Eyvonne's Theory's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Eyvonne's Theory's - Essay Example This theory attempts to explain different masculinities by questioning what was taken for granted in existing understandings of nature and society, they revealed such knowledge as male knowledge which gave a spurious legitimacy to women's inferiority. This theory could help to change the role of men as national leaders and sport stars. By redefining the most intimate of human relations as political, rather than as private, radical feminists politicized sexuality and exposed men's normal, everyday behavior as a widespread social problem. The approach is to revise the status of women in the society and gives them more freedom and independence in political and social spheres (Reinharz and Davidman 23). Social constructivism allows a researcher to explain and examine how social processes develop in social environments. Applied to masculinity, this theory helps to examine gender differences as social constructed phenomena and social interaction. This theory attempts to explain different masculinities to explain how people make sense of experience in everyday interaction or in problem-solving activities. Social constructivism ought to be useful in predicting how any given set of circumstances might be changed to improve the opportunities of persons who wish to learn in such situations. Masculinities can be thought of as a social process of making sense of experience in terms of what is known. To improve social relations, therefore, a n individual might consider how to improve the quality of each of the four components (i.e., social process, making sense, experience, extant knowledge). Social constructivism might offer a solution to such problems as socialized gender roles and health related problems. This theory can help men to think in terms of improving the quality of their health, providing a range of meaningful experiences to each learner, and making it possible for each one to become aware of their relevant prior knowledge and apply it to the process of healthy life style. The solution is to change traditional gender roles based on real life experience and knowledge (Reinharz and Davidman 38). Part 2 "Fear of Falling" vividly portrays social and personal problem s faced by middle class women in modern society. Liberal feminism could help to analyze and examine problems and roots of social identity and professional development. Many women have followed a long tradition of campaigning for improved rights and opportunities for women without seriously questioning the existing organization of society (Orenstein 53). Gender socialization of adolescents is influenced by modern social relations which are concerned primarily with concepts of justice and equality. Women suffer injustices because of their sex and are organized around campaigns for equality and redistribution: equal pay, equal civil rights, equal access to education, health and welfare, equal access to the democratic political process (Reinharz and Davidman 102). A research plan would aim to test the main concepts and notions which influence professional life of women and their social relations. The hypothesis would be based on the idea that women are widely discriminated against because of their gender, but does not identify the relations between the sexes as specific power relations. The hy

Unitary PLC, Rack-Mounted PLC and Modular PLC

Unitary PLC, Rack-Mounted PLC and Modular PLC Overview Before PLCs were created many industries such as the automobile industry used hundreds of thousands of relays to control their processes. This was very time consuming and expensive, sometimes resulting in a two year change around between different products because electricians would have had to individually rewire every relay to change a production system for a different line of cars etc. Programmable Logic Controllers or PLCs were first designed in 1968 when General Motors decided that a replacement for this type of process was needed. PLCs are designed for multiple inputs and outputs. A PLC is essentially a small computer which is used for mainly industrial purposes but also has other uses. Industrial uses could be: Packaging lines Robots Hydraulic machines Pneumatic machines Other uses could be; Traffic lights Car parking barriers Signalling systems PLC Units There are three types of programmable logic controllers (PLCs). They are Unitary, Modular and Rack mounted. All three types have different features both good and bad which make each type suitable for many different applications. Unitary PLC Design and characteristics A Unitary PLC contains all the features of a basic system in one compact unit, the features include; A power supply. The main module which contains a central processing unit (CPU). The input module. The output module. Unitary PLCs are fitted directly to the component or machine that they are controlling. The advantages of a unitary PLC: They are small and compact. They hold all the basic components in one unit. They allow portable and easy access. They are usually the cheapest type of PLC. The disadvantages of a unitary PLC: They cannot be expanded. If any feature fails then the whole unit has to be replaced. They are very simple and basic. Applications Unitary PLCs can be used for any application that does not require a lot of inputs or outputs. For example a car park barrier, this would not use many inputs/ outputs and would only require a simple program. Modular PLC Design and Characteristics Modular PLCs are a system of modules that can be slotted together to build up a system. The basic modules contain; A power supply. The main module which contains a central processing unit (CPU). The input module. The output module. Other types of module can be attached as well as extra input and output modules to increase the capacity or to cope with changes in hardware system. The advantages of a modular PLC: The amount of input and output terminals can be expanded to cope with any changes to the hardware system. If any feature fails then only that part has to be changed saving on cost. The disadvantages of a modular PLC: They are expensive compared to unitary PLCs. Applications Modular PLCs are useful for applications where there would be a lot of inputs and outputs because more input/output modules can be added if needed. This type of PLC is widely used in the manufacturing industry to control process lines. Rack-Mounted PLC Design and Characteristics The design and characteristics of a rack mounted system are very similar to a modular system however these modules are on standard cards which then slot together into a rack inside a control cabinet. These modules communicate via the rack. The advantages of a rack-mounted PLC: They are easily modified or expanded. They have more I/O points than any other type of PLC. If any feature fails then only that part has to be changed saving on cost. The disadvantages of a rack-mounted PLC: They are usually the most expensive of the three PLCs Applications Like the modular PLC this type of system is widely used in the manufacturing industry. This is mainly because of the amount of input/output points that the system can contain but also because it has the ability to communicate with other networks. Internal Workings of a PLC CPU The CPU- Central Processing Unit acts as the brain of the PLC. It contains a memory unit into which the PLC program is written into. It is basically used to process the information it receives from inputs and carries out instructions to the outputs according to the logic programmed into it. This process is called the scan cycle and it occurs every 5ms. The scan cycle is shown below. (Ref 2) When a program is written on a programming device such as a laptop it is uploaded to the CPU, once it has been uploaded it is then written into the CPUs memory. The programming device can then be disconnected without losing any data from the PLC because the program is now saved into the memory of the CPU. Only the unitary PLC has a CPU built into it, on the modular and rack-mounted PLCs the CPU comes as a separate module. On modular PLCs the CPU would be the first module whereas on rack-mounted PLCs the CPU is governed by the amount of inputs and outputs that are being used. Input and Output Devices In PLCs data is collected from inputs which are connected to the input modules and sent to the CPU, this data is then executed within the program logic and then sent to the output devices via the output modules to perform a specific task. The inputs and outputs are assigned a reference point in the PLC so that they are easily recognisable when programming. An input device is any peripheral piece of hardware that is used to send data information and control signals to any information processing system, in this case the PLC. In terms of PLCs there are two different types of inputs, analogue and digital. An example of an analogue input would be a sensor or transmitter and an example of a digital input would be a switch, push button etc. Inductive proximity sensor An inductive proximity sensor will detect metal surfaces or devices without coming into contact with them. The sensor face is made up of windings from the oscillator. These form an alternating magnetic field around the sensor face called an inductance loop. The inductance of a loop will change if a metal is placed inside it because metals are much more effective inductors than other types of material. Once the inductance loop is altered the change is detected by sensing circuitry which then signals to another device such as a PLC. Capacitive sensor A capacitive sensor will detect any surface or device without coming into contact with it. A capacitive sensor uses an alternating voltage which in turn causes the positions of the charges to continually reverse. This then creates an alternating electric current which is detected by the sensor face. The sensor face is made up of capacitors from the oscillator. The amount of current flow is determined by the capacitance, and the capacitance is determined by the area and proximity of the conductive objects. Therefore the larger and closer the object then the greater the current will be and vice versa. Photo Electric Sensor A photoelectric sensor uses light to operate. When a preset level of light is picked up by the sensor the sensor switches. This type of sensor is used to detect moving objects, for example bottles on a conveyor are detected due to the bottles breaking the line of light. Once the line has been broken the switch signal is fed into the electrical control circuit which provides a corrective action. There are three types of photo electric sensor. These are Reflective, retro-reflective and separate type. Optical Reflective Sensor The light is reflected off the surface of the bottle back to the receiver. Optical Retro-reflective Sensor The light is transmitted and reflects off a reflective surface back to the receiver. Optical Separate Sensor Outputs An output device is basically any device that is controlled via the output module of a PLC. In terms of PLCs there are two different types of outputs, analogue and digital. Analogue devices are devices that the output can be varied. Digital outputs are used to control two state devices, this means that they are either on or off. An example of an analogue output would be motor speed; valve position etc and an example of a digital output would be a relay, solenoid valve etc. Indicators Indicator light The simplest of the PLC outputs, the indicator light simply shows that a certain function has worked correctly, for example if a machine was in run mode then a green indicator light could also be activated to notify operators etc that the machine is running. Indicator buzzer Acts in the same principle as the light but uses sound; it is more effective at alerting someone to a problem especially if that person does not have a line of sight of the machine. For example if there was an error that has caused a machine to stop then the buzzer would sound. Solenoid valve A solenoid valve can be operated electrically and pneumatically. In the case of a normally open 3/2 valve it uses one of these to switch it from off to on. Solenoids are named after the amount of states or ports they have and also what function they do. For example a 3/2 spring return solenoid has 3 ports, 2 states and once it has been deactivated it returns back to its natural position via a spring. The 3/2 valve below is shown in two stages. Stage 1 is where the valve is in its natural state where air is flowing from P (the air supply) to b (the exhaust). Whereas in stage 2 the valve is activated allowing air to flow from P to a where the air is sent to another device for example a cylinder. Stage 1 (Ref 1) Stage 2 (Ref 2) Signalling Signalling refers to the use of signals for controlling communications. Signals can be either digital or analogue. With digital signals the signal is logic therefore it is either a 1 (True) or a 0 (False). With analogue signals the entity is continuous where the signal is constantly varying based on real time. For example the amount of light a sensor receives is an analogue signal because it can be any value within the range that the sensor can pick up. (Ref 1) In some systems both digital and analogue signalling is needed. For example a house phone shares the same network connection as a pc. In this case a device called a modem is used to convert the signal between the two. (Ref 2)http://geekrich.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/home-network-diagram.gif Networks A PLC must communicate with other devices in order to operate. These devices are connected to the PLC via a network. There are many different types of network such as: Bus Network A bus network is a long cable acting as a backbone which links devices together, the backbone has nodes connected to it via a single line. The signal travels in both directions until they are terminated at either end. The amount of nodes that can be attached however is limited to the strength of the signal. http://www.olson-technology.com/mr_fiber/images/bus_network.gif (Ref 1) LAN- Local Area Network A LAN network is used to connect different hosts in a small area such as an office or a small building. Data is sent in the form of a data packet which includes the address of both the sender and the destination. http://berbagisolusi.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/lanwan11.gif (Ref 1) Programming There are three main types of programming that are used in PLCs. These are; Ladder logic Structured text Functional block Ladder logic Ladder logic is one of the most common styles of PLC programming and it is used in most manufacturing companies. It is called ladder logic simply because the style resembles a ladder as shown below where the two vertical rails are connected by a rung. Rung Rails (Ref 1) It is popular because of its similarity to relay logic which in turn allows most program designers to easily grasp the concept. Ladder logic is written using logic symbols which are shown below and is read from left to right. Ladder logic symbols (Ref 1) Normally open Normally closed Normally open immediate Normally closed immediate NOT Positive transition Negative transition Output Output immediate Set Set immediate Reset Reset immediate Set-dominate bistable Reset-dominate bistable No operation Example of Ladder logic Below is a simple circuit designed to mimic a drilling process where 3 cylinders are used to drill a part. Cylinder a when extended places a part below cylinder b, whilst cylinder c is already extended holding the part securely in place and also preventing the part from falling through the gap below cylinder b. Cylinder b then comes down, drills the part, goes back up and cylinder c retracts allowing the part to fall through the gap. (Ref 1) Cylinder B Cylinder A Cylinder C The ladder diagram for this circuit is shown below. (Ref 1) As can be seen from above the system uses sensors to show whether each cylinder is extended or retracted. This information is then used to activate each cylinder. For example in the first part of the programme which has been highlighted; Relay R1 is activated when the start button is pressed given that the stop button is in the normally closed position. Sensor 5 (S5) is off which is showing that cylinder 3 is extended. When this is off it allows Relay 1 to stay permanently on because one of the contacts from R1 can then complete the circuit and create a latch. R1 is then used to activate solenoid 1(Sol1) to extend cylinder 1 provided that S2 and R4 are off. Structured text Structured text is a text based language that uses statements to define what needs to be executed. Structured text uses statements such as: IF†¦THEN†¦ CASE†¦OF†¦ FOR†¦DO†¦ WHILE†¦DO†¦ REPEAT†¦UNTIL†¦ People who are trained in computer language find structured text easier to understand than ladder logic because they are of a similar format.

Essay --

There are many ways that TV commercial’s use to sell an item to a certain age group. This essay will focus on the main techniques that TV commercial’s use, even though they are main used but there are few that really focus on the foundation of the ad, these make the ad key and specific to a certain targeted audience. The three main supporting arguments are specific colors are used to make a certain toy or product so say if the product is headphones and they are black they will use a white background so the headphones stand out they make it look like no headphones ever made this pretty, and the angle’s they use say if the camera angle was only straight it wont look as exciting, and say if the angle was going across the screen and up and down it makes the product look better and nicer.my second point with number one who using it makes a huge changes in product and the sale, say if Wayne Gretzky(Hockey player) was in commercial for a basket ball it would look as good if Michael Jordan was in that commercial because we all know who Wayne Gretzky and what he does so it makes difference. The last point is compare and contrast things wlike weight loss products they compare or a car like â€Å"you don’t want to be like this† or â€Å"you don’t want to drive in a car like thi s† they make you fee low and the other product they use like most car that people have like a Honda civic. There are a lot of factors that make an ad good and attractive one of the main factors is the back round colors, and the camera angle. Color is a big factor due to the fact that it brings out the attractiveness of a product; say if the product is blue (IPOD) and the back round is red it will show the true beauty that TV ads want you to see the iPod love. Say if 2 kids w... ...er what and that’s what they want from us. They keep on releasing the new iPhone even thought most people have the 5, Apple still get sold out of the new iPhone, they don’t care who buy it or what your going to use it for they just want your money. Things like iPhone, iPad, ipod or the new Samsung phone what they like is it’s not a targeted audience. Anyone can buy the iPhone a ten year old all the way up to a 65 year old, so literally any one can buy it so if you look at the ads they us it’s not as detailed or work put in to it say something like Soccer ball commercial, because in the Soccer ball commercial they have to show a famous person using the ball and playing with it. In the iPhone Commercial they just have to show it and people will go crazy, and it wont cost nearly as much as the Soccer ball commercial that’s why new tech products ads are always on TV.

“What is ‘Superblood” Analysis

The article â€Å"What is ‘Superblood' and Why Do I Want It?†, written by Kyree Leary, explains a great potential medical advancement. A biotech startup company, Rubius Therapeutics, wants to use red blood cells to replace missing enzymes in patients with rare diseases or conditions along with patients with autoimmune disorders in order to treat them. These diseases include Type 1 diabetes and even cancer. The technique Rubius Therapeutics plans on using is equipping red blood cells with a protein that can be tailored to treat the condition of the patient it is being infused into. Then, the company plans on putting these blood cells into the body, but overall, it will account for less than 1 percent of the patient's total blood volume. This idea is similar to the idea of using modified T-cells to fight cancer; however, red blood cell therapies do not need to be personalized. For T-cell therapy, the cells must be taken from the patient and put back into the same patient to avoid rejection by the immune system, whereas for the red blood cell treatment, only the use of any person's O negative blood can be effective, for it is a universal donor. In fact, one donor could generate enough therapeutic doses to treat hundreds of thousands of different patients. The company has not released any products yet, but they have raised $220 million in funding which is going to go towards the development of products along with clinical trials necessary for ensuring their safety. This article certainly grabbed my attention when I saw it while scrolling through articles. I have done a lot of work with blood and enzymes in PBS and Biology, so I was intrigued to see what this new â€Å"Superblood† was. Having learned about blood and the topic of the article already, I understood the methods the company plans on using, which made the article and story even more interesting. I found it fascinating that something as simple as placing missing enzymes back into someone's body can possibly have the ability to treat a condition as serious as cancer. In addition, it astonishes me how individuals and companies can think of innovative things like this that could have such an impact on people and the field of medicine. The health of millions is compromised by cancer and autoimmune disease, which this procedure targets. If Rubius Therapeutics can successfully use this red blood cell therapy as a treatment for cancer or even Type 1 diabetes, our world will be a better place, and the healthcare field would be drastically altered. This could diminish the need for insulin injections or pumps if done properly along with other standard treatments. Although this idea may not be able to actually cure cancer, it definitely could and probably will lead to other scientists and/or physicians getting inspired and developing innovations that could bring humanity closer to a cure for the deadly disease. Overall, this â€Å"Superblood† can certainly lead to advancements in the medical field which would make our population a healthier group of people.

Who are you

Who are you? Kind, loyal, inspiring, different, loving in my own way, charismatic, fierce, ambitious, family oriented, responsible, reliable, thoughtful, outspoken, love to learn, forgiving, accommodating. ; What do you believe? DO WHAT IS RIGHT! , respect others both humans and animals alike, put family first over all things, personal integrity, taking time off, been honest and fair, trust others, be compassionate towards others, always do my best and commit to excellence in everything I do, to be courageous and stand up for what I believe. ; How do you relate to people? Homeopathic, good listener, kind, good attitude, Why do you believe these things? Because of my diverse background, my personal values and believes allow me to distinguish between right or wrong on most situations. My family and the schools I attended throughout my upbringing helped shaped and influenced who I am today, my morality and personal integrity. Define the purpose for your personal code of ethics. Purpose of personal code of ethics (for example, direct behavior or set goals) ; My personal code of ethics will be he guidelines set forth to help me decide what Is right from wrong.I will honor this code of ethics In order to continue to grow both personally and professionally. I understand that in the future ethical decisions will be more complex and these guidelines may no longer apply; I will update and make changes to my code of ethics accordingly. ; To be respectful To be responsible ; Develop the â€Å"I will† section of your personal code of ethics. ; I will always be honest and forthcoming In everything I do. ; Why: Because If I am not sincere and airtight with others, I should not expect others to behave the same way towards me.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Essays - Genetics, Free Essays

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Essays - Genetics, Free Essays Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is the most common motor neuron disease in European populations. Approximately 10% of ALS cases are familial (FALS) and the other patients are considered as sporadic ALS (SALS). Among many ALS causing genes that have been identified, mutations in SOD1 and C9orf72 are the most common genetic causes of the disease. In Iranian patients, it has been shown that SOD1, as compared to C9orf72, plays a much more prominent role. To date, more than 170 mutations have been reported in SOD1. Genotype/phenotype correlation with respect to either different causative genes or different mutations of a specific gene has not been well established. The inheritance of FALS in many families is atypical with one proband and one or two first/second degree relatives who also have the disease (Valdmanis Neumann et al 2006). Mutations in the gene encoding TDP-43, TARDBP, were subsequently found as a genetic cause of ALS (Sreedharan et al 2008). The genetics of FALS has moved forward rapidly in recent years, providing invaluable insight into disease pathogenesis and allowing the development of animal models to further study the disease and efficacy of therapeutic compounds. Autosomal Recessive: Parents do not have to be affected to have an affected child; often skips generations. For autosomal dominant traits, only ONE copy of the mutated allele is required for an individual to be affected, and this can be inherited from either parent. Individuals with a dominant trait have a 1 in 2 chance of passing that allele, and, therefore, that trait, to each of their children. If a child is affected, one parent must be affected. Clues to Pedigree Problems A. When determining if a trait is sex-linked or autosomal 1. An X-linked trait is usually expressed far greater in males since most are X-linked recessive. If X-linked, we will only consider X-linked recessive traits (none will be X-linked dominant). 2. Y-linked traits are only passed from father to son. Females are never affected. In this assignment, none of the traits are Y-linked. 3. An autosomal trait is expressed approximately equally in males and females. B. When determining if an autosomal trait is dominant or recessive 1. Dominant traits only require one allele to outwardly express the trait. a. Dominant traits are often present in every generation. b. If a child is affected, at least one parent must be affected. 2. Recessive traits require two alleles to outwardly express the trait. a. Recessive traits often skip generations. b. An affected child does not have to have an affected parent. This is a pedigree from two highly inbred families containing the ALS2 gene, and it displays the autosomal recessive nature of the mutation. A partial three generation pedigree of the index patient (indicated by the arrow), heterozygous for the p.D90A SOD1 mutation, is shown. The pedigree suggests autosomal dominant inheritance/transmission.

Free Essays on Legality Of Marijuana

The legality of marijuana in the united states is a subject of controversy that can divide houses and friends. It can also help people to bond. I have always noticed that no matter age, race, culture, or popularity, there is always a common ground between users. This common ground is the cannabis itself, and the enjoyment thereof. The actual legalization of cannabis may never happen, but that doesn’t mean people won’t smoke every day between now and then. Beyond that fact, the legalization of cannabis would have many positive effects on our society. The legalization there of would help to lower taxes, boost the economy, decrease drug-related violence, and would help to improve the overall â€Å"mood† of the population. I believe that the government should sell cannabis. The government already grows it to make hemp ropes for the navy. If in the process of harvesting, they stripped the buds from the plants before processing the hemp and made it widely available through out the states, then there would be a drop in prices in such goods, and this would also create a very lucrative income for the government. Also there would be less drug-related violence. Why would people fight over cannabis when you could just go down to the store and buy it yourself? The most common arrest in the United States is simple possession of marijuana. If it were legalized, the state and national governments would spend less money on enforcement and prevention of cannabis possession, sales, and illegal importation. Simply put, stop wasting the tax payers money on something that the government could turn into a source of revenue. Heck, I am sure the government would put a taxation of the sale of cannabis, but there again is another source of revenue, not government spending. If cannabis were legalized, there must be certain requirements met to purchase it. The same principles used with the purchase, possession, and consumption of alcohol. As w... Free Essays on Legality Of Marijuana Free Essays on Legality Of Marijuana The legality of marijuana in the united states is a subject of controversy that can divide houses and friends. It can also help people to bond. I have always noticed that no matter age, race, culture, or popularity, there is always a common ground between users. This common ground is the cannabis itself, and the enjoyment thereof. The actual legalization of cannabis may never happen, but that doesn’t mean people won’t smoke every day between now and then. Beyond that fact, the legalization of cannabis would have many positive effects on our society. The legalization there of would help to lower taxes, boost the economy, decrease drug-related violence, and would help to improve the overall â€Å"mood† of the population. I believe that the government should sell cannabis. The government already grows it to make hemp ropes for the navy. If in the process of harvesting, they stripped the buds from the plants before processing the hemp and made it widely available through out the states, then there would be a drop in prices in such goods, and this would also create a very lucrative income for the government. Also there would be less drug-related violence. Why would people fight over cannabis when you could just go down to the store and buy it yourself? The most common arrest in the United States is simple possession of marijuana. If it were legalized, the state and national governments would spend less money on enforcement and prevention of cannabis possession, sales, and illegal importation. Simply put, stop wasting the tax payers money on something that the government could turn into a source of revenue. Heck, I am sure the government would put a taxation of the sale of cannabis, but there again is another source of revenue, not government spending. If cannabis were legalized, there must be certain requirements met to purchase it. The same principles used with the purchase, possession, and consumption of alcohol. As w...

Electrophoresis Definition and Explanation

Electrophoresis Definition and Explanation Electrophoresis is the term used to describe the motion of particles in a gel or fluid within a relatively uniform electric field. Electrophoresis may be used to separate molecules based on charge,  size, and binding affinity. The technique  is mainly applied to separate and analyze biomolecules, such as DNA, RNA, proteins, nucleic acids, plasmids, and  fragments of these macromolecules. Electrophoresis is one of the techniques used to identify source DNA, as in paternity testing and forensic science. Electrophoresis of anions or negatively charged particles is called anaphoresis. Electrophoresis of cations or positively charged particles is called cataphoresis. Electrophoresis was first observed in 1807 by Ferdinand Frederic Reuss of Moscow State University, who noticed clay particles migrated in water subjected to a continuous electric field. Key Takeaways: Electrophoresis Electrophoresis is a technique used to separate molecules in a gel or fluid using an electric field.The rate and direction of particle movement in the electric field depends on the molecules size and electric charge.Usually electrophoresis is used to separate macromolecules, such as DNA, RNA, or proteins. How Electrophoresis Works In electrophoresis, there are two primary factors that control how quickly a particle can move and in what direction. First, the charge on the sample matters. Negatively charged species are attracted to the positive pole of an electric field, while positively charged species are attracted to the negative end. A neutral species may be ionized if the field is strong enough. Otherwise, it doesnt tend to be affected. The other factor is particle size. Small ions and molecules can move through a gel or liquid much more quickly than larger ones. While a charged particle is attracted to an opposite charge in an electric field, there are other forces that affect how a molecule moves. Friction and the electrostatic retardation force slow the progress of particles through the fluid or gel. In the case of gel electrophoresis, the concentration of the gel can be controlled to determine the pore size of the gel matrix, which influences mobility. A liquid buffer is also present, which controls the pH of the environment. As molecules are pulled through a liquid or gel, the medium heats up. This can denature the molecules as well as affect the rate of movement. The voltage is controlled to try to minimize the time required to separate molecules, while maintaining a good separation and keeping the chemical species intact. Sometimes electrophoresis is performed in a refrigerator to help compensate for the heat. Types of Electrophoresis Electrophoresis encompasses several related analytical techniques. Examples include: affinity electrophoresis - Affinity electrophoresis is a type of electrophoresis in which particles are separated based on complex formation or biospecific interactioncapillary electrophoresis - Capillary electrophoresis is a  type of electrophoresis used to separate ions depending mainly on the atomic radius, charge, and viscosity. As the name suggests, this technique is commonly performed in a glass tube. It yields quick results and a high resolution separation.gel electrophoresis - Gel electrophoresis is a  widely used type of electrophoresis in which molecules are separated by movement through a porous gel under the influence of an electrical field. The two main gel materials are agarose and polyacrylamide. Gel electrophoresis is used to separate nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), nucleic acid fragments, and proteins.immunoelectrophoresis - Immunoelectrophoresis is the general name given to a variety of electrophoretic techniques used to characterize and separate proteins based on their reaction to antibodies. electroblotting - Electroblotting is a technique used to recover nucleic acids or proteins following electrophoresis by transferring them onto a membrane. The polymers polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) or nitrocellulose are commonly used. Once the specimen has been recovered, it can be further analyzed using stains or probes. A western blot is one form of electroblotting used to detect specific proteins using artificial antibodies.pulsed-field gel electrophoresis - Pulsed-field electrophoresis is used to separate macromolecules, such as DNA, by periodically changing the direction of the electric field applied to a gel matrix. The reason the electric field is changed is because traditional gel electrophoresis is unable to efficiently separate very large molecules that all tend to migrate together. Changing the direction of the electric field gives the molecules additional directions to travel, so they have a path through the gel. The voltage is generally switched between three directions : one running along the axis of the gel and two at 60 degrees to either side. Although the process takes longer than traditional gel electrophoresis, its better at separating large pieces of DNA. isoelectric focusing - Isoelectric focusing (IEF or electrofocusing) is a form of electrophoresis that separates molecules based on different isoelectric points. IEF is most often performed on proteins because their electrical charge depends on pH.

Small bussines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Small bussines - Essay Example As can be seen from Appendix A, the business will have losses for the first two years but beginning in the third year profitability will become positive and the following years thereafter. However this paper will report only the first three years. The higher expenses than revenues in the first two years are understandable as the business is just starting. Sales revenues will expand over time with higher sales volume into new locations as the branded products of the business become known. The decreasing expenses starting after two years would come as the business take less expensive locations. This would result to increasing gross monthly margin overtime as can be seen in Appendix B. Increasing sales is observable for the next three year period and such behavior should indicate growth of the business for the next three years. The greater the revenues the higher would be the changes for better profitability after deducting the expense (Bernstein, 1993; Droms, 1990). The profitability of the business is obvious the third year and as reflected in the positive net profit margin of 16.7% after having negative rates for the past two years because of the losses. See Appendix C. Profitability essentially means higher revenues than expenses which would mean that the business would naturally incur cost or expenses in running the business but the same should generate higher revenues in exchange of the expenses to indicate profitability of the business. The profit generated by the business is not enough to assure that business will prosper. The business must be able to pay its maturing obligations on time like the salaries of employees, payment for goods and services to supplies, regular bills for electricity, telephone and other utilities. In other words, it must have sufficient working capital or excess of current assets over its current liabilities at one point in time which can be measure also by liquidity ratios

Fleet Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Fleet Planning - Essay Example According to Clark, fleet commonality avails many benefits to the manufacturer and to the operators of the produced aircraft. Airlines are the operators of these aircraft. They are able to save financially, decrease and comprehend the risks associated with the aircraft. Saving financially is a benefit that fleet commonality provides. This is based on the fact that currently, jet fuel prices have skyrocketed. This has called upon effective planning by airlines to mitigate the negative consequences of these inflated prices. Financial saving is of utmost importance to airlines. Fleet commonality provides financial saving through the provision of common spares for the fleet. The airline does not have to buy spares for aircraft repair from different aircraft manufacturers. This makes it easy to agree on prices and deals that are financially friendly to the airline. This is very significant because aircraft are subject to damage and repairs are needed, without which the aircraft is rendere d useless. It is time dependent because the aircraft model is bound to change with time as the manufacturers alter it to suit demands. The time frame for this benefit could be up to three years after the time of delivery because a present aircraft may not have much in common with a model manufactured three years earlier (Clark, 95).Many airlines have specific ground support apparatus that are well-suited with a specific fleet of aircraft. This means that the airline has invested in these ground support apparatus.

'To tackle the fight against trafficking, we need to concentrate on Essay

'To tackle the fight against trafficking, we need to concentrate on state intervention and stricter border controls'. Discuss - Essay Example This however is not usually the case as sexual exploitation is the first harsh condition they encounter before being sneaked into the desired and promised country due to lack of proper travel documentation. Human trafficking is majorly carried out by agents whom according to Agustin (2005) may be governmental, religious, nongovernmental, academic or even medical groups and organizations (Agustin, 2005, pg. 100). These groups and organizations operate on a legitimate basis upfront but carry out the illegal immigration and human trafficking as a form of black market business hence making it harder for immigration authorities to detect them. Even with the strict immigration laws being enforced in some European countries like Germany and even UK, illegal immigrants still find their way inside those nations. According to statistics provided by the United Nations, there are over 175 million people who cross borders on a yearly basis and majority of them do so illegally without being detect ed or through fraudulent means. Human trafficking is a global affair and it has been able to rise due to the fact that it is intertwined with issues of international crime, corruption deals (conducted through unscrupulous immigration officials), coercion and even lack of stringent state laws concerning immigration or even border patrol. The lack of anti-trafficking statutes in most states contributes to the increasing trafficking of people. This is evident in even famous place like New York City in United States of America. This lack of laws provides a leeway for the agents to ferry the illegal immigrants from Latin nations like Mexico, through US and finally finding themselves in European nations like France. Testimonies have been provided by the trafficked people especially women who are illegally or even legally assisted to migrate into European nations through the promise of being enrolled into the domestic labour market of that country. However on reaching their destination, th e domestic labour market turns out to be a thriving sex industry where sexual exploitation is the order of the day under organized pimps and even in brothels. Those lucky to enter the domestic labour market do so as helps or by providing cheap labour services and even in these places, they are still sexually exploited (Long, 2004, pg. 18). Some critics argue that it is easy to prevent such sexual exploitation that happens through the cover of provision of domestic labour market but it is not so easy. This is because the trafficking that takes place under this front has legal cover ups as mentioned earlier of legitimate organizations whose side business is trafficking of people without the knowledge of the authorities. It is evident that trafficking moves from the South towards the North and it heavily consists of women. According to feminists and especially the African feminists, women are the most negatively affected by development policies and measures taken by their countries, fo r example those that follow conditions dictated by International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in order to grant loans and financial aid to these countries. These Bretton Woods financial organizations demand (as one of their conditions) restructuring which in short means cutting some of

Organizational Development Intervention Paper Essay

Organizational Development Intervention Paper - Essay Example Group level diagnosis The inputs in group level diagnosis include organizational blueprint aspects that are inherent in the entire organization within which the group functions (Cummings and Worley 61). The following characteristics within the organization were identified as affecting group functioning. Technology The company has been in recent times initiated an upgrading program to increase the efficiency of the communication system. This includes the purchases of computer, networking and elevating internet bandwidth including an upgrade to HP Integrity BL860c i2 OpenVMS and CAD. The project has cost the company $250, 000. Other technological improvements include the purchases of new sewing machines and increasing the length of the processing line. Nevertheless, mid level employees are especially dissatisfied since the communication system changes do not meet their suggested quality. They opine that the internet connection is quite slow and is affecting them. The latest machines in the processing line are difficult to operate since no prior training was availed. This was emphasized by the 73% of factory employees who were dissatisfied by the situation. Structure The company has five major divisions dealing with HR, procurement, designing, manufacturing, and marketing. All the heads of the divisions answer to the president. However, within each division, there are groups with varied tasks. These groups give feedback to any of the four heads of divisions. For example, a group in designing children ware may be required to respond to the head of promotion directly without the involvement of the head of design. Sometimes, such a group is required to present its findings to different heads at different times. The interests of the heads at times conflict, since each, seeks to enhance the performance of their divisions without coordination with the other divisions. Evaluation systems The performance of the group is not formally evaluated; hence there are no form rewa rd systems. A group appreciation or reward is dependent on the disposition of the division head under which they operate. A normal source of reward, for example, for the designing groups is when products perform well in the market. This is mostly indicated by the acclaim of the product in the market. In such a case, the group that designed the product may be recognized by being awarded a bonus in the following month. Nevertheless, such occurrences are rare, especially since the start of the company’s sales decline. Only 38 % indicated that they have been rewarded in their job. Other instances of rewards include the company’s annual meeting where individuals are recognized for various feats. However, lower level employees opine that the recognitions are reserved for higher level employees only, only 16% expecting to be rewarded before retirement. Promotions are random, which leaves some employees feeling they were bypassed with no substantiation. Other personnel complai n that they have been in the same positions for long; this was expressed by 59% of all interviewed employees. The hiring of employees is based on merit. Job openings are posted on the media and appropriate procedures are followed. However, the salaries offered by the company are below industry average salary and are 76% of the industry average. This makes the company fail to attract highly motivated and qualified individuals. Most of the applicants in the job openings are young graduates who soon move away after some time. This has

Analysis from walden Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis from walden - Essay Example The moment we try to intrude our being’s reality and disrupt the ways of nature is the time when we fail ourselves and become unhappy. The chosen text â€Å"From Walden† by Henry David Thoreau has indeed brought up many interesting insights about life and nature and how both can perfectly co-exist to benefit each other. One of Thoreau’s ideas that totally capture a genius thought we could all make use of today would be how doctors would usually recommend the sick whose situation seems to not get better to change his or her surroundings. Though a happier and a more positive environment can uplift us, more importantly, it is better that we learn how to change our mindset and attitude towards something rather than to change the landscape we are in. As he says, â€Å"the universe is wider than our views of it† (Thoreau's Walden, Chapter 2. n,d.). It is us who needs to change ourselves as it is the only thing we can transform and not nature or destiny. Here, he directly states his point by highlighting a common reaction of human beings to problems which is a very effective tool for him to bend the knee-jerk thinking of people that the key to happiness is when situations we deem unnecessary or troublesome is not a part of life’s equation. â€Å"It is not worth the while to go round the world to count the cats in Zanzibar† is another strong line he used to back this up (Thoreau's Walden, Chapter 2. n,d.). ... Indeed, media has its way of making travel and tours play a big part in one’s life especially with the complexity of the real world everyone wants to get away from. However, it is wise to know that even after you have travelled to the most beautiful place in the world, you will still go back to the same problems you had. Indeed, a life-transforming travel does not have to involve one leaving home, instead is a constancy of being at peace with one’s soul. Another strong quote I came across the text would be â€Å"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived† (Thoreau's Walden, Chapter 2. n,d.). Here, he is trying to convey the significance of each person being able to find his or her own meaning of life. Thoreau teaches us that aside from focusing on being able to provide for our daily needs such as food, shelter, and clothing, which a lot of people today has been blinded of, focusing too much on work and succeeding to gain more, it is wise that we also take time to evaluate the quality of life that we now have. However, he emphasizes that inner fulfillment which should be the main goal for everyone can only be judged by each person to himself and no one else. â€Å"From Walden† by Henry David Thoreau is indeed a literary piece that talks about the realities of life and how to soar high while you’re at it instead of falling rock hard down. He used nature literally to explain how the world and humans are made by God and how we cannot do anything to change the fact that none of both are perfect. No matter what background or era one is born in, we all are going to go through troubles in one

Business Ethics and Consequentialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Ethics and Consequentialism - Essay Example Ethics compliance includes implementing acts that serve the common good for the greater number of recipients. 1.Utilitarian ethics issues in this Case. There are utilitarian ethics issues in the case of the pacemaker case. The electronics company can generate the greater good to the greatest number of people. The principle of consequentialism or utilitiarian ethics states that the end justifies the means. The correct action is that action that brings out the greatest good to the entire community or population (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/utilitarianism-history/#JerBen). For example, it is a common good to kill a convicted felon to prevent individuals from committing the same illegal acts (Portmore, 2011). Jeremy Bentham insisted that correct actions are those that bring about or increase happiness, and reduce pain (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/utilitarianism-history/#JerBen). Applying the above consequentialism theory to the case, producing the electronic parts of the pace maker produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people (http://www.scu.edu/ethics/dialogue/candc/cases/supplier.html). The purpose of the pacemaker is to prolong the life of the dying person. Without a heart, the person will die. The pacemaker helps the heart beat. Without the pacemaker, the person would die a natural death. Consequently, the pacemaker prolongs the life of the pacemaker recipient for several years. By focusing on helping the pacemaker manufacturer improve the functional quality of the pacemakers, the electronics company helps increase the success of the pacemakers. Consequently, there is an increase in the pacemaker’s capacity to keep the failing human heart from stopping its continuous beating motion (http://www.scu.edu/ethics/dialogue/candc/cases/supplier_comments.html). 2) Jeremy Bentham Concept on the Case. Jeremy Bentham, father of utilitarianism, will rightly approve the decision to continue producing the electronic parts of the pacemakers. By helping the pacemaker manufacturers improve the functional quality of the pacemakers, the electronics company increases the functional quality of the pacemakers. Consequently, the pacemaker adds more years to the dying patients’ lives. For the dying person, adding more years to one’s earthly life is a greater good when compared to just letting the patient die a natural death (Bentham, 2009). The popularity of the pacemaker is its capacity to prolong the dying person’s life by stimulating the non-beating heart to beat. Without the pacemakers’ stimulating motion, the patient would have died instantly. The improved pacemakers will increase the patients’ and their families’ pleasure of having their dying relative live additional years on earth and avoiding the pain of losing their dying relative at an earlier date. 3. Utility test. Step A. There are three alternatives. The first alternative is to stop supplying the electronic parts of the pac emakers. Second, the electronics company will continue producing the electronic parts of the pacemakers and coordinate with the pacemaker company to improve the success rate of the pacemakers (Mandal, 2010). Step B. The are consequences and costs of each alternative. In terms of alternative 1, the short term and long term benefits (consequences) include removing the possible of future medical suits from the pacemaker patients and being wrongly blamed for the pacemaker’

Analysis from walden Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis from walden - Essay Example The moment we try to intrude our being’s reality and disrupt the ways of nature is the time when we fail ourselves and become unhappy. The chosen text â€Å"From Walden† by Henry David Thoreau has indeed brought up many interesting insights about life and nature and how both can perfectly co-exist to benefit each other. One of Thoreau’s ideas that totally capture a genius thought we could all make use of today would be how doctors would usually recommend the sick whose situation seems to not get better to change his or her surroundings. Though a happier and a more positive environment can uplift us, more importantly, it is better that we learn how to change our mindset and attitude towards something rather than to change the landscape we are in. As he says, â€Å"the universe is wider than our views of it† (Thoreau's Walden, Chapter 2. n,d.). It is us who needs to change ourselves as it is the only thing we can transform and not nature or destiny. Here, he directly states his point by highlighting a common reaction of human beings to problems which is a very effective tool for him to bend the knee-jerk thinking of people that the key to happiness is when situations we deem unnecessary or troublesome is not a part of life’s equation. â€Å"It is not worth the while to go round the world to count the cats in Zanzibar† is another strong line he used to back this up (Thoreau's Walden, Chapter 2. n,d.). ... Indeed, media has its way of making travel and tours play a big part in one’s life especially with the complexity of the real world everyone wants to get away from. However, it is wise to know that even after you have travelled to the most beautiful place in the world, you will still go back to the same problems you had. Indeed, a life-transforming travel does not have to involve one leaving home, instead is a constancy of being at peace with one’s soul. Another strong quote I came across the text would be â€Å"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived† (Thoreau's Walden, Chapter 2. n,d.). Here, he is trying to convey the significance of each person being able to find his or her own meaning of life. Thoreau teaches us that aside from focusing on being able to provide for our daily needs such as food, shelter, and clothing, which a lot of people today has been blinded of, focusing too much on work and succeeding to gain more, it is wise that we also take time to evaluate the quality of life that we now have. However, he emphasizes that inner fulfillment which should be the main goal for everyone can only be judged by each person to himself and no one else. â€Å"From Walden† by Henry David Thoreau is indeed a literary piece that talks about the realities of life and how to soar high while you’re at it instead of falling rock hard down. He used nature literally to explain how the world and humans are made by God and how we cannot do anything to change the fact that none of both are perfect. No matter what background or era one is born in, we all are going to go through troubles in one

Feasibility. A Guide for Small Business Research Paper

Feasibility. A Guide for Small Business - Research Paper Example The feasibility study of B2B market gives a brief view on the product, technology used in the operational process. The study also states the market environment which includes competitions in the market, existing industry and the business model. Apart from this, various other strategies have been stated in the feasibility study including the marketing and selling strategies, production and management requirements along with financial projections for one year of the business plan. Products and Services Considering the present market scenario, the toy company has selected a range of innovative products to deal with AGI in B2B market. The selected product is intended towards the little children of Brooklyn. With this concern, the toy company has selected three distinct categories of toys to be introduced in the market, i.e. Toy A (TA) for the age group of 1 year to 3 years, Toy B (TB) is for the age group of 4 years to 6 years and Toy C (TC) for the age group of 7 years to 10 years. Henc e, the toy company will be introducing musical soft toys for the TA product range which will emphasize on the adoption of nursery rhymes and other educational themes rendering due concern towards the mental development of children at this age. The company will further attempt to introduce talking pens for the product line TB and science station educational toys for the product line of TC. ... AGI is fundamentally known for its different types of innovative greetings cards and toys. In this regards, it has been found that AGI serves its consumers with innovative greeting cards; however, the market for innovative toys still remains unexplored by the company (American Greetings, 2012). By analyzing the market it can be stated that the toy company has certain advantages for its product lines in dealing with AGI. AGI is well known for distributing innovative greeting cards and regular toys. However company is noted to have minimum inclusion in the innovative toy segment in comparison to its involvement cards segments. This can offer noteworthy opportunity for the toy company as a supplier of AGI. Technology Introducing new innovative toys in the American market certainly needs modernized technology in its manufacturing unit. While manufacturing toys, the toy company will consider exact technology for selected toys concerning the fact that the requirement varies with different kinds of toys. With this concern, the toy company used basic materials and technologies to manufacture Toy A. The requirements has been planned concentrating on soft baby toys which should be made up of cotton and cloths with attractive color and an electronic device run by battery cell for music. The procedure used for manufacturing Toy A product line is by placing electronic device inside the soft toys so that it is invisible to everyone and stays away from the reach of the children. In similar aspect, different technologies are intended to be used for manufacturing of Toy B product line, with the use of wood or plastic with attractive colors and designs with electronic devices inside it which can speak when the pen is in use and thus can be used by

Developing Anti-Mycobacterial Therapeutics

Developing Anti-Mycobacterial Therapeutics Using a specific example discuss a possible target for the development of anti-mycobacterial therapeutics. Introduction It is estimated 1.8 billion people worldwide are infected by tuberculosis (TB)- an infectious disease caused by the etiologic agent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) (Fullam et al., 2012). This bacterium is responsible for 2 million deaths each year and remains a continuing threat (Ouellet, Johnston and Montellano, 2011). 70-90% of individuals infected carry latent TB and never develop the disease, on the other hand, 10-30% of individuals infected can develop active TB. Over the years, the threat of TB has increased alarmingly due to the rise of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB). The rise of MDR-TB and XDR-TB threatens to overwhelm all currently available drugs (Yam et al., 2009). Hence, the need to develop new anti-mycobacterial therapeutics. Currently, there have been numerous potential targets identified for the development of novel inhibitors. This review focuses on Mtb DNA gyrase as one such possible target (Mdluli and Spigelman, 2006). Structure and Function of DNA Gyrase DNA gyrase is an essential tetrameric enzyme involved in DNA synthesis and is understood to be the only type II topoisomerase present in Mtb. The structure of DNA gyrase consists of two subunits called GyrA and GyrB which initially form homodimers, called A2 and B2, and then form a larger heterodimer, called A2B2. The two subunits carry out different functions with the GyrA subunit carrying out cleavage of positive supercoiled DNA, while the GyrB subunit promotes ATP hydrolysis. The GyrA and GyrB subunits are products of the gyrA gene and gyrB gene. The gyrB gene is 34 base-pairs upstream to the gyrA gene and both genes are located close to the origin of replication (Unniraman, Chatterji and Nagaraja, 2002). Mtb reproduce by binary fission. During DNA replication, DNA helicase binds to the DNA double helix and begins to unwind the parental strands by utilising ATP to break the hydrogen bonds between the base-pairs. Single-stranded binding proteins help to stabilise the unwound DNA strands and prevent them from re-pairing. The point at which the two strands of DNA separate are known as replication fork. DNA polymerase then moves along each strand of DNA behind each replication fork synthesising new DNA nucleotides. As the replication fork expands, positive supercoils begin to accumulate ahead of the replication fork. For DNA replication to continue, the positive supercoils need to be removed. Supercoiling causes the DNA to form a more compact structure. DNA gyrase inserts negative supercoils to Mtb DNA. DNA gyrase binds to a circular, supercoiled DNA molecule and this alleviates one positive supercoils. Gyrase first introduces a double-stranded break in the DNA, then a segment of DNA pass es through the break to the opposite side of the gyrase protein. This movement of the DNA requires ATP hydrolysis by gyrase, and introduces a negative supercoil into the DNA molecule. Subsequently, the break in the strands is repaired and gyrase is released from the DNA. Thus, a DNA molecule with one positive supercoil now has one negative supercoil. The GyrA subunit consists of two domains called the GyrA N-terminal domain (GyrA-NTD) and GyrA C-terminal domain (GyrA-CTD). The GyrA-NTD whereas, the GyrA-CTD stabilises the binding of DNA gyrase to DNA. The residue Tyr-122 of GyrA is the site of covalent attachment to DNA. Similarly, the GyrB subunit consists of two domains called the GyrB N-terminal domain (GyrB-NTD) and GyrB C-terminal domain (GyrB-CTD). The GyrB-NTD contains the ATP binding sites. DNA gyrase is absent in eukaryotic organisms even though a less homologous enzyme does exist. Fluoroquinolones Fluoroquinolones (FQs) bind to the enzyme-DNA complex. By targeting GyrA, the duration of treatment can be shortened making it a validated target. C-terminal Domain of GyrA  Ã‚   The ability of Mtb DNA gyrase to bind and insert negative supercoils into DNA is mediated by the C-terminal domain of the GyrA subunit (GyrA-CTD). Several highly-conserved residues in GyrA-CTD were selected as potentially participating in DNA binding and bending. The use of site-directed mutagenesis resulted in the identification of four key residues which were R691A, Y577A, R745A and D669A. Substitution of these four residues resulted in a total loss of DNA binding activity by GyrA. This in turn caused a loss in supercoiling activity and relaxation. The ability of Mtb DNA gyrase to carry out its function only occurs when the GyrA subunit is combined with the GyrB subunit. Mutagenesis of R691A, Y577A, R745A and D669A not only results in loss of DNA binding activity of GyrA in the absence of GyrB, but also results in a loss of DNA binding activity in the presence of GyrB. This again led to a loss in loss in supercoiling activity and relaxation. The findings of GyrA-CTD to be essential for Mtb survival strongly promotes the idea of a new potential drug target. GyrB Subunit of Mtb DNA Gyrase The emergence of fluoroquinolone-resistant tuberculosis has meant there is a need to develop new classes of drugs targeting Mtb DNA gyrase. A lot of emphasis is often focused on targeting the GyrA subunit and this had led to research in developing novel inhibitors targeting the GyrB subunit (Medapi et al., 2015). The GyrB subunit is an attractive target for the development of anti-mycobacterial therapeutics for several reasons. Firstly, the GyrB subunit is present in a single copy. Secondly, it is an essential gene for the survival of Mtb. Thirdly, there are no alternatives to GyrB present in Mtb which could carry out the same function if it is inhibited because it contains the ATP binding pocket. Fourthly, the various strains of Mtb have a 99.9% homology for GyrB. Fifthly, GyrB exerts the same phenotypic effects on Mtb viability as FQs. Finally, the development of inhibitors targeting GyrB can be effective in shortening the duration of TB treatment and delaying the emergence of drug resistance (Chopra et al., 2012). The residues involved in ATP binding are found in the GyrB-NTD and are between residues 1-220. Moreover, two further residues, Gln335 and Lys337, found in the GyrB-CTD are also involved in ATP binding. To the date, there are hundreds of potential novel inhibitors which have been identified to inhibit the activity of GyrB. Inhibitors could be design to target the ATP-binding site or the non-ATP-binding site, however, little is known about structure of the non-ATP binding site. Novobiocin is the only approved antibiotic which has shown to inhibit the activity of GyrB. However, novobiocin has been withdrawn from the market because it is extremely toxic and has low permeability. Another drug class of drugs, aminobenzimidazole, are another strong candidate for inhibiting GyrB due to their excellent efficacy against MDR-TB strains (Chaudhari et al., 2016).

The Degradation of Communication on the Internet Essays -- Communicati

The Degradation of Communication on the Internet Talking on the Internet, people regress. It's that simple. It can be one-to-one talk on e-mail or many-to-many talk on one of the LISTs or newsgroups. People regress, expressing sex and aggression as they never would face to face. Think about it. Current estimates say 23 million people communicate on the Internet from most of the nations on the globe, and that number is increasing at 12% a month. And all this just grew like Topsy, with no one planning or controlling it. Here is one of the extraordinary technological achievements, one of the great _human_ achievements, of our century. But _homo sapiens_ reverts to primitive, childish behavior. Why? There are three major signs or, if you will, symptoms of this regression. The one Internet primitivism that everybody talks about is "flaming," flying into a typewritten rage at some perceived slight or blunder. "Everywhere I went in the newsgroups," writes John Seabrook in _The New Yorker_, "I found flames, and fear of flames" (1994, 70). No wonder. Seabrook had written a friendly piece on Bill Gates, the powerful president of Microsoft. In the "profile," he made a point of the way he and Gates conducted their interview on e-mail. This is what appeared on Seabrook's screen (courtesy of a certain computer columnist): Crave THIS, asshole: Listen, you toadying dipshit scumbag . . . remove your head from your rectum long enough to look around and notice that real reporters don't fawn over their subjects, pretend that their subjects are making some sort of special contact with them, or, worse, curry favor by TELLING their subjects how great the ass- licking profile is going to turn out and then brag in print about doing it... ...m.nerdc.ufl.edu_ 31 May 1994. Span, Paula. "The On-line Mystique." _Washington Post Magazine_ 27 Feb. 1994, W11. Sproull, Lee, and Sara Kiesler. _Connections: New Ways of Working in the Networked Organization_. Cambridge MA: MIT P, 1991. Turkle, Sherry. _The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit_. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1984. Walker, Donna. Letter. _Washington Post Magazine_ 17 Apr. 1994, W3. Waterton, J. J., and J. C. Duffy. "A Comparison of Computer Interviewing Techniques and Traditional Methods in the Collection of Self-report Alcohol Consumption Data in a Field Study." _International Statistical Review_ 52 (1984): 173-82. Weizenbaum, Joseph. _Computer Power and Human Reason: From Judgment to Calculation_. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman, 1976. Wright, Robert. "Journey Through Cyberspace." _Ottawa Citizen_ 18 Sep. 1993, B4.

The Thriller Like Suspense in An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley Essa

The Thriller Like Suspense in An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley â€Å"An Inspector Calls is a perfect play. It contains theatrical excitement in the thriller-like suspense of the Inspector’s inquiry; it has a moral message and it is very tightly constructed.† Do you agree with this statement? The play â€Å"An Inspector Calls† was written by J.B Priestly. The play is set in 1912, in the Edwardian Era, in a fictional town called Brumley, an industrial city in the North Midlands. When Priestly wrote the play in 1945, World War II was just ending. The play is set two years before World War I, in 1912, and in the year of the Titanic. In the Edwardian Era, known as the â€Å"Golden Age† for some classes, upper and middle classes led a pleasant life. They had everything they needed and plenty of money. The upper class, which, in the play, includes Mrs Birling, Gerald Croft and his parents, Mr and Mrs Croft, were hardhearted people. The upper class owned factories and businesses and employed the middle class, like Mr Birling, to run them. The working class, like Eva Smith, were the employees who worked for many hours and little pay. The upper class did not work, but were wealthy and many of them were associated with royalty. It was not a â€Å"Golden Age† for the working class though. They had little money and struggled to stay alive due to lack of food and employment. They worked in factories or coalmines owned by the upper class. The entire play is set in one room, the dining room. The play begins with the Birling family, who appear respectable, celebrating the engagement between their daughter, Shelia Birling, and Gerald Croft, when an Inspector calls to question them regarding a suicide incident of a young... ... Shelia, but not at the same time. Gerald, Eric and Mrs Birling do not see the photograph, this is because they knew her by name, but she had several different names. She was known to Gerald as Daisy Renton whereas, Eric knew her as Eva Smith and Mrs Birling said Eva Smith called herself Mrs Birling. The audience is left to wonder why the Inspector has only shown this photograph to two people and whether or not it was the same photograph. This is another clue to the audience to show that he may not be a real Inspector. â€Å"An Inspector Calls† has been a very successful play because it is enjoyable to watch. The play holds the audience’s attention because of the continuous action. The play today continues to be very popular and the moral or message Priestly tries to put across, treat people how you want to be treated, still applies to a modern audience.

Film Scene Analysis On Racism Depicted In The Movie Crash Essay

In the film Crash we are given a picture of all different kinds of social and multicultural differences, giving us an eye opening and often disturbing examples of racism that damages our society. The scene I have chosen to analyze is between 18:30 – 21:05 minutes in the movie Crash. Cameron and Christine are a black well off couple. They experience stereotyping and racism when they are driving home from a party. A white police officer pulls them over and performs a search on both Cameron and Christine. This scene illustrates the social and racial tensions, with a racist white officer molesting an innocent black woman. The scene is located in a residential neighborhood, in an American City. Although the time of date is not stated it is very dark and probably late at night as there a few cars that pass through the entire scene. There is a Christmas tree in the background, suggesting that this is set during the winter. Although it is dark and gloomy, we can depict that it is cold as Cameron is wearing a turtleneck and blazer, and the policeman are also wearing jackets. The scene revolves around four major characters, Cameron (Husband), Christine (Wife), Officer John, and Officer Tom. Cameron and Christine are pulled over by the two officers whilst driving a Black Navigator. The cop car is directly behind the black navigator, however most of the scene takes place near the Black Navigator. Around the characters there are a few malnourished trees, alongside with blurred streetlights and shop signs. There are glimpses of residential houses in the background indicating that they are in a suburban area. Cameron’s costume is a beige turtleneck, with a Dark brown blazer and black dress pants. He is also wearing a wedding ring, black leather strap watch, and frameless glasses. Christine is wearing a white cocktail dress, with the majority of her body exposed. She is wearing diamond earrings and a wedding ring. Officer John and Tom are wearing police issued jackets, black button down  shirt, black pants and black leather shoes. There is a police badge stitched into the jacket, and on the left arm of the jacket showing their rank. Throughout the scene the dialogue is accompanied by a faint eerie melody that is played at slow tempo. As Officer John is molesting Christine the camera starts to follow John’s hands up and down her backside. Most of the time the camera is focused on the characters faces, to allow the viewer a deeper insight into the situation. Cameron and Christine are both of African decent, and first generation Americans. Christine mentions at the start that Cameron is a Buddhist, and does not drink; however Christine does not oblige to the same lifestyle. Cameron is 5ft10, 40-50 years old, around 160-180 pounds and has his hair slick back. Christine is 5ft7, 40-50 years old, around 120-140 pounds and has her hair tied back. Officer John is around 5ft10-11, 30-40 years old; around 170-190 pounds, and slick back hair. Officer Tom is a younger version of John, around the ages of 20-30, same height and around 150-170 pounds with unpolished hair. When Cameron and Christine are pulled over by the Police, they smile at each other as if they just cracked a joke. When the police officers approach the vehicle and ask Cameron to step out the car, Christine loses it and starts mouthing off at Officer John calling him a â€Å"cracker†, boiling his blood. A key moment in the scene is when Christine searched by Officer John, and glares at Cameron signaling for help. Cameron makes eye contact and looks away in sadness signaling there is nothing he can do. Although Cameron does not speak out, we can clearly tell he is in distress and controlling his anger displayed through non-verbal behavior (Elliot Aronson et Al, 2012). While Officer John runs his hands down Christine’s backside he constantly glances at Cameron showing him the distribution of power in this situation. Although Cameron may be a movie director, John proves to him he is an officer of the law and holds more power than his money can buy. Officer Tom handles contains Cameron as he is forced to watch his partner perform sinful acts on the poor housewife. Through his facial expressions we can depict that he is clearly uncomfortable with his partner’s action, however he is unable to act against them. Officer John clearly outranks Tom in terms of superiority, and must follow his orders. Officer John is portrayed as a troubled racist white that feels the need to establish his racial dominance and authority. Although this could have been a long stemming hatred towards blacks (Attribution Theory (Elliot Aronson et Al, 2012)), it seems that an incident prior to the scene may have triggered his reaction. An Availability Heuristic (Elliot Aronson; Timothy D. Wilson; Robin M. Akert, 2012) may have readily been available for John when he saw a black man receiving fellatio from either a white/black female. Christine as mentioned before is slightly drunk throughout the scene, and starts mouthing off at Officer John. Although both Cameron and Christine realize that this is an act of racism Christine acted out of line by turning a bad situation into a worse one. In a way she was acting out of her Gender Role (Elliot Aronson et Al, 2012) as the male should be the one to deal with situations like this. In the marriage vows it says that you must protect your partner at all times, and is a common known fact when associating Gender Roles (Elliot Aronson et Al, 2012). The traditionally male roles of â€Å"provider† and â€Å"protector† are especially examined when the police officer is molesting Christine, and Cameron just watches in silence and despair. It is arguable that when confronted by police there are certain Demand Characteristics (Elliot Aronson et Al, 2012) that should be done, however in this case Cameron acted like a coward. It is interesting to observe the interaction between Cameron and Christine throughout the scene. Cameron shows his male dominance by telling Christine to â€Å"Shut Up, Stop Talking† and stay out of the situation. This proves that Cameron’s Social Cognition (Elliot Aronson et Al, 2012) is that he is in power and that his wife should listen to his words. Another key thing that was observed during the analysis was that Cameron was more afraid of the consequences against his own future career than his wife. To elaborate Cameron knew that if he intervened with Officer John he would be arrested and be all over the news. He was more concerned with his own image than his wife, which is why he stood there helplessly watching. Once the officers left, we can see that Cameron has been morally degraded and on the verge of succumbing into insanity. Christine starts to blame Cameron for his cowardly actions, although he does not seem to care much on the outside we can depict that it is doing a number on him mentally. When I first  watched this scene I was shocked to see Officer John abuse his power, whilst at the same time surprised to see Cameron and Officer Tom watch helplessly. Especially Cameron being her husband he shows no signs to try and help Christine. This scene is a clear example of Modern Racism (Elliot Aronson et Al, 2012), and how certain roles in society have the ability to abuse their power. It is also very interesting to see how social psychology plays a big role in how certain people make decisions. Such as Christine speaking out of place, John molesting Christine, and Tom and Cameron acting as innocent bystanders. References Elliot Aronson; Timothy D. Wilson; Robin M. Akert (2012), Social Psychology, Eight Edition, New Jersey, Pearson Education Inc, Retrieved from Coursesmart Library

The Role of Men in Society Has Transformed Immensely

The role of men in society has transformed immensely. According to Dr. Phil, if men want to be successful in their marriage and family life, they have to change and broaden their definition of what it means to be successful as a man. Being a good provider, protector, leader and teacher is a privilege that comes with responsibilities that many men aren't aware of. A Provider Most men believe that being a good provider means supporting a family financially. It means much more than that. A man should also contribute to the emotional, spiritual, physical and mental well-being of his family. In order to do this, he must recognize that there are other currencies, in addition to money, that need to be provided. A Protector This means more than beating up the guy next door if he insults your wife. It means protecting her self-esteem and self-worth as well as your children's. It can also mean protecting your way of life and guarding against any threats to the things that you and your family value. A Leader Instead of waiting for your wife to take the initiative when you are having problems, take the lead. Get in the game and create what you want in your family instead of whining about your family situation. Marriage is not a 50/50 partnership. It's a 100/100 partnership. That means you give 100 percent. And remember, you get what you give. A Teacher What are you teaching those around you — especially your children — with your behavior? It's important to provide a good example for your children, loved ones and community with both words and deeds. Set high standards and teach by doing. The traditional roles of men and women were established to ensure the power of the head of household. Historically speaking, that head of household was always male. But the rapidly developing world has brought about many changes into the traditional roles of both men and women. We have been socialized to expect men to be brave, industrious and domineering, whereas women have been expected to be submissive, timid and nurturing. Nowadays, however, women do not have to rely on their husbands anymore to provide a financial support for the home and in many cases they become breadwinners and head of the home themselves. Thus, these changes have resulted in male losing his image and ego as the dominant gender in society. First of all, it is not possible to talk about the changing role of men without mentioning the transformation that the female role has come through. The contemporary social situation was caused in large degree by women anticipation and making them more â€Å"equal† to men. Females are not forced to stay at home nursing children and making diners, they are free to go to work and pursue a successful career. And even if a woman chances to bear a child, now she is encouraged to return to work as early as possible and in fact reproved if she does not. Therefore, in many cases men are expected to take over the duties of a housewife. Before long, it is men who do the everyday laundry, it is men who prepare children for school and pick them up afterwards, it is men who cook dinners and sew a button onto a worn out shirt. Especially if the woman’s career happens to be more successful and profitable. Hence, the purpose of men as the ‘alpha male', provider and protector within the family unit and the community as a whole, has become obscured and belittled. The vision between roles of men and women became blurred, leaving modern men in state of bewilderment. It is also key to look at the way in which the role of man as strong and masculine has become cliche. On the one hand, the stereotype of a strong, hunky, masculine man straight from the Marlboro advertisements falls into decline. Brutal, strong and ruthless men were long ago vigorously condemned. However, the new type of a man – gentle, sensitive, caring, grooming himself, not being afraid of giving vent to his feelings, a man who, when in need, will put on his shoulders the burden of taking care of house and children – still evokes mixed feelings due to making the impression of being too feminine. There are however opinions that men simply live up to the women’s expectations. The survey carried out last year asked men what it means to be a man in the 21st century, and â€Å"more than half think that society tries to feminize them, turning them into waxed and coiffed metrosexuals, and 52 per cent say that men have to live according to women's rules. † In the 90s the perception of a man was changing more than ever. The androgynous look was desired, and models who displayed womanly characteristics had more jobs than those looking like Brad Pitt. On account of that more and more males were following the trend of metrosexualism. Recently, it has been taken into extremes, where wearing a pink jumper is not perceived gay anymore, but rather as a manifestation of masculinity. Only men who do not show an exaggerated concern for their manliness and feel self-confident are not afraid to see themselves in pink. But it is not only the fashion trend that pushes men to pay more attention to their appearance, getting their nails polished by professional beauticians, or to step into shoes of â€Å"the lady of the house. It is in fact the lack of proper male models to copy. Let’s face it. Schools, places on which the life of every adolescent focuses, are overcrowded with female teachers. Thus, unlike their female peers, and during their formative developmental period, the young males have little opportunity to experience positive male role models. In consequence, when seeking some ideal to conform to boys tend to choose the person that guides them throughout most of their lives, and who unsurprisingly often happens to be the mother. Accordingly, men are desperately needed in all aspects of society to provide the male perspective. The blurred vision between the roles of men and women as well as more tolerant and modern society allowed women to take up jobs which were in the past years reserved only for men, and reversely. Men also go for jobs earmarked for women, such as dancers, hairdressers, even beauticians, and very often happen to be very successful. This does not mean that they are gay or effeminate. This is just another aspect of the evolution of society and meeting the needs of professional tolerance. All in all, the male role has not changed drastically in contemporary society. Looking from the angle of functionality, it is men in who we rest our hopes for holding power and solving everyday life issues. For this reason the majority of population still considers men the only breadwinners even though the reality evolved to the extent that is not necessarily true. Men's behavior has changed, their lifestyles as well, and their roles might also have gone some major transformations. But none of that matters, after all, sensitive, vulnerable women will always need beside them a shoulder to cry on.

Chapter 12 Triwizard Tournament

Through the gates, flanked with statues of winged boars, and up the sweeping drive the carriages trundled, swaying dangerously in what was fast becoming a gale. Leaning against the window, Harry could see Hogwarts coming nearer, its many lighted windows blurred and shimmering behind the thick curtain of rain. Lightning flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a halt before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps. People who had occupied the carriages in front were already hurrying up the stone steps into the castle. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville jumped down from their carriage and dashed up the steps too, looking up only when they were safely inside the cavernous, torch-lit entrance hall, with its magnificent marble staircase. â€Å"Blimey,† said Ron, shaking his head and sending water everywhere, â€Å"if that keeps up the lake's going to overflow. I'm soak – ARRGH!† A large, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling onto Ron's head and exploded. Drenched and sputtering, Ron staggered sideways into Harry, just as a second water bomb dropped – narrowly missing Hermione, it burst at Harry's feet, sending a wave of cold water over his sneakers into his socks. People all around them shrieked and started pushing one another in their efforts to get out of the line of fire. Harry looked up and saw, floating twenty feet above them, Peeves the Poltergeist, a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie, his wide, malicious face contorted with concentration as he took aim again. â€Å"PEEVES!† yelled an angry voice. â€Å"Peeves, come down here at ONCE!† Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and head of Gryffindor House, had come dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor and grabbed Hermione around the neck to stop herself from falling. â€Å"Ouch – sorry, Miss Granger -â€Å" â€Å"That's all right, Professor!† Hermione gasped, massaging her throat. â€Å"Peeves, get down here NOW!† barked Professor McGonagall, straightening her pointed hat and glaring upward through her square-rimmed spectacles. â€Å"Not doing nothing!† cackled Peeves, lobbing a water bomb at several fifth-year girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall. â€Å"Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!† And he aimed another bomb at a group of second years who had just arrived. â€Å"I shall call the headmaster!† shouted Professor McGonagall. â€Å"I'm warning you, Peeves -â€Å" Peeves stuck out his tongue, threw the last of his water bombs into the air, and zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely. â€Å"Well, move along, then!† said Professor McGonagall sharply to the bedraggled crowd. â€Å"Into the Great Hall, come on!† Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped and slid across the entrance hall and through the double doors on the right, Ron muttering furiously under his breath as he pushed his sopping hair off his face. The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair. The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. It was much warmer in here. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked past the Slytherins, the Ravenclaws, and the Hufflepuffs, and sat down with the rest of the Gryffindors at the far side of the Hall, next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. Pearly white and semitransparent, Nick was dressed tonight in his usual doublet, but with a particularly large ruff, which served the dual purpose of looking extra-festive, and insuring that his head didn't wobble too much on his partially severed neck. â€Å"Good evening,† he said, beaming at them. â€Å"Says who?† said Harry, taking off his sneakers and emptying them of water. â€Å"Hope they hurry up with the Sorting. I'm starving.† The Sorting of the new students into Houses took place at the start of every school year, but by an unlucky combination of circumstances, Harry hadn't been present at one since his own. He was quite looking forward to it. Just then, a highly excited, breathless voice called down the table. â€Å"Hiya, Harry!† It was Colin Creevey, a third year to whom Harry was something of a hero. â€Å"Hi, Colin,† said Harry warily. â€Å"Harry, guess what? Guess what, Harry? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!† â€Å"Er – good,† said Harry. â€Å"He's really excited!† said Colin, practically bouncing up and down in his seat. â€Å"I just hope he's in Gryffindor! Keep your fingers crossed, eh, Harry?† â€Å"Er – yeah, all right,† said Harry. He turned back to Hermione, Ron, and Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"Brothers and sisters usually go in the same Houses, don't they?† he said. He was judging by the Weasleys, all seven of whom had been put into Gryffindor. â€Å"Oh no, not necessarily,† said Hermione. â€Å"Parvati Patil's twin's in Ravenclaw, and they're identical. You'd think they'd be together, wouldn't you?† Harry looked up at the staff table. There seemed to be rather more empty seats there than usual. Hagrid, of course, was still fighting his way across the lake with the first years; Professor McGonagall was presumably supervising the drying of the entrance hall floor, but there was another empty chair too, and Harry couldn't think who else was missing. â€Å"Where's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?† said Hermione, who was also looking up at the teachers. They had never yet had a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who had lasted more than three terms. Harry's favorite by far had been Professor Lupin, who had resigned last year. He looked up and down the staff table. There was definitely no new face there. â€Å"Maybe they couldn't get anyone!† said Hermione, looking anxious. Harry scanned the table more carefully. Tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was sitting on a large pile of cushions beside Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, whose hat was askew over her flyaway gray hair. She was talking to Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department. On Professor Sinistra's other side was the sallow-faced, hook-nosed, greasy-haired Potions master, Snape – Harry's least favorite person at Hogwarts. Harry's loathing of Snape was matched only by Snape's hatred of him, a hatred which had, if possible, intensified last year, when Harry had helped Sirius escape right under Snape's overlarge nose – Snape and Sirius had been enemies since their own school days. On Snape's other side was an empty seat, which Harry guessed was Professor McGonagall's. Next to it, and in the very center of the table, sat Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, his sweeping silver hair and beard shining in the candlelight, his magnificent deep green robes embroidered with many stars and moons. The tips of Dumbledore's long, thin fingers were together and he was resting his chin upon them, staring up at the ceiling through his half-moon spectacles as though lost in thought. Harry glanced up at the ceiling too. It was enchanted to look like the sky outside, and he had never seen it look this stormy. Black and purple clouds were swirling across it, and as another thunderclap sounded outside, a fork of lightning flashed across it. â€Å"Oh hurry up,† Ron moaned, beside Harry, â€Å"I could eat a hippogriff.† The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the doors of the Great Hall opened and silence fell. Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first years up to the top of the Hall. If Harry, Ron, and Hermione were wet, it was nothing to how these first years looked. They appeared to have swum across the lake rather than sailed. All of them were shivering with a combination of cold and nerves as they filed along the staff table and came to a halt in a line facing the rest of the school – all of them except the smallest of the lot, a boy with mousy hair, who was wrapped in what Harry recognized as Hagrid's moleskin overcoat. The coat was so big for him that it hooked as though he were draped in a furry black circus tent. His small face protruded from over the collar, looking almost painfully excited. When he had lined up with his terrified-looking peers, he caught Colin Creevey's eye, gave a double thumbs-up, and mouthed, I fell in the lake! He looked positively delighted about it. Professor McGonagall now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty patched wizard's hat. The first years stared at it. So did everyone else. For a moment, there was silence. Then a long tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song: A thousand years or more ago, When I was newly sewn,There lived four wizards of renown, Whose names are still well known: Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor, Fair Ravenclaw, from glen, Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad, Shrewd Slytherin, from fin. They shared a wish, a hope, a dream, They hatched a daring plan To educate young sorcerers Thus Hogwarts School began. Now each of these four founders Formed their own house, for each Did value different virtues In the ones they had to teach. By Gryffindor, the bravest were Prized far beyond the rest; For Ravenclaw, the cleverest Would always be the best; For Hufflepuff, hard workers were Most worthy of admission; And power-hungry Slytherin Loved those of great ambition. While still alive they did divide Their favorites from the throng, Yet how to pick the worthy ones When they were dead and gone? Twas Gryffindor who found the way, He whipped me off his head The founders put some brains in me So I could choose instead! Now slip me snug about your ears, I've never yet been wrong, I'll have a look inside your mind And tell where you belong! The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished. â€Å"That's not the song it sang when it Sorted us,† said Harry, clapping along with everyone else. â€Å"Sings a different one every year,† said Ron. â€Å"It's got to be a pretty boring life, hasn't it, being a hat? I suppose it spends all year making up the next one.† Professor McGonagall was now unrolling a large scroll of parchment. â€Å"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool,† she told the first years. â€Å"When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table. â€Å"Ackerley, Stewart!† A boy walked forward, visibly trembling from head to foot, picked up the Sorting Hat, put it on, and sat down on the stool. â€Å"RAVENCLAW!† shouted the hat. Stewart Ackerley took off the hat and hurried into a seat at the Ravenclaw table, where everyone was applauding him. Harry caught a glimpse of Cho, the Ravenclaw Seeker, cheering Stewart Ackerley as he sat down. For a fleeting second, Harry had a strange desire to join the Ravenclaw table too. â€Å"Baddock, Malcolm!† â€Å"SLYTHERIN!† The table on the other side of the hall erupted with cheers; Harry could see Malfoy clapping as Baddock joined the Slytherins. Harry wondered whether Baddock knew that Slytherin House had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other. Fred and George hissed Malcolm Baddock as he sat down. â€Å"Branstone, Eleanor!† â€Å"HUFFLEPUFF!† â€Å"Cauldwell, Owen!† â€Å"HUFFLEPUFF!† â€Å"Creevey, Dennis!† Tiny Dennis Creevey staggered forward, tripping over Hagrid's moleskin, just as Hagrid himself sidled into the Hall through a door behind the teachers' table. About twice as tall as a normal man, and at least three times as broad, Hagrid, with his long, wild, tangled black hair and beard, looked slightly alarming – a misleading impression, for Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew Hagrid to possess a very kind nature. He winked at them as he sat down at the end of the staff table and watched Dennis Creevey putting on the Sorting Hat. The rip at the brim opened wide – â€Å"GRYFFINDOR!† the hat shouted. Hagrid clapped along with the Gryffindors as Dennis Creevey, beaming widely, took off the hat, placed it back on the stool, and hurried over to join his brother. â€Å"Colin, I fell in!† he said shrilly, throwing himself into an empty seat. â€Å"It was brilliant! And something in the water grabbed me and pushed me back in the boat!† â€Å"Cool!† said Colin, just as excitedly. â€Å"It was probably the giant squid, Dennis!† â€Å"Wow!† said Dennis, as though nobody in their wildest dreams could hope for more than being thrown into a storm-tossed, fathoms-deep lake, and pushed out of it again by a giant sea monster. â€Å"Dennis! Dennis! See that boy down there? The one with the black hair and glasses? See him? Know who he is, Dennis?† Harry looked away, staring very hard at the Sorting Hat, now Sorting Emma Dobbs. The Sorting continued; boys and girls with varying degrees of fright on their faces moving one by one to the three-legged stool, the line dwindling slowly as Professor McGonagall passed the L's. â€Å"Oh hurry up,† Ron moaned, massaging his stomach. â€Å"Now, Ron, the Sorting's much more important than food,† said Nearly Headless Nick as â€Å"Madley, Laura!† became a Hufflepuff. â€Å"Course it is, if you're dead,† snapped Ron. â€Å"I do hope this year's batch of Gryffindors are up to scratch,† said Nearly Headless Nick, applauding as â€Å"McDonald, Natalie!† joined the Gryffindor table. â€Å"We don't want to break our winning streak, do we?† Gryffindor had won the Inter-House Championship for the last three years in a row. â€Å"Pritchard, Graham!† â€Å"SLYTHERIN!† â€Å"Quirke, Orla!† â€Å"RAVENCLAW!† And finally, with â€Å"Whitby, Kevin!† (â€Å"HUFFLEPUFF!†), the Sorting ended. Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away. â€Å"About time,† said Ron, seizing his knife and fork and looking expectantly at his golden plate. Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome. â€Å"I have only two words to say to you,† he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. â€Å"Tuck in.† â€Å"Hear, hear!† said Harry and Ron loudly as the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes. Nearly Headless Nick watched mournfully as Harry, Ron, and Hermione loaded their own plates. â€Å"Aaah, ‘at's be'er,† said Ron, with his mouth full of mashed potato. â€Å"You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know,† said Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"There was trouble in the kitchens earlier.† â€Å"Why? Wha' ‘appened?† said Harry, through a sizable chunk of steak. â€Å"Peeves, of course,† said Nearly Headless Nick, shaking his head, which wobbled dangerously. He pulled his ruff a little higher up on his neck. â€Å"The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast – well, it's quite out of the question, you know what he's like, utterly uncivilized, can't see a plate of food without throwing it. We held a ghost's council – the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance – but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down.† The Bloody Baron was the Slytherin ghost, a gaunt and silent specter covered in silver bloodstains. He was the only person at Hogwarts who could really control Peeves. â€Å"Yeah, we thought Peeves seemed hacked off about something,† said Ron darkly. â€Å"So what did he do in the kitchens?† â€Å"Oh the usual,† said Nearly Headless Nick, shrugging. â€Å"Wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup. Terrified the house-elves out of their wits -â€Å" Clang. Hermione had knocked over her golden goblet. Pumpkin juice spread steadily over the tablecloth, staining several feet of white linen orange, but Hermione paid no attention. â€Å"There are house-elves here?† she said, staring, horror-struck, at Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"Here at Hogwarts?† â€Å"Certainly,† said Nearly Headless Nick, looking surprised at her reaction. â€Å"The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred.† â€Å"I've never seen one!† said Hermione. â€Å"Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day, do they?† said Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"They come out at night to do a bit of cleaning†¦see to the fires and so on†¦.I mean, you're not supposed to see them, are you? That's the mark of a good house-elf, isn't it, that you don't know it's there?† Hermione stared at him. â€Å"But they get paid?† she said. â€Å"They get holidays, don't they? And – and sick leave, and pensions, and everything?† Nearly Headless Nick chortled so much that his ruff slipped and his head flopped off, dangling on the inch or so of ghostly skin and muscle that still attached it to his neck. â€Å"Sick leave and pensions?† he said, pushing his head back onto his shoulders and securing it once more with his ruff. â€Å"House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!† Hermione looked down at her hardly touched plate of food, then put her knife and fork down upon it and pushed it away from her. â€Å"Oh c'mon, ‘Er-my-knee,† said Ron, accidentally spraying Harry with bits of Yorkshire pudding. â€Å"Oops – sorry, ‘Arry -† He swallowed. â€Å"You won't get them sick leave by starving yourself!† â€Å"Slave labor,† said Hermione, breathing hard through her nose. â€Å"That's what made this dinner. Slave labor.† And she refused to eat another bite. The rain was still drumming heavily against the high, dark glass. Another clap of thunder shook the windows, and the stormy ceiling flashed, illuminating the golden plates as the remains of the first course vanished and were replaced, instantly, with puddings. â€Å"Treacle tart, Hermione!† said Ron, deliberately wafting its smell toward her. â€Å"Spotted dick, look! Chocolate gateau!† But Hermione gave him a look so reminiscent of Professor McGonagall that he gave up. When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard. â€Å"So!† said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. â€Å"Now that we are all fed and watered,† (â€Å"Hmph!† said Hermione) â€Å"I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. â€Å"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it.† The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, â€Å"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. â€Å"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year.† â€Å"What?† Harry gasped. He looked around at Fred and George, his fellow members of the Quidditch team. They were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak. Dumbhedore went on, â€Å"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy – but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -â€Å" But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table. A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Hermione gasped. The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Harry had ever seen.It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening. One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye – and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness. The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbhedore shook it, muttering words Harry couldn't hear. He seemed to be making some inquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side. The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark gray hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students. â€Å"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?† said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. â€Å"Professor Moody.† It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students chapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid, who both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him. â€Å"Moody?† Harry muttered to Ron. â€Å"Mad-Eye Moody? The one your dad went to help this morning?† â€Å"Must be,† said Ron in a low, awed voice. â€Å"What happened to him?† Hermione whispered. â€Å"What happened to his face?† â€Å"Dunno,† Ron whispered back, watching Moody with fascination. Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a long draught from it. As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and Harry saw, below the table, several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot. Dumbledore cleared his throat. â€Å"As I was saying,† he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, â€Å"we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year.† â€Å"You're JOKING!† said Fred Weasley loudly. The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively. â€Å"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley,† he said, â€Å"though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar.† Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly. â€Å"Er – but maybe this is not the time†¦no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Dumbledore, â€Å"where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament†¦well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely. â€Å"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities – until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued.† â€Å"Death toll?† Hermione whispered, looking alarmed. But her anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly to one another, and Harry himself was far more interested in hearing about the tournament than in worrying about deaths that had happened hundreds of years ago. â€Å"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament,† Dumbledore continued, â€Å"none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger. â€Å"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money.† â€Å"I'm going for it!† Fred Weasley hissed down the table, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches. He was not the only person who seemed to be visualizing himself as the Hogwarts champion. At every House table, Harry could see people either gazing raptly at Dumbledore, or else whispering fervently to their neighbors. But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more. â€Å"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts,† he said, â€Å"the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age – that is to say, seventeen years or older – will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This -† Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious – â€Å"is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion.† His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred's and George's mutinous faces. â€Å"I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen. â€Å"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!† Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Mad-Eye Moody. There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall. â€Å"They can't do that!† said George Weasley, who had not joined the crowd moving toward the door, but was standing up and glaring at Dumbledore. â€Å"We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?† â€Å"They're not stopping me entering,† said Fred stubbornly, also scowling at the top table. â€Å"The champions'll get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!† â€Å"Yeah,† said Ron, a faraway look on his face. â€Å"Yeah, a thousand Galleons†¦.† â€Å"Come on,† said Hermione, â€Å"we'll be the only ones left here if you don't move.† Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George set off for the entrance hall, Fred and George debating the ways in which Dumbledore might stop those who were under seventeen from entering the tournament. â€Å"Who's this impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?† said Harry. â€Å"Dunno,† said Fred, â€Å"but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Aging Potion might do it, George†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Dumbledore knows you're not of age, though,† said Ron. â€Å"Yeah, but he's not the one who decides who the champion is, is he?† said Fred shrewdly. â€Å"Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he'll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore's trying to stop us giving our names.† â€Å"People have died, though!† said Hermione in a worried voice as they walked through a door concealed behind a tapestry and started up another, narrower staircase. â€Å"Yeah,† said Fred airily, â€Å"but that was years ago, wasn't it? Anyway, where's the fun without a bit of risk? Hey, Ron, what if we find out how to get 'round Dumbledore? Fancy entering?† â€Å"What d'you reckon?† Ron asked Harry. â€Å"Be cool to enter, wouldn't it? But I s'pose they might want someone older†¦.Dunno if we've learned enough†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I definitely haven't,† came Neville's gloomy voice from behind Fred and George. â€Å"I expect my gran'd want me to try, though. She's always going on about how I should be upholding the family honor. I'll just have to – oops†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Neville's foot had sunk right through a step halfway up the staircase. There were many of these trick stairs at Hogwarts; it was second nature to most of the older students to jump this particular step, but Neville's memory was notoriously poor. Harry and Ron seized him under the armpits and pulled him out, while a suit of armor at the top of the stairs creaked and clanked, laughing wheezily. â€Å"Shut it, you,† said Ron, banging down its visor as they passed. They made their way up to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, which was concealed behind a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink silk dress. â€Å"Password?† she said as they approached. â€Å"Balderdash,† said George, â€Å"a prefect downstairs told me.† The portrait swung forward to reveal a hole in the wall through which they all climbed. A crackling fire warmed the circular common room, which was full of squashy armchairs and tables. Hermione cast the merrily dancing flames a dark look, and Harry distinctly heard her mutter â€Å"Slave labor† before bidding them good night and disappearing through the doorway to the girls' dormitory. Harry, Ron, and Neville climbed up the last, spiral staircase until they reached their own dormitory, which was situated at the top of the tower. Five four-poster beds with deep crimson hangings stood against the walls, each with its owner's trunk at the foot. Dean and Seamus were already getting into bed; Seamus had pinned his Ireland rosette to his headboard, and Dean had tacked up a poster of Viktor Krum over his bedside table. His old poster of the West Ham football team was pinned right next to it. â€Å"Mental,† Ron sighed, shaking his head at the completely stationary soccer players. Harry, Ron, and Neville got into their pajamas and into bed. Someone – a house-elf, no doubt – had placed warming pans between the sheets. It was extremely comfortable, lying there in bed and listening to the storm raging outside. â€Å"I might go in for it, you know,† Ron said sleepily through the darkness, â€Å"if Fred and George find out how to†¦the tournament†¦.you never know, do you?† â€Å"S'pose not†¦.† Harry rolled over in bed, a series of dazzling new pictures forming in his mind's eye†¦.He had hoodwinked the impartial judge into believing he was seventeen†¦.he had become Hogwarts champion†¦he was standing on the grounds, his arms raised in triumph in front of the whole school, all of whom were applauding and screaming†¦he had just won the Triwizard Tournament. Cho's face stood out particularly clearly in the blurred crowd, her face glowing with admiration†¦. Harry grinned into his pillow, exceptionally glad that Ron couldn't see what he could.