Compare airline and railway in China Case Study

Compare airline and railway in China - Case Study Example The following economic analysis of China Railway transport and Aircraft Industry provides a detailed comparison of the two sectors (Zhang and Anming, 130). These coverage of analyses logically vary from HSR to China Aircraft Industry, these tends to wrap the construction costs of transport projects, maintenance and operation costs of related transport services, direct user benefits mostly time and cost savings, and a limited externalities such as congestions, overcrowding, transport safety impacts and emissions (Chou, Jui-Sheng, and Changwan, 6954). Regarding High-Speed Train locally the benefits related to the use of HSR outlays the cost thus it’s more convenient in China (Cheng and Yung-Hsiang, 56). Compared with China Airline Industry the High-Speed Train is more beneficial to the domestic market as compared to the international market (Cheng and Yung-Hsiang, 56). However, internationally China Airline Industry is benefits outlay the costs of using High-Speed Train, which is not implemented in many countries. It measures the intensity of market access that the various industries have at a particular location. It is because firms currently interact not only with domestic firms who happen to be immediate competitors, but also to an increasing degree with firms in more and more isolated locations, the economic mass of a city is given by the sum of the extent of market size (Cheng and Yung-Hsiang, 56). Therefore, economic mass is the extent of overall market access, or the efficient economic size of town or city. High-Speed Rail in China has a huge domestic market as compared to the China Airline Industry (Campos, Javier, and Gines, 22). It is contributed, by the large, middle-class citizens in who use rail compared to the wealthy who uses airline transport. These are by principle measured in terms of jobs created for every location. In addition, these jobs are related to the overall economic output at every location though

Telling the Truth - Atonement + Poems Essay Example for Free

Telling the Truth Atonement + Poems Essay The concept of telling the truth is a complex idea. The truth can vary based on an individual’s perspective and may be distorted by experience and misunderstanding. It is a creeping assumption of the modern world that there are things more important that the truth. The truth may also be covered up because it is difficult for people to cope with. These ideas are explored in Joe Wright’s film Atonement and the Poems ‘Homecoming’ by Bruce Dawe and ‘Mirror’ by Sylvia Plath. All texts are post modernism texts. In Joe Wright’s film Atonement the idea of the truth depends on an individual’s perspective is explored. The truth is many-sided and everyone’s perception of what they believe to be the truth may be different. In the fountain scene it expresses how Briony and Cecilia’s perspective are completely opposite yet they both saw the series of events that took place. The window acts as a barrier to Briony understanding of the truth. Robbie’s stance and the way Cecilia is standing after she jumps out of the fountain makes Cecilia look vulnerable. It makes it seems as though Robbie is forcing her to do what he wants. Briony thinks that Robbie has some sort of power of her sister, this is where she starts to think badly of Robbie. This is especially evident when he yells stop and hold out his arm to prevent her from stepping on the bits of vase, but to Briony it just looks forceful. This scene clearly demonstrates how Briony creates a whole different perspective on what was happening down at the fountain in relation to the reality of the situation. Due to Cecilia’s frustration and anger it makes it appear as though she was being forced. The non-diegetic sounds during this scene are effective as they help to create an suspenseful and tense atmosphere. In Briony’s shot there is faint music playing in the background as well as the constant buzz of the bee. In doing this the director has created a sense of suspense to the lead up of Briony seeing too much and having to turn around. Cecilia’s shot on the other hand has no music playing, the director has made it silent except for sound effects such as the splash of the water as she jumps in but there is very little dialogue, the dialogue said has a tone of anger and frustration. The fountain scene it validates that the truth depends on an individual’s perspective and that the truth can be many-faceted. Similarly in, ‘Mirror’ by Sylvia Plath also advocates that there is no right truth as everyone considered the truth to be different to another based on perspective. Sylvia Plath was constrained by societal expectations of gender roles, causing her to lose her identity and youth this influenced the writing of this poem. This poem is from the viewpoint of the mirror with the use of personification. This is evident especially in the use of the mirror â€Å"meditates on† this implies that the mirror which is an inanimate object has the ability to think. The mirror has no preconceptions and doesn’t change what It shows based on its understanding of who you are or what you have done, it just shows the complete truth. When the mirror transforms to a lake which is able to still show reflections like a mirror. Because the woman is looking into a lake and not the mirror, the woman must bend over to see the reflection of her face. Hoping to see something deeper by searching the depths of the lake into the waters below. She also turns to the moonlight and candles to try and see a new reflection. The lake seems upset that the woman is rewarding it for its faithful reflection by becoming more distressed. She shows her distress by physically disturbing the lake similar to Cecilia at the fountain. The woman is unhappy of how she has grown old this is similar to how Briony is unhappy of how she had done as a younger girl. Plath has told the poem from the perspectives of the mirror and the lake instead of from the woman. This is due to the fact that people have different perspectives but the mirror and lake on the other hand has no preconceptions and shows the unchanged truth. In Joe Wright’s film Atonement it suggests that the truth can be difficult to reveal or face. In the bedside scene it expresses how telling the truth can appear to be unsettling and scary for one to face. Briony clearly demonstrates her regret for what she had done in her past and what the result of being sent to war can end up. Watching the soldier die in front of her makes her realise that this could be Robbie and she would have been the one responsible for not only Robbie’s health but the impact that it could have upon her sister and Robbie’s family. When Briony was a child she was raised in a high class family sheltered from the horrific truth of war as she has a sanitised perception. Once she becomes a nurse her eyes are opened to the full impact of what her lie that she had told when she was younger. Briony is told to talk to one of the patients that is in a serious condition, that is unable to speak English. The injured soldier seems to think that he knows Briony but she knows that he is just mistaken her for someone else. When he asks her to loosen the bandages around his head, she loosens them and is faced with the full extent of his wound and gets blood on her face which contributes to her realisation that her perception was completely off and she feels guilty for the mistake she had made in her past. When she walks down the hallway at the hospital and the lights turn on one by one this is a use of imagery symbolising that she is entering a new frame of mind. The director has used suspense building with the reoccurring typewriter non-diegetic track. As the lights come on there is a loud flickering sound this also adds to the effectiveness of the scene making it evident that she is thinking but the flickering is loud enough to disturb her thoughts. The poem â€Å"Homecoming† by Australian anti-war poet Bruce Dawe backs up the idea that the truth can be difficult to deal with by reflecting the concerns of war. In this poem it describes to the reader the tragedies of war, the return of the dead bodies of the soldiers from the Vietnam War and the lack of respect that they received. The title ‘Homecoming’ is ironic as usually a homecoming is heartfelt and joyful but in this the return is related to death, mourning and loss. References to bodies in â€Å"green plastic bags†, shows the lack of individuality that the soldiers received. Although these soldiers have made the crucial sacrifice by giving up their lives, the fact that they got little recognition for this emphasises how war is dehumanising. The lack of full stops express that the war was continuous and that there was no time to stop and relax. Dawe ultimately wants to expose the brutal truth in contrast to what people thought. With the use of imagery throughout, Dawe is able to establish the pointlessness of war and clarifying the misconceptions those may have had on the war. This relates to how Briony in Atonement has the false understanding or knowledge of war, not knowing what she has sent Robbie into. Dawe uses aural and visual poetic techniques and is able to provoke sympathy, by manipulating the audience to reflect upon his own views towards war. Similarly what Briony does in making up the end of the story of her sister and Robbie in how she believed the event of war was, this was until she became a nurse and the real truth of war was unveiled. The concept of telling the truth has been enhanced through the study of the film Atonement and the poems â€Å"Homecoming† and â€Å"Mirror†. Each individual has their own perception on what they believe the truth to be. In Atonement Briony has a different perspective than Cecilia which results in conflict and hiding the truth as she is too scared to face it. â€Å"Homecoming† reflects the idea that people prefer to deny or ignore the truth. ‘Mirror’ and ‘Homecoming’ show that the truth can be frightening or unbearable and therefore difficult to share. This then shows how the truth is dependent on the individual’s perspective.

Late Blight resistant Potatoes by Cisgene Stacking

Late Blight resistant Potatoes by Cisgene Stacking Critical Review: Development of late blight resistant potatoes by cisgene stacking BMC Biotechnology, 2014 Recombinant DNA and Genomics Critical Review of a Scientific Paper Background Food demand from agriculture has never been higher due to the increasing world population. Issues such as climate control and built up overpopulated areas of the world limit the availability and resources to produce crops. The need to enhance the yield of agricultural crops, as well as breed crops with correct traits such as viral resistance to common diseases which can devastate many farmers produce has never been more pressing. As a world population we are a lot more conscious of how we produce are food ethically and need to consider the genetic diversity of crops within agriculture. Over the past century improvements in sequencing technologies has allowed the mapping of the genome more specifically within plant species that are exploited for agriculture around the world. The first commercialised GM food was the Flavr Savr tomato in 1994, and now commonly rice, maize, potato, soybean and many others (Hamilton et al. 2012; Vanburen et al. 2015). Next generation sequencing technologies have allowed us to target the genome sequencing genotypes and identifying specific alleles that express favourable phenotypes to improve crop populations from their wild-type relatives (Lin et al. 2014; Neves et al. 2013). Our understanding of the structure and function of plant genomes within agricultural plant genetic species has fuelled the development novel biotechnologies and approaches to their application for breeding. The isolation of genes that underpin characteristics of interest and how we can target these specific genes and transfer them into new varieties of crops to imp rove yield or enhance genetic disease resistance (He et al. 2014; Gurskin et al. 2012). Until the last decade the focus has been on transgenic plants in agriculture, where isolated genes of interest from unrelated species are transferred into the genome of crop plants. Public acceptance of these crops has been controversial and forced the environmental food safety authority for GM organisms to strictly regulate the commercial use of these crops to protect the environment. Cisgenesis as a natural biotechnology approach that only utilises genes from the same plant or within the same species has tackled some of the associated problems within GM agriculture. Cisgensis was recently under review worldwide from the EFSA to be excluded from the strict regulations set for transgenic produced plants, it was finally defined that cisgenic approach to gene transfers is as safe as traditional breeding techniques (low level risk) (Hunter et al. 2014). Herewith in, the cisgenesis approach to integrating late blight resistant R genes to potato varieties is reviewed as a biotechnology to ol, the ethical advantages it addresses as well as limitations to its application. Outline of methods Aim: To use a cisgenesis approach to introduce two broad spectrum potato late blight R genes, Rpi-sto1 and Rpi-vnt1.1 from the crossable species S. stoloniferum and S. venturii, respectively, into three different potato varieties (Jo et al.2014). Plant materials Three potato varieties where obtained to introduce late blight resistance, a fourth variety potae9 was used as a positive control for its broad spectrum late blight resistance Vector construction Single R gene constructs, Rpi-sto1 and Rpi-vnt1.1 were cloned into a binary vector pBINAW2 (figure 1 below) and were aligned in tandem to form an R gene stack and one marker-free transformation vector. Construct containing both cisgenic late blight R genes (Rpi-vnt1.1 and Rpi-sto1), but lacking the bacterial kanamycin resistance selection marker (NPTII) was transformed to the three selected potato varieties using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Rooted shoots were analysed by PCR for gene transfer products (desired R genes) Potatoes where analysed for morphological changes and late blight resistance in detached leaf assays. Cisgenic events were selected because they showed broad spectrum late blight resistance due to the activity of both introduced R genes. The marker-free transformation was compared to marker-assisted transformation by the addition of kanamycin in terms of T-DNA and vector backbone integration frequencies (Methods as described in Jo et al. 2014). Results/Conclusions of research paper The study successfully introduced an effective cisgenic marker-free transformation strategy into three varieties of potato. The transformed plants expressed two stacked late blight R genes, through the infiltration of agrobacterium effectors proved the R genes functionality. It was also confirmed that marker-free transformation is less prone to vector backbone integration compared to marker-assisted transformation (Jo et al. 2014). According to the recent conclusion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) GMO Panel, cisgenic plants have a low risk level in comparison to transgenic produced plants. Therefore, the potatoes produced in this study, are an environmentally friendly alternative to both controversial transgenic agriculture, as well as the use of chemical agents to treat late blight disease (Jo et al. 2014). Critical Appraisal      Ã‚   Reviewing the cisgenesis approach in recent literature it has been used to engineer viral resistance and enhance favourable traits in different crops (Espinoza et al. 2013; Holme et al. 2013). However, not all crops classiffied as cisgenic fully comply with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for GM plants, as they still contain microbial regulatory sequences/marker genes (Holme et al. 2013). More recently, molecular characterization of true cisgenic apple plants previously produced and expressing the Rvi6 scab resistance genes has been reported in detail (Vanblaere et al. 2014), while new cisgene apples with the same trait have been developed using an alternative recombinase system (Wurdig et al. 2015). In the study by Jo et al. the focus was on marker-free cisgene potato plants expressing late blight resistance genes from Rpi-sto1 and Rpi-vnt1.1, produced by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation using marker-free gene but PCR for the selection of transformed plants. Due to th e activity of both introduced R genes, cisgene plants showing broad-spectrum late blight resistance could be selected (Jo et al. 2014). Cisgenesis relies on the transfer of sequences from the same or related species, therefore, knowledge of specific sequences as well as its position and function in the genome is essential. In the future it is expected this knowledge will accelerate the application of this technology in place of transgenesis. One advantage of cisgenesis approach over more common techniques is reduced duration of selection steps and linkage drag (Hou et al. 2014). Although both transgenesis and cisgenesis use the same genetic modification techniques to introduce genes into plants, cisgenesis introduce only genes of interest from the plant itself or from a crossable species. Therefore, cisgenesis is not any different from traditional breeding and there is no environmental risk as associated with transgenic species. The expression of a foreign gene or suppression of a native genes function allowed the movement of DNA between different species, forcing public perceptions of GMO food as unnatural. Although proved to be a promising tool for the enhancement of crops and economic development, the concern of public acceptance is a major limiting factor (Espinoza et al. 2013). Therefore, cisgenesis may be the future of plant breeding and crop development as it excludes foreign genes and strict regulation by the EFSA for GMO transgenes. Despite considering all the advantages of cisgenic approaches there are limitations to its application. Namely the specific requirement of the regulatory sequences origin as well as the type and size of its constructs. For example, although achieving scab resistance in apples the difference in expression level R genes was dependant on using promoter from the same species or the native promoter of different lengths (Vanblaere et al.2014; Wurdig et al. 2015). Gene expression can also have a lot of variability, through random insertion of cisgenes. Therefore this random introduction of cisgenes into a host genome can be similar to that of transgenes, through loss of functionality of endogenous genes, reverting back to the same ethical issues cisgenesis aims to avoid. Finally, Jo et al. and similar studies report plants produced by cisgenic transformation methods report the integration of vector backbone sequences, therefore the specific number of genes copied and amount of vector backbo ne sequence transferred is an important factor (Vanblaere et al. 2014; Jo et al. 2014). In potato varieties Jo et al. failed to find a difference in vector backbone integration frequencies between different varieties or when marker-assisted only transformations were compared. However, when marker-free and marker-assisted vector backbone integration frequencies were compared, they found that marker-free transformation was associated with less vector backbone integration (Jo et al. 2014). Alternatively now there are new vectors developed containing buffer plant sequences within the backbone that limit the negative affect of unspecific vector backbone integration of cisgenes (Holme et al. 2013). The cisgene stacking method by Jo et al. consisted of two choices to introduce the R gene stack into different potato varieties, marker-assisted transformation or marker-free transformation. By definition cisgenesis excludes marker-assisted transformation since the genes are derived from foreign species (Jo et al. 2014). Recently there have been methods developed to remove selectable marker genes from the genomes of transgene species. One approach exploits a recombinant strategy to extract a marker gene positioned between recombination sites (Zhou et al. 2013). An alternative approach relies on the segregation of independently integrated T-DNAs similar to those shown within the vector in figure 1 (Hou et al. 2014; Jo et al. 2014). However, Jo et al. chose the marker-free transformation via agrobacterium-based methods that utilize a plant-derived transfer DNA and a novel transient selection system to insert only native DNA into potato plants similar to earlier cisgene studies (Jo et a l. 2014; Rommens et al., 2004). An overlooked issue by many experts in within the field is the implications of large scale introduction of transgenic crops containing resistance genes through the exploitation of antibiotic resistance. Many GMOs have a gene which relates to resistance to antibiotics inserted into their genome to serve as a marker. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is already a risk associated with animal agriculture through feed being supplemented with antibiotics, and now antibiotic resistance may be further facilitated by the production of GM crops with these genes integrated in their genome. In potato varieties Jo et al. chose to pursue marker-free transformation of R genes which excluded the use of kanamycin as the marker for gene transfer. However, they also carried out the experiment with kanamycin as a gene marker as a comparison to the effect on vector backbone integration frequencies. Resistance to antibiotics could spread through the use of bacterial genes in the production of transgenic plants, also the genes often remain in the genome with no further use and future transgenic approaches should think about new ways we can remove these genes. It is possible that antibiotic resistance genes will migrate from transgenic plants to bacteria. There is then the possibility that antibiotic resistance bacteria produced from this pipeline could harm future human generations. Therefore, the future focus should remain on cisgenic strategies to GM plants that focus on marker-free transformation technologies. Conclusion Finally, according to the EFSA GMO panel cisgenesis is an environmentally safe approach to introducing new disease resistant genes and quality traits into plants. In different potato varieties it has been successful in the regeneration of light blight resistant potatoes by cisgene stacking, it is quicker to achieve than traditional agriculture and less controversial in the publics perception than transgene GM crops. However, there are limitations in particular the unpredictability of cisgene integration and expression from a biotechnology point of view, but also the impact that may have on its regulatory status and changing public perceptions. In the future cisgene approaches may benefit from being combined with new biotechnologies and GMO techniques, to help reduce the concern with cisgene integration specificity, and develop improved agriculture approaches to disease and crop quality. References      Ã‚   Espinoza, C., R. Schlechter, D. Herrera, E. Torres, A. Serrano, C. Medina, and P. Arce-Johnson, 2013: Cisgenesis and intragenesis: new tools for improving crops. Biol. Res. 46, 323-331. Gruskin, D., 2012: Agbiotech 2.0. Nat. Biotechnol. 30, 211-214. Hamilton, J. P., and C. R. Buell, 2012: Advances in plant genome sequencing. Plant J. 70, 177-190. He, J., X. Zhao, A. Laroche, Z. X. Lu, H. Liu, and Z. Li, 2014: Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), an ultimate marker-assisted selection (MAS) tool to accelerate plant breeding. Front. Plant Sci. 5, 484. Holme, I. B., T. Wendt, and P. B. Holm, 2013: Intragenesis and cisgenesis as alternatives to transgenic crop development. Plant Biotechnol. J. 11, 395-407. Hou H, Atlihan N, Lu ZX. 2014. New biotechnology enhances the application of cisgenesis in plant breeding. Front Plnt Sci. 5: 389. Hunter, P., 2014: Genetically Modified Lite placates public but not activists: new technologies to manipulate plant genomes could help to overcome public concerns about GM crops. EMBO Rep. 15, 138- 141. Jo, K. R., C. J. Kim, S. J. Kim, T. Y. Kim, M. Bergervoet, M. A. Jongsma, R. G. Visser, E. Jacobsen, and J. H. Vossen, 2014: Development of late blight resistant potatoes by cisgene stacking. BMC Biotechnol. 14, 50. VanBuren, 2015: Progress, challenges and the future of crop genomes. Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 24, 71-81. Neves, L. G., J. M. Davis, W. B. Barbazuk, and M. Kirst, 2013: Wholeexome targeted sequencing of the uncharacterized pine genome. Plant J. 75, 146-156. Podevin, N., Y. Devos, H. V. Davies, and K. M. Nielsen, 2012: Transgenic or not? No simple answer! New biotechnology-based plant breeding techniques and the regulatory landscape. EMBO Rep. 13, 1057-1061. Rommens, C. M., J. S. Ye, C. Richael, and K. Swords, 2004: Improving potato storage and processing characteristics through all-native DNA transformation. J. Agric. Food Chem. 54, 9882-9887. Vanblaere, T., I. Szankowski, J. Schaart, H. Schouten, H. Flachowsky, G. A. L. Broggini, and C. Gessler, 2011: The development of a cisgenic apple plant. J. Biotechnol. 154, 304-311. Wurdig, J., H. Flachowsky, A. Saß, A. Peil, and M.-V. Hanke, 2015: Improving resistance of different apple cultivars using the Rvi6 scab resistance gene in a cisgenic approach based on the Flp/FRT recombinase system. Mol. Breeding. 35, 95.

Religion Causes War Essay -- Argumentative, Persuasive Essays

Religion has played a major role in the lives of most cultures whether it is Christian, Islamic, Judaism, or another religious faith, but has it been the leading cause of war throughout history? God refers to sin as being the force that drives the world it provokes conduct involving one’s flesh and mind. Richard Dawkins an evolutionist, and agnostic, states that â€Å"religion causes wars by generating certainty† (Thacker). When he implies certainty in his quote, does he mean that this is a fact he is certain of, or can he provide proper evidence? War and conflict is a characteristic nature of man it was around before religion ever existed and many other factors are the cause of war such as, ethnicity, culture, ideologues, race, class, gender, power, greed, selfishness, revenge, genocide, immigration, government decisions, and SIN these are just a few. Bible scriptures say, â€Å"war is the cause of sin in the world not god† (King James Version, Matt. 15.19). T herefore, the aim is to prove that religion is more of an excuse for war. Then refute that selfishness, greed, and sin caused by human-violence are the primary causes of war. In any culture, war has always been a factor whether it is due to religion, communism, nationalism, militarism, or just down right greed. It is a way for one to have control over something that does not belong to them. Recently there has been an argument circulating around anti-religious beliefs that â€Å"religion has been the cause of more wars and conflicts than any other factor† (Pimentel). This theory is obviously inaccurate and shows no relevance of any proper research done. Religion is based on one’s faith. Faith can be warped into fanaticism, which is bad no matter what form it comes in. It can motivate a ... ...e Christian Science Board of Directors, 1910. 426. Print. Edwards, Will. "Does Religion Cause War?" Weblog post. Personal Development Resources. The Inspiration Blog, 24 Jan. 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. . "Is Religion the Cause of Most Wars?" Bible Questions Answered. Got Questions Ministries, 2002-2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. . Pimentel, Rick. "Is Religion to Blame? Part 2." Philosophy News. Philosophy News, 20 Feb. 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. . Thacker, Justin. Does religion cause war? UCCF: The Christian Unions, Registered Charity number 306137, 9 January 2009. Web. 15 April 2012. The Holy Bible, King James Version. Black Heritage ed. Nashville: Today, 1976. Print.

Discuss The Measures We Can Take to Prevent the Spread of the H1N1 Virus

As we all know, and are aware that, the H1N1 influenza, or the more commonly used name, Swine Flu, has been attacking various citizens throughout the world. This virus is spreading at a steady state and will harm many others unless measures are taken immediately. The world has been under attack from such diseases for an unimaginably long time. There is a long-standing history of viruses, epidemics and plagues blackening our past. Cures have failed; people have died, the major reason being that our ancestors did not take enough preventative measures to oppose the spread of such diseases. However, in today's world, where we have all the privileges a person can dream of, and all sorts of advancements in medical technology, we have a responsibility to make the best use of this awareness and use it to our fullest advantage. In 2005, people were frightened to go to poultry markets for fears of catching Avian Flu, or H1N3, and many precautionary measures were taken to eradicate that virus. With much struggle, we were finally successful. The same sort of preventative measures need to be taken with H1N1. This being a viral disease, in can be transmitted from one person to the next almost instantly. The consumption of pork should be minimized or completely stopped for the time being, in order to aid the prevention of the virus spreading. However, this is also an airborne, contagious virus, so the government should urge medical and pharmaceutical companies to produce a preventative vaccine. Everyone in the country must be inoculated no matter what the side effect are, as long as we eradicate the virus and stop it spreading. Schools should educate and inform children of the dangers of avoiding the use of preventative measures and should give special classes on cleanliness/hygiene and how to dispose correctly of used tissues, for example. These classes should be especially targeted towards children below the age of twelve, as they are more susceptible to the virus than adolescents. As individuals, we all have a duty to one another. We must be aware of the symptoms of this virus, which are a high temperature, a mucus-filled cough, drooping eyelids, weakness up to the point of fatigue, and sometimes diarrhea and/or vomiting. If we spot a fellow classmate or anyone in a public area such as a mall or shopping market demonstrating any of these symptoms, we must inform the school nurse or ask for assistance in the public area immediately and without the slightest delay. This should not be neglected at all. These people deserve the opportunity for treatment as soon as possible. In school, we should ask our senior staff members to make sure there are hand sanitizers available in every corridor and soap in all the bathrooms, so that we may have clean hands at all times. Extra care should be taken to maintain the sanitation and hygiene of the school bathrooms. Also, everyone must keep a bag of antiseptic wipes in their backpack for times when hand sanitizer is unavailable. This will dramatically reduce the risk on infection and will greatly enhance the safety of the pupils and staff alike. This may seem like a lot of effort but to protect our health, and possibly our lives, these measures are extremely essential. Together, we will be able to prevent, or at least minimize, the spread of the H1N1 virus, so that we may live our lives healthily, and without fear.

Biography of Hernando Pizarro - Hernan Pizarro Profile

Biography of Hernando Pizarro - Hernan Pizarro Profile Biography of Hernando Pizarro: Hernando Pizarro (ca. 1495-1578) was a Spanish conquistador and the brother of Francisco Pizarro. Hernando was one of five Pizarro brothers to journey to Peru in 1530, where they led the conquest of the mighty Inca Empire. Hernando was his brother Franciscos most important lieutenant and as such received a huge share of the profits from the conquest. After the conquest, he took part in the civil wars among the conquistadors and personally defeated and executed Diego de Almagro, for which he was later imprisoned in Spain. He was the only of the Pizarro brothers to reach old age, as the rest were executed, murdered or died on the battlefield. Journey to the New World: Hernando Pizarro was born sometime around 1495 in Extremadura, Spain, one of the children of Gonzalo Pizarro and Ines de Vargas: Hernando was the only legitimate Pizarro brother. When his elder brother Francisco returned to Spain in 1528 looking to recruit men for an expedition of conquest, Hernando swiftly joined up, along with his brothers Gonzalo and Juan and their illegitimate half-brother Francisco Martà ­n de Alcntara. Francisco had already made a name for himself in the New World and was one of the leading Spanish citizens of Panama: nevertheless, he dreamed of making a huge score like Hernn Cortà ©s had done in Mexico. The Capture of the Inca: The Pizarro brothers returned to the Americas, organized an expedition and departed from Panama in December of 1530. They disembarked on what is today the coast of Ecuador and began working their way south from there, all the while finding signs of a rich, powerful culture in the area. In November of 1532, they made their way inland to the town of Cajamarca, where the Spaniards caught a lucky break. The ruler of the Inca Empire, Atahualpa, had just defeated his brother Huascar in an Inca civil war and was in Cajamarca. The Spaniards persuaded Atahualpa to grant them an audience, where they betrayed and captured him on November 16, killing many of his men and servants in the process. The Temple of Pachacamac: With Atahualpa captive, the Spanish set out to loot the wealthy Inca Empire. Atahualpa agreed to an extravagant ransom, filling rooms in Cajamarca with gold and silver: natives from all over the Empire began bringing treasure by the ton. By now, Hernando was his brothers most trusted lieutenant: other lieutenants included Hernando de Soto and Sebastin de Benalczar. The Spaniards began to hear tales of great wealth at the Temple of Pachacamac, located not far from present-day Lima. Francisco Pizarro gave the job of finding it to Hernando: it took him and a handful of horsemen three weeks to get there and they were disappointed to find that there was not much gold in the temple. On the way back, Hernando convinced Chalcuchima, one of Atahualpas top generals, to accompany him back to Cajamarca: Chalcuchima was captured, ending a major threat to the Spanish. First Trip Back to Spain: By June of 1533, the Spaniards had acquired a massive fortune in gold and silver unlike anything seen before or since. The Spanish crown always took one fifth of all treasure found by conquistadors, so the Pizarros had to get a fortune halfway around the world. Hernando Pizarro was entrusted with the task. He left on June 13, 1533 and arrived in Spain on January 9, 1534. He was personally received by King Charles V, who awarded generous concessions to the Pizarro brothers. Some of the treasure had not yet been melted down and some original Inca artworks were put on public display for a while. Hernando recruited more conquistadors – an easy thing to do – and returned to Peru. The Civil Wars: Hernando continued to be his brothers most loyal supporter in the years that followed. The Pizarro brothers had a nasty falling-out with Diego de Almagro, who had been a major partner in the first expedition, over the division of loot and land. A civil war broke out between their supporters. In April of 1537, Almagro captured Cuzco and with it Hernando and Gonzalo Pizarro. Gonzalo escaped and Hernando was later released as part of negotiations to end the fighting. Once again, Francisco turned to Hernando, giving him a large force of Spanish conquistadors to defeat Almagro. At the Battle of Salinas on April 26, 1538, Hernando defeated Almagro and his supporters. After a hasty trial, Hernando shocked all of Spanish Peru by executing Almagro on July 8, 1538. Second Trip Back to Spain: In early 1539, Hernando once again departed for Spain in charge of a fortune in gold and silver for the crown. He didnt know it, but he would not return to Peru. When he arrived in Spain, supporters of Diego de Almagro convinced the King to imprison Hernando at la Mota castle in Medina del Campo. Meanwhile, Juan Pizarro had died in battle in 1536, and Francisco Pizarro and Francisco Martà ­n de Alcntara were murdered in Lima in 1541. When Gonzalo Pizarro was executed for treason against the Spanish crown in 1548, Hernando, still in prison, became the last surviving of the five brothers. Marriage and Retirement: Hernando lived like a prince in his prison: he was allowed to collect the rents from his considerable estates in Peru and people were free to come and see him. He even kept a longtime mistress. Hernando, who was executor of his brother Francisco’s will, kept most of the loot by marrying his own niece Francisca, Francisco’s only surviving child: they had five children. King Phillip II released Hernando in May of 1561: he had been imprisoned over 20 years. He and Francisca moved to the city of Trujillo, where he built a magnificent palace: today it is a museum. He died in 1578. Legacy of Hernando Pizarro: Hernando was an important figure in two major historical events in Peru: the conquest of the Inca Empire and the brutal civil wars among the greedy conquistadors that followed. As his brother Franciscos trusted right-hand man, Hernando helped the Pizarros become the most powerful family in the New World by 1540. He was considered the friendliest and most smooth-talking of the Pizarros: for this reason he was sent to the Spanish court to secure privileges for the Pizarro clan. He also tended to have better relationships with the native Peruvians than his brothers did: Manco Inca, a puppet ruler installed by the Spanish, trusted Hernando Pizarro, although he despised Gonzalo and Juan Pizarro. Later, in the the civil wars among the conquistadors, Hernando won the crucial victory against Diego de Almagro, thus defeating the greatest enemy of the Pizarro family. His execution of Almagro was probably ill-advised - the king had raised Almagro to nobleman status. Hernando paid for it, spending the best years of the rest of his life in prison. The Pizarro brothers are not remembered fondly in Peru: the fact that Hernando was probably the least cruel of the lot isnt saying much. The only statue of Hernando is a bust that he commissioned himself for his palace in Trujillo, Spain. Sources: Hemming, John. The Conquest of the Inca London: Pan Books, 2004 (original 1970). Patterson, Thomas C. The Inca Empire: The Formation and Disintegration of a Pre-Capitalist State.New York: Berg Publishers, 1991.