The Classical Romans And The Roman Civilization - 1202 Words

Marlee Bunker HIS-111-02 Mr. Shelton October 13, 2014 The Classical Romans There is a lot of background on the Classical Roman Civilization. They had many traditions and values that came from ancient Italians. The culture of the Romans was inclined by classical Greece. Many of the things that Romans did came from the Greeks. They were the type who did not like the idea of new things coming to place because they thought it may be dangerous. They wanted to keep the old traditions and values, as they knew that those things worked, but they were scared to try new things because they thought it wouldn’t work as good. The ancestors that were faithful to the society were supposed to give something back to society that they had learned. The†¦show more content†¦The weaker the monarchy, the less held together it was by the common bond of a ruling family, the sharper the conflicts within the aristocracy.† The fathers were also the land owners. Although, sometimes the father could give the land to his son, but if the son wa s doing something that his father did not like then the father had a right to kill him if he wanted to. Rome went from a monarchy, to a republic, to an empire. They started out as a monarchy (753-509 BC) and it was ruled by seven different kings and there was a senate which was ran by the kings’ personal advisors. The aristocrats did not like the monarchy because they had just as much money as the monarchy but they could not rule. The monarchy was eventually overthrown in 509 BC because the king lost his kingship. The Legend of Lucretia says â€Å"I have at my disposal, and never to tolerate Kings in Rome evermore, whether of that family of any other.† This legend was supposedly why he lost his kingship. They were a republic from 509-27 BC. Only males had a say so in this type of government. They were the ones who made the laws and elected the officials. Because of the victories that Rome had during the republic it made them a leading power in the Mediterranean. There were 250 years of warfare during this time period and the Romans conquered Italy. They finally became an empire, which was like a dictatorship, and they were headed towards imperialism. They were

History of Community Colleges in the United States

Community colleges in the United States develop rapidly and have become a vital component of the postsecondary education delivery system. As of 2011-2012 school year, 45% of all undergraduate students were enrolled in public two-year colleges, approximately 8.3 million students (Knapp et al., 2012. Cited by AACC Fast Facts). And it seems that with globalization and Obama’s education agenda, the trend of growing enrollment in community colleges won’t change. A high school graduate who decides to pursue postsecondary education may face with a dilemma--whether enroll in a community college or a traditional four-year college. Even within a community college, a student may be faced with a choice—enroll in a vocational program and enter workforce after graduation with a vocational certification, or choose an academic program with an intention of transferring to four-year institutions. This paper will first give a brief introduction on community college in the United States—its past and present. Then it will examine four main purposes for students attending a community college today. In the next part, an economic comparison between community college and four-year university will be given with a focus on two specific programs. At last, implication and conclusion will be presented. The past and present of community college â€Å"The two-year college has been a distinctively American creation, and nowhere else has it attained such prominence† (Brint Karabel, 1989). Once commonly calledShow MoreRelatedMinority Serving Institutions ( Msis )1415 Words   |  6 Pagesserves to provide a college education for citizens across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic differences that were excluded from higher education throughout the United States History. 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Illustrating a historical overview creates a timeline of the major events leading up to the role colleges and universities have in the United States in bringing awareness to the social awakeningRead MoreNational Public Space Grant And Sea Grant1497 Words   |  6 PagesFlorida State University is one of the oldest sites in Tallahassee with a great future for their upcoming students while still accomplishing many goals today. An American public space grant and sea grant research university located on a 1,391.54 acre campus in Tallahassee, Florida, United States.Well if you didn’t know what a space grant university is, here you go Sandra May say it s an institution who are working to expand opportunities for Americans to understand and participate in NASA’s aeronauticsRead MoreThe Black Colleges And Universities Essay1420 Words   |  6 PagesHistorically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to this theory/ conclusion. 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The Progressive Era (Woodrow Wilson and T.R.) Essay Example For Students

The Progressive Era (Woodrow Wilson and T.R.) Essay Industrialization led to the rise of big businesses at the expense of the worker. Factory laborers faced long hours, low wages, and unsanitary conditions. The large corporations protected themselves by allying with political parties. The parties, in turn, were controlled by party leaders, rather than by the members. Many people felt that all power rested with the politicians and businessmen. Reformers known as Progressives attempted to undo the problems caused by industrialization. The Progressive movement sought to end the influence of large corporations, provide more rights and benefits to workers, and end the control possessed by party leaders. At the national level, Progressivism centered on defeating the power of large businesses. The Progressive Era was a period in American history in which improving working conditions, exposing corruption, improving the way of life, expanding democracy, and making reforms were the objectives at hand. With the emergence of the Progressive Era two important figures gradually emerged as well. One of the mentioned figures, President Theodore Roosevelt, succeeded to the Presidency when President McKinley was assassinated in 1901, helped the Progressive movement greatly. President Theodor Roosevelt, the most dominant personality of the Progressive Era, targeted monopolistic business practices for reform. Roosevelt persuaded Congress to create a Bureau of Corporations to investigate and regulate big business, then brought an anti-trust suit against J.P. Morgans Northern Securities Company, a railroad trust controlled by the Wall Street financier, with the United States Supreme Court upholding the closure of the trust in the case of Northern Securities Co. v. United States issued in 1904. During Roosevelts Administration, over 40 major corporations were sued for antitrust or price-fixing violations. Roosevelt greatly expanded the powers of the government within the economy, often by endorsing new power for organized labor to organize and put forth leverage against employers. By supporting labor in the settlement of the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902, Roosevelt became the first president to assume such a direct role in intervening in labor disputes, inc luding the threatened use of the U.S. Army to seize the coal mines and operate them until the owners agreed to arbitration to settle the strike. Rosevelt unlike many of his successors really took advantage of the power given to him as president. During his presidency he revived the Sherman Antitrust Act ,which was an act that sought to prevent companies from combining into trusts and gaining monopolies. Roosevelt was also one to enforce the Hepburn Act, which allowed the Interstate Commmerce Commission to regulate railroads. The railroads had allied themselves with large businesses, charging higher rates to those business competitors. By enacting the Hepburn act he prevented large businesses from gaining even more power. Roosevelt also championed the cause of conservation. He set aside large amounts of land as part of the national park system. Democrats nominated Woodrow Wilson, the scholarly governor of New Jersey called for moral revival and reform, including low tariffs, the breaking up of all monopolies, and for the government to be an umpire in disputes between labor and business. One of the first successes of his administration was the lowering of tariffs, which he accomplished in 1913. Wilson believed that increased foreign competition would spur U.S. based manufacturers to lower prices and improve their goods. That same year, Wilson passed the Federal Reserve Act, which created twelve regional banks that would be run by a central board in the capitol. This system gave the government more control over banking activities. Wilson also pushed for governmental control over business. In 1914, Democrat-controlled congress established the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate companies that participated in suspected unfair and illegal trade practices. Wilson also supported the Clayton Antitrust Act, which joined th e Sherman Antitrust Act as one the governments tools to fight trusts the same year.By the end of Wilsons First term, progressives had won many victories. Many American citizens eagerly demanded a change in numerous areas such as business, labor, the economy, and an increase of democracy. Democracy flourished during the Progressive Era. Many new plans were constructed to help the American People. This was the true goal of all Progressives, to help the American society. It was definitely a movement of passion in which the most important figures truly fought for its people. It was rather disappointing, though, that the entire movement lost steam as Americans became much more interested in international affairs, towards the end of Wilsons presidency, when war had broken out in Europe in 1914.

The Main Character in a Christmas Carol free essay sample

The main character in A Christmas Carol is named Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge is a stereotype of those who had power over those who didnt. Throughout the opening stave the character of Scrooge is established and it is quite clear what he is like. For example Dickens describes the character of Scrooge: No wind that blew was bitterer than he. This use of metaphors tells the reader a lot about the character Scrooge, and that he does not have a very good attitude or personality.This is shown especially because in the winter streets of London it is very cold and for Scrooge to be more bitter than the cold air just says that he is a mean and horrible person. Ebenezer Scrooge continues his stingy, greedy ways on Christmas Eve. He rejects a Christmas dinner invitation, and all the good tidings of the holiday, from his jolly nephew, Fred; he yells at charity workers; and he overworks his employee, Bob Cratchit. We will write a custom essay sample on The Main Character in a Christmas Carol or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page At night, Scrooges former business partner Jacob Marley, dead for seven years, visits him in the form of a ghost. Marleys spirit has been wandering since he died as punishment for being consumed with business and not with people while alive. He has come to warn Scrooge and perhaps save him from the same fate. He tells him Three Spirits will come to him over the next three nights: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.The first Spirit; The ghost of Christmas past, in my opinion, is extremely meaningful as it personifies memory. For example It was a strange figure like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man. So the spirits description suggests to us that the character Scrooges childhood experiences can come back to him if he allows them to. Also the spirit is described here as: from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light.Remembering that the ghost of Christmas past is the personification of memory this light symbolizes the illumination that comes from ones past and the cap the spirit wears symbolizes the ability everyone has to extinguish the light of memory, if he or she choose to do so, however at the end of stave two Scrooge tried to remove memories from the past but was unsuccessful: though Scrooge pressed it down with all his might, he could not hide the light: which screamed form under it. That quote also shows Dickens intelligent use of words because if you Screamed you are trying to escape.The other phrase Dickens used to describe the ghost of Christmas past is: Its hair which hung about its neck and down its back, was white as if with age;and The arms were very long and muscular; the hands the same. Both of these quotes compliment Dickens use of imagery as they give you a clear picture in your mind of what the spirits properties are. One other phrase in the story Dickens wrote was: It wore a tunic of the purest white; and round it waist was bound a lustrous belt, the sheen of which was beautiful. This says one thing, and that is that memory is pure, it cant be modified and its free from any influence to change. When the character, Scrooge meets the first spirit, the spirit starts to show Scrooge his past. Scrooge is taken to a country field and Scrooge himself recognizes the place as it was where he spent his childhood. Good heaven said Scrooge, clasping his hands together, as he looked about him. I was bred in this place. I was a boy here! There is an overwhelming flood of sensory connection with the place; this even brings a tremble to Scrooges lip and a tear to his cheek. This is evidence that in a moment, the past has become more alive to Scrooge than ever before.This shows already a big change in the character Scrooge has happened because this same character who could spare no time over his deceased business partner now tremble at the confronting memories of his youth. This evidence tell the reader that in a short time Scrooge has learnt lessons and that potentially as the story goes on Scrooge will learn more vital lessons. Of the many film versions of Charles Dickenss A Christmas Carol, the 1951 with Alastair Sim as Scrooge is the most faithful to the spirit of the book. It is, indeed, THE Christmas classic.This movie captures all the things that A Christmas Carol is supposed to be. Watching Alastair Sim interpret the role of Scrooge and then looking at other actors, I see his incredible facial expressions, the loss of soul that haunts him, the vulnerability, the loss of love from his once betrothed, and the terrible loneliness suffered at the hands of a vengeful father and the loss of his kind and loving sister, Fan. Scrooge is shown to be calculating at every point in time, but seems to know that in many ways he is wrong. His greed becomes his mistress and he cant forsake her. Greed seems to be a repetitive them in this story. The scene I remember most is how Scrooges greed drives away Belle, the young woman he loves. She cannot stay with him because he has made profit his main priority and she wont be second priority in his life. Scrooge really is so interested in his own profit that he doesnt make her stay with him because he realizes that she is right about his priorities. Because money is all that matters to him, money is all he is left with. Belle marries and has a family while Scrooge grows old, and rich, alone. However, there is as much greed as there is regret in this story. For example, when Scrooge learns that Tiny Tim will die if the future is unaltered, Scrooge is saddened. But when the Ghost of Christmas Present reminds him that when the collectors came to ask for a donation for the poor, Scrooge told them that those who were dying should go ahead and do it to decrease the population. Looking at Tiny Tim makes him realize that he was wrong to make such a statement and that those he might well consider an unnecessary surplus, could very well be those like Tim. The Ghost of Christmas Present once again uses Scrooges own words to make him regret his previous disrespect towards the poor.The ghost warns Scrooge that Want and Ignorance must be fought against or else the world is doomed and it is part of Scrooges duty to help fight against these social ills. Seeing these hideous monsters personified makes Scrooge realize how important it is to rid society of these self-created problems. Watching this movie is like reading the book and picturing it in your head. Charles Dicken’s message in A Christmas Carol is more relevant than it’s ever been. Mankind is our business and it’s important to practice kindness and compassion all of the days of the year and not just one.

Brand Extension for Zara free essay sample

The purpose of this report is to examine the brand extensions strategy of Zara which include these areas: the marketing objectives of brand extension, the relationship between competitive advantage of Zara and the brand extension strategy, the model and concept of evaluate customers’ attitude towards FFB extensions to judge whether the company is suitable to adopt brand extension strategy, apply the model into Zara’s three proposed extensions and the strengths and weaknesses of this strategy. Marketing Objectives Brand extension can be defined as ‘the use of an established brand name on a new brand within the same broad market or product category’ by Jobber (2007) and as stated by Choi, et al (2010) a typical definition is ‘the use of an established brand name to enter new product categories or classes’. As brand equity contribute to an increase of share value of the intangible assets of the company (Madden, Frank amp; Susan, 2006). We will write a custom essay sample on Brand Extension for Zara or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Brand extension is a key tool to enhance brand equity (Susan, Hang amp; Mary, 2012). Therefore, the objectives of implementing brand extension are enhancing the brand equity value, increasing sales and enhancing the consumers’ image of the brand values by increased communication (Jobber, 2007). Competitive advantages of Zara According to the founder of Inditex, Amancio Ortega indicated that the aim of Zara is ’to democratise fashion by offering the latest fashion in medium quality at affordable prices’. The competitive advantages of Zara which differentiate from other competitors are the turnaround time and the feedback information from store (Lopez amp; Fan, 2009). Zara can finish designing, manufacturing, delivering a new clothing within four weeks and display a new garment in two weeks (Economist, 2005). Managers of Zara need to contact with the store to discover the demand of customers in daily basis and its advanced technology enables this company to quick response to customers’ changing demand. The time factor and feedback from store clarified that Zara is a customer oriented company. Therefore, customers’ attitude towards brand extension is vital for Zara to make the decision. Model and concept Consumers’ perspective towards brand extension can be influenced by perceived fit, perceived quality, self-image, brand loyalty and involvement (Hansen and Hem, 2004). Brand extension fit as a determinant of a successful brand extension (Hem and Iversen, 2003) can be defined as perceived similarity and relevance with the parent brand (Broniarcyk amp; Alba, 1994). Aaker and Keller (1990) found that perceived fit can be evaluated by two areas: product concept consistency and product feature similarity. Park, et al (1991) expounded that people who had a higher brand concept association with the extended category would give relevant connection to the existing main brand. Martin, Stewart and Matta (2005) demonstrated that as long as the brand concept is highly consistent, even if the extended product category is different from the existing product, the two products can be regarded as ‘fit’. Thus, brand concept consistency is a key factor to test the extended product to be fit or not. As for the similarity, Aaker and Keller (1990) stated that there are three aspects of product features similarity between extended product and the parent brand product need to be investigated: complementarity (can be used together with original product), substitutability (can replace the original product) and transferability (manufacturing skills overlaps). The Consumer evaluation process model for fast fashion brand extensions is displayed as below. (Source from Choi, et al, 2010) Apply model into Zara The research carried out by Choi, et al (2010) which is considering three brand extensions of Zara: Zara music, Zara Moda (higher-end ladies’ wear) and Zara sports. To evaluate the attitude of consumers towards the brand extension of Zara, product concept consistency and product feature similarity can be adopted. In the research it has been shown that consumers’ attitudes towards Zara Music and Zara Moda are highly affected by the brand concept consistency while consumers’ attitude towards the FFB extension of Zara Sports are more affected by transferability aspect of similarity. Nevertheless, one aspect need to be mentioned, self-image has less influence on consumers’ attitudes towards FFB extension since people buy Zara concerned more about style and design of the product may not consider if the extension brand match their image (Choi, et al, 2010). The most significant factor that influenced customers’ attitudes towards brand extension of Zara is the perceived quality. Another aspect has been indicated by Swaminathan (2003), the degree of loyalty with the parent brand will affect consumer’s buying behaviour towards extended product. Therefore, according to the response of the consumers, in order to achieve a successful brand extension strategy, Zara as a FFB may need to focus more on increasing the brand loyalty and developing the quality of product and service. Strengths and weaknesses The awareness of the core brand reduces the advertising and other marketing costs (Jobber, 2007; Keller, 1993). Brand extension of a well known brand can reduce the risk of purchase on some distributors and consumers. The utilisation of the parent brand name raises customers’ intention to buy the new brand. Furthermore, implementing brand extension strategy can increase consumer’s perception of brand values and thus raise the sales of the core brand (Jobber, 2007). However, unexpected negative performance of the brand extension may influence the core brand’s reputation. The sales of parent brand may be diluted by the extended brand (Jobber, 2007; Keller, 1993). Last but not least, the encouragement of using brand extension strategy may lead to less focus on true innovation (Jobber, 2007). Conclusion Brand extension strategy can be adopted in Zara. Zara as a customer-oriented company, need to pay more attention to the customers’ attitude towards extension. Brand extension fit, perceived quality and brand loyalty may need to be considered more carefully while self image do not necessarily be taken into account in a FFB company. Although the advantages of brand extension are evident, the brand managers need to analysis their own brand’s situation, should be aware of the risks of implementing this strategy and may need to attempt to thinking in an innovated way instead of concentrate on minor brand modifications.

IL Carnevale Italiano essays

IL Carnevale Italiano essays Il Carnevale Italiano is one of the most celebrated festivals in Italy, let alone Europe and the rest of the world. In modern days tens of thousands of tourists flock to Italian cities to join the festivities, wearing masks of different shapes and types, and rejoicing in the culture and style that all began years ago in the 11th century of the middle ages. In Venice, where it traditionally originated, the carnival was one of the popular feasts that the whole city loved most, and it was renowned abroad too. It can be dated back to 1094 in the city of Vitale Falier (back then it was called Doge) in the era when Venice had just become a big and feared power. As the years passed other regions and cities took Venices lead and organized their own festivals; now many regions hold annual carnivals, some of the better known ones being set in Napoli, Verona, Bologna, Salerno, Trieste, Arezzo as well as other cities. It was not until the 18th century though that Venice was fully acknowledged as the city of the carnival, and the festival became internationally known. Gentlemen from all over Europe came to enjoy themselves among the streets and squares, in the casinos and in the theatres. Not only commoners attended, but also kings and princes from other close by countries including France, Austria, and Spain. After the fall of the Republic the city progressively lost its vitality, and also consequently the tradition of the carnival was abandoned at the same time. The revival of the tradition first restarted around 20 years ago with public and private festivities and theatre performances, involving Venetians as well as foreigners. Already the Venetian Carnival is again the biggest Italian carnival as well as one of the most famous and popular in the world. The festivals normally take place all over Italy in early February. The earliest that they would start would be mid - late January ...

Countervailing power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Countervailing power - Essay Example Organizations were telling farmers and manufacturing companies what they could or could not do and set strict regulations. While the goal was to provide equal opportunities for many of these people, many of these parts of the New Deal were instead seen as corrupt and impotent. Much of the countervailing powers changed after realizing that many of Franklin Delano Roosevelts ideas were also unconstitutional. It made the government in power of many things that it really did not have the control over regulating. The programs of the New Deal were deemed useless. Instead, there became a second New Deal that allowed for better equality. The Congress of Industrial Organizations was created, there was a national closed shop and the Social Security pension program began. There was also an increase on taxes on wealthier citizens and a Fair Labor Standards Act. This change in countervailing power worked and Americans slowly gained confidence and began to bounce

Job Anaylsis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job Anaylsis - Assignment Example the interviewer and interviewee is at two different locations at the time of the interview. 2. The major challenge with one to one interview is that the in most cases the interviewer is only conversant with a limited scope of knowledge which is in line with his/her line of career or day to day duties which they tend to concentrate with during the interview. This is always a disadvantage to the interviewee more so when one is conversant with the line of interest of the interviewer because they don’t get to be tested in other areas that one may be good at but the interviewer don’t ask because they are not conversant with (Armstrong, et al.2012). 3. For the case of one to one interview, I would suggest that they have a panel instead of one panel so that each member of the panel will have a chance to ask a question in line with their area of competence. This will work to the advantage of both parties since they will be able to examine the applicant one most of the areas of their interest and the interviewee will also get a chance to prove that he/she has a line that is best in or they may prove to be good at different areas. In the telephone interview, I would urge the company to communicate early enough the exact date and time of the interview so as to enable the interviewee to do prepare and thorough research for the interview and one can also control his/her environment before the interview so as to avoid poor communication during the interview. 4. It is very important to carry out a background investigation for a job. This is necessary since it will enable you to really understand the company you want to work for better. It also helps one to make intelligent guesses of the questions one is likely to expect during the interview or at least one will be able to know which sections the employer might be really interested with. The interviewer may also ask a question about the company to determine if one is

Community Policing vs Intelligence-Led Policing Essay

Community Policing vs Intelligence-Led Policing - Essay Example With that given perception, community policing and its built-in advantages are a big help to the regular police authorities who already have their hands full. It has to be importantly observed though that, even without this new alternative, the government has to work hand in hand with the local townsmen in its macro responsibility of making life safe and orderly. In another vein, intelligence-led policing is a recent development in the whole criminal justice system. With the rise of the computer and other high technology, statistics and other stored data enhance surveillance activities with emphasis on suspects who are marked as serious threats. Considering that New York is a highly urbanized metropolis with a big population and a wide range of multi-racial mixes, its police functions, and related endeavors must be extensive and effective enough to curb crime and disorder. While the crime rate in this heart of America has materially reduced in the past few years1, it is a known fact that big crimes and the most notorious criminals were, and still are, linked to New York. Taking into account these backdrops, traditional government resources may not be sufficient to prevent, deter and solve mal and misfeasance. It is therefore imperative that intelligence-led policing, which is a state initiative, must be executed together with the cooperation of responsible citizens under the ambit of community policing. Significance of Criminal Case Verdicts Four landmark cases have a significant bearing on the role of the police in society. The case of Mapp v. Ohio highlighted the requirement of a warrant for a search to be valid and that any evidence obtained out of a warrantless search could not be admitted in evidence. Gideon v. Wainwright, the next relevant case, discusses the right of any person to have a lawyer in all instances where a criminal act is being charged. The jurisprudence in Escobedo v. Illinois and Miranda v Arizona laid down similar principles. The case laws under consideration delve on basic personal privileges enshrined in the constitution under the bill of rights. The right of a person as a human being has always been given utmost respect and preference. This is one poignant character of democracy. Indeed, laws in modern civilized environments protect and shelter individual freedom from legal entanglements. Unfortunately, this seeming over-protection puts constraints on police duties and responsibilities. Some peace and order exponents even decry that this attitude about personal rights is, in effect, equivalent to depriving society of a livable surrounding because the power to combat crimes and criminals is hindered in the process. For instance, even if a concerned passerby police officer has all the hints to suspect certain misdeeds inside a nearby building, he cannot just simply barge in and declare an arrest or a search. He has yet to go to the court and get a writ to that effect. What if the suspects are already gone. What if the instruments of the crime were already transported What if any form of obstruction of justice has already been committed.

Proton-proton Coupling Constant

Proton-proton Coupling Constant Easily recognized splitting patterns found in various spectra provide the chemical shifts of the different sets of hydrogen that generate the signals differ by two or more ppm. The patterns are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the proton chemical shift, and the central lines are always stronger than the outer lines. The most commonly observed patterns have been given descriptive names, such as doublet (two equal intensity signals), triplet (three signals with an intensity ratio of 1:2:1) and quartet (a set of four signals with intensities of 1:3:3:1). The line separation is always constant within a given multiplet, and is called the coupling constant (J). The magnitude of J, usually given in units of Hz, is magnetic field independent. Coupling constants play an immense role in configurational and conformational studies. The relative position of protons is determining factor for Vicinal coupling constant between two protons. For example, in 1,2-disubstituted ethenes, the lar ger vicinal coupling constant was observed between the olefinic protons for the trans isomer 82a than for the cis isomer 82b [127,134]. The vicinal coupling constant depends on the dihedral angle between the protons in saturated systems. Karplus [118] gave equations 1 and 2 relating the coupling constant with dihedral angles. J1 = k1cos2à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¦ c (0 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¦ à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £ 90 °) †¦ (1) J2 = k2cos2à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¦ c (0 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¦ à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £ 180 °)†¦ (2) These equations were later modified as equation 3. J2 = A cos2à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¦ B cos2à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¦ + C †¦ (3) In equation 3, J is the coupling constant and A, B and C are constants related to the electro-negativities of the substituents attached to the C-C segment. The J value decreases markedly with increase in the electronegativities of the substituents [135-140]. 13C-NMR: Transitions of only 13C nuclei are noticed in 13C-NMR spectroscopy. Figure 3 represents different ÃŽ ´ values (in ppm), couplings, coupling constants (in Hz) and chemical shifts of 13C nuclei processing in different chemical environments. Usually, ÃŽ ´ value scale of 13C-NMR ranges from 0-220 ppm with respect to TMS as internal standard. 13C-NMR spectral interpretation can be best understood from chart given in figure 3 [126,127]. 13C Chemical shift As in the same ways of proton NMR spectrum, Chemical Shift in 13C NMR spectrum provides the hybridization (sp3, sp2, sp) of each carbon nucleus due to shielding and deshielding effects. Each carbon nucleus has its own electronic environment, different from the environment of other, non-equivalent nuclei. Figure 3: Chart representing 13C nuclei chemical shift due to different chemical environments. Electronegative atoms and pi bonds cause downfield shifts (â€Å"Thinkbook†). Spin-spin coupling provides the number of protons attached to the 13C nuclei. (i.e., primary, secondary tertiary or quaternary carbon) [126,127]. Carbon (13C) has a much broader chemical shift range. One important difference is that the aromatic and alkene regions overlap to a significant extent [126,127].Many factors such as inductive effects of substituent, hybridization state of the observed nucleus, Van der Wall’s and steric effects between closely spaced nuclei, electric fields originating from molecular dipoles or point charges, hyperconjugation, mesomeric interactions in à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ° electron systems (delocalization effects), diamagnetic shielding due to heavy substituents (heavy-atom effect) and anisotropy effects is known to influence the 13C Chemical shift of six-membered ring compounds. Among those factor, electrostatic effects due to the presence of a heteroatom in the cyclohexane moiety and steric perturbation effects being intrinsic importance. Lambert et al. [141] documented the effect of heteroatom in monoheterocyclohexanes 83 on the shifts of ring carbons. The à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡-shift is a steep function of electronegativity of heteroatom X. A high frequency shift of about 50 ppm is produced by an increase in one unit electronegativity. However, a small effects of heteroatom electronegativity on à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢ and à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §-carbons are produced, a shift of -2.5 ppm/electronegativity unit for à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢ and -5.0 ppm/electronegativity unit for à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §-carbon, respectively. Ramalingam et al have demonstrated the effect of introduction of heteroatom in 84a-84e [86]. The decreasing order of the deshielding effect of heteroatom on the benzylic carbon is O > NMe > NH > S. because of a field effect, the heteroatom generates a low frequency an upfield shift in the ca rbonyl resonance. Contrary to à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡ and à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢ effects, the à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §-effect is being a property of at least four atoms and it has a torsional component. All ÃŽ ³ anti substituents cause increased shielding on C-5 due to the presence of ÃŽ ± and ÃŽ ³ protons. The ÃŽ ³ anti effect C-3 is found to be rather deshielding. The resonating carbon and perturbing à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ § substituent showed the dihedral angle arrangement ranging from 0-180 °. à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §-gauche effects is found to be almost independent of the nature of the perturbing group X and generally occur in the 60-80 ° regions, whereas à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §-anti effect in the 150-180 ° regions. The introduction of an axial substituent shifts the resonance of a à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §-carbon to lower frequencies. The à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §-anti effect (introduction of an equatorial substituent) is small. Interpretation of the substituent effects mainly depends on the steric and polar effects [142-144]. Based on the 13C NMR spectrum of vinylcyclohexane at low temperature, Buchanan observed the low frequency shifts in 85a relative to the equatorial counterpart 85b [145]. Based on the 13C NMR spectrum of various di-and tri-methylcyclohexanes, Dalling and Grant [146] observed an axial methyl group shifts the resonance of C(2), C(3) and C(4) at 1.40, 5.41 and 6.37 ppm and the corresponding resonance shifts for an equatorial methyl group at 5.96, 9.03 and 0.05 ppm, respectively. The shielding by an axial methyl group relative to an equatorial methyl group has been ascribed to steric interactions [142]. Furthermore, The 13C NMR data of 4 hydroxypiperidines results indicate that substituent effects are markedly influenced by steric interaction. Eliel et al. [147] study on à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §-effect of heteroatoms in heteracyclohexanes 86a-86d provide evidence that the à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §-carbon located anti to a second-row heteroatom (X=O; NH) resonates at significantly lower frequency than the analogo us carbon anti to a methylene group or a third-row heteroatom. Pandiarajan et al. [13] suggested a method of assigning the configuration of a sub ­stituent in saturated six–membered ring compounds, existing in chair conformation, from 13C chemical shift of a single epimer. Furthermore, the influence of the nearby substituents on the substituent parameters of equatorial methyl, gem-dimethyl, and equatorial and axial hydroxyl groups in several six-membered ring compounds 87a-87g has been suggested by Pandiarajan et al [13]. The magnitude of the à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡ effect of a particular substituent is significantly reduced by a nearby substituent and the magnitude of the à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡ effect decreases as the number of gauche interactions increases. Though, the à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢ and à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ § effects are not influenced by the nearby substituents [13]. Nuclear Overhauser effect (nOe) The change in intensity of one NMR resonance that occurs when another is saturated is known as the nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE). NOE arises from dipole–dipole cross-relaxation between nuclei, and its usefulness. The strength of a given NOE enhancement is approximately correlated with internuclear separation (actually r−6 where r is the internuclear distance). However, the NOE also depends on other factors such as molecular motions [148]. In small molecules in solution, the NOE is positive and causes affected resonances to increase in intensity. NOE for small molecules is generally measured using one-dimensional experiments. In small molecules, NOE determins particular stereochemical relationships, such as substitution or ring fusion patterns in largely rigid systems. The NOE is negative for larger molecules and cause affected resonances decrease in intensity. NOE for larger molecules is usually measured using the two-dimensional NOESY experiment or one of its multidimensional variants. Using the NOE to Development of three-dimensional structural information using NOE generally depends on interpretation of an overlapping, redundant network of enhancements, rather than on calibrating precisely the distance dependence of individual enhancements. NOE determine accurate three-dimensional solution structures of biomacromoleculs such as DNA, RNA, or other proteins [149]. A spin-excited nucleus is known to transfer its spin energy to that of an adjacent nucleus resulting in spin relaxation. The efficiency of energy transfer is directly related to the distance between the two nuclei. The nOe grosses advantage of the spin energy transfer [149]. The nOe decreases as the inverse of the sixth power of the distance between the protons. An interesting application of nOe to a structural problem has been described by Hunter et al. [150] When styrene is polymerized in the presence of 4-methoxyphenol, in addition to the polymer, a 1:1 adduct is obtained by the addition of a styrene molecule to 4-methoxyphenol. However, the question of whether the addition occurs at C-2 or C-3 could not be answered from either the 1H or 13C NMR spectrum. The nOe experiment provided a decision in favour of structure 88. Irradiating the OCH3 resonance gave an increase in the intensities of the signals of the ring protons HA and HB. From this it is obvious that both these protons are ortho to the OCH3 group. In contrast the signal of the third ring proton HC showed a negative nOe. This is a case of an indirect nOe in a multi spin system. In further, nOe experiment it was shown that saturating the OH resonance increased the intensity of the HC signal, providing additional evidence for structure 88. TWO-DIMENSIONAL NMR SPECTROSCOPY COSY, a homonuclear 2D NMR correlation spectroscopy, correlates chemical shift of two hydrogen nuclei located on two different carbons that are separated by a single bond via j coupling. Thus it detects the chemical shift for hydrogen’s on both F1 and F2 axis. The most important two-dimensional NMR spectra show either 1h vs 1h or 1h vs 13c chemical shift correlations [126,127]. Here, we attempt to discuss about the some of the important types of 2-D experiments. Principle In 2D-NMR, the structural information are obtained from the interactions between two nuclei, either through the bonds which connect them (J-coupling interaction) or directly through space (NOE interaction). These interactions occur at a time by irradiating one resonance in the proton spectrum (either during the relaxation delay or during acquisition) and provide the effect on the intensity or coupling pattern of another resonance. 2D NMR essentially allows us to irradiate all of the chemical shifts in one experiment and gives us a matrix or two-dimensional map of all of the affected nuclei. All possible pairs of nuclei in the sample processed at the same time [128,129]. The basic steps in 2D experiment are as follows. 1. Preparation: Excite nucleus A, creating magnetization in the x-y plane 2. Evolution: Measure the chemical shift of nucleus A. 3. Mixing: Transfer magnetization from nucleus A to nucleus B (via J or NOE). 4. Detection: Measure the chemical shift of nucleus B. Preparation and Evolution: A 90o pulse excites all of the sample nuclei simultaneously. Detection is simply recording an FID and finding the frequency of nucleus B by Fourier transformation. To get a second dimension, we have to measure the chemical shift of nucleus A before it passes its magnetization to nucleus B. This is accomplished by simply waiting a period of time (called t1, the evolution period) and letting the nucleus A magnetization rotate in the x-y plane. The experiment is repeated many times over (for example, 512 times), recording the FID each time with the delay time t1 incremented by a fixed amount. The time course of the nucleus A magnetization as a function of t1 (determined by its effect on the final FID) is used to define how fast it rotates and thus its chemical shift. Mixing is a combination of RF pulses and/or delay periods which induce the magnetization to jump from A to B as a result of either a J coupling or an NOE interaction (close proximity in space). Di fferent 2D experiments (e.g., NOESY, COSY, HETCOR, etc.) differ primarily in the mixing sequence, since in each one we are trying to define the relationship between A and B within the molecule in a different way [128,129].

Tobacco Addiction: Hookah

Jared Fujikuni Psych 22 April 5, 2013 Tobacco Addiction: Water Pipes An addiction is the compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance which is defined by physiological symptoms upon withdrawal. Addiction is more commonly referred to activities in a negative sense because the substance is often harmful to the user. One of the most addicting substances is nicotine, which is found within tobacco. The first thought that comes to mind when referencing to tobacco addiction is smoking cigarettes, but there are many other ways to consume tobacco such as: dip (chewing tobacco), cigars, and water pipes.Although the water pipe has been around for hundreds of years, it has only recently become popular. It has spread throughout the Middle East to Europe, all the way to North America, targeting pre-teens to young adults in college. There is an abundant amount of research done on the damaging effects of cigarettes, but as the water pipe craze is relatively new, there is still very littl e information on the health risks that this fresh social nicotine addiction may contain. The water pipe has many different street names which are a lot more exotic and alluring: hookah, shisha, boory, goza, nargile, arghile, and hubble bubble/hubbly bubbly.Smoking hookah is a sensual and relaxing experience which is often done with a group of people. This bonding social activity gives smoking a different dimension of appeal compared to the normal singular act of smoking a cigarette, but may also contribute to the development of addiction. The water pipe is often an elegant looking device resembling a flower vase that sits on a table in between the party. The group will usually be sitting comfortably around the hookah which encourages long sessions that often include over fifty puffs of the hookah.The type of tobacco that is smoked through the water pipe is called maassel, which is fermented in molasses and fruit essences. There are many different flavors that appeal to all smokers. The smoke is often sweet or minty and cooled by the water filter which makes it easy for even nonsmokers to enjoy. First the tobacco is placed within a clay bowl covered by aluminum foil which heads the water pipe. Coals are placed on top of the head to heat the tobacco. The vase of the hookah is filled half way with liquid (usually water). The smoker inhales through a tube that is connected to the vase.The smoke is drawn through the stem of the pipe and filtered through the water before going through the tube that the smoker is inhaling on. The smoker is able to inhale clouds of smoke while simultaneously drawing air over the coals which further burns the tobacco. There are many cafes and bars that are dedicated to smoking hookah. These cafes have become increasingly popular among college students and are popping up all over the United States. Hookahs are also easily purchased through smoke shops or online. Smoking hookah has become a very popular social event because of its slow p ace and relaxing feel.It allows people to partake in an activity which doesn’t require any concentration and allows them to socialize for an hour or so. It is more active than getting together for a coffee but not distracting enough to take away from a conversation. Yet the slow pace of the hookah experience is part of why it might be very dangerous. The total amount of exposure to nicotine through the prolonged smoking pattern is extremely unhealthy. Researchers from the American University of Beirut analyzed smoking patterns at a hookah lounge and reported that smokers inhaled ten times as often as a typical cigarette smoker would.Not only this, but each inhale contained about ten times as much smoke volume as a single cigarette puff. A single hookah session could have the smoke volume equivalent of one hundred cigarettes. To defend the health risks of hookah smoking, many argue that when inhaling, it is nott necessary to inhale all the way into the lungs, but to simply pla y with the smoke in the mouth like with a cigar. However, researchers have collected data that estimate absorption of nicotine and other substances contained in hookah smoke state otherwise. Despite the volume of exposure, hookah smokers are still exposed to fewer toxins than cigarette smokers. The studies indicate that hookah smokers are absorbing high levels of toxins and carcinogens that contribute to the development of heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases† (Harvard, 2008, p. 3). Hookah is often argued as a healthier way of smoking because the smoke is filtered through water, but clearly it does not filter out all of the toxins. There is still enough nicotine getting through to become addicted. The amount of nicotine that is produced by smoking hookah can vary depending on multiple variables: type of tobacco, number of coals, duration of use, and the inhaling technique.The number of coals which is related to the temperature that the hookah would be burning a t has a huge impact on the amount of toxins that are inhaled. If the coals are actually burning the tobacco instead of â€Å"baking† or â€Å"steaming† the shisha, the tar in the tobacco could be burned which is very unhealthy to inhale. Researchers found that chronic respiratory symptoms were found in younger hookah smokers rather than older ones which suggest that the younger users were smoking more intensely or not being as careful to not burn the tar.Saliva samples showed that carbon monoxide exposure was twice as high in hookah smokers as in cigarette smokers. As far as long-term health effects, there hasn’t been much research to make any solid conclusions but like in other tobacco related addictions, there was increased chance of periodontal disease, cardiovascular problems, increased heart rate and blood pressure and problems with the child of women who were pregnant while smoking. Despite the health risks (that the majority of smokers don’t even k now about), smoking hookah has a huge appeal.It is a social activity that gives bored young adults something to do as well as relaxes the body. The social aspect of the water pipe makes quitting the addiction much different than quitting smoking cigarettes. The hookah smoker is not only addicted to nicotine but also addicted to a fun activity that encourages socializing. It is easy to see how and why young adults would become addicted to smoking hookah. It is also easy to see why hookah lounges are rapidly popping up across the world as addiction equals profit. â€Å"While hookah is alluring, it also appears to be a health hazard.Clearly, there are safer ways to relax† (Harvard, 2008, p. 3). Two studies were recently done on hookah smokers. The first study wanted to figure out if hookah smoking encouraged cigarette addiction, while the other sought to decipher the demographics of those who smoke hookah based off a study done on female college freshmen. The first study was don e on students in Denmark. They tested men that were all non-smokers who occasionally smoked a cigarette but were not yet addicted. Through surveying, they discovered that the men that also occasionally or regularly smoked from a water pipe were more likely to become regular cigarette mokers. Although this is a rather weak study, it shows that the tobacco in hookah still contributes to nicotine addiction. A side point that the study made was that hookah could be a potential gateway for smoking cigarettes. â€Å"Special features such as the lower temperature of the smoke and the aromas of water pipe tobacco can contribute to enforcing this mechanism, leading toward smoking cigarettes regularly† (Jensen, 2010, p. 1256). The second study helped determine the appeal of smoking hookah. Syracuse University did a study on female freshmen at a private university in New York through online participation which was paid.The study based the results on the volunteers who had not smoked hoo kah before their freshman year. There were many factors that were predicted to determine whether the students would partake in smoking or not. The protective factors: high school GPA, religion, health value, and self-esteem. The risk factors: impulsivity/sensation-seeking, depression, anxiety, and social comparison. â€Å"†¦experimenting with hookah might be part of a normative process of seeking new experiences, as a rate of other substance use peak during the 18-25 age range† (Fielder, 2012, p. 64). Freshmen year is where students are insecure, seek self-discovery, and take risks. â€Å"†¦the transition to college is a likely time for hookah initiation given the increased freedom enjoyed by residential students, the popularity of hookah lounges in college towns, the ability of students under age 21 to get into hookah lounges but not regular bars, media portrayals of hookah smoking as exotic and trendy, permissive social norms about substance use typical of the co llege environment, and the developmental task of identity exploration† (Fielder, 2012, p. 46). All of these factor into the study and reasoning behind the engagement in hookah addiction. The study results showed that twenty-three percent initiated hookah use during their freshmen year which is not a huge percentage but there were many limitations to this study. A volunteer survey that took place at a private school that targeted women was the make-up for a limited study. The results showed that the biggest correlation with smoking hookah was alcohol intake.The other predicted factors weren’t strong enough to make a correlation. The study also showed that one-third of the surveys had already smoked hookah before their freshman year which shows the popularity. Despite the actual addiction to nicotine and the appeal of the head rush, one of the biggest aspects to smoking that is often over-looked is the smoke itself. Although the smoke is in some ways mysteriously uncontro llable, the art of the smoke cloud projecting out of the smoker’s mouth gives off a sense of creativity and ownership.The smoke is art whether it is blown out through technique such as a ring or simply as a cloud. The clouds achievable by smoking hookah are by far the largest. The water pipe’s allure combined with its targeted consumer is the perfect set-up for a generation of nicotine addicts. With still very little known about the long-term health risks, too many risk-seeking college students are falling into the social nicotine trap. It may start off as an innocent activity, but soon enough it could become a daily routine, henceforth an addiction.Harvard Medical School. (2008). Why waterpipe smoking raises concerns about addiction and other health problems. The Hazards of Hookah. Jensen, Poul Densoe. (2010). Waterpipe use predicts progression to regular cigarette smoking among Danish youth. Tobacco: Waterpipe Smoking. Fielder, Robyn L. , Carey, Kate B. , & Carey, Mi chael P. (2012). Predictors of initiation of hookah tobacco smoking: a one-year prospective study of first-year college women.

Learning To Play Piano Essay

I have always been interested in art since I was young so it did not take me too much time to decide the general area for my project. Drawing, singing or dancing have been growing with me since I was little. However, to make this project more challenging and interesting, I will try to do something I have never done before. At the end, I come up with the idea why don’t I try to learn how to play piano. Piano is a pretty popular instrument that lots of people play so I think that this is a good chance for me to start learning something new. I choose to go with this project because I have strong connection with art so somehow this will help me. Learning how to play piano is not as easy as it seems. To become successful, there are so many steps and challenges you may obstruct with. Briefly, my project will include four parts. First, I need to learn how to put my hand position correctly on the keyboard. Second, I will learn how to read the note precisely and where does it go. Third , I will start playing short music sheets to get used to moving my fingers around. And finally, the most challenging part, I will learn to play a long music sheet smoothly. Since I have been singing when I was young, I think that this will help me with reading the notes faster and understand how the melody goes throughout the music. At the end, I hope that I will not make any mistakes in playing wrong notes and everything will be fluent. However, nothing will be successful without effort. It will take a lot of time to finish this so I need to plan everything ahead and start early. As you can see, to be a good pianist, it takes people from years to years to actually play beautifully. Another obstacle is being patient. I am not a very kind of patient person so I think it will be hard for me to read all the notes slowly, also practice and practice again every day. The last problem I think that not so many people struggle with is that my fingers are really small so it is hard for me to surf on the keyboard and they are also easy to get tired. Despite all these disadvantages, I will still try my best to work on it. There are many learning goals I hope that I can achieve after finishing the project. Hopefully, I will find my interest in piano and keep playing for a long time so I can play some famous classical sheets. To achieve this, I cannot just go straight to the piano and start playing it. First of all, I need to do some research about how to play the piano such as looking up some videos people playing it. Then, I have to spend a little  time from every day to practice so by the time of presentation, I can play it beautifully. Besides the learning part, I will also look for some information about how piano has grown up throughout our lives and how it affects so many people in the world. I will also talk about some famous pianists. Since I cannot handle all of these by myself so I think that I really need someone’s help. With no doubt, my best friend, Tony, I think he will be the perfect teacher for me because he has been playing piano for about ten years. Ten years is long enough for me to believe that he will be a very good â€Å"expert†. He will help me a lot in finishing this project. In the first week, I will learn how to read the notes. Then, he will fix my hand position so that I can play the keyboard easier and more correct. He will also help me keeping the melody and beats in track and make sure that everything is going right. At the end, to make this project more special and interesting, we are going to play a song together on the piano. With all the problems we have gone through, I hope that the audience will be interested in my project. For the budget section, luckily, I have most of things are available for me. I can go the PA building because there are free pianos there for me to practice. I just need to set up my schedule to spend time going there. I may need to go to the library to borrow some books to look up some information about â€Å"how to play piano† and its history. To consider my project as â€Å"significant† I think that at least I need to achieve all the goals I have above and especially make the audience feel interested and excited after the presentation, make them actually want to learn how to play it, too. Since art is a very common area that lots of people will do so I think it is necessary that I need to make it special and unique. Although this project may not be meaningful for my long term carrier because my major is not about art, but it gives me another hobby so that I can have fun with, add beauty and entertain to my life. Playing the piano is also an excellent way to strengthen eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills, and people who take piano lessons learn a lot about discipline, dedication and the rewards of hard work. To demonstrate to the review panel that I met my learning goals, I will record everything that I did from the beginning to the end so that they can see how I have improved and what did I really achieve. Since my project takes a lot of time to finish, I need to start it early. I will spend at least an hour most of everyday to practice. First, I  need to spend hours to do the research about history of piano and how it continues throughout these years. Then, I also need to look up for the music sheets that I am going to play. As I plan, I will need to learn how to read short music sheet first, then Tony will help me with the hand position and start playing around with random notes. It might take one or two days for me to get used to it. After that, I will start with playing single notes with each hand. This may take up two or three days. Finally, I will learn how to play both hands together. I think this part is the most difficult and will take a lot of time so I will spend for the whole week to play two short easy music sheets for beginners. Then, after getting used to with everything, I will start learn how to play a longer and faster music sheet to show how much work I have put into this. I will meet up my â€Å"expert† maybe twice or three times a week so he can help me checkup things and if there is any problem, I can ask him to spend time together a lot to practice, understand each other so that we can both finish the song fluently. Since his and my study schedule at school is different so it is hard for us to find free time to study together. Therefore, I think that it will take even much longer time for us to finish studying the sheet, at least for two or three weeks. In conclusion, to make this project successful and significant, I have to spend lots of effort, courage, and time. Planning ahead is a very important thing to do so that the presentation will be finished on time. Hopefully, my project can make the audience find their interest and know more about piano. Also, for me, this project will be something meaningful and special for my life goals.

Advancements in Telecommunications essays

Advancements in Telecommunications essays Today, telecommunications technology affects lives to a greater degree than ever before. Communication has evolved over many years from the earliest attempts at verbal communication to the use of sophisticated technology to enhance the ability to communicate effectively with others. Every time a telephone call is made, a television is watched, or a personal computer is used, benefits of telecommunication technologies are being received. The concept of telecommunications may be defined as the transmission of information from one location to another by electronic means. Telecommunications is using electronic systems to communicate. Life is changing constantly and has been changing faster since the rapid advancements in telecommunication. Because of continuing attempts to find better and more efficient ways to communicate, the process of communication has steadily improved. Many of these improvements were made without the use of electronic technology. Human beings earliest attempts at communication were through nonverbal means such as facial expressions and gesturing. The use of these nonverbal signs, prehistoric people were able to communicate emotions such as fear, anger, and happiness. More specific motions, such as pointing, allowed them to convey more information. Verbal communication probably started with a series of disorganized but meaningful sounds (grunts and snarls). These sounds slowly developed into a system of organized, spoken language that truly allowed humans to share information (Croal 59). Writing, which is the use of symbols to represent language, began with early cave drawings, progressed to picture writings such as hieroglyphics, and finally evolved into the handwritten language we use today (Croal 61). As civilization developed, people found it necessary to communicate their ideas to one another over greater distances. The earliest method of transporting information was to carry it from place! Alt...

Create A Winning Registered Nurse Resume!

Create A Winning Registered Nurse Resume! When you’re looking for a new position as a Registered Nurse, you want to create a resume that perfectly summarizes all you have to offer.  Of course, if you listed everything you’ve done as an RN it could fill a book–not just 1-2 pages. Let’s look at where you can start when creating a resume for RN jobs. OrganizationKeeping your resume tightly organized will make it easier hiring managers to read and follow. Create headers for important categories: Certifications, Professional Experience, Education, and Additional Skills (selling points that don’t fit into any of the other categories).Your Professional ExperienceBy far, the largest and most important section will be your Professional Experience. Nursing duties vary from job to job. That’s why, when describing your responsibilities at current and former workplaces, you’ll want to give as much specific detail as possible. Don’t just write in generalities (â€Å"Worked with ma ternity patients.†)–instead, list the exact procedures you mastered within the maternity ward. Get down to the nitty gritty. In which systems are you proficient? How many patients did you handle per shift? In which subspecialties are you well-versed? Paint a picture for prospective employers of exactly what you did at every job you list.What Makes You A Perfect Fit?Of course, space is limited. Can’t decide which specifics you should highlight? Your first reference should be the job description of the position you hope to get! What precise skills are they looking for, and what in your past history matches up with this? Put these overlaps front and center, and most importantly, be sure to change up your resume for every different job application. One resume does not fit all!Before a prospective employer sees you face-to-face, your resume has to represent all you have to offer. Think about what in your professional past makes you a perfect fit, and then get it down on paper!How to Write a Resume for a Registered Nurse JobRead More at www.careeraddict.com

Arguementative Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Arguementative - Research Paper Example THESIS According the American Heritage Dictionary (2011), abortion is defined as the induced termination of a pregnancy, achieved via destruction of embryo or fetus. Abortion therefore refers to ceasing the process of child birth before the child is born. Opting for an abortion is not an easy decision, but there are many unfortunate circumstances where women find themselves with no other choice. Several reasons for opting for an abortion may include: rape pregnancies, accidental pregnancies, divorce, illness of the mother or the mother being underage etc. Abortion has for long been viewed unfavorably by most societies. In America, abortion was legalized only in five states in 1970 and in all states in 1973 (Levitt & Donohue, 2001). Women who do opt for abortion to avoid giving birth to unwanted babies face many difficulties in areas where abortion has not been legalized. If a woman is too young or unhealthy to bear a child, or if the baby is unwanted, she should have the right to ter minate her pregnancy before bringing the child to life. This will not only save an unwanted or abandoned baby from being born but will also give the woman a chance to live a healthy life and make a career after attaining whatever education she may seek chances of which would be rare if she gave birth to a baby while being in her teens. Unprepared couples or those not wanting another baby do not prove to be good parents and it is not fair for any child to be born in a home where he or she is not welcome and where his or her parents cannot support the baby. In worse cases where abortion is not an opportunity and the baby is not given for adoption either, the baby is either abandoned, or is brought up very poorly by the parents or parent. There are cases where pregnant women are murdered by their partners who are unwilling to have a baby and share the responsibility or in some extreme cases; even the newly born infants are murdered by one of the parents. All this can be avoided by taki ng a timely step namely that of abortion if contraception did not work. Even if given a chance to live, unwanted babies are deprived of normal lives where parents care for children and support them. Unwanted children often have abusive, frustrated parents who do not care for the children, resulting in unhappy lives for such children. ANTI-THESIS There are always two sides of a picture and it is pointless to prove an argument while ignoring the counter arguments available. There is some available research and literature in favor of not legalizing abortion as well. Lott and Whitley (2010), cited in UFI (2010) conducted one study to find the relationship between abortion and crime rates. They concluded that contrary to what Levitt and colleagues (2005) previously found, crime rate specially that of murders had actually increased with legalizing abortion. The researchers supporting this finding explain that with legalized abortion, pre marital and extra marital unprotected sex has also become a more encouraging option which has therefore elevated the rate of related crimes. Some people who oppose legalized abortion claim that abortion is another form of discrimination. Dr. Garton in her book ‘Who broke the baby?, cited in Murti (2006) says that we have actually conveniently excluded

Bio Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bio Exam - Essay Example (In the upper right-hand corner of your screen, see Options, then Account Preferences to enable the RTE.) 8) Different molecules can diffuse through the layers of the skin. For example, Nitrogen, carbon dioxide and Oxygen can penetrate the skin in small amounts. This finds a useful application in modern medicine as certain medications can be administered through skin. However it also has a potential drawback since certain small harmful substances like very small nanoparticles can also diffuse through the skin and cause damage. Â   Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic condition in which a person produces very thick and sticky mucus. Usually, the mucus flows easily and helps to trap bacteria and dirt particles but in a person with cystic fibrosis, the mucus is sticky and hence it is difficult to regulate. It is a genetic disorder hence most of the time it is passed from the parents to the offspring. The symptoms include constipation, bulky stool, thick mucus, short breath and infections by uncommon bacteria. Possible management approaches include early detection and regular treatment and to also avoid substances that stimulate the creation of mucus. a) One of the most fascinating systems of the human body is the nervous system. The most basic unit of which is a cell, a neuron or a nerve cell. Many different types of neurons give a nerve tissue. These different tissues combine to form an organ like a brain. Different organs like the brain and the spinal cord make up the nervous system. b) The smallest unit of matter is an atom whereas the smallest unit of life is the cell. All cells are made up of matter and hence atom. We can draw an analogy between the levels of organization in each of them. Individual cells combine to give tissues, which coordinate with other types of tissues to give organs and at the end we get a system which is further amalgamated with other

Implementation of the Basic Human Right - the Right for Freedom due to Term Paper

Implementation of the Basic Human Right - the Right for Freedom due to the European Convention of Human Rights - Term Paper Example The sublimeness of the idea of human rights is enough to capture the imagination and fancy of someone reflecting on the idea. But if one is pulled back into reality, with the grimness of the world that human beings have created for themselves, one then is thrust to the question of justice, of equality, of liberty, of rights, and of freedom.  Ã‚   And for this very reason, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom and its Eight Protocol came into inception.Europe ravaged by the atrocities of the Second World War had become the living witness of the extent of the possibility of the madness that could be inflicted by man to other men.   Thus, the man-made catastrophe – genocide - had spurred various leaders of Europe to come together and create a treaty.   A convention that will have for its undertakings â€Å"the promotion or encouragement of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction, and to take joint and separate action in co-operation with the Organization for the achievement of these objectives.† Together with this sad and horrifying experience of Europe is the fact that during the creation of the convention, Europe is â€Å"ideologically broken,† because during that time the â€Å"ideological conflict between Eastern Europe and Western Europe† was as real and as palpable as any concrete human experience.   With these two reasons acting as the primary motivators and ethos, Europe had created the European Convention for the protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its eight Protocols. This convention was â€Å"signed on November 4, 1950† and â€Å"entered into force on September 3,1953†.It is in this light that this paper is being pursued - to be able to shed light into the question of liberty as it is elucidated and clarified in the â€Å"European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms a nd Its Eight Protocols.†Ã‚  

Communication Challenges to Modern Day Business Essay Example for Free

Communication Challenges to Modern Day Business Essay Communication is defined as the process of transferring information and meaning between senders and receivers, using one or more written, oral, visual or electronic channels. Simply put, communication is the exchange of information between people. It is important to get feedback from your audience and vice versa for the process of communication to take place effectively. The feedback can be either positive or negative. It is any communication used in an organization with an intention to promote a product, improve service or with the intention to make a sale. This type of communication also occurs within the organization between the management and employees. It has purpose and a lot of attention is given to the details. Business communication has undergone a lot of transformation as a result of the growth of information technology that has changed the whole concept of communication. In the past, businesses had a model of communication that left very little room for interaction and conversation with the receiver of the message. Currently the model that works and is now used by most organisations is one that gives room to both conversation and interaction with the receivers. Communication is very vital in any organization. Like blood in our bodies, it is the channel that gives life to the organisation and without it, organisations would not be functional. Effective communication plays a significant role in the success of the business, as communication works to send information, control behavior and motivate workers. Today there are many more ways to communicate than there were just a few years ago and access to communication devices is almost universal in most businesses. Good communication means the intended message that is send is received by a group of audience without any distortions in meaning. This definition applies to not only personal communication among friends or relatives, but to business situations where you may be communicating with a co-worker one-on-one or in a meeting with several or more people. The key here is clarity Communication is also almost instantaneous. Good business communication is simple and easily understood, a rule often overlooked by managers and team members. This is especially important when preparing a document, speech or presentation that is a game-changer for the company. Simple and concise language wins over language that is obtuse and hard to understand. Business communication defines most organizations, resulting in effective marketing campaigns, productive interpersonal relationships among co-workers and successful customer service resolutions. Since audiences demand different kinds of communications in different situations and settings, effective business communication professionals understand how to tailor messages for maximum results. Several communication challenges exist within day-to-day business operations, especially with technology. Technology benefits organizational communication by lifting communication restrictions caused by time and distance. At the same time, the removal of time and distance as communication factors has led to the challenges of information overload and constant accessibility. The issue of constant accessibility has led to blurring of the lines between personal and professional lives. There are several barriers: Emotion serves as an obstacle to effective communication, as emotion can interfere with making rational decisions. Differences in culture can be a communication challenge for international businesses. Not understanding the language and customs of other cultures can lead to poor sales and public relation disasters. There are a number of recognised barriers in the modern day communication, many of which go unnoticed, that can and do effect the standards of communication a person feels comfortable with. Physical barriers are often down to the nature of the environment in which communication may take place but are not always interpreted by the recipient in the correct manor. For example an office door being closed could signify to a co-worker that someone does not want to be bothered, or is possibly in a bad mood, whereas the occupant of the office could have possibly closed the door due to a breeze or didnt close the door them self at all. This is an example of misinterpretation of actions brought about by the physical barrier of the door. Barriers like this can often present the risk of a ripple effect; in that the barrier in this situation could damage the recipients’ perception of the source by making the recipient feel outcast or shut out by the inhabitant of the office, which would set up the standings of a bad communicative relationship. Issues in communication can be disturbed when the basic mechanics of the communication method are damaged directly.

An Introduction To Intrusion Detection Systems :: Computer Network Security

I decided to write my paper on Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) because professor mentioned these devices several times in class and I am interested in network security therefore it was a good opportunity for me to learn more about these security systems. An intrusion detection system (IDS) generally detects unwanted manipulations to computer systems, mainly through the Internet. The manipulations may take the form of attacks by crackers. An intrusion detection system is used to detect many types of malicious network traffic and computer usage that can't be detected by a conventional firewall. This includes network attacks against vulnerable services, data driver attacks on applications, host based attacks such as privilege escalation, unwanted logins and access to sensitive files, and malware (viruses, Trojan horses, and worms). Intrusion detection is the process of monitoring the events occurring in a computer system or network and analyzing them for signs of possible incidents, which are violations or imminent threats of violation of computer security policies, acceptable use policies, or standard security practices. Intrusion prevention is the process of performing intrusion detection and attempting to stop detected possible incidents. Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) are primarily focused on identifying possible incidents, logging information about them, attempting to stop them, and reporting them to security administrators. In addition, organizations use IDPSs for other purposes, such as identifying problems with security policies, documenting existing threats, and deterring individuals from violating security policies. IDPSs have become a necessary addition to the security infrastructure of nearly every organization. An IDS is composed of several components: Sensors which generat e security events, a Console to monitor events and alerts and control the sensors, and a central Engine that records events logged by the sensors in a database and uses a system of rules to generate alerts from security events received. There are several ways to categorize an IDS depending on the type and location of the sensors and the methodology used by the engine to generate alerts. In many simple IDS implementations all three components are combined in a single device or appliance. In a network-based intrusion-detection system (NIDS), the sensors are located at choke points in the network to be monitored, often in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) or at network borders. The sensor captures all network traffic and analyzes the content of individual packets for malicious traffic.

Bloodlines Chapter Twenty

I ALMOST ASKED, â€Å"Are you serious?† But let's face it: that probably wasn't the kind of thing she would joke about, especially considering how grave her face looked. Other questions popped into my head, but I held back on those as well. They weren't that weird, but I didn't want to draw attention to myself by showing unusual interest in a grisly murder. Instead, I simply thanked Mrs. Dawson for her help with the letter and returned to East Campus. Mrs. Weathers was at her desk when I entered the dorm. I brought her the letter, which she read over twice before tucking it away in her filing cabinet. â€Å"All right,† she said. â€Å"Just make sure your sister signs in and out each time.† â€Å"I will, ma'am. Thank you.† I hesitated, torn over whether to go or ask the questions Mrs. Dawson's information had triggered. I decided to stay. â€Å"Mrs. Weathers†¦ ever since Jill disappeared, I just keep thinking about that girl you told me about. The one who died. I keep thinking that could've been Jill.† Mrs. Dawson's face softened. â€Å"Jill's fine. I shouldn't have told you that. I didn't mean to scare you.† â€Å"Is it true that girl's throat was slit?† â€Å"Yes.† She shook her head sadly. â€Å"Terrible. Simply terrible. I don't know who does that kind of thing.† â€Å"Did they ever find out why it happened? I mean, was there anything unusual about her?† â€Å"Unusual? No, not really. I mean, she was a lovely girl. Smart, pretty, popular. A good – no, great – athlete. Had friends, a boyfriend. But nothing that would especially make her stand out as a target. Of course, people who do awful things like that probably don't need a reason.† â€Å"True,† I murmured. I walked up to my room, wishing Mrs. Weathers had elaborated a little more on how pretty Kelly was. What I really wanted to know was if Kelly had been Moroi. If she had, I'd hoped Mrs. Weathers might comment on how tall or pale she was. By both Clarence's and the Alchemists' accounts, no Moroi on record had lived in the Palm Springs area. That didn't mean someone couldn't slip through the cracks, however. I'd have to find the answer myself. If Kelly had been Moroi, then we had three young Moroi women killed in the same way in southern California within a relatively short time span. Clarence might argue for his vampire hunter theory, but to me, this pattern screamed Strigoi. Jill was in our room, serving out her house arrest. The more time passed, the less angry I felt toward her. Having the feeding issue fixed helped. I would've been a lot more upset if we'd been unable to get her off campus. â€Å"What's wrong?† she asked me, looking up from her laptop. â€Å"Why do you think anything's wrong?† She smiled. â€Å"You've got that look. It's this tiny frown you get between your eyebrows when you're trying to figure something out.† I shook my head. â€Å"It's nothing.† â€Å"You know,† she said, â€Å"maybe all these responsibilities you have wouldn't be as bad if you talked them out and got help from other people.† â€Å"It's not quite like that. It's just something I'm trying to puzzle out.† â€Å"Tell me,† she entreated. â€Å"You can trust me.† It wasn't a matter of trust. It was a matter of unnecessarily worrying Jill. Mrs. Weathers had feared she would scare me, but if someone was killing Moroi girls, I wasn't in danger. Looking at Jill and her unwavering gaze, I decided if she could handle living with the knowledge that her own people were trying to kill her, she could handle this. I gave her a brief summary of what I knew. â€Å"You don't know if Kelly was Moroi, though,† she said, once I'd finished. â€Å"No. That's the crucial piece here.† I sat cross-legged on my bed with my own laptop. â€Å"I'm going to check our records and local newspapers to see if I can find a picture of her. All I learned from Mrs. Weathers is that Kelly was a star athlete.† â€Å"Which may mean she's not Moroi,† said Jill. â€Å"I mean, look at how terrible I perform in this sun. What happens if she's not? You've got a lot of theories hinging on her being Moroi. But what if she was human? What then? Can we ignore it? It could still be the same person†¦ but what would it mean if the murderer had killed two Moroi and one human?† Jill had a point. â€Å"I don't know,† I said. My search didn't take long. The Alchemists had no record of the murder, but then, they wouldn't if Kelly had been human. Lots of newspapers had stories about her, but I couldn't find any pictures. â€Å"What about a yearbook?† asked Jill. â€Å"Someone must keep them around.† â€Å"That's actually pretty brilliant,† I said. â€Å"See? I told you I'm useful.† I smiled at her and then remembered something. â€Å"Oh, I've got good news for you. Maybe.† I briefly recapped Kristin and Julia's â€Å"plan† about Jill joining the sewing club. Jill brightened but was still cautious. â€Å"You really think that would work?† â€Å"Only one way to find out.† â€Å"I've never touched a sewing machine in my life,† she said. â€Å"I guess this is your chance to learn,† I told her. â€Å"Or maybe the other girls will be happy to just keep you around as their in-class model.† Jill smirked. â€Å"How do you know only girls sign up for that?† â€Å"I don't,† I admitted. â€Å"Just playing off gender stereotypes, I guess.† My cell phone rang, and Ms. Terwilliger's number flashed on the display. I answered, bracing for a coffee run. â€Å"Miss Melbourne?† she said. â€Å"If you and your brother can be at Carlton within an hour, you can speak to someone in the registrar's office before they close. Can you manage that?† I looked at the time and took it on faith Adrian wasn't doing anything important. â€Å"Um, yes. Yes, of course, ma'am. Thank you. Thank you very much.† â€Å"The man you'll want to talk to is named Wes Regan.† She paused. â€Å"And could you bring me a cappuccino on your way back?† I assured her I could and then called Adrian with instructions to be ready for me. Quickly, I changed out of my uniform and into a blouse and twill skirt. Glancing at my reflection, I realized he was right. There really wasn't a lot of difference between Amberwood attire and my normal wardrobe. â€Å"I wish I could go,† said Jill wistfully. â€Å"I'd like to see Adrian again.† â€Å"Don't you kind of see him every day in a way?† â€Å"True,† she said. â€Å"Although I can't always get into his head when I want to yet. It just happens randomly. And anyway, it's not the same. He can't talk back to me through the bond.† I nearly replied that it sounded better than being around him in person but figured that wouldn't be helpful. Adrian was ready to go when I reached Clarence's, excited and eager for action. â€Å"You just missed your friend,† he said as he got into Latte. â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Keith.† I made a face. â€Å"He's not really my friend.† â€Å"Oh, you think? Most of us figured that out on day one, Sage.† I felt a little bad about that. Some part of me knew that I shouldn't let my personal feelings for Keith mix with business. We were co-workers of sorts and should've been presenting a united, professional front. At the same time, I was kind of glad these people – even if they were vampires and dhampirs – didn't think I was friendly with Keith. I didn't want them thinking he and I had much in common. I certainly didn't want to have a lot in common with him. The full meaning of Adrian's words suddenly hit me. â€Å"Wait. He was just here?† â€Å"A half hour ago.† He must have come straight from the school. I was lucky to have missed him. Something told me he wouldn't approve of me furthering Adrian's education. â€Å"What was he here for?† â€Å"Dunno. I think he was checking on Clarence. The old guy hasn't been feeling well.† Adrian pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. â€Å"Do you mind?† â€Å"Yes,† I replied. â€Å"What's wrong with Clarence?† â€Å"I don't know, but he's been resting a lot, which makes things even more boring. I mean, he wasn't the greatest conversationalist, but some of his crazy stories were interesting.† Adrian turned wistful. â€Å"Especially with scotch.† â€Å"Keep me updated on how he's doing,† I murmured. I wondered if perhaps that was why Keith had been in such a hurry earlier. If Clarence was seriously ill, we were going to have to make arrangements with a Moroi doctor. That would complicate our setup here in Palm Springs because we'd either have to move Clarence or bring in someone. If Keith was working on it, then I shouldn't have concerned myself†¦ but I just didn't trust him to do a good job with anything. â€Å"I don't know how you put up with him,† said Adrian. â€Å"I used to think you were weak and just didn't fight back†¦ but now, honestly, I think you're actually pretty tough. It takes a hell of a lot of strength to not complain and lash out. I don't have that self-control.† â€Å"You've got more than you think,† I said, a little flustered by the compliment. I was down on myself so much for what I saw as not pushing back sometimes that it had never occurred to me that took its own strength. I was even more surprised that it would take Adrian to point this out to me. â€Å"I'm always walking a line. My dad – and the Alchemists – are really big on obedience and following the directions of your superiors. I'm kind of in a double bind because I'm on shaky ground with them, so it's extra important for me to not make a fuss.† â€Å"Because of Rose?† His tone was carefully controlled. I nodded. â€Å"Yup. What I did was tantamount to treason in their eyes.† â€Å"I don't know what ‘tantamount' means, but it sounds pretty serious.† I could see him studying me out of the corner of his eye. â€Å"Was it worth it?† â€Å"So far.† It was easy to say that since Zoe had no tattoo yet and I hadn't seen a re-education center. If those things changed, so might my answers. â€Å"It was the right thing to do. I guess that justified dramatic action.† â€Å"I broke a lot of rules to help Rose too,† he said, a troubled tone in his voice. â€Å"I did it out of love. Misguided love, but love nonetheless. I don't know if that's as noble as your reasons, particularly since she was in love with someone else. Most of my ‘dramatic actions' haven't been for any cause. Most of them have been to annoy my parents.† I actually found myself a little jealous of that. I couldn't fathom purposely trying to get a reaction from my dad – though I'd certainly wanted to. â€Å"I think love's a noble reason,† I told him. I was speaking objectively, of course. I'd never been in love and had no point of reference to really judge. Based on what I'd observed in others, I assumed it was an amazing thing†¦ but for now, I was too busy with my job to notice its absence. I wondered if I should be disappointed by that. â€Å"And I think you have plenty of time to do other noble things.† He chuckled. â€Å"Never thought my biggest cheerleader would be someone who thought I was evil and unnatural.† That made two of us. Hesitantly, I managed to ask a question that had been burning inside me. â€Å"Do you still love her? Rose?† Along with not knowing what it felt like to be in love, I also didn't know how long it took to recover from love. Adrian's smile faded. His gaze turned inward. â€Å"Yes. No. It's hard to get over someone like that. She had a huge effect on me, both good and bad. That's hard to move past. I try not to think about her much in terms of love and hate. Mostly I'm trying to get on with my life. With mixed results, unfortunately.† We soon reached the college. Wes Regan was a big man with a salt-and-pepper beard who worked in Carlton's registration office. Ms. Terwilliger had tutored Wes's niece for free one summer, and Wes felt he owed her a favor. â€Å"Here's the deal,† he said once we were seated across from him. Adrian was wearing khaki pants and a sage-colored button-down shirt that would've been great for job interviews. A little too late. â€Å"I can't just enroll you. College applications are long and require transcripts, and there's no way you can swing one in two days. What I can do is get you in as an auditor.† â€Å"Like with the IRS?† asked Adrian. â€Å"No. Auditing means you're attending the class and doing the work but not getting a grade for it.† Adrian opened his mouth to speak, and I could only imagine what comment he had about doing work for no credit. I quickly interrupted him. â€Å"And then what?† â€Å"Then, if you can throw together an application in, oh, a week or two – and are accepted – I can retroactively change you to student status.† â€Å"What about financial aid?† asked Adrian, leaning forward. â€Å"Can I get some money for this?† â€Å"If you qualify,† said Wes. â€Å"But you can't really file for it until you've been accepted.† Adrian slumped back, and I was able to guess his thoughts. If getting enrolled would take a couple of weeks, there'd undoubtedly be a delay with the financial aid filing too. Adrian was looking at a month or more of living with Clarence, and that was probably optimistic. I half-expected Adrian to get up and nix everything. Instead, a resolute expression crossed his face. He nodded. â€Å"Okay. Let's get started with this auditing thing.† I was impressed. I was also jealous when Wes brought out the course catalog. I'd been able to lull myself into contentment with Amberwood's classes, but looking at real college offerings showed me the two schools were worlds away. The history classes were more focused and in depth than anything I could have imagined. Adrian had no interest in those, however. He immediately honed in on the art department. He ended up signing up for two introductory courses in oil painting and in watercolors. They met three times a week and were conveniently back-toback. â€Å"That'll make it easier if I'm busing in,† he explained as we were leaving. I gave him a startled look. â€Å"You're taking the bus?† He seemed amused by my astonishment. â€Å"What else? Classes are in the daytime. You can't take me.† I thought about Clarence's remote house. â€Å"Where on earth would you catch the bus?† â€Å"There's a stop about a half mile away. It transfers to another bus that goes to Carlton. The whole trip takes about an hour.† I confess, it left me speechless. I was amazed that Adrian had researched that much, let alone was willing to go to all that trouble. Yet on the ride back, he never uttered one word of complaint about how inconvenient it would be or how long he'd have to wait to move out of Clarence's. When I arrived back at Amberwood, I was excited to tell Jill the news about Adrian's collegiate success – not that she needed me to tell her. With the bond, she would probably know more than I did. Still, she always worried about him and would undoubtedly be pleased to see something go well for him. Jill wasn't in our room when I returned, but a note informed me she was studying elsewhere in the dorm. The only bright part of her punishment was that it limited where she could be at any time. I decided to use this opportunity to go make Ms. Terwilliger's crazy amulet. I'd accrued most of the necessary ingredients, and along with compliance from the biology teacher, Ms. Terwilliger had secured me access to one of the chemistry labs. No one was there this time of night, and it gave me plenty of space and quiet to mix up the concoction. As we'd noted, the instructions were extremely detailed and – in my opinion – superfluous. It wasn't enough to just measure out the nettle leaves. The instructions called for them â€Å"to rest for an hour,† during which time I was supposed to say to them, â€Å"into thee, flame I imbue† every ten minutes. I also had to boil the agate stone â€Å"to infuse it with heat.† The rest of the instructions were similar, and I knew there was no way Ms. Terwilliger would actually know if I followed everything to the letter – particularly the chants. Still, the whole purpose of this stunt was to report on what it was like to be an ancient practitioner. So, I followed everything dutifully and concentrated so hard on performing every step perfectly that I soon fell into a lull where nothing existed except the spell. I finished over two hours later and was surprised at how exhausted I felt. The final result certainly didn't seem to justify all the energy I'd expended. I was left with a leather cord from which hung a silk pouch filled with leaves and rocks. I carted it and my notes back to my dorm room, intending to write up my report for Ms. Terwilliger so that I could put this assignment behind me. When I reached my room, I gasped when I saw the door. Someone had taken red paint and drawn bats and fanged faces all over it. Scrawled across the front, in big blocky letters, were the words VAMP GIRL Full of panic, I burst into the room. Jill was there – along with Mrs. Weathers and another teacher I didn't know. They were going through all of our things. I stared in disbelief. â€Å"What's going on?† I asked. Jill shook her head, face mortified, and couldn't answer. I'd apparently arrived at the end of the search because Mrs. Weathers and her associate soon finished up and walked to the door. I was glad I'd taken my Alchemist supplies with me to the lab tonight. The kit contained a few measuring tools I had thought I might need. I certainly didn't want to explain why I owned a collection of chemicals to dorm authorities. â€Å"Well,† said Mrs. Weathers sternly. â€Å"There doesn't appear to be anything here, but I may do another spot check later – so don't get any ideas. You're already in enough trouble without adding yet another charge to it.† She sighed and shook her head at Jill. â€Å"I'm very disappointed in you, Miss Melrose.† Jill blanched. â€Å"I'm telling you, it's all a mistake!† â€Å"Let's hope so,† said Mrs. Weathers ominously. â€Å"Let's hope so. I've half a mind to make you clean up that vandalism outside, but in light of no hard proof†¦ well, we'll have the janitors take care of it tomorrow.† Once our visitors were gone, I immediately demanded, â€Å"What happened?† Jill collapsed backward onto her bed and groaned. â€Å"Laurel happened.† I sat down. â€Å"Explain.† â€Å"Well, I called the library to see if they had those yearbooks in – the ones about Kelly Hayes? Turns out they do normally have them, but they've all been checked out by the newspaper staff for some Amberwood anniversary edition. And you'll never believe who's heading that project: Laurel.† â€Å"You're right,† I said. â€Å"I never would have guessed that. Isn't she in Freshman English?† Laurel was a senior. â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"I guess everyone needs an activity,† I muttered. Jill nodded. â€Å"Anyway, Miss Yamani was in the building, so I went to ask her about joining the sewing club and working for Lia. She was really excited and said she'd make it happen.† â€Å"Well, that's something,† I said cautiously, still unsure how this was leading up to vandalism and a search of our room. â€Å"As I was coming back, I passed Laurel in the hall. I decided to take a chance†¦ I approached her and said look, I know we've had our differences but I could really use some help. Then I explained that I needed the yearbooks and asked if I could borrow them just for the night and that I'd get them back to her right away.† To this, I said nothing. It was certainly a noble and brave thing for Jill to do, particularly after I'd encouraged her to be better than Laurel. Unfortunately, I didn't think Laurel would reciprocate the adult behavior. I was right. â€Å"She told me in†¦ well, very explicit terms that I'd never get those yearbooks.† Jill scowled. â€Å"She told me a few other things too. Then I, um, called her a raving bitch. I probably shouldn't have, but, well, she deserved it! Anyway, she went to Mrs. Weathers with a bottle of†¦ I don't know. I think it was raspberry schnapps. She claimed I sold it to her and had more in my room. Mrs. Weathers couldn't punish me without harder evidence, but after Ms. Chang's hangover accusation on the first day, Mrs. Weathers decided that was enough for a room search.† I shook my head in disbelief, anger growing within my chest. â€Å"For such an elite, prestigious place, this school sure is quick to jump on any accusations that come up! I mean, they believe anything anyone says about you. And where did the paint outside come from?† Tears of frustration glinted in her eyes. â€Å"Oh, Laurel, of course. Or, well, one of her friends. It happened while Laurel was talking to Mrs. Weathers, so of course she's got an alibi. You don't think†¦ you don't think anyone's on to anything, do you? You said before it's just a mean joke†¦ and humans don't even believe in us†¦ right?† â€Å"Right,† I said automatically. But I was beginning to wonder. Ever since that phone call with my father, when he'd mentioned that there were humans who suspected and wouldn't be silenced, I'd wondered if I'd been too quick to dismiss Laurel's teasing. Had she simply found a cruel joke to run with? Or was she one of those humans who suspected about the vampire world and might make a lot of noise about it? I doubted anyone would believe her, but we couldn't risk attracting attention from someone who would. Is it possible she really thinks Jill is a vampire? Jill's forlorn expression turned angry. â€Å"Maybe I should do something about Laurel. There are other ways to get back at her besides freezing water.† â€Å"No,† I said quickly. â€Å"Don't lower yourself to that. Revenge is petty, and you're better than that.† Plus, I thought, any more supernatural activity, and Laurel might realize her taunts have more backing than she originally thought. Jill gave me a sad smile. â€Å"You keep saying that. But don't you think something needs to be done about Laurel?† Oh yes. I definitely did. This had gone too far, and I'd been wrong to let it slide. Jill was right that there were other ways to get back at someone. And I was right that revenge was petty and nothing that Jill should sully herself with. That was why I was going to do it. â€Å"I'll take care of it,† I told her. â€Å"I – I'll have the Alchemists issue a complaint from our parents.† She looked dubious. â€Å"You think that'll fix things?† â€Å"Positive,† I said. Because that complaint was going to pack an extra punch. A glance at the time told me it was too late to go back to the lab. No problem. I simply set my alarm extra early, with the intent to get up and head back there before classes started. I had one more experiment in my future, and Laurel was going to be my guinea pig.