Monday, February 24, 2020

The chemisrty in onions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The chemisrty in onions - Research Paper Example Some of these acids like the 1-propenesulfenic acid is acted upon by the lachrymatory factor synthase enzyme to produce a volatile gas known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide also referred to as onion lachrymatory factor. The syn-propanethial-S-oxide diffuses in the air and on reaching the eye; a stinging sensation is felt due to its activation on the sensory neurons (Block, 2010). The onion cells contain various different enzymes kept separate and upon cutting, the cells contents become free and mix with the acids kept in the onion forming volatile compounds. In the eye, a reaction occurs between the propanethiole S-oxide and the tears released from the tear glands forming a mild sulphuric acid stimulating rapid release of tears which in turn makes the situation more worse. The alliinase enzyme is responsible for breaking down onions compounds into unstable intermediates which either change into thiosulfinate or lachrymatory factor. Thiosulfinate is responsible for the distinct flavor and odor from the onions as well as converted into sulfur compounds that benefit the body by lowering the cholesterol levels, acting as anti-blood clotting, anti-asthma, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory. Research has confirmed that only one specific enzyme is responsible of causing the formation of the lachrymatory factor hence inhibiting it will stop crying and on the long run increase the thiosulfinate compounds yield. Several strategies ranging from laboratory research to local imaginations have been employed towards the production of tear free onions or the prevention of the lachrymatory factor from reaching the eyes by neutralizing it in the air. To start with, the New Zealand Crop and Food Research together with the Japan House Food Corporation in 2008 developed tear free onions aiming at less reaction and irritation to the eyes. The new variety, taste and look like the regular onions but the action of lachrymatory factor synthase enzyme is lowered through genetic alteration. Th e modification has been engineered through the production of genetically modified foods that have been said to contain the desired nutrients. Research refills that if onions are grown on sulfur deficient soils, the creation of lachrymatory factor and other sulfur compounds is reduced and sweet flavor enhanced. This is in relation to Vidalia; a brand of sweet onions (Imani, 2002). The local methods used in a daily basis include: Chopping onions while chewing gum. Though the method is not as certain to the expected results, less crying is evident but the coordination between keeping on chewing the gum as you cut the onions is tricky. At the end of it, less tears come out besides high levels of irritation. It has been found to be an easy and convenient method to use (Walter, 2006). The use of goggles is gaining popularity as it gives painless results. The goggles protect the eyes from the volatile gas hence no tears or stinging. They are easy and convenient to be used though it is an a dded cost and their tight grip causes uncomfortable moments (Dille, 1996). Another method fruitfully used is that of freezing the onions in the freezer for about 15 minutes before chopping. The temperature in the freezer is very low to an extent of inhibiting the onions from releasing chemicals that irritate the eyes. It is painless, no tears and irritation. The

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Watergate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Watergate - Essay Example Finally, faced by a revolt from within his own party, he chose to step down. How did it come to this? The answer lay in the Watergate hotel complex and the break-in of the Democratic National Committee's headquarters there. The actions undertaken by Nixon and his lieutenants with regards to that event were unacceptable to Americans (Liebovich, 61). They belonged to a country like Romania or Guatemala. Americans had not died during the Revolutionary War against a tyrannical king only to have their president claim he was above the law. This paper will discuss the Watergate Scandal and the events leading to Nixon's resignation from the presidency. Following the discovery of the break-in to the Democratic National Committee's offices, both the courts and the media began to trace things up the chain of command. Reporters such as Woodward and Bernstein published stories linking some of Nixon's closest aides to the break-in. These men were then forced to resign. Congress began its own inves tigation, and Nixon also appointed Archibald Cox to be an independent investigator (Kutler, 330). The ties and connections between the burglars and Nixon were murky and complex. Every string that a reporter pulled ended up leading to another string or connection. So many people appeared to be either involved or trying to protect the president. During the hearings, one of the men who worked in the office of the president's counsel was asked if there was any sort of recording device in the Oval Office. It was revealed that Nixon had recorded all conversations (Kutler, 383). These tapes were subpoenaed but Nixon refused to release them, saying that they were covered by his executive privilege. This created a showdown. Most people felt that Nixon was refusing the release the tapes because they were incriminating. Nixon claimed that they had a great deal of privileged information on them. At this point, due to the many revelations, Nixon had lost the benefit of the doubt. Conversations o n the tapes showed that Nixon had discussed with John Dean the paying of blackmail money to the burglars (Liebovich, 60). Dean, the former White House counsel, later became a key witness against Nixon in the hearings. When the tapes were finally released, an 18 minute gap was discovered where portions of the tapes had been erased. This was thought by many to be a virtual admission of guilt, taking into consideration the massive mendacity that had to that point been supplied by the Nixon administration. Several more months passed. Nixon's men were indicted. Congress began to move towards a process of impeachment after more tapes revealed that Nixon knew more about the break-in than he had originally suggested. The result was that Nixon's position became untenable. He was extremely unpopular and his own party planned to vote against him. He decided to resign. A lot about this scandal is still unknown. One thing that it is easy to judge, however, is that this is an example of the maxim , the cover up is worse than the crime. The break-in was clearly illegal, but if Nixon had said at the beginning that this was bad and had turned the burglars in, it seems unlikely things would have ended up as they did. Instead, dozens of people became involved in illegal action—especially obstruction of justice—in trying to cover things up. Nixon thought he could fire special prosecutors at will. He relied on peoples' patriotism to protect himself. In the end, the American people had had enough of the spectacle he created. They were disgusted with him as their leader and he never recovered his reputation again. The coda of all of these events was surely the Frost/Nixon interviews of the late 1970s. These conversations, the first with Nixon since his