Changes in the Earth’s Atmosphere Essay Example

Changes in the Earth’s Atmosphere Essay Presently, major climate changes are occurring in a global measure thus affecting many ecological and environmental conditions in the planet. All of the evidently noticeably climate shifts phenomenon in the planet can be scientifically traced as effects of the rising global temperature brought by major changes in the Earth’s atmosphere. Ozone depletion caused by ascending pollution rate brought by industrial revolution of the humanity is determined to be the most influential factor for this phenomenon. Climate change resulting from a warmer Earth has been determined to posts many environmental effects. Among of these is the rise in the global water level caused by the melting Polar Regions because of the hotter atmospheric conditions. This condition can adversely affect the water current resulting to the disruption of the balance of fresh water and salt water and the distribution of the oceanic temperature. In addition, atmospheric and meteorological activities namely typhoons, hurricanes, and tornadoes are also affected including the seasonal changes such as winter, monsoons, snow and summer. The rise in the Earth’s temperature and ozone depletion can also affect ecological and environmental aspects. Ultraviolet radiation can damage human health through skin disorders and diseases, optical damage and others. Crop yields and forest productivity will be significantly decrease since hotter atmosphere will dry up farms land becoming hostile to vegetation, alter irrigation systems, and will ignite forest fires. The normal balance of oceanic ecology will also be damage because ozone depletion will result to increase in water’s temperature. This condition will lead to increase plankton production and will disrupt the water’s life-support system. Fisheries and other marine life will die due to suffocation, hot temperature, and lack of food resources. Indeed, changes in Earth’ atmospheric condition and global temperature brought about by ozone depletion have many adverse effects on the capability of the planet to support life and their survival. We will write a custom essay sample on Changes in the Earth’s Atmosphere specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Changes in the Earth’s Atmosphere specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Changes in the Earth’s Atmosphere specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Bibliography Gardiner, Lisa (2004). Effects of Climate Change Today. Windows to the Universe. University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/climate/cli_effects.html. February 17, 2007.

How to Use the Word However - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog

How to Use the Word However - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog How to Use the Word â€Å"However† The adverb â€Å"however† is one that causes some confusion, so it’s important to use it correctly in your academic writing. But how is this term used? And how do you make its meaning clear in your written work? It’s all a matter of punctuation†¦ However (Whatever) This sense of â€Å"however† typically means â€Å"to whatever extent† or â€Å"in whatever manner†: I’ll catch you one day, however far you run! It’s not a formal event, so dress however you want. Note that in the examples above, there’s no punctuation between â€Å"however† and the thing it’s modifying (i.e., distance/mode of dress). Another (less common) use of this term is as a synonym for â€Å"how.† More specifically, it means â€Å"how under the circumstances,† so is typically used when referring to something challenging: However do proofreaders remember all those grammatical rules? As above, you’ll notice there is no punctuation between â€Å"however† and the rest of the sentence. However (Nevertheless) When this term is used as a conjunctive adverb to connect two contrasting points, it should be followed by a comma: I had planned to go out today. It was rainy, however, so I stayed inside. The initial results were positive. Further testing, however, is still required. Here, it is being used to contrast the latter sentence with the former. As such, we can reformulate these sentences to use â€Å"but† instead: I had planned to go out today, but it was rainy, so I stayed inside. The initial results were positive, but further testing is still required. Can I Start a Sentence with However? Since â€Å"however† can substitute for â€Å"but,† some claim it shouldn’t be used at the beginning of a sentence. Nevertheless, even if the idea that you shouldn’t use a conjunction like this were true, it wouldn’t apply in this case. Unlike the coordinating conjunction â€Å"but,† â€Å"however† is not used to link two independent clauses in a single sentence. As such, if you want to use it to contrast two points, you need to make sure they are both complete sentences. Beginning a sentence with â€Å"however† can even emphasize a contrast, since it flows more smoothly, foregrounds the comparison and ensures clarity: The initial results were positive. However, further testing is still required. But if you don’t want to use this term at the beginning of a new sentence, you can also connect two sentences with a semicolon: The initial results were positive; however, further testing is still required. However you choose to use â€Å"however,† however, make sure you punctuate correctly so that your reader will understand what you mean.

Assessment of a magazine advertisement Assignment

Assessment of a magazine advertisement - Assignment Example The consistent general theme of the advertisement is to focus on the numerous changes that have been made to the latest edition of the game; the advertisement shows that the game is much better than its earlier editions. The advertisement covers all the major areas of the game and most importantly all the important things which a gamer would want to know. It is very in-depth and lures the gamers into buying the game. The leading title perfectly relates to the advertisement. â€Å"Now, many of those sound just fine. The series has long needed better menus, and some less "plastic" presentation would also be great. But tiny little updates and a roster change is what bums people out about Madden year in year out, so as a massive FIFA fan heres hoping theres some more substantial improvements yet to be announced.† (The New FIFA) The advertisement has been designed mainly for the gamers, it is also likely to intrigue all people who love sports, it brings out the important and exciting aspects of the new edition of the game. The advertisement has been really well crafted, the major changes have also been highlighted, these are some of the changes which every gamer would like to see. The advertisement does not ask the reader to do anything, its main job is to take the excitement level of the gamers to another level and lure them into buying the game. The text of the advertisement only focuses on the strengths of the game making the reader believe that it is the best football game that has ever been made. Hence, the main job of the advertisement is to force gamers into buying the new game. There are no competitive advertisements, Konami a Japanese company releases a game called Pro Evolution Soccer to compete with the FIFA series but nothing has been heard of the new game by Konami so there is no competition as of yet. This is a very fine investment, it is a great

Energy Utilization in a Hand Soap Manufacturing Plant Essay

Energy Utilization in a Hand Soap Manufacturing Plant - Essay Example On the other hand, electrical energy is primarily utilized for lighting, refrigeration, generation of compressed air, and conveyance of raw materials and final products. Thermal energy could be generated from a wide array of boiler fuels, ranging from coal and firewood to diesel combustion. The main processes that utilize energy include those using thermal equipment like saponification, vacuum drying, mixing and plodding. In contrast, electric equipment constitutes air compressors, lighting system, and refrigeration plant, machines that handle material, boilers, electrical drives, and diesel generators, among others. Better understanding of energy consumption can be gained from consideration of the soap production processes individually (Wansbrough, 2013). The first process of significance is saponification. During this manufacturing phase, raw materials or fats are treated using thermal heat. The latter form of energy is usually in form of steam. Thermal treatment is conducted in pr esence of caustic soda, an alkali, resulting in formation of glycerin and soap. The thermal heat promotes reaction of raw fats with alkali forming grains of soap. Further boiling of the mixture with alkali makes it possible to create more soap grains. The resultant soap during this phase comprises of approximately 65% soap and 35% water, among other trace materials like salt and glycerin. The subsequent production stage involves soap washing. This is necessary to remove the excess glycerin and water presently in the soap mixture.

The Life of workers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Life of workers - Essay Example Even during the good times the wages provided were extremely low and the working conditions were hazardous. Very little portion of the wealth earned actually went to the workers. Periodic economic crises hit the nation and further increased the problems of the industrial wages leading to high levels of unemployment. On the other hand the technological improvements added to the productivity of the nation and hence increased the demands of the skilled labors. Yet the pools of the unskilled labors were constantly growing, just like the number of the immigrants. The laissez-faire capitalism actually dominated the latter half of the 19th century and increased huge concentrations of power and wealth. This was actually backed by certain elements of the judiciary system that ruled against any one that challenged the system. Many philosophers actually tagged this as Social Darwinism. The cost of such indifferences to the victims of the capitalism was high. The working conditions of the labors were poor and the chances of defeating poverty was very little. In the 1900s the United States of America had high job related fatalities. Most of the industrial workers worked for almost ten hours per day. In the steel industries the working hours went up to twelve hours sometimes. Still these people earned at least thirty to fifty percent less minimum deemed for a decent life. Here it needs to be mentioned that the first major effort to organize the worker on a national basis became apparent in the year 1869. This was organized by the Philadelphia garments workers and the group called the Noble Order of the Knights of Labor was open to all the workers including Afro Americans, farmers and women also. The knights started to grow slowly but soon started to face decline as the place was taken up by the American federation of Labor (Ashton, 1964). Women coalminers It has been already discussed that the life of a 19th century labor was extremely tough as the workers had to work for lo ng hours in extremely hazardous conditions and yet the workers used to struggle to maintain a healthy standard of living due to the low wages. The situation was worse for women in particular who actually made up of a high percentage of the work force in some of the industries and yet used to receive a mere fraction of the wages a male worker can earn. Various women workers have reported that the sometimes they had to make 7 shillings a week and work from six o’clock in the morning till six o’clock in the night. The women had to put belt around the waist and chains passed through the legs. Here it needs to be mentioned that these statements were recorded before 1874 when the city of Massachusetts passed the first legislation of the nation to limit the number of the hours for women and also children (Winstanley, 1998). Sanitary Conditions The health and sanitation was a major concern. As industrial revolutions developed the health and welfare of the workers went down. In USA the industrial revolutions and the bad effects on the health of the workers were first experienced. This lead to a movement towards the sanitation reforms leading the establishment of various public health institutions. Specifications The 19th century workers were mainly victims of poor social and legislative structures that saw the rich get richer and the poor becoming poorer. Also the workers did not have any organized unions that could stand up for the works. Also the industrial

Putative S-Adenosyl Methionine Dependent Ironâ€Sulfur

Putative S-Adenosyl Methionine Dependent Iron–Sulfur Identification and Characterization of a Putative S-Adenosyl Methionine dependent Iron–Sulfur containing protein from  Methanococcus Jannaschii Qi Liu Research Proposal Dr. MishtuDey Dr. M. Lei Geng Dr. Leonard R. MacGillivray Dr. Amnon Kohen Dr. Daniel Quinn Introduction Biological methane formation is a microbial process that is catalyzed by microbes called methanogens, which belong to the third kingdom of life, the Archaea. Methane is formed at the final catalytic step by methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR), in which coenzyme B (CoBSH, N-7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine) donates two electrons to reduce methyl-coenzyme M. MCR is a 300kDa enzyme, which is composed of three different subunits in an ÃŽ ±2ÃŽ ²2ÃŽ ³2 arrangement and contains 2 mol of the nickel tetrapyrrole coenzyme F430, which are buried deeply within the protein complex[1]. There are five modified amino acids were found out on the ÃŽ ±-subunit and near the active site of MCR from methanothermobacter marburgensis based on the X-ray crystallographic studies. They are 1-N-methylhistitine (HisÃŽ ±400), 5-(S)-methylarginine (ArgÃŽ ±271), 2-(S)-methylglutamine (GluÃŽ ±400), S-methylcysteine (CysÃŽ ±452), where the side chains are methylated and one thioglycine (GlyÃŽ ±445) forming a thiopeptide bo nd (Figure 1). Since the DNA sequence of the encoding MCR gene shows no unsusal condons or unusual codon usages at the positions in which the five modified amino acids were found, the modifications are introduced after translation [1]. According to vivo labeling experiments with L-(methyl-D3)-methionine, people found that the methyl groups from the modified amino acids are introduced biosynthetically from the methyl group of methionine by specific S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) dependent Figure1. Post Translational Modifications in MCR  enzymes. These methyl translational modifications are catalyzed by protein methylases that specifically recognize the amino acid sequences up and downstream of amino acid to be methylated. The genome of methanogens has many open reading frame predicted to be putative methyltransferases, which also agrees with the proposal that there are four different SAM-dependent protein methylases are involved in the post translation modification. A search of six kn own methanogenic genomes led to the identification of conserved open reading frame around the MCR gene cluster. Some methangenic archaea contain two MCR isoenzymes, designated MCR1 and MCR2. This conserved hypothetical protein is found around MCR1 in Methanococcus jannaschii and Methanobacterium thermobacter. The open reading frame from Methanococcus jannaschii, MJ0841 is annotated as a conserved hypothetical protein, which is found to be related to the radical SAM enzyme superfamily. The signature motif of SAM radical enzymes is three cysteine motif â€Å"CX3CX2C† (Figure 2), multiple sequence alignment of the putative gene from methanogens show the conserved CXGFCXXC, which is known to coordinate to [4Fe-4S] cluster. (Figure 3) Figure 2. Multiple Sequence Alignment of MJ0841 Homologues from Different Methanogens Figure 3. [4Fe–4S] cluster coordinated by three-cysteine motif CxxxCxxC. The fourth iron of the cluster interacts with a bound SAM. Specific Aims It is interesting and important to determine the function of this hypothetical protein. We speculate that this hypothetical protein, MJ0841, could be a possible candidate responsible for the post-translation modification of the methylated amino acids, or, is involved in the formation of the thioglycine in MCR. Research Plan, Results and Discussion Expression and Purification of MJ0841 MJ0841, a 1248bp gene, was cloned into pET28a vector. The resulting plasmid was transformed in E.coli BL21(DE3) cells for gene expression. In order to increase the iron content, MJ0841 was also co-expressed with PDB1282. Overnight cell culture grown at 37oC in Luria-Bertani (LB) medium containing both kanamycin (50ug/ml) and ampicillin (100ug/ml) was inoculated, in a 100-fold dilution, into Terrific Broth (TB) media aerobically at 37oC. FeCl3 was also added to a final concentration of 100uM to be as the iron content for iron-sulfur cluster during the growth when OD600 was around 0.3. Protein expression was then induced at OD600 of 0.6 to 0.7 with addition of Isopropyl ÃŽ ²-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) to final concentration of 0.5mM. After overnight incubation at 37oC around 18hours, the cells were harvested by centrifugation at 5000rpm for 30mins at 4oC, and stored at -80oC. The following procedures were all carried out in oxygen free environment at 20oC. Purification was conducted anaerobically at oxygen level always below 2.0ppm in anaerobic chamber. 23g Cell were moved into anaerobic chamber and resuspended in 120mL lysis buffer (50mM tris-HCl, 300mM NaCl, 5% glycerol pH 7.5), and Phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) 1mM final concentration, 3 tablets of protease inhibitor, 2-mercaptomethanol 10mM) for 15mins. The cells were lysed by sonication for 15mins followed by centrifugation at 30,000 rpm for 40mins at 4oC to remove the cell debris. The supernatant was applied to a packed 15mL Ni-NTA resin column equilibrated with lysis buffer. The column was then washed with 5 column volume of wash buffer (50mM tris-HCl, 300mM NaCl, 10mM IMD, 5% glycerol, pH 7.5). The brownish protein was eluted by gradient elution with 5 column volume of wash buffer and 5 column volume elution buffer (50mM tris-HCl, 300mM NaCl, 200mM IMD, 5% glycerol, pH 7.5). SDS-PAGE was applied to analyze the desired clean protein fractions, which were then combined an d set for overnight dialysis with dialysis buffer (50mM tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 5% glycerol) with slow stirring. The pooled fractions were concentrated using an Amicon centrifugal filter with a 30kDa molecular weight cut off (MWCO). The collected protein was further purified with 20mL packed Q-sepharose column equilibrated with lysis buffer (50mM tris-HCl, 5% glycerol, pH 7.5). The column was then washed with 5 column volume of wash buffer (50mM tris-HCl, 200mM NaCl, 5% glycerol, pH 7.5). The brownish protein was eluted by gradient elution with 5 column volume of wash buffer and 5 column volume elution buffer (50mM tris-HCl, 700mM NaCl, 5% glycerol, pH 7.5). SDS-PAGE was applied to analyze the desired clean protein fractions, which were then combined for reconstitution (Figure 4). Figure 4. SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis analysis of MJ0841 purification fractions Reconstitution of the [4Fe-4S] Cluster of MJ0841 in Vitro The above apo-protein (16uM, 40ml) was incubated with final concentration of 5mM DTT for 1h with slow stirring at room temperature. Then, cystein was added into the above solution by dropwise to reach 10 molar folds excess of protein. After 30mins incubation, 10 molar excess of Fe(NH4)2(SO4)2 was added slowly to provide enough iron content for iron sulfur cluster and incubated for 30mins. The resulting solution was incubated with 10 molar excess of Na2S finally, and the brownish protein solution changed to dark brown after adding Na2S. The above final protein solution was kept in 4oC overnight around 14 hours for building up enough [4Fe-4S] clusters. In order to remove the unbounded iron and sulfur, the overnight reconstituted protein was concentrated to 2.5 – 3ml of final volume and loaded onto a 5mL PT10 column equilibrated with lysis buffer (50mM tris-HCl, 5% glycerol, pH 7.5), and the final pure protein was combined. Reduction of [4Fe-4S] Cluster UV-vis spectroscopy was applied here for detecting the reduction of [4Fe-4S] cluster. A characteristic peak for [4Fe-4S] cluster was shown up near 412nm before reducing. Sodium Dithionite was used as the reducing agent and the stock solution was prepared freshly right before adding into the protein. 100 equivalents of sodium dithionite were mixed with concentrated protein, and the peak at 412nm was reduced (Figure 5). According to the results from UV-vis, the 4Fe-4S cluster was built up by reconstitution, also the [4Fe-4S]2+ was reduced to [4Fe-4S]+ by the reduction of sodium dithionite. Figure 5. UV-vis spectra of purified reconsituted MJ0841 Figure 6. EPR spectrum of as-isolated MJ0841 (blue trace) and purified reconstituted MJ0841 originating from a [3Fe-4S]+ cluster. reduced with 100 equiv sodium dithionite (red trace) EPR samples preparation and spectral collection EPR spectrums of as-isolated, oxidized and reduced form of MJ0841 are detected at 10K. All samples are prepared anaerobically. As-isolated protein was prepared with the protein without reconstitution, and exhibits a strong isotropic EPR signal, which is centered at g=2.01 same as the g=2.01 signal of the [3Fe-4S]+ cluster form (Figure 6). The oxidized form protein containing [4Fe-4S]2+ was prepared by injecting 200ul concentrated protein purified through PD10 column into EPR tube, and it normally shows silent EPR signal (Figure 7). Reduced form of as-isolated protein was performed by mixing with 100 equivalents of sodium dithionite with 200ul concentrated protein, which gives the reduction form of [4Fe-4S]+ cluster and shows the characteristic EPR signal with g factors of g=2.03 and g=1.92 (Figure 8). Figure 7. EPR spectrum of oxidized form of MJ0841. Figure 8. EPR spectrum of reduced form of MJ0841. SAM cleavage activity of MJ0841 The characteristic reaction for detecting radical SAM enzymes is reductive cleavage of SAM into S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) and 5’-deoxyadenosyl radical (5’dAdo). Assays were conducted under strict anaerobic conditions. The reaction assay contains the following: 50mM Tris-HCl, 5mM DTT, 5Mm sodium dithionite, 0.5mM SAM. Reactions were initiated by addition of SAM and carried out at 20oC for 20 hours. The control reaction was run under the same conditions as the above assay, but without presence of protein. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) (final concentration 5% v/v) was added to quench the reactions, which then were identified by HPLC analysis. HPLC analysis of SAM cleavage assay products After quenching by TFA, the reaction mixture was centrifuged and the supernatant was applied into HPLC analysis. 10ul of assay mixture was injected into C18 column, which had been pre-equilibrated with equilibrium buffer (40mM ammonium acetate, pH=6.2). Then the column was washed with a linear gradient from 0-50% acetonitrile for 30mins at room temperature to detect SAH and 5’dAdo. The UV-detector was set at wavelength 258nm, and the standard samples, SAM, SAH, and 5’dAdo, were run with the same condition as SAM cleavage reaction products. According to the retention time comparison between standard samples and products, formation of SAH and 5’dAdo were all detected via HPLC analysis when enzyme was present. In the absence of enzyme MJ0841, SAM was not consumed at all and there were no any products peak formed, which confirmed the SAM was cleaved by enzyme. The dark blue, red, light blue traces show the relative intensities of 5’dAdo, SAH, and SAM standards. The green trace shows the assay with the use of reconstituted MJ0841, and the SAH and 5’dAdo were both observed. The purple trace shows the control assay without MJ0841, and there was not any of 5’dAdo formed (Figure 9). Figure 9. HPLC analysis of the SAM cleavage assays Conclusions Future Work Initial results seem to show the [4Fe-4S] cluster and the enzyme activity. Since SAM was cleaved enzymatically, the products will be detected by mass spectroscopy to confirm the formation SAH and 5’dAdo. Furthermore, probable substrates of MJ0841 will be prepared, which should contain the amino acids that would be modified. The activity assays with substrates will be examined to detect the desired methylation reaction on substrates.

Comparing the Eras: Puritan vs Present Essay -- Comparing Compare Cont

Comparing the Eras: Puritan vs Present In the Bible I follow it is said that Jesus is Mother Mary’s adored son, â€Å"Flesh of my flesh and Blood of my blood,† and in fact any child is a being created by the bond between the parents, flesh of their flesh and blood of their blood. Whether a child was born during the Puritan era, or born as of yesterday, the birth of the child would remain unchanged, but what is not evident is whether there is any similarity in the upbringing of a child between the two different eras. When studying the Puritan era and the life of a Puritan child, and comparing it to the way I was raised, and the way I raise my children, I began to wonder which of the two eras would be the most favorable. During the seventeenth century the female children were expected to do house work such as washing everything manually whereas in today’s world we have the luxury of using dishwashers and washing machines to ease our daily lives, and most importantly most children are not expected to do such chores. Many children now-a-days may have loving and affectionate relationships with their parents, and many children may even think of their parents as their friend, and still have respect towards their parents whereas the children of the Puritan era were taught to respect their parents by fearing them. In â€Å"The Puritan Family: Religion and Domestic Relations in Seventeenth-Century New England,† Edmund S. Morgan writes, â€Å"According to Cobbet, filial reverence consisted of a holy respect and fear both of a parent’s person and of his words; a reverent child†¦.† Present day, the average child is allowed to be a child—play, have fun, run around—and most importantly is given a future of opportunities while the children... ...ised. Puritan parents placed their children in a different home to learn better manners, and some children today are placed in military schools. The difference is that it was normal for Puritan parents to place their child in another person’s home while some parents now-a-days use military schools as a way to punish their child. The courts in the Puritan days would punish the children which may be similar to today’s courts punishing the juveniles who commit a crime, but the difference is that in the Puritan days the courts would interfere when a child was disobedient towards a parent whereas the courts now become involved mostly when a child actually commits a crime outside of the home, and it is a parent’s job to discipline the child at home. I am content with only experiencing the Puritan days through books because I do not agree with the Puritans way of life.

Night World : Witchlight Chapter 16

We were so careful, she thought, setting up wards three days early and having agents watch the house. Nothing got inside during those three days; we were sure of that, and so we thought we were safe. But we didn't stop to think-what if the dragon was already inside when we put the wards up? Brett. He's the dragon. It could take on any shape, assume any animal's form, and know all that the animal knew. A human being was an animal. So why couldn't it touch a human and know all the human knew? It would be the perfect disguise. And we all fell for it, Keller thought. I knew there was something creepy about him, but I just put it down to him being obnoxious. And he's been here all the time, inside the wards, laughing at us, waiting for Iliana to come. And Iliana's with him right now. Keller felt sure of that in her gut. She wanted to throw herself against the door again, but that wouldn't do any good. She needed to be calm now, to think, because she couldn't afford to waste any time. The window. Keller tried to open it, looking down at a hedge of rhododendron bushes below. The sash was stuck, nailed fast. But it didn't matter. Glass was more breakable than wood. She stepped back and changed. Melting, flowing, jumpsuit becoming fur. Tail shooting free. Ears. Whiskers. Heavy paws thumping down. A single long stretch to get used to the new body and being on four feet instead of two. She was a panther, and she felt good. Strong and mean. Her muscles were like steel under her soft coat, and her big paws were twitching to bat someone silly. That dragon would be sorry he'd ever messed with her. With a rasping yowl that she couldn't help, she gathered herself and sprang straight at the window. The full weight of her panther body hit the glass, and it shattered, and then she was flying in the cold night air. She got cut. Panthers actually had thin and delicate skin compared to other animals. But she was indifferent to the pain. She landed and took off running, shaking her paws in flight to get rid of little bits of glass. She raced around the mansion, looking for a place to enter. Eventually, she found a low, unshuttered window, and once again, she gathered herself and jumped. She landed in a sitting room with glass falling all around her onto a fine, old carpet Brett. And Iliana. She would smell them out. She lifted her muzzle, smelling currents in the air. At the same time, she expanded her sense of hearing to its fullest. No Iliana. She couldn't get even a whiff of her. That was bad, but she would try again from the game room, where Iliana had been last. That was where she was going anyway, because that was where Brett was. Not Brett, she reminded herself as she loped through corridors and rooms. The dragon. She raced through the ballroom and heard a scream. She barely turned her head to notice a girl standing frozen, just lifting her hand to point. The college band crashed to a halt, almost as one, except the drummer, who went on playing for a moment with his eyes shut. Keller ignored them all, running at top speed and leaping down the stairs, her heavy front paws hitting the carpeted floor first, then her back paws hitting almost on either side of them. Each spring propelled her into the next. She burst into the game room. For an instant, she stood still, taking in the scene. She wanted to make sure with her eyes that what her ears and her nose told her was true: Iliana wasn't here. It was true. Winnie was missing, too, and Keller couldn't smell them anywhere. Then someone spotted her, a full-grown panther, jet black, with glowing eyes and long teeth just showing as she panted gently, standing in the doorway with her tail lashing. â€Å"Oh, my God!† The voice soared over the babble. â€Å"Look at that!† Everyone looked. Everyone froze for an instant. Chaos erupted. Girls were screaming. Boys were yelling. Plenty of boys were screaming, too. They saw her, and they fell over themselves, diving for the exits or for hiding places. They poured out of the room, dragging each other, sometimes trampling each other. Keller gave a loud, snarling yowl to help them on, and they scattered like chickens. The only one Keller cared about was the Brett-dragon. He turned and ran down a corridor. Luring her? He must be. Maybe he didn't realize she had found out yet Maybe he had some reason for continuing the charade. She threw her head back and gave a snarl that resounded through the house. It wasn't just anger. It was calling Nissa and Galen. If they could hear her, they would understand and come running. Then she took off after the dragon. As she loped down the corridor, she changed again. This time, she couldn't just try to kill him; she needed to be able to talk. But she also needed her claws, so she changed to her half-and-half form, fur shriveling off her arms, body rearing up to run on booted feet, hair flying out behind her. The dragon was almost at the end of the corridor when she jumped him. She knocked him down and rolled him over, straddling him. She was braced to feel the agony of the dark power crackling through her, but it didn't come. She pinned his arms and showed her teeth and screamed in his face. â€Å"Where is she? What did you do with her?† The face looked back at her. It looked just like Brett, just like a human. It was sickly white, with rolling eyeballs and spittle at the corners of the mouth. The only answer she got was a moan of what sounded like terror. â€Å"Tell me! Where is she?† â€Å"-it's not my fault†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What?† She lifted his body and banged it down again. His head flopped on his neck like a dead fish. He looked like someone about to faint Something was wrong. â€Å"She's in the bedroom with my parents. They're all asleep-or something-â€Å" His forehead. When she shook him, his hair flew around. It was uncharacteristically messy, but the forehead underneath was smooth. â€Å"I couldn't help it He did something to my brain. I couldn't even think until a few minutes ago. I just did what he told me to do. I was like a robot! And you don't know what it was like, having him in the house the last three days, and feeling like a puppet, and when he let go a few minutes ago, I thought I was going to be killed-â€Å" The babbling went on, but Keller's mind had disengaged. She had lots of thoughts all at once, like layers in a parfait. Chalk up another ability for dragons: telepathic mind control. Of weak human subjects, anyway. Nissa was right* the Night World did know what had happened in the music room. The substitution was probably made right after that. They could have grabbed Jaime on her way back to class. The car incident was designed to make us sympathetic and to lull our suspicions before they began. We thought of her as a victim. The doctors at the hospital must have been controlled, too. They had to have been-they'd looked at Jaime's head. Jaime's headaches have kept her at home for the past three days, so she never had to cross the wards. Diana trusts Jaime implicitly and would go anywhere with her without a fight Jaime wears bangs. And on the last layer, rushing at her cold and sharp as crystal: Jaime is the dragon. Jaime is the dragon. A vast, silent calm seemed to have filled Keller. She felt as if there was too much space inside her head. Very slowly, she looked down at Brett again. â€Å"Stop talking.† It was almost a whisper, but his gabble stopped as if she'd turned off a faucet â€Å"Now. Who's in the bedroom with your parents? Your sister?† He nodded, terrified. Tears spurted out of his eyes. â€Å"Your real sister.† He nodded again. They must have brought her in sometime, Keller thought. Certainly before we put the wards up and started checking cars, maybe even before the fake Jaime got back from the hospital. Why they'd kept her alive was a mystery, but Keller didn't have time to worry about it â€Å"Brett,† she said, still in a careful whisper, â€Å"what I want to know is where Iliana is. Do you know where she's been taken?† He choked. ‘1 don't know. He didn't tell me anything, even when he was in my mind. But I noticed-4here were some people down in the cellar. I think they were making a tunnel.† A tunnel. Under the wards, of course. So we were made fools of twice. She had to grit her teeth to keep from screaming. The floor plan of the house was a blur in her mind. She hauled Brett up by his shirt and said, â€Å"Where's the basement door? Show me!† Ic-can't-â€Å" â€Å"Move!† He moved, staggering. She followed, pushing him along, until they got to a door and stairs. Then he collapsed. â€Å"Down there. Don't ask me to go with you. I can't. I can't look at him again.† He huddled, rocking himself. Keller left him. Three stairs down, she bounded back up and grabbed him by the shirt. â€Å"That phone call from Iliana's mother-does he really have the baby?† She need to know if it came to bargaining. â€Å"I don't know,† Brett moaned in a sick voice. He was clutching his stomach as if he were wounded. â€Å"There wasn't any phone call, but I don't know what he's been doing.† He threw her a desperate look and whispered hoarsely, â€Å"What is he?† Keller dropped him. â€Å"You don't want to know,† she said, and left him again. She took the stairs very quietly but very quickly. Her senses were open, but the farther she went down, the less useful they were. They were being swamped by an overpowering sickly-sweet odor and by a rushing sound that seemed to fill her head. By the time she got to the last step, her fur was bristling, and her heart was pounding. Her tail stood out stiffly, and her pupils were wide. It was very dark, but details of the room slowly came into focus. It was a large furnished basement, or had been. Now every piece of furniture seemed to be broken and piled in a heap in the corner. There was a raw hole in one concrete wall, a hole that opened into a black tunnel. And the sickly-sweet smell came from piles of dung. They were lying on the floor all around, along with giant scratch marks that had dug grooves into the tile. The entire place looked like nothing so much as a huge animal's den. She couldn't sense anything alive in the room. Keller moved toward the tunnel, fast but stealthy. Ripple, freeze. Ripple, freeze. Leopards could move this way across grassland bare of cover and not be seen. But nothing jumped out to attack her. The mouth of the tunnel was wet, the soil crumbly. Keller climbed in, still moving lightly. Water dripped from the mat of roots and earth above her. The whole thing looked ready to cave in at any moment. He must have made it The dragon. Goddess knows how; maybe with claws. Anyway, he wasn't too fussy about it; it was meant to be a temporary thing. The smell was just as powerful here, and the rushing sound was even clearer. There must be an underground stream-or maybe just water pipes- very close. Come on, girl, what are you waiting for? You're a grunt, it's your job to move! Don't stand around trying to think! It was hard to make herself go deeper and deeper into that damp and confining place. Her senses were all useless, even sight, because the bore twisted and turned so she could never see more than a few feet ahead. She was heading blind and deaf into she had no idea what. At any moment, she might reach a shaft or a side tunnel where something could attack her. And the feel of the earth above her was almost crushing. She kept going. Please let her be alive. He doesn't need to kill her. He should try to make her join him first Please, please, don't let him have killed her. After what seemed like forever, she realized that the angle of the tunnel was changing. She was heading up. Then a current of air swirled to her, barely sniffable under the thick dragon smell, and it was fresh. Night air. Somewhere ahead. The end of the tunnel. A new panic invaded her. Please don't let them have gotten away. She threw aside all caution and sprinted. Up, up-and she could smell it clearly now. Cold air, unfouled. Up, up-and she could hear sounds. A yell that suddenly broke off. The voice sounded like- Galen! she thought, and her heart tore. Then she saw light Moonlight. She gathered her muscles and jumped. She scrambled out of the mouth of the tunnel. And there, in moonlight that hurt her eyes, she saw everything. A car, a black Jeep, parked under a tree. The engine running but the seats empty. And in front of it, what looked like a battlefield. There were bodies everywhere. Several were vampires in black-dark ninjas. But also on the ground were the bodies of Nissa and Winnie and Galen. So they followed, a distant part of Keller's mind said, not interfering in the slightest with the part that was getting ready for the fight. They followed the dragon-which must have done something to Winnie to get Iliana away from her. That was why I couldn't smell anybody; they all went into the tunnel while I was upstairs with brother Brett. She couldn't tell if they were dead. They were all tying very still, and there was blood on Winnie's head and on Nissa's right arm and back. Blood and daw marks. And Galen†¦ he was sprawled out full-length, with no signs of breathing. He wasn't even a warrior. He'd never had a chance. Then Keller saw something that drove the others out of her head. The dragon. It was standing near the Jeep, but frozen, as if it had just wheeled to face her. It was holding a limp figure in silvery-white casually, almost tucked under its arm. And it still looked like Jaime Ashton-Hughes. It was wearing Jaime's pretty blue dress. Its soft brown hair blew gently about its face, and Keller could feel its dark blue eyes fixed on her. But there were differences, too. Its skin was deadly pale, and something yellowish was oozing from a cut on its cheekbone. Its lips were drawn back from its teeth in a grinning snarl that Jaime never could have managed. And when the wind blew the soft hair off its forehead, Keller could see horns. There they were. Stubby and soft-looking-or at least soft on the outside, like downy skin over bone. They were so obviously real and yet so grotesque that Keller felt her stomach turn. And there were five of them. Five. The book said one to three! Keller thought indignantly. And in rare cases four. But this thing has five! Five seats of shapeshifting power, not to mention the black energy, mind control, and whatever else it's been keeping up its sleeve just for me. I'm dead. Well, she had known that from the beginning, of course. She'd known it six days ago when she first leaped for the dragon's back in the mall. But now the realization was more bitter, because not only was she dead, so was all hope. I can't kill that thing. It's going to slaughter me as easily as the others. And then take Iliana. It didn't matter. She had to try. â€Å"Put the girl down,† she said. She kept her half-and-half shape to say it. Maybe she could startle it by changing suddenly when she sprang. â€Å"I don't think so,† the dragon said with Jaime's mouth. It had Jaime's voice down perfectly. But then it opened the mouth, and basso profundo laughter came out, so deep and startling that Keller felt ice down her spine. â€Å"Come on,† Keller said. â€Å"Neither of us wants her hurt.† While she was talking, she was moving slowly, trying to circle behind it. But it turned with her, keeping its back to the Jeep. â€Å"You may not,† the dragon said. â€Å"But I really don't care. She's already hurt; I don't know if she'll make it anyway.† Its grin spread wider. â€Å"Put her down,† Keller said again. She knew that it wouldn't. But she wanted to keep talking, keep it off guard. She also knew it wasn't going to let her get behind it. Panthers naturally attack from behind. It wasn't going to be an option. Keller's eyes shifted to the huge and ancient pine tree the Jeep was parked under. Or they didn't actually shift, because that would have given the dragon a clue. She expanded her awareness to take it in. It was her chance. â€Å"We haven't even properly introduced ourselves-† she began. And then, in mid-sentence, she leaped.

Spanking should not be allowed

Spanking should not be allowed Spanking has been a method of disciplining children in China for quite some time because it is believed that it is the best approach to educate a child. It involves intentionally inducing temporary pain to the buttocks of a child using the hand (Ferguson 196). There are other forms of spanking where parents use other objects to inflict the pain.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Spanking should not be allowed specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At this point, it is referred to as corporal punishment that has globally been identified as child abuse. In most countries, child abuse is considered violent because it involves physical punishment that results to pain. As such, both spanking and violence are forms of child abuse because they are administered with the sole aim of inflicting pain to the child (Straus 7). The major difference between spanking and violence is that spanking does not lead to physical injuries as in cas e of aggression. Therefore, the act of spanking children is a method of teaching children to become aggressive and should not be allowed (Straus 7). This paper will discuss the reasons why spanking should not be allowed. Young children learn how to handle conflicts in life through the association with their parents. Research has shown that parents who spank their children affect their conflict resolution behavior because such children become hostile (Taylor 57). For example, I grew up in a family where my mother based her discipline method on spanking. This was normal until I became used to it as a way of life. Every day I would expect to be hit because I liked playing with the neighbors children something my mother had forbidden me from doing. On several occasions I would also do the same to my younger sister when we had been left alone. As if this was not enough, every day I had a fighting case at school because I would strike anybody who appeared junior than me whenever they wron ged me. Ever since, I have solved my issues through cruelty. This proves that children brought up in families that practice spanking became vicious in the future. Therefore, spanking should not be allowed in children. Most parents take spanking as a right because the same was administered to them when they were young. Supporters of the act claim that it enables a child to grow and learn to behave in a proper manner. This is not the case because it does not allow a child to understand why he or she is spanked in the first place (Straus 10).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More My experience when I was a young boy supports the fact that this act does not facilitate learning, but it instills a sense of fear. One day I wanted to touch a stove while my mother was preparing tea in the morning. I had seen her touch the stove several times and I wanted to feel it too. My mother slapped m e immediately as I attempted to do it. Since that day I have never wished to touch the hot stove although I wondered why I was not allowed. As I grew up I learned that the stove was hot and it would have burnt my hand something my mother never told me. Therefore, spanking does not support learning, but it is just an approach to instill fear in children. The major role of parents is to provide protection and nurture their children to become good and responsible individuals in the future. Children take their parents as their role models because they value their parents so much. This routine by parents leads to a situation where a child lowers their self-esteem (Ferguson 196). Most parents do not highlight the reason why they occasionally hit their children. This makes the child wonder why he or she should be taken through this by a person who is supposed to give him or her protection. As a result children develop fear against their parents, which in turn lowers their self esteem. Addi tionally, the value of the parent to his child is considerably reduced because such acts affect the psychological well-being of a child (Taylor 57). In addition, it does not change or improve the behavior of the child. Children do not understand why they are slapped and parents are not bothered to tell their children the truth. Although spanking may be used as a caution, when a child does not understand the mistake there will not be a change in behavior. There are various alternatives to spanking that parents can use. When spanking is spontaneous, the parent should explain the reason for that act to the child immediately. This should be followed by apologies that he or she lost control. The child will understand the mistake and adjust accordingly. Children should also be allowed to learn from experiences because it helps to develop their decision making skills in the future. In conclusion, spanking does not improve the behavior of a child or develop learning. As such, it should not be allowed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Spanking should not be allowed specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ferguson, Chris (2013). Spanking, corporal punishment and negative long-term outcomes: A meta-analytic review of longitudinal studies. Clinical Psychology Review 33.1(2010): 196–208. Print. Straus, Murray. The primordial violeizce: Corporal punishment by parents, cognitizie dezi~dopmenta, nd crime. Walnut Creek, CA: Alta Mira Press, 2004. Print. Taylor, Catherine. Mothers spanking of 3-year-old children and subsequent risk of childrens aggressive behavior. Pediatrics 125.5(2010): 57–65. Print.

How to Conjugate the Irregular French Verb Offir

How to Conjugate the Irregular French Verb Offir Offrir  (to offer, to provide, to give) is an irregular French -ir verb. Below are simple  conjugations  of the verb  offrir; the conjugation table does not include compound tenses, which consist of  a form of the auxiliary verb avoir with the past participle offert. Within irregular  -ir  verb conjugations, there are some  patterns. Two groups exhibit similar characteristics and conjugation patterns. Then there is a final, large category of extremely irregular  -ir  verbs that follow no pattern. Offrir is an Irregular -ir- Verb Offrir lies in the second group of irregular  -ir  verbs that display a pattern. The second group of verbs includes  couvrir,  cueillir,  dà ©couvrir,  offrir,  ouvrir,  souffrir, and all their derivatives. These verbs, surprisingly,  are all  conjugated like  regular -er verbs. Offir Is Conjugated Like  French Verbs Ending in -frir and -vrir All French verbs that end in  -frir  or  -vrir  are conjugated this way. This includes: couvrir to coverdà ©couvrir to discoverouvrir to opensouffrir to sufferrecouvrir to recover   Expressions and Usage Je peux toffrir  bien davantage. I can  offer  you much more than that.Nous devons leur  offrir  pareille possibilità ©. We need to  provide  them with the same opportunity.Jallais vous  offrir  cette maison. I was going to  give  you this house.Je vais lui  offrir  du thà ©. Im going to give him some  tea.Mais vous devez  offrir  limmunità ©. But youd have to  offer  us immunity.Jaimerais  offrir  une perspective diffà ©rente. Id like to  offer  a different perspective.Jaimerais que nous puissions  offrir  plus. I wish we were in a better position to  offer  more.Jaimerais lui  offrir  ma collection de coquillages. Id like to give  her my shell collection.offrir quelque chose en cadeau quelquun  Ã‚  to give somebody something as a presentsoffrir [pronominal reflexive]  Ã‚  to offer  / to give oneself [sexually] OR to offer ones servicessoffrir payer les dà ©gà ¢ts  Ã‚  to offer to pay for the damagesof frir [pronominal reciprocal] to give or buy each otherun seul moyen soffrait moi  [pronominal  intransitive] only one course of action was open / presented itself to me un panorama exceptionnel soffre au regard   an amazing view meets the eyessoffrir de quelque chose [pronominal transitive] to treat oneself to something Simple Conjugations of the Irregular French -ir Verb Offrir Present Future Imperfect Present participle j offre offrirai offrais offrant tu offres offriras offrais il offre offrira offrait nous offrons offrirons offrions vous offrez offrirez offriez ils offrent offriront offraient Pass compos Auxiliary verb avoir Past participle offert Subjunctive Conditional Pass simple Imperfect subjunctive j offre offrirais offris offrisse tu offres offrirais offris offrisses il offre offrirait offrit offrt nous offrions offririons offrmes offrissions vous offriez offririez offrtes offrissiez ils offrent offriraient offrirent offrissent Imperative tu offre nous offrons vous offrez

Genocide in the Congo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Genocide in the Congo - Essay Example sults from the conjunction of influences and actions widely present in the world today, it needs to be addressed directly, and understood, not neglected.†(Newbury, 1998). It is estimated that, since the beginning of twentieth century, about 6,100,000 people have been killed under the label of genocide. Surprisingly, in most of these cases, particularly in the Congo Genocide, the international community preferred to remain silent. In August 1939, Hitler ordered his Army commanders "to kill without pity or mercy all men, women and children of Polish race and language." (www.historyplace.com). In the Nazi holocaust, from 1938 to 1945, about 6,000,000 people were massacred by the German dictator. Probably, he had Stalin as his Guru in this cruel act. Through forced famine, Stalin eliminated about 7,000,000 men, women, and children. Thus, this savage impulse in man that linked him to organized crime seemed to have already got established in history. Men needed only a flimsy excuse to grab the opportunity and unleash this evil impulse to wreak havoc on his fellow men. Congo Genocide is a chilling example of what happened when man was stripped of his civilized nature, if at all there was any. Africa is a dark continent and, as Joseph Conrad rightly called, Congo is ‘the heart of this darkness’. Its history is simply miserable. After the period of colonization, from 1867 to 1885, a free state was formed, named Congo Free State. A brutal and an arbitrary ruler, King Leopold II became its Head, and he made murder and starvation part of Congonian life-style. In 1908 Congo came under Belgian rule. A free election was held in1960 and Congo came to be known as the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the democratically elected Prime Minister, Lumumbo, remained in power for only a short while, as the power-crazy president, Mobuto, took over the rule after assassinating him. Looting the country to amass personal

Does the rotation of auditors improve the quality of auditing Essay - 6

Does the rotation of auditors improve the quality of auditing - Essay Example Rotation of auditors has also been argued to facilitate business organisations in developing better transparency in their financial reports. Moreover, auditor rotation is identified as a process assisting in better flow of information. Rotation also ascertains that the financial statements of a business organisation are reviewed frequently. In this manner, auditor rotation develops an increased accountability along with independence amid auditors. However, the policy of auditor rotation is identified to affect the audit quality to a substantial extent, as auditors with time span are aware of the risks and credibility that a business organisation is attached with. It is also ascertained that there are certain business organisations adopting the policy of auditor rotation, which are seemed to increase complexities as well as cost due to rotation during important business transactions (Whitehouse, 2013). In this regard, the essay emphasizes the audit quality and the policy of rotation o f auditors. Moreover, the essay discusses about the issues that are addressed by auditors’ rotation and explains the advantages and disadvantages associated with the policy of auditors’ rotation. Discussion Defining Audit Quality In the present business scenario, financial reports of companies are deemed to be quite essential elements of identifying the performances of business organisations. In this regard, both internal as well as external auditors play effective role in the preparation of financial reports suitably (Arrunada & Paz-Ares, 1997). Contextually, audit quality has emerged as an important aspect in relation to the audited financial reports that are prepared and presented. It is therefore deemed to be the auditors’ responsibility to discover as well as identify the shortcomings in the accounting system of an organisation in order to ensure that financial reports are prepared systematically and appropriately (Velte & Stiglbauer, 2012). Correspondingly , the policy of audit quality is generally argued as based on three important factors, which include disclosure of appropriate financial statements, ascertaining that the internal control system of an organisation is efficient and provide adequate warnings in case of frauds and misrepresentations (PCAOB, 2013). The Issue that are Addressed by ‘Rotation of Auditors’ The policy of rotation of auditors is thereby adopted by business organisations with the objective of ascertaining that financial reports are prepared and disclosed appropriately ascertaining better audit quality. The policy has been adopted in order to minimise the barrier of over-familiarity that may develop amid the management of an organisation and auditors with time. In this respect, business organisations have adopted this policy in order to safeguard and protect the interests as well as confidence of investors by ensuring that quality audited financial reports are disclosed every year, representing a r eliable information reflecting the current financial position of the company. The utmost objective of rotation of auditors is accordingly, to ascertain that auditing operations are performed effectively in order to enhance audit quality (PWC, 2013). In this regard, it can be comprehended