Is Homeschooling More Beneficial for Students Than Public School? Essay

Is homeschooling more beneficial for students than public school? Deciding whether homeschooling is good for your child or not, I’ve always been caught off guard with the topic. When I think about it, I wonder if my son would do better in public school with a bunch of strangers, or would he do better with me teaching him one-on-one with no distractions? 1. Social Interaction 2. Safety 3. Performance 4. Cost When thinking about homeschooling your child, one thing that comes to mind is wondering if the isolation will affect your child physically and/or emotionally, or possibly causes them depression in the future. â€Å"The homeschoolers scored as â€Å"well adjusted.† In one study, trained counselors viewed videotapes of mixed groups of homeschooled and schooled children at play. The counselors didn’t know the school status of each child. The results? The homeschooled kids demonstrated fewer behavioral problems. Dr. Lines’ conclusion? â€Å"There is no basis to question the social development of homeschooled children.† (Social Skills and Homeschooling: Myths and facts’ By: Isabel Shaw). This article would be a pro to those who are looking into homeschooling their child. What parent wouldn’t want their child to have less behavioral issues? So far, homeschooling is sounding more and more like a good idea. Every parent thinks about their child leav ing home to go to school with so many strange people they don’t know, and of course they worry. Some think of it as a good duration for a break. While other parents are extremely worried due to past unfortunate experiences that have occurred in public schools. Is homeschooling safer? As a parent myself, I definitely wouldn’t hesitate to say that my son staying home is a lot more safe than sending him to school. But is it worth it? What is the likelihood of something bad happening to a public school? â€Å"5. Safety To my knowledge, I would say it is safer to homeschool. Last year, there were reports of serious school violence on a daily basis. I’ve been told the number of families that chose to homeschool skyrocketed after the murders and shootings at the various schools around the country.† (‘Ten Questions About Homeschooling’ By: Isabel Shaw the Homeschooling expert). The biggest concern that I would see with parents regarding homeschool would be performance. Will the child actually learn things while being homeschooled? Will they take it seriously? Will it be boring for the child, or will they love to do school activities? It’s unpredictable. â€Å"Statistics do not just speak favorably about minorities but all students who homeschool, regardless of their demographics. The study â€Å"Strengths of Their Own: Home Schoolers Across America† completed in 1997, included 5,402 students that homeschool. The study verified that on average, homeschoolers were performing higher than their public school equivalent â€Å"by 30 to 37 percentile points in all subjects† (Klicka, 2006, p . 1). This seems to be the case in all studies performed on homeschoolers; however, due to the lack of standard test practices in each state and no unbiased collection of these scores, it is hard to determine the exact average score for homeschooling families.† (‘Homeschooling Student Performance Why Homeschooling is on the Rise’ By: Autumn Burke). Last but not least, the most concerning part of homeschooling is the cost. I have always heard that the cost of homeschooling is very expensive, especially if the parents want the child to be successful. It takes a lot of money and a lot of patients to thoroughly teach your child what they need to know. Paying for homeschooling is a lot more expensive than public school but from the research I have applied to this writing, I would say that it’s worth every penny. In an article named ‘Cost of Homeschooling VS Public School’ shows that the average parent who pays for public school costs can pay at an average of $10,000 per year! That’s a lot more than what I expected. On the other hand, the average cost for a student whose homeschooled states to cost no more than $1000. (‘Cost of Homeschooling VS Public School’ By: Sopater). As a result to comparing homeschooling to public school, I would say homeschooling would be the most beneficial for your child and you.

Influence of Religion on African Culture

Africa is a continent of diversity. In this diversity there are hundreds of tribes and communities each practicing its own culture and religion. It would be very difficult to define Africa’s traditional religion as it would be difficult to define its culture.More so, it is extremely difficult to establish the dividing line between African Culture and African Religion. However, as much as there were many African Traditional Religions, their similarities were more dominant than their differences. We take up these similarities and encompass them as one African Traditional Religion. In this report, we explore the important aspects of Africa’s Traditional Religions and cultures that cut across the entire continent.This essay is based on various researches done by prominent scholars, historical background of Africa, news and books relevant to African studies. This report attempts to define religion, culture, and explores the major religions, African Traditional Religion (ATR) , Christianity and Islam and their influence and impact on African culture. Africa is one of the World’s six continents. It is the second largest and second most populous continent after Asia. Other continents include; Asia, America-North, America-South, Australia, Europe.Geologically, Present-day Africa, occupying one-fifth of Earth's land surface, is the central remnant of the ancient southern supercontinent called Gondwanaland, a landmass once made up of South America, Australia, Antarctica, India, and Africa. This massive supercontinent broke apart between 195 million and 135 million years ago, cleaved by the same geological forces that continue to transform Earth's crust today. At about 30. 2 million km? (11. 7 million sq  mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20. % of the total land area. With 1. 0 billion people (as of 2009) in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14. 72% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent has 54 sovereign states, including Madagascar, various island groups, and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, a member state of the African Union whose statehood is disputed by Morocco.Afri was the name of several Semitic peoples who dwelt in North Africa near Carthage (in modern Tunisia). Their name is usually connected with Phoenician afar, â€Å"dust†, but a 1981 hypothesis has asserted that it stems from a Berber word ifri or Ifran meaning â€Å"cave†, in reference to cave dwellers. Africa or Ifri or Afer is name of Banu Ifran from Algeria and Tripolitania (Berber Tribe of Yafran). Pre-colonial Africa possessed perhaps as many as 10,000 different states and polities characterised by many different sorts of political organisation and rule.These included small family groups of hunter-gatherers such as the San people of southern Africa; larger, more structured groups such as the family clan groupings of the Bantu-speaking people of central and southern Africa, heavily structured clan groups in the Horn of Africa, the large Sahelian kingdoms, and autonomous city-states and kingdoms such as those of the Akan, Yoruba and Igbo people (also misspelled as Ibo) in West Africa, and the Swahili coastal trading towns of East Africa.Religion originates from the Latin world religare (re: back, and ligare: to bind), and this brings up the world â€Å"being bound. † faith is usually the core element of religion. Faith encompasses â€Å"Value-center,† â€Å"trust,† â€Å"loyalty,† and â€Å"meaning†. It is difficult to define religion.A good definition of religion is one that expounds on the following key traits; Belief in something sacred (for example, gods or other supernatural beings), A distinction between sa cred and profane objects, Ritual acts focused on sacred objects, A moral code believed to have a sacred or supernatural basis, characteristically religious feelings (awe, sense of mystery, sense of guilt, adoration), which tend to be aroused in the presence of sacred objects and during the practice of ritual, prayer and other forms of communication with the supernatural, world view, or a general picture of the world as a whole and the place of the individual therein. This picture contains some specification of an over-all purpose or point of the world and an indication of how the individual fits into it, a more or less total organization of one’s life based on the world view, A social group bound together by the above. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning â€Å"to cultivate†) is a term that has various meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of â€Å"culture† in Culture: A Cri tical Review of Concepts and Definitions.However, the word â€Å"culture† is most commonly used in three basic senses: Excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities, also known as culture, An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning and the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group. Culture has six core elements; politics, economics, ethics, aesthetics, kinship and religion. And out of these, religion â€Å"is by far the richest part of the African heritage. † It shapes their cultures, their social life, their politics, and their economics and is at the same time shaped by this same way of life. Some of the major religions that influenced African culture; African traditional religion, Christianity and Islam African Traditional ReligionIt is a unique religion whose sources include: sacred places and religio us objects such as rocks, hills, mountains, trees, caves and other holy places; rituals, ceremonies and festivals of the people; art and symbols; music and dance; proverbs, riddles, and wise sayings; and names of people and places. Beliefs cover topics such as God, spirits, birth, death, the hereafter, magic, and witchcraft. Religion, in the African indigenous context, permeates all departments of life. Africa’s traditional religion is based on the Ubuntu philosophy, which is a Zulu word for human-ness, and was developed over many centuries in traditional African culture. This culture was pre-literate, pre-scientific and pre-industrial. The concept of Ubuntu was originally expressed in the songs and stories, the customs and the institutions of the people. Another distinctive quality of the Ubuntu philosophy is the African emphasis on consensus.Indeed, the African traditional culture has, seemingly, an almost infinite capacity for the pursuit of consensus and reconciliation. D emocracy in the African way does not simply boil down to majority rule since it operates in the form of discussions geared towards a consensus. Christianity The Christian religion was founded in what is today Israel and Palestine 2000 years ago at the beginning of the Common Era. Christianity is based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, a Jewish teacher and prophet. Early Christians (followers of Christ) believed that Jesus was divine in that he was the son of God. Islam Islam is a religion that was founded by Prophet Mohammed.It geographic origin can be traced to the modern-day Saudi Arabia. Influences of Religion on African Culture Religion being one of the core components of culture has a great influence on culture. Every religion practiced in Africa today has had a profound effect on the African culture, be it the African Traditional Religion, Christianity or Islam. Christianity Influence on African Culture arrived in Africa in two groups. One important group was centered in Egypt and had influence throughout North Africa. This group was known as the Gnostics. One of the other major factions of the early Christianity was centered in Rome. This faction was very much influenced by the teachings of the Apostle Paul.This faction became prominent in the fourth century C. E. when the Roman Empire officially became Christian. Recognizing the importance of a sacred text in solidifying their control over Christianity, the Roman faction brought together a collection of writings by early Christians and proclaimed these writings were inspired by God and that they were the true testament of the life and teachings of Jesus. This collection is known as the New Testament and is a central part of the Christian Bible. However, in creating the New Testament the Roman faction rejected as heresy all other writings about Jesus' life and teachings, including many books written by North African Gnostic ChristiansIn spite of the repression of the Gnostic Christians by Roman Christians, Christianity continued to flourish throughout North Africa until the arrival of Islam in the seventh century C. E. The Christians in this area were known as Coptic Christians, named after the main language of the area. By the time of the arrival of Islam, the Coptic Orthodox Church had lost most of the Gnostic influence, although the Coptic faith, like the Gnostics placed a great deal of emphasis on contemplation and monasticism. In structure, it was similar to the Church of Rome in that it practiced the same sacraments, and the church structure was made up of priests and bishops.Like the Roman Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church is headed by a Patriarch (similar to the Pope in the Roman Church) who lives in Alexandria. Even after Egypt had been taken over by Arab Moslems, the Coptic Christians continued to form a small but important segment of Egyptian society. Indeed, Coptic Christians today comprise approximately fifteen per cent of the Egyptian population. Christiani ty was introduced in Nubia by Christian monks and traders in the fifth and sixth centuries C. E. By the seventh century, the rulers of Nubia and most Nubians had converted to Christianity. In practice and structure, the Nubian church was similar to the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt.In June, 18, 1452, Pope Nicholas V issued the papal bull ‘Dum Diversas', granting King Alfonso V of Portugal the right to â€Å"attack, conquer, and subjugate Saracens, Pagans and other enemies of Christ wherever they may be found. † It gave title over all lands and possessions seized and permitted the Portuguese to take the inhabitants and consign them to perpetual slavery. Dum Diversas legitimised the colonial slave trade that begun around this time with the expeditions by Henry the Navigator to find a sea route to India, which were financed with African slaves. This approval of slavery was reaffirmed and extended in his Romanus Pontifex of 1455. The transatlantic trade in Africans was fo unded on Christianity.Religion was key in motivating Prince Henry of Portugal, later called Henry, â€Å"the Navigator† (1394-1460), to put in motion Europe's aggressive and ruthless expeditions to Africa. Henry was not only the governor of Algrave Province, who managed a large economic infrastructure based on the unbridled grasp of enormous wealth from trans-Saharan commerce, but he was also the administrator of the Order of Christ, the Portuguese successor to the Knights Templar, a famous Western military order founded in the aftermath of the First Crusade at Clermont on November 27, 1095. As one of the best fighting units, the Soldiers of Christ prompted a series of striking maritime exploits, ensuring the safety of Europeans who made pilgrimages to Jerusalem.It is important to note that during this historical period, the feudal states of European countries were just beginning to unite and major religious wars were being fought between Christians and Muslims, especially th e Moors in Morocco. Henry trained men to sail from Portugal, down the west coast of Africa in search of the limits to the Muslim world, in order to halt the Islamization of West Africa and to accelerate the spread of Christianity. In order to further God's intentions for humankind, Ogbu Kalu contends that within the context of religious logic, papal bulls offered rights of patronage to Henry, authorizing him to appoint clerical orders for evangelization and to fend off competing European interests.According to Peter Russell, Henry the Navigator considered conversion and enslavement as interchangeable terms, experiencing no cognitive dissonance in using Christianity as a civilizing agent for making converts into slaves. In â€Å"Christianity: Missionaries in Africa,† Modupe Labode sums it up this way: The case of the Portuguese exemplifies the close relationship between Crown and Church. In the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494), the pope recognized Portuguese claims to Africa. The Crown was also responsible for attempting to convert the indigenous people to Christianity. Much of the missionary effort over the next two and half centuries was conducted under Portuguese authority. The vast majority of the missionaries at this time were Roman Catholic priests, many of them belonged to religious orders such as the Jesuits, Capuchins, and Franciscans.Influence of Islam on African Culture led to the spread of Islam, from its heartland in the Middle East and North Africa to India and Southeast Asia, revealed the power of the religion and its commercial and sometimes military attributes. The spread of Islam across much of the northern third of Africa produced profound effects on both those who converted and those who resisted the new faith. Islamization also served to link Muslim Africa even more closely to the outside world through trade, religion, and politics. Trade and long-distance commerce, in fact, was carried out in many parts of the continent and linked regio ns beyond the orbit of Muslim penetration.Until about 1450, however, Islam provided the major external contact between sub-Saharan Africa and the world. State building took place in many areas of the continent under a variety of conditions. West Africa, for example, experienced both the cultural influence of Islam and its own internal dynamic of state building and civilization developments that produced, in some places, great artistic accomplishments. The existence of stateless societies and their transformation into states are a constant of African history even beyond 1500. As we have seen with Egypt, North Africa was also linked across the Sahara to the rest of Africa in many ways.With the rise of Islam, those ties became even closer. Between A. D. 640 and 700 the followers of Muhammad swept across North Africa from Suez to the Pillars of Hercules on Morocco's Atlantic shore. By A. D. 670 Muslims ruled Tunisia, or Ifriqiya, what the Romans had called Africa. (The Arabs originally used this word as the name for eastern North Africa and Maghrib for lands to the West. ) By 711, Arab and Berber armies had crossed into Spain. In opposition to the states dominated by the Arabic rulers, the peoples of the desert, the Berbers, formed states of their own at places such as Fez in Morocco and at Sijilimasa, the old city of the trans-Saharan caravan trade.By the 11th century, under pressure from new Muslim invaders from the East, a great puritanical reformist movement, whose followers were called the Almoravids, grew among the desert Berbers of the western Sahara. Launched on the course of a jihad, a holy war waged to purify, spread, or protect the faith, the Almoravids moved southward against the African kingdoms of the savanna and westward into Spain. Islam offered a number of attractions within Africa. Its fundamental teaching that all Muslims are equal within the community of believers made the acceptance of conquerors and new rulers easier. The Islamic tradition of uniting the powers of the state and religion in the person of the ruler or caliph appealed to some African kings as a way of reinforcing their authority.The concept that all members of the ummah, or community of believers, were equal put the newly converted Berbers and later Africans on an equal footing with the Arabs, at least in law. Despite these egalitarian and somewhat utopian ideas within Islam, practice differed considerably at local levels. Social stratification remained important in Islamicized societies and ethnic distinctions also divided the believers. The Muslim concept of a ruler who united civil and religious authority reinforced traditional ideas of kingship. It is also important to note that in Africa, as elsewhere in the world, the formation of states heightened social differences and made these societies more hierarchical.Africans had been enslaved by others before, and Nubian (African) slaves had been known in the classical world, but with the Muslim conquests o f North Africa and commercial penetration to the south, slavery became a more widely diffused phenomenon, and a slave trade in Africans developed on a new scale. In theory, slavery was viewed by Muslims as a stage in the process of conversion – a way of preparing pagans to become Muslims – but in reality conversion did not guarantee freedom. Slaves in the Islamic world were used in a variety of occupations, such as domestic servants and laborers, but they were also used as soldiers and administrators who, having no local ties and affiliations, were considered to be dependent and thus trustworthy by their masters. Slaves were also used as eunuchs and concubines; thus the emphasis on women and children.The trade caravans from the Sahel across the Sahara often transported slaves as well as gold. Other slave-trade routes developed from the African interior to the east African coast. The tendency for the children of slave mothers to eventually be freed and integrated into M uslim society, while positive in one sense, also meant a constant demand for more slaves. Islam provided the residents of these towns a universal set of ethics and beliefs that made their maritime contacts easier; but in East Africa, as in the savanna kingdoms of West Africa, Islamization was slow to penetrate among the general population, and when it did, the result was often a compromise between indigenous ways and the new faith.By the thirteenth century, a string of urbanized trading ports sharing the common Bantu-based and Arabic-influenced Swahili language and other cultural traits – although governed by separate Muslim ruling families – had developed along the coast. Towns such as Mogadishu, Mombasa, Malindi, Kilwa, Pate, and Zanzibar eventually contained mosques, tombs, and palaces of cut stone and coral. Ivory, gold, iron, slaves, and exotic animals were exported from these ports in exchange for silks from Persia and porcelain from China for the ruling Muslim f amilies. African culture remained strong throughout the area. Swahili language was essentially a Bantu language into which a large number of Arabic words were incorporated, though many of them were not incorporated until the 16th century.The language was written in an Arabic script sometime prior to the 13th century; the ruling families could also converse in Arabic. Islam itself penetrated very little into the interior among the hunters, pastoralists, and farmers. Even the areas of the coast near the trading towns remained relatively unaffected. In the towns, the stone and coral buildings of the Muslim elite were surrounded by mud and thatch houses of the non-Muslim common people, so that Islamization was to some extent class-based. Still, a culture developed that fused Islamic and traditional elements. Family lineage, for example, was traced both through the maternal line, which controlled property (the traditioral African practice), and through the paternal line, as was the Musli m custom.The enduring legacy of the influence of religion on African culture led to majority of Africans profess either Christian or Islamic faith. Considering that there lie a thin veneer between culture and religion, it is imperative that these two religions have fundamentally altered the African culture, if there exist any. These religions spread into Africa aboard various vehicles, including; slavery, colonialism, trade, education, among others. These religions emphasized a ruler-ship founded on a hierarchy focused on one centre of power, the imperial dictatorship. This was contrary to African culture that was less hierarchical and more collegiate, that emphasized on dialogue and consensus. It is this imperialist hierarchical structure that still causes chaos in Africa today.To a large extend most Africans remain colonized, whether politically, economically, religiously, culturally, spiritually or otherwise. A society that is still colonized is not a free society, it is a societ y wallowing deeply in the swampy marshes of slavery. Africa, the mother of humanity, as it stands now is one whose veil of religion and garment of culture has been torn. It is a mother whose dignity has been raped, and its young children defiled by the older siblings who came back from their adventures abroad. One most fundamental question would be: Is colonialism and slavery a just price that Africans have to pay eternally for the reward of education and trade? Whichever way the answer comes to be, Africa needs restoration.Restoration is only possible if Africans can wake up to spiritual reality and eschew the bondage of foreign religion consumed by it from its renegade sons and daughters. The turning point can only be achieved if Africans realize that religion and spirituality are distinct – that spirituality possessed by a religious person can never be fresh and neither can religion exist in a pure spirituality. Africa must free itself from this intoxicating addiction to f oreign religion, and for that matter, any religion for it to be truly free. CONCLUSION. In conclusion, a keen oversee at history slowly shows us more cleary the influence of religion on African culture.The change due to the influence may not have taken place there and then but took time spreading its roots and slowly merging with the native culture and in some other instances completely eroding it. Just like how Christianity was introduced to Africa, the natives did not completely embrace it just like that, they took their precious time and in present day Africa, it is still being practiced and no one can pin point the exact time when Christianity was completely taken in by the natives of the past. These different religions which were introduced to African culture or way of life made other cultures to take a complete turnaround from their practices and events.

Odysseus As An Epic Hero Essay

In the story of the Odyssey, Odysseus was put through many ordeals through which we see his moral and physical characteristics. After evaluating such characteristics we can see that Odysseus is a great epic hero. We can see that not only is he superior to most mortal men, he also shares many of the same desires, therefore fulfilling all the technical requirements of a â€Å"hero†. Odysseus has insight about his own fate and destiny, but lives intertwined with the Olympic Gods. He also shares many of the same desires as the common man, but has more insight and strength to obtain them. Lastly, the story of Odysseus is tragic, and involves both love and death, which then shows his true strength. When Odysseus ventures out on his journey, he is told by Athena that he is destined to be great, and through the whole war he knows that. When the war is finished he continues his journey home to his wife, his mother and his son. On his journey home he is faced with several obstacles put in place by the Gods to prevent his return. The whole time he was detained from retuning to Ithaca he told himself that he was meant to return home; that it was fated to him. When he was trapped on the Island with Calypso, he told her that he was supposed to return home, and that he would do it no matter what stood in his way. Through these acts we can see that he had his own opinions on his destiny, but that he was closely intertwined with the Olympic Gods. Secondly, Odysseus shares many of the same desires as the common man, but he has more insight and strength on how to obtain them. Odysseus wanted more than anything to return home to his family, however, throughout his journey he was constantly held back by the Gods. He was made to observe horrendous things such as visiting Hades, and shortly after he has to witness each of his crewmates be eaten alive. This would have been enough for the common man to give up hope and settle in on Calypso’s island. Odysseus, however, never gave up and always found the strength and the wisdom to carry on. This shows that if put in the same position, Odysseus would succeed over the common man because he is heroic. Lastly, the story of Odysseus is filled with both love and death, which is a main characteristic of a heroic tale. While Odysseus is trying to return home he sees a vision of his dead mother. She explains to him how she took her own life because she could no longer bare waiting for him. On top of this painful information, she discloses that his home; his palace has been taken over by ruthless men who are trying to steal his wife. After learning of this horrible news he continues on his journey even more determined than before. Shortly after this event, he loses his entire crew to monsters that eat each one alive. He still continues on alone. This proves that even through the tragic events that happen in his long journey he manages to stay strong and make it home. Through close evaluation of all events that took place in The Odyssey we can clearly see that Odysseus is in fact a great epic hero. We see that he has insight about his own fate and desires, he shares many of the same desires as the common man, but has greater insight and strength, and lastly he manages to survive through several tragic evens simply for the love of his family. Taking these events into consideration we can deduce that Odysseus is a great epic hero.

Compare and contrast the character of the state in two Euopean Essay

Compare and contrast the character of the state in two Euopean countries with particular reference to the link between nation and sovereignty from Britain, Fra - Essay Example These premises will help in building towards the relevant theories that link the nation and sovereignty that support the definition of the character and nature of the two states that have been studied in this paper. Political legitimacy was a firm belief that emanated from various political quarters following the French Revolution in this country. Federalism is essentially a concept surrounded by political philosophy in the politics of France. This has special importance as far as sovereignty is concerned within the nation. According to this concept, a nation that follows federalism is one that believes in binding it various people, from diverse corners of the world, together. (Gill, 2003) Federalism is that system which brings people together under the able guidance of a representative who puts forward their issues without an iota of partiality. Under federalism, the nation looks at each of its citizens as equals and as brothers who are bound together geographically as well as in respect of national sentiment. The nation thus follows federalism is one that follows the principles irrespective of age, caste, creed, race, origin or color. The basic nature that has come up in the definition of the state in the case of France is one that adheres to the structuring of an international culture and society for politics that has to do with the building and propagation of new ideals. This has been well administered in France through the use of federalism so as to garner support and ideas from various quarters. (Hirst, 2001) From the concept of federalism have come various other schools of thought, which have culminated into sub concepts in their own right within the state of France and its character. One of these is the concept of dual federalism according to which the best option before any government or nation is to organize itself into separate yet equal branches of government so as to divide the state and national government in various spheres of functioning and significance. This has been used by France in the creation of a well defined state. According to this, the state government may exercise sovereignty within its own boundaries while the national level authorities will be slated to have exclusive and enumerated powers. (Gellner, 2006) Another concept that has branched out from federalism is that of cooperative federalism. According to this school of thought, the best course of action is to establish a strong network of consumer cooperative societies through which cooperative wholesale societies will be formed in order to undertake the purchase of farms and factories. According to federal cooperatives, the proceeds and profits thereof would be paid as dividends to the member cooperatives instead of the workers. This has been a major part of the definition of the nature of the state in France. (Skinner, 2003) Having studied the various aspects of federalism, it would

Using Mobile Technology and Mobile devices in the workplace Essay

Using Mobile Technology and Mobile devices in the workplace - Essay Example In fact, a research carried out by the Foresights Networks and Telecommunications, Q1 2011, indicate that 64 percent of all firms in North America and Europe identify the provision of adequate mobility support for their staff as a top priority (Wright, Mooney, & Parham, 2011). Memorandum To: Leslie Anderson President, SC Technology Company From: Lehua Lashua IT Administrator Subject: Mobile Devices in the Workplace Date: November 14, 2012 Executive summary The benefits that come along with mobile devices and mobile technology usage at work places are many and influence the employee’s accessibility, quality, and ability to make meaningful decisions based on the given information timelines. People use mobile devices in addition to other office tools to mediate the tasks and activities required to fulfill certain responsibilities at work (Brennen, 2011). Thus, it is essential for organizations to apply the use of mobile technology and mobile devices with respect to the need to achieve goals set and objectives allocated by an organization. Today’s world is so technologically vibrant such that in order to attain the set targets and meet every customer’s demand, organizations should find it imperative to adopt and integrate the application of mobile devices and mobile technology.... This report will seek to propose why organizations such as SC Technology Company need to acquire, integrate, and coordinate the use of mobile technology and mobile devices at workplace. Introduction As mobile technology continues to advance and mobile devices become much cheaper and evolve with regard to their portability, interfaces, bandwidth, features, and context awareness, people are constantly making these devices part of their social and professional worlds. The introduction of the so-called â€Å"Smartphone† has irreversibly revolutionized the way people conduct business. Whilst laptops and desktops continued to dominate the last decade and half, the advent of mobile computing technology has become much more novel, changed the presentation even though not necessarily the way people currently do business (Wright, Mooney, & Parham, 2011). Exponentially, the business world has injected new and sophisticated technological devices and other products that are transforming th ey way companies view profit margins, competition, and time. The application and use of mobile devices have erased working boundaries and replaced them with substantially portable, integrated, and accessible gadgets. These devices are suitable for doing away with the distance involved in cases where employees used to take time and resources before realizing the intended objectives (Katz, 2011). Purpose The main of this essay is to prepare a report based on an ongoing research regarding the application and use of mobile devices and mobile technology in workplaces (SC Technology Company). It will also report on how mobile technology and mobile devices can help increase an organization’s productivity and

Negative Impacts of Globalization Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Negative Impacts of Globalization - Assignment Example This paper discusses the potential negative effects of globalization. The negative impacts of globalization Increase in unemployment One of the most frequently debated consequences of globalization is outsourcing. As more and more people from the developing countries migrated to the advanced economies, employers in the host countries started to take benefit of it by offering jobs to migrants instead of the local citizens. This saved them the cost of business as the migrants agreed to work upon salaries significantly lower than what a local candidate with the same level of competencies and abilities would ask for. Migrants are â€Å"ready to work at one-fifth of what someone in developed world may call 'low-pay'† (Pillai, 2011). A vast majority of such migrants come from such countries as India and China to the advanced countries like Canada and the USA. A lot of people in the developing countries are competent in spoken English and are eligible to serve in many areas including the customer service field. While globalization has brought fortune for the migrants as well as their home countries in terms of remittance, the local citizens of the developed countries are very upset and often outraged upon the increasing tendency of the employers to replace them with the migrant workers. They feel like their jobs are being taken away. Many of them accuse the migrants for the socioeconomic issues that keep surfacing in their countries from time to time. Mismatch between work load and salary There is a significant percentage of migrants who have reached the advanced countries through illegal channels. Such people are ready to work in the host countries at any cost. Employers take advantage of their situation and make them take a lot of work-load for a minimal wage. â€Å"Women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours, produce half of the world’s food, but earn only ten percent of the world’s income, and own less than one percent of the wo rld’s property† (members.tripod.com, n.d.). Although many migrants are earning much more than they did in their home countries, yet they have to go through very tough circumstances on daily basis in order to maintain their living in the host countries. Spread of racism This issue is linked with the one just discussed. A lot of people in the developed countries are not satisfied with the quality of customer service they receive from the migrant workers. They either express problems understanding them and accuse them of not speaking English with reasonable competence, or complain that the worker offended them because of his/her lack of awareness of the cultural and social norms and values of the host country. Such encounters between migrant workers and the indigenous people have â€Å"caused a lot of animosity among people and has added to the dissent that people already have against outsourcing† (Pillai, 2011). Most of the issues are unnecessarily overemphasized u pon. These kinds of problems lay basis for racism that is often complained of in the developed countries. Decline of developing countries Many people are of the opinion that globalization has benefited the developing countries by enabling their citizens to earn money abroad and send to their homelands as remittances, but very few of

Art and design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Art and design - Essay Example The Harlem renaissance art borrowed heavily from post impressionism. The African American community came to understand that it was their time to flourish as human beings. This is usually referred to as the period of enlightenment for the African American artists and the people. This essay seeks to discuss the Harlem renaissance basing on the two prominent figures, Richmond Barthe and Aaron Douglas. It compares and contrasts their early life, their education and their contribution in the Harlem renaissance. Richmond Barthe was born in bay St Louis, Mississippi. This was on January 28, 1901. His father was sr. Richmond Barthe and his mother Marie clementine Robateau. His mother sewed to support the family and his father died when he was only a year old. His mother later remarried to Barthe’s godfather, William franklin. William had no stable job and he worked odd jobs to sustain the family. This included being the icemen to the local community. Interestingly, Barthe’s interest in art developed at a very tender age. Barthe himself mentions that his mother would keep him calm through giving him a piece of paper to draw on. This would allow the mother enough time to run the house errands (Schulman & Peter, 2009 p123). At the age of six years, Barthe began to paint after the master the mum sewed for gave him a set of water colors. At this age, Barthe could draw well. When Barthe was a teenager, his art was overdeveloped for his age. Most of his paintings captured his father’s ice customers and his mother’s sewing customers. Luckily as he helped his father in delivering ice during the summer, one of the customers noticed the hardship and helped him get a job in New Orleans (Black, 2009 p234). This family encouraged his art and as he worked as a houseboy, Barthe furthered his talent in art. It was around this time that Barthe met Lyle Saxon. This was a writer for the New

Data warehousing and storage systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Data warehousing and storage systems - Essay Example These types of warehouses help in attaining different range and level of storage of data in a computing device. A data warehouse is useful because it can maintain replica of information from the source. This architectural convolution provides the prospect to alleviate the problem of database isolation level lock conflict in operation processing systems that is caused by long or large running attempts and queries related to analysis in the processing database of transaction (Silvers, 2008). The uses of data warehousing is not just limited to one prospect it also helps in compressing data into a single source from multiple sources so that only one query engine can be used. Data warehousing increases the efficiency of working and it improves the data quality by maintaining data history accurately even when the source transaction is unable to keep the record. It helps in keeping information secure and also updates if any alteration is done on any data. This is very important because stor age of data should always be in a secured mode in order to avoid isolation of information. The concept of data warehousing was brought forward in the later part of 1980, in order to deliver an architectural model for flow of information from operational systems to decision support systems (Becker, 2002). Data warehouses in order to obtain analytical access patterns are optimized. They involve in selecting specific fields of function unlike operational systems that use a common type of access pattern. Due to these differences analytical databases get benefited from column-oriented data base management system and operational database get benefited from row-oriented data base management system. Operational systems only maintain a picture or frame of business related information however data warehouses maintain the entire history that is implemented from ETL processes. The evolution of data warehousing in organization use is very sophisticated. There are mainly four levels of warehouses.

Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Questions - Assignment Example Finally they will formulate a screening process. Staffing professional will perform other duties apart from recruiting such as; 2. Training and evaluation- candidate while in probations staffing professionals will monitor their performance and make recommendations. They will advice management on whether to retrain or recruit another candidate(s). Organization’s effort of retaining their workforce in a given period of time (sometimes a financial year). Retention is targeted on high performing and valuable employees. The other group of low performers will be retrained or fired to save the organization some costs. 2. Training executives- staffing professional undertake executive training to improve competence and efficiency. Assessment is made before training to determine the strengths and weaknesses of individual executives. 5. After hiring the candidate must be trained while being monitored to ensure he qualifies in actual job environment. This period is known as probation and will influence the next step by the staffing managers. Management will find strategies to retain employees to reduce turnover costs. Retaining high performing employee will ensure continuity and avoid unnecessary recruiting costs. Strategies will range from training to motivation of the existing work force. Some low performing employees leaving will benefit the organization from making losses. Assessment of the workforce will show low performances. The organization is more profitable without their contribution. These employees might be placed in an area which they are unqualified hence leaving will benefit them. High morale and outstanding performance by employee will result in low turnover. Employee retention or non retention will result in high turnover an organization. To correct high turnover managers and staffing professionals will correct factors affecting retention. Staffing professionals are very crucial

Planning a Party Essay Example for Free

Planning a Party Essay Planning a party takes time and requires focus. You want to make sure you get everything covered and don’t leave out any details. You need to find a location, possibly a public venue or even your own home. Will you have a theme or keep it casual? Not only is the location important but who will be your party guests? You want to know who will be attending and where so that you can make proper arrangements for food, beverages, party favors and decorations. Finding the proper location for a party can be tricky. You will need to make sure that the venue can hold enough people depending on the size of the party. Do your research online first and see what sort of businesses in your area offer space to rent. Will there be enough parking available? Is the date of your party available at the time and location you chose? These are all important questions to ask while planning. Don’t forget to make a reservation or schedule a walk through. You may find the perfect place to host your party and choose to change your date. It all depends on what you want and what details are important to you. Once you have decided on your party venue and what your theme will be, if you decide to have one, then it’s time to start making a list of who you will be inviting. Remember just because you invite someone it does not mean they will be attending. This is when it becomes a good time to add an R.S.V.P to your invitation so you can get a better idea of the number of people who will actually be attending. If your guests will be allowed to bring someone make sure you put that on the invitation as well. Date, time and the type of dress are also important to include. You may choose to send a paper invite through the mail or send your invite by email. When choosing your invitation you can get creative with your theme or keep it basic. Next you have the task of tackling the details, food, drinks, decorations and party favors. If you choose to have food at your party be sure to plan ahead. Keep in mind the number of guests expected to attend and the age group. Catering is always an option or you may choose to make food or snacks on your own. When selecting beverages you may want to select a few options so that your guests have choices. When selecting decorations recruit the help of a friend or two for an outside opinion and help setting up. If your party will be themed try and stick to your theme while decorating. Getting a list together of what you would like can save you time. Party favors can be a fun way to thank your guests for attending and give them something to remember your party. There are loads of ideas online that you can use to get creative. Once you have all your ideas and details in place then your party is ready to come to life. There are so many options out there that can make your party just what you want it to be. Just remember to stay calm; getting stressed or discouraged will not make the process any fun. If you need help with something don’t be afraid to ask a friend. There are so many choices to make and endless possibilities. Give yourself adequate time to prepare. When it comes time for the party try to have fun and enjoy what you have created. If your guests see that you are relaxed and enjoying yourself they will relax and have a good time.

Alien Rhyming Poem Essay Example for Free

Alien Rhyming Poem Essay I’ll even do the rhyming thing, I guess. Firstly, I should tell you of our species But keep in mind, we’re very different beings Our social status is decided by blood. Some were brightly colored, others were like mud. Not of whom we are from descended from, We had no family, no dad, or mum. We are assigned a caretaker from birth, Not of Troll descent, for what it’s worth. They’re assigned an animal, called a lusus, I, was a special case. One that caused a fuss. I had candy red blood. I was a mutant. And most trolls, considered me a pollutant. I was left for dead as a baby grub, It was quite an intentional snub. I would have died that first night, cold and lonesome, If it weren’t for one troll, who was wholesome. No troll had ever cared for a young one, Let alone raise it, was their son. She was an adult, in green attire, And the look on her face, made her seem quite dire. Despite her outwardly appearance She taught me the meaning of adherence. Our species is naturally hostile, And knowing this, made me feel quite vile. I despised all of my species needless strife, The type that nearly ended my life. The hierarchical system is cruel, Leaving it to chance if you serve or rule. The lowest color on the hemospectrum, Were the bronze-bloods, all of which were thought as scum They were lucky to live through their childhood, And they were blessed if they were understood. The second of blood colors was yellow, These poor souls were forced to live in the ghetto. And if they could not afford to live there, They were sold to slavery, and none would care. Up next was olive, jade, and then teal, And none of these were really a big deal. After that, cerulean and dark blue, These were the hardest to attend to. These classes were always struggling for power, It made their general tone, quite sour. The highest of the normal bloods was purple, And out of all of them, they were most verbal. Always making demands, but never amends, However, the aggrievance extends. They considered themselves royalty, Flaunting around all flamboyantly. Near the top, were the violet blooded, And they lived in places that were flooded. They had a mutation which gave them gills, And plenty of impractical frills. And at the top were those with blood like gold, And every single one of them was cold. They like the purple-bloods had gills and frills, But they would kill others just for thrills They ruled over our race with an iron fist, But only one at any time could exist. This made a cruel sort of monarchy One which plunged plunged the lowbloods into poverty. And if you spoke out against the crimes Well it was like stepping into a field of landmines. And if one was seen with my blood hue, They’d be allowed to kill me. Through, and through. Despite all this, she raised me as a child, And when I learned of this I think I smiled But that was the only blessing I was brought, For the rest of my life, I wish I forgot. I traveled the lands, preaching my ideal, I had set out on my quest with a great zeal. I sought to change the views of society, And change all of their impropriety. I taught the values of peace and love, Something that most were afraid to talk of. Not all were too fond of my teachings, They thought of it as annoying screeching. But eventually, I gathered a cult. One much to her majesty’s insult. She sent her best men to find and catch me, I on the other hand, did my best to flee. Eventually they caught me, my disciple too, But in some stroke of luck, the let her through. She went on, spreading word of my Lessons, I hope she went on, to teach her own sessions I, however was not treated so well, They locked me up in their deepest cell. They tortured me for what seemed like forever, They had no mercy for me whatsoever. I screamed with anger that pierced the skies All of my love, had said their goodbyes. The only thing left, was anger and hatred, And in time, all my teachings faded. I could not make a stand for peace and love, For those, my species are unworthy of. And now you know all of my suffering, And why my irons, are still burning. †

Types of Mitochondrial Diseases

Types of Mitochondrial Diseases Abstract: Mitochondrion is the primary site of energy and ATP generation so it is called â€Å"power house† of the cell. Mitochondria are composed of two different types of membranes like an outer membrane, an inner membrane and a protein-rich matrix. Protein kinases can localize to specific cytoplasmic sub compartments and mediates many important processes like cell motility and many signaling events. The mitochondrion is a point of integration for these signaling cascades due to its role in cellular metabolism, redox processes, and cell survival-death. PI3K/Akt/Protein Kinase B(PKB) ,Protein kinase C(PKC),Raf-MEK-ERK,JNK/SAPK and p38 MAPK, Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1),Glycogen synthase kinase 3ÃŽ ² (GSK-3ÃŽ ²),Protein kinase A (PKA),PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) are associated with mitochondria and modulate mitochondrial activity and the release of mitochondrial products affects mitochondrial respiratory chain, transport, fission-fusion events, calcium turnover, reactiv e oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial autophagy and apoptotic cell death. Mitochondrial diseases are due to degeneration of the mitochondria in specialized compartments present in every cell of the body. Mitochondria diseases causes damage to cells of the brain, heart, liver, skeletal muscles, kidney and the endocrine and respiratory systems. So this review focuse on various kinases associated with mitochondria, their role in progression of neurodegenerative diseases and treatment. Introduction 1 Mitochondria: Mitochondrion is present in every eukaryotic cell having size range of 0.5 to 10 ÃŽ ¼m in diameter (Munn et al., 1974). It is the primary site of energy and ATP production so it is called â€Å"power house† of the cell. Mitochondria are composed of two different types of membranes like an outer membrane, an inner membrane and a protein-rich matrix. The molecular machinery of chemiosmosis is associated with the inner membrane. Mitochondrial energy production is same in all cells but there are variations in shape, connectivity, and membrane morphology (Munn et al., 1974, Fawcett et al., 1966). There might be changes in the â€Å"energization† state of the mitochondrial membrane integral to energy production (Green et al., 1973). Structural diversity and dynamics of mitochondria were studied with the help of light and electron microscopy and their relationship with other cellular components. This technique gives idea about changes in shape and structure of mitochondria dur ing biological processes. Electron tomography shows remodeling of the inner membrane in the case of apoptosis and cytochrome c release (Scorrano et al., 2002) and mitochondrial fragmentation (Sun et al., 2007). Cell controls the mitochondrial structure, its function and response against various stimuli (Mannella et al., 2006) 1.1 Structure: A mitochondrion has double layer structure composed of phospholipids and proteins (Munn et al., 2007). These two double membranes have five compartments like the outer membrane, the intermembrane space ( between the outer and inner membranes), the inner membrane, the cristae formed by unfolding of the inner mitochondrial membrane, and the matrix (space in the inner mitochondrial membrane). 1.2 Inner Mitochondrial membrane: The inner membrane contains invaginations called cristae. The cristae are not random folds but these are small regions that open through narrow tubular channels into the peripheral region of the membrane (Fig. 2) (Mannella et al., 2001). Topographic analysis of intact, frozen-hydrated, rat liver mitochondria(Mannella et al., 2001) describes the inner diameter of the tubular â€Å"cristae junctions† is 10-15 nm (Fig. 2).This is enough to pass metabolites and many soluble proteins and the inner membrane restrict internal diffusion rates. For example, computer simulations indicate that the steady-state level of ADP inside cristae with long small junctions can drop below the Km for the adenine nucleotide translocator, leading to a local drop in ATP generation. Like that truncated (t)-Bid-induced remodeling in the inner mitochondrial membrane of isolated mouse liver mitochondria (Fig. 2) causes mobilization of a large fraction of the internal pool of cytochrome c lead to increased rates of reduction by the NADH cytochrome b5 redox system on the outer membrane of the organelle(Scorrano et al.,2002).The inner-membrane remodeling involves fivefold widening of the cristae and diffusion of cytochrome c between intracris tal and peripheral (intermembrane) compartments. These shows that the topology of the mitochondrial inner membrane can have effect on mitochondrial functions by influencing the kinetics of diffusion of metabolites and soluble proteins between the internal compartments defined by this membrane (Mannella et al., 1997). 1.3 Mitochondrial Inner-membrane Dynamics: Isolated mitochondria has two morphologic states, condensed and orthodox.Condence state is characterized by a contracted, very dense, matrix compartment and wide cristae while orthodox having an expanded, less-dense matrix and more compact cristae(Hackenbrock et al.,1966 ). Changes between these two morphological states has been detected in real time by light scattering or simply by adjusting the osmotic pressure of the external medium, causing water to flow into or out of the matrix. A reversible condensed-to-orthodox transition also occurs during respiration when ADP is in excess amount and fully phosphorylated form (Hackenbrock et al., 1966). Electron micrograph shows changes in inner mitochondrial membrane as passive unfolding and refolding of the inner membrane. 3D images of rat liver mitochondria obtain by electron tomography indicate that condensed rat liver mitochondria have large pleiomorphic cristae and multiple junctions to each other and to the peripheral region of the inner membrane, that is the region opposed to the outer membrane and the Orthodox rat liver mitochondria have cristae either tubular or flattened lamellae, both types usually having only one junction to the periphery of the inner membrane. For this to occur the inner mitochondrial membranes must undergo fusion and fission, with tubular forms merging into the larger cisternae during matrix condensation. Large lamellar compartment are formed via cristae fusion is strongly suggested by their appearance in tomograms of frozen-hydrated mitochondria (Fig. 2).so that the structural variations that mitochondria undergo in response to osmotic and metabolic changes involve not only the contraction and dilation of the matrix and intracristal space but also by remodeling of the inner mitochondrial membrane. A review of mitochondrial morphologies associated with a variety of osmotic, metabolic, and disease states suggests that inner-membrane topology represents a balance between fusion and fission, with defects (such as crista vesiculation) corresponding to an imbalance in this process (Mannella et al.,2006). 1.4 Inner mitochondrial membrane proteins: Mitochondrial proteins responsible for maintenance of normal cristae morphology and dynamics are also responsible for mediate inter mitochondrial fusion and organelle division since these processes involve fusion and fission of the inner as well as the outer membranes. For example, the dynamin-like GTPase called Mgm1p in yeast and OPA1 in mammalian cells is required for the fusion of mitochondria. Mutations in this protein cause a progressive, autosomal, dominant retinopathy, dominant optic atrophy (Alexander et al.,2000, Delettre et al.,2002) giving the physiological importance of mitochondrial dynamics. Another protein that directly influences inner-membrane topology is F1F0 ATP synthase. Mutations in subunits e or g of the F0 domain cause lateral dimerization and subsequent oligomerization of these inner membrane complexes and are associated with wrapped cristae lacking tubular junctions (Paumard et al., 2002). This also occurs with the down regulation of the protein mitofilin tha t regulate interactions of the ATP synthase (John et al., 2005). In ATP synthase dimers, close packing of the bulky extra membrane F1 domains causes the smaller, intramembrane F0 domains , which could induce local bending of the inner membrane.Mgm1/OPA1 has a chaperone-like function for subunit e of the ATP synthase. The loss of the function of Mgm1/OPA1 mutants inhibits ATP synthase dimer formation, which lead to the deficiency of normal tubular crista junctions in these mitochondria. 2 Mitochondrial kinases: Activated protein kinases can localize to specific cytoplasm sub compartments and mediates many important processes like cell motility (Glading et al., 2001), and signaling endosomes may facilitate communication between neurons(Howe CL et al.,2004). Like hormone- or growth factor-induce signaling cascades, recent advances in redox signaling pathways have very complex function. The mitochondrion is a point of integration for these redox signaling cascades due to its role in cellular metabolism, redox biochemistry, and survival-death decisions. Recent studies have demonstrated that certain components of protein kinase signaling cascades are specifically targeted to mitochondria, where they modulate mitochondrial activity and the release of mitochondrial products that ultimately affect the entire cell. 3 List of Mitochondrial kinases: PI3K/Akt/Protein Kinase B(PKB) Protein kinase C(PKC) Raf-MEK-ERK JNK/SAPK and p38 MAPK Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) Glycogen synthase kinase 3ÃŽ ² (GSK-3ÃŽ ²) Protein kinase A (PKA) PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) (1) PI3K/Akt/Protein Kinase B(PKB) The protein kinase B (serine/threonine kinase Akt) has a major role in cell proliferation and survival in many cells of the body. Akt is activated by phosphoinositide-dependent kinases to the plasma membrane by products of the type I phosphoinositide 3- kinase (Vanhaesebroeck et al., 2000). Antiapoptotic effects of nitric oxide may be partially mediated by cGMPdependent activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase and Akt (Ha KS et al., 2003). Inspite of direct effects of Akt in phospho-inactivating the proapoptotic protein BAD (Datta et al., 1997), Akt also activate Raf-1 in the mitochondria (Majewski et al., 1999) and cause expression of proteins involved in the mitochondrial permeability transition pore(Nebigil et al.,2003). Akt can also having role in cell survival through regulation of forkhead transcription factors (Linseman et al., 2005). In Neuroblastoma and human embryonic kidney cells, insulin-like growth factor 1 Cause rapid translocation of phospho-Akt into mitochondrial subcellular fractions (Bijur et al., 2003). This effect may be cell type specific, as Akt was not observed in mitochondria of mesangial cells stimulated by insulin-like growth factor 1(Kang et al.,2003). Activated mitochondrial Akt can also phosphorylate ÃŽ ² subunit of ATP synthase and of glycogen synthase kinase 3ÃŽ ² (GSK3ÃŽ ²) (Bijur et al., 2003). GSK3ÃŽ ² has been localized by immunoelectron microscopy to the mitochondria, where it functions to phosphorylate and inhibit mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase activity (Hoshi M et al., 1996) and to promote apoptosis (Hetman et al., 2000). Akt can localize within the mitochondria rather than on its surface most commonly in the mitochondrial membrane fractions and to a lesser degree in the matrix (Bijur et al., 2003). It has pro survival role in mitochondrial membrane permeation. The antioxidant selenite has neuroprotective effects and increases AKT activation by PI3K (Wang et al., 2007). Inhibition of PI3K enhance RGCs survival upon axotomy, in a fashion that depended on the presence of local macrophages PI3K inhibition suppressed the neuroprotective effects of sodium Orthovanadate (Wu et al., 2006). (2) Protein kinase C (PKC) The protein kinase C (PKC) family consists of multiple isozymes with distinct distribution patterns in different tissues of the body (Dempsey et al., 2000). Extracellular ligand binds to a receptor tyrosine kinase or G protein-coupled receptor activates phospholipase C and produces inositol triphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG). Calcium released by IP3 causes PKC to bind to membranes, where DAG then activates PKC. Activated PKC phosphorylates many cellular targets, including c-Fos and NF-ÃŽ ºB. The isozymes of PKC differ not only in their localization but also in their responsiveness to IP3, DAG, and calcium. There are three subgroups of PKC isoforms, conventional, novel, and atypical, classified on the basis of their responsiveness to these regulators (Parker et al., 2004). The ÃŽ ± and ÃŽ ² isoforms of PKC were found in a subset of mitochondria in carp retinal Mà ¼ller cells (Fernandez et al., 1995) Immunoelectron microscopy studies showed that the kinase was associated with the inner membrane and cristae. Researchers described that PKC isoforms play a direct role in regulating mitochondrial function. Activated PKC isoforms that translocate to the mitochondria are proapoptotic or inhibitory to mitochondrial function. For example, renal proximal tubular cells respond to oxidative stress by activated PKCÃŽ µ to the mitochondria and inhibit the electron transport chain, ATP production, and Na+ transport by direct phosphorylation of Na+-K+-ATPase (Nowak et al., 2004). Treatment of various neoplastic cells with phorbol esters, H2O2, or anticancer agents such as cisplatin and etoposide causes accumulation of PKCÃŽ ´ to the mitochondria, with subsequent releases cytochrome c and induction of apoptosis (Majumder et al., 2000). In rat cardiac myocytes PKCÃŽ ´ was shown to move to the mitochondria in response to anesthetic exposure or ischemia/reperfusion. PKCÃŽ ´ then activate mitochondrial KATP channels, which then promote cardio protection (Uecker et al., 2003). PKCÃŽ µ also promotes cardioprotection following ischemia/reperfusion through a different mechanism, phosphorylating the voltage dependent anion channel (VDAC) component of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (Baines et al., 2003). This prevents mitochondrial swelling, outer membrane rupture, release of apoptogenic factors, and decreases in ATP production. PKCÃŽ µ and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) interact at the mitochondria to inactivate the proapoptotic protein BAD in cardiac myocytes (Baines et al., 2002). Inactivation of the proapoptotic protein Bax by PKCÃŽ µ in prostate cancer cells renders these cells resistant to androgen-deprivation therapy (McJilton et al., 2003). PKC isoforms translocate from one cell compart ment to another, these responses to PKC signaling may be mediated by association with specific anchoring scaffold proteins, RACKs (receptors for activated C kinase) and RICKs (receptors for inactive C kinase) (Mochly-Rosen et al., 1998). (3) ERK-Raf-MEK The extracellular signal regulated protein kinases (ERK1/2) has a role in regulating the processes like proliferation, differentiation, adaptation (i.e., cell motility, long term potentiating), survival, and even cell death. ERK has been found in the mitochondria of neurons and non-neuronal cells such as in mouse heart, renal epithelial cells, outer membrane and the intermembrane space of rat brain mitochondria, mouse hippocampus, B65 cells, SH-SY5Y cells; Leydig cells and human alveolar macrophages (Ruben K et al., 2009).The three-tiered ERK signaling involves sequential activation of Raf (MAPKKK), MEK1/2 (MAPKK), and ERK1/2 (MAPK). Depending on its intracellular localization and pathway of activation, Raf-1 can affect apoptosis by different mechanisms (Majewski et al.,1999, Alavi et al., 2003).ERK signaling can have opposite responses to injury even within the same cell type (Chu et al., 2004, Hetman et al., 2004). It has Pro-apoptotic role in mitochondrial membrane permeation. Pha rmacological inhibition of ERKs resulted in a reduction of cortical lesion volumes one week after trauma (Mori et al., 2002). Intravenous administration of a specific inhibitor of MEKs after ischemia results in decrease of infarct volume (Namura et al., 2001). The antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 plays an important role in targeting Raf-1 to the mitochondria, resulting in phosphorylation of proapoptotic BAD, provides evidence for signaling roles for plasma membrane-targeted versus mitochondrially targeted Raf proteins (Wang et al., 1996). Signaling cascade consisting of Raf-1, MEK1, and the adapter protein Grb10 have been localized to mitochondrial membranes (Nantel et al., 1999). The antiapoptotic effects of mitochondrially localized Raf-1 are independent of ERK activity in myeloid cells (Majewski et al., 1999), and MEK/ERK signaling does mediate antiapoptotic effects of B-Raf in fibroblasts (Erhardt et al., 1999). Phosphorylation of S338 and S339 on Raf-1 promotes mitochondrial translocation and protection of endothelial cells from the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis, whereas Src cause phosphorylation of Y340 and Y341 and MEK/ERK activity are important for protection from death receptor-initiated cell death (Alavi et al., 2003). ERK can modulate mitochondrial functions and inhibition of MEK, those associated with cell death. For example, ERK signaling promotes mitochondrial ATP synthase function in glucose-deprived astrocytes (Yung et al., 2004), to maintain mitochondrial membrane potential and prevent cytochrome c release (Lee et al., 2004), and to inactivate the proapoptotic protein BAD (Jin et al., 2002). ERK has also role in promoting oxidative neuronal injuries (Chu et al., 2004) and in neurodegenerative diseases (Tobiume et al.,2002, Kulich et al.,2001) MEK/ERK promotes organophosphate induce mitochondrial vacuolation(Isobe et al., 2003), apoptotic translocation of Bax to the mitochondria(Isobe et al., 2003), and nonapoptotic programmed cell death(Sperandio et al., 2004). As pro- and antiapoptotic effects of MEK/ ERK signaling could be mediated by downstream targets or at the transcriptional level (Bonni et al., 1999), these studies do not necessarily indicate mitochondrial targeting of ERK. Mitochondrial targeting of ERK signaling was first derived from biochemical subcellular fractionation studies. In renal tubular cells, both activated ERK1/2 and PKCÃŽ ± are enriched in mitochondrial fractions during cisplatin injury, where they increase mitochondrial membrane potential, decrease oxidative phosphorylation, and increase caspase-3 activation and apoptosis (Nowak et al., 2002).ERK activity in phosphorylating both Bcl-2(Deng et al., 2000) and BAD (Kang et al., 2003) are associated with increased levels of activated ERK colocalizing or co-immunoprecipitating with the Bcl-2 family members in mitochondria. Immuno-electron microscopy studies shows presence of phosphorylated ERK1/2 within the mitochondrion (Zhu et al., 2003, Alonso et al., 2004). Phospho-ERK was found at high labeling densities within a subset of mitochondria in degenerating neurons from patients of Parkinsons disease and Lewy body dementia (Chu et al., 2003) and distinct granular cytoplasmic pattern of staining are not observed in control patients(Zhu et al., 2002). (4) JNK/SAPK and p38 MAPK The p38 MAPKs and the JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) / SAPK (stress-activated protein kinase) are of MAPK family membranes and involved in prodeath signaling (Matsuzawa et al., 2001). The p38 and JNK are activated by a MAP kinase (MKK), which is activated by a MAPKKK in response to a stimulus like oxidative stress, irradiation, or proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor ÃŽ ±. Role of p38 MAPK signaling in cell death includes translocation of proapoptotic Bax from cytosolic to mitochondrial compartments (Park et al., 2003 Shou et al., 2003), caspase-independent potassium efflux (Bossy-Wetzel et al., 2004), and transcriptional regulation of TR3, a steroid receptor-like protein that translocates from the nucleus to the mitochondria to initiate the intrinsic apoptotic pathway (Bossy-Wetzel et al., 2004). Irradiation causes translocation of both p38 and JNK1 to mitochondrial subcellular fractions (Epperly et al., 2002). The effects of JNK on the mitochondria involve stimulation of apoptosis. Treatment of isolated rat brain mitochondria with active JNK causes the inhibition of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL and release of cytochrome c (Schroeder et al., 2003). The mitochondrial JNK is activated by oxidative stress in cardiac myocytes, and cause the release of cytochrome c lead to apoptosis (Aoki et al., 2002). Treatment with phorbol esters cause localization of JNK to the mitochondria in human U-937 leukemia cells, where it binds to and inhibits Bcl-xL, promoting apoptosis (Kharbanda et al., 2000, Ito et al., 2001). Mitochondrial JNK can also cause the release of Smac, the activator of caspase that promotes caspase-9 activity (Chauhan et al., 2003). JNK also phosphorylates and oligomerize proapoptotic BAD (Bhakar et al., 2003). JNK signaling can yield cell survival under some conditions. JNK can inactivate the pro-apoptotic protein BAD (Yu C et al., 2004). Activated JNK phosphorylates Bcl-2 at Ser70 in the mitochondrial membranes of interleukin-3-dependent hematopoietic cells. This occurs under conditions of stress or by exposure to interleukin-3, resulting in enhanced antiapoptotic activity of Bcl-2(Deng et al., 2001). It has Pro-apoptotic role in mitochondrial membrane permeation. JNK3 (but not JNK1 nor JNK2) absence conferred significant neuroprotection to axotomized neurons. The absence of JNK3 (but not of JNK1 nor of JNK2) resulted in a substantial resistance against kainate-induced seizures, which correlated with improved survival (Brecht et al., 2005). Pharmacological JNK inhibitors diminished several manifestations of apoptosis and reduced infarct volume (Gao et al., 2005). Intravitreal administration of a p38MAPK inhibi tor induced apoptosis (Kikuchi et al., 2000). Oral administration of a p38MAPK inhibitor during pre- and post-ischemia provided dose-dependent neuroprotective effects (Legos et al., 2001). Pharmacological inhibition of p38MAPK protects neurons from NO-mediated degeneration (Xu et al., 2006). (5) Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) All living systems are exposed to numerous physicochemical stressors, and appropriate responses to these stresses at the cellular level are essential for the maintenance of homeostasis. The mitogen-activated protein Kinase (MAPK) cascades are having major signaling pathways in regulation of these cellular stress responses (Kazuki et al., 2009). The MAPK pathway consists of a cascade of three protein kinases. These protein kinases are sequentially activated, such as the MAPK kinase kinase (MAPKKK) phosphorylates and activates the MAPK kinase (MAPKK), which then phosphorylates and activates the MAPK. MAPKs have a wide variety of cellular functions, including proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis. ASK1 identified as a member of the MAPKKK family and activate the MAPKK 4 (MKK4) JNK and MKK3/6-p38 pathways but not the MAP/ERK kinase (MEK)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway (Ichijo et al., 1997). Tumor necrosis factor-ÃŽ ± receptor-associated factors (TRAFs) having important role in the regulation of ASK1 activity. In TRAF family proteins, TRAF1, TRAF2, TRAF3, TRAF5 and TRAF6 are associate with ASK1, but only TRAF2, TRAF5 and TRAF6 increase ASK1 kinase activity (Nishitoh et al., 1998). TNF-ÃŽ ± treatment induces JNK activation in a TRAF2- dependent manner (Yeh et al., 1997, Tobiume et al., 2001). Phosphorylation of Thr845 in mouse ASK1 have role in activation of ASK1 (Tobiume et al., 2002). Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress activates ASK1 and involved in variety of neurodegenerative diseases (Lindholm et al., 2006). It has Pro-apoptotic role in mitochondrial membrane permeation. Decreased activation of ASK1/JNK by the antioxidant selenite correlated with neuroprotective effects (Wang et al., 2007). (6) Glycogen synthase kinase 3ÃŽ ² (GSK-3ÃŽ ²) Glycogen synthase kinase-3ÃŽ ² (GSK-3ÃŽ ²) is a constitutively active 47-kDa Ser/Thr protein kinase. It has about 40 substrates and having functions like cell proliferation, growth and death. GSK-3ß has a significant role in the regulation of apoptosis. Apoptotic injury is increased by the over-expression of GSK-3ß lead to cellular injury. During oxidative stress, GSK-3ß can lead to the activation of caspase 3 and cytochrome c release ultimately lead to apoptosis. Mechanism of GSK-3ÃŽ ² is phosphorylation at Ser and Tyr residues, complex formation with scaffold proteins, priming of substrates and intracellular translocation. GSK-3ÃŽ ² has been involved in serious diseases such as Alzheimers disease, bipolar mood disorder, cancer and ischemia/reperfusion injury (Tetsuji et al., 2009). It has Pro-apoptotic role in mitochondrial membrane permeation. Clinical dose of lithium inhibits GSK-3ÃŽ ² resulted in significant axon sprouting and functional recovery (Dill et al., 2008). (7) Protein kinase A (PKA) The protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway involves responses to hormonal stimulation which are often cell type specific.The PKA pathway involves the binding of an extracellular molecule to a G protein-coupled receptor, which catalyzes the formation of intracellular cyclic AMP through the activation of adenylate cyclase.Cyclic AMP then binds to the two regulatory subunits of PKA, thereby releasing the two catalytic subunits to phosphorylate serine and threonine residues on target proteins. These subunits enter the nucleus and phosphorylate transcription factors such as CREB and NF-ÃŽ ºB. PKA signaling in specific subcellular compartments has been recognized with the discovery of specific anchoring scaffold proteins. PKA activity has been identified within the mitochondria in a wide variety of species, including human (Kleitke et al., 1976). Mitochondrial targeted PKA activities have positive effects on the mitochondria. PKA localized to the inner membrane and matrix of mitochondria phosphorylates and promotes the activity of complex I (NADH dehydrogenase) (Technikova-Dobrova et al., 2001). AKAP (A-kinase anchoring proteins)-mediate the activation of PKA to the cytoplasmic surface of mitochondria results in phospho-inhibition of the proapoptotic protein BAD, enhancing cell survival (Harada et al., 1999, Affaitati et al., 2003). A peripheral benzodiazepine receptor-associated protein functions as an AKAP that promotes mitochondrial steroid genesis (Liu et al., 2003). AKAP-121 can also function as targeting of Mn-superoxide dismutase mRNA to the mitochondria for localized translation of this important antioxidant (Ginsberg et al., 2003).The small G-protein Rab32, which regulates mitochondrial fission, appears to function as a mitochondrially targeted AKAP(Alto et al., 2002). Thus, mitochondrial targeting of PKA appears to be involved in regulating most major mitochondrial functions, promoting respiration, antagonizing cell death, and regulating mitochondrial protein expression and biogenesis. (8) PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) PINK1 is a serine/threonine kinase having similarity to calcium/calmodulin regulated kinases. The primary sequence for PINK1 includes a canonical N-terminal mitochondrial leader sequence (Ruben K et al., 2009). PINK1 has been found in the mitochondria human brain and it is cleaved by matrix proteases. Transmembrane domain of PINK1 is responsible for its insertion in to outer mitochondrial membrane. The C-terminal domain of PINK1 having role of its auto phosphorylation (Liu et al., 2008). Point mutations and truncations of PINK 1 have been mapped throughout the transmembrane, kinase and C-terminal domains lead to impaired kinase activity and promote degradation, or induce misfolding of PINK1. The TNF receptor associated protein 1 (TRAP1, or Hsp75) are substrate for PINK1, and the serine protease Omi/Htra2 and heat shock proteins, Hsp90/Cdc37 are PINK1 binding proteins. So degradation of PINK1 catalytic activity leads to disease like parkinsonian neurodegeneration (DeFeo et al., 1981). 4 Human Diseases associated with Mitochondrial Kinases Mitochondria are important because of the Respiratory chain which is the major sites of energy production in all cells (Taylor et al., 2005). Mitochondria perform many functions in different tissues and cells so there are so many different mitochondrial diseases associated with different tissues of the body. Each disease produces abnormalities that are difficult to diagnose. There are complex relationship between the genes and cells that are responsible for maintaining our metabolic processes running smoothly; it is a basis of mitochondrial diseases. Mitochondrial diseases is due to degeneration of the mitochondria in specialized compartments present in every cell of the body except RBC (red blood cells).When mitochondria fail to generate energy, less energy is generated in the cell so cell injury and even cell death can occur. If this is repeated throughout the whole body, whole systems begin to fail, and the life of the person is severely compromised. The disease affects more in ch ildren as compared to adult but onset is becoming more and more common. Mitochondria diseases causes damage to cells of the brain, heart, liver, skeletal muscles, kidney and the endocrine and respiratory systems. Kinases that are associated with mitochondria during neuronal injury include mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK) such as extracellular signal regulated protein kinases (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK), protein kinase B/Akt, and PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1). Their sites of action within mitochondria and specific kinase targets are still unclear but these signaling pathways regulate mitochondrial respiration, transport, fission-fusion, calcium buffering, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial autophagy and apoptotic cell death( Kachergus et al., 2005). 5 List of mitochondrial kinases associated human diseases: A) Neurodegenerative diseases: Parkinsons disease Alzheimers disease B) Cancer 1 Parkinsons disease (PD) Parkinsons disease is a debilitating, movement disorder that affects around 1 million people in North America. Symptoms: Motor symptoms can be due to degeneration of endogenously pigmented midbrain neurons of the nigrostriatal projection. Olfactory, autonomic and cognitive dysfunction. Most of the cases have no known cause; oxidative stress, disordered protein handling/degradation, and mitochondrial dysfunction are mechanistically observed factors in sporadic PD due to toxin/pesticide exposures, and in models of familial PD (Ruben et al., 2009). Factors like Disturbances in mitochondrial function, transport, dynamics and turnover have central role in neurotoxin, environmental and genetic approaches to Parkinsons disease (Ruben et al., 2009). In addition to changes in mitochondrial fission/fusion machinery and trafficking, autophagic degradation process has a critical role in regulating mitochondrial quality and content (Kiselyov et al., 2007). Macroautophagy has a role in membranous engulfment of cytoplasmic cargo bodies for lysosomal degradation, and this the major degradative pathway for organelles and insoluble proteins. There is deregulation of macroautophagy and of chaperone-mediated autophagy observed in toxin and genetic models of PD (Ruben et al., 2009). Gene multiplication and ÃŽ ±-synuclein mutations are autosomal dominant of PD in model of parkinsonian neurodegeneration (Polymeropoulos et al., 1997). Aggregation of ÃŽ ±-Synuclein, Lewy bodie formation and mutation in leucine rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are found in the sporadic and dominant forms of PD (Kachergus et al., 2005). Parkin, ATP13A2, DJ1 and PTEN induced kinase 1(PINK 1) are involved in autosomal recessive Parkinsonism disease. PINK1 and Parkin regulates mitochondrial morphology and turnover (Ruben et al., 2009). In human PD brain and diffuse Lewy body diseases, Phospho-ERK (p-ERK) in the cytoplasm and mitochondria of midbr

Perspectives on Fear :: Personal Narrative Writing

â€Å"At the University of California at Irvine, experiments in rats indicate that the brain’s hormonal reaction to fear can be inhibited, softening the formation of memories and the emotions they evoke† (Baard). Sometimes I have trouble sleeping. I lie in bed for hours while my mind churns through endless streams of fragmented thoughts and memories, bits of brain matter that I do not have time for in my waking life. I have tried the homeopathic remedies. I drink â€Å"calming† teas, take showers, and inhale scents advertised to promote sleep and relaxation. I even have a lavender neck pillow. Nevertheless, when I am inflicted with a bout of sleeplessness, there is usually very little I can do but wait it out. I stay away from sleep drugs. The streetlamp outside paints shapes across the wall next to my bed. I can see them in the darkness, dull orange lines that have become familiar in my many restless nights. At the heart of their canvas, they intersect to form a rectangle. A rectangle? For months I believed in this reality of form with the inborn certainty that accompanies that which is obvious. I didn’t have to think about it. Nightly, I would study the shape in a sleep haze, unconsciously harboring knowledge of its regularity. Except that it is not a rectangle. Two forty seven. Nearly three hours after my first attempt at sleep, I stared up at the wall and realized for the first time the distortion within the orange light. Where the lines connected to form the shape, the rectangle, were angles. Obtuse and acute, they had none of the symmetrical regularity that geometry dictates of a true rectangle. The outline on the wall was crooked, skewed, an imperfect representation of the form. I tend to think of my memories as shoeboxes, precise, neatly uniform components that stack tidily in the mind. Somehow I have trained myself to believe that in regularity and order I will uncover the diagram of my true self, a clear-cut explanation for all that I think, say, and do. But in sleepless nights I realize that even old recurring thoughts can be strangely misshapen, and I am thrown into a tailspin. My memories of experiencing fear seem contorted. Among the most vivid of my recollections, they stand out with their potent doses of color, emotion, and experience. They have been with me so long that I rarely question the nature of their composition.

The Cosmogonic Cycle in Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

The Cosmogonic Cycle in Heart of Darkness  Ã‚   The short novel Heart of Darkness tells a story just like any other heroic myth, except better. This novel rewards an educated reader. Many find the work to be extremely confusing, and actually quite dull. Though it is a complicated book, a reader is stimulated by the symbols and linguistics used by Conrad. The most noticeable is the flaw in the Cosmogony Cycle. This cycle is an integral part of every hero’s journey. An important step in the cycle, the second step in fact, is finding a guide, either spiritual or tangible. If one were to look hard enough in most works of canonical literature, he would find all the necessary components of the Cosmogonic Cycle on the protagonist’s journey, the travel into the underworld, confronting the father figure, meeting, and saving, a female prisoner, then the journey back into the conscious. A guide is there to lead the hero. He generally is a man or woman who has been on a similar journey and knows the pitfalls where the hero may f all. Without this figure in Marlow’s journey, he fell into the temptation of staying in the unconscious "evil" domain. Conrad never gave Marlow a guide, in essence, dooming him to fail his mission. At the beginning of the protagonist’s journey it seemed as though the "two women . . . knitting black wool" (Conrad 13) in the trading center office were there to foreshadow the mortal death of Marlow. One may have drawn this conclusion because this is an obvious reference to the women who knitted while watching aristocrats executed by the guillotine during the French Revolution. I believe it meant something much more deep. A good writer, one of Conrad’s caliber, does not place superfluous scenes, words, or phrases in his or her book. He writes only what he needs to write. With that in mind, because Marlow did not die at the end of his journey, therefore the women then had to represent something else. They foreshadowed the death of Marlow’s soul. They knew he was without a spirit guide because they were aware the Trading Company had not offered him one. They also knew Kurtz hadn’t had a guide either. There were multiple uses of the word soul in the final chapter, many of which talked of the inability for a man’s soul to escape the forest.

“That’s Life” An Analysis of Holden Caulfield Essay --

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger supersedes the norm by staying painfully in the deepest part of the average, for it contains topics that people can relate to (such as, cynicism, nostalgia, and bitterness of life). One of the grand topics the novel discusses is an individuals identity, and how Holden Caulfields identity is shaped through the adversity he faces. Quentin Crisp once said â€Å"The young always have the same problem -- how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have now solved this by defying their parents and copying one another.† Holdens desire to be an individual (a rebel without a cause), hatred of phoniness, and guilt over Allies death creates a substantial conflict. Conformity can be defined in many ways, depending on the person and their situation. In Holdens case conformity is the choice to grow up and move on from childish antics. Holden, however, chooses to be wedged between a world of a child's innocence and the complex world of adulthood. He deities his two younger siblings, Allie and Phoebe, as if the were contenders for sainthood because of ...

The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Eleven

What Jack saw took his breath away. â€Å"No one comes here but me,† Grace said softly. â€Å"I don't know why.† The light, the ripple through the air as the sun slid through the uneven glass of the ancient windows†¦ â€Å"In the winter especially,† she continued, her voice just a little hesitant, â€Å"it's magic. I can't explain it. I think the sun dips lower. And with the snow†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was the light. It had to be. It was the way the light trembled, and fell on her. His heart clenched. Like a fist it hit him – this need, this overwhelming urge†¦He could not speak. He could not even begin to articulate it, but – â€Å"Jack?† she whispered, and it was just enough to break his trance. â€Å"Grace.† It was just one word, but it was a benediction. This went beyond desire, it was need. It was an indefinable, inexplicable, living, pulsing thing within him that could only be tamed by her. If he didn't hold her, didn't touch her in that very moment, something within him would die. To a man who tried to treat life as an endless series of ironies and witticisms, nothing could have been more terrifying. He reached out and roughly pulled her to him. He was not delicate, nor was he gentle. He couldn't be. He couldn't manage it, not now, not when he needed her so desperately. â€Å"Grace,† he said again, because that's what she was to him. It was impossible that he'd known her but a day. She was his grace, his Grace, and it was like she had always been there within him, waiting for him to finally open his eyes and find her. His hands cupped her face. She was a priceless treasure, and yet he could not force himself to touch her with the reverence she deserved. Instead, his fingers were clumsy, his body rough and pounding. Her eyes – so clear, so blue – he thought he might drown in them. He wanted to drown in them, to lose himself within her and never leave. His lips touched hers, and then – of this he was certain – he was lost. There was nothing more for him but this woman, in this moment, maybe even for all his moments thereafter. â€Å"Jack,† she sighed. It was the first time all morning she'd used his name, and it sent waves of desire pulsing through his already taut body. â€Å"Grace,† he said in return, because he was afraid to say anything else, afraid that for the first time in his life his glib tongue would fail him, and his words would come out wrong. He'd say something and it would mean too little, or perhaps he'd say something and it would mean too much. And then she would know, if by some miracle she did not already, that she had bewitched him. He kissed her hungrily, passionately, with all the fire within him. His hands slid down her back, memorizing the gentle slope of her spine, and when he reached the more lush curves of her bottom, he could not help it – he pressed her more firmly against him. He was aroused, and wound more tightly than he'd ever imagined possible, and all he could think – if he was thinking at all – was that he needed her close, closer. Whatever he could get, whatever he could have – right now he would take it. â€Å"Grace,† he said again, one of his hands moving to the spot where her dress touched her skin, just at her collarbone. She flinched at his touch, and he stilled, barely able to imagine how he would tear himself away. But her hand covered his, and she whispered, â€Å"I was surprised.† It was only then that he once again breathed. Fingers shaking, he traced the delicately scalloped edge of her bodice. Her pulse seemed to leap beneath his touch, and never in his life had he been so aware of a single sound – the quiet rasp of air, brushing across her lips. â€Å"You are so beautiful,† he whispered, and the amazing thing was that he was not even looking at her face. It was merely her skin, the pale, milky hue of it, the soft blush of pink that followed his fingers. Softly, gently, he bowed his head and brushed his lips along the hollow at the base of her throat. She gasped then, or maybe it was a moan, and her head slowly fell back in silent agreement. Her arms were around him and her hands in his hair, and then, without even considering what it meant, he swept her into his arms and carried her across the room, to the low, wide settee that sat near the window, bathed in the magical sunlight that had seduced them both. For a moment, kneeling at her side, he could do nothing but look at her, then one of his trembling hands reached forth to stroke her cheek. She was staring up at him, and in her eyes there was wonder, and anticipation, and yes, a little nervousness. But there was also trust. She wanted him. Him. No one else. She had never been kissed before, of that he was certain. She could have done. Of that he was even more certain. A woman of Grace's beauty did not reach her age without having refused (or rebuffed) multiple advances. She had waited. She had waited for him. Still kneeling beside her, he bent to kiss her, his hand moving down the side of her face to her shoulder, then to her hip. His passion grew deeper, and hers, too; she was returning his kiss with an unschooled eagerness that left him breathless with desire. â€Å"Grace, Grace,† he moaned, his voice lost in the warmth of her mouth. His hand found the hem of her dress and then slid under, grasping the slender circle of her ankle. And then up†¦up†¦to her knee. And higher. Until he could bear it no longer, and he moved to the settee himself, partially covering her with his own body. His lips had moved to her neck, and he felt her sharply indrawn breath on his cheek. But she did not say no. She did not cover his hand with hers and bring him to a stop. She did nothing but whisper his name and arch her hips beneath him. She couldn't have known what the movement had meant, could never have known what it would do to him, but that ever-so-slight pressure beneath him, rising up against his own desire, brought him to the very peak of need. He kissed his way down her neck, to the gentle swell of her breast, his lips finding the very spot at the edge of her bodice that his fingers had so recently traveled. He lifted himself away from her, just a bit, just enough so he could slide his finger under the hem and slide it down, or maybe push her up – whichever was needed to free her to his devotion. But just when his hand had moved toward his destination, just when he'd had one glorious second to cup the fullness of her, skin to skin, the stiff edge peaking in his palm, she cried out. Softly, with surprise. And dismay. â€Å"No, I can't.† With jerky movements she scrambled to her feet, righting her dress. Her hands were shaking. More than shaking. They seemed filled with a foreign, nervous energy, and when he looked in her eyes, it was as if a knife had pierced him. It was not revulsion, it was not fear. What he saw was anguish. â€Å"Grace,† he said, moving toward her. â€Å"What is wrong?† â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said, stepping back. â€Å"I – I shouldn't have. Not now. Not until – † One of her hands flew up to cover her mouth. â€Å"Not until†¦? Grace? Not until what?† â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said again, confirming his belief that those were the worst two words in the English language. She bobbed a quick, perfunctory curtsy. â€Å"I must go.† And then she ran from the room, leaving him quite alone. He stared at the empty doorway for a full minute, trying to figure out just what had happened. And it was only when he finally stepped into the hall that he realized he hadn't a clue how to get back to his bedchamber. Grace dashed through Belgrave, half walking, half skipping†¦running†¦whatever it was she needed to do to reach her room with the most equal balance of dignity and speed. If the servants saw her – and she couldn't imagine they didn't; they seemed positively everywhere this morning – they must have wondered at her distress. The dowager would not expect her. Surely she would think she was still showing Mr. Audley the house. Grace had at least an hour before she might need to show her face. Dear God, what had she done? If she had not finally remembered herself, remembered who he was, and who he might be, she would have let him continue. She'd wanted it. She'd wanted it with a fervor that had shocked her. When he'd taken her hand, when he'd pulled her to him, he awakened something within her. No. It had been awakened two nights earlier. On that moonlit night, standing outside the carriage, something had been born within her. And now†¦ She sat upon her bed, wanting to bury herself in the covers but instead just sitting there, staring at the wall. There was no going back. One couldn't ever not have been kissed once the deed was done. With a nervous breath, maybe even a frantic laugh, she covered her face with her hands. Could she possibly have chosen anyone less suitable with whom to fall in love? Not that this was the measure of her feelings, she hastened to reassure herself, but she was not so much of a fool that she could not recognize her leanings. If she let herself†¦If she let him†¦ She would fall in love. Good heavens. Either he was a highwayman, and now she was destined to be the consort of an outlaw, or he was the true Duke of Wyndham, which meant – She laughed because really, this was funny. It had to be funny. If it wasn't funny, then it could only be tragic, and she didn't think she could manage that just now. Wonderful. Perhaps she was falling in love with the Duke of Wyndham. Now that was appropriate. Let's see, how many ways was this a disaster? He was her employer, for one, he owned the house in which she lived, and his rank was so far above hers as to be nearly immeasurable. And then there was Amelia. She and Thomas certainly did not suit, but she had every right to expect that she would be the Duchess of Wyndham upon her marriage. Grace could not imagine how crass and overreaching she would appear to the Willoughbys – her good friends – if she were seen to be throwing herself at the new duke. Grace closed her eyes and touched the tips of her fingers to her lips. If she breathed deeply enough she almost relaxed. And she could almost still feel his presence, his touch, the warmth of his skin. It was awful. It was wonderful. She was a fool. She lay down, let out a long, weary breath. Funny how she'd hoped for change, for something to break the monotony of her days attending to the dowager. Life was a mocking sort of thing, wasn't it? And love†¦ Love was the cruelest joke of all. â€Å"Lady Amelia is here to see you, Miss Eversleigh.† Grace jolted upright, blinking furiously. She must have fallen asleep. She could not recall the last time she had done so at midday. â€Å"Lady Amelia?† she echoed, surprised. â€Å"With Lady Elizabeth?† â€Å"No, miss,† the maid informed her. â€Å"She is alone.† â€Å"How curious.† Grace sat up, flexing her feet and hands to awaken her body. â€Å"Please tell her I shall be right there.† She waited for the maid to depart, then went to her small mirror to straighten her hair. It was worse than she'd feared, although she could not be certain whether it had been mussed in sleep or by Mr. Audley. She felt her skin flush at the memory, and she groaned at that. Gathering her determination, she repinned her hair and left the room, walking as briskly as she could, as if speed and a set of squared shoulders could keep all of her worries at bay. Or at the very least, make her look as if she did not care. It did seem odd that Amelia would come to Belgrave without Elizabeth. Grace did not know that she had ever done so before. Certainly not to see her. Grace wondered if her original intention had been to call upon Thomas, who was, as far as she knew, still out. She hurried down the stairs, then turned to make for the front drawing room. But she'd not taken more than a dozen steps before someone grabbed her arm and yanked her into a side room. â€Å"Thomas!† she exclaimed. It was indeed he, somewhat haggard and sporting a nasty bruise under his left eye. His appearance was a shock; she had never seen him looking so rumpled before. His shirt was wrinkled, his cravat missing, and his hair had most definitely not been styled a la Brutus. Or even a la human. And then there were his eyes, which were most uncharacteristically red-rimmed. â€Å"What happened to you?† He put a finger to his lips and shut the door. â€Å"Were you expecting someone else?† he asked, and her cheeks grew warm. Indeed, when she'd felt a strong male hand close around her arm and pull, she had assumed it was Mr. Audley, trying to steal a kiss. Her flush grew deeper as she realized she had been disappointed to realize that it was not. â€Å"No, of course not,† she said quickly, even though she suspected he knew she was lying. She quickly glanced around the room to see if they were alone. â€Å"What is wrong?† â€Å"I needed to speak with you before you see Lady Amelia.† â€Å"Oh, then you know she is here?† â€Å"I brought her,† he confirmed. Her eyes widened. That was news. He had been out all night and was considerably worse for the wear. She glanced at a nearby clock. It was not yet even noon. When could he have collected Amelia? And where? And why? â€Å"It is a long story,† he said, clearly to cut her off before she could ask any questions. â€Å"But suffice it to say, she will inform you that you were in Stamford this morning, and you invited her back to Belgrave.† Her brows rose. If he was asking her to lie, it was very serious, indeed. â€Å"Thomas, any number of people know quite well that I was not in Stamford this morning.† â€Å"Yes, but her mother is not among that number.† Grace wasn't sure if she should be shocked or delighted. Had he compromised Amelia? Why else would they need to lie to her mother? â€Å"Er, Thomas†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she began, unsure of how to proceed. â€Å"I feel I must tell you, given the number of delays thus far, I would imagine that Lady Crowland would be delighted to know – â€Å" â€Å"Oh for God's sake, it is nothing like that,† he muttered. â€Å"Amelia assisted me home when I was† – he blushed then. Blushed! Thomas! – â€Å"impaired.† Grace bit her lip to keep from smiling. It was quite remarkable what a pleasant image that was – Thomas allowing himself to be anything less than perfectly composed. â€Å"That was most charitable of her,† she said, perhaps a little too primly. But really, it couldn't be helped. He glared at her, which only made it more difficult to maintain an even face. She cleared her throat. â€Å"Have you, er, considered tidying up?† â€Å"No,† he snapped, â€Å"I rather enjoy looking like a slovenly fool.† Grace winced at that. â€Å"Now listen,† he continued, looking terribly determined. â€Å"Amelia will repeat what I have told you, but it is imperative that you not tell her about Mr. Audley.† â€Å"I would never do that,† Grace said quickly. â€Å"It is not my place.† â€Å"Good.† â€Å"But she will want to know why you were, er†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Oh, dear, how to put it politely? â€Å"You don't know why,† he said firmly. â€Å"Just tell her that. Why would she suspect that you would know more?† â€Å"She knows that I consider you a friend,† Grace said. â€Å"And furthermore, I live here. Servants always know everything. She knows that.† â€Å"You're not a servant,† he muttered. â€Å"I am and you know it,† she replied, almost amused. â€Å"The only difference is that I am allowed to wear finer clothing and occasionally converse with the guests. But I assure you, I am privy to all of the household gossip.† For several seconds he did nothing but stare, as if waiting for her to laugh and say, Only joking! Finally he muttered something under his breath that she was quite certain she was not meant to understand (and indeed she did not; servants' gossip was occasionally risque, but it was never profane). â€Å"For me, Grace,† he said, his eyes boring into hers, â€Å"will you please just tell her you don't know?† It was the closest she had ever heard him come to begging, and it left her disoriented and acutely uncomfortable. â€Å"Of course,† she said quickly. â€Å"You have my word.† He nodded briskly. â€Å"Amelia will be expecting you.† â€Å"Yes. Yes, of course.† Grace hurried to the door, but when her hand touched the knob, she found she was not quite ready to go. She turned around, taking one last look at his face. He was not himself. No one could blame him; it had been a most extraordinary two days. But still, it worried her. â€Å"Will you be all right?† she asked. And immediately regretted that she had done so. His face seemed to move, and twist, and she could not be sure if he was going to laugh or cry. But she did know that she did not want to be witness to either. â€Å"No, don't answer that,† she mumbled, and she ran from the room.