Aardvark Fast Facts

Aardvarks (Orycteropus afer) are known by several common names including antbears and anteaters; they are native to sub-Saharan Africa. The name aardvark is Afrikaans  (a daughter language of Dutch) for earth pig. Despite these common names, aardvarks are not closely related to bears, pigs, or anteaters. Instead, they occupy their own distinct order: Tubulidentata. Fast Facts: Aardvark Scientific Name: Orycteropus aferCommon Names: Aardvark, antbear, anteater, Cape anteaters, earth pigBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: Up to 6.5 feet long, 2 feet at shoulder heightWeight: 110–175 poundsLifespan: 10 yearsDiet:  CarnivoreHabitat: Sub-saharan AfricaPopulation: Not quantifiedConservation Status: Least Concern Description Aardvarks are medium-sized mammals (weighing 110–175 pounds and up to 6.5 feet long) with a bulky body, arched back, medium-length legs, long ears (resembling those of a donkey), a long snout, and a thick tail. They have a sparse coat of coarse grayish brown fur covering their body. Aardvarks have four toes on their front feet and five toes on their rear feet. Each toe has a flat, sturdy nail that they use for digging burrows and tearing into insect nests in search of food. Aardvarks have very thick skin which provides them protection from insect bites and even the bites of predators. Their teeth lack enamel and, as a result, wear down and must regrow continuously—the teeth are tubular and hexagonal in cross-section. Aardvarks have small eyes and their retina only contains rods (this means they are color-blind). Like many nocturnal animals, aardvarks have a keen sense of smell and very good hearing. Their front claws are especially robust, enabling them to dig burrows and break open termite nests with ease. Their long, serpentine tongue (10–12 inches) is sticky and can gather up ants and termites with great efficiency. The classification of the aardvark was controversial at one time. Aardvarks were formerly classified in the same group as  armadillos, sloths, and anteaters. Today, genetic studies have shown that the aardvark is classified in the order called the Tubulidentata (tube-toothed), and the family Orycteropodidae: They are the only animal in either order or family. Shongololo90/Getty Images   Habitat and Range Aardvarks inhabit a variety of habitats including savannas, shrublands, grasslands, and woodlands. Although they once lived in Europe and Asia, today their range extends throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa, every ecosystem except marshes, deserts, and very rock terrains. Bridgena_Barnard/Getty Images   Diet and Behavior Aardvarks forage at night, covering extensive distances (as much as 6 miles per night) in search of food. To find food, they swing their noses from side to side over the ground, trying to detect their prey by scent. They feed almost exclusively on termites and ants and can consume up to 50,000 insects in a single night. They occasionally supplement their diet by feeding on other insects, plant material or the occasional small mammal. Solitary, nocturnal mammals, aardvarks spend the daylight hours safely tucked away inside their borrows and emerge to feed during the late afternoon or early evening. Aardvarks are extraordinarily fast diggers and can excavate a hole 2 feet deep in less than 30 seconds. The main predators of aardvarks include lions, leopards, and pythons. Aardvarks dig three types of burrows in their ranges: relatively shallow foraging burrows, larger temporary shelters to hide from predators and more complex burrows for permanent residence. They share their permanent residences with other creatures but not other aardvarks. Investigation of the residential burrows has shown that compared to the surrounding soil, soil inside the burrow is cooler (between 4 and 18 degrees F cooler depending on the time of day), and moister. The differences remained the same no matter how old the burrow was, leading researchers to name the aardvark an ecological engineer. Reproduction and Offspring Aardvarks reproduce sexually and form pairs only for a short time during the breeding season. Females give birth to one or rarely two cubs after a gestation period of 7–8 months. In northern Africa, Aardvarks give birth from October to November; in the south, from May and July. The young are born with their eyes open. The mother nurses the young until they are 3 months old when they start eating insects. They become independent of their mothers at six months and venture off to find their own territory. Aardvarks become sexually mature at two to three years of age and have lifespans in the wild of about 18 years. Evolutionary History Aardvarks are considered to be living fossils due to their ancient, highly conserved genetic make-up. Scientists believe that todays aardvarks represent one of the most ancient lineages among the placental mammals (Eutheria). Aardvarks are considered to be a primitive form of hoofed mammal, not because of any obvious similarities but instead due to subtle characteristics of their brain, teeth, and musculature. The closest living relatives to the aardvarks include  elephants, hyraxes,  dugongs, manatees, elephant shrews, golden moles, and tenrecs. Together, these mammals form a group known as the Afrotheria. Conservation Status Aardvarks once existed in Europe and Asia but are now only found in sub-Saharan Africa. Their populations are unknown but they are classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and not listed as threatened at all by the ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System. Major identified threats to the aardvark are habitat loss through agriculture, and human and trapping for bush meat. The skin, claws, and teeth are used to make bracelets, charms and curious and some medicinal purposes.  Ã‚   Sources Buss, Peter E., and Leith C. R. Meyer. Chapter 52: Tubulidentata (Aardvark). Fowlers Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine, Volume 8. Eds. Miller, R. Eric and Murray E. Fowler. St. Louis: W.B. Saunders, 2015. 514–16. Print.Gozdziewska-Harlajczuk, Karolina, Joanna Kleckowska-Nawrot, and Karolina Barszcz. Macroscopic and Microscopic Study of the Tongue of the Aardvark (Orycteropus Afer, Orycteropodidae). Tissue and Cell 54 (2018): 127–38. Print.Haussmann, Natalie S., et al. Ecosystem Engineering through Aardvark (Orycteropus Afer) Burrowing: Mechanisms and Effects. Ecological Engineering 118 (2018): 66–72. Print.Ratzloff, Elizabeth. Orycteropus afer (aardvark). Animal Diversity Web, 2011.  Taylor, W. A., P. A. Lindsey, and J. D. Skinner. The Feeding Ecology of the Aardvark Orycteropus Afer. Journal of Arid Environments 50.1 (2002): 135–52. Print.Taylor, A. and T. Lehmann. Orycteropus afer. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T41504A21286437, 2015.

The History of Cheesecake and Cream Cheese

According to anthropologists who have found cheese molds dating back to that period, cheese making can be traced back as far as 2,000 B.C. Cheesecake, however, is believed to have originated in ancient Greece. In fact, a form of cheesecake may have been served to the athletes during the first Olympic Games held in 776 B.C. to give them energy. Greek brides of the era also cooked and served cheesecake to their wedding guests. In The Oxford Companion to Food, editor Alan Davidson notes that cheesecake was mentioned in Marcus Porcius Catos De re Rustica around 200 BCE and that Cato described making his cheese libum (cake) with results very similar to modern cheesecake. The Romans spread the tradition of cheesecake from Greece across Europe. Centuries later, cheesecake appeared in America, with a variety of regional recipes brought over by immigrants. Cream Cheese When Americans think of cheesecake now, its most often associated with a product that has a cream cheese base. Cream cheese was invented in 1872 by American dairyman William Lawrence of Chester, New York, who accidentally stumbled on a method of producing cream cheese while trying to reproduce a French cheese called Neufchà ¢tel. In 1880, Lawrence began distributing his cream cheese in foil wrappers under the auspices of the Empire Cheese Company of South Edmeston, New York, where he manufactured the product. However, you might know it better by the more famous name Lawrence came up with for his not Neufchà ¢tel—Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese. In 1903, the Phoenix Cheese Company bought Lawrences business—and with it, the Philadelphia trademark. In 1928, the brand was bought by the Kraft Cheese Company. James L. Kraft invented pasteurized cheese in 1912, which led to the development of pasteurized Philadelphia Brand cream cheese, currently the most popular cheese used for cheesecake making. Kraft Foods still owns and produces Philadelphia Cream Cheese today. Fast Facts: Cheesecake Favorites Traditional Greek Cheesecake—Most â€Å"traditional† Greek cheesecake is made using ricotta cheese, however, for the real deal, try to find authentic unsalted  anthotyros or myzirtha cheeses which are made with either goat’s or sheep’s milk. Greek cheesecake is usually sweetened with honey. Some recipes incorporate flour directly into the cheese/honey mixture prior to baking, while others employ a crust.Cream Cheese Cheesecake—The cheesecake most Americans grew up with is one or another version of a cream cheese cheesecake. At the bottom of such cheesecakes, you’ll usually find a crust made of crushed Graham crackers or other cookies (Oreos are a top choice for chocolate cheesecakes) that have been blended with butter and tamped into the bottom of a pan or mold. Cheesecakes that rely on a custard base must be baked. (The original New York Cheesecake that hails from Juniors on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn is a baked cheesecake.) However, ther e are scads of recipes that use a blend of other rich ingredients—such as sour cream, Greek yogurt, or heavy cream—that firm up in the refrigerator to create a â€Å"no-bake cheesecake.† Cheesecake is Technically Pie, Not Cake While its called cheesecake because cheesecake is generally unleavened and usually has a crust—whether that crust is baked or not—its is really a form of pie. Most baked cheesecakes use a custard base for filling comprised of milk, eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla or other flavorings. The standard cheesecake recipe has the addition of cream cheese but allows for variations in the type of crust, other flavorings, such as chocolate, and a variety of toppings that range from fruit to nuts to candy. Another misconception about cheesecake is that it has to be sweet. The French classic, quiche, is for all intents and purposes a savory cheesecake. You can find any number of recipes for savory cheese pies from countries across Europe and throughout the United States.

Vampire Academy Chapter 2 Free Essays

TWO MY HATRED NOTWITHSTANDING, I HAD to admit Dimitri Beli-whatever was pretty smart. After they’d carted us off to the airport to and onto the Academy’s private jet, he’d taken one look at the two of us whispering and ordered us separated. â€Å"Don’t let them talk to each other,† he warned the guardian who escorted me to the back of the plane. We will write a custom essay sample on Vampire Academy Chapter 2 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Five minutes together, and they’ll come up with an escape plan.† I shot him a haughty look and stormed off down the aisle. Never mind the fact we had been planning escape. As it was, things didn’t look good for our heroes – or heroines, rather. Once we were in the air, our odds of escape dropped further. Even supposing a miracle occurred and I did manage to take out all ten guardians, we’d sort of have a problem in getting off the plane. I figured they might have parachutes aboard somewhere, but in the unlikely event I’d be able to operate one, there was still that little issue of survival, seeing as we’d probably land somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. No, we weren’t getting off this plane until it landed in backwoods Montana. I’d have to think of something then, something that involved getting past the Academy’s magical wards and ten times as many guardians. Yeah. No problem. Although Lissa sat at the front with the Russian guy, her fear sang back to me, pounding inside my head like a hammer. My concern for her cut into my fury. They couldn’t take her back there, not to that place. I wondered if Dimitri might have hesitated if he could feel what I did and if he knew what I knew. Probably not. He didn’t care. As it was, her emotions grew so strong that for a moment, I had the disorienting sensation of sitting in her seat – in her skin even. It happened sometimes, and without much warning, she’d pull me right into her head. Dimitri’s tall frame sat beside me, and my hand – her hand – gripped a bottle of water. He leaned forward to pick up something, revealing six tiny symbols tattooed on the back of his neck: molnija marks. They looked like two streaks of jagged lightning crossing in an X symbol. One for each Strigoi he’d killed. Above them was a twisting line, sort of like a snake, that marked him as a guardian. The promise mark. Blinking, I fought against her and shifted back into my own head with a grimace. I hated when that happened. Feeling Lissa’s emotions was one thing, but slipping into her was something we both despised. She saw it as an invasion of privacy, so I usually didn’t tell her when it happened. Neither of us could control it. It was another effect of the bond, a bond neither of us fully understood. Legends existed about psychic links between guardians and their Moroi, but the stories had never mentioned anything like this. We fumbled through it as best we could. Near the end of the flight, Dimitri walked back to where I sat and traded places with the guardian beside me. I pointedly turned away, staring out the window absentmindedly Several moments of silence passed. Finally, he said, â€Å"Were you really going to attack all of us?† I didn’t answer. â€Å"Doing that? ­protecting her like that – it was very brave.† He paused. â€Å"Stupid, but still brave. Why did you even try it?† I glanced over at him, brushing my hair out of my face so I could look him levelly in the eye. â€Å"Because I’m her guardian.† I turned back toward the window. After another quiet moment, he stood up and returned to the front of the jet. When we landed, Lissa and I had no choice but to let the commandos drive us out to the Academy. Our car stopped at the gate, and our driver spoke with guards who verified we weren’t Strigoi about to go off on a killing spree. After a minute, they let us pass on through the wards and up to the Academy itself. It was around sunset – the start of the vampiric day – and the campus lay wrapped in shadows. It probably looked the same, sprawling and gothic. The Moroi were big on tradition; nothing ever changed with them. This school wasn’t as old as the ones back in Europe, but it had been built in the same style. The buildings boasted elaborate, almost churchlike architecture, with high peaks and stone carvings. Wrought iron gates enclosed small gardens and doorways here and there. After living on a college campus, I had a new appreciation for just how much this place resembled a university more than a typical high school. We were on the secondary campus, which was divided into lower and upper schools. Each was built around a large open quadrangle decorated with stone paths and enormous, century-old trees. We were going toward the upper school’s quad, which had academic buildings on one side, while dhampir dormitories and the gym sat opposite. Moroi dorms sat on one of the other ends, and opposite them were the administrative buildings that also served the lower school. Younger students lived on the primary campus, farther to the west. Around all the campuses was space, space, and more space. We were in Montana, after all, miles away from any real city. The air felt cool in my lungs and smelled of pine and wet, decaying leaves. Overgrown forests ringed the perimeters of the Academy, and during the day, you could see mountains rising up in the distance. As we walked into the main part of the upper school, I broke from my guardian and ran up to Dimitri. â€Å"Hey, Comrade.† He kept walking and wouldn’t look at me. â€Å"You want to talk now? â€Å"Are you taking us to Kirova?† â€Å"Headmistress Kirova,† he corrected. On the other side of him, Lissa shot me a look that said, Don’t start something. â€Å"Headmistress. Whatever. She’s still a self-righteous old bit – â€Å" My words faded as the guardians led us through a set of doors-straight into the commons. I sighed. Were these people really so cruel? There had to be at least a dozen ways to get to Kirova’s office, and they were taking us right through the center of the commons. And it was breakfast time. Novice guardians – dhampirs like me – and Moroi sat together, eating and socializing, faces alight with whatever current gossip held the Academy’s attention. When we entered, the loud buzz of conversation stopped instantly, like someone had flipped a switch. Hundreds of sets of eyes swiveled toward us. I returned the stares of my former classmates with a lazy grin, trying to get a sense as to whether things had changed. Nope. Didn’t seem like it. Camille Conta still looked like the prim, perfectly groomed bitch I remembered, still the self-appointed leader of the Academy’s royal Moroi cliques. Off to the side, Lissa’s gawky near-cousin Natalie watched with wide eyes, as innocent and na?ve as before. And on the other side of the room? ­well, that was interesting. Aaron. Poor, poor Aaron, who’d no doubt had his heart broken when Lissa left. He still looked as cute as ever – maybe more so now – with those same golden looks that complemented hers so well. His eyes followed her every move. Yes. Definitely not over her. It was sad, really, because Lissa had never really been all that into him. I think she’d gone out with him simply because it seemed like the expected thing to do. But what I found most interesting was that Aaron had apparently found a way to pass the time without her. Beside him, holding his hand, was a Moroi girl who looked about eleven but had to be older, unless he’d become a pedophile during our absence. With plump little cheeks and blond ringlets, she looked like a porcelain doll. A very pissed off and evil porcelain doll. She gripped his hand tightly and shot Lissa a look of such burning hatred that it stunned me. What the hell was that all about? She was no one I knew. Just a jealous girlfriend, I guessed. I’d be pissed too if my guy was watching someone else like that. Our walk of shame mercifully ended, though our new setting – Headmistress Kirova’s office – didn’t really improve things. The old hag looked exactly like I remembered, sharp-nosed and gray-haired. She was tall and slim, like most Moroi, and had always reminded me of a vulture. I knew her well because I’d spent a lot of time in her office. Most of our escorts left us once Lissa and I were seated, and I felt a little less like a prisoner. Only Alberta, the captain of the school’s guardians, and Dimitri stayed. They took up positions along the wall, looking stoic and terrifying, just as their job description required. Kirova fixed her angry eyes on us and opened her mouth to begin what would no doubt be a major bitch session. A deep, gentle voice stopped her. â€Å"Vasilisa.† Startled, I realized there was someone else in the room. I hadn’t noticed. Careless for a guardian, even a novice one. With a great deal of effort, Victor Dashkov rose from a corner chair. Prince Victor Dashkov. Lissa sprang up and ran to him, throwing her arms around his frail body. â€Å"Uncle,† she whispered. She sounded on the verge of tears as she tightened her grip. With a small smile, he gently patted her back. â€Å"You have no idea how glad I am to see you safe, Vasilisa.† He looked toward me. â€Å"And you too, Rose.† I nodded back, trying to hide how shocked I was. He’d been sick when we left, but this – this was horrible. He was Natalie’s father, only about forty or so, but he looked twice that age. Pale. Withered. Hands shaking. My heart broke watching him. With all the horrible people in the world, it didn’t seem fair that this guy should get a disease that was going to kill him young and ultimately keep him from becoming king. Although not technically her uncle – the Moroi used family terms very loosely, especially the royals – Victor was a close friend of Lissa’s family and had gone out of his way to help her after her parents had died. I liked him; he was the first person I was happy to see here. Kirova let them have a few more moments and then stiffly drew Lissa back to her seat. Time for the lecture. It was a good one – one of Kirova’s best, which was saying something. She was a master at them. I swear that was the only reason she’d gone into school administration, because I had yet to see any evidence of her actually liking kids. The rant covered the usual topics: responsibility reckless behavior, self-centeredness? ­Bleh. I immediately found myself spacing out, alternatively pondering the logistics of escaping through the window in her office. But when the tirade shifted to me – well, that was when I tuned back in. â€Å"You, Miss Hathaway, broke the most sacred promise among our kind: the promise of a guardian to protect a Moroi. It is a great trust. A trust that you violated by selfishly taking the princess away from here. The Strigoi would love to finish off the Dragomirs; you nearly enabled them to do it.† â€Å"Rose didn’t kidnap me.† Lissa spoke before I could, her voice and face calm, despite her uneasy feelings. â€Å"I wanted to go. Don’t blame her.† Ms. Kirova tsked at us both and paced the office, hands folded behind her narrow back. â€Å"Miss Dragomir, you could have been the one who orchestrated the entire plan for all I know, but it was still her responsibility to make sure you didn’t carry it out. If she’d done her duty, she would have notified someone. If she’d done her duty, she would have kept you safe.† I snapped. â€Å"I did do my duty!† I shouted, jumping up from my chair. Dimitri and Alberta both flinched but left me alone since I wasn’t trying to hit anyone. Yet. â€Å"I did keep her safe! I kept her safe when none of you† – I made a sweeping gesture around the room – â€Å"could do it. I took her away to protect her. I did what I had to do. You certainly weren’t going to.† Through the bond, I felt Lissa trying to send me calming messages, again urging me not to let anger get the best of me. Too late. Kirova stared at me, her face blank. â€Å"Miss Hathaway, forgive me if I fail to see the logic of how taking her out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting her. Unless there’s something you aren’t telling us?† I bit my lip. â€Å"I see. Well, then. By my estimation, the only reason you left – aside from the novelty of it, no doubt – was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled just before your disappearance.† â€Å"No, that’s not – â€Å" â€Å"And that only makes my decision that much easier. As a Moroi, the princess must continue on here at the Academy for her own safety, but we have no such obligations to you. You will be sent away as soon as possible.† My cockiness dried up. â€Å"I? ­what?† Lissa stood up beside me. â€Å"You can’t do that! She’s my guardian.† â€Å"She is no such thing, particularly since she isn’t even a guardian at all. She’s still a novice.† â€Å"But my parents – â€Å" â€Å"I know what your parents wanted, God rest their souls, but things have changed. Miss Hathaway is expendable. She doesn’t deserve to be a guardian, and she will leave.† I stared at Kirova, unable to believe what I was hearing. â€Å"Where are you going to send me? To my mom in Nepal? Did she even know I was gone? Or maybe you’ll send me off to my father?† Her eyes narrowed at the bite in that last word. When I spoke again, my voice was so cold, I barely recognized it. â€Å"Or maybe you’re going to try to send me off to be a blood whore. Try that, and we’ll be gone by the end of the day.† â€Å"Miss Hathaway,† she hissed, â€Å"you are out of line.† â€Å"They have a bond.† Dimitri’s low, accented voice broke the heavy tension, and we all turned toward him. I think Kirova had forgotten he was there, but I hadn’t. His presence was way too powerful to ignore. He still stood against the wall, looking like some sort of cowboy sentry in that ridiculous long coat of his. He looked at me, not Lissa, his dark eyes staring straight through me. â€Å"Rose knows what Vasilisa is feeling. Don’t you?† I at least had the satisfaction of seeing Kirova caught off guard as she glanced between us and Dimitri. â€Å"No? ­that’s impossible. That hasn’t happened in centuries.† â€Å"It’s obvious,† he said. â€Å"I suspected as soon as I started watching them.† Neither Lissa nor I responded, and I averted my eyes from his. â€Å"That is a gift,† murmured Victor from his corner. â€Å"A rare and wonderful thing.† â€Å"The best guardians always had that bond,† added Dimitri. â€Å"In the stories.† Kirova’s outrage returned. â€Å"Stories that are centuries old,† she exclaimed. â€Å"Surely you aren’t suggesting we let her stay at the Academy after everything she’s done?† He shrugged. â€Å"She might be wild and disrespectful, but if she has potential – â€Å" â€Å"Wild and disrespectful?† I interrupted. â€Å"Who the hell are you anyway? Outsourced help?† â€Å"Guardian Belikov is the princess’s guardian now,† said Kirova. â€Å"Her sanctioned guardian.† â€Å"You got cheap foreign labor to protect Lissa?† That was pretty mean of me to say – particularly since most Moroi and their guardians were of Russian or Romanian descent – but the comment seemed cleverer at the time than it really was. And it wasn’t like I was one to talk. I might have been raised in the U.S., but my parents were foreign-born. My dhampir mother was Scottish – red-haired, with a ridiculous accent – and I’d been told my Moroi dad was Turkish. That genetic combination had given me skin the same color as the inside of an almond, along with what I liked to think were semi-exotic desert-princess features: big dark eyes and hair so deep brown that it usually looked black. I wouldn’t have minded inheriting the red hair, but we take what we get. Kirova threw her hands up in exasperation and turned to him. â€Å"You see? Completely undisciplined! All the psychic bonds and very raw potential in the world can’t make up for that. A guardian without discipline is worse than no guardian.† â€Å"So teach her discipline. Classes just started. Put her back in and get her training again.† â€Å"Impossible. She’ll still be hopelessly behind her peers.† â€Å"No, I won’t,† I argued. No one listened to me. â€Å"Then give her extra training sessions,† he said. They continued on while the rest of us watched the exchange like it was a Ping-Pong game. My pride was still hurt over the ease with which Dimitri had tricked us, but it occurred to me that he might very well keep me here with Lissa. Better to stay at this hellhole than be without her. Through our bond, I could feel her trickle of hope. â€Å"Who’s going to put in the extra time?† demanded Kirova. â€Å"You?† Dimitri’s argument came to an abrupt stop. â€Å"Well, that’s not what I – â€Å" Kirova crossed her arms with satisfaction. â€Å"Yes. That’s what I thought.† Clearly at a loss, he frowned. His eyes flicked toward Lissa and me, and I wondered what he saw. Two pathetic girls, looking at him with big, pleading eyes? Or two runaways who’d broken out of a high-security school and swiped half of Lissa’s inheritance? â€Å"Yes,† he said finally. â€Å"I can mentor Rose. I’ll give her extra sessions along with her normal ones.† â€Å"And then what?† retorted Kirova angrily. â€Å"She goes unpunished?† â€Å"Find some other way to punish her,† answered Dimitri. â€Å"Guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl, in particular.† His unspoken words made me shudder, reminding me of my earlier statement about â€Å"blood whores.† Few dhampir girls became guardians anymore. Victor suddenly spoke up from his corner. â€Å"I’m inclined to agree with Guardian Belikov. Sending Rose away would be a shame, a waste of talent.† Ms. Kirova stared out her window. It was completely black outside. With the Academy’s nocturnal schedule, morning and afternoon were relative terms. That, and they kept the windows tinted to block out excess light. When she turned back around, Lissa met her eyes. â€Å"Please, Ms. Kirova. Let Rose stay.† Oh, Lissa, I thought. Be careful. Using compulsion on another Moroi was dangerous – particularly in front of witnesses. But Lissa was only using a tiny bit, and we needed all the help we could get. Fortunately, no one seemed to realize what was happening. I don’t even know if the compulsion made a difference, but finally, Kirova sighed. â€Å"If Miss Hathaway stays, here’s how it will be.† She turned to me. â€Å"Your continued enrollment at St. Vladimir’s is strictly probationary. Step out of line once, and you’re gone. You will attend all classes and required trainings for novices your age. You will also train with Guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have – before and after classes. Other than that, you are banned from all social activities, except meals, and will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this, and you will be sent? ­away.† I gave a harsh laugh. â€Å"Banned from all social activities? Are you trying to keep us apart?† I nodded toward Lissa. â€Å"Afraid we’ll run away again?† â€Å"I’m taking precautions. As I’m sure you recall, you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for.† Her thin lips tightened into a straight line. â€Å"You are being offered a very generous deal. I suggest you don’t let your attitude endanger it.† I started to say it wasn’t generous at all, but then I caught Dimitri’s gaze. It was hard to read. He might have been telling me he believed in me. He might have been telling me I was an idiot to keep fighting with Kirova. I didn’t know. Looking away from him for the second time during the meeting, I stared at the floor, conscious of Lissa beside me and her own encouragement burning in our bond. At long last, I exhaled and glanced back up at the headmistress. â€Å"Fine. I accept.† How to cite Vampire Academy Chapter 2, Essay examples

History of Sexually Transmitted Diseases free essay sample

Transmitted Diseases, or commonly known as STDs, are the most common diseases known to man and it is one of the largest growing issues not only in the United States of America but around the globe. Sexually transmitted diseases are primarily spread through sexual contact from individual to individual, whether it is oral, vaginal, or anal sex. It can also be passed on by skin to skin contact such as through skin lesions, sores, sharing needles, or even by wearing the same clothing or lying in the same bedding as the individual who might have it. There are two different types of STDs, viral or viruses which are non-living and need a host to survive, this group includes Herpes and AIDS. Another type of STD is bacterial, with examples such as Chlamydia, Syphillis, and Gonorrhea. In this essay, I will be exploring the history of these sexually transmitted diseases. Herpes Cases of Herpes had been documented as early as in fact, the name Herpes was taken from the ancient Greek language. Hippocrates is known to have described the cutaneous spreading of herpes simplex lesions and scholars of Greek civilization define thegreek word herpes to mean to creep or crawl in reference the spreading nature of the herpetic skin lesions. † (Siegel, 2007) Although Herpes virus was identified in 1919, early civilizations realized that it was a real problem to society ancient Roman Emperor Tiberius introduced a ban on kissing at public events to try and curb the spread. Even British playwright William Shakespear wrote about the disease. In Romeo and Juliet, he writes Queen Mab to say Oer ladies lips, who straight on kisses dream, which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are. One common belief in the ancient times was that the disease was caused by insect bites, which seems like an obvious explanation given the sores that the Herpes virus creates. Not much is known about early attempts to treat the disease, but physician Celsus experimental phase: he advocated that the sores be cauterised with a hot iron. It was not until 1893 when Vidal recognized that human transmission of Herpes was from one individual to another. And in 1919, Lowenstein confirmed experimentally the infectious nature of HSV. Before this time, people were unsure that herpes was a virus – in fact, many considered it to be like other common skin conditions, such as eczema, which cannot be transmitted. In the 1920s and 1930s, the natural history of HSV was widely studied and it was found that HSV not only infects the skin, but also the central nervous system. Herpes is certainly not just a modern phenomenon, it has been around for a while and unfortunately, unless a cure is found, it will continue to exist. Syphilis How syphilis was passed to nearly every corner of the globe is a trek that is still hotly debated today. It seems that nobody can agree on when and where this tiny bacteria began to dig out its own niche in human history. For centuries, many scholars and physicians tried to convince an audience that syphilis originated in either the Old World, the New World, or in both places independently. They have concluded that there are two major theories on the origin of syphilis, the â€Å"pre-Columbian theory†, and the â€Å"Columbian Exchange theory†. It is generally agreed upon by historians and anthropologists that syphilis was present among the indigenous peoples of the Americas before Europeans discovered the New World. However, whether strains of syphilis were present in the entire world for millennia, or if the disease was confined to the Americas in the pre-Columbian era, is debated. Many scholars believe syphilis was a New World disease brought back by Christopher Columbus. â€Å" In the work Tractado contra el mal serpentino written in 1510 and published in 1539, Ruy Diaz de Isla refers to have cured, during the travel of return in Europe, many members of the shipment of Columbus, ffections from certain luetic manifestations and thinks the new disease was imported from Hispaniola† (Di Cicco, 2008) The rapidly spreading disease was given several names, such as the â€Å"French disease,† after invading French soldiers either brought the infection to Italy or caught it from the Spanish mercenaries who fought along side them. The modern name was coined in 1530 by the Italian physician and writer Girolamo Fracastoro, who made poetic reference to a mythic Greek shepherd, Syphilus, who was cursed by the god Apollo with a dread disease. The â€Å"pre-Columbian theory† claims that syphilis was present in Europe before the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus. Scholars from the 1700-1800’s believed the symptoms described by Hippocrates in Classical Greece were Syphilis in its tertiary form. There have been skeletal findings in Europe where the remnants seem to be damaged by syphilis though interpretation of this evidence has been disputed. â€Å"There are other suspected syphilis findings for pre-contact Europe, including at a 13–14th century Augustinian friary in the northeastern English port of Kingston upon Hull. This citys maritime history, with its continual arrival of sailors from distant places, is thought to have been a key factor in the transmission of syphilis. † (Keys, 2000) Although folklore claimed that syphilis was unknown in Europe until the return of the diseased sailors of the Columbian voyages, Mercury was the remedy of choice for syphilis in pre-industrial Europe the understanding of the sexually transmitted diseases routes and this treatment gave birth to the expression: A night in the arms of Venus leads to a lifetime on Mercury. As syphilis became better understood, the ability to cure it increased. In 1908, the arsenic based drug Salvarsan was developed and, while not 100% effective, was a massive step forward. Its lack of effectiveness in the tertiary phase led to malaria being used as a cure, since it seemed that those with high fevers could be cured of syphilis, malaria was used to induce an initial fever, which was considered an acceptable risk because malaria could be treated with quinine. Penicillin eventually confined both these treatments to syphilis history. Gonnorhea The etymology of gonorrhea comes from the Greek words gono† which means seed and rrhea meaning to flow. This can be attributed to the flow of discharge from the penis caused by gonorrhea in men, and confusing this discharge of puss with semen. With the confusion, Gonorrhea was often mistaken for Syphilis in the Middle Ages, as without a microscope, the two had very similar symptoms. Of course, if one was diagnosed with Gonorrhea, one would be treated with Mercury or have the affected region causterized. â€Å"John Hunter championed its treatment with mercury and cauterization. He included his findings in his Treatise on the Venereal Disease, first issued in 1786. (Hoffman, 1818) Because of Hunter’s reputation, knowledge concerning the true nature of gonorrhea and syphilis was retarded, and it was not until many years later that his theory was proved to be wrong. It was not until 1879 when Albert Neisser discovered the cause of gonorrhea is a micro-organism. â€Å"After much laboratory work by many investigators, Albert Neisser on July 12, 1879, described a micrococcus that he stated was the cause of gonorrhea†¦ He later demonstrated these micrococci was without a doubt a separate disease (from syphilis) and was caused by the gonococcus. While continental bacteriologists in numbers speedily published reports confirming the observations by Neisser, it was not for several years after the event until progress was made in America. By the 19th century, silver nitrate was a widely used drug. Colloidal silver replaced silver nitrate, and was widely used until penicillin came to the rescue in the 1944. HIV/AIDS AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Acquired means that the disease is not hereditary but develops after birth from contact with a disease-causing agent (in this case, HIV). Immunodeficiency means that the disease is characterized by a weakening of the immune system. Syndrome refers to a group of symptoms that collectively indicate or characterize a disease. In the case of AIDS this can include the development of certain infections and/or cancers, as well as a decrease in the number of certain cells in a persons immune system. Although many believe that AIDS has been around since as early as 1959 the first recorded case was in 1981. There was a lot of confusion on what the real deal with it was. People didnt have much of a grasp on where it came from, the effects on the persons body that it caused, how it was transmitted to others, and if in fact there was any possible way to cure the deadly disease. The dominant feature of this first period was silence, for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was unknown and transmission was not accompanied by signs or symptoms salient enough to be noticed. While rare, sporadic case reports of AIDS and sero-archaeological studies have documented human infections with HIV prior to 1970, available data suggest that the current pandemic started in the mid- to late 1970s. By 1980, HIV had spread to at least five continents (North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Australia). During this period of silence, spread was unchecked by awareness or any preventive action and approximately 100,000-300,000 persons may have been infected. (Mann, 1989) Given the evidence we have already looked at, it seems highly likely that Africa was indeed the continent where the transfer of HIV to humans first occurred. Researchers concluded that the chimpanzees found in West Africa were highly likely the origin of the pandemic.