Comparative of a Widow for One Year and the Cider House Rules

John Irving, the author of the novels the Cider House Rule and A Widow for One Year focuses on the theme of motherhood through the description of the main characters. Children who experience parental negligence especially from their mothers are unable to make solid decisions in their lives. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Comparative of a Widow for One Year and the Cider House Rules specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Mother is the backbone of every family; consequently, children who grow up without mothers end up having tough times in adulthood, as it is the case in the two novels. Irving focuses on failed motherhood either before or after the birth of the children. In the Cider House Rule, Homer Wells undergoes awful ordeals during his childhood which forces him into an Orphanage called St. Paul. Surprisingly, Homer comes to the orphanage when he is still an infant. He does not know his mother’s whereabout s; he simply tries effortlessly to live with four foster families. While under foster care, Homer has never known how it feels to be happy. Similarly, Ruth Cole does not have a happy childhood after the death of her two siblings; her mother neglects her parental duties. In addition, her parents have frequent fights, which lead to divorce. In the two cases, there is evident failed motherhood and the two kids; Homer and Ruth, experience this unfortunate failure. Dr. Larch parents only tolerated to remain in marriage for the marriage was void of love. His mother does not care about her son’s wellbeing; she is rarely at home, because her job is perhaps more important; her family more so her son comes second or third in her priorities. Interestingly, when her husband brings the young Larch a prostitute as a present for passing exams well, she does not object. Ruth experiences the same neglect just like Larch; her mother does not love her and its not surprising when she eventuall y leaves Ruth under the care of her father. Regrettably, the issue of failed motherhood paints the picture of current parents who leave their children under the care of either teachers or house helps to pursue their dreams. After growing to become a doctor, Dr. Larch bases his career on abortion; he simply lacks no respect for human life courtesy of poor parentage. Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Talking of abortion, the author highlights the failure of some mothers, who respect not their unborn children; abortion to them I a common thing. Additionally, in Larch’s neighborhood, most mothers are the oldest professionals in the world; prostitutes. Besides prostitution being ‘unethical’ though controversial, the fruits are repugnant. These ‘professionals’ conceive children they cannot raise and thus abortion becomes the last resort; unfortu nately, some mothers die in the process of abortion; what a piteous way of living. On the other hand, Ruth witnesses the painful death of a prostitute in one of the red districts; statistics and conventional knowledge attribute prostitutes to failed motherhood. The comparative element in the novels is the theme of motherhood. In both books, the role of mother is in the society goes unfulfilled. Consequently, the main characters like Ruth, Larch and Homes are unable to make standing decisions in their lives due to poor motherhood. Children need mother’s guidance as they grow for life issues might be confounding even to the wise and children needs guidance to know what decisions to make under what situations. Irving goes further to highlight the detrimental effects children incur when parents neglect their duties and the product of the same. In conclusion, conflicts from either marriage or poor relationship cause loss of life and heart breakage of the children. The two books comparatively highlight parenthood, especially motherhood and its significance in the society. Finally, Irving is able to enlighten the society about the expectations of a mother. This essay on Comparative of a Widow for One Year and the Cider House Rules was written and submitted by user Amos Rollins to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Comparative Of A Widow For One Year And The Cider House Rules Introduction John Irving’s stories â€Å"A Widow for One Year† and â€Å"The Cider House Rules† are similar in a number of ways. These major similarities are evident through the characters of Homer Wells and Ruth Cole.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Comparative Of A Widow For One Year And The Cider House Rules specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Despite the stories having differences in terms of setting, the plots and other aspects, the characters of Homer Wells and Ruth Cole are modeled by the author in such a way that they make the stories bear similarities that can never be overlooked. The protagonists, Homer Wells and Ruth Cole from ‘’Cider House Rules’ and ‘A Widow for One Year’ respectively stand out as faultless, unwanted children, misunderstood by others, and having suffered rejection in their childhood based on abandonment by their parents. They are bot h abandoned children The â€Å"Cider House Rules† portrays Homer Wells, the protagonist, as one of the children who find themselves in an orphanage following the abandonment by their parents. As a young man, Homer Wells is compelled to live in the St. Clouds orphanage when he experiences different treatments from different foster families. He actually suffers from depression after undergoing a tough treatment in the third family that has adopted him. Ruth Cole in â€Å"A Widow for one Year† also undergoes rejection as a child whereby her mother Marion seems so much occupied with mourning her dead sons to recognize the presence of her young daughter. Marion says, â€Å"If I let myself love Ruth†¦what will I do if something happens to her† (Irving, ‘A Widow for one Year’ 68). She further lacks attention from her parents when they separate at the age of four. Being born because of the urge to replace the lost sons, Ruth does not receive proper att ention from her parents and as a result, depression sets in following the treatment she receives. The circumstances of their birth are similar- unwanted The two characters are similar in that they are unwanted children who are forced to live with stigma because of the consequences that led to their prospective births. For instance, Homer Wells is as a result of the exploitation of women in St. Clouds and her would be parents could not take the responsibility of bringing him up.Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He seems therefore left in the mercies of well-wishers, who adopt him majority of whom mistreat him in the process. He lives a life without knowing what people really expect out of him although he tries his best to impress his foster parents and be of use to them. He lives with the pain of knowing that his parents could not take the responsibility and that he was dif ferent from other children. This is evident where at the Drapers an elderly boy wanted to bugger him and instead it was him who was accused of the offence considering that he was only ten years old (Irving, ‘Cinder House Rules’ 50). Ruth Cole on the other hand is born out of the urge to replace the two elder brothers who died in a fatal motor accident. She therefore however living with her real parents fails to get the attention that a child would require to lead a full life. She witnesses things that she cannot stand at her age. When â€Å"she’d been sick with the stomach flu, her father had encouraged her to vomit in a towel† (Irving, ‘A Widow for on year’ 45). For instance, she realizes that despite always occupied with grief over her dead sons, her mother was having an affair with the family aide Eddie. She leads an unstable childhood just like Homer wells but eventually makes it in life. Others misunderstand the two The two characters see m focused and try to be of use to the people around them as well as their surroundings. For instance, as a child Homer wells wants to be of use to the families that has adopted him only for it to expose him to mistreatment and misunderstanding. For instance, the first family that adopts him ends up returning him just because he is too quiet and calm. This according to Homer is the thing that most parents would require of their children. â€Å"The second family ends up turning him into the worst screamer of the town after they were fed up with his silence and decided to force him into crying† (Irving , ‘Cinder House Rules’ 68). When he turns into crying every time, they end up returning him to St. Clouds. Despite his urge to be of use to the families that adopt him, Homer Wells grows up confused as to what to do in order to be of use to the people around him. Ruth Cole also despite having a clear focus in life meets many huddles that prove difficult to overcome fo r a child her age. She overcomes the challenges and excels in life.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Comparative Of A Widow For One Year And The Cider House Rules specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The two are without fault As portrayed by Irving in the two separate stories, the two characters are without fault, which makes the readers and their fans often sympathize with them and adore their characters. Because of constantly being victims of circumstances in their lives, the two characters are not exposed roundly in that they are not viewed to posses any negative traits. Homer is innocent and suffers at the hands of the people who ought to take care of him as a child. He suffers because of misunderstandings that exist between him and his foster parents. Ruth is also portrayed as perfect in that she is described as â€Å"beautiful, funny, and athletic and bears no negativity despite the rough childhood that she we nt through† (Irving, ‘A Widow for one Year’ 230). Therefore, based on the expositions of the paper, the protagonists of the masterworks seem similar based on the various parameters afore-discussed. Works Cited Irving, John. A Widow for One Year. New York: Random House, 1998. Print. Irving, John. The Cider House Rules. New York: Random House, 1985. Print. This essay on Comparative Of A Widow For One Year And The Cider House Rules was written and submitted by user Iker Klein to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Mollusks essays

Mollusks essays Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Mollusks Mollusks: soft, squishy, slimy, and in some cases tasty animals. Mollusks have a soft body that may be protected by a hard shell. Some mollusks have hard outer shells, such as snails, while others have a light internal shell (squids) or no shell at all (octopuses). There are three characteristics that all mollusks have in common. First of all, mollusks have a mantle. This is their soft outer tissue layer. The mantle, in some species is what produces the hard outer shell. Secondly, mollusks have a muscular foot, which they use to move or hang on. The muscular foot appears in different ways on different mollusks. Third, between the mantle and the foot, there is the visceral mass. Most of the internal organs are located here. There is one more characteristic that most, but not all mollusks share. This is an open circulatory system in which blood flows freely over body tissues and organs. Although not all mollusks have separate sexes, they all reproduce sexually. Reproduction can involve internal or external fertilization. Internal fertilization occurs when a male mollusk transfers sperm into the female mollusk. After the eggs are fertilized, the female deposits them in a safe place for them to grow. External fertilization occurs when two mollusks release sperm and eggs into the water at the same time. The four most well known classes of mollusks are Cephalopoda, Gastropoda, Polyplacophora, and Bivalvia. Class cephalopod includes nautilus, squids, cuttlefish, and octopuses. Modern cephalopods are very much the same as their ancestors. They have very developed nervous systems and a closed circulatory system. Gastropods include mollusks such as snails, slugs, and conches. To feed, gastropods scrape algae, shred leaves, or capture prey with their radula. Some gastropods have destroyed millions of dollars in crops. Polyplacophoras most closely resemble ancient mollusks. Their shell i...

Narrative Technique and Language in Albert Camus The Stranger Essay

Narrative Technique and Language in Albert Camus The Stranger - Essay Example Camus reflected his thoughts on moral ambiguity and the societal treatment of murderers and terrorists in many of his works including this one. The reader is presented with a murderer protagonist who is devoid of motive, reason or logic for the crime he has committed (Dissanayake 1). Camus uses the language of the narrator and the voice of the narrator, as a device through which the reader may understand the perspective of Meursault, and as a way to reflect aspects in the development of the story. Meursault as a character is utterly remarkable, in that he is quite unremarkable in every possible way (Day 84). He appears to have no unusual or outrageous attributes, opinions, qualities or flaws when the reader is initially introduced to him. He does nothing special, holds no special job, is not living under any unusual circumstances, does not discuss any extreme or judgemental personal opinions and is far from being emotionally distinctive. Meursault leads an existence in which â€Å"d ays are added to days without rhyme or reason †¦ [and his life] is an interminable and monotonous addition† (Camus 16). However, it is this lack of special traits and engaged interaction in society and life that makes the character, paradoxically, very remarkable and unusual. As the reader unveils the protagonists’ inner thoughts and plot development of the story, it becomes clear that this character is remarkably detached from society in every way. Furthermore, not only is he detached from society, he is detached from life itself including family and relationships. He displays an unsettling degree of amorality and total lack of judgement of other people’s actions, thoughts and behaviours. Indeed, his detachment goes even further as we realise that he is also detached from his own emotions and self-identity to the extent that he appears to be lacking in both. From the very beginning of the story, Meursaults language very effectively allows the reader insight into his way of thinking. His sentences are consistently brief and concise right from the start, â€Å"Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday. I can’t be sure† (Camus 1). His lack of elaboration or explanation is indicative of his amoral and overwhelmingly logical attitude and personality. At the beginning of the story in particular, he does not offer much in the way of descriptions, imagery, expression of feelings or emotions or any forms of elaboration. Meursault gets to the point, saying as little as possible in order to communicate his message without overstating or offering unnecessary details of any kind. This serves to convey him as a highly logical, unfeeling character. In his grammar, he rarely uses verbs or adjectives that convey feelings such as ‘felt’, but rather uses descriptors such as ‘decided’ and ‘thought’ to describe his actions and ideas. We begin to see a change in language used when Meursault recounts the day of the murder. His language here is noticeably more descriptive, vivid, imaginative and elaborate, unlike earlier in the story, for example â€Å"the heat was beginning to scorch my cheeks; beads of sweat were gathering in my eyebrows. It was just the same sort of heat as at my mother’s funeral, and I had the same disagreeable sensations—especially in my forehead, where all the veins seemed to be bursting through the skin† (Camus 38). Such a vivid and detailed description is unusual for the character thus far, which highlights the fact that this event or recollection, has more meaning even

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 19

Marketing - Essay Example Segmentation refers to the process of dividing the market based on certain variables like geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioral factors. The rationale of market segmentation is the identification of a specific market which a business organization can best serve. This way, it is better positioned to create a product or service which more suitable and appropriate for a specific market as well as complement it with other components of marketing mix such as price, promotion activities, and distribution channels. For example, the number one specialty coffee shop in the world Starbucks has started its business operation eyeing not the whole market for coffee but on a specific market niche—â€Å"affluent, well-educated, white collars between the ages of 25 and 41.† Thus, it has focused on the provision of products which appeals to this market segment, prices them accordingly, and builds stores in urban and metropolitan areas where these people populate. Positioning is the â€Å"act of designing the company’s offering and image to occupy the mind a distinctive place in the mind of the target market (Kotler 2002, pp.308).† Positioning is the product of the different techniques employed by marketers which gives it a unique image. The end product of positioning is the unique value proposition which is delivered by the company. Amazon.com has irrefutably established a distinctive image in its market. Unlike any other shops, it takes advantage of technological advancements by being a purely online retailer. Amazon.com traditionally positions itself as a more convenient and less costly distributor of books. However, through its longer and wider selection of product offerings, it is positioning itself as an online retailer of anything that a customer needs. Lastly, differentiation refers to the â€Å"process of adding a set of meaningful and

Nursing practices on coronary diseases in the UK Essay

Nursing practices on coronary diseases in the UK - Essay Example This is important in the realm of health care, especially when the human aspect is involved in the context of nursing staff. The approach towards management of coronary heart diseases is of utmost importance, as this is one of those medical conditions wherein the treatment circumstances greatly impact the final course of healing. This topic hence entails immense significance and needs to be understood in the context of real-time problems that exist within the treatment mechanism. The research goes upfront with the hypothesis that the nursing care system can play a vital role in treatment of patients with coronary heart diseases. This can largely be speculated due to the fact that it is both an internal and an external condition. Though the internal condition can be taken care of by medicines, the external one largely depends upon the physical environment that is available over there. This is important as this acts as a vector for the study, and gives it the needed direction on order to answer the research question. The said topic was chosen because it gives a very nice converging point for a multitude of study areas, namely internal medicine, external health care, ancillary health services, nursing health care practices and physical atmospheric comforts in healthcare. An all-encompassing issue, this can give an overview about the issue and finally as to what can and is to be doe in the future on this subject. To investigate in detail the aforementioned reason, a number of recent researches on the topic were studied, to evaluate how is this issue being dealt with in real-time. Search engines of the Med-Line and BMJ were consulted for an all encompassing and international perspective on the issue, and the researches subsequently present a very thorough and diverse standing on the subject. Listing of Relevant Literature Following researches conducted on the said topic in the last decade are of significant mention: Coronary heart diseases were once viewed as an inevitable consequence of being infirm and bed-ridden. As it has been recognized that this is not the case, coronary heart diseases have come to be seen much more as an indicator of the quality of care provided, and are consequently high on the political and health agenda. This article provides an overview of the key aspects of coronary heart disease risk assessment and prevention drawn from a variety of national policy documents (Stephen-Haynes, 2004). To study prevalence of coronary heart diseases among functionally impaired patients in the community and evaluate risk factors associated with the development of coronary heart diseases in these patients. Design. Cross-sectional, observational study. Community dwellers served by the Primary Health Care Area of Rincon de la Victoria in Malaga.Participants. All patients included in the Impaired Patient Programme (n=178). Prevalence of coronary heart diseases in our Basic Health Area was 12.9%. The most important sociodemographic characteristic associated with the presence of coronary heart diseases in these patients was the educational attainment of the caregiver. Health variables of the patient were also associated with the risk of developing coronary heart diseases. Results indicate the need of diagnostic protocols with standardised instruments and prevention plans to reduce coronary heart d

The Concept Of Electromechanical Delay Physical Education Essay

The Concept Of Electromechanical Delay Physical Education Essay Electromechanical delay (EMD) is defined as the time lag between the onset of electrical activity (electromyogram, EMG) and tension development in human muscle (Zhou et al. 1995). It has been suggested that there are several components which are all linked to the generation of force in skeletal muscle. These include the conduction of the action potential along the T-tubule system, the release of sarcoplasmic reticulum, cross-bridge formation between actin and myosin filaments, the subsequent tension development in the contractile component and the stretching of the series elastic component by the contractile component (Cavanagh Komi, 1979). Cavanagh and Komi (1979) suggest that one of the primary causes for the value of EMD is affected by the time necessary to stretch the series elastic component of the muscle to a point when muscle force can be detected. Chan et al (2001) therefore thought the initial length could affect the phase lag and the EMD would be expected to be shorter in a stretched position. Their results showed that the EMD of the Vastus lateralis was shortest at 90 ° of knee extension, compared to 150 ° and 175 °. A study conducted by Norman and Komi (1979) was to test the hypothesis that the rate and change of length of the series elastic component of a muscle was a major contributor to variations in EMD time. They used 10 subjects with an average age of 24.6. They performed a series of horizontal forearm flexion-extensions and extension-flexions at 7 different angular velocities, over two ranges of motion. Two ranges of motion was to determine whether there were muscle length effects on electromech anical delay. Their findings supported the hypothesis that the rate of the muscles series elastic component might be a primary cause for the value of EMD. It was supported primarily for the biceps brachii muscle, where the EMD was shorter in fast eccentric contraction that in any other condition of that muscle. An alternative explanation of a shortened EMD in biceps brachii during eccentric contraction is that in fast stretching, the slow type muscle may be capable of efficient storage of elastic energy and its utilization during the subsequent contraction phase of the stretch shortening cycle (Norman and Komi, 1979). EMD has been found to be influenced by the type of muscle contraction (Cavanagh Komi 1979; Norman Komi 1979) where the biceps EMD were relatively longer in concentric contractions but shorter in eccentric exercise. Norman and Komi (1979) observed different EMD times for the triceps muscles and bicep muscles. The differences in EMD times could be explained by the differences in their fibre structures, with the shorter EMD found in muscles that recruit more fast twitch fibres than those which recruit more slow twitch motor units. It has been discussed that reaction time and electromechanical delay can be enhanced with training (Linford et al. 2006). Linford et al. (2006) conducted a study to determine if neuromuscular training had an effect on reaction time and electromechanical delay of the peroneus longus muscle. A six week training programme was conducted on five males and eight females. The study concluded that the training significantly reduced reaction time, while slightly increasing the electromechanical delay of the muscle. Having a decreased reaction time and electromechanical delay is important for athletes for when the muscles need to activate force as rapidly as possible. Having optimal joint stability is vital during mechanical loading of a joint system, so there is not too much stress being placed on one part of the joint system, decreasing the risk of injury. The results drawn from this study are from the peroneus longus muscle so cannot be directly related to the knee joint. Fatigue It has been suggested that EMD measurement is crucial to have a accurate understanding of the type of central nervous system commands required for the execution of different movements, the role and coordination of muscles in a movement and the apparent anomalies between electromyographical activity (EMG) and body segment motion (Vos et al,1991; Norman Komi, 1979). There have been reports that EMD lengthens after a fatiguing dynamic exercise (Horita, T., Ishiko T. 1987) where as other studies have shown no significant change in EMD after repeated dynamic or isometric contractions (Vos et al. 1991). Zhou, S. (1996) conducted a study to investigate the effects of repeated maximal isometric contractions on electromechanical delay of the quadriceps femoris muscle. Eleven subjects took part, and carried out a one leg fatiguing exercise which was 25 isometric knee extension. Each lasted 8 seconds followed by a 2 second recovery period. His results showed a significant elongation in EMD. This is in contrast to Vos et al. (1991) who did not find any significant effect on EMD after a fatigue trial was carried out on the same muscle group. The different findings could be down to the different exercise protocols or methods used to determine EMD. However in the study by Vos (1991), participants carried out the fatigue trial with a force of 50% MVC, which may be the reason for no significant effect on EMD. Whereas Zhous (1996) participants carried out maximal voluntary contraction. This could mean that the participants in the study by Vos (1991) may not be fully fatigued. Minshull et al (2007) conducted a study which determined what effects an acute bout of maximal intensity static fatiguing exercise would have on voluntary and magnetically-evoked EMD in the knee flexors of males and females. Seven men and nine women participated in this study, taking part in two treatment conditions. One being an intervention condition, where the participants performed a fatigue trial of 30 second maximal static fatiguing exercise of the knee flexors. The second condition was a control, consisting of no exercise. The results showed that in both intervention and control group, males EMD performance was maintained. However the fatiguing trial elicited a 19.5% impairment in EMD performance compared to baseline levels in females. This comes as another finding of fatigue on EMD as Zhou (1996) find a overall elongated EMD, not just specifically in females. This could be down to the different fatiguing protocols, the study by Minshull (2007) may have fatigued the participants more with a longer constant fatiguing exercise. These results may differ because of participant variation. Chan et al (2001) examined the effects of knee joint angles and fatigue on neuromuscular performance. Fatiguing exercise caused a significant lengthening of the EMD of the vastus lateralis and medialis at 90 ° and 150 ° of knee extension. Interestingly the fatiguing protocol did not induce any significant lengthening of the EMD at 175 ° knee extension. This shows that knee joint position affects the neuromuscular fatigue of the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis. b) Temperature Cryotherapy has long been used to treat musculoskeletal soreness, with the expectation that decreased tissue temperature will result in constriction of local blood vessels thus diminishing inflammatory response and oedema associated with musculoskeletal trauma (Sellwood et al. 2009). But what effect will crotherapy and heating muscles have on neuromuscular performance. Many studies have been conducted to examine the effects of manipulating a muscles temperature on fatigue, neuromuscular performance, delayed onset of muscle soreness and metabolic responses (Zhou et al. 1998; Nosaka et al. 2004; Bailey et al. 2007; Dae et al. 1997.) Zhou et al (1998) said that a significant increase in body temperature usually accompanies strenuous exercise. With this exercise, the muscle contractile and elastic properties would be influence due to such a change, which could have an effect on EMD values. Zhou et al (1998) conducted a study which measured Peak force, EMD values and muscle temperature before and after an intermittent isometric maximal voluntary contraction exercise, and investigated the influence of passively changed muscle temperature on EMD and peak force. The muscle temperature was manipulated by placing a plastic bag filled with hot water or cold water over the front thigh area with a intramuscular needle thermistor measuring muscle temperature.. T he EMD was measured at 38, 36, 34, 32 and 30 °C. They found that when the muscle temperature was 2.5 °C higher than the resting level, the EMD increased by approximately 5ms. They also found that EMD was increased when muscle temperatures was either higher or lower than 36 °C. There was a trend found that showed the peak force decreased at a low temperature, however a repeated measures ANOVA did not reveal a significant difference of temperature on peak force. This supports a study conducted by Thornley, Maxwell Cheung (2003) who examined the effects of local tissue temperatures on peak torque and muscular endurance during isometric knee extension. They found temperature has no effect on peak torque, although there was a tendency to decrease when cooled, but was found non significant. However this study did not use a intramuscular needle thermistor, they only measured the skins temperature. Their results may have differed if they used a needle thermometer, as they used heat packs of 55 °C, 34 °C, 22 °C and -17 °C, it would be interesting to see what the muscle temperatures were, to add to the knowledge to show to what extent muscle temperature has on peak force. Nosaka et al (2004) found no change in peak eccentric force of the forearm flexors, within a microwave treatment (muscle temperature increase of 3 °C (37.5 °C)) and a icing treatment (muscle temperature decrease of 7 °C (26.4 °C)). This cannot be related to the knee flexor muscles. Skurvydas et al (2006) conducted a study which assessed the effect of leg immersion in cold water after stretch shortening exercise (SSE) on the indirect indicators of exercise induced muscle damage. The participants muscle contractile properties were recorded before the SSE, then at 4 h, 8h, 24h and 48hours post exercise. There was a control group and a cold group. In the cold group the leg was immersed in cold water (15  ± 1 °C) immediately after SSE and at 4h, 8h and 24h. The leg was immersed twice for each test for 15 minutes with an interval of 10 minutes. They found that cold water immersion reduced muscle stiffness and the amount of post exercise damage after strenuous eccentric exercise, but it had no effect on muscle force. Their results also showed that the leg muscles that had been subject to cold water immersion after SSE, significantly increased the recovery speed of maximal voluntary contraction force (MVCF). MVCF had recovered within 24 hours post SSE. However Esto n and Peters (1999) observed no quick recovery of the maximal voluntary contraction force after cold water immersion. It took 48h to 72 hours post cold water immersion for their subjects MVCF to return to baseline values. This could be because in the study by Skurvydas et al (2006) cooling of the musculature was concentrated up to 24 hours, where as Eston and Peters (1999) applied cooling treatment immediately post exercise and every twelve hours there after, for a duration of three days. Another reason for the differences could be that muscle damage was applied to the leg muscles in the study by Skurvydas et al (2006) and to the elbow flexor muscles in Eston and Peters (1999) study. In contrast, Skurvydas et al (2008) looked at leg immersion in warm water before SSE on the indirect markers of exercise induced muscle damage. The participants muscle contractile properties were recorded, then was sat in a 44 °C water bath for 45 minutes in waist high water. The contractile properties were then recorded again and SSE took place. Contractile properties of the participant were taken at 1h, 4h, 8h, 24h, 48h and 72 hours post SSE. They found that muscle pre warming did not cause any changes in MVCF, and it took over 72 hours for MVCF to recover to pre exercise level. The differences in the findings of these two studies may be purely be down to one study uses hot water, and one uses cold. But in the study using cold water, the participant is immersed in the water immediately after SSE and at 4h, 8h and 24 hours after SSE. But in the heat study the participants were only immersed in the water before the SSE. If the same protocol for immersion was used in the warm water study, a difference may be seen in the recovery of MVCF. A study should be conducted using the same immersion type in cold and warm water conditions, therefore showing more accurate comparisons of what effects different temperatures have on MVCF. Bailey et al (2007) examined the influence of cold water immersion after prolonged intermittent whole body exercise. Twenty men were subjects in this study who were randomly assigned to a cryotherapy or control group. Each participants maximal voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors and flexors were recorded using an isokinetic dynamometer pre, immediately after, 1 h, 24 h, 48 h and 168 hours post exercise. Subjects completed an intermittent shuttle test and immediately after the cryotherapy group immersed their lower limbs in a cold water bath (10 °C) for 10 minutes. After the cold bath or rest, subjects completed two maximal isometric repetitions of the dominant limb for 5 seconds for extension and flexion. The results showed that exercise resulted in a reduction of knee flexion peak torque at 24 and 48hours in the cryotherapy group. The control group experienced an even bigger detrimental effect in PF at 24 and 48 hours post exercise. This shows that cold water imm ersion improved recovery of maximal voluntary contraction of the knee flexors 24 48 hours post exercise. This supports the findings from Skurvydas et al (2006) suggesting that cooling the leg muscles increases recovery time of MVCF. However it takes seven days for the MVCF to return to pre exercise values. This is vastly different result compared to Skurvydas et al (2006) and Eston and Peters (1999). This may be because the exercise Bailey et al (2007) uses, is a more dynamic whole body exercise (intermittent shuttle run) as appose to a stretch shortening exercise and a bout of eccentric exercise on the elbow flexors (Skurvydas et al 2006; Eston and Peters 1999). As well as artificially changing participants body temperature or muscle temperature with water immersion or ice / heat packs, studies have examined the effects of passively changing bodies temperature and the effect it has on neuromuscular performance. Morrison, S., Sleivert, G. G., and Cheung, S. (2004) determined if passive hyperthermia impairs maximal voluntary isometric contraction and voluntary activation. Participants quadriceps femoris muscle group was measured for neuromuscular performance, then a submaximal running pace, which was maintained for 20 30 minutes took place in an environmental chamber with an ambient air temperature of ~35 °C. At intervals of 0.5 °C, from 37.5 to 39.5 °C of core temperature, subjects performed a 10 second maximal isometric knee extension, and then during skin cooling back down from 39.5 to 37.5 °C of core temperature Results showed that MVC was significantly influenced by passive heating and decreased significantly to the end of passiv e heating. When the skin cooling was introduced there was no significant change in MVC until the end of the protocol when body core temperature had returned to normal. This shows the primary thermal input causing hyperthermia induced fatigue, when the skin was rapidly cooled by 8 °C and core temperature held stable at 39.5 °C, there was no recovery of MVC. Ranatunga et al (1987) claims isometric force properties are generally not strongly affected by lowering muscle temperature to ~25 °C. Drinkwater and Behm (2007) looked at the effects of 22 °C muscle temperature on voluntary and evoked muscle properties during and after high intensity exercise. Participants performed a series of isometric maximum voluntary contractions of the plantar flexors pre, 1, 5 and 10 minutes after fatigue in both hypothermic and normothermic conditions. In the hypothermic condition, a refrigerating pump circling cold (-3 °C) liquid through a plastic pump was wrapped around the participants leg. Results from the normothermic condition showed a moderate decline in maximal voluntary contraction, but did not show a significant difference between 1 and 5 minutes. Maximal voluntary contraction experienced a significant decrease 1 minute after fatigue in the hypothermic condition, -12%, compared to a -15% in the normothermic condition. There was no significant difference in the recovery of MVC. This supports the findings from Morrison et al (2004) who found no recovery in MVC in a hyperthermic condition. 3 METHOD a) Participants Eleven males {21.4 ( ±1.8) years; 183.5 ( ±6.8) cm; 81.8 ( ±10.2) kg} gave their informed consent to take part in the study, and completed a health screen questionnaire. They each knew that they could cease participation at any given time without providing a reason. Participants had been told not to take part in any strenuous physical exercise 24 hours prior to the experiment taking place. Nottingham Trent University Ethics Committee gave ethical approval. b) Experimental Design Following one habituation session, participants were secured in a supine position in a custom built dynamometer (Gleeson et al. 1995). The experimental design comprised of three treatment conditions: (1) An ice condition that required participants to sit in an ice bath for 10 minutes; (2) a heating condition which required participants to sit in a hot bath for 10 minutes; (3) a control condition were the participant sat on a bench for 10 minutes. The conditions were presented in a random order and separated by at least three days, to prevent any carry over effects. Participants neuromuscular performance (peak force, electromechanical delay) was measured prior to and immediately after each condition, and after a fatigue trial which was performed within each condition. Participants were verbally encouraged during the periods of maximal muscle activation. c) Participant and dynamometer orientation Electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded from the vastus lateralis of the participants dominant leg during maximal contractions. A standardised skin preparation technique was used (Minshull et al.2007) which included shaving of the area, light abrasion with sand paper and alcohol wiped. This yielded inter-electrode impedance of less than 5 kÃŽÂ ©. The mid belly of the vastus lateralis was palpated and two Bipolar surface electrodes (silver-silver, self adhesive, 10 mm diameter) were applied having a 3cm inter-electrode distance, with a reference electrode placed laterally and equidistant to the recording electrodes. The positions of the electrodes were marked on the leg by ink dots and also on a plastic sheet used to identify the exact positions for the electrodes in each test during the experimental period. Electrodes were re placed on the chosen leg once it had been fully immersed in the hot or cold conditions to prevent malfunctioning electrodes. The correct wires were the n attached from the computer onto the electrodes. Participants were strapped in a supine position on the dynamometer using shoulder belts and with their dominant knee flexed passively at 25 ° (0.44 rad) which was held for the duration of the testing. This knee flexion angle is associated with the greatest mechanical strain on key ligaments (Beynnon and Johnson 1996). The hip extension angle was 60 ° and both angles were checked using a goniometer. The lever arm of the dynamometer was moved into the correct position and was attached to the participants with padded ankle cuffs and adjustable strapping. All other body parts were securely fastened with the appropriate straps. Prior to testing, participants were asked to perform a series of warm up muscle activations, consisting of 1x 25, 50, 75 and 95% of subjectively judged maximal voluntary muscle activation (MVMA). Three 100% MVMA were then performed and recorded. Each contraction was held for 3 seconds, with a 10 second rest between each. d) Water bathing The cooling condition required the participants dominant leg to be fully immersed in a cold water bath at 5  ± 1 ° for 10 minutes. The heating condition required the participants leg to be fully immersed in 45  ± 1 ° water for 10 minutes. The temperature of each bath was continually measured using a thermometer, and adjusted accordingly with either added ice, or hot water to keep the water temperature consistent. The water in the bath came up to the participants iliac crest, making sure the whole of the vastus lateralis was immersed. In the control trial, the participant sat on a bench in the same position they would if they were in the bath. e) Fatigue Trial Once the participants exit the ice, heat bath or bench they are strapped in to the dynamometer and electrodes re placed. Three more 100% MVMA were carried out and recorded, lasting 3 seconds each with a 10 second rest between. A fatigue trial was performed, which consisted of a 30 second MVMA of the knee musculature. Finally three more 100% MVMA were carried out. f) Maximal volitional muscle activation Before each condition took place, the participant was required to have full musculature relaxation prior to the test. The experimenter gave a verbal indication of are you ready and within 3 seconds, the signal for the participant to extend their knee as forcefully as possible against the immovable restraint was GO. The muscle activation lasted for 3 seconds. Verbal encouragement was given when the participant was completing the activation so maximal contraction was achieved. A verbal signal being relax was the cue for the subject to withdraw from the force as rapidly as possible. g) Peak Force Peak force was defined as the highest value that the participants obtained during each of the three attempts. The mean of these maximal contractions was used as the value for peak force. h) Electromechanical Delay Electromyography activity was recorded from the vastus lateralis during maximal volitional contractions using bipolar surface electrodes. The onset of electrical activity was defined as the first point at which electrical signals consistently exceeded the 95% confidence limits of the isoelectric line and with the background electrical noise (Minshull et al. 2007). Electromechanical delay (EMD) was defined as the time delay between the onset of electrical activity and the onset of muscle force above 1N. The mean EMD of the three trials within each condition was recorded. i) Statistical data The results collected from the voluntary muscle activations showed the neuromuscular performance of the vastus lateralis. All data was presented as a group mean  ± standard deviation. A fully repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyse time (pre intervention, post intervention, post fatigue) each index of performance (peak force, EMD) under three separate conditions (ice, heat, control). Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) v.15.0. was used to analyse the data. Statistical significance was accepted at pà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤0.05. 4 RESULTS a) Peak Force

The English Civil Wars and Quaker Persecution :: British History Essays

The English Civil Wars and Quaker Persecution The English Civil Wars began originally as a dispute over financial matters between the King of England (Charles I) and Parliament, but the underlying issue of this time, concerned the religion of the nation, which at the time included Scotland, Ireland, and part of North America. The Parliament consisted mostly of Protestant middle-class gentries and merchants. They did not believe in the King’s proposal of religious standardization that he tried to enforce on the entire nation. The proposal was the catalyst for two wars between Scotland and England from years of 1638-1640, as well as a larger divide between the King and Parliament. The events of these years led to a split in the nation over alliances. Those who supported the King were known as Royalists (or Cavaliers). This group was made up of higher-class citizens who respected social organization and solidity, as well as the King’s High Anglican beliefs. The opposing group, the so-called Roundheads, was made up of middle-class citizens who did not support a social hierarchy and were considered Puritans (a derogatory term at the time for radical reformers). By 1647, the English Civil War was under way. The war between Scotland and England raged for the next five years. In 1649 Charles I was eventually convicted of treason and beheaded by the Parliament of England. As the right of the throne of England passed on to Charles II, an idea supported by both Ireland and Scotland, the Royalist English army was decisively defeated by the Roundheads. The monarchy of England was abolished, and a Commonwealth created. It was not until nine years later that Charles II returned from exile and resumed the monarchy of England. During this war, actually driven by economic concerns, many religious radical groups were forming among the Roundheads. One of the most important groups was formed in 1650, and was later dubbed the â€Å"Quakers.† This religious movement held that the presence and grace of God was inside of everyone; they felt no need for elaborate church services, priests, or offerings of any kind.