Tony is trapped by the ‘huge and quite hideous house’ as Brenda is in the marriage, suggested by Waugh’s use of death imagery used when describing the house ‘like a tomb.’ The ‘damp had penetrated in to one corner’ further indicates the internal decay of the Last’s ‘not in perfect repair’ marriage. The fact Brenda resents Hetton as she has moved there and left her family home- ‘I shouldn’t feel so badly about it if it were a really lovely house- like my house for instance,’ quickly weaves a negative undercurrent to their apparent happiness. Illusions versus reality feature in the marriages in both Waugh’s and Albee’s works. In ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ George and Martha’s illusionary son provides escapism, acting as a ‘bean bag’ cushioning their tempestuous, ‘crushing’ marriage from reality. However as the son has been talked about the illusion has become reality too the extreme that the illusion now controls them. The son highlights the pretentious society in which George and Martha live, forced to create a son to fill societies illusions of perfection. The son is for Martha to feel she has fulfilled her role as a woman. However the ‘child’ is not only a desire for fecundity within their relationship but also a projection through which they expose their personal desires, needs and problems. Ironically the son that was supposed to bring the couple closer has become a reason to fight being used as a tool to undermine one another. By ‘killing the son,’ George is realising that the illusion has become out of control, Martha has broke the ‘rules’ by telling Nick and Honey, the ‘pawns’ in their games. The ‘child’s’ death signifies a milestone in their understanding of marriage, George no longer has to compromise his world of reality and Martha is no longer in danger of losing herself in a world of ‘Ilyria’. Symbolically this happens the day before the child would turn 21. Through the child, Albee as an absurdist is illustrating his view that a life of illusion was wrong because it created a false content for life. George and Martha’s empty marriage can clearly only survive if they abandon their illusions. Nick also embodies the illusion in ‘Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf.’ Nick represents the Arian race with his ‘blondie’ hair and blue eyes are initially seen as†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ However his marriage to the slim- hipped ‘mouse’ is based upon pretence as the child they married for was only a phantom pregnancy. Added to this monetary gain, just as in the Polly Cockpurse of Waugh’s Belgravia, lies at the core of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Waugh’s ‘A Handful of Dust’ similarly is based on illusion. The barbaric characters and emotionless buildings provide the reader with an external falsity. Mrs Beaver represents the destructive forces of modernity with her suggestion of ‘chromium plating.’ Mrs Beaver’s character conflicts with Tony’s as she destroys old buildings, Tony clings to every ‘glazed brick or encaustic tile’ at Hetton. Tony’s nostalgic ‘feudal’ nature is arguably one of he main reasons for the breakdown of his marriage. Described as ‘stiff white collar’ suggests he has a refusal to change and ironically at the end is left reading Dickens showing inevitable he is stuck in the past. Tony has been blinded by Hetton which provides him with ‘constant delight and exultation,’ however is ‘formerly one of the notable houses of the country’ and not in ‘perfect repair’ therefore ‘dev oid of interest’ to anyone except Tony. Romanticism dominates through Tony, his search for ideals that his parents possessed ‘inseparable in Guinevere’ are unattainable by Tony. Similarly George and Martha can not reach the ideals set by the American dream. George is symbolic of the past who simply ‘sift(s) everything’ plunging him in to a world of history which is as important to him as Tony’s ‘shining city.’ He is a ‘bog in the history department’ unable to compete with the ‘direct threat’ imposed by ‘well- put- together’ Nick who represents ‘the new wave of the future.’ As a scientist he signifies clinical facts and evidence; he is emotionless like his marriage. At ‘twenty eight’ Nick is successful and a high achiever unlike George at ‘fifty something’ who is still ‘in the History department’ and only ran it ‘for four years, while the war was on, but that was because everyone was away.’ Albee seeks to emphasise the sense of alienation, in modern men. George thus attacks the decay of individualism: ‘You’re the one who’s going to make all that trouble†¦making everyone the same.’ History presents a cynical view, George prophesises as he reads out ‘the west must†¦eventually fall’ materialism dominates over culture resulting in sterile intellectualism. However George bares one key element that Tony realisation does not. George recognises the flaws in his ‘dump’ of a marriage whereas Tony similar to Honey is blinded and does not grasp the ‘sad, sad, sad’ truth embodying his marriage. Tony refuses to accept how ‘warped and separated’ he and Brenda have become. The illusion of George and Martha’s marriage is portrayed through language, for when language stops reality exists. George and Martha’s continual battle of incessant banter and ‘total war’ masks a more sinister and damaging reality and therefore, their fear of silence. Truth is shown through non verbal, theatrical devices ‘throwing flowers’ and the use of a toy gun, creating desperate humour through deep anxiety and expectations. Speech is used to gain power and control in order to deceive others. Ironically George comments ‘Martha’s a devil with language’ showing she is manipulative with her acerbic speech and has dominance in the relationship, ‘(Martha) wears the pants in this marriage because someone has to.’ This use of clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s shows a loss of capacity to speak the truth, ‘Your in a straight line†¦.and it doesn’t lead anywhere†¦.except maybe the grave’ underlined by t he root of terror in the play, the notion of life being meaningless. The regressive language is symbolic of the Martha and George being trapped by their childhoods and therefore they acquire attacking roles in a childish manner. However in contrast the callous Martha uses beautiful language when talking about their child, ‘And his eyes were green†¦green with†¦if u peered so deep in to them†¦so deep†¦bronze†¦bronze parentheses around the irises†¦such green eyes’ showing that when sincerity and love exists the aggressive language stops. At the end the simple, basic language, stripped of all metaphors and clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s reflects the simple, basic reality that George and Martha now face. In contrast to Albee’s use of vibrant and destructive language, in ‘A Handful of Dust’ conventional, banal and ordinary language dominates. Similarly to George and Martha, Brenda and Tony are shown in scenes of childlike playfulness. The alphabet diet is cute and endearing, but has an underlying tension as they are confined by the constraints the diet creates. The emptiness of the emotionless, large dining room they dine in which ‘even today mild elsewhere, it was bitterly cold in the dining hall’ further shows a lack of warmth between characters. The reader’s first encounter of the Lasts boosts a content marriage ‘While he ate breakfast Brenda read to him from the papers’ however the reader is aware of the negative undertones of the monotonous marriage ‘These scenes of domestic playfulness had been more or less continuous in Tony and Brenda’s life for seven years.’ Waugh stylistically and subtly reveals problems through his use of setting ‘There seemed to be no way of securing an even temperature in that room.’ The reader is also lead to question the stab ility of the Lasts marriage through Mrs Beaver comments ‘everyone thought (Brenda) would marry Jock,’ and ‘(Tony’s) a prig. I should say it was time that she began to be bored.’ George and Martha, the quintessentially dysfunctional couple are emotionally trapped by their respective childhoods, as a consequence they both are exposed to low self image and esteem. The history of the couples past is slowly revealed by Albee to the audience. Martha tells Nick and Honey in Act One that her mother died when she was young and she became very close to her father, she married briefly but her father had the marriage annulled. After college she fell in love with George which she thought would please her father. However George is not the high achiever that would satisfy her father. Martha is a lost ‘Daddy’s girl’ who hasn’t left behind the prospect of his unconditional love. George is also revealed to have had a troubled childhood. The revealed plot of his failed novel where a teenager kills both his parents is later publicised by Martha that George was in fact the teenager in his novel. Although the audience doesn’t know whether this is true it does explain George’s guilt about his parents. Albee is suggesting through these parental bonds that human relationships stem from human vulnerability. In ‘A Handful of Dust’ parental roles do not strive in adultous ‘fashionable’ London. Brenda and Tony are ineffectual as parents and as John Andrew reveals he prefers the groom ‘Ben far more.’ Waugh uses John Andrew as a satirical tool to expose the falsity of upper class society. He also reveals Tony’s ineffectualness in disciplining his son and the emotionless Brenda as a direct contrast to Jenny Abdul Akbar who John Andrew is ‘infatuated’ by the attention she provides him with. John Andrew’s death acts as a watershed in the novel. For Brenda the death symbolises her last link with Tony and a chance to escape the world she is trapped by and ironically highlights Tony misjudgement as he does not ‘know Brenda so well’. As Brenda ‘burst in to tears’ this is arguably the realisation that she has thought of John Beaver over her own son and goes to the extremes of immorality of ‘Oh thank God ’ when she is told her son has died, not a reaction expected from a mother that has been told her son has died. The death simply signifies the end of the Lasts marriage ‘Don’t you see Tony, its all over.’ Brenda with her manipulative, ‘cat like’ ways who utilises her female charms to her full advantage and is arguably more responsible for the breakdown of her marriage. As she applies her make up it acts as a symbolic ‘mask’ to cover up the reality of the deceit. In order to get her flat she ‘sat close to Tony on the sofa and ate some sugar out of his cup’ and ‘rubbed against his cheek in the way she had,’ this seductive way highlights the weakness of men. By getting the flat Tony is compromising the repairs he wants to make to Hetton. On the other hand Waugh suggests that it is Tony that it is pushing Brenda in to a society of adultery. Portrayed as an ‘imprisoned princess’ in a castle as though a character in a fairytale, Brenda is frustrated by her limited role and Beaver acts as a lifeline to get her out of the ‘big house.’ She is clearly eager for information of London and ‘jokes that have been going around for six weeks.’ Brenda however stays in control of the marital breakdown. The letter that Brenda leaves is merely a pencil note showing her lack of commitment and respect for Tony. The pencil is symbolic of the marital vows that can easily be erased and irretrievable like death vows ‘Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.’ Waugh uses Tony’s search for a ‘hidden city’ to show Tony’s transition from one period of his life to another. Similarly Brenda moves to London in search of a new chapter in her life. Although we can argue that Tony’s decision to go on the exploration shows courage and strength, someone else has planned the trip therefore it is ineffectual. His journey to enlightenment is made in intellectual darkness symbolically leading to his worst nightmare. Added to this the fever he acquires on his journey is representive of his whole life being a grotesque hallucination. Tony ‘had a clear picture in his mind’ that the city he was searching for would be like a ‘transfigured Hetton’ illustrating that Tony is still trapped in the past, inspiring pathos from the reader. When Tony is faced with the harsh reality of life, his real world is destroyed. Romanticism can not save Tony from reality, it is not a refuge and cannot save a near innocent man from being sacrificed because of his complacency. Arguable through a number of short scenes in the jungle and London, Waugh is trying to show similarities of the two settings ‘her ladyship has gone to live in Brazil’ both uncivilised worlds are ‘oceans apart’ yet are both uncivilised and animalistic, inhabited by ‘savages’. Religion is an occurring theme in both Albee’s play and Waugh novel. Albee uses blasphemy ‘Goddam’ at both the start and end of act one. The audience may not be surprised at this language in the godless environment we are introduced however we are more concerned about Martha’s comment that she was an atheist at school and furthermore the uncertainty of whether she still is. Marriage as a religious bond makes the audience doubt the importance of religion when presented with a ‘sewer’ of a marriage. Religion is represented through Honeys father although it is corrupted by the mention of him having money which further questions Nicks motives for marrying Honey. At the end of the play the mystery of religion begins when language ends through the use of ‘Jesus Christ.’ Injuxtaposition Waugh makes little references to religion. Tony attends church on Sundays from which he gained ‘great satisfaction.’ ‘On days of exceptional clearness, the spires of six churches’ could be seen from Hetton instigating that it is Tony who includes religion in to his life not Brenda. Hetton is a city of romantism and fantasy rather than a city of God. Animal imagery is referred to in both texts, to emphasise the moral crudity of events taking place. As Nick ‘mount(s) (Martha) like a goddam dog’ in order to gain status, it shows the need to succeed overcomes morality. Martha an ‘earth mother’ is tolerant of the ‘lunk heads’ who strive for promotion using her in ‘totally pointless infidelities.’ Waugh however uses animal imagery to further his satirical approach and emphasise the farcical characters. Polly Cockpurse is referred to as being similar to a ‘monkey’ by John Andrew. Money orientated, she is a predator only acting for her own interests, after rich men for their money. Mrs Beaver similarly extends the satirical animal imagery by suggesting she like a beaver, digging for gossip. Both of these characters are deliberately ridiculous, highlighting the absurdity of the glamorous Belgravia backdrop in which these people are created. Similarly Waugh uses pathetic fallacy to emphasise characters’ emotions and relationships. Directly after commenting on the Lasts’ marriage, Waugh makes references to the weather around Hetton ‘mist in the hollows and pale sunshine on the hills†¦..the undergrowth was wet, dark in the shadows’ which directly suggests an ominous feel surrounding the Lasts’ marriage. When Tony goes ‘In search of a city,’ Waugh is suggesting that similar to the waves, Tony is ‘plunging†¦in to the black depths.’ In the same way ‘the sky- over head was neutral and steely with swollen clouds’ symbolically showing that Tony is ‘exposed’ in a world that is unclear. However when Tony has a liaison with Thà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½se de Vitrà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ there was ‘A week of blue water that grew clearer and more tranquil daily, of sun that grew warmer’ presents the idea that Tony is happy although with no clear blue skies he is vulnerable and ‘lost.’ Likewise as Thà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½se de Vitrà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ ‘said goodbye to Tony’ the ‘Blue water came to an end’ and ‘rain fell continuously’ showing Tony’s emotions are as changeable as the weather. The ‘light breeze’ and ‘brilliant, cool sunshine’ at Tony’s funeral represents that the turbulent emotions have come to an end. In one ‘liquor ridden night’ Martha and George have been forced to face their worst fears. As Martha ‘chews on her ice cubes’ the faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade in which surrounds there marriage has been chipped away leaving inner truth and emotion that has previously been undisclosed. In the closing scene to the play, the audience endure a feeling of pathos for Martha and George, encouraged by the pace of the dialogue slowing down and the decrease in volume allowing the audience to reflect. The final images are of George and Martha left ‘just us’ in a state of unity. George sings at the end ‘Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ and Martha replies ‘I am.’ As the song represents being scared of life without illusion this response shows Martha is scared of a life of reality. In contrast ‘A Handful of Dust’ ends with a change of owner and the ending of the regime of tradition at Hetton that controlled Tony symbolising the end of Brenda and Tony’s tumultuous marriage. I agree with Rosa Flannery who suggests the breeding of silver foxes is ‘representative of the new breed of savages that roam England,’ Waugh is presenting a landscape of deceit and greed which prevails in a materialistic world; ‘They lived in pairs; some were moderately tame but it was unwise to rely upon them.’ It is not without sharp irony that Brenda survives, whilst Tony languishes in a†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. In both texts the marriages presented are encapsulated by society’s expectations that they are blinded by illusion. When faced with reality Martha and George can unite, however Tony and Brenda Lasts marriage is as unsubstantial as ‘A Handful of Dust.’

Mobile Phone Essay

Some people say that the mobile phone has been the best technology since the development of the computer. However, having a mobile has both pros and cons. On the plus side is that the mobile phone has become popular to everybody since it is very convenient. The most advantage of having a mobile phone is you can communicate to your family and your friends no matter what where you are. For instance, you can contact easily to your friends by calling or sending messages everywhere without electricity. It is maybe the main reason why almost all people today choose to own a mobile phone. From the customer’s point of view, it is obvious that mobile phones assist you in business a lot, such as, make schedule of working, surf the internet, and keep in touch with their companies. Moreover, you can relax with mobile phone’s applications, for example, play games, listen to music, or chat with your friends. On the other hand, there are also disadvantages. Using a lot mobile phone can harm your brain, particularly teenager and children who are under 16 years old. If you use mobile phones too much, you will get bad effects like dizzy, blood-brain barrier, or ears problems. In addition, when you use mobile phones while you are driving, you will get an accident. It is essential not good for you and others. Moreover, â€Å"radiations emitted from the phone are dead harmful for the eardrum†, has proved by many scientist. In conclusion, the invention of mobile phones has changed our lives, whether in positive or negative ways depending on how we use them. People should not overuse them so that they will not be vulnerable to phone addiction and save money. Also, it plays an important in our life and we cannot deny that it has been helping us greatly.

Essay about World War 1

Essay about World War 1 Essay about World War 1 - how it began HS 102-E01 The Broken Balance of the Great European Powers Lead to the Great War One hundred years ago, on July 28th, 1914, World War I began. Four years, three months and one week later, roughly 16 million deaths later, there seemed to be nothing grand about the so called Great War except the amount of causalities and damage left behind. World War I set the stage for the 20th Century. World War II, the Cold War, post-colonialism and the decline of Europe all followed after it. The question of the root cause has been tackled by many historians and is still unanswered and will most likely remain unanswered. What happened to disturb the relative peace and balance of power in Europe (1871-1914) and lead to the beginnings of World War I? In order to begin to answer the question, there are numerous factors to put into account including the hundreds of years history leading up to the summer of 1914. Although, there is one constant force that drives nations against each other and that is power. One of David Fromikin’s theories is that WWI was really two wars tha t were intertwined and started by rival empires that joined forces out of mutual need. He states, â€Å"The wars were about power. Specifically, they were about the great European powers that at the time ruled the world. Both Germany and Austria believed to be on the way down. Each started a war to stay where it was† (Europe's Last Summer). Attempts to maintain a balance between the great powers of Europe (Britain, France, Prussia/Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia) seemed to be a never ending struggle which led to many wars. For example, The Seven Years' War (1754-1763) took place between the great powers of Europe, The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) lead the French Empire to gain too much power and this sowed the seeds of nationalism because Europe feared that anyone to gain as much power as Napoleon again, the Crimean War (1853 -1856) between France and Britain against Russia occurred to prevent abuse of power. War was a means of gaining territory and annexing new lan ds, gaining capital and natural recourses but whenever one European nation seemed to be gaining too much control, other nations went to war to preventing one nations from disturbing the balance. After Napoleon’s near complete domination sent shock waves throughout the world in the 19th century, Europe was very aware of the damage a Empire could spread when it got out of hand. Because of this history, nations may have paranoid to the rise of a newly unified nation of Germany. â€Å"The creation of Germany and its annexation of French territory in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71)† (Fromkin) made another war between them seem inevitable because France would want their land back. Germany also made an â€Å"attempt to rival Britain as a naval power† (Fromkin) and this was seen as threat. All in all, new formed Germany was not very quick to make friends with other European nations and the old balance of power involving France, Prussia, Austria-Hung ary, and Russia was replaced by a new system. The formation of alliances between nations replaced the broken balance of power principles after Germany rose to power. Europe’s complicated history of conflicts and wars along with their newly formed issues right before 1914, broke their short lived vulnerable peace. The struggle for power over Europe in the 19th century lead to the growth of competition, an increase in nationalism and heated up rivalries. Most countries and leaders are guilty of greed and thirst for power and this is evident in European nations in the practice of imperialism and colonization. Competition is evident during the period of intense colonization of Africa known as â€Å"new imperialism† after 1875. The â€Å"scramble for Africa† showed that even when it had been proven that acquiring colonies did not benefit a nation economically as much as trade, nations jumped on the band wagon to prevent other nations from acquiring too much and also to

Avocado History, Domestication, and Spread

Avocado History, Domestication, and Spread Avocado (Persea americana) is one of the earliest fruits consumed in Mesoamerica and one of the first trees domesticated in the Neotropics. The word avocado derives from the language spoken by the Aztecs (Nahuatl)  who called the tree ahoacaquahuitl  and its fruit ahuacatl; the Spanish called it aguacate. The oldest evidence for avocado consumption dates back almost 10,000 years in Puebla state of central Mexico, at the site of Coxcatlan. There, and in other cave environments in the Tehuacan and Oaxaca valleys, archaeologists found that over time, avocado seeds grew larger. Based on that, the avocado is considered to have been domesticated in the region by between 4000-2800 BC. Avocado Biology The Persea genus has twelve species, most of which produce inedible fruits: P. americana is the best known of the edible species. In its natural habitat, P. americana grows to between 10-12 meters (33-40 feet) high, and it has lateral roots; smooth leathery, deep green leaves; and symmetrical yellow-green flowers. The fruits are variously shaped, from pear-shaped through oval to globular or elliptic-oblong. The peel color of the ripe fruit varies from green to dark purple to black. The wild progenitor of all three varieties was a polymorphic tree species that spanned a broad geographical area from the eastern and central highlands of Mexico through Guatemala to the Pacific coast of Central America. The avocado should really be considered as semi-domesticated: Mesoamericans didnt construct orchards but rather brought a few wild trees into residential garden plots and tended them there. Ancient Varieties Three varieties of avocado were created separately in three different locations in Central America. They were recognized and reported in surviving Mesoamerican codexes, with the most detail appearing in the Aztec Florentine Codex. Some scholars believe these varieties of avocados were all created in the 16th century: but the evidence is inconclusive at best. Mexican avocados (P. americana var. drymifolia, called the ​aoacatl in the Aztec language), originated in central Mexico and are adapted to the tropical highlands, with relatively good tolerance to cold and small fruits that are covered by a thin, purple-black skin.Guatemalan avocados, (P. americana var. guatemalensis, quilaoacatl) are from southern Mexico or Guatemala. They are similar in shape and size to the Mexican but have a more ovoid and lighter-colored seed. Guatemalan avocados are adapted to medium elevations in the tropics, are somewhat cold-tolerant, and have a thick, tough skin.West Indian avocados (P. americana var. americana, tlacacolaocatl), despite their name, are not from the West Indies at all, but rather were developed in the Maya lowlands of central America. They are the largest of the avocado varieties and are adapted to lowland humid tropics and tolerant of high levels of salt and chlorosis (plant nutrient deficiencies). The West Indian avocado fruit is r ound to pear shape, has a smooth easy-to-peel light green skin and abundant flesh with a slightly sweet taste. Modern Varieties There are about 30 main cultivars (and many others) of avocados in our modern markets, of which the best known include the Anaheim and Bacon (which are derived almost entirely from Guatemalan avocados); Fuerte (from Mexican avocados); and Hass and Zutano (which are hybrids of Mexican and Guatemalan). Hass has the highest volume of production and Mexico is the major producer of exported avocados, nearly 34% of the entire global market. The major importer is the United States. Modern health measures suggest that eaten fresh, avocados are a rich source of soluble B vitamins, and of about 20 other essential vitamins and minerals. The Florentine codex reported avocados are good for a variety of ailments including dandruff, scabies, and headaches. Cultural Significance The few surviving books (codices) of the Maya and Aztec cultures, as well as oral histories from their descendants, indicate that avocados held a spiritual significance in some Mesoamerican cultures. The fourteenth month in the classic Mayan calendar is represented by the avocado glyph, pronounced Kankin. Avocados are part of the name glyph of the classic Maya city of Pusilh in Belize, known as the Kingdom of the Avocado. Avocado trees are illustrated on the Maya ruler Pacals sarcophagus at Palenque. According to Aztec myth, since avocados are shaped like testicles (the word ahuacatl also means testicle), they can transfer strength to its consumers. Ahuacatlan is an Aztec city whose name means place where the avocado abounds. Sources This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guide to Plant Domestication, and the Dictionary of Archaeology. Chen H, Morrell PL, Ashworth VETM, de la Cruz M, and Clegg MT. 2009. Tracing the Geographic Origins of Major Avocado Cultivars. Journal of Heredity 100(1):56-65. Galindo-Tovar, Marà ­a Elena. Some aspects of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) diversity and domestication in Mesoamerica. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, Volume 55, Issue 3, SpringerLink, May 2008. Galindo-Tovar ME, and Arzate-Fernndez A. 2010. West Indian avocado: where did it originate? Phyton: Revista Internacional de Botnica Experimental 79:203-207. Galindo-Tovar ME, Arzate-Fernndez AM, Ogata-Aguilar N, and Landero-Torres I. 2007. The Avocado (Persea Americana, Lauraceae) Crop in Mesoamerica: 10,000 Years of History. Harvard Papers in Botany 12(2):325-334. Landon AJ. 2009. Domestication and Significance of Persea americana, the Avocado, in Mesoamerica. Nebraska Anthropologist 24:62-79. Martinez Pacheco MM, Lopez Gomez R, Salgado Garciglia R, Raya Calderon M, and Martinez Muà ±oz RE. 2011. Folates and Persea americana Mill. (Avocado). Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture 23(3):204-213.

Canadian Aboriginal Residential Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Canadian Aboriginal Residential Schools - Essay Example While the effort might have been successful in mitigating native cultural attachment, it has been found out that many residential school students were subjected to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Brasfield (2001) claims that many former residential school students experience a similar form of condition as post-traumatic stress disorder, which he calls residential school syndrome. The Canadian government has set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that aims at compensating for any abuse they have gone through. However, a greater concern is the implication of residential schools on the current generation of aboriginal Indians whose parents or grandparents have been former residential school students. This paper will explore the impact of residential schools on the current generation of aboriginal Indians in terms of education, income, job opportunities, health services, and child care facilities.Beaulne-Stuebing (2013) cites the findings of a report produced by the Canadian Human rights Commission which points out that there still exists a great well-being divide between aboriginal natives and the non-aboriginals of Canada. The statistical figures take a look at Metis and Inuit Indians and demonstrate marked inequalities between native aboriginals and non-aboriginals. In fact, the social inequality between the two groups is the most significant artifact of colonialism with aboriginals being one of the poorest ethnic groups of Canada (Wilson and MacDonald, 2010).

MGT 407 Module 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MGT 407 Module 5 - Essay Example Finance and security are other possible departments that may participate in the program along with HR. Risk assessment, standards and procedures, defined roles, designated official, communication, internal reporting and program assessment are the areas that should be according to the article covered by any such corporate ethics program. Ethics particularly in the context of Human Resources generally refer to the principles or laws distinguishing between right or wrong conducts. The recent decades in the USA there has been almost a mushrooming of ethical crises. It is more likely true that in the present era of communication coverups are harder to effectively carry out and hence such instances are being revealed although they have been around for ages. Misrepresentation, Covering up details of anomalies, cheating in essence have been discovered to have proliferated all the layers of corporate America. And surprisingly in many cases these are understood to be almost necessary practices for growth. Blossoming profit making practices by managers via utilization of insider information on shareholder details and stock have emerged as common place. In the face of such falling standards, the role of the HR professional has assumed an unprecedented importance. It is the responsibility of the HR department to create proper e thical codes of conduct, introduce ethical training through different programs as well as employing officers who specialize in ethics. Unethical actions on the part of any employee(s) affects all related customers, employees, shareholders and managers alike. An Employee has to make a many choices each day which if unethical can greatly harm the companys reputation, productivity as well as profits. Such actions can be of various forms and shapes. Utilization of company resources for personal gains (using company phone lines to make personal calls), failing to report