Year zhzhizni Review Essay Example

Year zhzhizni Review Paper Essay on Year zhzhizni This book is not very common. It has thought and life sometimes plain, sometimes not very. And she has a special format the book contains recordings already published author before in a very popular today live journal. Youve probably already guessed that the writers name Eugene Grishkovets. And the title of the book -. Year zhzhizni » Previously, the creativity of the author is not interested in me. Although friends and colleagues told me about a lot of Grishkovtsa and exceptionally good. Nevertheless, all the time I walked past the shelves with his books, but one still picked up the Year of Life, when looking for what to read. The book immediately interested. Than? Easy language presentation and interesting, and most importantly a true story. But the decisive factor for the purchase has become a form of presentation can not pass the product in form of a diary. I bought. And gladly spent a few evenings in the company Grishkovtsa. Some of his ideas were very in tune with mine. First I undertook to write, but then decided to choose only two, and then it would be too much. For example, I have exactly the same opinion about the cartoon Wali. She looked happy and not trying to delve into the content. We will write a custom essay sample on Year zhzhizni Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Year zhzhizni Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Year zhzhizni Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer And yet, for some reason, very memorable event in the theater when the man at the time of the play was bad, and his companion was not even going to help him. However, Evgeny Grishkovets saw it, stopped the performance, and the man called an ambulance. It turns out that during the performance the artists often see whats going on in the hall. After reading about the life of Eugene Grishkovtsa interested and creativity. Be sure to read any of his works, but later. Perhaps, the Year zhzhizni to be continued Finally, one little story to this topic. When I bought this book and showed my sister, saying that it published record of a famous actor and writer Yevgeny Grishkovtsa Learn it I asked a very simple question that I could not answer: If the recording is on the Internet, why did you buy the book? ..

Liberalism a political thoery... essays

Liberalism a political thoery... essays Liberalism is a political theory that maintains the rationality of human nature. Assuming that humans are reasonable and freethinking should be given the opportunity to fulfil their economic potential. Liberalism rational view on human nature lends itself to the economic theory of capitalism. In this essay I will attempt to prove the veracity of this statement. Firstly, Liberalism allows young entrepreneurs to start their own business, but that includes many taxes. Capitalism also allows entrepreneurs to start their own business, but with as little interference as possible. In both political theorys we are free to have control on our life, though liberalism favors the help of government in ones life for economic or health issues, (social insurance, welfare) capitalism on the other hand lets you be in TOTAL control of your life, lending you no help. Both governments supply matters of law. Secondly, Both these political ideologies favor the profit motive. Were you can start your own business at your risks. But in the case of liberalism you can have a bankruptcy protection plan supplied to you by the government. Thirdly, The laws of supply and demand are the same for both ideologies; the producer offers a price, while the consumers try bargaining the price for their own good. The more customers want, the more you have to produce and you are free to do this without a quota. Fourthly, Both government theories have sub-divisions for each sector for example: health, education, foreign affairs etc. These divisions are made so that the power is divided within the government so that the power is not given to one individual in particular. In both theorys you have a right to elect each and every member of government. Leaving much room so that the voices of the people can be heard. Finally to conclude, Liberalism and Capitalism both share common points in theory. Weather it is the way government is divided,...

Let 90s Nostalgia Rock Your Content Marketing

Let 90s Nostalgia Rock Your Content Marketing New research shows that we are more likely to spend money when were feeling nostalgic. According to the Journal of Consumer Research: Consumers that were asked to think about the past were willing to pay more for a set of products than consumers asked to think about new or future memories. Did that get your attention? Interesting results, but thats not all. Another study showed an increased willingness to give more money to others after recalling, reflecting, or writing about a nostalgic past life event. This got me thinking – how does this nostalgia effect influence your content marketing? Are readers more likely to share your content when they are feeling nostalgic? Will  they be more likely to convert? Will they be more likely to buy your product or service? The evidence seems to indicate that they  might. The first step to applying this to your content marketing is to understand what nostalgia is in the first place. What Is Nostalgia? Technically, the term  nostalgia  describes a  particular sentimentality towards  a former experience. In simpler terms, it is a positive reflection  of the past, and a powerful one at that. Nostalgia is generally  triggered by some sort of  cue  from the past. This  sentimentality is then  associated with  a period or place with happy personal memories. The term itself  was coined by a 17th-century medical student as a way to describe the anxieties displayed by  Swiss  mercenaries fighting away from home. In later years, as science has learned more about the phenomena, nostalgia  has been  widely considered  an independent and even positive emotion that people experience often. There are four commonly understood functions of nostalgia. They include, improve mood, increase social connectedness, enhance positive self-regard, and provide existential meaning. This is where things really start to get interesting for marketers. Improve Mood Nostalgia has often been found to increase one’s mood and heighten positive emotions. This reaction seems to stem from feelings of warmth or coping resulting from nostalgic reflections. In essence, the presence of nostalgic emotions give us a method for coping with things that could hinder our own happiness. This natural coping method instinctively seems to improve our mood and function. Increase Social Connectedness Interestingly, nostalgia also seems to increase our sense of social connectedness. This is a very important factor for the use of nostalgia in modern marketing. In essence, nostalgia is  triggered by a feeling of  loneliness, but counteracts such feelings with reflections of close relationships. Enhance Positive Self-Regard Nostalgia can also help us feel better about ourselves.  Researchers  found that subjects who thought of nostalgic memories showed more positive characteristics than those who thought of exciting future experiences. This research also revealed that a lack nostalgic experiences reflected a pattern of selfish and self-centered behavior. As nostalgic experiences were introduced, so was the positive  behavior. Provide Existential Meaning You may be surprised to learn that  nostalgia also helps increase one’s self-esteem and meaning in life. It does this by removing  threats to our well-being, and also by initiating a desire to deal with problems or stress.  Studies  have  found that nostalgia correlates positively with one’s sense of meaning in life. Nostalgia is a known way to boost peoples mood. It allows people to live (and re-live) something familiar,  something  they remember, a positive emotional experience. –  Gabriel Trionfi (Pinterests  user experience researcher) Nostalgia is a powerful neuropsychiatric force that  can frequently becoming a  driving force for our behavior.  Its effects can be seen in who we select to marry (we frequently marry spouses with characteristics reminiscent of those of our parents), and  our adoption of political affiliations (we may become  Democrats, Republicans, or even racists simply because our parents were). So, if it can effect these major life decisions, certainly it can also affect our purchasing and consuming behavior. And that is where nostalgia comes in for  a  content marketing pro life yourself. Examples Of  Nostalgia In Internet Marketing One of the best examples of nostalgia in internet culture is the popular photo-sharing service Instagram. These user-shared photos are soaked in nostalgia. Reminiscent of photos from old Polaroid cameras,  the photos  are frequently  wrapped in a white border. In addition, by allowing users to select from a variety of filters (including some with labels  like  1970), users are able to re-create the faded and worn appearance that is recognizable from  photos of the past. Instagram fosters a huge sense of nostalgia. Blogger David Yoon calls this fake nostalgia, and he certainly has a point – it is manufactured. But Instagrams features still do a great job of highlighting the power of nostalgia. In his piece, David points out that  our  digital photographs have lost the nostalgic feel because they did not age like more traditional photographs.   This is a good point, and it helps us understand the rise in popularity of tools like Instagram. While Instagrams nostalgia is purely manufactured, it is a harkening back to the good old days  of photography and obviously brings with it some powerful emotions. We have to wonder: would Instagram have been as popular without the throwback? Well never know, but the theory is certainly worth considering. One place we can see this theory come to light is with something called throwback Thursday, the  popular internet  practice of posting an old photo, thought, or idea on social media. Originally made popular on Instagram itself,  #TBT is now a practice that is used across the web as a way to reminisce and remember the past. It is nostalgia in action. In recent months, Facebook has also started feeding our nostalgic urges. This February, as it celebrated its  own  10 year anniversary, Facebook gave its  users the opportunity to watch a video of their history on Facebook. The short videos contained  Ã‚  15 or so of the  users  most-liked photos, statuses, and life events set to a catchy tune. While a  bit cheesy, these videos  are a great example of nostalgia in action, and reminder of the cultural significance of sites like Facebook. Other services like Timehop, have embraced the power of nostalgia in a similar way.  Promising to be a time capsule of you, Timehop allows users to see their  photos and updates from an  exact day in history (usually a year prior). Timehop promises to help you celebrate the best moments of the past with your friends. Nostalgia much? Traditional brands have been long-aware of the power of nostalgia. Recently, General Mills  went retro with several of their major cereal brands, a practice already proven to be popular by other brands like Pepsi and Mountain Dew with their throwback product line.  Krafts Macaroni Cheese line also introduced a bit of 90s nostalgia recently by bringing their product, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Vanilla Ice to the same stage. The results were fairly, nostalgic, to say the least. So, nostalgia is not necessarily a new marketing tactic, but in content marketing, I think it is often left unexplored. Can it work? Thats the question we need to ask ourselves now. How To Take Advantage of Nostalgia In Content Marketing Before we get too far, we need to set some ground rules. The folks over at Scripted have cleverly identified three conditions that should be met  before  we try to  use nostalgia in our content marketing. They are: We  must consider our  target market’s age range in order to choose a time era that demographic can identify with. We  have to choose an event, style, etc. that invokes positive memories and a sense of trust. The chosen era or event should invoke the emotions that we want  people to associate with our  brand. In other words, dont go harkening back to the roaring twenties (and expect a nostalgic reaction) if your audience is primarily comprised of skater-kids that were popping zits in the 90s. Take for example Krafts placement of Vanilla Ice and the  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. These are both throwbacks to my early days as youth. I clearly remember being in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fan club and I  know for sure that I owned a Vanilla Ice cassette tape at some point. These are both fond memories now that I am in my 30s. Not only that, but I am also the parent of three small children. I am a prime target for Kraft Macaroni Cheese. Well played Kraft, well played. If you dont  align your marketing and your audience properly, you are fighting an uphill battle already. Nostalgia only works if it is actually nostalgic for your readers. So,  if you dont know the demographic of your readers, you can do some digging in Google Analytics, or complete this short exercise that will help you identify your audience. Nostalgia only works in #contentmarketing if your content is  actually nostalgic for your readers.5 Ways To Apply Nostalgia To Our Content Marketing So you may be thinking that  this nostalgia thing sounds great, but I havent really provided any conclusive methods for introducing it to your content marketing. I am glad you brought it up. While this is by no means a conclusive list, here are 5 quick ideas that Ive found for applying nostalgia to  content marketing. #1: Weave Nostalgic  References  Into Your Content Through Storytelling One of the easiest ways to incorporate the effects of nostalgia is through the art of storytelling and reference. Our own content creator, Julie Neidlinger, wrote a post a few years back bringing together the art of content marketing and the beloved mix tape of the 80s. In this type of post, the nostalgic reference is merely an element used to engage the reader in the work. It is simple and effective. #2: Add Nostalgic Reminders To Your Visual Elements In many cases, nostalgic elements can be incorporated into the design of page elements, like they were on this post about audience fragmentation from just a few weeks ago. The visual elements on the page harken to a time and idea past, reflecting and fostering a feeling of nostalgia. #3: Interact With Your Audience In A Nostalgic Way Whenever someone becomes a new paying customer of , we love to thank them with a physical notebook that they can use to jot down blog ideas when they are on the go. is a digital product  so this  is somewhat counterintuitive, but it has proven to be a great program. It encourages us and our users to think about the days of old when we used to write thing in places other than the computer. #4: Create Content That Allows Readers To Experience Greater Nostalgia Love them or hate them, Buzzfeed has garnered a great deal of attention by actually allowing us to interact with their own sense of nostalgia. On their site, you will find dozens of (basically meaningless) quizzes that allow us to discover which 90s soundtrack we are, or which Friends character we should hide in our basement. These may be silly, but they are also popular and are shared like crazy on Facebook. â€Å"The quiz is kind of like the broken-down-to-its-core of what BuzzFeed is,† Summer Anne Burton, Buzzfeed’s managing editorial director and the head of its quiz initiative, told Nieman Lab. â€Å"It gives someone something that they can relate to well enough that they can share it with others.† Buzzfeed built a custom template so that its staffers and its community contributors can easily create these identity-focused questionnaires. (source: The Atlantic) #5: Throwback For A day Microsoft has done an excellent job of using throwback nostalgia to improve its brand and reputation. After taking a beating for years with an error-ridden browser, their marketing team began using nostalgia (ironically) to make amends with the web developers that they have offended along the way – even going as far as releasing a throwback version of their website, an idea that will never get old for a generation of web developers who grew up using tables and font tags on this new thing called the world wide web. The Effects Of Nostalgia In Content Marketing Perhaps Don Draper said it best. Nostalgia is powerful, but delicate. Used correctly, though, it can help us accomplish many things – including better content marketing. Teddy told me that in Greek nostalgia literally means, the pain from an old wound. Its a twinge, in your heart. Far more powerful then memory alone. This device isnt a spaceship, its a time machine. It goes backwards, forwards. It takes us to a place, where we ache to go again. Its not called The Wheel. Its called The Carousel. It lets us travel in a way a child travels. Round and round, and then back home again. To a place where we know we are loved. Don Draper   Nostalgia can make users more likely to share. #ContentMarketingJust take a look at Buzzfeeds quiz page, which  now contains  some of the most shared and most  nostalgic  content on an already popular site. Nostalgia can make users more likely to convert. #ContentMarketingIf nostalgia makes visitors more likely to buy, then it is fair to assume that it would also make them more likely to convert as an inbound lead. Maybe its time to incorporate some nostalgia into your inbound process.

Team Effectiveness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Team Effectiveness - Essay Example Companies that utilize teamwork have a greater chance of achieving work synergy. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the topic of team effectiveness and team performance. The video Bridge’s Story – A Teamwork Aniboom Animation tells the story of a rabbit that thought he could survive on his own without the help of the other animals in the forest (Hoang, 2011). Instead of applying teamwork this rabbit was a destructive force to the other members of his habitat. He played with the food of the ants, harassed the birds, and destroyed the bridge the turtle was building for the animals to cross. The rabbit found out when he was drowning in the river that he needed a helping hand. This rabbit realized by working as a team with the other animals he could accomplish more than he ever would as a loner. The second video, The Power of Teamwork, discusses the importance of teamwork by focusing on the work performed by the Blue Angels pilots (Beare, McMillan, 2013). Share values are the foundation of good teamwork. It is imperative for a team to align its mission, vision, and its actions. The team has to be the priority of all members who must sacrifice their self-interest in order to achieve team goals. The use of teamwork must be present at all times within an organization. A good effective leader is able to lead others by example. A good leader identifies each team member’s strength to take advantage of them and improve performance and productivity in the workplace. Trust is an important element of teamwork. Trust can be defined as the belief that someone is good, reliable, honest, and effective (Merriam-webster, 2013). Achieving peak performance should be the objective of all teams. Synergy occurs when common people align their objectives (Beare, et al., 2013). Good communication is also an important factor that leads to team success. Communication in the workplace is of utter importance towards achieving the goals of a company. Managers that wan t for employees to work together as a cohesive team unit must build a bond of trust with the workers by effectively communicating with them. Teamwork without communication does not work. To effectively guide the actions of a team its leader has to maintain the lines of communication open at all times. Improper communication within a team can cause the employees to feel tensions and anxiety (Gluck, 2013). There are different strategies that the person in charge of a team can use to improve communication. For instance programming weekly meetings between the team members to openly discuss any issues anyone is facing is a good way to foster communication. A second strategy that can be used to improve communication within a team is to implement a feedback system. A third way to improve communication in a team is by practicing active listening. Active listening skills can help a person improve their productivity, their ability to listen, persuade, and negotiate with others (Mindtools, 201 3). There are common characteristics that effective teams share. Some of the characteristics of effective teams include common purpose and goals, interested in own processes, continually listen to each other, differences shared freely, identify and resolve conflicts, roles are balanced, trust, and commitment towards performance (Drexel, 2013). Effective teams must work together towards accomplishing common goals. A team member that is not focused on the goals of the team becomes a liability. Team members must

Evaluation of Product; Apple's Macbook Pro Essay

Evaluation of Product; Apple's Macbook Pro - Essay Example On the other hand, outside the manufacturer environment, MacBook Pro is a fast moving product in the market. Consumer Reports ranks MacBook Pro as one of the best laptop computers in the market and a quickly moving product by consumer choice (Rawson). The evaluation of this product in terms of market and consumer setting involves three factors: the users of the product, the environment within which the product is found, and the product itself in terms of satisfying consumer tastes and preferences. The manufacturer-consumer factors and interactions give critical insights into the product in question. The product is designed to suit the end user without difficulty. Although Apple utilizes sophisticated technologies in designing and manufacturing unique and high quality for the market, end user strategies are also implemented. Simplicity in terms of usability and sophistication in terms of manufacturer and functionality are the drives of MacBook Pro. The pricing of the product takes into account the cost of production and the fact that Apple operates on a profit motive. However, due to the utilization of strategic resources and high-tech production processes, the product has affordable prices when it reaches the market (Stanton 147). Locally, regionally, and internationally, the environment within which the product is offered is a competitive one. For this reason, competition becomes vital for successful operations and market performance. The marketing strategies employed by Apple for MacBook Pro seek to address consumer needs. What makes this process different from many other rival firms is the follow-up and consumer feedback programs that Apple runs. The company designs and manufactures products with integrated consumer-based features. The product itself is crucial in the entire evaluation process. MacBook Pro’s ranking against other substitutable products is crucial in accounting for the realized product trends in the various markets where the

Qualitative Tests Used For Carbohydrates Biology Essay

Qualitative Tests Used For Carbohydrates Biology Essay Carbohydrates are an essential component of our diet and an important source of energy for us. Most of the things generally included in our diet have a large ratio of carbohydrates present. Also the patients suffering from Diabetes excrete huge amounts of sugar in their urine which needs to be estimated. The purity of carbohydrates can also be checked by methods which can qualitatively estimate particular sugars. Hence the need for carbohydrate estimation arose. We have been estimating carbohydrates qualitatively since school time but it was just confined to observing a colour change or a coloured precipitate to detect the presence of a carbohydrate. None of us ever thought that these qualitative tests are highly sensitive and provide much more information than just detecting the presence of a sugar. In this study conducted, two qualitative tests used for carbohydrates were studied: Benedicts test and Seliwanoffs test. Benedicts test is a test used for detecting the presence of Reducing Sugars. The test was performed using Glucose which is the most common reducing sugar. Sucrose was used as a negative control. Different concentrations of glucose were tried ranging from 1.6 M to 1.6 mM and from 4% to 0.25%.Also along with concentration the amount of sugar was varied to find the sensitivity limits and the limitations of the test. The result of Benedicts test is usually a brick red precipitate but with some modifications different colours of solutions and different amounts of precipitate could be observed with slight variation in the concentration and amount of sugar. This suggests that this test being Qualitative is not only an indicator of the presence or absence of a reducing sugar but can also be used to roughly estimate the concentration of sugar present. It can be very useful in estimation of the concentration of sugar present in the urine of diabetic patients. Seliwanoffs test is a qualitative test used for distinguishing between Aldoses and ketoses. Ketoses form a cherry red condensation product whereas Aldoses react to form a blue-green condensation product, which may further change to a peach product. The test was performed using fructose as the sample sugar. Various concentrations of Fructose were used ranging from 4% to 0.01% to find the sensitivity limits and the limitations of the test. The test appeared to be sensitive even at 0.01% showing a very faint red colour. There was a huge variation in the intensity of colour obtained at different concentrations of sugar. But the drawback of the test was that the red colour of the solution was not stable. It intensified with increase in the duration of time. 2. INTRODUCTION Carbohydrates are the most abundant bio molecules on Earth. Each year, photosynthesis converts more than 100 billion metric tons of CO2 and H2O into cellulose and other plant products. Certain carbohydrates (sugar and starch) are a dietary staple in most parts of the world, and the oxidation of carbohydrates is the central energy-yielding pathway in most non-photosynthetic cells. Insoluble carbohydrate polymers serve as structural and protective elements in the cell walls of bacteria and plants and in the connective tissues of animals. Other carbohydrate polymers lubricate skeletal joints and participate in recognition and adhesion between cells. More complex carbohydrate polymers covalently attached to proteins or lipids act as signals that determine the intracellular location or metabolic fate of these hybrid molecules, called glycoconjugates. .Carbohydrates are polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones, or substances that yield such compounds on hydrolysis. Many, but not all, carbohydrates have the empirical formula (CH2O)n; some also contain nitrogen, phosphorus, or sulphur. There are three major size classes of carbohydrates: monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides Classification Carbohydrates can be classified on the basis of the various characteristics they possess. They can be classified on the basis of the number of carbon atoms in the sugar chain, the terminal functional group in the chain, the number of sugar subunits and the reducing activity of the sugar units. Depending on various basis they are of several types: A. According to the number of carbon atoms in the sugar chain: 1. Trioses: contain 3 carbon atoms (e.g. glyceraldehyde). 2. Pentoses: contain 5 carbon atoms (e.g. ribose). 3. Hexoses: contain 6 carbon atoms (e.g. glucose). B. According to the terminal functional group in the sugar chain: 1. Aldoses: contain terminal aldehyde group (-CHO) (e.g. glucose). 2. Ketoses: contain terminal ketone group (C=O) (e.g. fructose). C. According to the number of sugar subunits: 1. Monosaccharides: Monosaccharides, or simple sugars, consist of a single polyhydroxy aldehyde or ketone unit. The most abundant monosaccharide in nature is the six-carbon sugar D-glucose, sometimes referred to as dextrose. 2. Oligosaccharides: Consist of short chains of monosaccharide units(2-10) joined by characteristic linkages called glycosidic bonds. The most abundant are disaccharides, with two monosaccharide units. e.g. sucrose (cane sugar), which consists of the six-carbon sugars- D-glucose and D fructose. 3. Polysaccharides: The polysaccharides are sugar polymers containing more than 20 or so monosaccharide units, and some have hundreds or thousands of units. Some polysaccharides, such as cellulose, are linear chains; others such as glycogen, are branched. Both glycogen and cellulose consist of recurring units of D-glucose, but they differ in the type of glycosidic linkage and have different properties and biological roles. . D. According to the reducing activity of the sugar unit: Carbohydrates that can undergo oxidation are called reducing sugars. This depends on the presence of an exposed carbonyl group. 1. Reducing sugars: Certain sugars with a free carbonyl carbon can be oxidized by oxidizing agents such as ferric (Fe3) or cupric (Cu2) ion. The carbonyl carbon (anomeric carbon) is oxidized to a carboxyl group. Such sugars capable of reducing ferric or cupric ion are called Reducing sugars. e.g. lactose, maltose. 2. Non-reducing sugars: Sugars like sucrose contain no free anomeric carbon atom since the anomeric carbons of both monosaccharide units are involved in the formation of glycosidic bond. Therefore it is a Non-Reducing sugar. 2.1 Biochemical Tests for Carbohydrates The biochemical tests for carbohydrates can be divided into two categories: Qualitative Tests- These tests are performed to detect the presence of carbohydrates in a test sample. They are also used to detect the type of carbohydrate present. There are different types of qualitative tests for different types of carbohydrates. e.g. Fehlings and Benedicts test for reducing sugars, Seliwanoffs test for ketoses, Iodines test for starch,Bials test for detecting pentoses etc. They are not very sensitive as compared to quantitative tests and cannot estimate the exact amount of carbohydrates present but show some difference in the observation with variation in the amount of carbohydrate hence, can be used to make a rough estimate of the amount of sugar present. Quantitative Tests- These tests are the advanced form of qualitative tests and can be used to estimate the amount of carbohydrate present in a given sample. These tests use particular chemicals which form coloured complexes with sugars which can then be read at certain wavelengths using a spectrophotometer. Their absorbance can then be used to estimate the exact amount of carbohydrate present in the sample. e.g. Anthrone test, DNS Method, Phenol- Sulphuric Acid Method etc. 2.11 Qualitative Test Flow Chart for classifying an unknown carbohydrate A. Molisch Test Molisch test is used to distinguish between carbohydrates and non- carbohydrates. It is the preliminary test used to detect the presence of carbohydrates in a sample. Principle It uses concentrated sulphuric acid as a Dehydrating acid which dehydrates all carbohydrates to form Furfural or 5-hydroxymethylurfural from reaction of sulphuric acid with pentoses and/or hexoses. These products condense with ÃŽ ±-naphthol to yield a purple condensation product. B. Iodine and Potassium Iodide Test This is a test used particularly to detect starch and glycogen. Starch gives a blue-black colur with potassium iodide whereas glycogen gives reddish-brown colour. Principle Starch contains ÃŽ ±-amylose, a helical saccharide polymer, and amylopectin. Iodine forms a large complex polysaccharide with the ÃŽ ±-amylose helix, producing a blue-black colour. Simple Oligosaccharides and Monosaccharides do not form this complex with Iodine. Thus, the I2/KI test can be used to distinguish starches from other carbohydrates. C. Bials Test Bials test is used to distinguish between pentoses and hexoses. Principle This test uses concentrated hydrochloric acid as the dehydrating acid and orcinol with a trace of iron(III) chloride as the condensation reagent.. Pentoses subjected to the test yield a blue or green condensation product, while hexoses yield a muddy brown to grey condensation product. Pentose Dehydration Product Blue or Green condensation product (Furfural) Hexose Dehydration Product Muddy brown-Grey condensation product (5-hydroxymethylfurfural) D. Seliwanoffs Test Seliwanoffs test is used to distinguish between aldoses and ketoses. Principle This test uses 3N hydrochloric acid as the dehydrating agent as resorcinol as the condensation reagent. When mixed with Seliwanoffs Reagent, Ketopentoses react within 2 minutes to form a cherry red condensation product. Aldopentoses react after 2 minutes to form a blue-green condensation product, which may further change to a peach product. Fructose Hydroxy-methyl Cherry-Red Complex Furfural Identifying Reducing Sugars All mono and disaccharides with a free aldehyde or keto group act as reducing agents in alkaline solutions. The reducing properties of sugars are dependent upon the presence of actual or potential aldehyde or ketone groups. The enolization of sugars under alkaline conditions is an important consideration in reduction tests. The ability of a sugar to reduce alkaline test reagents depends on the availability of an aldehyde or keto group for reduction reactions. A number of sugars, especially disaccharides or polysaccharides have glycosidic linkages which involve bonding between each group, and hence there is no reducing group on the sugar; such as the case for sucrose, trehalose, inulin, glycogen, starch, and dextrin. In the case of reducing sugars, the presence of alkali causes extensive enolization especially at high pH and temperature. This leads to a higher susceptibility to oxidation reactions than at neutral or acidic pH. These sugars, therefore, become potential agents capable of reducing Cu+2 to Cu+, Ag+ to Ag and so forth. Reducing sugars can react with many different oxidizing agents. Fehlings test, Benedicts test and Barfoeds test have been used to distinguish between monosaccharides and disacc harides Monosaccharides fluctuate between a ring open form and a ring closed form. The ketone (-C=O) group, for Fructose and the aldehyde group (-CHO), for Glucose in the ring open forms can be reduced using these tests. Some sugar units in disaccharides also fluctuate between a ring open form and a ring closed form. These disaccharides are also reducing sugars because the ring open form has a ketone or aldehyde to react. Sucrose is one of the few disaccharides that do not have a ring open form so it is a non-reducing sugar.  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ Ring Open Fructose and Ring Closed Fructose Ring Open Glucose and Ring Closed Glucose Reducing Sugars are oxidized by copper (II) ions. Benedicts reagent and Fehlings Reagent are mildly basic solutions whereas Barfoeds Reagent, a mildly acidic solution. The presence of red copper (I) oxide precipitate indicates that the saccharide has reduced the copper (I) ions. E. Fehlings test Principle Fehlings test uses a mixture of fehlings solution A and B. Fehlings solution A consists of copper(II) sulphate dissolved in dilute sulphuric acid. Fehlings solution B is sodium potassium tartarate dissolved in dilute NaOH. Both the solutions are mixed in equal proportions and used as fehlings reagent. This reagent is used as a general test for detecting reducing sugars. A reducing sugar reduce copper(II) ions to copper(I) oxide, forming a red precipitate. CuSO4Cu++ + SO4 2 Cu++  + Cu+ Glucose (Reducing Sugar) Cu+Cu2O (red precipitate) Cuprous Oxide F. Benedicts test Principle Benedicts test uses a mixture of copper(II) sulphate, sodium citrate, and sodium carbonate in a mildly basic solution. This reagent is used as a general test for detecting reducing sugars. A reducing sugar reduce copper(II) ions to copper(I) oxide, forming a red precipitate. CuSO4Cu++ + SO4- (Copper Sulphate) (Cupric Ion) (Sulphate Ion) 2 Cu++  + Cu+ Glucose (Reducing Sugar) Cu+Cu2O (red precipitate) Cuprous Oxide G. Barfoeds Test Benedicts test gives positive test results for all reducing sugars. However, not all reducing sugars react at the same rate. With different oxidizing agents, disaccharides are considerably less reactive compared to monosaccharides. A positive Barfoeds test result is similar to that observed with Benedicts solutions. Monosaccharides give positive Barfoeds test results within 2-3 minutes, while disaccharides do not react under the same conditions. Principle Barfoeds test uses copper(II) ions in a slightly acidic medium. If the reaction time is carefully monitored, this test can be used to distinguish reducing monosaccharides from reducing disaccharides. Reducing disaccharides cause the formation of copper(I) oxide after approximately 10 minutes. (CH3COO) 2Cu + 2H2O 2 CH3COOH + Cu(OH)2 Cu(OH)2 CuO+ H2O 2CuO  +Cu2O (red precipitate)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Glucose) Reducing Sugar 2.12 Quantitative Tests A. Determination of Total Carbohydrate by Anthrone Method Principle Carbohydrates are first hydrolysed into simple sugars using dilute hydrochloric acid. In hot acidic medium glucose is dehydrated to hydroxymethyl furfural. This compound forms with anthrone a green coloured product with an absorption maximum at 630 nm. HCl anthrone Carbohydrate furfural/hydroxymethyfurfural Green product (630 nm) B. Phenol Sulphuric Acid Method for Total Carbohydrate Principle In hot acidic medium carbohydrates are dehydrated to furfural/hydroxymethyl furfural. This forms a green coloured product with phenol and has absorption maximum at 490 nm. H2SO4 phenol Carbohydrate furfural/hydroxymethylfurfural Green product (490 nm) C. Determination of Reducing Sugars by Nelson-Somogyi Method The Nelson-Somogyi method is one of the classical and widely used methods for the quantitative determination of reducing sugars. Principle The reducing sugars when heated with alkaline copper tartarate reduce the copper from the cupric to cuprous state and thus cuprous oxide is formed. When cuprous oxide is treated with Arsenomolybdic acid, the reduction of molybdic acid to molybdenum blue takes place. The blue colour developed is compared with a set of standards in a colorimeter at 620 nm. Cu2O+ Arsenomolybdate Molybdenum Blue (Cuprous Oxide) (500 nm) D. Estimation of Reducing Sugar by Dinitrosalicylic Acid Method This method is an alternative to Nelson-Somogyi method. It is a simple, sensitive and adoptable method during handling of a large number of samples at a time. However,  enzymatic  methods are usually preferred to DNS due to their specificity. Principle 3,5-Dinitrosalicylic acid   is an  aromatic compound  that reacts with reducing sugars to form  3-amino-5-nitrosalicylic acid, which absorbs  light  strongly at 540  nm. 3,5-Dinitrosalicylic acid 3-amino-5-nitrosalicylic acid E. Determination of Glucose by Glucose Oxidase Method Glucose is a widely distributed simple sugar with an active aldehyde group. Estimation of glucose by glucose oxidase gives the true glucose concentration eliminating the interference by other reducing sugars. Principle Glucose oxidase catalyses the oxidation of alpha-D-glucose to D-glucono-1, 5 lactone (gluconic acid) with the formation of hydrogen peroxide. The oxygen liberated from hydrogen peroxide by peroxidase reacts with the O-dianisidine and oxidises it to a red chromophore product. Glucose + O2 H2O2 + Gluconic Acid (glucose oxidase) H 2O2 + O-dianisidine Red-coloured product (peroxidase) (540 nm) 3. MATERIALS REQUIRED I) Stock Solutions Glucose 1.6 M Glucose 4% (w/v) Sucrose 0.1 M Fructose 4% (w/v) II) Reagents Benedicts Reagent Step 1-Dissolve 173 g sodium citrate and 100 g sodium carbonate in about 500 mL water. Step 2-Heat to dissolve the salt Step 3-Dissolve 17.3 g copper sulphate in about 100 mL water and add it to the above solution with stirring and make up the volume to 1 L with water. Seliwanoffs Reagent Dissolve 0.05 gm resorcinol in 3N hydrochloric Acid. III) Miscellaneous Water Bath Test Tubes Clamps Conical Flasks Beakers Containers Test tube holders 4. METHODOLOGY 4.1 Benedicts Test Step 1- Pipette out 1 ml of glucose solution in some test tubes so that there is a triplicate for each set. Step 2- Pipette out 1ml of Distilled Water in one test tube which serves as blank and 1 ml of Sucrose solution (0.1M) in another which serves as a negative control. Step 3- Add 2 ml of Benedicts reagent in all the test tubes. Step 4-Transfer all five tubes to the boiling water bath provided and record the time for the appearance of precipitate. Step5- Make a subjective analysis of the colours observed. A scale of + to +++++ can be used to record the depth of the colour, from lightest to darkest. 4.11 Effect of variation in Carbohydrate Concentration (in M) The concentration of glucose was varied from 1.6 M to 1.6 mM keeping the reaction volume constant to 3 ml. The upper and the lower sensitivity limits and the optimum molar concentration of glucose was found for the test through subjective analysis. 4.12 Effect of Reaction Volume The reaction volume was reduced from 3 ml to 1.5 ml for all the concentrations of glucose ranging from 1.6 M to 1.6 mM to find any difference in the sensitivity range and the optimum molar concentration of glucose for the test. 4.13 Effect of variation in Carbohydrate Concentration (in %) The concentration of glucose was varied from 4% to 0.25%. Also the reaction volume was changed and the analysis was performed in two sets. The volume of reagent used was 5 ml whereas the volume of samples all concentrations in Set A and B were 50ÃŽ ¼l and 25ÃŽ ¼l respectively. 4.14 Effect of variation in Sample Volume The volume of glucose was varied for the same concentrations 4% to 0.25% to see the changes in the colour of solution obtained and at the same time find the upper and lower limits at which the test still remains sensitive. The analysis was performed in 6 sets with the following volumes of glucose: 200ÃŽ ¼l, 100ÃŽ ¼l, 50ÃŽ ¼l, 25ÃŽ ¼l, 12.5ÃŽ ¼l and 6.25ÃŽ ¼l. 4.15 Effect of Reaction Volume on the results obtained. Of the various sets tried 5 ml of Benedicts reagent and 200ÃŽ ¼l of sample gave the best results. To verify the consistency of results obtained the reaction volume was reduced. The analysis was performed in two sets. Set A with 2.5 ml of reagent and 100ÃŽ ¼l of sample and Set B with 1.25 ml of reagent and 50ÃŽ ¼l of sugar sample. 4.2 Seliwanoffs Test Step 1- Pipette out 1 ml of fructose solution in test tubes so that there is a triplicate for each set. Step 2-Pipette out 1ml of Distilled Water in one test tube which serves as blank. Step 3- Add 2 ml of Seliwanoffs reagent in all the test tubes. Step 4-Transfer all tubes to the boiling water bath for 2.5 mins. Step 5- Make a subjective analysis of the colours observed. A scale of + to +++++ can be used to record the depth of the colour, from lightest to darkest. 4.21 Effect of variation in carbohydrate concentration (in %) The concentration of fructose was varied from 4% to 0.015% keeping the reaction volume constant to 3 ml. The upper and the lower sensitivity limits and the optimum concentration of fructose were found for the test through subjective analysis. 5. OBSERVATIONS 5.1 Benedicts Test 5.11 Effect of variation in Carbohydrate Concentration (in M) A brick red precipitate was observed for all the concentrations of sample ranging from 1.6 M to 3.125 mM. But the last concentration of 1.6 mM showed a negligible amount of precipitate. Also once centrifuged the supernatant was found to be colourless for concentrations ranging from 1.6 M to 0.1 M. The supernatant was observed to be blue in concentrations ranging from 50 mm to 1.6 mM. Glucose (M) Colour Intensity 1.6 0.8 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.05 0.02 0.012 0.006 0.003 0.001 +++ ++++ ++++ +++++ ++++++ +++++ ++++ +++ ++ + 5.12 Effect of variation in Reaction Volume A brick red prcipitate was observed for all the concentrations of sample ranging from 1.6 M to 6.25 mM. Concentrations 3.125 mM and 1.5625 mM showed a negligible amount of precipitate. For concentrations 6.25 mM to 0.1 M there was an increase in the amount of precipitate observed with the highest amount formed in 0.1 M of sample. For the next two concentrations i.e. 0.2 M and 0.4 M the amount of precipitate formed was almost equal but again reduced for 0.8 M and 1.6 M glucose sample. Also after centrifugation the supernatant was found to be colourless for concentrations ranging from 1.6 M to 0.1 M. The supernatant was observed to be increasingly blue in concentrations ranging from 50 mm to 1.5625 mM. Glucose (M) Colour Intensity 1.6 0.8 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.05 0.02 0.012 0.006 0.003 0.001 +++ ++++ +++++ +++++ ++++++ ++++ +++ ++ + 5.13 Effect of variation in carbohydrate concentrations (in %) There was a brick red precipitate observed in for all the concentrations of sample ranging from 0.25% to 4% in both the sets. The highest amount of precipitate was observed for 1% sample but there was no consistency in results seen. Glucose (%) Set Set B 4.0 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.25 +++ + ++++ + ++ + +++ 5.14 Effect of variation in Sample Volume There was a variation in the colours obtained at different concentrations and volumes of sugar sample used. But sets with 12.5ÃŽ ¼l and 6.25ÃŽ ¼l of sugar did not show any noticeable changes in colour. Glucose (%) Set A Set B Set C Set D Set E Set F Set B Set C Set D Set E Set F 4.00 2.00 1.00 0.50 0.25 reddish brown brown green greenish blue dull blue brown green greenish blue dull blue green greenish blue dull blue blue blue greenish blue dull blue blue blue blue dull blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue 5.15 Effect of reduction in the reaction volume There was no change in the observations due to reduction in the reaction volume. Glucose (%) Set A Set B 4.0 2.0 1.0 0.5 0.25 reddish brown brown green greenish blue dull blue reddish brown brown green greenish blue dull blue 5.2 Seliwanoffs Test 5.21 Effect of variation in carbohydrate concentration (in %) A cherry red colour is observed for all the concentrations of fructose used but the intensity of colour obtained decreases with decrease in concentration. The lowest concentration used (0.015%) has a faint red colour. Also the colour of the solution intensifies with time if kept after boiling. Fructose (%) Colour Intensity 4.00 2.00 1.00 0.50 0.25 0.12 0.06 0.03 0.01 +++++++++ ++++++++ +++++++ ++++++ +++++ ++++ +++ ++ + 6. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 6.1 Benedicts Test 6.11 Effect of variation in Carbohydrate Concentration (in M) It can be observed that 0.1 M is the optimum concentration of sugar for Benedicts reaction with the reaction volume of 3 ml since the highest amount of precipitate is formed at 0.1 M. Also the supernatant obtained after centrifugation is colourless which suggests that the reaction is completed and there is no unused reagent left. Concentrations less than 0.1 M show decreasing amounts of precipitate and the colour of the supernatant is also increasingly blue. This suggests that as the concentration of sugar is lowered the amount of unreacted Benedicts reagent increases which leaves the solution blue even after the reaction completes. 1.6 mM sugar sample shows a negligible amount of precipitate formation which suggests that the reaction is not sensitive for concentrations lower than 1.6 mM. For concentrations higher than 0.1 M the amount of precipitate formed again decreases with increase in concentration which suggests that the concentration is too high as compared to the amount of reagent used and hence no more precipitate is formed after the reaction completes. 6.12 Effect of variation in Reaction Volume The reaction volume was reduced to half but has no effect on the results of the experiment. 0.1 M is the optimum concentration of sugar for the reaction with the reaction volume of 3 ml since the highest amount of precipitate is formed at 0.1 M. Also the supernatant obtained after centrifugation is colourless which suggests that the reaction is complete and there is no unused reagent left. Concentrations less than 0.1 M show decreasing amounts of precipitate and the colour of the supernatant is also increasingly blue. This suggests that as the concentration of sugar is lowered, the amount of unreacted reagent increases which leaves the solution blue even after the reaction completes. 3mM and 1.6 mM sugar samples show a negligible amount of precipitate formation which suggests that the reaction is not sensitive for concentrations lower than 3 mM with a reaction volume of 1.5 ml. For concentrations higher than 0.1 M, the amount of precipitate formed again decreases with increase in concentration which suggests that the concentration is too high as compared to the amount of reagent used and hence no more precipitate is formed after the reaction completes. 6.13 Effect of variation in carbohydrate concentrations (in %) The highest amount of precipitate was formed in 1% sugar sample but there was no consistency in the observations due to incorrect preparation of reagent. During the preparation of reagent instead of mixing Sodium citrate and Copper Sulphate together in hot water they were dissolved separately and then mixed. Also the solution was not made up to 500 ml with distilled water rather measured amount of water was added to the solution to make it 500 ml which made the solution dilute and hence gave incorrect results. 6.14 Effect of variation in Sample Volume Different volumes of sugar were tried for all the different concentrations. There was a variation in the colours obtained. 200ÃŽ ¼l of sugar reacted with 5 ml of reagent showed maximum variation in colours at different concentrations: Reddish Brown, Brown, Green, Greenish blue and dull blue obtained at 4%, 2%, 1%, 0.5% and 0.25% respectively. Sets with 12.5ÃŽ ¼l and 6.25ÃŽ ¼l of sugar volume did not show any noticeable changes in colour which suggest that the volume of sugar solution was not enough for the reaction to take place. 6.15 Effect of reduction in the reaction volume Reduction in the reaction volume made no difference to the variation in colours obtained at different concentrations of sugar which suggests that Benedicts reagent and glucose can be reacted in this ratio in any volume to estimate the concentration of glucose present in an unknown sample. 6.2 Seliwanoffs Test 6.21 Effect of variation in carbohydrate concentration (in %) A cherry red colour is observed for all the concentrations of Fructose used but the intensity of colour obtained decreases with decrease in concentration. The highest intensity is observed at 4% sugar concentration. 0.015% which is the lowest concentration of sugar used gives a very faint red colour which cannot be taken as pos

Nu Shu – The Women’s Writing of China

Nu Shu, also known as the women's writing of China, was a major part of Chinese women's lives throughout the 20th century. Unlike any other writing, it is the only known hidden written language. Women used Nu Shu as a way to escape from the oppressive outside world and enter into a peaceful state of mind. Life was hard enough for women; it's scary to think how hard Nu Shu was probably the most commonly valued thing for women in China during this time period. It was valued so much because it was used to share women's miseries. China was ruled by men, and women were nothing more than ousewives and sometime field workers. What made it so special was that only women knew about it. It was a written language expressed by songs and stories. Any other language besides Chinese was forbidden by Emperors. Women couldn't use any form of education, so it had to be formed in secret. Having been something only women knew, it was an easy way for them to express their hardships and sufferings. Every woman at that time was going through the same thing, so it was seen as the easiest way for women to let out their feelings. Males dominated society completely, and Nu Shu was the nly true form of power that women had. If it had been leaked to the public, not only would it have been banned, but many women would have been sent to jail and killed if found using it. Women were beaten and abused to the point where a good day in marriage was a day you cried. Marriages were always arranged, and many women didn't even have feelings towards their husbands. They had to put up with the abuse and couldn't complain. At any point in time, a man could tell his wife what to do and when to do it. Women had no say in the government, their marriage, and in everyday society. The only time they could speak freely was when writing in Nu Shu. Their only audience willing to listen was other women, and Nu Shu was the only way to get in touch with other women without anyone finding out. Whether or not Nu Shu was good or bad is often debated. I happen to think it was good for many reasons. Women weren't educated in any way. Nu Shu was the closest thing they had to education. With education comes power, and that was exactly what women needed. In a time when men ruled society, power is everything. While it wasn't power that everyone recognized, it helped women have better mindsets. In a way, it was creating a more equal society for these women. Equal was definitely something the Chinese culture wasn't centered around, but it was something all women strived for one day. It was often believed that Nu Shu taught women to accept their suffering, but I actually think it was the opposite. No women would ever accept that feet binding were okay, or that the beatings from their husbands should be allowed. Instead, they learned how to cope with these struggles. Knowing how to handle yourself in bad times is a very good quality to have. When thrown a curveball in life, instead of sulking about t, the better thing to do is to take a step back and learn how to deal with it. I think that is something people in Western society do well and in the long run made the Chinese women stronger. Unfortunately, the last living person proficient in Nu Shu died several years ago. I think it's a shame that Nu Shu is closer to being extinct. While the actual writing itself may have no significance to anyone in today's world, I think a great lesson can be learned from it. It's fascinating how long women were successful in keeping it a secret, and overall made the Chinese women stronger people.