Chapter 9 Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter 9 Discussion - Essay Example Moral decisions are always required to cater to moral skepticism that haunts all of us in our modern life and moral ideals are virtues that can help us overcome the universal dilemma of right and wrong. However, the issues of right and wrong may not always hold true in different situations. Nevertheless, the moral ideals of honesty, justice and courage are the trinity that can help moral decision-making even when the end or means seem clouded with thoughts of right and wrong. Say for instance, whatever be the situation a person having courage to face the truth can be honest to himself or herself about the true thoughts that are there in his or her mind or he/she can face the truth about the situation honestly with the courage to face it all. Justice can objectively help the person to come to a fair decision where the sense of honesty will always help the person to take the side of truth and not give in to any temptations that are wrong or whatever stands to be wrong in a certain situ ation. The main aim is not to get blinded by passion or personal vengeance or subjective beliefs. Whatever be the situation an honest person will always know what is right or wrong – to support the right side requires the moral ideal of courage and to take a step towards the right decision making takes more than courage – it takes the sense of Justice and impartial and objective decision-making to see the truth and justify it. Without a sense of Justice, which helps to evaluate situation, its merits and demerits, one can fall prey to rash decision-making or one can take up arms against a situation through the sheer impulse of courage, once they know that they are right. However, honesty alone cannot help in objective decision-making that also requires prudence and steeling the will to face the truth, as it may not always be pleasant. Justice is the cornerstone of law and it always imbues in us a kind

Separation of Power in U.S. Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Separation of Power in U.S. Government - Essay Example for the elaboration of the ground rules on which the American state had to be based, that the concentration of all powers in a single pair of hands was not acceptable and could possibly lead to usurpation of power. Thus, the framers of the American Constitution began their work on this monumental document having regard to the above. In 1748, long before the United States of America gained independence in 1776, The Spirit of the Laws, a book written by the Baron de Montesquieu, laid down conditions of separate branches of power with different tasks and responsibilities (Vile, 1967). This doctrine was used by the framers of the American Constitution. In 1786 twelve states of the USA slated 74 delegates who had to participate in the creation of the Constitution. The constitutional process was initiated by the Federal Convention that took place in Philadelphia in December of 1786 and the first half of 1787. Some of the delegates never arrived to Philadelphia to take part in the Convention and put a priority on other issues of state formation. A State of Rhode Island, for instance, did not send its representatives to the Convention taking with a grain of salt the constitutional process per se for some reasons (Carey, 2009). Hence, out of 74 registered delegates only 55 attended the Federal Convention. Those who took active part and contributed greatly to the creation of the Constitution of the United States of America shared the principles of the separation of powers and adhered to this doctrine all the way down. The separation of powers in the American Constitution is based on a simple concept, according to which there must be three independent branches of the government with different functions. Thus, under the Constitution of the USA the government consists of the legislative, executive and judicial branches that have limited functions and balance each other in order to avoid the accumulation of powers within one authority. This concept is one of the cornerstones

Relation between Serum Apelin Level and CAE

Relation between Serum Apelin Level and CAE Decreased Apelin Levels in Isolated Coronary Artery Ectasia M.Zihni Bilik, M.Ata Akal, Halit Acet, Abdulkadir Yaldaz, Murat Yà ¼ksel, Nihat Polat, Mesut Aydan, Mustafa Oylumlu, Sait Alan ,Faruk Ertaâ„ ¢Ã‚ ¹  ¹Department of Cardiology, Medicine Faculty, Dicle University, Diyarbakr, Turkey  Ã‚   Abstract Introduction: Etiopathogenesis of coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is completely unknown. Most of CAE develop with atherosclerosis. Association of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and apelin has been examined in previous studies. In isolated coronary artery ectasia the role of plasma apelin has not been studied yet. Aim: In this study, we investigated the relation between plasma apelin levels and coronary artery ectasia. Material and methods: Study population included totally 54 patients. 26 patients with isolated CAE (53.6 ±8.1 years ); 28 patients as control group with normal coronary arteries (51.6 ± 8.8 years) and with similar risk factors and demographic properties . Apelin levels were measured using an enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) . Results: Apelin levels in CAE group were significantly lower [apelin= 0.116ng/ml (0.086-0.319) ] than those in control group [0.689ng/ml (0.077-1.067) ] (P =0.033).Glucose, creatinine,total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C, HDL-C levels were not significantly different between groups (P >0.05). Conclusions: In this study we showed that patients with isolated CAE have decreased plasma apelin levels. Therefore there may be an association between decreased plasma apelin level and isolated CAE. Key words: apelin, coronary artery ectasia, atherosclerosis Introduction: Apelin is an adipocytokine and endogenous ligand for the angiotensin-like 1 receptor (APJ). The function of apelin is not clear in the cardiovascular system. Apelin may play an opposite role to the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system as a compensatory mechanism. It is reduced in patients with heart failure.[1] Increased apelin expression has been found in coronary vessels, cardiomyocytes, large conduit vessels [2] vascular smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells.[3] Some functions of apelin have been described, such as positive inotropism [4] ,endothelium-dependent vasodilation [5],cardiac contractility,[6] and the reduction of vascular wall inflammation. CAE has been defined as abnormal dilatation of a segment of coronary artery that 1.5 times larger than the diameter of adjacent normal segments of artery.[7] The incidence of CAE has been reported to account for 0.3% to 4.9% in patients underwent coronary angiography. [8] Although the exact mechanisms leading to CAE are not clear up to now, atherothrombosis, endothelial dysfunction and vasculit have been suggested as possible responsible factors. CAE has also been reported in association with various conditions such as congenital coronary anomalies, connective tissue diseases, and vasculitis and failed smooth muscle cells. [9,10] Apelin has a role in endothelium-dependent vasodilation. CAE may dependent to endothelium-dependent vasodilation mechanism. [5] So there may be relation between apelin and CAE. In our knowledge there is not any study in the literature about apelin and CAE. Aim: In this study we aimed to examine the relation between serum apelin level and CAE. Material and methods: Study population included totally 54 patients that were admitted to Cardiology Department of Dicle University. Twenty six patients with isolated CAE ( 53.6 ±8.1 years ) as CAE group and 28 patients as control group with normal coronary arteries that proven angiographically (51.6 ± 8.8 years) with similar risk factors and demographic properties to CAE group were included . Cases who had malignancy, heart failure ,acute coronary syndrome, renal disease, collagen tissue diseases, vasculitis,coronary artery disease were excluded from the study. The study was approved by the Local Ethics Committee and informed consent was obtained from each patient. Study design: All patients underwent detailed physical examination. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight divided by square of height. Clinical laboratory analyses were performed in Dicle University Biochemistry Laboratories (Diyarbakar, Turkey). Biochemical tests were performed by Abbott C16000 (USA) biochemical autoanalyzer with original kits and hematological counts were measured by an automated hematology analyzer (Abbott Cell-Dyn 3700; Abboott Laboratory, Abbott Park, IL) in peripheral venous blood samples . Standart methods were used to measure total and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL),triglycerides and fasting glucose. Serum obtained by centrifuge was stored at −80 °C until analysis for apelin measurement. These were studied at the Biochemistry Laboratory of Dicle University .Apelin levels were measured using an enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) (Phoenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., California,USA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and expressed as ng/ml. Evaluation of coronary artery ectasia by coronary angiography Coronary angiography was routinely performed using the Allura Xper FD10 (Philips, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) through femoral artery by Judkins technique without use of nitroglycerine. The contrast agent was Iopamiro 370 (Bracco, Milan, Italy) that used in all patients. Each angiogram was evaluated concurrently by two interventional cardiologists who were blinded to the study and to each other. Angiographically CAE was accepted when diameter of dilated segment of coronary artery was 1.5 times larger than adjacent normal segments. Statistical analysis Data were analyzed with SPSS software version 18.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc, Chicago, Illinois). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to verify that continuous variables were normally distributed. Continuous variables are listed as mean  ± standard deviation, categorical variables are listed as percentages. The independent sample t-test or Mann-Whitney U test was used for continuous variables and the chi-square test for categorical variables. Statistical significance was defined as p Results: The study was included a total of 54 patients. CAE group included 26 patients with coronary ectasia (mean age 53.6 ±8.1 years) and %73.1 (n=19) of patients were male. Control group included 28 control patients with normal coronary arteries (mean age 51.6 ± 8.8 years) and 64.3% (n =18) of patients were male. There was no difference between two groups regarding basal demographical data (P>0.05). Demographic characteristics of the groups are presented in Table 1. We found apelin levels in CAE group significantly lower [apelin= 0.116ng/ml (0.086-0.319) ] than those in control group [0.689ng/ml (0.077-1.067) ] (P =0.033). Glucose, creatinine,total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C, HDL-C levels were not significantly different between groups (P >0.05). Table 1: Baseline characteristics of the study population Ectasia Grup (n=26) Control Grup (n=28) P value Age (years) 53.6 ±8.1 51.6 ± 8.8 0.38 Male n(% ) 19 (%73.1) 18(%64.3) 0.49 Hypertension n(%) 15 (%58) 12(%43) 0.18 Diabetes Mellitus n(%) 4 (%15) 6 (%21) 0.57 BMI (kg/m ²) 28.1 ± 4 26.7  ±4.2 0.24 Smoking n(%) 13 (%50) 12 (%46) 0.79 Glucose mg/dl 106 ±20 124 ±53 0.1 Creatinine mg/dl 0.86 ±0.2 0.82 ±0.1 0.38 Total cholesterol mg/dl 196 ±47 195 ±37 0.98 LDL mg/dl 128 ±42 113 ±33 0.14 HDL mg/dl 41 ±10 40 ±10 0.92 Triglyseride mg/dl 145 ±77 184 ±115 0.15 Apelin ng/ml 0.116 (0.086-0.319)* 0.689 (0.077-1.067)* 0.033 *Median and interquartile range used. BMI:Body mass index ; LDL: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; HDL: High density lipoprotein cholesterol Figure-1: Comparison of the plasma apelin level between CAE and control group. P=0.033 Discussion : CAE has been defined as abnormal dilatation of a segment of coronary artery that 1.5 times larger than the diameter of adjacent normal segments of artery. [7] The etiology of CAE is not fully understood. Various mechanisms are thought to be the reason of CAE. Approximately a half of CAE is due to atherosclerosis of coronary artery. Atheromatous ulcerations in coronary artery or significant stenosis has been described in patients with ectasia.[11,12] Cardiovascular system is the main target of apelin and its receptor APJ . In regulation of cardiovascular homeostasis, apelin may have an important role.[13] Positive inotropism, vasodilation, decreased blood pressure and diuresis are some effects of apelin on cardiovascular system . Therefore apelin may have an antagonistic effect to the renin-angiotensin-aldosteron system .It is reduced in patients with heart failure.[1] Relation between apelin and coronary artery disease especially atherosclerosis is known. Kadoglou et al. showed that apelin concentrations are lower in CAD patients and it is negatively correlated with severity of CAD. [14]. Additionally, decreased apelin levels are observed in subjects with stable angina. Plasma apelin may have a role in the progression and destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques.[15]. Attenuation of the vessel wall has been shown by Rath et al. in nonatherosclerotic forms of CAE .In their study vessel media degeneration and smooth muscle cell replacement by hyalinized collagen with intact vessel intima has been demonstrated.[16] In the pathogenesis of CAE, loss of the musculoelastic components of the vessel media have an important effect. [12,17] Several factors other than atherosclerosis have a role in development of CAE such as endothelial dysfunction, vasculitis, congenital coronary anomalies, connective tissue diseases [9,10], oxidative stres, vascular smooth muscle proliferation, abnormal collagen synthesis and increased inflammatory response. [18] Li L. et al. showed that apelin have a regulatory effect on proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cell and nitric oxide production.[19] Nitric oxide is a potent vasodilator and plays important roles in protecting the cardiac vascular system against myocardial damage. It inhibits leukocyte adhesion ,platelet aggregation and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. [18] In some studies there was a relation between apelin and nitric oxide. It is demonstrated that in the rat model, myocardial damage significantly reduces by oxidative injury reduction and enhancement of nitric oxide production when rats treated with apelin in postinfarct period.[20] Tatemoto K., et al. reported that apelin may be present in the endothelium and reduce blood pressure via nitric oxide dependent mechanism.[21] Additionally polymorphism in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene has been explored in several studies in patients with CAE. [22] According to this ,impaired nitric oxide dependent vasodilation mechanism may consist to be the reason of ectasia. Malyszko et al. reported that in patients with transplanted kidneys apelin level is correlated with intracellular adhesion molecule, adiponectin and the presence of coronary arery disease in patients with transplanted kidneys. [23] Apelin is a member of adipocytokin like adiponectin. Dagli N. et al. examined a negative correlation between coronary artery ectasia diameter and plasma adiponectin level .[24] Also in our study we obtained similar results that plasma apelin level in isolated CAE patients is significantly lower than in controls. According to recent data adiponectin and apelin have cardioprotective effects . Despite exact mechanism is not clear it seems that, both of them protect vessel from atherosclerosis and ectasia. However, further studies are required to show the role of apelin in development of CAE. Conclusion : In this study we showed that patients with isolated coronary artery ectasia have decreased plasma apelin level compared with normal coronary arteries. According to these data we suggest that apelin may have a role in developing CAE. Limitations of the study Because isolated CAE is rare entity ,the number of cases were limited. our study have a small population. Additionally, it is an important limitation on the part of the study that intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) was not conducted in the diagnosis of patients, as IVUS and autopsy can demonstrate atherosclerotic plaques in a wide area of the vessel lumen in patients whose coro-nary angiography is normal Conflict of Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. References 1.Chandrasekaran B, Dar O, McDonagh T. The role of apelin in cardiovascular function and heart failure. European journal of heart failure 2008;10:725-732 2.Kleinz MJ, Davenport AP. Emerging roles of apelin in biology and medicine. Pharmacology therapeutics 2005;107:198-211 3.Ronkainen VP, Ronkainen JJ, Hanninen SL, et al. Hypoxia inducible factor regulates the cardiac expression and secretion of apelin. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 2007;21:1821-1830 4.Hashimoto T, Kihara M, Ishida J, et al. Apelin stimulates myosin light chain phosphorylation in vascular smooth muscle cells. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 2006;26:1267-1272 5.Malyszko J, Malyszko JS, Pawlak K, Mysliwiec M. Visfatin and apelin, new adipocytokines, and their relation to endothelial function in patients with chronic renal failure. Advances in medical sciences 2008;53:32-36 6.Farkasfalvi K, Stagg MA, Coppen SR, et al. Direct effects of apelin on cardiomyocyte contractility and electrophysiology. Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2007;357:889-895 7.Hartnell GG, Parnell BM, Pridie RB. Coronary artery ectasia. Its prevalence and clinical significance in 4993 patients. British heart journal 1985;54:392-395 8.Yamanaka O, Hobbs RE. Coronary artery anomalies in 126,595 patients undergoing coronary arteriography. Catheterization and cardiovascular diagnosis 1990;21:28-40 9.Seabra-Gomes R, Somerville J, Ross DN, et al. Congenital coronary artery aneurysms. British heart journal 1974;36:329-335 10.Di Mario C, Zanchetta M, Maiolino P. Coronary aneurysms in a case of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Japanese heart journal 1988;29:491-496 11.Cross SJ, Lee HS, Kenmure AC, Jennings KP. Coronary artery ectasia: is it associated with myocardial ischaemia and infarction? Scottish medical journal 1993;38:28-29 12.Befeler B, Aranda MJ, Embi A, et al. Coronary artery aneurysms: study of the etiology, clinical course and effect on left ventricular function and prognosis. The American journal of medicine 1977;62:597-607 13.Lee DK, Cheng R, Nguyen T, et al. Characterization of apelin, the ligand for the APJ receptor. Journal of neurochemistry 2000;74:34-41 14.Kadoglou NP, Lampropoulos S, Kapelouzou A, et al. Serum levels of apelin and ghrelin in patients with acute coronary syndromes and established coronary artery diseaseKOZANI STUDY. Translational research : the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine 2010;155:238-246 15.Li Z, Bai Y, Hu J. Reduced apelin levels in stable angina. Internal medicine 2008;47:1951-1955 16.Rath S, Har-Zahav Y, Battler A, et al. Fate of nonobstructive aneurysmatic coronary artery disease: angiographic and clinical follow-up report. American heart journal 1985;109:785-791 17.Markis JE, Joffe CD, Cohn PF, et al. Clinical significance of coronary arterial ectasia. The American journal of cardiology 1976;37:217-222 18.Calvert JW. Cardioprotective effects of nitrite during exercise. Cardiovascular research 2011;89:499-506 19.Li L, Li L, Xie F, et al. Jagged-1/Notch3 signaling transduction pathway is involved in apelin-13-induced vascular smooth muscle cells proliferation. Acta biochimica et biophysica Sinica 2013;45:875-881 20.Azizi Y, Faghihi M, Imani A, Roghani M, Nazari A. Post-infarct treatment with [Pyr1]-apelin-13 reduces myocardial damage through reduction of oxidative injury and nitric oxide enhancement in the rat model of myocardial infarction. Peptides 2013;46:76-82 21.Tatemoto K, Takayama K, Zou MX, et al. The novel peptide apelin lowers blood pressure via a nitric oxide-dependent mechanism. Regulatory peptides 2001;99:87-92 22.Arif Yalcin A, Faruk Akturk I, Celik O, et al. Coronary Artery Ectasia Is Associated with the c.894G>T (Glu298Asp) Polymorphism of the Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Gene. The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine 2014;232:137-144 23.Malyszko J, Malyszko JS, Pawlak K, Wolczynski S, Mysliwiec M. Apelin, a novel adipocytokine, in relation to endothelial function and inflammation in kidney allograft recipients. Transplantation proceedings 2008;40:3466-3469 24.Dagli N, Ozturk U, Karaca I, et al. Adiponectin levels in coronary artery ectasia. Heart and vessels 2009;24:84-89 Table 1: Baseline characteristics of the study population Grup 1 (n=26) Grup 2 (n=28) P value Age (years) 53.6 ±8.1 51.6 ± 8.8 P>0,05 0,38 Male % 19 (%73,1) 18(%64,3) P>0,05 Hypertension % 15 (%58) 12(%43) P>0,05 Diabetes Mellitus % 4 (%15) 6 (%21) p>0,05 BMI (kg/m ²) 28.1 ± 4 26.7  ±4.2 P>0,05 Smoking % 13 (%50) 12 (%46) P> 0,05 Glucose mg/dl 106 ±20 124 ±53 0.1 Creatinine mg/dl 0,86 ±0,2 0,82 ±0,1 0.38 Total cholesterol mg/dl 196 ±47 195 ±37 0.98 LDL mg/dl 128 ±42 113 ±33 0.14 HDL mg/dl 41 ±10 40 ±10 0.92 Triglyseride mg/dl 145 ±77 184 ±115 0.15

The World of Technical and Professional Writing Essay -- Ethics Morals

The World of Technical and Professional Writing As technical writing grows into a more common discipline, complicated questions concerning ethical standards seem to present themselves more frequently. Much of what is written by a technical writer will need to appeal to individuals of varying situational backgrounds, and in this day of intense political correctness and moral responsibility, it is important to remember the ethical and other cultural issues associated with writing for diverse groups of people. Perhaps the foremost ethical question that presents itself to technical writers revolves around the question â€Å"What makes a piece of writing acceptable to one’s audience?† On the surface, this is a seemingly uncomplicated thought. Unfortunately, however, it is one that few professional writers attempt to answer. This question can be approached by remembering that the ultimate goal of any form of writing is to spark an interest in the reader that will cause she or he to want to follow the writer’s thoughts to the end of the work. One way to ensure that the audience will remain attentive is to refrain from offending those who have expressed a desire to read your words. This issue is largely a matter of ethics and one that can harm or assist one’s career in technical writing. Alienation of one’s audience defeats the purpose of the work that accompanied the research and writing of the text in the first place. If technical writers sim ply exercise empathy and remember a few ethical and commonsensical ideas, they will find themselves far more successful in their chosen field. When examining the ethical issues involved in the rapidly growing field of technical writing, it may be helpful to beg... ...so factors a technical writer should consider, as he or she wants to be certain that what is written comes across to the audience in the spirit in which it was intended. As one can see, ethics are an integral aspect of this field. Their careful observation will certainly help to ensure the dignity of technical writers, as well as the profession itself, for many years to come. Works Cited Anderson, Paul V. â€Å"Simple Gifts: Ethical Issues in the Conduct of Person-Based Composition Research." College Composition and Communication 49.1 (1998): 63-87. Pearsall, Thomas E., Donald H. Cunningham, and Elizabeth O. Smith. How to Write for the World of Work. 6th Ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt, 2000. Pickett, Nell Ann, Ann A. Laster, and Katherine E. Staples. Teaching English: Writing, Reading and Speaking. 8th Ed. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, 2001.

The Marvels of Intellect and Creativity

Several ideas and images sprang to our mind when the name Leonardo da Vinci is mentioned. Most people associate it with famous artworks such as Mona Lisa and The Last Supper while some equate the name to the scholastic concept of the Renaissance man. Numerous accounts demonstrated Leonardo’s contribution in the field of arts and sciences, thus his name become an archetype of a genius. He fascinated the world with his advanced ideas and creative imaginations; moreover, he provided his successors with knowledge and guidelines through his discoveries and achievements. Through his intellect and creativity, Leonardo da Vinci portrayed a significant role in the evolution of modern civilizations. Leonardo da Vinci was born at the dawn of the Renaissance period. The 14th to 16th century was an interesting borderline of the Dark Ages and the Enlightenment Period that inspired Leonardo’s curiosity and observation. The Italian society in his youth was characterized by people with enthusiastic interest in learning and humanism. The concept of humanism during the Renaissance was described by Alfred Burns as â€Å"the growing self-awareness expressed in new styles in art and architecture and in the search for the vanishing intellectual treasures of an idealized classical age† (197). The promotion of humanism and self-awareness brought questions and disagreement in various aspects of society. On the other hand, the pursuance for art and architecture was supported and financed by art patrons, thus ingenious artists were recognized during the Italian Renaissance. One of the recognized advocates of art during the Italian Renaissance was Lorenzo de Medici, who became famous for making Florence a â€Å"community of pleasure† (Taylor 25). Leonardo’s interest in the arts was favored by his time for he was given the opportunity to work with the greatest artists of his era. He worked as an apprentice for Verrocchio and later on he was admitted to be a part of the Guild of Painters (Brown and Rankin 212). His early artworks were commissioned by patrons belonging to religious groups; therefore, it basically consisted of religious icons and commemorative art pieces. The early part of Leonardo’s professional life was spent in Milan, where he worked in the court of Ludovico, duke of Milan. There, he gained extensive experiences and technical skills in designing for the court’s lavish events and occasions. Rachel Taylor used to describe that â€Å"when the wave of Renaissance was crescent in Italy, the powers were five – Florence, Naples, Venice, Rome and Milan – all jealous and splendid† (99). Therefore the city’s excellence also marked Leonardo’s preeminence. During his stay in the court of the duke, he documented his learning and experiences in the field of architecture and engineering by compiling writings and detailed drawings of his designs and ideas. The so-called compilations, which are also referred to as the notebooks and manuscripts, reflected his inquisitive attitude towards the governing principles of matter and knowledge. Aside from Leonardo’s court duties, two of his significant art pieces, the Horse and the Last Supper, were also completed during his stay in the court of Milan. At the fall of the Duke’s power over Milan, Leonardo found his way back to Florence. Not long after this, he worked for Cesare Borgia, a political figure in Italy, as a military architect and engineer (Brown and Rankin 212). Taylor suggested in her book that Cesare’s policies implicated death and violence (350), thus Leonardo considered his return to Florence to work for other patrons. Upon his arrival, he was commissioned to paint the Battle of Anghiari and later on he started working on the famous Mona Lisa. Subsequently, he again visited Milan to work for the French king and according to Brown and Rankin, it was â€Å"a period when he influenced Milanese painting even more than during his early residence there† (212). He moved to Rome and stayed in the Vatican to work for the Pope and later on, he spent his time traveling to various places in Italy. He settled in France, where he spent his last days â€Å"attended by loving friends and at peace, in his chateau of Cloux, near Amboise† (Brown and Rankin 212). The grandeur of Leonardo’s time witnessed the complex transition of the Western civilization. The notion of enlightenment favored and nurtured the formation of Leonardo’s genius, and in return, he endorsed the acknowledgement for man’s potential and power of reason. Various fields of knowledge that benefited from his achievements would include the realms of art, engineering, architecture, mathematics, physics, optics, human anatomy, ornithology and aerodynamics. The Renaissance and its distinguished figures changed and influenced the culture that was formed and influenced by the ancient Greeks and Romans. The society’s classic approach of simply approving or rejecting developing doctrines and customs evolved into a modernistic method that involved analysis and critical thinking. The Enlightenment Period, together with the fame of Humanism, paved the way to scientific revolution. The intellectual reformation is considered as one of the significant events in our history for it influenced and provoked the â€Å"general mind to be more and more preoccupied with the larger problems beyond, which the new knowledge has brought fully into view† (Kidd 1). The transformation was a progressive step to a higher form of learning that encompassed the political, social, economic and religious principles of Western civilization. The propagation of self awareness and modern thinking brought positive and negative changes in the economic and social aspects of the Western civilization. The recognition of artists and notable scholars, as depicted by the fame of Leonardo da Vinci, influenced the flow of trade and commerce. In European countries like Italy, cities such as Florence, Milan and Naples flourished. On the other hand, the method of tax collection was implemented to supervise the increase in trade goods. Movements that aimed for learning and education produced interesting theories and assumptions that motivated man’s quest for truth and expansion of his horizons. The Age of Enlightenment recognized critical thinkers who became famous for contemplating and debating about avant-garde ideas (Hudson 21). Scholars and critical thinkers guided and initiated modern discoveries, inventions and innovations that improved the economy of the Western world. Moreover, political and religious controversies also emerged at the advent of scientific and critical thinking. In Europe, several ranks of power emerged in the form of monarchs, spiritual leaders, merchants and tradesmen, scholars and artisans. The period of enlightenment and the succeeding years depicted a sweeping portrayal of political and religious reformation. The concept of religion was separated from politics because of the humanist principle, which differentiate the distinct boundary between human and divine control. Humanist beliefs and principles intensified but were not universally accepted; therefore it was attacked by counter-arguments that justify the role of idealistic and religious attitudes towards politics. These contrasting views and beliefs about politics and its religious connections were highlighted in the works and theories of several Renaissance philosophers. The Age of Enlightenment introduced several Renaissance Men, who individually imparted significant marvels of intellect and creativity. And as stated by William Hudson, it was as if â€Å"their lives opened itself out to them in all its vast and varied possibilities and they were eager to enter into their great heritage† (7). There are several names from the Renaissance Age that surfaced in the course of evolution and transition of the Western civilization, but the fame of Leonardo da Vinci soared higher than the other for he exhibited exceptional qualities and eccentric fancies. The interesting and unique fusion of excellence in two exclusive areas of knowledge – the arts and sciences, was depicted by his accomplishments as a rational scientist and mystical artist. Leonardo’s paintings and art contributions were highly popular but it is interesting to note that â€Å"there only remain six of his authentic paintings, and two of them were unfinished† (qtd. in Brown and Rankin 211). His study of perspective, examination of proportion and analysis of light and shade were fundamentals of innovative and modern arts. Sketches and details of his fascinating interests were accounted in several of his notebooks entrusted at various European libraries and museums. Some of his notes reflected the complex and controversial topic of dissection, which enlightened basic issues concerning human anatomy. He declared various assertions in human proportion, one of these was his citation that â€Å"the span of a man’s outstretched arms is also equal to his height† (qtd in MacCurdy 217). He delved into unacceptable domains of his time by studying human cadavers in order to understand the unknown; moreover, his philosophy and skepticism reflected the rise of scientific thinking from the unexplained. Scientific observations of his surroundings were recorded together with his theoretical assertions and it anchored the essentials for the study of Botany and Geology. His technical experiences in the field of engineering and physics, together with the application of scientific principles contributed to the development of Western technology. Some of these contributions included his experiences in building war engines, works specializing with hydraulics, and discoveries of possible energy sources. He also provided avant-garde theories in mathematics that foretell the discoveries of modern researchers (Brown and Rankin 211). Leonardo portrayed in his manuscripts an intense fervor for aviation, which was primarily influenced by apparent observation of birds. He documented several notes containing his interest with flight and he called it the â€Å"Treatise on Birds† (qtd. in MacCurdy 211), which he divided into four parts. He continued on studying birds consequently influencing the birth of Ornithology; and at the same time, he persisted on propagating ideas about the flying machine thus providing rough beginnings for Aerodynamics. The quest for knowledge in a creative approach delineates Leonardo da Vinci in a civilization situated between the borderline of savagery and enlightenment. His accomplishments in understanding and in attempting to understand the unknown through scientific approach enhanced the basic political and cultural principles influencing a society. His triumph was earned through the synthesis of intellect and creativity, which encompassed the multiplicity of human civilization. Works Cited Brown, Alice V., and William Rankin. A Short History of Italian Painting. London: J.M.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dent & Sons, 1914. Burns, Alfred. The Power of the Written Word: The Role of Literacy in the History of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Western Civilization. New York: Peter Lang, 1989. Hudson, William H. The Story of Renaissance. London: Casell, 1912. Kidd, Benjamin. The Principles of Western Civilization. New York: Macmillan Company,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1902. MacCurdy, Edward. The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci (Volume 1). New York:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reynal & Hitchcock, 1938. Taylor, Rachel A. Leonardo the Florentine: A Study in Personality. London: Richards   Ã‚  Ã‚   Press, 1927.                                                                  

Impact of the European Economic Crisis

What determines whether or not a resource is scarce? Why is the concept of scarcity important to the definition of economics? The determination of whether a resource is scarce is its supply in relation to demand such as land, labor capital and human capital. If there is not sufficient amount of resource to satisfy the demands, then resources are set to be scarce. On the other hand if supply exceeds it demand, then the resource is not scare not only that if the supply of a goods or service is low, the market price will rise, providing there is sufficient demand from consumers. Goods and services that are in plentiful supply will have a lover market value because supply can easily meet the demand from consumer. However there is excess supply in a market, then we can expect to see price fall. The concept of scarcity is because in order to differentiate good in relation to the market, because of the scarcity of resources we need an economic system to determine where and who gets the resources. In capitalism it is the free market system that determines this. In socialism the government owns the resources and determines who gets them. . In the coordinate system of graphs, there are two main relationships between two variables. With the use of numerical examples, describe these two relationships. The two variables is positive means when two variables changes in the same direction and negative means when two variables changes in opposite directions, the relationship is when one variable rises the other variable falls. Positive relations is to say the I need to ex ercise 5 hrs a week to loss 2lbs so the next week I will have to work 10 hrs a week to loss 4lbs and 15 hrs to loss 6lbs so on. Negative is buy 1 CD for $5 and when you by three it is 10 so you will pay $3. 33 for one CD on so on . 3. Why is choice important in economics? What are the costs of choice? Choice is important in economics because of is the scarcity of goods in the marketplace. Scarcity means that goods are limited in the marketplace, and consumers must choose wisely which items they will purchase to meet their needs or wants. Consumers will place an internal value on goods they purchase partly based on the available amount of the good. Scarcer goods will force consumers to purchase these items first, making the economic choice easier for them. Cost choice is the value given up when choosing to purchase one item over another. The item not purchased represents an opportunity cost, the second-best item available, that the consumer lost purchasing a different item. For example you have to buy $100 worth of groceries but you only have 75, so you decide to forgo and buy the necessary basic food item that is needed like bread, milk, water, etc. The Role of Choice in Economics | How. com  http://www. ehow. com/about_5398568_role-choice-economics. html#ixzz1jBKaEUeF