The Ash Content Of A Crude Drug Biology Essay

The Ash Content Of A Crude Drug Biology Essay The ash content of a crude drug is generally taken to be the residue remaining after incineration. It usually represents the inorganic salts naturally occurring in the drug and adhering to it, but it may also include inorganic matter added for the purpose of adulteration. There is a considerable difference varies within narrow limits in the case of the same individual drug. Hence an ash determination furnishes a basis for judging the identity and cleanliness of a drug and gives information relative to its adulteration with inorganic matter. Ash standards have been established for a number of official drugs. Usually these standards get a maximum limit on the total ash or on the acid insoluble ash permitted. The total ash is the residue remaining after incineration. The acid insoluble ash is the part of the total ash which is insoluble in diluted hydrochloric acid. The ash or residue yielded by an organic chemical compound is as a rule, a measure of the amount of inorganic matters present as impurity. In most cases, the inorganic matter is present in small amounts which are difficult to remove in the purification process and which are not objectionable if only traces are present. Ash values are helpful in determining the quality and purity of the crude drugs in powder form. Procedures given in Indian pharmacopoeia were used to determine the different ash values such as total ash and acid insoluble ash. Total ash Weighed accurately about 3 gm of air dried powdered drug was taken in a tarred silica crucible and incinerated by gradually increasing the temperature to make it dull red until free from carbon cooled and weighted and then calculated the percentage of total ash with reference to the air dried drug. Acid insoluble ash The ash obtained as directed under total ash above was boiled with 25 ml of 2N HCl for 5 minutes. The insoluble matter was collected on ash less filter paper, washed with hot water ignited and weighed, then calculated the percentage of acid insoluble ash with reference to the air dried drug. Water soluble ash The total ash obtained was boiled with 25 ml of water for 5 minutes. The insoluble matter was collected on an ash less filter paper, washed with hot water and ignited for 15 minutes at a temperature not exceeding 450ËÅ ¡C. The weight of insoluble matter was subtracted from the weight of total ash. The difference in weight represents the water soluble ash. The percentage of water soluble ash calculated with reference to the air dried drug. b. EXTRACTIVE VALUES Extractive values of crude drugs are useful for their evaluation, especially when the constituents of a drug cannot be readily estimated by any other means. Further, these values indicate the nature of the constituents present in a crude drug. Determination of alcohol soluble extractive value 5 gm of the air-dried coarse powder of Anogeissus latifolia wall (Roxb.ex.DC) was macerated with 100 ml of 90% ethanol in a closed flask for 24 hours, shaking frequently during the first 6 hours and allowing standing for 18hours. Thereafter, it was filtered rapidly taking precautions against the loss of the solvent. Out of that filtrate, 25 ml of the filtrate was evaporated to dryness in a tarred flat bottomed shallow dish, dried at 105ËÅ ¡C and weighed. The percentage of ethanol soluble extractive value was calculated with reference to the air- dried drug. The results are recorded in the table. Determination of water soluble extractive value Weigh accurately 5 gm of coarsely powdered drug and macerate it with 100 ml of chloroform water in a closed flask for 24 hours, shaking frequently during the first 6 hours and allow to standing for 18 hours. Thereafter, it was filtered rapidly taking precautions against loss of the solvent. Then 25 ml of the filtrate was evaporated to dryness in a tarred flat bottomed shallow dish, dried at 105ËÅ ¡C and weighed. The percentage of water soluble extractive was calculated with reference to the air dried drug. The results are given in the table. c. LOSS ON DRYING Loss on drying is the loss in weight in percentage w/w determined by means of the procedure given below. It determines the amount of volatile matter of any kind (including water) that can be driven off under the condition specified (Desiccators or hot air oven). If the sample is in the form of large crystals, then reduce the size by quick crushing to a powder. Procedure About 1.5 gm of powdered drug was weighed accurately in a tarred porcelain dish which was previously dried at 105ËÅ ¡C in hot air oven to constant weight and then weighed. From the difference in weight, the percentage loss of drying with reference to the air dried substance was calculated. d. FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS [Kokate.C.K, 2002; Khandelwal KR 1996]. In the near-ultra region of the spectrum (3000-4000AËÅ ¡) some of the phytoconstituents show more or less brilliant coloration when exposed to radiation. This phenomenon of emitting visible wavelengths as a result of being excited by radiation of a different wavelength is known as fluorescence. Sometimes the amount of ultra-violet light normally present with visible light is sufficient to produce the fluorescence, but often a more powerful source of ultra-violet is necessary, e.g. mercury vapour lamp. It is often possible to make use of this phenomenon for the qualitative examination of herbal drugs. A fluorescence characteristic of the powdered leaves of Anogeissus latifolia wall (Roxb.ex.DC) was observed in daylight and UV light. Also the fluorescent study was performed on treating the drug powder with different chemical reagents. The observed results are given in table. e. FOAMING INDEX: [Divakar M.C., 1996] Foaming index is mainly performed to determine the saponin content in an aqueous decoction of plant material. Determination of foaming index: Weighed accurately about 1g of coarsely powdered drug and transformed to 500ml conical flask containing 100ml of boiling water. Maintained at moderate boiling at 80-90ËÅ ¡c for about 30min. Cooled and added sufficient water through the filter to make up the volume to 100ml (V1). Cleaned 10 stoppered test tube of uniform dimension were taken and transferred the successive portions of 1,2,3ml up to 10ml and adjusted the volume of the liquid in each test tube with water to 10ml.Stoppered the tubes and shaken them in a lengthwise motion for 15 sec uniformly and allowed to stand for 15min and measure the height of foam. If the height of the foam in every tube is less than 1cm, the foaming index is less than 100(not significant). Here the foam was more than 1cm height after dilution of plant material. If the height of the foam in every tube is more than 1cm, the foaming index is more than 1000. In this case, 10ml of first decoction of plant material is measured and transferred to 100m l volumetric flask (V2) and volume is made to 100ml and followed the same procedure. 5.1. 2. PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS Extraction of plant material:- Petroleum ether extraction:- About 400gm of dry coarse leaf powder of the Anogeissus latifolia wall (Roxb.ex.DC) was extracted with petroleum ether 2500ml (40-600c) for 18 hrs by continuous hot percolation method. It was allowed to cool to 40oC and then filtered using whatman No.1 filter paper. The filtrate was then concentrated in a rotary evaporator and the extract stored at 4 °C until required. The extract yield (% w/w) from the plant material was recorded. Methanolic extraction:- About 400g of air dried coarse powdered material was taken in 1000ml soxhlet apparatus and soaked with petroleum ether for 2 days. At the end of second day the powder was taken out and it was dried. After drying it was again packed and extracted by using methanol (Changshu yangyuan chemicals, China) as solvent, till colour disappeared. The temperature was maintained at 55 °C-65 °C. After that extract was concentrated by distillation and solvent was recovered. The final solution was evaporated to dryness. The colour, consistency and yield (% w/w) of methanolic extract were noted. S.No. Name of extract Colour Consistency Yield% W/W 1 2 Methanolic extract Petroleum ether extract Blackish brown Blackish green Non Sticky mass sticky oily mass 16.75 1.60Table: 1. Nature and colour of extract of Anogeissu latifolia wall (Roxb.ex.DC). 5.1. 3 CHEMICAL TESTS: A) Test for carbohydrates 1. Molisch Test: It consists of treating the compounds of a-naphthol and concentrated sulphuric acid along the sides of the test tube. Purple colour or reddish violet colour was produced at the junction between two liquids. (Kokate, C.K et al, 2000) 2. Fehlings Test: Equal quantity of Fehlings solution A and B is added. Heat gently, brick red precipitate is obtained. 3. Benedicts test: To the 5ml of Benedicts reagent, add 8 drops of solution under examination. Mix well, boiling the mixture vigorously for two minutes and then cool. Red precipitate is obtained. 4. Barfoeds test: To the 5ml of the Barfoeds solution add 0.5ml of solution under examination, heat to boiling, formation of red precipitate of copper oxide is obtained. B) Test for Alkaloids 1. Dragendroffs Test: To the extract, add 1ml of Dragendroffs reagent Orange red precipitate is produced. 2. Wagners test: To the extract add Wagner reagent. Reddish brown precipitate is produced. 3. Mayers Test: To the extract add 1ml or 2ml of Mayers reagent. Dull white precipitate is produced. 4. Hagers Test: To the extract add 3ml of Hagers reagent yellow Precipitate is produced. C) Test for Steroids and Sterols 1. Liebermann Burchard test: Dissolve the test sample in 2ml of chloroform in a dry test tube. Now add 10 drops of acetic anhydride and 2 drops of concentrated sulphuric acid. The solution becomes red, then blue and finally bluish green in colour. 2. Salkowski test: Dissolve the sample of test solution in chloroform and add equal volume of conc. sulphuric acid. Bluish red cherry red and purple color is noted in chloroform layer, whereas acid assumes marked green fluorescence. D) Test for Glycosides 1. Legals test: Sample is dissolved in pyridine; sodium nitropruside solution is added to it and made alkaline. Pink red colour is produced. 2. Baljet test: To the drug sample, sodium picrate solution is added. Yellow to orange colour is produced. 3. Borntrager test: Add a few ml of dilute sulphuric acid to the test solution. Boil, filter and extract the filtrate with ether or chloroform. Then organic layer is separated to which ammonia is added, pink, red or violet colour is produced in organic layer. 4. Killer Killani test: Sample is dissolved in acetic acid containing trace of ferric chloride and transferred to the surface of concentrated sulphuric acid. At the junction of liquid reddish brown color is produced which gradually becomes blue. E) Test for Saponins Foam test: About 1ml of alcoholic sample is diluted separately with distilled water to 20ml, and shaken in graduated cylinder for 15 minutes.1 cm layer of foam indicates the presence of saponins. F) Test for Flavonoids Shinoda test: To the sample, magnesium turnings and then concentrated hydrochloric acid is added. Red colour is produced. G) Test for Tri-terpenoids In the test tube, 2 or 3 granules of tin was added, and dissolved in a 2ml of thionyl chloride solution and test solution is added. Pink colour is produced which indicates the presence of triterpenoids. H) Tests for Tannins and Phenolic Compounds: To 2-3 ml of extract, add few drops of following reagents: a). 5% FeCl3 solution: deep blue-black color. b). Lead acetate solution: white precipitate. c). Gelatin solution: white precipitate d). Bromine water: decolouration of bromine water. e). Acetic acid solution: red color solution f). Dilute iodine solution: transient red color. g). Dilute HNO3: reddish to yellow color. I) Test for Fixed Oils and Fatty acids a). Spot test: Small quantity of the extract is placed between two filter papers. Oil stain produced with any extract shows the presence of fixed oils and fats in the extracts. b). Saponification test: Few drops of 0.5N alcoholic potassium hydroxide are added to the extract with few drops of phenolphthalein solution. Later the mixture is heated on water bath for 1-2 hours soap formation indicates the presence of fixed oils and fats in the extracts. J) Test for Gums and Mucilage: a). Ruthenium red test: Small quantities of extract are diluted with water and added with ruthenium red solution. A pink colour production shows the presence of gums and mucilage. K) Test for Proteins and Amino acids Biuret test: Add 1 ml of 40% sodium hydroxide and 2 drops of 1% copper sulphate to the extract, a violet colour indicates the presence of proteins. Ninhydrin test: Add 2 drops of freshly prepared 0.2% Ninhydrin reagent to the extract and heat. A blue colour develops indicating the presence of proteins, peptides or amino acids. Xanthoprotein test: To the extract, add 20% of sodium hydroxide or ammonia. Orange colour indicates presence of aromatic amino acid. 5.1. 4.TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION Determination LD50 value of Anogeissus latifolia (Roxb.ex.DC).wall.Gullperr Acute Oral Toxicity Study The procedure was followed by using OECD guidelines 423 (Acute toxic class method) Animals: Adult albino rats (Wister strain) of either sex with weighing 150 180gm were used. The animals were maintained on the suitable nutritional and environmental condition throughout the experiment. The animals were housed in polypropylene cages with paddy house bedding under standard laboratory condition for an acclimatization periods of 7 days prior to performing the experiment. The animals had access to laboratory chow and water. The experimental protocols were approved by institutional Animal Ethical Committee a written permission from in house ethical committee has been taken to carry out (Reference no. JKKMMRF/2010/009) and complete this study. Procedure: Twelve animals (Wister Albino rats, 150-200gm) were selected for studies. The acute toxic class method is a step wise procedure with 3 animals of single sex per step. Depending on the mortality and / or moribund status of the animals, on average 2-4 steps may be necessary to allow judgment on the acute toxicity of the test animals while allowing for acceptable data based scientific conclusion. The method uses defined doses (5, 50, 300, 2000 mg / kg body weight) and the results allow a substance to be ranked and classified according to the Globally Harmonized system (GHS) for the classification of chemical which cause acute toxicity. Most of the crude extracts possess LD50 value more than 2000 mg. /kg of the body weight of animal used. Dose volume was administered 0.1 ml / 100 gm body weight to the animal by orally after giving the dose the toxic signs were observed within 3-4 hours. Body weight of animals before and after administration, onset of toxicity and signs of toxicity like changes in skin and fur, eyes, and mucous membrane and also respiratory, circulatory, autonomic and central nervous systems and somatomotor activity and behavior pattern, signs of tremors, convulsion, salivation, diarrhoea, lethargy, sleep and coma was also to be noted, if any , was observed. Observation No toxicity or death was observed for these given dose levels, in selected and treated animals. So the LD 50 of the Anogeissus latifolia wall (Roxb.ex.DC), as per OECD guidelines-423 is greater than 2000mg/kg (LD50 > 2000mg/kg). Hence, the biological dose was fixed at 200, 400 and 600mg/kg of body weight for the extract. PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION 5.2.1 Evaluation of Anti-ulcer Activity:- Animals used: Adult albino rats (Wister strain) of either sex with weighing 150 180gm were used. The animals were maintained on the suitable nutritional and environmental condition throughout the experiment. The animals were housed in polypropylene cages with paddy house bedding under standard laboratory condition for an acclimatization periods of 7 days prior to performing the experiment. The animals had access to laboratory chow and water. The experimental protocols were approved by institutional Animal Ethical Committee a written permission from in house ethical committee has been taken to carry out (Reference no. JKKMMRF/2010/009) and complete this study. 5.2.2 Experimental procedure Ethanol induced ulcer:- Male albino-Wistar rats were divided in to five groups of six animals per group and animals were fasted for 24 hrs prior to the experiment in perforated steel cages to avoid coprophagy. Six groups were made as below Group I animals served as normal controls. Group II received 1% CMC (1.0ml/kg p.o) as vehicle control. Group III received 200mg/kg, p.o methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia. Group IV received 400mg/kg, p.o methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia. Group V received 100mg/kg, Sucralfate as standard One hour after the drug treatment the animals were treated with absolute ethanol [5ml/kg] to induce ulcers. The animals were sacrificed after 1hrs and stomach was opened and percentage inhibition of ulcer was determined. (Mozafar khazaei et al., 2006, Paul V. et al 2002, Paul V. et al., 2000) Aspirin induced ulcer:- Male albino-Wistar rats were divided in to five groups of six animals per group and animals were fasted for 24 hrs prior to the experiment in perforated steel cages to avoid coprophagy. Six groups were made as below Group I animals served as normal controls. Group II received 1% CMC (1.0ml/kg p.o) as vehicle control. Group III received 200mg/kg, p.o methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia. Group IV received 400mg/kg, p.o methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia. Group V received 100mg/kg, Sucralfate as standard One hour after the drug treatment the animals were treated with aspirin [200 mg/kg] to induce ulcers. The animals were sacrificed after 1hrs and stomach was opened and percentage inhibition of ulcer was determined. (Mozafar khazaei et al., 2006, Paul V. et al 2002, Paul V. et al., 2000) 5.2.3 BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS:- The stomach was carefully excised keeping oesophagus closed and opened along greater curvature and luminal contents were removed. The gastric contents were collected in a test tube and centrifuged. The gastric contents were analyzed for gastric juice volume, pH, free and total acidity. 5.2.4 Measurement of gastric juice volume and pH:- Gastric juice was collected from ethanol induced ulcer rats. The gastric juice thus collected was centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 min. The volume of supernatant was measured and expressed as ml/100g body weight. The pH of the supernatant was measured using digital pH meter. (Canmon DC. et al., 1969, Kannappan et al., 2008, Patil K.S. et al., 2008, Paul V. et al., 2000) 5.2.5 Determination of free and total acidity:- An aliquot of 1.0 ml of gastric juice was pipette out in to a 50 ml conical flask and 2/3 drops of Topfers reagent was added to it and titrated with 0.01N NaOH until all traces of the red colour disappeared and the colour of the solution turned yellowish orange. The volume of 0.01N NaOH was noted which corresponds to free acidity. Then 2/3 drops of phenolphthalein was added and titration was continued until a permanent pink colour was developed. The volume of total alkali consumed was noted which corresponds to total acidity. The free acidity and total acidity was determined using the formula and values are expressed as mEq/l 100g. (Kannappanetal. 2008, Rajkapoor et al., 2002). Acidity = Volume of NaOH X Normality of NaOH X 100 (mEq/L per 100g) 0.01 5.2.6 Ulcer index (UI):- The mucosa was flushed with saline and stomach was pinned on frog board. The lesion in glandular portion was examined under a 10x magnifying glass and length was measured using a divider and scale and gastric ulcer was scored. Ulcer index of each animal was calculated by adding the values and their mean values were determined. (Malairajan et al., 2007) 0 Normal coloured stomach 0.5 Red colouration 1 Spot ulceration 1.5 Haemorrhagic streak 2 ulcers 3 Perforations 5.2.7 Percentage inhibition: Percentage inhibition was calculated using the following formula. (Malairajan et al., 2007) UI ulcer control UI ulcer treated % inhibition = X 100 UI ulcer control 5.2. 8. Statistical Analysis: All the values are expressed as mean  ± S.E.M for groups of six animals each. Analyzed by one way ANOVA and compared by using Tukey- Kramer multiple comparison tests. The values are statistically significant at three levels, ***p 0.05. 5.3. EVALUATION OF DIURETIC ACTIVITY Animals used: Adult albino rats (Wister strain) of either sex with weighing 150 180gm were used. The animals were maintained on the suitable nutritional and environmental condition throughout the experiment. The animals had access to laboratory chow and water. The experimental protocols were approved by institutional Animal Ethical Committee a written permission from in house ethical committee has been taken to carry out (Reference no. JKKMMRF/2010/009) and complete this study. Experimental procedure The method of (Lipchitz et.al., 1943) was employed for the evaluation of diuretic activity. The Male Albino-Wistar rats were divided into four groups of six rats in each as mentioned below. Group I received Normal saline (25mg/kg, p.o) as control. Group II received (400mg/kg, p.o) methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia. Group III- received (600mg/kg, p.o) methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia. Group IV received Furosemide (20mg/kg, p.o) as standard. The animals were fasted and deprived of food and water for 18hour prior to the experiment. On the day of experiment, the group I animals serving as control, received normal saline (25ml/kg,p.o), the group II animals received methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia wall (Roxb.ex.DC) leaves (400mg/kg,p.o) and group III animals also received methanolic extract (600mg/kg,p.o), the group IV animals received Furosemide (20mg/kg,p.o), respectively, in normal saline. Immediately after the administration the animals were kept in metabolic cages (three per cage) specially designed to separate urine and fecal matter and kept at room temperature of 25  ± 0.5 ° C throughout the experiment. The total volume of urine was collected at the end of 5hrs after dosing. During this period no water and food was made available to the animals. The parameters taken for individual rat were body weight before and after test period, total concentration of Na+ , K+ and Cl ­- in the urine. The Na+ and K+ were measured by flame photometry and Cl ­- concentration was estimated by titration with silver nitrate (N/50) using three drop of 5% potassium chromate solution as indicator .the results are reported as mean  ±SD, the test of significance (P 5.3.1. Statistical analysis: All the values are expressed as mean  ± S.E.M for groups of six animals each. Analyzed by one way ANOVA and compared by using Tukey- Kramer multiple comparison tests. The values are statistically significant at three levels, ***p 0.05. 5.4 EVALUATION OF ANALGESIC ACTIVITY Animals used: Adult albino rats (Wister strain) of either sex with weighing 150 180gm were used. The animals were maintained on the suitable nutritional and environmental condition throughout the experiment. The animals were housed in polypropylene cages with paddy house bedding under standard laboratory condition for an acclimatization periods of 7 days prior to performing the experiment. The animals had access to laboratory chow and water. The experimental protocols were approved by institutional Animal Ethical Committee a written permission from in house ethical committee has been taken to carry out (Reference no. JKKMMRF/2010/009) and complete this study. Procedures: Eddys hot plate method: The Male Albino-Wistar rats were divided into four groups of six rats in each as mentioned below. Group I received 1% CMC (3ml/kg, p.o) as control. Group II received (400mg/kg, p.o) methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia. Group III- received (600mg/kg, p.o) methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia. Group IV received pentazocine (5mg/kg, p.o) as standard Analgesic activity was performed by using Eddys hot plate (Inco, India) maintained at a temperature of 55 ±1 °c. The basal reaction time of all animals towards thermal heat was recorded. The animals which showed forepaw licking or jumping response within 6-8 seconds were selected for the study. Male Albino rats were divided into 5 groups having 6 animals each and they were divided into 5 groups having 6 animals each and they were fasted overnight during the experiment free access to water. Group first received 1 % CMC (3ml/kg, p.o).Group second, third and fourth received methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia (Roxb.ex DC.) wall. Gull perr leaves of dose 400mg/kg and 600mg/kg, orally as a suspension in 1%CMC solution respectively Group five received Pentazocine (5mg/kg, p.o) as reference drug . 60 mins after the administration of test and reference compounds, the animals in all the six groups were individually exposed to the plate maintained at 55 °c and observations were recorded for 3 hours. The time taken in seconds for fore paw licking or jumping was taken as reaction time. A cut off period of 15 seconds is observed to avoid damage to the paws. The percentage protection was calculated using the formula, Percentage protection = (T/C-1) ÃÆ'-100 where, T is the reaction time of treated group and C the reaction time of control group.

Huck Finn: Oh, the Irony of Society!

Satire is a subtle literary technique involving the criticism of human idiocy through scorn and biting irony. With a faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade of crude bias and prejudice, satire's influence lies in the reader's capability of interpretation. Due to Mark Twain's constant application of racial aspersions, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn contains strong implications of an archetypal racist novel. However, with satirical insight and the shrewd application of realism and irony, the novel reveals itself to hold an opposing stance through its harsh ridicule of white society. Utilizing a sense of realism for the setting for his novel, Twain correctly portrays historical accuracy in the perspective of white society through the prejudice he presents. Twain attempts to instill a sense of authenticity in his readers while indistinctly instilling novel concepts that grow stronger and undeniable by the novel's conclusion. For example, when Aunt Sally hears of a steamboat explosion: â€Å"Good gracious! anybody hurt?† â€Å"No'm. Killed a nigger.† â€Å"Well, that's lucky, because sometimes people get hurt, â€Å"(167). Almost laughable in its absurdity, this quote portrays whites in a callous light, revealing their disdain for black lives. Aunt Sally is a respected figure in white society, not an outcast like Pap or the King and the Duke. Yet her judgment is no better than Pap's comments on his contempt of educated blacks; she simply does not consider them â€Å"people.† Twain's motivation was to exhibit the horrors of the south at that time, how highly regarded people in society were so heartless, not feeling any remorse for the loss of a life simply because it was black. Jim is another excellent example of Twain's usage of realism. Jim characterizes the stereotypical black slave, with terrible grammar, a nearly indiscernible accent and superstitious to the point of idiocy. Twain's agenda in typecasting Jim is not to deride blacks, but to make Jim a realistic, believable character by setting him up as a conventional black slave. Jim requires such establishment because he represented an individual with moral standards far above those of most whites, such as Pap and the Duke and the King. He is the moral center of the novel, sacrificing his freedom out of loyalty to Huck. Twain's message through Jim is clear: Even the average black slave has a more honorable soul than the majority of the white population. A notion profoundly difficult for Twain's intended audience to grasp, Huck becomes a liaison between his audiences, helping to bridge the difficulty of comprehension through his own confusion. One particularly monumental instance was after the separation in the fog, Huck tries to lie to Jim. However, when Jim realizes that Huck is trying to trick him, he voices his regret and disappointment of the broken trust. It is at this moment that Huck realizes Jim's keen sense of morality, and almost instantly feels apologetic. â€Å"It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger-but I done it, and I wrn't every sorry for it afterwards neither. I didn't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn't done that one if I'd ‘a' knowed it would make him feel that way,† ( ). The mere fact that Huck is regretful for hurting Jim, a black slave, shows Jim's impact on him, the â€Å"pinch of conscience† (Poirier 6) that the sheer morality of the man created in him. Irony was another strong factor in Twain's method of persuading his audiences. He effectively uses petty, seemly insignificant instances such as Tom Sawyer's boyish delusions of grandeur as metaphors of greater connotation. When questioned about his intricate plans, Tom replies, â€Å"Do you want to go doing different from what's in the books, and get things all muddled up?† (7). Tom is clearly a portrayal of white society, and his actions reflect his environment. On a larger scale, Huck's confusion about society's notions on respectability is similar to the questions presented toward Tom, and the answers given in return are analogous as well. â€Å"We have before us the creation in words of a whole society built on games, tricks, and illusions, and the adult version is only superficially different from the children's† (Poirier 2) There is hardly any common sense involved with decisions, only a common law established by unknown authorities and blindly upheld by the conformity of the masses. Due to his role as an outcast of white society, â€Å"Huckleberry Finn took the first journey back. He was the first to look back at the republic from the perspective of the west. His eyes were the first eyes that ever look at us objectively that were not eyes from overseas†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Fitzgerald 1) Twain challenges his readers by such mockery, inviting them to join Huck's rational judgment, one unclouded by the shackles of the populace. Through subtle application, Mark Twain used realism and irony to contribute to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, his satirical masterpiece. He uses white society's degrading of blacks and their unconscious actions to illustrate his obvious scorn of white society's hypocrisy and conformity, allowing for the gradual realization of the bleakness of white society.

Behavioural Science and its Contribution to Organizational Behavior Essay

Chapter 1 Introduction: Behavioural science is the systematic analysis and investigation of human behaviour through controlled and naturalistic observation, and disciplined scientific experimentation. It attempts to accomplish legitimate, objective conclusions through rigorous formulations and observation. Behavioral sciences could be categorized into three main forms psychology, sociology and anthropology. Insights from several pure disciplines across behavioural sciences are explored by various applied disciplines and practiced in the context of everyday life and business. These applied disciplines of behavioural science include: organizational behavior, operations research, consumer behaviour and media psychology. Behavioural sciences abstract empirical data to investigate the decision processes and communication strategies within and between organisms in a social system. Behavioural sciences abstract empirical data to investigate the decision processes and communication strategies within and between org anisms in a social system. Scientists in this field looks at individuals and their behavior along with the behavior of societies, groups, and cultures, as well as processes that can contribute to specific behaviors. There is a great deal of overlap between this field and the social sciences, which can sometimes lead to confusion. The social sciences tend to focus more on structural systems and cultures, while behavioral science tends to look at the reactions within and between organisms that dictate behavioral trends Organizational Behavior is the study of individuals and their behavior within the context of the organization in a workplace setting. It is an interdisciplinary field that includes sociology, psychology, communication and management Statement of the problem Many modern organizations are faced with numerous challenges such as illegal and unethical behaviour in a number of business transactions. Managers are also faced with the challenge of evaluating the effect of this critical behaviour on the performance of such organizations. Again, many business managers operate their activities today, without keen interest of bothering whether their actions are right or wrong and the extent of employees  understanding of the term ethics while the level of compliance is highly infinitesimal, (Oladunni 2002).The way Nigerian society cares little about the welfare of the employees tend to make some of these business operators to begin to wonder about the necessity of behavioural science in an organization. Objective of research The objectives of this research among others are to:[a]critically x-ray the effects of behavioral science on organizational performance.[b]establish whether behavioural science has any relationship with organizational performance.[c]show-case the necessity of behavioural science to the success and eventual institutionalization of an organization Chapter 2 Literature review Behavioral science is any of various disciplines dealing with the subject of human actions, usually including the fields of sociology, social and cultural anthropology, psychology, and behavioral aspects of biology, economics, geography, law, psychiatry, and political science. The term gained currency in the 1950s in the United States; it is often used synonymously with â€Å"social sciences,† although some writers distinguish between them. The term behavioral sciences suggests an approach that is more experimental than that connoted by the older term social sciences. Behavioral and social sciences research is a large, multifaceted field, encompassing a wide array of disciplines. The field employs a variety of methodological approaches including: surveys and questionnaires, interviews, randomized clinical trials, direct observation, physiological manipulations and recording, descriptive methods, laboratory and field experiments, standardized tests, economic a nalyses, statistical modeling, ethnography, and evaluation. Yet, behavioral and social sciences research is not restricted to a set of disciplines or methodological approaches. Instead, the field is defined by substantive areas of research that transcend disciplinary and methodological boundaries. In addition, several key cross-cutting themes characterize social and behavioral sciences research. These include: an emphasis on  theory-driven research; the search for general principles of behavioral and social functioning; the importance ascribed to a developmental, lifespan perspective; an emphasis on individual variation, and variation across sociodemographic categories such as gender, age, and sociocultural status; and a focus on both the social and biological contexts of behavior. The core areas of behavioral and social sciences research are divided into basic or fundamental research and applied research. The basic and applied research distinction serves more of an organizational function for purposes of this definition, rather than representing firm boundaries within the field. Indeed, many studies have both basic and applied components. Moreover, basic and applied research is often complementary. Basic research frequently provides the foundation for subsequent applied research, and applied research often influences the direction of basic research. Definition of â€Å"behavioral†Ã¢â‚¬  For purposes of this definition, the term â€Å"behavioral† refers to overt actions; to underlying psychological processes such as cognition, emotion, temperament, and motivation; and to biobehavioral interactions. Behavioral science a science or branch of learning, as psychology or sociology that derives its concepts from observation of the behavior of living organism.according to â€Å"prof B J Inyang 2008 behavioural sciences is the scientific study of human behaviour Behavioral Sciences Literature A considerable literature on individual behavior and public health has developed in the second half of the twentieth century. The general failure of public health to pick up and nurture the more macro social science perspectives to the same degree has limited the full potential of the impact of the social and behavioral sciences on public health, particularly because the historical roots of public health in the latter half of the nineteenth century included a strong social structural viewpoint. Since that time, the theoretical development of economics, political science, sociology, and anthropology has accelerated, but it was often not brought to bear on contemporary public health issues because these issues were often defined in terms of the characteristics of individuals rather than as characteristics  of social structure. The argument is, then, that public health picked up the wrong end of the social science stick—the individual (micro) end rather than the sociocultural ( macro) end. This assertion is supported by any perusal of public health journals or literature on social and behavioral science in public health in the second half of the twentieth century. Nonetheless, as the end of the twentieth century in public health witnessed increasing concern with social concepts such as social inequity, inequality, and community interventions, the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, economics, and political science had a more important role in public health, for the determinants of health were being defined in terms of a social and behavioral perspective. For example, many individual behaviors were recognized as risk factors for poor health, but were also seen as embedded in a wider social context. In addition, a social science–informed healthful public policy was seen by many as a key to the development of public health strategies to improve health. Behavioral science research is a large, multifaceted field, encompassing a wide array of disciplines. The field employs a variety of methodological approaches including: surveys and questionnaires, interviews, randomized clinical trials, direct observation, physiological manipulations an d recording, descriptive methods, laboratory and field experiments, standardized tests, economic analyses, statistical modeling, ethnography, and evaluation. Yet, behavioral sciences research is not restricted to a set of disciplines or methodological approaches. Instead, the field is defined by substantive areas of research that transcend disciplinary and methodological boundaries. In addition, several key cross-cutting themes characterize social and behavioral sciences research. These include: an emphasis on theory-driven research; the search for general principles of behavioral and social functioning; the importance ascribed to a developmental, lifespan perspective; an emphasis on individual variation, and variation across sociodemographic categories such as gender, age, and sociocultural status; and a focus on both the social and biological contexts of behavior. The core areas of behavioral and social sciences research are divided into basic or fundamental research and applied research. The basic and applied research distinction serves more of an organizational function for purposes  of this definition, rather than representing firm boundaries within the field. Indeed, many studies have both basic and applied components. Moreover, basic and applied research is often complementary. Basic research frequently provides the foundation for subsequent applied research, and applied research often influences the direction of basic research. The social sciences are concerned with the study of human society and with the relationship of individuals in, and to, society. The chief academic disciplines of the social sciences are anthropology, economics, history, political science, and sociology. The behavioral sciences, particularly psychology, are concerned with the study of the actions of humans and animals. The key effort of the behavioral sciences is to understand, predict, and influence behavior. The chief academic disciplines of the behavioral sciences are anthropology, psychology, and sociology, with the distinction between social and behavioral science often blurred when these disciplines are applied in public health research and practice, particularly in schools of public health and governmental agencies. Many, if not most, public health approaches are problem focused and lead to a multidiscipline solution encompassing several social and behavioral science disciplines and combinations of them (such as social psychology), in addition to other public health disciplines such as epidemiology and biostatistics. Anthropology. Anthropology is a broad social science concerned with the study of humans from a social, biological and cultural perspective. Historically it is a Western-based social science with roots in Europe and North America. It includes two broad areas of physical and sociocultural anthropology; both are relevant to public health. Physical anthropology divides into two areas, one related to tracing human evolution and the study of primates, and the other concerned with contemporary human characteristics stemming from the mixture of genetic adaptations and culture. Medical anthropologists with this perspective are often concerned with the relationships between culture, illness, health, and nutrition. Sociocultural anthropology is concerned with broad aspects of the adaptation of humans to their cultures— with social organization, language, ethnographic details, and, in general, the understanding of culturally mitigated patterns of behavior. In recent decades this perspective has taken a more ecologically focused view of the human species. From a public health perspective, this  approach to anthropology is probably most salient in terms of the methodological approaches used by anthropologists. They have a critical concern with understanding communities through participant observation. Indeed, participat ion is probably the key concept linking modern-day anthropological approaches to twentieth-century concepts of public health community interventions. Although the methodology of rapport-based structured interviews and observation is a highly developed methodology among anthropologists, it has had limited application in public health. More recent efforts in public health to address issues of inequity at the community level have created more attention to anthropological approaches. Economics. Economics is perhaps the oldest of the social sciences, with its concern with wealth and poverty, trade and industry. However, current economic thinking generally dates from the last three centuries and is associated with the great names in economic thinking, such as Adam Smith, Robert Malthus, David Ricardo, John Stuart Mill, and Karl Marx. Present-day economics is an advanced study of production, employment, exchange, and consumption driven by sophisticated mathematical models. Basically, the field breaks into two distinctive areas: microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics is largely concerned with issues such as competitive markets, wage rates, and profit margins. Macroeconomics deals with broader issues, such as national income, employment, and economic systems. The relationship between economics and health is obv ious because in developed countries the percentage of gross national product consumed by the health care industry is significant, generally ranging from 5 to 15 percent of the gross national product. In the poorer countries, the cost of disease to the overall economy can prohibit the sound economic development of the country. In recent years there has been a concern with both the global economic burden of disease as well as with investment in health. That poverty is highly related to poor public health is a widely accepted tenet of modernday thinking in public health. However, economic systems ranging from free enterprise through liberal socialism and communism offer quite differing alternatives to the reduction of poverty and the distribution of economic resources. Psychology. Psychology is probably the most common disciplinary background found in the application of the social and behavioral sciences to public health. Modern psychology is a large field that encompasses physiological psychology,  concerned with the nervous and circulatory systems, as well as social psychology, and concerned with the behavior of individuals as influenced by social stimuli. In general, psychology is concerned with the relationship of living organisms to their environment. In addition to studies focused on physiological mechanisms, psychology is concerned with the broad area of human cognition, including learning, memory, and concept formation. The subfield of abnormal psychology is concerned with mental disorders, ranging from psychoses to neuroses. The subfield of clinical psychology offers direct patient-care mechanisms to treat mental problems in individuals. Thus the application of psychological approaches to health is quite apparent. However, the most salient branch of psychology for public health practice, and particularly for the task of understanding the determinants of health, is probably social psychology. A major focus of social psychology is on attitudes, opinions, and behaviors. Thus, there is an emphasis on understanding how groups and individuals interact with one another. The degree to which many interactions are easy or difficult can play a major role in determining the stability of groups and individuals. Therefore, broad concepts su ch as stress, social cohesion, peer influence, civic trust, and others derive strong theoretical and research support from social psychology. Sociology. Sociology is perhaps the broadest of the social science fields applied to public health. It is also characterized by being eclectic in its borrowing from the other social sciences. Thus, sociology is also concerned with organizations, economics, and political issues, as well as individual behaviors in relation to the broader social milieu. A key concept in sociology, however, is an emphasis on society rather than the individual. The individual is viewed as an actor within a larger social process. This distinguishes the field from psychology. Thus the emphasis is on units of analysis at the collective level such as the family, the group, the neighborhood, the city, the organization, the state, and the world. Sociology is concerned with how the social fabric or social structure is maintained, and how social processes, such as conflict and resolution, relate to the maintenance and change of social structures. A sociologist studies processes that create, maintain, and sustain a social system, such as a health care system in a country. The scientific component of this study w ould be the concern with the processes regulating and shaping the health  care system. Sociology assumes that social structure and social processes are very complex. Definition of organizational behaviour Organizational behavior is a field of study that investigates the impact of individuals, groups and structures upon behavior within an organization. It is an interdisciplinary field that includes sociology, psychology, communication, and management; and it complements the academic studies of organizational theory (which is focused on organizational and intra-organizational topics) and human resource studies (which is more applied and business-oriented). It may also be referred to as organizational science. The field has its roots in industrial and organizational psychology a Organizational studies encompass the study of organizations from multiple viewpoints, methods, and levels of analysis. For instance, one textbook divides these multiple viewpoints into three perspectives: modern, symbolic, and postmodern. Another traditional distinction, present especially in American academia, is between the study of â€Å"micro† organizational behaviour — which refers to individual and group dynamics in an organizational setting — and â€Å"macro† strategic management and organizational theory which studies whole organizations and industries, how they adapt, and the strategies, structures and contingencies that guide them. To this distinction, some scholars have added an interest in â€Å"meso† scale structures – power, culture, and the networks of individuals and i.e. ronit units in organizations — and â€Å"field† level analysis which study how whole populations of organizations interact. Whenever people interact in organizations, many factors come into play. Modern organizational studies attempt to understand and model these factors. Like all modernist social sciences, organizational studies seek to control, predict, and explain. There is some controversy over the ethics of controlling workers’ behavior, as well as the manner in which workers are treated (see Taylor’s scientific management approach compared to the human relations movement of the 1940s). As such, organizational behaviour or OB (and its cousin, Industrial psychology) have at times been accused of being the scientific tool of the powerful.[citation needed] Those accusations notwithstanding, OB can play a major role in organizational development, enhancing organizational performance, as well as individual and group  performance/satisfaction/commitment. One of the main goals of organizational theorists is, according to Simms (1994) â€Å"to revitalize organizational theory and develop a better conceptualization of organizational life.†[2] An organizational theorist should carefully consider levels assumptions being made in theor y,[3] and is concerned to help managers and administrators Behavioral science and organizational behaviour both interrelate and interdepend on each other thou the mean total different things. Chapter3 Finding This study shows that behavioural science does affect organizational behaviour negatively and positively, it could affect one negatively if one had a rough upbringing such as the environment, genetic treats, the person interpersonal relations skill would be poor thus reducing the persons productivity, it can affect positively if one is a good person at heart and is always happy to do the job then the organization may blossom. Recommendation It is highly recommended that managers observe and practice behavioral science amongst his employs so as to balance the organizational behaviour. Chief Executives should encourage behavioral consciousness in their organizations from the top down showing the support and care about ethical behaviour. There is the need for organizations to help their employees in dealings with ethical challenged by adhering to the following steps. [a] Recognize and Clarify the Dilemma. [b] Get all the possible facts [c] List your options, all of them. [d] Test each option by asking: †Is it legal? Is it right? Is it beneficial?† [e] Make your decision. [f] Double check your decision by asking: ‘how would I feel if my family found out about this? How would I feel if my decision was printed in a local newspaper? [g] Implement your action. [h] Make a research and collect feedback on your implementation. [I] Evaluation and control of the whole steps Conclusion It must be emphasized that the challenge of behavioural science must be met by organizations if they are truly concerned about survival uprightness, integrity, and competitiveness. What is needed in today’s complicated times is for more organization to step forward and operate with strong, positive and good organizational behaviours. Organizations must ensure that their employees know how to deal with behavioural issues in their everyday work lives. As a result, when the behavioural climate is clear and positive, everyone will know what is expected of him or her when the inevitable behavioural dilemmas occur. This will definitely give employees the confidence to be on the lookout for unwanted behaviours and act with the understanding that what they are doing is correct and will be supported by top management of the organization REFERENCE ageeg, e. j. (2004). behavioural science. spain: Rmb. B, m. J. (1980). THEORIES OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR. HINSDALE: dryden press. brum, h. (1978). how behaviourial science affects our day to day life. ney york: luft press. burry, c. (2006). behavioural sience. a journal of sciences , 64: 93-98. collins, m. (2009). behavioural science and social science. journal of sciences , 4. h, m. (1985). the organisation as political arena. journal of management studies , 12. Inyang, p. B. (2008). oganizational behaviour. calabar: merb publishers,calabar, nigeria. leez, J. (2009). organizational behaviour. japan: CABS. luthans, F. (1989). Organizational bahaviour. newyork: mc-graw hill. research, o. o. (2013). behavioural science. oaklahoma: marutime. S, t. (2005). finding form looking at the feild of the organization. joournal of management , 42(6):1211-1231. S.P, r. (2009). Organizational beviour:global and southern africa. capetown: prentice-hall. stanford, c. a. (2013). Retrieved february 20, 2014, from casb: www.casb.org W, d. d. (2006). Whento little or too much hurt; evidence for a curvilineaer relationship between fast conflict and innovation in team. journal of management , 34. wikipedia. (2014, febraury 20). the free encyclopedia. Retrieved feb 20, 2014, from www.en.wikipedia.org

History Of Organization Alcoholics Anonymous ( A.a )

History of Organization Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio, and is a spiritual based organization with the sole purpose â€Å"to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety† threw fellowship. Alcoholic Anonymous (A.A.) foundation is built on a 12 step program that involves taking 12 step that will guarantee your sobriety (according to A.A.) because you start the 12 steps but you never end, it is designed for you to consistently work the 12 steps for the rest of your life to remain sober. There are 12 traditions with the 12 steps and this is what A.A. has taught them as they go through the program. When attending an A.A. meeting there are no membership fees or dues to pay and†¦show more content†¦3. You must make a decision to turn your life over to God. 4. Make a moral and fearless inventory of oneself. 5. Admit exactly what you have done is wrong, to God, yourself and another human being. 6. Must be ready for God to remove all the defects of character from you life 7. Humble yourself and ask him to remove your shortcomings. 8. Write a list of individual you have harmed, and be willing to make amends to all of them for frogiveness. 9. Make direct amends to people, whenever possible, but not if it will injure them. 10. You must take personal inventory when we are wrong and admitted it. 11. Seek prayer and meditation in order to improve conscious, connecting with God and praying for knowledge and understanding of his will and for the power to carry it out. 12. Having a spiritual awakenings from the result of the steps, will carry the message to alcoholics as they practice these principles in all of their affairs. (A brief Guide to Alcoholics Anonymous, P-42, copyright 1972, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.) The format for the 12 step meeting can be structured a little different to fit your needs but all must still adhere to the foundations of the 12 step program format for. 1. The meeting needs to be held in a quiet and uninterrupted place and fixed times to ensure consistency. 2. The person that is