Year round school

Mr.. Cooker For generations the education system In the US has been a major In how our world is shaped today. And changing it could maybe benefit the American people In ways you couldn't imagine. For years now America has fallen short In basic math, reading and writing while other countries have exceeded expectations. Education Is key to staying connected to other countries and being able to make It In the real world. With that said the united States education system needs to be recognized as a huge part In our ally lives and needs to be changed.Like other countries education system they have school year round showing a huge difference In the scores they get compared to the US. Having the opportunity to have school year round could allow students to graduate from high school faster and potentially college. The freedom to go at the pace that best fits you is what is amazing. In High school this could allow you to get the credits you need and that will allow you to potentially go to th e college of your choice. With this it could decrease school drop outs and help they economy by aging more jobs.This could have the potential to change our system and bring America out of the hole we made for ourselves. A student may even be struggling in a particular subject and with the regular education system it wouldn't be a priority to the teacher or the student to fully understand the subject. With the year round school this problem could be easily solved. Students would be exceeding the level expected or just staying level with their class. There are also many opportunities to being able to graduate from high school with your first year of college basic classes already completed.That saves money and a whole lot of stress, also the education on how to study and write essays in grade school help prepare you for College. Having school year round can allow you to have the time to practice and prepare for the many things that college may bring. College is what sets you up for opp ortunity to get a job and participate in society. College sets you up for many things in life and to have some of the education from high school with year round school can help you tremendously.In order to be successful in college you have to have the write study bits and ways to prepare yourself for test and quizzes so you can pass the class. With the year round school the teachers would have time to teach you all the correct ways of learning that. Education Is key In this day and age and with yearlong education you can get through many things faster and comprehend more. To have an opportunity to change the economy by having more people thinking and making life changing decisions is amazing.This could not only benefit that but the teachers, they would be more recognized for their work and have something to prove It, their successful kids. Also the time that school would start and end would be more realistic for this day and age not to mention having days off more often than now, If we could Just have one school district to try this out to see If It would work It could potentially reveal things that are unbelievable we just need to try. Year round school By Kay-Lucerne For generations the education system in the US has been a major in how our world is shaped today.And changing it could maybe benefit the American people in ways you couldn't imagine. For years now America has fallen short in basic math, reading and writing while other countries have exceeded expectations. Education is key to staying connected to other countries and being able to make it in the real world. With that said the United States education system needs to be recognized as a huge part in our daily lives and needs to be changed. Like other countries education system they have school year round showing a huge difference in the scores they get compared to the making more Jobs.This could have the potential to change our system and bring expected or Just staying level with their class. There a re also many opportunities to a Job and participate in society. College sets you up for many things in life and to ways of learning that. Education is key in this day and age and with yearlong would be more recognized for their work and have something to prove it, their realistic for this day and age not to mention having days off more often than now. If we could Just have one school district to try this out to see if it would work it could potentially reveal things that are unbelievable we Just need to try.

Importance of English Essay

In today global world, English is already became the most common communication tool used among foreign language speakers and more than two billion people all over the world speak English. There are so many advantages to be an English speaker and reasons to learn English. It is so important for a job seeker to be able to communicate well in English. This is due to the fact of increasing amounts of worldwide business are being conducted in English, in job such as sales, marketing and customer service. Usually a job interview is conducted by English and the first impression a job seeker should give in order to get a job is to answer in English fluently. In contrast, chances to getting a job are very tiny if you shutter when interviewing. Moreover, good command in English will also has a great help in the job especially for those companies are actively involved in international trade. It can help the employees to have a good performance in their job and more easily to get a promotional opportunity . There are several ways to improve English skills. First of all is read anything and everything in English such as story books, newspapers, magazines, etc. Watch English movies with subtitles is another ways to learn English fun. This is the way to learn new words and known how to pronounce them at the same time. Next, buy a dictionary and keep it all the time with you. Lastly, try to communicate in English with friends and family and sing along to English. Don’t be shy to make mistake, it was another ways to learn from mistake. In the nut shell, a good knowledge in English belongs to the most important requirements in many professions. A person that speaks English would have a better chance of finding a good job a. Let’s start to improve our English language skills from today onwards!

European learning institutions in the Middle Ages Essay

The Monastic schools provided the basis for the universities. The main purpose for the establishment of schools was to develop literacy in the society. Through the schools people were educated and hence became wiser. These schools led to the formation of universities as many individuals begun to pursue deeper meanings, verbal clarity and places for doing analysis. During the scholasticism period, the need for a place where intellectuals could do their studies increased greatly as the number of scholars and philosophers rose. Scholars started to analyze books and other information sources through reason and argumentation. Individuals who had gone through schooling had no place to further their studies and their number was increasing. This therefore led to the rise of universities as they provided a place for further studies. During the scholastic period there were many discoveries which were meant to enhance learning. The universities came up because of the need to have intellectuals together so that they can share ideas and opinions thereby leading to more discoveries. The university was a good place to do research and for individuals to learn from others. Additionally, individuals wanted to understand the Bible better and thus get closer to its truth. The university provided a good place where people could study the Bible and hence understand it better. Background of the students During this period, education was the privilege of the members of the upper classes and thus most of the students were from the upper classes in the society. There were few students from the lower classes who had the opportunity to have formal education. This could be attributed to insufficient educational resources thereby making them expensive and thus not affordable to the lower class members. Curriculum The schools curriculum was divided into two trivium and quadrivium. Trivium was composed of grammar, dialectic and rhetoric while qaudrivium contained geometry, arithmetic, astronomy and music. In grammar, texts written by the Priscian who was a Latin grammarian were studied and applied. In dialectic, the works done by Aristotle were read while in rhetoric, the works of Cicero were studied. Arithmetic involved the study of multiplication and division, and in addition to that abacus and chronology were learned. Geometry mainly involved the study of Euclid while Astronomy involved studying the works of Bede and Pliny who was a Roman writer. In Music, the students were taught proportion, scale, ‘music of the spheres’ and the harmony of the universe. During the Charlemagne period education was mainly based on written texts (Cunningham & Reich, 2006). During the scholasticism period, learning was based on reasoning and argumentation. Books were chosen, read and subjected to investigation. Points of disagreements between books and other sources of information were written down and subjected to analysis using dialectics. Through the dialectics a common ground was found. During this period universities were formed and the curriculum of most universities primarily involved the study of philosophy, science, ancient culture and mathematics. In addition to studying the students were allowed to do research in their field of preference. The effects of formal educational institutions on the European society These institutions increased the gap between the rich and the poor people in the society. This can be attributed to background of the most students. Education was primarily the privilege of the upper class members and thus most of the lower class member never had the opportunity to have formal education. However, in spite of the gap in the society, the formal educational institutions provided the basis for more discoveries and developments in the European society. Through the institutions literacy in the society increased as more people improved their knowledge and skills. Additionally, the institutions reconciled different societies as translators and intermediaries were required. For instance, in translating Greek to English Muslims and Jews were utilized as translators and intermediaries. This therefore led to reconciliation between different religions as they dependent on each in enhancing learning. Furthermore, the learning institutions led to change in character as individuals begun to see things differently. This led to changes in the political scene as authoritative governments collapsed paving way for the democratic ones. Powers of the monasteries were reduced as democratic governments came into power. This is because more individuals understood their rights and hence started to fight for their rights. Word count: 717. Reference list Cunningham L. S. and J. Reich, (2006). Culture and values. Edition: 6. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. p. 199.

Skill Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Skill Development - Essay Example The essay "Skill Development" talks about the managerial skills development through the analysis of a number of articles and books on a related subject. The process of employee motivation is very significant to any firm. Therefore, in order to get the desired outcomes, it is important to motivate employees for the work they do. This will make them more committed to their work and eventually will lead to high production and good performance. Employee motivation is essential because it ensures that human resource is active in order to accomplish organization goals and objectives. It also leads to the establishment of the friendly relationship among workers. Cooperation in any organization leads to stability and reduces organizational unrest and disputes. Employee development is also an important part that needs to be improved because I discovered that employees display job performance behaviors in part to improve their self-image, especially when their role is not clearly defined in the organization. The effect of these behaviors on managerial reward recommendation decisions should be powerful when managers believe the employees to be more committed to their work. I found out that poor performance could not be attributed to human nature but to an imperfect work system. Managers should realize that employees want self-control, self-direction, seeks and accepts responsibility, thus there was the need to have a strong employee development skill as this would establish a culture of accountability in the organization.

American history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

American history - Essay Example This part of the study will discuss about several successes that were achieved by the government of the United States of America under the articles of the confederation. Under this article of the confederation, the colonists of America fought against the soldiers of Great Britain with their full strength and achieved independence. The government of the United States of America succeeded to maintain a strong unity by keeping 13 different states together. In addition to this, these states stayed together for a longer period of time in order to realize the importance of unity. The Land Ordinance of the 1785 was the most effective territory expansion plan introduced by the government of the United States of America under the articles of confederation. The government of the United States of America raised huge money by selling the lands. It helped government to source and allocate required fund for several planned projects and development programs. In addition to this, this sourcing of fu nds or capital helped the government of the United States of America to repay the previous debt account (Collins 136). It helped the country to achieve significant economic growth rate. Under this article of confederation, government of the United States of America introduced several public development projects. For example, government initiated Section 16. It was the designated for the development of several public schools. Northwest Ordinance is also considered as one of the key successes of the government under the articles of confederation. The government of the country planned for the establishment of governments in different territories. It helped the government of the Unite States of America to maintain discipline and sustainability in these territories (Kellogg 58). Government of the country developed several processes for these territories to become a state. It helped the government of the country to reform and improve overall economic and social condition of these territor ies. In addition to this, government of the United States of America succeeded to expand fundamental democratic rights into the Northwest region. Aspects like Freedom of speech for common people, no slavery, trial by jury and freedom of speech for press were guaranteed by the Congress. In addition to this, government of the United States of America succeeded to prepare a constitution for the country including these territories and states which approved by the Congress. Several developed laws and regulations developed by the government of states helped to maintain peace and control the social life in the newly developed states. Failures of government under the Articles of Confederation The inherent weakness in the Articles of Confederation arises from the fact that it is called a confederacy. The sovereign power was placed in the hands of the states of the America. This fact was explicitly stated in Article II of the confederation which states that each state will retain the freedom, sovereignty, independence, jurisdiction, power and right. Such distribution of power was chosen by the Founding Fathers since Americans colonist were very wary of the national governments (Feinberg 78). They have to deal with the British Crown for many years; the American colonies did not want to make another out-of-touch national government. During this short lifespan, the Articles of Confederation became ineffective at governing the growing American states. The main cause for this

The Effects of Ethanol Production Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Effects of Ethanol Production - Assignment Example They include, but are not limited to, liquor production, solvent agent, cleaning solution, fuel, and an additive that enhances clean burning of petrol (Dvorchak, 2012). Given these and more uses, programs that encourage the use of ethanol are bound to expand the applicability and use of ethanol across the various sectors of the economy. The already identified scope of ethanol use cuts across the lives of individual households to industrial use of ethanol. In this respect, economic gains are at the top of the benefits that can possibly be reaped from continued use of ethanol. To realize the desired results in encouraging use of ethanol, stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of the enhancing programs have to invest in the relevant projects that showcase the benefits of producing and using ethanol for different purposes. Moreover, these programs must entail awareness creation to the targeted parties, meaning that all persons on board have the capacity to evaluate the benefits and shortcomings of ethanol production and use. Individuals, firms, and governments have independent decisions to make regarding the use of ethanol, meaning that these programs do not violate the rights and freedoms of choice in the use products available in the economy. Amid the ever rising environmental concerns, ethanol is increasingly becoming one of the most environmental friendly products that can be applied across a broad social and economic scope. Ethanol use is not limited to specific areas due to the diversity of purposes that it serves. Most importantly, use of ethanol as an additive in petrol to enhance clean burning impacts positively on the environment (Darcy & Marsha, 2006). On the same note, ethanol can be used as an alternative source of fuel for household, commercial, or industrial use. Therefore, encouraging the use of ethanol through the relevant programs improves household, commercial, and industrial social and economic

English literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

English literature - Essay Example The company has over five hundred employees, including well known designers in the region. Mr. Denzel Lawrence is the owner of that clothing line. The C.E.O of the company is Ian Beam. He is a brown and extremely tall Swedish gentleman, in addition to being down to earth. He cooperates well with all employees in that company. He owns a large mansion in New York City, where he lives happily with his cute wife, Diana. On this particular morning, he had several meetings with the designers in the company, to review some of the designs they had created that week. The meetings went extremely well, and Mr Ian was happy with the designs in place. Thus, he gave them a go ahead of putting those designs into clothes. As soon as the last meeting was over, his wife called and said, â€Å"Honey, I hope you are having a fantastic day at work. I just missed you and wished to hear your sexy voice again.† One could tell from the tone of her voice that they were madly in love. At the middle of t heir conversation, his secretary cut him short telling him that the boss, Mr. Denzel, wanted to speak with him. Therefore, he hurriedly wished his wife a fantastic day and rushed to find out what the boss wanted. Apparently, Mr. Denzel was equally a people’s person. He loved cracking jokes here and there to keep his conversations jovial. In addition, he was so in love with statues. His office was covered with a lot of statues of all shapes and sizes. One could think he was worshipping them. Later on in the afternoon, Mr Ian was scheduled to hold another meeting with other investors in the company. However, they called on time to cancel the meeting to the relief of the CEO. Therefore, he decided to take that golden opportunity to rush home early and surprise his wife. On his way home, he stopped near a flower shop to buy a bouquet of roses for his wife. Apparently, he was a frequent customer in that flower shop. This is because he loved giving his wife some flowers each time h e had that opportunity. He drove home smiling all the way, listening to some cool music. All through, he was fantasizing about the happy moments they would spend with his wife that afternoon. He anxiously opened the door to his luxurious mansion and went ahead to the kitchen first to take a cup of water. Surprisingly, he was very anxious to meet his wife that early. He laughed at himself quietly thinking aloud, ‘she is my wife for crying out loud and not a girl I just met and have a crush on hahaha.’ He was madly in love with his wife, so he tried to calm himself down by saying that probably that was the reason behind the anxious feeling he had. Some strange noises in the bedroom cut his thoughts short. He picked up some kitchen knife and tiptoed towards the bedroom. What he saw upon opening the bedroom door almost made him drop dead in disappointment: There was his wife in bed with another man! He thought: â€Å"What the hell? You mean Diana has been cheating on me al l through, and I have never suspected. Oh God, why was I so stupid and blinded by her sweet words?† He closed the door without uttering a single word and left quietly with painful tears on his eyes. On his way out, he saw a key holder with the name of his boss written on it. This made him even more confused. â€Å"Of all other people, why did she have to cheat on me with my own boss? Oh God, I thought my boss was my friend.† He just got into his car and drove carelessly with no direction in his mind. He was just driving to get as far away from his house as

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sociology - Essay Example status to being equated with disputed accounting techniques and off balance-sheet financing transactions, misleading statements, unscrupulous executives, dishonest partnerships, and ill-gotten personal gain? The roots of Enrons fall can be found in its failed internal control system and bureaucratic culture. Henry Fayol and Taylor’s approaches of internal control help describing how executives at Enron created an organizational bureaucratic culture that put the bottom line ahead of ethical behavior. (Prentice, pp 3-4) After a brief background on Enron and its rise and fall, like the analysis of the Salomon Brothers fall, the five most important mechanisms available to leaders to create and reinforce aspects are used to analyze systematically the bureaucratic culture and internal control system that led to the companys fall after shocking disclosures about the companys finances. Firms differed not only in the general character of their control systems that changes as the length of the hierarchy, the labor breakdown, and the cost structure. The command hierarchy could be anything from two to twelve distinct levels of control system between the board and the operators. The varying lengths of the command hierarchy made it impossible to make direct comparisons between firms of the size of the span of control at the intermediate levels of management. No single misstep brought Enron to the brink. A series of missteps and just plain bureaucratic control system brought Enrons more nefarious dealings to light, precipitating its ultimate collapse. (Julian, pp 1-2) The dirtiest of Enrons deals involved SPEs of its own construction that sported names straight from Star Wars such as Chewco. While Enrons traders may still have inhabited the fantasy worlds of their youth, their trades had a harsh reality to them that touched the heart and soul of American life. Who got electricity during Californias energy crisis, which farms would have water to irrigate their crops, and

Did Elizabeth Lizze Borden murder her parents Essay

Did Elizabeth Lizze Borden murder her parents - Essay Example This question has puzzled many critics, researchers, writers and people associated with the legal punishments since the last century. The general public has also shown great interest in the subject that what had compelled a young daughter to kill her parents? Did she really kill them or there was someone else involved in the case that did not show up to the front screen. The events of a hot summer day in 1892 remained a mystery however; history has offered us some interesting facts which can prove to be helpful in solving this case of brutal killing. On August 4, 1892 Mr. Andrew Jackson Borden with his second wife Abby Durfee Gray was found brutally murdered in their house located in Fall River, Massachusetts. It was a hot sunny day and both were killed by a sharp axe (Watson, Elizabeth E.). Lizzie Borden was at home when the incident took place and was accused of the criminal act. But she was declared innocent after the trial. The town people believed that she had murdered her parents however even after more than 100 years the mystery has remained unsolved. Nobody knows about the actual murderer. Despite of her being indicted she inherited a considerable property from her father’s wealth. THE MYSTERY Critics and writers have a strong consensus on one point of the case that it was none other than Lizzie who murdered her father and step mother using a very sharp axe. The possible reason for such a brutal act is suggested to be the family disputes going on between Mr. Andrew Borden and his daughter Lizzie Borden in relation to the distribution of property among the family members of Lizzie’s step mother, Abby Gray. ... Whereas on the other side Lizzie was extremely disturbed after the death of her mother she never accepted the new family member, Ms Abby as her mother again. She was a well respected lady among the town members but the uncertainty going on within the family was known to everyone. It was a hot morning when Mr. Andrew was found dead in his room lying on the sofa. His body was showing the marks of heavy wounds including the poor condition of his head which was struck eleven times with a sharp instrument. His eye balls were cracked which clearly represented the extremely cruel nature of the murderer. On the other hand his wife’s body was found in the guest room. She was kneeled down on the bed which showed that she had been setting the bed when someone stabbed her head from the back using the same instrument nineteen or more times. Fortunately or unfortunately Lizzie was at home when the incident took place and she was the one who informed mates and servants. As soon as the news s pread out neighbors and town people also get in to see what has happened as the Borden family was considered one of the richest families in the town and that the murder was too much suspicious. Soon after the murder Lizzie was arrested as being accused of doing the criminal activity but was released after some months of trial (Kent, David). Her declared innocence put many questions in front of the critics and general public that either she was a real murderer or the court’s decision was a justified one? Argument Research shows that she had committed the crime because throughout the trial session she was continuously changing her statements, she was seen very nervous and frequently changed her answers about her position when his father came back home. First she said that she was in

Ancient judaism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ancient judaism - Essay Example Another important issue that strikes me is whether the Baal stele representing the image of Baal is the one that Elijah challenged from during the mount Camel protest. The book portrays how the temple warning inscriptions were of great importance to the Jewish community during ancient time (Shaye, 2006). I perceive that the temple inscription is vital is vital understanding the study of biblical archaeology and gives us the real picture of how events unfolded in the temple or synagogue. The book has helped gain insight on how the Maccabees ruled the Jews up to the time of Mishna publication in second century when Jesus Christ was on earth. In addition, the issues of intellectual, social, and literary aspects are well explained in trying to understand the literature of early Christianity. During the time of Jesus, when he saw the inscription he understood that his own life would be used to save the gentiles go past their problems and barriers. The temple in ancient Judaism helped in major religious ceremonies in that it was a place specifically designed for education, charitable work, and prayer, as well a social place where only people from Judah were allowed to enter. This implies that they were very serious on matters concerning worship. It is also vital to note that the history of the temple as presented in this book depicts how Judaism developed from the time of Roman Empire up to the time of Jesus Christ. This conclusion is made after a careful analysis of how events unfolded in Judah (Shaye, 2004). The bar kohba revolted against the roman empire which led to the establishment of an independent state in the same way students need to revolt against barbaric philosophies of these and strive to work hard as independent figures without influence from other people. Inaddition, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai gave lectures of Rabban and Rebbe Gamliel even though he lived before them. from

In what ways were racial tensions intensified in the South during the Essay

In what ways were racial tensions intensified in the South during the Jackson Era How did the political parties respond Explain why - Essay Example Jeffersonian democracy sufficiently served the interests of a group and class of southern and western frontiers including the emerging class of urban workers. The policies introduced by Federalist Party were still common among minority of Americans who still supported the position of the federal government in reviving the economy (Remini 125). The second two-party system emerged slowly while the Republicans began engaging in regular conflicts over several issues. The followers of John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay, who demanded that the federal government still required putting more efforts in a developing economy, became known as National Republicans (Remini 143). The followers of Andrew Jackson, Democratic-Republicans, became Democratic in 1828. During Jackson’s era, his contentious personality and controversial policies created no chance for reconciliation with the National Republicans (Remini 145). Half-way his second term, the rebelling group defected from the party, and became known as the Whig Party led by Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. The Democratic Party controlled the federal government as from 1828 to 1860, before losing two presidential elections to Whig Party (Remini 131). The democrats soon became the main supporters of slaveholders in the south. Other parties such as Whigs, The Free-Soil Party, the political arm of the abolitionists and the Liberty Party strongly opposed the Democrats (Remini139). The development of new Republican Party that called for the abolishment of slavery, and entry into slave-free states, and to reduce the influence of slave-owners in the federal government, saw them overpower other political parties including the Democratic Party (Remini

Eastern Orthodox Essay Example for Free

Eastern Orthodox Essay I. Origin The Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholicism were branches of the same body—the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church until 1054 AD, which is the date of the first major division and the beginning of â€Å"denominations† in Christianity. The Christian Church divided into two Churches, East and West. Both Churches believe that they are the original Church established by Jesus Christ and the Apostles, and they disapprove each other. The Church in the East added â€Å"orthodox†, which comes from the Greek word â€Å"orthodxia†, to show that they retain the original teachings and traditions. Every Church in the Eastern Orthodox system can trace their roots back to the five early Christianity center—the Roman Church, the Jerusalem Church, Antioch, the Alexandrian Church and the Church of Constantinople. Although all Orthodox Churches recognize the Patriarch of Constantinople as the ecumenical Patriarch and the supreme leader, the Churches are independent of each other in the mutual recognition of state instead of entirely united. Disagreements between the two branches of Christianity—Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholicism—had long existed even before the division, and increased throughout the first millennium. Their disputes include issues pertaining to the nature of the Holy Spirit, the use of icons in worship, and the correct date to celebrate Easter. Also, the Eastern mindset inclined more toward philosophy, mysticism and ideology. They reject rationalism, as they believe that unless God speaks out, humans can not know him through reason. The Western outlook guided more by a practical and legal mentality, a perfect example being the Summa Theologica by St. Thomas which successfully fused Aristotelian philosophy with ideology. The Catholics believe that humans can one day see the true body of the Lord through rationality. With these disputes worsening and the gaps widening, separation was inevitable. The slow process of it was encouraged in 330 AD when Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to the city of Byzantium and called in Constantinople. After he died, the Roman empire was divided by his two sons into the Eastern portion, which was ruled from Constantinople, and the Western portion, which was ruled from Rome. The formal split took place in 1045 AD when Pope Leo IX, leader of the Roman Church at the time, excommunicated the Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Cerularius, leader of the Eastern Church. Cerularius then condemned the Pope in mutual excommunication. Michael Cerularius was the Patriarch of Constantinople from 1043-1058 AD, and played a prominent role in the East-West Schism. In 1045 he wrote a letter to the Pope claiming the title â€Å"ecumenical patriarch† and addressing Pope Leo as â€Å"brother† rather than â€Å"father†. It can be argued that it was this letter that initiated the events which followed. At the time the two primary disputes were Rome’s claim to a universal papal supremacy and the adding of the word filioque to the Nicene Creed. Filioque is a Latin word which means â€Å"and from the Son†. By inserting it to the Nicene Creed during the 6th century, the phrase pertaining to the origin of the Holy Spirit â€Å"who proceeds from the Father† was changed to â€Å"who proceeds from the Father and the Son†. The change was made to emphasize Christ’s divinity, but was strongly objected by the Eastern Christians, as they not only opposed any alteration of anything by the first ecumenical council, but also disagreed with its new meaning. Eastern Christians believe that both the Holy Spirit and the Son have their origin in the Father. During the time of the Crusades beginning in 1095, Rome joined the East in fight against the Turks to defend the Holy Land. But by the end of the Forth Crusade in 1204, all hope for potential reconciliation between the two Churches was over as the hostility between them continued to worsen. The Eastern and Western Churches remain divided and separate until present day. II. Institutional Structure â€Å"The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is Catholic, but not Roman. It isn’t non-denominational—it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the day of Pentecost 2000 years ago.†Ã¢â‚¬â€Steve Robinson The Orthodox Catholic Church is the second largest Christian Church in the world and the religious denomination of the majority of the population in Russia, Greece, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Cyprus. Orthodoxy plays a smaller role in a dozen other countries: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the U. S. It also consists of churches in scattered presence in other countries. The Orthodox Church has an Episcopal organizational structure where consecrated bishops are the chief ecclesiastical officers in each diocese and have the power to ordain priests. The Church believes in the Apostolic Succession, which means that the consecration of its bishops can be traced back to Jesus’ apostles. The Orthodox Church is composed of several self-governing ecclesial bodies, each geographically and nationally distinct but theologically unified. Each self-governing body, often but not always encompassing a nation, is shepherded by a Holy Synod whose duty, among other things, is to preserve and teach the apostolic and patristic traditions and related church practices. III. Basic Belief System In Orthodox history, events that have transformed the external appearance of the Orthodox world—the capture of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem by Arab Muslims; the burning of Kiev by the Mongols; the two sacks of Constantinople; the October Revolution—have never broken the inward continuity of the Orthodox Church. The  greatest characterization of the Orthodox faith is its antiquity, its apparent changelessness, its continuity with the Apostolic Church and that it follows the faith and practices defined by the first seven Ecumenical Councils. For the Orthodox Christians, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity underlies all theology and spirituality. Salvation is personal and underlines particularity, yet also communal and implies sharing; there is a uniqueness and wholeness in the human person, in humanity and in creation. It is also on the doctrine of the Holy Trinity that the councilor and hierarchical structure of the Orthodox Church rests. The mystery of the Trinity is revealed in the supreme act of love, the Incarnation of the divine â€Å"Word that became flesh†, assuming and healing humanity and creation entirely. Participation in the defied humanity of Jesus Christ is the ultimate goal of the Christian life, accomplished through the Holy Spirit. In the seven Sacraments and in the life of the Church, each person is called to theosis or deification, for â€Å"God became human in order that humanity might be divinized†. When expressing these beliefs, the Orthodox look for consistency with Scripture and Tradition, as manifested in the life of the Church and the early Church Fathers, but will search also for new formulations of this tradition. External criteria of truth are lacking; for Orthodox Christians seek the living experience of truth accessible in the communion of Saints. Thus they are reluctant to define matters of faith with too much precision, in the firm conviction that truth is never exhausted. The apophatic or   negative approach safeguards the transcendence of God even while designating His immanence; it also affirms the uniqueness of each person—divine and human—that they may never be reduced to anything less than a mystery. Integral to the long history and tradition of the Orthodox Christian faith are the Icons, which further reflect the divine glory and beauty. The Incarnation of Christ implies that God became fully human and therefore accessible and describable. God is not only understood but, at the Incarnation, is looked upon and seen. An Orthodox Church is, therefore, filled with icons invariably depicting Christ or the Saints of the Church, and an Orthodox Christian kisses and assigns veneration to those depicted by them. Icons are never worshiped, and they are the Christian faith and histories depicted in images and constitute part of the transfigured cosmos. Today people tend to think of the Orthodox Church as a vast, world-wide institution. Yet the concept of universality as expressed in the local community is a fundamental principle of Orthodox doctrine. Each local Eucharist gathering is related on the principle of identity. IV. Morality Eastern Orthodoxy does not differ from the larger Christian principles of moral thought and action in any way, but does offer a unique view on Christianitys promised redemption. It teaches a doctrine of theosis, or unity with God, which is a kind of deification that is available to all. The Orthodox doctrine of theosis is grounded in several key New Testiment scriptures. In the epistles of Paul, he repeatedly describes the Christian life as life â€Å"in Christ.† In the Gospel of John, Jesus prayed, â€Å"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me† (John 17:20-21). The idea of this mutual indwelling, God in us and we in God, is a constant theme in John’s Gospel. In the Second Letter of Peter he says, â€Å"Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires† (2 Peter 1:4) The goal of the Christian life, and its expected outcome, is to partake in the divine nature. This is theosis, or deification, and the idea merits special discussion so that its meaning is not distorted. The hoped-for mystical union between God and human is a true union, but it is a union with God’s energies, not the divine essence. Humans remain fully human and distinct from God. But they become perfected in grace, so that every element of ego and selfishness disappears and they are able to reflect the divine light. Few Christians will experience theosis before the Day of Judgment, but on that day, Christians will be resurrected and glorified by God, clothed in a spiritual body that radiates the divine light. Still, deification begins in the here and now, in the daily lives of ordinary Christians. All Christians are called to follow Gods commandments, and as long as they try to do so, however weak their efforts may be, or however often they may fail, they become in some way deified. Deification begins in repentance, and is nurtured through the normal routines of the C hristian life. To become deified, the Christian should go to church, regularly participate in the sacraments, pray to God with honesty and great sincerity, read the Gospels, and follow the commandments. The most important commandments are love of God and neighbor. To love God is to live in and for others, which is why some of the greatest of the Eastern Orthodox saints are remembered for their service to others, such as St. Basil of Caesarea (c. 330-379) caring for the sick, or St. John the Almsgiver (d. 619) caring for the poor. Sincere dedication to following the commandments and living life within the church bears with it the promise of redemption fulfilled in the resurrection of a radiant body and soul. But Christians may look forward to even more than this. The Bible speaks of a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1) and of the hope that the creation itself will be redeemed (Romans 8:22). In these scriptures, Eastern Orthodoxy sees the promise of a cosmic redemption, in which all of material creation is transfigured. This belief in the redemption as deification rests in the Orthodox interpretation of the doctrine of the Incarnation. By choosing to become human, God became flesh and blood, thereby sanctifying material as well as immaterial creation. Because of this, all of material creation can look forward to its ultimate redemption, in which pain, death, and suffering will cease, along with hostility and enmity, and all of creation will be transfigured. The first fruits of this promise can already be seen as fulfilled in the divine power that works through the holy relics, in the divine presence in the icons, and in the radiant transfigured faces of the hesychasts. V. Worship The life of an Orthodox Christian can be seen as being composed of five cycles. First of all, there is the cycle of life, which embraces the whole life of a man from birth to death, and which consists in liturgical actions which are not repeated, occurring only once in a person’s lifetime. There are Holy Baptism, Holy Chrismation (equivalent to Confirmation in the West) and the Burial Service. In addition, there also belongs in this great cycle the Sacraments or Sacramental Blessings which bestow special grace for a particular office or vocation with the community. These are Holy Matrimony, the Monastic Tonsure and Holy Orders. Another major cycle which involves the entire life of an Orthodox Christian is the daily cycle of prayers and praises offered by the Church, once every twenty-four hours. These services express our remembrance of events which happened at certain hours and contain petitions relevant to these memories. In antiquity the day was considered to begin at sunset and divided according to the following order. Night began at 6 p.m. and was divided into four parts called watches, which means the time of changing guards: Evening (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.), Midnight (9 p.m. to 12 midnight), Cock-crow (12 midnight to 3 a.m.), and Morning (3 a.m. to 6 a.m.). Day began at 6 a.m. and was too divided into four watches (or hours): First Hour (6 a.m. to 9 a.m.), Third Hour (9 a.m. to 12 noon), Sixth Hour (12 noon to 0 3 p.m.), and Ninth Hour (3 p.m. to 6 p.m.).

Analysis of Proteins in Fish Muscle Tissue

Analysis of Proteins in Fish Muscle Tissue Introduction In vertebrates, the muscular system is an anatomical organ system controlled through the nervous system. Derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells, these contractile tissues-of skeletal, smooth, or cardiac origin-are responsible for blood circulation, internal organ function, heat production, and organ protection.[1] With the skeletal system integrated, voluntary and reflexive movement, as well as posture and body position, become possible. Surrounded by an epimysium, skeletal muscles are composed of many long muscle fibers lined with endomysium, which are bound together by perimysium into bundles called fascicles.[2] Within these myocytes, there are smaller strands of myofibrils that contain myofilaments (or sarcomeres) the basic unit of a striated muscle tissue. These repeating sarcomeres contract in response to nerve signals by means of sliding filaments: actin and myosin. The thin filaments consist of two chains of spherical actin proteins twisted in a helical co nformation and troponin as a contraction regulator.[2] Each actin molecule has a myosin-binding site that is covered by tropomyosin during muscle relaxation. Having a head and tail region, myosin II proteins generally form the thick filaments with its six polypeptide chains and can cross bridge with actin filaments due to their elasticity and contractibility properties. Specifically, the motor domain of its two heavy chains adopt an ÃŽÂ ±-helical coiled coil configuration and couple ATP hydrolysis with its motion while its two light chains-which wrap around the neck region of each heavy chain at the IQ sequence motif-have regulatory roles[1]. Although this major multi-subunit protein has remained greatly stabile across the animal kingdom over time, myosin light chains have undergone evolutionary divergences for different species; however, the essential structure and functions have remained highly conserved.[3] Caused by genetic mutations, only favorable variations are passed thro ugh this process allows for specialization, speciation, and evolution that eventually increases survival ability: DNA (genes)  ® RNA ® Protein  ® Trait  ® Evolution. Protein gel electrophoresis and western blotting can be used to compare myosin light chains of different species by identifying any commonalities or alterations in specific subunits. Since proteins reflect changes in the gene pool, the phenotype and function as well as form of an organism can be identified, allowing for the study of their physiological adaptations to the environment. Through comparative proteomics-defined as the analysis of differentially expressed proteins with comparison between at least two protein profiles-changes in the proteome that have been caused by development, diseases, and the environment can be identified allowing for assessment of biological variability and dataset comparability.[4] The objective of this lab was to extract proteins from unknown samples of fish muscle tissue and then qualitatively analyze this protein mixture by performing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) twice. The protein bands of the first gel-representing the total amount of proteins found in the tissue homogenate-were stained and visualized at 595nm with the Bio-Safe Coomassie Blue G-250 dye at 595nm while the fractionated proteins of the second gel were electroblotted onto a nitrocellulose membrane via Western blotting where the specific protein of interest was selectively immuno-detected by chemiluminescence with a horseshoe radish peroxidase-linked secondary antibody. [3,4] Accordingly, the goal of this report is to identify the different types of proteins found in fish muscle-specifically of shark, tilapia, skitter, and salmon-required for muscle contraction and movement and to establish whether they are highly conserved or variable across all animal species. Consequently, information about the environment, niche, or physiological stresses faced by the organism can be elucidated as specific protein modifications that alter muscle function and performance work to increase their fitness and adaptiveness.[2] Differences in proteins may reveal information about the evolutionary relationships among various organisms and by understanding this diversity in the natural world, many biological problems can be solved to improve the quality of human life.       Materials and Methods First, unknown tissue samples from two different fish species were prepared for protein extraction: in a 1.5mL microcentrifuge tube, 250ÃŽÂ ¼L of Laemmli (1x SDS) sample buffer was added as well as the minced tissue. After gently agitating the contents by flicking the tube, it was left to incubate at room temperature for five minutes. Next, the tube was centrifuged to pellet the tissue; this allowed for transfer of the supernatant buffer to a new 1.5mL screw cap tube, which was then boiled at 95 °C for five minutes. Second, SDS PAGE was performed on two separate precast TGX gels (purchased from Bio-Rad) since both Coomassie Blue staining and Western blotting were required. Refer to the BIO314 experiment 7 lab manual for instructions on how the gel apparatus was assembled with the Mini-Protean gels and tetra cell. When this was completed, the loading scheme for Coomassie staining involved pipetting the protein ladder (Biorad cat #161-0375) in lane 1 (at 7 ÃŽÂ ¼L/line) and the actin/myosin standards in lane 6 (at 5 ÃŽÂ ¼L/line). The rest of the lanes were used to load the samples (at 10ÃŽÂ ¼L/line). The same set-up was done for the immunoblotting gel, except only 5ÃŽÂ ¼L/line of each boiled sample was loaded. Refer to the BIO314 experiment 7 lab manual for instructions on how these solutions were loaded. After all of the samples have been loaded, the gel box lid was connected to the electrode assembly by matching the red and black leads with their corresponding electrodes. Then, the leads were plugged into the power supply, which was subsequently turned on and set to run at a constant voltage of 200V. This process was terminated at 30 minutes when the loading dye started to exit the gel. Refer to the BIO314 experiment 7 lab manual for instructions on how the gels were removed. Third, Bio-Safe Coomassie staining was done on the appropriate gel-with samples loaded at 10ÃŽÂ ¼L/line-which was peeled from the plate: it was then inserted into a container of deionized water and washed for 5 minutes on a rocking platform. Afterwards, the gel was transferred to another container with Coomassie staining solution again, this was left on a rocking platform for 15 minutes. Upon completion, the stained gel was put in deionized water (destaining solution) and the lid was capped onto this container, which was placed onto the rocking platform for 15 minutes. Fourth, the immunoblot was prepared and transferred: with blunt-ended tweezers, the PVDF membrane and bottom stack was placed on the cassette base; the membrane was left facing up. Any air bubbles seen were immediately removed with a blot roller. Since one mini gel was employed, the stack was centered in the cassette. Then, the second gel-with samples loaded at 5ÃŽÂ ¼L/line-was peeled from the plate (from the SD S-PAGE step) and stacked over-top of the PVDF membrane. Any air bubbles present were subsequently removed using a blot roller. Next, a second wetted top-ion transfer stack was placed above this gel. This assembled sandwich was rolled thoroughly with a blot roller to prevent any air bubbles from being trapped. Finally, the lid was closed and locked onto the cassette and this was set inside the turbo blotter to initiate the transfer. When the electro-transfer process was finished, the blots were dismantled and stored (at -20 °C) according to the instructions written in the BIO314 experiment 7 lab manual. After one week, the Western blot-that had been rocked on a platform with block solution A for 1 hour-was placed into 10mL of blocking solution B and 5ÃŽÂ ¼L of primary antibody was added on that solution with swirling; this was incubated for 20 minutes. Upon completion, the gel was washed with 15mL of wash buffer (three times, each with 10 minutes of incubation); then 15mL of blo cking solution B and 5ÃŽÂ ¼L of secondary antibody was added and incubated at 15 minutes. The three wash steps were repeated. With the wash buffer drained, the membrane was put on a plastic paper protector (with the protein side up) and 400ÃŽÂ ¼L of substrate (made by mixing reagent A and B in 1:1 ratio, 200ÃŽÂ ¼L each) was spread evenly across the middle of the blot. A plastic protector was then added over it and this was imaged with a digital imager for chemiluminescence detection and analyzed using the BioRad ChemiDOC-MP Imaging System for the molecular weight and signal intensity of the protein bands (refer to the instructions posted on blackboard on how this program was operated). Results and Discussion According to the Coomassie-stained gel, the variability in the staining intensity of the protein bands in lanes 2, 3, 4 and 5-for skeletal muscle tissue samples from shark, tilapia, skitter, and salmon-signify the difference in the relative abundance of individual polypeptides in each organism (note that lane 5, band 11 was used as the reference). Influenced by factors such as protein expression and control, these species have generated different quantities of proteins with similar masses in their muscle tissues as they have adapted to specific environmental and biochemical interactions.[5] In figure 1, the potential mass and intensity values of myosin-light chain (MLC) are as follows: shark (15.43kDa at 0.37, 17.65 at 1.71, 20.64 at 1.09, 21.60 at 0.25, 23.05 at 0.69, 23.79 at 0.92, and 25.54 at 1.02); tilapia (15.33kDa at 1.34, 16.42 at 0.75, 19.02 at 0.35, 20.37 at 1.56, 21.47 at 0.34, and 23.79 at 0.36); skitter (15.92kDa at 2.09, 17.99 at 0.94, 20.12 at 0.48, and 23.75 at 0.55) and salmon (16.07kDa at 1.13, 20.12 at 0.31, 21.08 at 0.64, 21.76 at 0.26, and 24.92 at 0.34). Due to selective immunodetection of MLC proteins in Western blotting by a primary antibody, the various protein bands lying in the general MLC range of 15-25kDa in the Coomassie gel can be narrowed to: shark (23.94kDa at 1.33); tilapia (24.47 at 0.70); skitter (24.47 at 0.36); salmon (24.47 at 0.22) and myosin marker (24.47 at 2.40) all of which resemble the myosin light chain isoform I (>20kDa) as isoforms II (20kDa) and III (15kDa) have lower masses; with a greater variability of myosin, tilapia has an additional band of 20.68kDa at 0.39 that resembles isoform II. [5] The other bands were dismissed as non-specific background interferences (note that lane 4, band 5 was used as the reference for the immunoblot). The high specificity of primary antibodies in probing their target allows for its wide-use in proteomic research as a reliable immunodetection technique; since proteins can indica te evolutionary relatedness or the presence of genetic diseases, their role as biomarkers has allowed for measurements of physiological changes as well as their quantifications.[6] In the appendix, all of the protein bands for the four species have been assigned a protein that corresponds to its molecular weight. From this, it can be denoted that sharks are more closely related to salmons than tilapia and skitters, both of which are tied for second place. However, based on fish phylogeny: sharks and skitters-belonging to the same class called Chondrichthyes-have diverged prior to the class of Actinopterygiis, which include both salmon and tilapia.[7] In terms of classification relative to the order, sharks (of Elasmobranchii) have the greatest evolutionary relationship with skitters (of Rajiformes), then salmons (of Salmoniformes), and lastly tilapia (of Perciformes).[7] As a hexameric ATPase cellular motor protein, myosin is composed of four light chains (MLC)-two non-phosphorylatable essential alkali chains, two phosphorylatable regulatory chains-and two heavy chains (MHC). Specifically, the protein bands of these light chains have a molecular weight as a range from 15 to 25kDa; this diversity in the masses occur largely from alternative RNA splicing mechanisms that generate multiple tissue-/developmental stage-specific isoforms.[7] Although these polymorphic variations do not significantly alter the actin-activated ATPase activity of the myosin-heavy chain, they affect the actin-filament sliding velocities and kinetics-leading to different force-generating abilities.[8] In an evolutionary context, the existence of these hybrid molecules has been adopted by muscles-in response to changing functional demands-to shorten this translocation time in order to increase their overall fitness. Consequently, numerous variants of slow and fast light chains we re developed despite the underlying plasticity of striated muscles.[7] Voluntary muscles are divided into slow twitch and fast twitch muscles. The main difference is that the former red muscle contracts for longer periods of time with little force, require an oxygen-rich operating environment, and contain only two distinct light chains while the latter white type contracts quickly and powerfully for only short bursts of anaerobic activity as they become exhausted due to lactic acid buildup, have glycogenolytic capacity, and possess three different light chain subunits.[8] Over 90% of swimming muscles from sharks are composed of myotomes that can create massive propulsive forces by contracting their high numbers of white fibres; only a few such as the Great White incorporate bands of red muscle to elevate endurance over strength.[9] Accordingly, this explains why the MLC band on the Western blot has the greatest intensity of 1.33 relative to the other species. Conversely, fish species are generally composed of endothermic red-segmented muscles in their t runk musculature-allowing for their stiff-bodied, slow undulatory swimming motions.[6] Due to their decreased mass of white muscles, MLC bands of tilapia, skitter, and salmon are of lower intensity at 0.70, 0.36, and 0.22 respectively. Relative to mammals, fish myosins share the same light chain patterns but have higher variability in MLC mass and quantity due to adaptive differences in movement between red and white myofibrils.[6] Since they have larger phylogenetic diversity, there is an enormous range of contraction speeds and swimming styles among homologous muscles.[6] For example, fast twitch muscles of rabbit, sheep, and chicken have three light chain components at 250kDa-whereas only one is found homologous at 180kDa among pike, dogfish, mackerel, angler-fish, and carp.[5] Moreover, their poikilothermic-nature may have contributed to these light chain divergences as they were forced to adjust to fluctuating environment temperatures that required specific muscle responses fo r survival.[9] Sources of errors with the techniques employed contributed in hindering the accuracy of the results. First, the amount of protein stained with Coomassie dye varied greatly between the sample replicates since the dye may complex with the anionic detergent in its free cationic form interfering with protein concentration estimates. Moreover, this dye selectively targets amino acid resides arginine, tryptophan, tyrosine, histidine, and phenylalanine; however, the assay performed responds primarily to arginine residues eight-times higher than other ones listed above.[2] Second, reproducibility of the sample preparation and protein extraction steps was an issue due to variability among the skills of the student, which may have caused the quantity differences seen among the replicates. For example: if more tissues were added for one specie, the increased concentration of proteins loaded into the lane would be misled for a true difference in expression among or between the species. To over come these problems: one, an automated protein extraction systems should be employed since its robotic liquid handing technology can control for errors and contaminations leading to greater reproducibility and accuracy; two, silver staining can be substituted for Coomassie due to its higher sensitivity (0.2ng versus 7ng respectively); third, adjustable single-/multi-channel Rainin electronic pipettes should be used as its fully automated and repetitive micro-pipetting has superior consistency allowing for higher throughput work.[4,5,6,9] Overall, it has been discovered that-irrespective of muscle tissue origin-myosin light chain molecules are heterogeneous in mass and intensity and the existence of phasically active fast muscles versus slow tonic muscles has led to characteristic light chain patterns among different fish species. Based on similarities and divergences in the overall protein content and intensities of the different fish species mentioned above, sharks are deemed to be more closely related to salmons than tilapia and skitters both of which are tied for second place. However, according to fish phylogeny, sharks and skitters have diverged before salmon and tilapia, leading to an order classification of sharks (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii) having the greatest evolutionary relationship with skitters (Chondrichthyes, Rajiformes), then salmons (Actinopterygiis, Salmoniformes), and lastly tilapia (Actinopterygiis, Perciformes). Radical alterations in their muscle proteome may have originated from adaptive responses to environmental stresses-i.e. osmotic, anaerobic, and thermal condition changes- or during symbiosis and development since cells can make different sets of proteins based on its specific spatial-temporal conditions.[5] The inferences made in this lab come with great uncertainty due many accuracy and reproducibility problems. Thus, fluorescence two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis can be substituted for SDS-PAGE; high-throughput proteomic technologies like micro arrays, mass spectrometry-based methods, protein chips, and reverse-phased protein-microarrays can be used for protein profiling and detection; and hybrid separation-analysis techniques such as reversed-phase chromatography-ESI ionization online analysis systems can be utilized for greater sensitivity, accuracy, and precision all of which allow an experimenter to draw firmer conclusions. References Bandman, E. et al. Developmental Appearance of Myosin Heavy and Light Chain Isoforms in-Vitro and in-Vivo in Chicken Skeletal Muscle. Developmental Biology. 1982, 2, 508-518. Chatfield, S. Experiment 7: Extraction and Electrophoresis of Proteins: Immunoblot Preparation. BIO 314 Laboratory Manual. 2017. Chatfield, S. Experiment 8: Development of Immunoblots (Western Blots). BIO 314 Laboratory Manual. 2017. Focant, B. et al. Subunit Composition of Fish Myofibrils: The Light Chains of Myosin. Journal of Biochemistry. 1976, 110-120. Lowey, S. et al. Function of Skeletal Muscle Myosin Heavy and Light Chain Isoforms by an in Vitro Motility Assay. The Journal of Biological Chemistry.1993, 268, 20414-20418. Lowey, S. et al. Light Chains from Fast and Slow Muscle Myosins. Nature. 1971, 81-85. Syme, D. et al. Red Muscle Function in Stiff-Bodied Swimmers: There and Almost Back Again. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 2011, 1507-1515. Tomanek, L. et al. Environmental Proteomics: Changes in the Proteome of Marine Organisms in Response to Environmental Stress, Pollutants, Infection, Symbiosis, and Development. Journal of Animal Science. 2003, 373-390. Young, R. et al. Structural Analysis of Myosin Genes Using Recombinant DNA Techniques. Journal of Animal Science. 1968, 259-268.

We Propose Rhb Bank Marketing Essay

We Propose Rhb Bank Marketing Essay We propose RHB bank to have co-branding with Padini Concept Store and come out with a RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card to extent the RHB Platinum Card. Our target audience are workers and upper middle class who are aged at a range between 25 to 45 years old. One of the promotion strategies we propose to the RHB bank is through Sales Promotion by using various types of vouchers. And other types of promotion strategies such as Personal Selling Strategy, Advertisements and Social Media Marketing Strategy and Direct Marketing Strategy. 1. Sales Promotion Strategy Sales promotion is a short-term incentive to encourage the purchase of a sale a product or services. This may be used to help RHB bank tap into and extent the market in the Padini concept store. A cash voucher may attract customers to induce them in an instant sale and help the consumers to save more. Simultaneously, Padini Concept Store will also be able to increase their sales revenue, increase the number of RHB banks cardholder and gain loyalty from customers. This is a three wins situation to each other. The supplementary cardholders are not eligible for this Promotion. RHB bank could help the cardholders to save more money by sending Padini Concept Store a monthly 20% discount voucher to every cardholder through mail according to the applicants address. It includes seasonal promotions for example, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Halloween, and Valentines Day and so on. The cardholder will be given a Padini monthly discount voucher to get discount on the products among the brands available in Padini concept store. If the Padini is doing 10% discount on all items, by using this voucher, the customer can get another extra 20% discount. For example, if when there is Mothers Day, the cardholders are only allowed to redeem the 20% discount in the women department. However, the Padini monthly 20% discount voucher is only valid in every first week of the month. Upon the cardholder birthday, the existence RHB Platinum Credit Card will have 30% cash back during cardholder birthday month. In order to improve, RHB bank will contact that particular cardholder, to inform him or her to come over the Padini Concept Store to get a birthday gift voucher. The birthday gift voucher is worth RM 50. The cardholder may use this voucher to redeem any products sold in Padini Concept Store with the price at or below RM 50. However, if the price of the product is below RM 50, the extra balance is not refundable. Consequently, the cardholder will need to pay extra money to purchase the products if the amount exceeded RM 50 that offer in Padini store by using RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card to collect 5 times reward points. However, the voucher can only be used in Padini concept store. In the Padini Concept Store, there are several brands such as SEED, PCO, PDI, MIKI, VINCCI, and BRANDS OUTLET. The cardholders are allowed to choose to purchase any of the p roducts offered by these brands. 2. Personal Selling Strategy RHB bank may adopt the method of personal selling strategies for trying to induce potential consumer to apply for RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card in a road show inside or outside the shopping mall, because there are heavy human traffic and many potential customers. Personal selling is the selling of products and services by face-to-face contact with the customer. This can be done by having salespeople approaching the potential customers in person. If the customer is an existing RHB credit card holder, then the salespeople offer the customer the RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card as a cross selling. However, the salespeople must be well trained, because the salespeople is the person who will communicate directly and immediately to get the consumers feedback. It is a two-way communication. It can be expensive and time consuming, but also is the most effective form of promotion if compare to other mass communication because the salespeople can make adjustments to address questions or concerns to make the customer much understand about the product. Here is a relationship between personal selling and sales promotion. The first 200 applicants to apply RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card, no matter in bank or online purchase, the applicants are entitled to get a RM 200 Padini cash voucher and a free HP laptop bag that worth RM 70 for every cardholder. 3. Advertisements and Social Media Marketing Strategy Advertising is a form of mass communication that is paid for and involves the non-personal presentation of goods and ideas. It usually classified as two types, above-the-line and below-the-line. Through advertising, RHB bank can communicate and inform potential customers about products and services. Also, telling the consumers about the features and benefits and how to obtain it and finally persuade them to make a purchase. It is important for the consumers to know what are the company trying to offer and it create a position in the market place. Hence, it will enhance both the Padini Concept Store and RBH banks reputation and positive image. This is the relationship of Sales with advertising and promotions. Above-the-line advertising such as television and newspaper does not provide information regarding the promotions effectively and it can be expensive. Therefore, RHB bank can go for social media marketing strategy such as the internet. As internet are easily accessible and requires a relatively low cost, more information can be provided and easy for the consumer to obtain the information in the company website. They can just click on the particular advert in the website at everywhere in the world and 24 hours a day. This advertisement enables an organisation to reach every single potential consumer at a very low cost. Nowadays, popular social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook can be used to spread the news regarding the promotions. RHB bank may also consider creating a Facebook page and putting all the relevant information or pay an advertising fee to create a small advertisement on Facebook social network to build the awareness of the RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card am ong the Facebook users. The another method is below-the-line advertising, RHB bank may adopt direct mail to send the gift voucher together with Padini catalogues to deliver the current promotion to existing customers who already have saving account and current account or other type of RHB credit card holder to apply for RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card. This method is also known as cross selling. Because there are potential, it can lead to a higher probability of getting converted into actual sales. The more financial products and services they have, the more profitable the RHB bank is. The feedback from customers also will immediately be responded, therefore it is easier to measure the positive result. Because RHB bank is suggested to create a Facebook fan page in order to encourage more people to like the page, there must has a gift such as a recycle bag which is printed RHB bank logo to those who have like-ed the Facebook page during the road show. Some of the Padini Concept Store catalogue and any information about RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card may be printed on the recycle bag as an advertising tool. Besides, RHB bank may also distribute the company survey form during road show. For those who have completed the survey will get a free pocket umbrella that has a RHB bank logo printed on it and RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card image. Therefore, it can also be an advertising tool for RHB bank. The last advertisement tool suggests to RHB bank is advertising the RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card in a current on air movie. For example, the main character going to the RHB bank and show the RHB bank logo and the artist use the RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card to make payment in the film. For who have watched the movie no matter in cinema or home will also get the message. Because it is advertised in a movie, it will be impressive and positive positioning to the viewer therefore they will likely to apply the RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card. 4. Direct Marketing Strategy (Telemarketing and Direct Selling) Besides, RHB bank also can do direct marketing. Direct marketing is attractive because its positive results can be measured directly. Telemarketing takes the time and cost for finding new customers in the right time and right people, or generating interest in RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card by taking the information directly to the customer. Besides, it is easy to target the best customers and reach the prospects question with the most potential customer. The purpose of this method is to expand the market and increase the number of customer and sales. Telemarketing consistently outperforms all other forms of marketing and is the most powerful, cost-effective marketing tool available today. Thus, it should be part of RHB bank marketing plan. Direct selling is the marketing of products or services to consumers through sales tactics (give voucher) including presentations without go through any middle man. If the cardholder spends more than RM 300 in a single receipt, he or she will get a RM 30 Padini cash voucher. However, there is a maximum amount for the cardholder to get a RM 100 Padini cash voucher which is to spend RM 1799 or above in a single receipt on with RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card and obtain the voucher at the payment counter. As a conclusion, promotion strategy is a useful tool in attracting customers. Simultaneously, it can also help the Padini concept store to achieve higher profitability and strengthen their markets position in the clothing industry and also gain the customer loyalty in RHB bank. Promotional strategies are important for financial services to continual growth, because it is an intangible product, in order to increase the number of customer, there must be enough information and attractiveness to enhance the customer to make purchasing decision.

Towson University :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Currently in the Towson University area there are no major transportation plans being planned. The York Road cityscape project is just wrapping up but his project does not help the flow of traffic. Its design was to revitalize that particular corridor just south of the University by increasing lighting, security and the overall appeal of the area. The present improvements to widen the beltway have no affiliation with Towson University. There is a current project which is in the planning stages that will affect the campus and the surrounding community. This plan is the Towson Circle Project. This is a proposal to add new dorm space in downtown Towson, with the goal for students to live close to campus but within the community as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Towson Circle Project was submitted a few years ago by Towson University. The goal of the university is to grow 10,000 students in ten years. This is the plan for the first ten years of the new century. When a goal such as this one comes along, many things must happen. First, there is the need for more beds and dorm space, which is addressed by Towson Circle. Next, there is the need for more classroom and faculty; this is addressed in the University’s master plan. Finally, with a more crowded campus area there is a great need for better movement with traffic patterns. Currently there are no plans to do this, but in an area where traffic is already less than ideal, it is all about to get worse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Within the downtown Towson area about 60% of the total population is senior citizens. When the Towson Circle project was originally presented, the project was supposed to house graduate students and faculty. When the final proposal was submitted earlier this semester, somehow the project changed to house juniors and seniors. The surrounding community was not happy about this development. For them, this meant a noisier environment; essentially a college right next door with even more traffic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The university wants and needs from the community, the opportunity to grow not just within campus property. President Carat of Towson said, â€Å"We need to grow in the community in order to reach our goal.† The university wants to attract businesses to the community as well so students move outward in the area.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The community is supportive of the university’s growth and wants to help them reach their goal of 10,000 students in ten years.

The SOHO Project :: essays research papers

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory or SOHO for short is a cooperative joint effort by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the U. S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The main mission of this project is to study the internal structure of the Sun, its extensive upper atmosphere, as well as to determine the origin and characteristics of the solar wind. The SOHO spacecraft was launched on December 2, 1995 where then it was directed to go about 930,000 miles sunward from the Earth to the L1 or the Lagrangian point. This â€Å"Lagrangian† point is a place between the Sun and the Earth where the gravity pulls of both masses stabilize the spacecraft enough to achieve a state of gravitational equilibrium between the two masses. At this point, the spacecraft then established its own â€Å"halo-like† orbit in space but continued to also orbit about the Sun in the same orbital path as the Earth. Once SOHO’s â€Å"halo-like† orbit was established, the spacecraft was then ready to open its payload bay doors and begin its probing of the Sun with its wide array of scientific instruments. All instruments aboard the SOHO spacecraft fall under one of the following headings based on what area of the Sun it is suppose to observe and measure: the solar interior, the solar atmosphere, or the solar wind. The solar interior instruments such as GOLF (Global Oscillations at Low Frequencies) and VIRGO (Variability of Solar Irradiance and Gravity Oscillations) both perform oscillation measurements of the full solar disk which obtains information concerning the solar nucleus. In addition, the instruments that measure the solar atmosphere such as the CDS (Coronal Diagnostics Spectrometer) and UVCS (Ultraviolet Coronograph Spectrometer) observe both the inner and outer corona. They obtain measurements of temperature, density, composition, and velocity in the corona with high resolution. Finally, the instruments that analyze and measure the solar wind include ERNE (Energetic and Relativistic Nuclei and Electron experiment) and CELIAS (Charge, Element, and Isotope Analysis System) whi ch measure the charge state and isotopic composition of ions in the solar wind. These two instruments also determine the charge and isotopic composition of energetic particles generated by the Sun. The sensitive instruments aboard the SOHO spacecraft have already helped scientists here on Earth discover and explain some of the mysteries of the Sun as well as to confirm some of their theories they previously held. For example, in May of 1998 with the help of the Michelson Doppler Interferometer scientists were able to see with greater clarity the giant convective cells inside and on the surface of the Sun.

Personal Skills Inventory Essay

The most important skill in life is learning how to communicate effectively. Working in the business industry communication is important factor in the success of the business and daily tasks such as giving employees’ feedback, writing reports, giving presentations, conducting interviews and sending emails. How we communicate varies among each individual as well as how we perceive our own personal communication skills. While we may think that we are communicating effectively others around us my find that we communicate poorly. Based on my experiences on an off the job, my communicative skills have always been mediocre at best. In order to validate this, I will participate in an online test courtesy of mindtools.com. My decision to choose this communication quiz was based on the depth of details it provided me upon completion of the quiz. The quiz had 15 questions which addresses each stage of the communication process. A score interpretation was provided and also a detailed interpretation for improving my skills in each area. Based on my score interpretation, I am a capable communicator, but I sometimes experience communication problems. I need to take more time to think about my approach to communication, and focus on receiving messages effectively as much as sending them. The encoding part of the communication process was my weakest area. This showed that I have difficulty creating a clear and well-crafted message which often leads to a communication gap. Communication gaps are frequently caused by misdirected, one-way, poorly time, or badly worded communications. In addition, some gaps result from misunderstanding, misinterpretations, and miscommunications. This part of the test really struck home because often during face-to-face communication with my teams I am unaware of how my communication is breaking up which can result in lack of interest in my teams attention and possibly communicating a message that’s unclear and misunderstood. However the test indicated that my online Communication was clearer and effectively delivered. I often use online communication as a secondary tool because way to often text messages and emails are taken out of context but it seems that this type of communication is more effective. To ensure that I communicate in the clearest, most effective way possible for work and future courses such as business communication and psychology I intend to seek additional training with my least proficient communication skills using the many services that Walden has provided such as The writing center, grammarly and the Walden Student Library. To aid me in my journey of better communication I plan to use the directions and opinions of my professors, classmates and employees. Writing Skills: Writing is a process; as in all processes, there is a beginning, middle, and an end. The attitude in which we take toward writing creatively may cause problems in terms of how other writers’ perceive one’s writing skills. Not knowing what to write or how to write effectively is the start of the writer’s breakdown. In this section of my essay I will explain my need for strengthening the writing skills that I already possess and how I plan to use them to my advantage. Whenever I’m faced with a writing project I become tense and stressed, ever since high school I have always suffered from writers’ block which is the inability to remember or think of something you normally can do. In order to get pass this stumbling block I first have to clear my head of any thoughts that could clutter my writing. It’s very hard to be expected to write clearly without having a clear mind. As my high school English would always say â€Å"Don’t blame the reader if he can’t follow your writing†. It is the writer’s job to convey his meaning to the reader, not the reader’s job to figure out what the writer is trying to express. While I have many strong points to my writing I possess weak areas as well, these areas of improve include introductions and conclusions, my introductions are not supportive enough and sometimes weak for my topics, my conclusions in my opinion are always weak, I think because after writing for so long I run out thing to say or support my topics. My goals for my future courses are to submit the perfect papers and earn all points possible, I plan to take advantage of all the resources that Walden has to offer in aiding my success as a student and professional. Time Management Skills: Time management is very important to academic and overall life success. Learning to manage your time effectively can be a headache for people that are trying to juggle work, school, and family life. For me it seems that there is just not enough time in the day to complete all of my tasks successfully. When it comes to effective time management it is important to possess skills and tools that will fit your personal lifestyle. I find it important to try every angle of time management until you determine which one will be most beneficial to you. In my experience with being a Wife, Mother, and working two fulltime jobs time management is a must have, it will aid in deleting some of the stress brought on by a crazy schedule. Some improvements that I would like to make immediately include goal setting, creating a to-do list and organizing. I am the Queen of procrastination and it is my ultimate down fall even though I am fully aware that for an individual to achieve his or her goals it is important that I develop a plan to carry out that goal, which in turn requires effective time management skills. Effective time management is something that will make or break an individual, not only in the academic setting, but also in life as well. According to an online tool â€Å"Keys to Success† Identifying personal time-related needs and preferences is the first step in developing an individualized time management plan. The best way to achieve this is to make up a schedule that incorporates all necessary aspects of your life. This includes school, family, and work. Prioritizing and time saving methods are also recommended. I plan to utilize the practices provided by Keys to Success and my weekly assignment timelines for success in my future courses, home and work life. References http://www.carterkeys.com http://www.mindtools.com Communication in a Changing World 2006 Edition

Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 7

Then you must have had a reason,† Poppy saidflatly. When he looked at her, she shrugged. â€Å"I know you.† She knew him in a way she'd never known anyone. James looked away. â€Å"I didn't have a reason, but there were some †¦extenuating circumstances. You could say I was set up. But I still have nightmares.† He sounded so tired-so sad.It's a lonely world, fullof secrets, poppythought. And he'd had to keep the biggest secret of all from everyone, including her. â€Å"It must have been awful for you,† she said, hardlyaware that she was speaking out loud. â€Å"I mean, all your life-holding this in. Not telling anybody. Pretending†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Poppy.† He gave a shiver of repressed emotion.†Don't.† â€Å"Don't sympathize with you?† He shook his head. â€Å"Nobody's's ever understood before.† After a pause he said, â€Å"How can you worry about me? With what you're facing?† â€Å"I guess because -I care about you.† â€Å"And I guess that's why I didn't treat you like Michaela or Jacklyn,† he said. Poppy looked at the sculpted planes of his face, atthe wave of brown hair falling over his forehead like silk †¦and held her breath. Say â€Å"I love you,† she ordered mentally.Say it, you thickheaded male. But they weren't connected, and James didn't givethe slightest sign of having heard. Instead he turned brisk and businesslike. â€Å"We'd better get started.† Hegot up and drew the window curtains shut. â€Å"Sunlight inhibits all vampire powers,† he said in a guest lecturer voice. . Poppy took advantage of the pause to go to the CDplayer. The music had changed to a Dutch club song,which was fine for doing the Netherlands skippydance to, but not very romantic. She punched a but ton and a velvety Portuguese lament began. Then she twitched the sheer hangings around the bed dosed. When she sat down again, she and James were in their own little world, dim and secluded, enclosed in misty eggshell white. â€Å"I'm ready,† she said softly, and James leaned inclose to her. Even in the semidarkness Poppy felt mesmerized by his eyes. They were like windows tosome other place, someplace distant and magical. The Night World, she thought, and tilted her chinback as James took her in his arms. This time the double sting at her neck hurt good. But best was when James's mind touched hers.The feeling of oneness, of suddenly being whole-it spread through her like starshine. Once again she had the sense that they were melting together, dissolving and merging everywhere they touched. She could feel her own pulse echoingthrough him. Closer, loser†¦ and then she felt a pulling-back. James? What's wrong? Nothing,he told her, but Poppy could sense that itwasn't quite true. He was trying to weaken the growing bond between them †¦ but why? Poppy, I just don't want to force you into anything.What we're feeling is-artificial†¦. Artificial? It was the realest thing that she'd everexperienced. Realer than real. In the midst of joy, Poppy felt a surge of hurt anger at James. I don't mean it like that,he said, and there was desperation in the thought.It's just that you can't resist the blood-bond. You couldn't resist it if you hated me. Itisn't fair†¦. Poppy didn't care about fair.Ifyou can't resist it,why are you trying?she asked him triumphantly. She heard something like mental laughter, andthen they were both clinging together as a wave of pure emotion swept them. The blood-bond, Poppy thought when James raisedhis head at last. It doesn't matter if he won't say he loves me-we're bonded now. Nothing can changethat. And in a moment or so she would seal that bondby taking his blood. Try and resistthat,she thought, and was startled when James laughed softly. â€Å"Reading my mind again?† â€Å"Not exactly. You're projecting-and you're verygood at it. You're going to be a strong telepath.† Interesting. . . but right now Poppy didn't feelstrong. She suddenly felt kitten-weak. Limp as a wilting flower. She needed †¦ â€Å"I know,† James whispered. Still supporting her, he started to lift one wrist to his mouth. Poppy stopped him with a restraining hand. â€Å"James? How many times do we have to do thisbefore I-change?† â€Å"Once more, I think,† James said quietly. â€Å"I tooka lot this time, and I want you to do the same. And the next time we do it †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I'll die, Poppy thought. Well, at least I know howlong I have left as a human. James's lips slid back to reveal long, delicate fangs,and he struck at his own wrist. There was something snake like in the motion. Blood welled up, the colorof syrup in a can of cherry preserves. Just as Poppy was leaning forward, lips parted,there was a knock at the door. Poppy and James froze guiltily. The knock came again. In her muddled and weakened state, Poppy couldn't seem to make herself move. The only thought that resounded in her brainwasOh,please. Please don't let it be†¦ The door opened. Phil. Phillip was already speaking as he poked his headin. â€Å"Poppy, are you awake? Mom says-â€Å" He broke off abruptly, then lunged forthelightswitch on the wall. Suddenly the room was illuminated. Oh,terrific,Poppy thought in frustration. Phil waspeering through the filmy draperies around the bed. Poppy peered back at him. â€Å"Whatis going-on?† he said in a voice that would have gotten him the lead role in The Ten Com mandments.And then, before Poppy could gather enough wits to answer, he leaned in and grabbed James by the arm. â€Å"Phil,don't,† Poppysaid. â€Å"Phil, you idiot†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We had a deal,† Phil snarled at James. â€Å"And you broke it.† James was gripping Phil's arms now, as ungentlyas Phil was grasping him. Poppy had the dismayed feeling that they were going to start head-buttingeach other. Oh, Lord, if she could onlythinkstraight. She feltso brainless. â€Å"You've got the wrong idea,† James said to Philthrough clenched teeth. â€Å"The wrongidea? Icome in here and find the two of you in bed, with all the curtains drawn, and you're telling me I've got the wrongidea?† â€Å"Onthe bed, Poppy interjected. Phil ignored her. James shook Phil. He did it quite easily and withan economy of movement, but Phil's head snapped back and forth. Poppy realized that James was not athis most rational right now. She remembered the metal chair leg and decided it was time to intervene. Letgo,†she said, reaching in between the two boys to grab for hands. Anybody's hands. â€Å"Come on,you guys!† And then, desperately, â€Å"Phil, I know youdon't understand, but James is trying tohelp me-â€Å" â€Å"Help you? I don't think so.† And then to James:†Look at her. Can't you see that this stupid pretending is making hersicker? Every time I find her with you, she's white as a sheet. You're just making things worse.† â€Å"You don't know anything about it,† Jamessnarled in Phil's face. But Poppy was still processing something several sentences back. â€Å"Stupid? Pretending?† she said. Her voice wasn't very loud but everything stopped. Both boys looked at her. Everyone made mistakes then. Later, Poppy wouldrealize that if any of them had kept their heads, what happened next could have been avoided. But noneof them did. â€Å"I'm sorry,†Philsaid to Poppy. â€Å"I didn't want totell you-â€Å" â€Å"Shut up,†James said savagely. â€Å"But I have to.This-jerk-isjust playing with you.He admitted it to me. He said he felt sorry for you,and he thinks that pretending he likes you makesyou feel better. He's got an ego that would fill Dodger Stadium.† â€Å"Pretending?† Poppy said again, sitting back. Therewas a buzzing in her head and an eruption gathering in her chest. â€Å"Poppy, he's crazy,† James said. â€Å"Listen-â€Å" But Poppy wasn't listening. The problem was thatshe couldfeelhow sorry Phil was. It was much more convincing than anger. And Phillip, honest, straightforward, trustworthy Phillip, almost never lied. He wasn't lying now. Which meant†¦ that James must be. Eruption time. â€Å"You. . .†she whispered to James.,†You . . .†She couldn't think of a swear word bad enough. Some how she felt more hurt, more betrayed than she hadever felt before. She had thought sheknewJames;she had trusted him absolutely. Which made the betrayal all the worse. â€Å"So it was all pretending? Isthat it?† Some inner voice was telling her to hold on andthink. That she was in no state to make crucial decisions. But she was also in no state to listen to innervoices. Her own anger kept her from deciding if shehad any good reason to be angry. â€Å"You just feltsorryfor me?† she whispered, and suddenly all the fury and grief that she'd been suppressing for the last day and a half flooded out. Shewas blind with pain, and nothing mattered exceptmaking James hurt as much as she hurt. Jameswas breathing hard,speaking rapidly.†Poppy-this is why I didn't want Phil to know-â€Å" â€Å"And nowonder,† Poppyraged. â€Å"And no wonderyou wouldn't say you loved me,† she went on, not even caring that Phillip was listening. â€Å"And no wonder you would do all that other stuff, but you never even kissed me. Well, I don't want yourpity-â€Å" â€Å"Whatotherstuff?.Allwhatotherstuff?†Philshouted.†I'mgonna kill you, Rasmussen!† He tore free of James and swung at him. Jamesducked so that the fist just grazed his hair. Philswung again and James twisted sideways andgrabbed him from behind in a headlock. Poppy heard running footsteps in the hall. â€Å"What's happening?† her mother gasped in dismay, regarding the scene in Poppy's bedroom. At almost the same instant Cliff appeared behindPoppy's mother. â€Å"What's all the shouting?† he asked, his jaw particularly square. â€Å"You'rethe one who's putting her in danger,†James was snarling in Phillip's ear. â€Å"Right now.† Helooked feral. Savage. Inhuman. â€Å"Let go of my brother!† Poppyyelled. All at onceher eyes were swimming with tears. â€Å"Oh, my God-darling,† her mother said. In two steps she was beside the bed and holding Poppy.† You boys getoutof here.† The savagery drained out of James's expression,and he loosened his hold on Phillip. â€Å"Look, I'm sorry. I have to stay. Poppy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Phillip slammed an elbow into his stomach. It might not have hurt James as much as it woulda human, but Poppy saw the fury sweep over his face as he straightened from doubling up. He lifted Phil off his feet and threw him headfirst in the general direction of Poppy's dresser. Poppy's mother let out a cry. Cliff jumped in between Phil and James. â€Å"That's enough!† he roared. Then, to Phil: â€Å"Are you all right?† And to James: â€Å"What's this allabout?† Phil was rubbing his head dazedly. James saidnothing. Poppy couldn't speak. â€Å"All right, it doesn't matter,† Cliff said. â€Å"I guesseverybody's a little jumpy right now. But you'd better go on home, James.† James looked at Poppy. Poppy, throbbing all over like an aching tooth,turned her back on him. She burrowed into her mother's embrace. â€Å"I'll be back,† James said quietly. It might have been meant as a promise, but it sounded like a threat. â€Å"Not for a while, you won't,† Cliff said in a military command voice. Gazing over her mother's arm, Poppy could see that there was blood on Phillip'sblond hair. â€Å"I think everybody needs a cooling-off period. Now, come on, move.† He led James out. Poppy sniffled and shivered, trying to ignore both the waves of giddiness that swept over her and the agitated murmuring of all the voices in her head. The stereo went on blasting out madcorestomping music from England. In the next two days James called eight times. Poppy actually picked up the phone the first time.It was after midnight when her private line rang, and she responded automatically, still half-asleep. â€Å"Poppy, don't hang up,† James said. Poppy hung up. A moment later the phone rangagain. â€Å"Poppy, if you don't want to die, you've got tolisten to me.† â€Å"That's blackmail. You'resick,†Poppy said, clutching the handset. Her tongue felt thick and her head ached. â€Å"It's just the truth. Poppy, listen. You didn't takeany blood today. I weakened you, and you didn't get anything in exchange. And that could kill you.† Poppy heard the words, but they didn't seem real.She found herself ignoring them, retreating into afoggy state where thought was impossible. â€Å"I don'tcare.† â€Å"You do-care, and if you could think, you'd knowthat. It's the change that's doing this. You're completely messed up mentally. You're too paranoid andillogical and crazy toknowyou're paranoid and illogical and crazy.† It was suspiciously like what Poppy hadrea!izedearlier. She was aware, dimly, that she was acting the way Marissa Schaffer had after drinking a sixpack of beer at Jan Nedjar's New Year's party. Making a ranting fool of herself. But she couldn't seemto stop. â€Å"I just want to know one thing,† she said. â€Å"Is ittrue that you said that stuff to Phillip?† She heard James let his breath out. â€Å"It's true thatI said it. But whatI said wasn't true. It was just toget him off my back.† By now Poppy was too upset to even want tocalm down. â€Å"Why should I believe somebody whose whole lifeis a lie?† she said, and hung up again as the first tears spilled. All the next day she stayed in her state of foggy denial. Nothing seemed real, not the fight withJames, not James's warning, and not her illness. Especially not her illness. Her mind found a way toaccept the special treatment she was getting from everyone without dwelling on the reason forthetreatment. She even managed to disregard her mother's whispered comments to Phil about how she was going downhill so fast. How poor Poppy was getting pale, getting weak, getting worse. And only Poppy knew that she could now hear conversations held in the hallway as clearly as if they were in her own room. All her senses were sharpened, even as her mindwas dulled. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she was startled by how white she was, her skintranslucent as candle wax. Her eyesso green and fierce that they burned. The other six times James called, Poppy's mothertold him Poppy was resting. Cliff fixed the broken trim on Poppy's dresser.†Who would have thought the kid was that strong?† he said. James flipped his cellular phone shut and banged a fist on the Integra's dashboard. It was Thursday afternoon. I low you.That's what he should have said toPoppy. And now it was too late-,she wouldn't even talk to him. Whyhadn'the said it? His reasons seemed stupid now. So he hadn't taken advantage of Poppy's innocence and gratitude †¦well, bravo. All he'd donewas tap her veins and break her heart. All he'd done was hasten her death. But there wasn't time to think about it now. Rightnow he had a masquerade to attend. He got out of the car and gave his windbreaker a twitch as he walked toward the sprawling ranch style house. He unlocked and opened the door without callingto announce his presence. He didn't need to announce it; his mother would sense him. Inside, it was all cathedral ceilings and fashionablybare walls. The one oddity was that every one of the many skylights was covered with elegant custom made drapes. This made the interior seem spacious but dim. Almost cavernous. â€Å"James,† his mother said, coming from the back wing. She had jet-black hair with a sheen like lacquerand a perfect figure that was emphasized rather thandisguised by her silver-and-gold embroidered wrap.Her eyes were cool gray and heavily lashed, like James's. She kissed the air beside his cheek. â€Å"I got your message,† James said. â€Å"What do youwant?† â€Å"I'd really rather wait until your father gets home†¦.† â€Å"Mom, I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry. I've got thingsto do-I haven't even fed today.† â€Å"It shows,† his mother said. She regarded him fora moment without blinking. Then she sighed, turning toward the living room. â€Å"At least, let's sit down†¦.You've been a little agitated, haven't you, these last few days?† James sat on the crimson-dyed suede couch. Nowwas the test of his acting ability. If he could get through the next minute without his mother sensingthe truth, he'd be home free. â€Å"I'm sure Dad told you why,† he said evenly. â€Å"Yes. Little Poppy. It's very sad, isn't it?† The shadeof the single treelike floor lamp was deep red, and ruby light fell across half his mother's face. â€Å"I was upset at first, but I'm pretty much over itnow,† James said. He kept his voice dull and concen trated on sending nothing-nothing-through hisaura. He could feel his mother lightly probing theedges of his mind. Like an insect gently caressing with an antenna, or a snake tasting the air with its black forked tongue. :†I'm surprised† his mother said. â€Å"1 thought youliked her.† â€Å"I did. But, after all, they're not reallypeople,are they?† He considered a moment, then said, â€Å"It's sort of like losing a pet. I guess I'll just have to find another one.† It was a bold move, quoting the party line. Jameswilled every muscle to stay relaxed as he felt the thought-tendrils tighten suddenly, coiling aroundhim, looking for a chink in his armor. He thought very hard-about Michaela Vasquez. Trying to project just the right amount of negligent fondness. It worked. The probing tendrils slipped away fromhis mind, and his mother settled back gracefully and smiled. â€Å"I'm glad you're taking it so well. But if you everfeel that you'd like to talk to someone †¦ your father knows some very good therapists.† Vampire therapists, she meant. To screw his headon straight about how humans were just for feeding on. â€Å"I know you want to avoid trouble as much as Ido,† she added. â€Å"It reflects on the family, you see.† â€Å"Sure,† James said, and shrugged. â€Å"I've got to gonow. Tell Dad I said hi, okay?† He kissed the air beside her cheek. â€Å"Oh, by the way,† she said as he turned towardthe door. â€Å"Your cousin Ashwillbe coming next week. I think he'd like to stay with you at the apartment-and I'm sure you'd like some companythere.† Over my unbreathing body, James thought. He'dforgotten all about Ash's threat to visit. But now wasn't the time to argue. He walked out feeling likea juggler with too many balls in the air. Back in his car he picked up the cellular phone,hesitated, then snapped it shut without turning it on. Calling wasn't any good. It was time to change hisstrategy. All right, then. No more half measures. A seriousoffensive-aimed where it would do the most good. He thought for a few minutes, then drove toMcDonnell Drive, parking just a few houses awayfrom where Poppy lived. And then he waited. He was prepared to sit there all night if necessary,but he didn't have to. Just around sunset the garage door opened and a white Volkswagen Jetta backedout. James saw a blond head in the driver's seat Hi, Phil. Nice to see you.When the Jetta pulled away, he followed it.