How the Persian Wars Started

During the Archaic Age, one group of Greeks pushed another from the mainland, resulting in a sizeable Hellenic population in Ionia (now Asia Minor). Eventually, these uprooted Greeks came under the rule of the Lydians of Asia Minor. In 546, Persian monarchs replaced the Lydians. The Ionian Greeks found Persian rule oppressive and attempted to revolt—with the aid of the mainland Greeks. The Persian Wars lasted from 492-449 B.C. Ionian Greeks The Athenians considered themselves Ionian; however, the term is now used a bit differently. What we consider Ionians were the Greeks the Dorians (or descendants of Hercules) pushed off mainland Greece. Ionian Greeks, who were in contact with the civilizations to their East, including Mesopotamia and ancient Iran, made many important contributions to Greek culture—especially philosophy. Croesus of Lydia King Croesus of Lydia, a man of fabled wealth, was said to have acquired his wealth from the man with the Golden Touch—Midas, son of the man who had created the Gordian Knot. Croesus is said to have been the first foreigner to come into contact with the Greek settlers of Ionia, in Asia Minor. Misinterpreting an oracle, he lost his kingdom to Persia. The Greeks chafed under Persian rule and reacted. The Persian Empire King Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered the Lydians and put King Croesus to death.* By acquiring Lydia, Cyrus was now king of the Ionian Greeks. The Greeks objected to the strains the Persians put on them, including the draft, heavy tribute, and interference in local government. A Greek tyrant of Miletus, Aristagoras, first tried to ingratiate himself with the Persians and then led a revolt against them. The Persian War The Ionian Greeks sought and received military help from mainland Greece, but once the more distant Greeks came to the attention of the African and Asian empire-building Persians, the Persians sought to annex them, too. With many more men and a despotic government going for the Persian side, it looked like a one-sided fight. King Darius of Persia Darius ruled the Persian Empire from 521-486. Going east, he conquered part of the Indian Subcontinent and attacked tribes of the Steppe, like the Scythians, but never conquered them. Nor was Darius able to conquer the Greeks. Instead, he suffered a defeat in the Battle of Marathon. This was very important for the Greeks, although fairly minor for Darius. Xerxes, the King of Persia A son of Darius, Xerxes, was more aggressive in his empire building. To avenge his fathers defeat at Marathon, he led an army of about 150,000 men and a 600-ship navy into Greece, defeating the Greeks at Thermopylae. Xerxes destroyed much of Athens, from which most of the people had fled, gathering together with other Greeks at Salamis to face their enemy. Then Xerxes suffered defeat in the battle off the island of Salamis. He left Greece, but his general Mardonius remained, only to be defeated at Plataea. Herodotus Herodotus History, a celebration of the Greek victory over the Persians, was written in the mid-fifth century B.C. Herodotus wanted to present as much information about the Persian War as he could. What sometimes reads like a travelogue, includes information on the entire Persian Empire, and simultaneously explains the origins of the conflict with references to mythological prehistory. The Delian League After an Athenian-led Greek victory over the Persians at the Battle of Salamis, in 478, Athens was put in charge of a protection alliance with the Ionian cities. The treasury was at Delos; hence the name for the alliance. Soon the leadership of Athens became oppressive, although, in one form or another, the Delian League survived until the victory of Philip of Macedonia over the Greeks at the Battle of Chaeronea. *For conflicting accounts of the death of Croesus, see: What Happened to Croesus? by J. A. S. Evans. The Classical Journal, Vol. 74, No. 1. (Oct. - Nov. 1978), pp. 34-40. Sources A History of the Ancient World, by Chester StarrThe Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, by Donald KaganPlutarchs Life of Pericles, by H. Hold

Freedom Riders By Rosa Parks Actions And Advised By Martin...

Freedom riders fought for racial equality among African Americans in America in the 1960’s. Their purpose was to first stop segregation of transportation, and then later expand to racial equality everywhere. They were inspired by Rosa parks actions and advised by Martin Luther King Jr. The freedom riders protests lasted 7 months with about 400 members participating in them. Riders were supported by the Congress for Racial Inequality or CORE. Throughout history the southern states has been a place of slavery and after it has been abolished, the south finds a hard time integrating African Americans into daily lives. As a result of this behavior, the races are segregated. In the south the freedom riders faced many oppositions by legal forces to stop their protests. Rosa Parks was the first person to start the fight for racial equality on busses and after winning in court, the riders wanted to mirror her efforts. The riders entered Montgomery Alabama and were promised police forces waiting for them at the depot to provide arms. The depot was supposed to be secured. It was told that a plane would fly over the bus, and police would be located at certain spots for them. Instead of police, they were greeted by white men with weapons. In Jackson Mississippi freedom riders were flooding jailhouses. So many of them were being arrested that they were to be transferred 120 miles away to Parchman. The riders were put in maximum security units in parchman deep into a 18,000 acre-prisonShow MoreRelatedFreedom Riders By Rosa Parks Actions And Advised By Martin Luther King Jr.1275 Words   |  6 PagesFreedom riders fought for racial equality among African Americans in America in the 1960’s. Their purpose was to first stop segregation of transportatio n, and then later expand to racial equality everywhere. They were inspired by Rosa parks actions and advised by Martin Luther King Jr. The freedom riders protests lasted 7 months with about 400 members participating in them. Riders were supported by the Congress for Racial Inequality or CORE. Throughout history the southern states has been a placeRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. Essay1862 Words   |  8 Pagesbut the content of the character,† (Martin Luther King Jr,1963) Martin Luther King Jr. was a smart child and had a good childhood. He learned values from his parents, and Martin Luther King Jr was a man of much wisdom during his time. He was a major contributor to the civil rights movement, and those contributions have profound effect even today. Michael Luther King was Martin Luther King Jr’s name when was born. His parents changed his name to Martin Luther King when he was just a young boy. TheyRead MoreA Comparison Between Booker T. Washington (19th century) and Martin Luther King Jr. (20th century)5383 Words   |  22 Pagesfacilities more equal. Although he advised African-Americans to abide by segregation codes, he often traveled in private railroad cars and stayed in good hotels. Any number of historic moments in the civil rights struggle have been used to identify Martin Luther King, Jr. -- prime mover of the Montgomery bus boycott, keynote speaker at the March on Washington, youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate. But in retrospect, single events are less important than the fact that King, and his policy of nonviolentRead MoreEssay on The Glory and The Dream9497 Words   |  38 Pagespromises were made? a. The importance of the election of 1932 was if Roosevelt (who won) was very similar to Hoover as president, people would revolt. Roosevelt had confidence that he would aid people out of the Depression. Chapter 2 1. What actions did FDR take in the 1st 100 days? a. In FDR first 100 days, he created the Civilians Conservation Corps (CCC), the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA), and the Federal Emergency Act. He also departed from the gold standard, established the National

Patrick henry free essay sample

When Patrick Henry gave his speech he knew that not everyone would accept what he had to say. To me everyone should have the courage to stand up for what they believe in no matter how everyone else will view it. Patrick Henry gave this speech because he felt that they were not treated as equals and had the right to be treated equally. Everyone should be treated equally. In 1775 and in todays society all the government cares about is power and money not the citizens of the United States, its ore like what the citizens of the United States can give them.In his speech he gave all the reasons why the government is messed up and everything that they have done to their people. He did his research before standing up in front of the crowd and telling them what he found out and his opinion on the situation. We will write a custom essay sample on Patrick henry or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When he stood up and talked he had no notes he spoke openly about what he believed In and why. I liked how passionate and fiery, he was with regards to the situation with Britain. Henry felt that Britain has done wrong, and British wanted to feel superior.That was my same viewpoint, it Just seemed like the British did whatever they wanted, and never cared about the colonists. Like Patrick Henry had said we are more likely to look away or shut our eyes against the truth and listen to the song of the siren till she transforms us Into beats! This is still going on today In 2014, we listen to the media and our friends and families Instead of us developing our own opinions and standing p for what we believe in.Eventually everything that we listen to will turn us Into beasts, everything that we listen to whether It be the media or anyone else they could be filling our head with false Information. We dont know the truth we only know the truth that they want us to know. Patrick Henry and his followers werent backing down they were standing up for their rights and for what they believ ed In. To me that Is very Inspiring and many more people should follow his example. Give me liberty or give me death!

Twelve Angry Men Essays - English-language Films, 12 Angry Men

Twelve Angry Men In the story Twelve Angry Men, Reginald Rose shows how making one's own decisions is one very important aspect in life. He also showed that one's decisions should not be impeded by stereotypes. I believe that the jury reached the right verdict because the witnesses were disproven along with all of the evidence. The first reason is that the witnesses were proven to be wrong. For example, there was an el train passing by the old man's window at the time of the murder. He couldn't have been able to hear the murder taking place. The old man was not as much of a reliable source as he was originally thought to be. In addition, the woman that lived across the street from the boy did not wear her glasses to bed the night of the murder. She couldn't have been able to know for a fact that the boy was the real murderer. The woman's testimony is not strong enough to condemn the boy to death. With the two key witnesses having been discredited, the case against the boy was very weak. The other reason is that the evidence was proven to be not as significant as it was once thought to be. For example, Juror Eight bought a knife exactly like the one used in the murder. The original knife was not as special or unique as it was portrayed to be in the trial. Any person could have bought a knife just like the original one and used it to murder the father. Furthermore, Juror Two said that he thought that the stab wound was too high up for the boy to have inflicted. Someone taller than the boy must have committed the murder. With the new ideas that are being brought up by the jurors, the boy seems to become a less likely suspect. As the deliberation goes on, the hard evidence against the boy seems to loose its integrity. With the evidence down the drain and the witnesses without any truely sound testimony, the jury had no choice but to vote not guilty in my opinion. The knife wasn't one of a kind, the old man couldn't have heard the murder, and the woman could have seen the murder taking place. There was no case against the boy. Ryan Rush Book Reports

Should A Moment Of Silence Be Legal In Public Schools Essays

Should a moment of silence be legal in public schools? Matchmaker.com: Sign up now for a free trial. Date Smarter! Should a moment of silence be legal in public schools? In 1962 the Supreme Court decided that public schools did not have the power to authorize school prayer. This decision made public school in the U.S. more atheistic than many European nations. For example, crosses still hang on the classroom walls in Poland, and the Ten Commandments are displayed in Hungary. There are prayers held at the beginning of legislative and judicial sessions and every President has mentioned a divine power in his inaugural speech. In keeping with a spirit of religious freedom as stated in the First Amendment, there is no reason why students should not be allowed to have a moment of silence during the school day when they can pray or do as they choose. The case Engel v. Vitale in 1962 decided that school prayer is unconstitutional. With this case, it was pointed out that the students were to "voluntarily" recite the following prayer: "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our country." The court ruled that this rule was unconstitutional according to the First Amendment's "establishment clause," which states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." In response to the Engel v.Vitale case some schools adopted a "moment of silence." In 1963, another case was brought before the court dealing with school prayer, Abington School District v. Schempp. The Schempp family challenged a law in Pennsylvania requiring the students to say ten verses of the Bible before school. These readings from the Bible were declared unconstitutional. Members of the board felt reading the Bible would give the children more moral values. The Schempp family strongly disagreed. Members of Congress attempted to find a compromise. From this effort came the adoption of the moment of silence, which is guaranteed by the First Amendment's "Free Exercise" clause. Six states now permit silent moments-Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama. Silent prayer was ruled constitutional in 1985 as long as it had no religious intent or purpose. (Newsweek, October 3, 1994) Prayer has been banned in schools for thirty-three years. The moment of silence has been ruled constitutional, however. Every student fills a moment of silence in a different way: through song, a prayer, or a memory.

Art a Play by Yasmina Reza

Art a Play by Yasmina Reza Marc, Serge, and Yvan are friends. They are three middle-aged men of comfortable means who have stayed friends with each other for fifteen years. Since men of their age often lack opportunities to meet new people and sustain new friendships, their courtesy towards and their tolerance for one another’s quirks and affinities have been worn raw. At the opening of the play, Serge is smitten with his acquisition of a new painting. It is a modern art piece (white on white) for which he paid two hundred thousand dollars. Marc can’t believe that his friend bought a white on white painting for such an extravagant amount of money. Marc could not care less about modern art. He believes that people ought to have a few more standards when it comes to determining what is good â€Å"art† and therefore worthy of two grand. Yvan gets caught in the middle of Marc and Serge’s arguments. He does not find the painting or the fact that Serge spent so much to acquire it as offensive as Marc does, but he doesn’t adore the piece as much as Serge does. Yvan has his own real-life problems. He is planning a wedding with a fiancà © turned â€Å"bridezilla† and a host of selfish and unreasonable relatives. Yvan tries to turn towards his friends for support only to be ridiculed by both Marc and Serge for not having a strong opinion in their war over the white on white painting. The play culminates in a confrontation among the three strong personalities. They throw every personal choice that the others disagree with and look down on into each other’s faces. A piece of art, a visual and external representation of inner values and beauty, causes Marc, Yvan, and Serge to question themselves and their relationships to the core.  Ã‚   At his wit’s end, Serge hands Marc a felt tip pen and dares him to draw over his white on white, two hundred thousand dollars, adored, a piece of art. How far will Marc go to prove that he truly doesn’t believe that this painting is actually art? Production Details Setting: The main rooms of three different flats. Only a change in the painting above the mantle determines whether the flat belongs to Marc, Yvan, or Serge.Time: The presentCast Size: This play can accommodate 3 male actors. Roles Marc: Marc is a strongly opinionated man when it comes to what he values and an extremely condescending one towards what he does not value at all. Other people’s feelings do not factor into his decisions or filter the manner in which he talks to them and about them. Only his girlfriend and her homeopathic remedies for stress seem to have any sway over his strong and acerbic personality. On his wall above his mantel hangs a figurative painting that is described as â€Å"pseudo-Flemish† of a view of Carcassonne.Serge: Serge, according to Marc, has recently taken a dive into the world of Modern Art and has fallen head over heels with a newfound respect for it. Modern Art speaks to something within him that makes sense and which he finds beautiful. Serge has recently gone through a divorce and has a dim view of marriage and anyone searching to make a commitment to another person. His rules for life, friendship, and art went out the window with his marriage and now he has fo und peace in the realm of Modern Art where the old rules are thrown out and acceptance and instinct govern what is valuable. Yvan: Yvan is less high strung than his two friends about art, but he has his own issues in life and love that make him just as neurotic as Marc and Serge are. He begins the play stressed about his upcoming wedding and looking for a little support. He finds none. Although the physical production of art on canvas means less to him than it does to the others, he is more in tune with the psychological responses and reasonings behind such responses than either Marc or Serge are. That aspect of his personality is what thrusts him into being the middleman in this fight between friends and why he gets belittled by both of them. He actually cares more about their feelings and well-being than they do for him or each other. The painting above the mantel in his flat is described as â€Å"some daub.† The audience finds out later Yvan’s is the artist. Technical Requirements Art is light on technical requirements for production. Production notes specify the need for only a single set of a man’s flat, â€Å"as stripped down and neutral as possible.† The only object that should change between scenes is the painting. Serge’s flat has the white on white canvas, Marc’s has the view of Carcassonne, and for Yvan, the painting is the â€Å"daub.† Occasionally the actors deliver asides to the audience. Marc, Serge, or Yvan take turns stepping out of the action and addressing the audience directly. Lighting changes during these asides will help the audience understand the break in the action. No costume changes are needed and there are few props required for this production. The playwright wants the audience to focus on the art, the friendships, and the questions the play brings up. Production History Art was written in French for a French audience by playwright Yasmina Reza. It has been translated many times and produced in many countries since its debut in 1996. Art was performed ​on Broadway at the Royale Theater in 1998 for a run of 600 shows. It starred ​Alan Alda as Marc, ​Victor Garber as Serge, and Alfred Molina as Yvan. Content Issues: Language Dramatists Play Service holds the production rights for Art (translated by Christopher Hampton). Inquiries for producing the play may be made through the website.

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 119

Summary - Essay Example This method gives an impression in the beginning of the commercial and then it introduces another text wherein the bunny enters with the battery on its back. The bunny is considered another text which eventually combines with the former text to make an entirely different text. The writer calls this process intertextuality and considers it important because it does not only happen in commercials such as the one cited above but it also occurs in everyday communications. For instance in the case of the novel by Jane Austen entitled Emma, readers and viewers of its movie adaptations called Emma in 1996 and Clueless in 1995, will have different interpretations because of intertextuality. The settings of the two movies are different but they somehow tell the same story and so viewers will definitely see their similarities to the novel. The interpretations of the directors and producers of the movie are different. Similarly, this could also occur in a person’s interpretation of poems or other literary works. Intertextuality happens everyday in every culture because one’s upbringing and culture are important influences which initially gave a person other texts which that individual can use in reading other

Compulsory civil admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Compulsory civil admission - Essay Example New Mental Health Act will put the importance on better community treatment. This paper sketches some of the themes that emerge from Mental Health research, explains how such themes can update Mental Health legislation and some impediments to Mental Health plans. Through keen experiment of relevant British legislation, this study argues that mental health policy at a national level lacks a defined role which the new legislation may provide, thereby enhancing the profession's voice in overall mental health legislation enactment. Moreover, the inherent complexity of the relationship means that the modification of one point in either the mental health or legal system or policy has an enourmous impact on the criminal justice system as a whole. By abandoning its plans for a new Mental Health Act the government has limited its scope for innovation. As a result of the increasing points of contact in mental health policy and legislations processing, the systems have become particularly evide nt from the proposed NR (nearest relative) provisions. In spite of the obtainable debate about the mental illness and incapability in mental health legislation, there is surprisingly little systematic link between criminal justice and mental health issues dates back to common law and has long been a somewhat problematic relationship. The legal meaning of incapacity, though, remained in vague. There are some legal rulings on the moderation of those with illness under common law in near future. A person is not responsible for criminal conduct if at the time of such conduct as a result of mental disease or defect he lacks substantial capacity either to appropriate the criminality (wrong fullness) of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law. "Health or safety" is interpreted in practice to include the mental health of the person, essentially embodying a "need for treatment" approach to commitment criteria (Code of Practice). The enactment of only legislative scheme administrating nonconsensual treatment of both 'phys ical' and 'mental' illnesses, founded on incapacity principles, has been unsettled in recent law reform debates in the UK. In 1995 recommendations from the Law Commission for a 'Mental Incapacity Act' were published (Law Commission, 1995).1 The legislation proposes a definition of incapacity as being 'unable by reason of mental disability to make or communicate a decision' (where mental disability includes 'any disability or disorder of mind or brain, permanent or temporary, resulting in an impairment or disturbance of mental functioning') (Lord Chancellor's Department, 1999: p. 8). The definition of incapacity includes the presence of mental disability (rather than mental disorder, as required by the Mental Health Act 1983) means those with transient states of impaired judgement caused by pain may be included. The propose of legislation that combines the strengths of both incapacity and civil obligation designs can be enthusiastically anticipated, based on the criteria for interfer ence in England and Wales found in the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Such legislation would diminish inexcusable legal discrimination against mentally disordered persons and pertain to reliable moral or ethical principles athwart the medical

Final Film Critique Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Final Film Critique - Research Paper Example They, however, manage to escape from the camp eventually and are separated in the process. The incident influences their lives forever. Stephen loses his legs in the ordeal and Nick disappears through his indulgence in Russian roulette parlors living recklessly after the ordeal. Mike, however, returns home changed. This is evident in the scene where he refuses the killing of a deer during a hunt. He becomes reacquainted with Nick’s former lover Linda and finds solace in their association (Athitakis, 2004). The movie is a gripping tale of triumph over misfortune with life lessons interwoven in the plot that depicts the power of the human spirit. Storytelling The movie is based on the events during the Vietnam, and the storytelling revolves around the lives of three friends during this period. The storytelling has mixed effects, which are caused mainly by conflicting styles. This is evident in the film where the first fifteen minutes of the film, the scenes depicted for the audi ence involve a jovial atmosphere of the wedding party of Stephen where people are seen exchanging pleasantries and joking while drinking beers. None of the shots during the scene is done in close up, and no character is focused. The movie gives the impression that the audience is eavesdropping on the conversation of the characters that mainly centers on how their lives will change with their participation in the war. This scene appears to be formal and documentary like. It is, however, interrupted by an irrelevant exposition by Steve’s mother to the priest, who laments her son’s marriage and the decision to participate in the war. Though this scene lasts less than a minute, it lingers longer than the screen time due to its inappropriateness. The movie, however, overshadows this glitch mainly due to the fact it is well written. The metaphors used in the film are also complex and can easily lose the audience. Though the story telling is exceptional, it faces the problem of conflicting styles that make scripting of the movie obvious. Acting The movie producing team was able to obtain the services of a number of leading acting celebrities in Hollywood. Through the casting of Robert de Nero, Meryl Streep and John Cazales among others, the expectations for the acting in the film were high. The cast did not disappoint either with audiences who enjoyed top acting from the cast. Robert de Nero plays the part of the protagonist who is a war hero during the war brilliantly, which was a significant episode in American history. The actor is especially commended for his part where he is reunited with the character Michael in the climax of the film. The other supporting actors were also commendable in their respective roles that enabled the coming together of the film. Their roles supported the protagonist brilliantly creating emotion that characterizes the genre of war films. The cast clearly brings out the scenario that was experienced during the Vietnam War even though some of the information portrayed did not happen (Athitakis, 2004). They facilitated the reenacting of what soldiers underwent actors elicit emotions from the audience with their moving performances in the film. Cinematography Shooting of the pictures occurred in actual locations in different regions, as opposed to round stages that are commonly employed in some Hollywood films. Shooting of the film took a period of 6

Glutamate Transporter Excitatory Amino Acid Experiment

Glutamate Transporter Excitatory Amino Acid Experiment Abstract N-(2-18F-Fluoropropionyl)-L-glutamate(18F-FPGLU) is a potential amino acid tracer for tumor imaging with positron emission tomography (PET). In this study, the  relationship between glutamate transporter excitatory amino acid carrier 1 (EAAC1) expression and 18F-FPGLU uptake in rat C6 glioma cells line and human SPC-A-1 lung adenocarcinoma cells line was investigated. The uptake of 18F-FPGLU in C6 cells increased significantly after induced by ATRA for 24, 48, and 72 h, which was closely related to expression of EAAC1 in C6 cells (R=0.939). Compared with the SPC-A-1(NT) control cells, the uptake of 18F-FPGLU on EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1(shRNA) cells significantly decreased to 64.0%. In the PET imaging of 18F-FPGLU of SPC-A-1 and EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1(shRNA)-bearing mice models, the uptake of 18F-FPGLU in SPC-A-1(shRNA) xenografts was significantly lower than that in SPC-A-1 xenografts, with Tumor/Muscle ratio of 1.67  ± 0.1 vs. 3.01  ± 0.3 at 60 min post-injection. The result s suggest that transport mechanism of 18F-FPGLU in glioma C6 and lung adenocarcinoma SPC-A-1 cells lines mainly involves in glutamate transporter EAAC1, which is an important transporter of 18F-FPGLU in tumor cells and may be a novel hallmark of tumor glutamate metabolism PET imaging. Keywords: N-(2-18F-fluoropropionyl)-L-glutamate; tumor imaging; glutamate transporter; excitatory amino acid carrier 1 Introduction As the most commonly used positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for tumor diagnosis, 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) also has certain false negative and false positive results(Shreve et al. 1999; Fletcher et al. 2008). It has been reported that 18F-FDG negative tumors may use a different metabolic pathway called glutaminolysis(DeBerardinis et al. 2007; Ward et al. 2012). Glutamine and glutamate play key roles in the adapted intermediary metabolism of tumors(Gao et al. 2009; Rajagopalan et al. 2011; Shanware et al. 2011). Several 18F-labeled glutamic acid and 18F-labeled glutamine have been used for metabolic PET imaging of tumor in humans (Baek et al. 2013; Venneti et al. 2015). High uptake of these amino acid tracers in tumor cells is likely related to the increased expression of amino acid transporters. For example, the upregulated system ASC, especially ASCT2 might contributed to the uptake of 18F-labeled (2S,4R)-4-fluoro-L-glutamine(Ploessl et al. 2012), and 18F-fluoro glutamic acid (BAY 85-8050) transport involved in Na+-dependent XAG- and Na+-independent XC- systems with XC- possibly playing a more dominant role, but both of them showed defluorination in vivo(Krasikova et al. 2011). 18F-labeled (4S)-4-(3-[18F]fluoropropyl)-L-glutamate (BAY 94-9392), another derivative of glutamic acid, whose transport was due mostly to upregulation of system XC-, a potential biomarker for tumor oxidative stressà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’can be useful for detecting system XC- activity in vivo and is considered to be a potential tracer for tumor imaging(Koglin et al. 2011). Our recently developed novel N-18F-labeled glutamic acid, N-(2-[18F] fluoropropionyl)-L-glutamate (18F-FPGLU), seemed to be a potential amino acid PET tracer for tumor metabolic imaging, with high tumor-to-background contrast in several tumor-bearing mice models. Preliminary studies showed that 18F-FPGLU was primarily transported through Na+-dependent high-affinity glutamate transporter system XAG-(Hu et al. 2014), but the accurate transport mechanism is unknown. Glutamate transport system includes Na+-dependent excitatory glutamate transporter XAG- system and Na+-independent glutamate transporter XC- system(Avila-Chà ¡vez et al. 1997). System XC- (xCT) is overexpressed on tumor c ells and is a potential biomarker for tumor oxidative stress. As an important member of XAG- system, excitatory amino acid carrier 1 (EAAC1), also called excitatory amino acid transporter 3 (EAAT3), localizes to the post-synaptic structure of neurons and surrounding glial cells as regulator of excitatory neurotransmission, and also exists in peripheral tissues, perhaps as metabolic regulators(Bailey et al. 2011). The expression of EAAC1 was known to be regulated by several mechanisms that modify carrier abundance on the plasma membranes and was markedly induced by all tans-retinoic acid (ATRA) in rat C6 glioma cells, which led to strikingly stimulate amino acid influx(Bianchi et al. 2008). However, EAAC1 transporter may be a potential biomarker for tumor molecular imaging. It has not been reported so far. This study investigated the relationship between EAAC1 expression and 18F-FPGLU uptake in C6 rat glioma cells line and SPC-A-1 human lung adenocarcinoma. The uptake of 18F-FPGLU was assessed in ATRA-treated and untreated C6 cells lines, and also in shRNA-mediated EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1 cells and the non-targeted (NT) control cells in vitro. Further prospective researches of PET imaging of tumor-bearing mice models with C6, SPC-A-1 and EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1(shRNA) xenografts were performed to reveal the correlation between the uptake of 18F-FPGLU and the expression of EAAC1. Materials and methods Materials All reagents, unless otherwise specified, were of analytical grade and commercially available. All chemicals obtained commercially were used without further purification. Inveon small-animal PET/computed tomography (CT) scanner was purchased from Siemens (Germany). Synthesis of 18F-FPGLU The synthesis of 18F-FPGLU from 4-nitrophenyl-2-18F-fluoropropionate (18F-NFP) via a two-step reaction sequence has been described in detail by the earlier paper(Hu et al. 2014). Cell Culture and Animal Models The C6 rat glioma cells, SPC-A-1 human lung adenocarcinoma cells were obtained from Shanghai Institute of Cellular Biology of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Shanghai, China). The cells were cultured in culture flasks containing DMEM medium(for C6 cells) or RPMI 1640 medium (for SPC-A-1) supplemented with 10% FBS and 1% penicillin/streptomycin at 37oC in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2 and 95% air. 24 hours before the experiments in vitro, C6 cells lines or SPC-A-1 cell lines were trypsinized and 2105 cells per well were seeded into 24-well plates. All animal experimental studies were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Utilization Committee (IACUU) of the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University (approval No.[2013]A-173). All efforts were made to minimize animal suffering, to reduce the number of animals used, and to use alternatives to in vivo techniques, if available. The nude mice were obtained from Laboratory Animal Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University (Guangzhou, China). The C6, SPC-A-1 and EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1(shRNA) tumor models were made using previously described methods(Deng et al. 2011). Tumor cells (2-5-106) were injected subcutaneously and allowed to grow for 1 to 3 weeks. When the tumor reached 6-10 mm (diameter) micro P ET/CT scans were done. C6 induced by ATRA The rat glioma C6 cells were treated by all trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) 12 h after the passage. Culture medium was substituted with fresh medium (containing DMEM medium supplemented with 10% FBS) in the absence or in the present of ATRA at a concentration of 10 ÃŽ ¼M from a 10 mM stock solution in DMSO according to the literature16. After the treatment of ATRA for 24, 48 and 72 h, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting were used to monitored the mRNA and protein expression levels of EAAC1 in ATRA treated C6 and non-treated C6 cells. Generation of shRNA-mediated EAAC1 knock-down cells. The method of generation of shRNA-mediated EAAC1 knock-down cells was similar to the literature(Youland et al. 2013). SPC-A-1 human lung adenocarcinoma cells was used for shRNA-mediated EAAC1 knock-down experiment. SPC-A-1 cells were transduced with lentivirus ecoding EAAC1-targeted short hairpin RNAs (shRNA). shRNA sequences were selected from human EAAC1 mRNA NM_004170 and the shRNA fragments were cloned in a lentivirus vector pGLV3 plasmid with the sequence 5-GCATTACCACAGGAGTCTTGG-3. A non-specific targeting (NT) shRNA for control was cloned in the same lenvirus plasmid backbone. Lentiviral packaging was performed with trans-lentiviral packaging mix in 293T cells according to the manufacturers instructions. SPC-A-1 cells were plated on 6-well plates at 2-105 cells per well. After 24 hours, medium was aspirated and replaced with 100 ÃŽ ¼L of virus-containing solution was added to each well and incubated at 37oC for 24 h. Cells were selected with puromycin and monitored for green fl uorescence protein (GFP) expression. The EAAC1 mRNA expression level was monitored by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The EAAC1 protein expression level was quantized by western blotting. qRT-PCR for the expression of EAAC1 Relative expression levels of EAAC1 mRNA in C6 and SPC-A-1 cells were calculated using the fluorescence quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) (Stratagene Mx3000P Real time PCR, Agilent). Total cellular RNA was isolated with the Rneasy mini Kit (TAKARA). 1 ÃŽ ¼g of RNA was synthesized to cDNA in a 20 ÃŽ ¼L reaction system with reverse transcriptase buffer, RT Enzyme Mix and primer MIX (Bestar qPCR RT kit, DBI). Conditions for reverse transcription were 5 min at 65oC, 5 min on ice, then 60 min at 37oC and 10 min at 98oC. Oligodeoxynucleotide primers of EAAC1 gene for PCR amplification was 5-AGTTCAGCAACACTGCCTGT-3 (forward) and (5-GTTGCACCAACGGGTA ACAC-3(reverse). PCR was programmed as follows: 2 min at 94oC, 20 s at 94oC, 20 s at 58oC à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ then 20 s at 72oC à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ for 40 cycles. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was used as a initial control and each sample was amplified in triplicate. The relative expression of EAAC1 mRNA compared with GAPDH was calculated by comparative threshold method (2 -ΔΔCt ). Western blotting for EAAC1 Cells were lysed in a detergent-containing buffer with protease inhibitors for 20 min at 4oC. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase ( GAPDH) was used as a reference protein. After solubilization, cell lysates were collected and centrifuged at 14000 rpm for 10 min. The supernatants were transferred into new tubes, quantification of proteins was performed with Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit (Thermo) and aliquots of 25 ÃŽ ¼g were loaded on an 10% gel for SDS-PAGE. After electrophoresis, proteins were transferred to polyvinylidene difluorideà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ PVDFà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °membranes (Millipore) . The membranes with EAAC1 or GAPDH were departed at the middle position, and were blocked and incubated with deferent antibody, respectively. Non-specific binding sites were blocked with an incubation in Tris-buffer saline containing 5% of bovine serum albumin (BSA) for 1h at room temperature. Then the blots were exposed to EAAT3 antibody (rabbit monoclonal antiserum, 1:1000, Abcam) or anti-GAPDH rabbit monoclonal antibody(1:3000, Abcam) diluted in blocking solution for at 4oC overnight. After washing, the blots were exposed for1h at room temperature to goat anti-rabbit IgG HRP diluted 1:5000 in blocking solution. Cellular uptake of 18F-FPGLU Cells were plated in 24-well plates (2x105cells/well) and uptake studies were performed at 24 h after the passage. The cellular uptake of 18F-FPGLU studies was similar to the methods described previously(Krasikova et al. 2013). The medium was aspirated and the cells were washed 3 times with 1 mL warm PBS. 18F-FPGLU was dissolved in PBS solution and was added to each well (74-111 KBq/0.2 mL/well). After incubated with 18F-FPGLU at 37oC for 30 min, the radioactive medium was removed and the cells were washed 3 times with ice-cold PBS. Then, the cells were dissolved in 0.5 mL of 1 N NaOH and the activity was measured by ÃŽ ³ counter (GC-1200, USTC Chuangxin Co. Ltd. Zonkia Branch, China). The cell lysate (25ÃŽ ¼L) was used for determination of protein concentration by BCA protein assay. The uptake data are based on the amount of activity added to each well and the total amount of protein in each well. Each experiment was done in triplicate, averaged and was repeated 5 times on different days. The uptake of 18F-FPGLU was assessed on the ATRA-treated or untreated C6 cells, and on EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1(shRNA) cells or SPC-A-1(NT) control cells. The relative uptake ratios were calculated compared to the control cells. Small-animal PET-CT imaging Small-animal PET-CT imaging studies with tumor-bearing mice were carried out using the Inveon small-animal PET/CT scanner (Siemens). 3.7-7.4 MBq of 18F-FPGLU were injected intravenously in conscious animals via the tail vein. The mice were anesthetized with 5% chloral hydrate solution (6 mL/kg) and were kept warm throughout the procedure. Imaging started with a low-dose CT scan, immediately followed by a PET scan. PET images were acquired at 30, 60, 90, 120 min post-injection. For a comparative study, mice were kept fasting for 4 h and were anesthetized with 5% chloral hydrate solution (6 mL/kg) and imaged with 18F-FDG (3.7 MBq) at 60 min after intravenous injection. The images were reconstructed by two-dimensional ordered-subsets expectation maximum (OSEM). For each small-animal PET scan, ROIs were drawn over the tumor and muscle of the thigh on decay-corrected whole-body coronal images using Inevon Research Workplace 4.1 software. The quantification was performed according the meth ods described previously(Hu et al. 2014). Radioactivity concentration within a tumor or other tissue was converted to MBq/g and then divided by the administered activity to obtain an imaging ROI-derived percentage of injected dose per gram of tissue (% ID/g). Then, the ttumor/muscle (T/M) and tumor/brain (T/B) uptake ratios were calculated, respectively. Immunohistochemistry Expression of EAAC1 was assessed by immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded rat brain tissues and C6 xenograft samples. Immunohistochemistry experiments were carried out according to the literature(Wang et al. 2013). Normal rat brain tissues and C6 glioma tissues were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin overnight at room temperature. Tissues were then dehydrated, embedded in paraffin, and cut into 3-ÃŽ ¼m sections. After antigen retrieval, tissue sections were subject to immunohistochemical incubated with antibodies against EAAC1(Abcam), DAB was stained before mounted onto microscope slides. Tissues were analyzed with a Nikon E800M microscope. Statistical analyses Data were expressed as mean+/-SD. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS software, version 16.0 (SPSS Inc.), for Windows (Microsoft). Student t test was used to assess differences in the magnitudes of samples from two measurements. A P values of less than 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significant. A scatter plot was drawn with the relative mRNA expression and the relative uptake of 18F-FPGLU in C6 cells treated with ATRA for 24h, 48h, 72h. Spearman correlation analysis and a linear regression analysis was performed between them. Results EAAC1 expression and 18F-FPGLU uptake in C6 cells induced by ATRA The EAAC1 mRNA relative expression levels in ATRA-treated C6 cells assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) are shown by Figure 1A. Compared with the untreated C6 cells, the EAAC1 mRNA relative expression level in ATRA-treated C6 cells treated with ATRA at 10 ÃŽ ¼M for 24, 48 and 72 h was increased to 1.72  ± 0.11à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’3.22  ± 0.22à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’4.0  ± 0.21 times, respectively( Fig. 1A). Meanwhile, the western blotting results also showed that EAAC1 protein expression in ATRA-treated C6 cells was increased gradually(Fig. 1B). Corresponding with the high EAAC1 expression in ATRA-treated C6 cells, 18F-FPGLU uptake was significantly increased to 1.47  ± 0.11à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’2.14  ± 0.29à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’2.12  ± 0.16 times in C6 cells treated by ATRA for 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively(Fig. 1C). There was a high correlation between the relative EAAC1 mRNA expresion and the relative 18F-FPGLU uptake in ATRA treated C6 cells (R = 0.939, Fig. 1D). To summ arize, EAAC1 expression was markedly induced by ATRA in C6 cell lines. As a result, there was more 18F-FPGLU uptake in ATRA-treated C6 cells line which has more EAAC1 expression at both mRNA and protein levels. Figure 1 PET imaging on C6 glioma-bearing mice Small-animal PET-CT scan was performed on C6 glioma-bearing nude mice models 1h post-injection of 18F-FPGLU. PET-CT fusion imaging of the mice models demonstrated that 18F-FPGLU could intensely accumulate in C6 glioma (Fig. 2A). The tumor/brain uptake ratio of 18F-FPGLU on C6 glioma-bearing mice was higher than that of 18F-FDG at 1h post-injection of radiotracers(n = 3, P < 0.05, Fig. 2B). However, the tumor/muscle uptake ratio of 18F-FPGLU in C6 glioma-bearing mice was lower than that of 18F-FDG (n = 3, P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry showed that widely diffuse EAAC1 transporter staining was shown in C6 glioma, however there was minimal EAAC1 staining in normal rat brain write matter tissue (Fig. 2C). Figure 2 EAAC1 expression and 18F-FPGLU uptake in EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1 human lung adenocarcinoma cells The influence of EAAC1 expression on 18F-FPGLU uptake was specifically investigated using RNA interference-mediated EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1 human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Lentivirally delivered shRNA significantly reduced EAAC1 mRNA expression in SPC-A-1(shRNA) cells, as compared to the non-targeted (NT) shRNA control cells (SPC-A-1(NT) cells), EAAC1 shRNA reduced EAAC1 mRNA expression by 72% in SPC-A-1(shRNA) cells (P < 0.01) (Fig. 3A). At the protein expression level, EAAC1 shRNA significantly decreased EAAC1 expression in SPC-A-1(shRNA) cells by 59.6% (P < 0.01) (Fig. 3B). Knock-down of EAAC1 expression was associated with a significantly lower 18F-FPGLU uptake by 36% in SPC-A-1(shRNA) cells (P

Women Characters in Midsummers Nights Dream by William Shakespeare Ess

Women Characters in Midsummers Night's Dream by William Shakespeare In Williams Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," many of the play's female characters have strong similarities and differences among one another. Although many of the main female characters in the play come from dissimilar backgrounds, their similarities are brought together by common problems associated with society and love. Of the four main female characters, Hippolyta, Titania, Helena, and Hermia, both Hippolyta and Titania are royalty while Helena and Hermia are commoners. However, a common theme associated with Hippolyta, Titania, Helena, and Hermia, regardless of their social caste, is their similarities and differences in dealing with love in a patriarchal society. Nevertheless, the patriarchal society in which Hippolyta, Titania, Helena, and Hermia live in struggles to hinder the feelings and attitudes which provide them with a distinct conception for love in a male dominated society. Hippolyta is a strong yet silent amazonian beauty who is the love of Theseus, Duke of Athens. Although Hippolyta is largely silent in her dealings with love in the patriarchal society, her physical presence speaks for the untold voice she might profit from. Of the four main female characters Hippolyta is the more silent of the four. However, since Hippolyta is the maiden of Theseus she bears heavy in the decisions Theseus makes about the love quarrels within the play. From the words of Theseus the reader can associate that Hippolyta has a strong impact on the actions he takes when dealing with love and marriage: For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself To fit your fancies to your father's will, Or else the law of Athens yeilds you up-... ...) Although Helena fails at wooing Demetrius, the fight for Demetrius's love is not hidden behind the patriarchal community of Athen's. Both Hippolyta and Titania, as well as Hermia and Helena, share common interest in defying the laws of a patriarchal society. The foremost problem associated with a male dominated society in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was love. Therefore, a common focus associated with Hippolyta, Titania, Helena, and Hermia, in spite of their social standing, is their likenesses and contrasts in handling the idea of love in a patriarchal society. Still, the patriarchal society in which Hippolyta, Titania, Helena, and Hermia reside in strives to impede the feelings and attitudes which make up their idea of what love should become in a patriarchal society. Bibliography: The Bedford Introduction to Literature. By: Michael Meyer

Pan Africanism Essay

Pan-africanism has a dual character: it is at the same time (i) an international political movement and (ii) a socio-political world-view, a philosophical and cultural umbrella concept, which seeks to correct the historical and cultural outrage that Europe has perpetrated on the continent during the past several centuries. An international movement As an international movement, the term denotes the forward-looking elements in Africa that have as their common goal the unity of all Africans and the elimination of colonialism and white supremacy from the continent. The First Pan-African Congress was held in London in 1900, and was followed by others in Paris in 1919, in London and Brussels (1921), London and Lisbon (1923), and in New York City in 1927. These conventions were organized chiefly by W. E. B. Du Bois[1] and attended by the North American and West Indian black intelligentsia. These, however, did not propose immediate African independence, rather, they favored gradual self-government and ‘interracialism’. In 1944, several African organizations in London joined to form the Pan-African Federation, which for the first time demanded African autonomy and independence. The Sixth Pan-African Congress was convened   in Manchester, England,   in 1945,   to which came future political leaders of Africa such as Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, Kwame Nkrumah of the Gold Coast, S. L. Akintola of Nigeria, and Wallace Johnson of Sierra Leone.   At the Manchester congress, Nkrumah founded the West African National Secretariat to promote a so-called ‘United States of Africa’. Pan-africanism can also be considered as an intergovernmental movement; which was launched in 1958 with the First Conference of Independent African States in Accra, Ghana. Ghana and Liberia were the only sub-Saharan countries represented; the rest were Arab and Muslim. Thereafter, as independence was achieved by more African states, other interpretations of Pan-Africanism emerged, including: the Union of African States (1960), the African States of the Casablanca Charter (1961), the African and Malagasy Union (1961), the Organization of Inter-African and Malagasy States (1962), and the African-Malagasy-Mauritius Common Organization (1964). In 1963 the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was founded to promote unity and cooperation among all African states and to bring an end to colonialism; and by 1995, it had 53 members. The OAU struggled with border disputes, aggression or subversion against one member by another, separatist movements, and the collapse of order in member states. One of its longest commitments and greatest victories was the end of apartheid and the establishment of majority rule in South Africa. Efforts to promote even greater African economic, social, and political integration led to the establishment in 2001 of the African Union (AU), a successor organization to the OAU modeled on the European Union. The AU fully superseded the OAU in 2002, after a transitional period. A socio-political world-view Pan-Africanism is also a sociopolitical world-view, which seeks to unify and uplift both native Africans and those of the African Diaspora, as part of a â€Å"global African community†. As originally conceived by Henry Sylvester Williams of Trinidad, pan-Africanism referred to the unity of all continental Black African cultures and countries. The concept soon expanded, however, to include all Black African-descended people worldwide, who had been dispersed to the United States of America, the Caribbean, Latin America and even parts of the Middle East and South Asia through the trans-Atlantic and Islamic/East African slave trades and, later, immigration. More recently, the term has expanded to encompass the Dravidian Blacks of India, including the Tamil, Siddi, Kamil, Kanikar and others; the Andamanese Island Negritos and the Black aboriginal populations of Australia, New Guinea and Melanesia. Pan-Africanism as a movement actually began in the West Indies, not Africa. Williams coined the term at the 1900 Pan-African Congress. To date, the Afro-Jamaican Marcus Garvey[2] has led the largest pan-African movement in world history with his UNIA-ACL organization that he founded in Kingston, Jamaica in 1912, and ‘Garveyism’ quickly spread in the United States when he moved his headquarters to Harlem in 1914. Pan-Africanism in essence means the unity of all Black African descended people worldwide irrespective of ethnicity/culture or nationality. The Rastafarian movement of Jamaica grew out of pan-Africanism, when Marcus Garvey declared ‘look to Africa for the crowning of a Black king’; the Rastas looked to Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. (Ironically, Garvey criticized Selassie on many issues).   Also a branch of the pan-African movement is the Afro-centric movement, of whom Cheikh Anta Diop and his ‘idealogical son’ Molefi Kete Asante are the champions. This movement centers on reexaming African history from a pro-African perspective as opposed to the a pro-European one, a return to traditional African concepts and culture and often espouses the view that Egypt and some other civilizations were and should be acknowledged as having Black African origin. Also associated with pan-Africanism is Black Nationalism. During apartheid in South Africa there was a Pan Africanist Congress that dealt with the oppression of Black South Africans under White apartheid rule. Other pan-Africanist organizations include Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association-African Communities Pan-Africanism is often criticized for overlooking the cultural and ethnic differences as well as different socio-political circumstances. Role of Pan-africanism in the modern history of Africa The role that pan African movement has played in minimizing inter-governmental conflicts and ‘civil war’- like situations in some African countries has been very significant. The restriction of the page limit for the essay does not permit me to go into the details of these conflicts. However, the pivotal role that the movement played in the proposals to reform the United Nations Organization deserves more than a cursory mention. The campaign for the proposed reforms of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), while producing fireworks around the world, has also opened up old historical wounds and heightened regional rivalries in Africa. The hottest rivalries have been in Asia, particularly between India and Pakistan, and between Japan, South Korea and China, but Africa has also exhibited some kind of divisions along regional and language lines as countries scramble for permanent seats in the Security Council. African countries jockeying for the permanent seats have been South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and Libya. To that list, Senegal has been the latest addition, The African Union (AU) is flummoxed as to which of its member states to endorse, and has yet to establish the criteria to be used for selecting African countries to the reformed Security Council. The entry of Senegal into the race has only increased the dilemma, and is an indication of the AU’s indecision. In creating this leadership vacuum, the AU is leaving the selection of who will represent Africa on the expanded UN Security Council to be determined by foreign busybodies and regional power struggles. A working group that was appointed in January 2005 during the Abuja Summit of the African Union to make recommendations on the proposed UN reforms presented its report to the Foreign Ministers on March 7, 2005 in Addis Ababa, but was deafeningly silent on the selection criteria for Security Council permanent seats. What the AU stands to gain from a reformed Security Council According to the â€Å"Ezulwini Consensus,† which was adopted by the AU Foreign Ministers as Africa’s common position on UN reform, â€Å"Africa’s goal is to be fully represented in all the decision-making organs of the UN, particularly in the Security Council, which is the principal decision-making organ of the UN in matters relating to international peace and security.† Many observers feel that the UNSC is now more important than ever to Africa, particularly concerning matters of intervention in the conflicts occurring within the region. A consensus as to the criterion of UNSC membership is the least expected of the African States.    References    Kadiatu Kann,   Ã‚  African Identities: Race, Nation and Culture in Ethnography, Pan-Africanism and Black Literatures, ROUTLEDGE, LONDON, 1998. Kwame Anthony Appiah,  Ã‚   In My Father’s House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture, Oxford University Press, 1992

The eNotes Blog ZZZZzzzz Ten Books We CouldntFinish

ZZZZzzzz Ten Books We CouldntFinish My home is filled with books. Books on shelves, books overflowing shelves, books on my nightstand, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, on the floor. Most I manage to get through, if not always enjoy. I am a big believer in seeing it through.   Most of my friends feel the same way. AND YET there are always a few that we just cannot seem to finish.   Some are classics that we know we should complete before the inevitable Rise of the Librarians comes to quiz us with tasers. Others are books friends raved about.or best sellers that have evoked a lot of fussfor no reason YOU can discern. Whatever the reason, here are confessions of my well-read friends and colleagues, many of them English professors, so I will have to give them Code Names so their students never find out their dark, dark, secrets. 1.   Moby Dick  by Herman Melville Dense passage about the physiognomy of whales: the poor mans Ambien.   We all know that this should be read. And many of us keep trying. Its our own. yeah, you guessed it  Moby Dick  (Insert groaning here.) 2.   The Lord of the Rings  by J.R.R. Tolkien More Viggo Mortensen would have made this seemingly-endless series more interesting for  me. Skipping the endless songs moves things right along though. Save yourself some time and listen to some Zep to catch up on everything you need to know about what you glossed over. 3.   Paradisio  by Dante Alighieri   Another popular snooze-fest, this comment sums up our feelings in general:   I cant finish Paradisio. The torments of The Inferno and even Purgatorio appeal to my sense of schadenfreude, but people in heaven and Beatrice? BO-RING. 4.   Anything by Stephen King   I must say, in Kings defense, that his text  On Writing  Ã‚  is one of my favorites. However, King, to me, and many others, is like the Costco of literature. Do you really need that giant box of paper towels? Or that giant stack of largely interchangeable plots and characters? 5.   Fifty Shades of Grey  by E L James Yall need to get out more. 6.   Infinite Jest  by David Foster Wallace Not even my love for hot, mentally unstable professorial crazy guys can get me through Infinite Jest. Lordy, how Ive tried. 6.   A Confederacy of Dunces  by John Kennedy Toole I am beginning to think that I wont buy anymore books by authors with three names serial killer have three names too neither has a positive outcome. 7.   Great Expectations  by Charles Dickens Howls of outrage, I know. Please dont wake me with your yammering about him. 8.   Ã‚  The Life and Opinions of  Ã‚  Tristram Shandy  by Laurence Stern I remain convinced that no one ever reads this for pleasure (you are a liar, sir yes, you over there. LIAR!) and it exists only on graduate school syllabi to weed out the weenies among us. 9.   Freedom  by Jonathan Franzen He-Who-Snubbed-the-Mighty-Oprah Jonathan Franzen. The last time I went to the clearance aisle at Half Price Books, there were at least a half a dozen hardback copies going for a whopping $3.00.   Hey, thats was beer that was sitting on our shelves doing nothing! Cute bird, though. 10.   Clarissa, or, The History of a Young Lady  by Samuel Richardson   Though it was amusing to read Clarissa defending her virtue WHILE writing in her diary, at 808 pages, this relic from graduate school currently serves a a doorstop in my bedroom. True story. All right, readers. Confession time. What books have YOU never managed to complete? Cmon. We wont judge you! Much

Quotes About Being Aloneâ€but Not Lonely

Quotes About Being Alone- but Not Lonely Some people find it unnerving to be left alone when there are far too many uncomfortable dimensions to the solitude. Yet being alone does not necessarily mean being lonely. For instance, assume you are left alone with your thoughts. If you find peace in solitude, your time alone may be a blessing, a welcome respite from the cares of the world. The right quotes show that being alone- far from being lonely- provides a chance to reflect on life. Buddha All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else. Henry David Thoreau I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. Ann Landers It is far better to be alone than to wish you were. Warsan Shire My alone feels so good, I’ll only have you if you’re sweeter than my solitude. Marilyn Monroe I restore myself when Im alone. Its better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone- so far. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe The soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone. Julie Delpy Too many women throw themselves into romance because they’re afraid of being single, then start making compromises and losing their identity. I won’t do that. Thomas Merton If we seek paradise outside ourselves, we cannot have paradise in our hearts.Wayne Dyer You cannot be lonely if you like the person youre alone with. John Steinbeck All great and precious things are lonely. Blaise Pascal All mens miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone. James Dean Being an actor is the loneliest thing in the world. You are all alone with your concentration and imagination, and thats all you have. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying. George Washington It is better to be alone than in bad company. Dr. Seuss All alone! Whether you like it or not, alone is something youll be quite a lot. Dalai Lama Spend some time alone every day. African Proverb It is better to travel alone than with a bad companion. Jules Renard If you are afraid of being lonely, dont try to be right. Suzanne Gordon To be alone is to be different, to be different is to be alone. Charles Caleb Colton To dare to live alone is the rarest courage; since there are many who had rather meet their bitterest enemy in the field, than their own hearts in their closet. Alain de Botton Booksellers are the most valuable destination for the lonely, given the numbers of books that were written because authors couldnt find anyone to talk to. Georg Trakl For whoever is lonely there is a tavern. Paul Tillich Language...has created the word loneliness to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word solitude to express the glory of being alone. Jose Garcia Villa No more truth. Bells ring no more in me. I am all alone singly. Lonely rests my head. O my God! I am dead. Pearl S. Buck The person who tries to live alone will not succeed as a human being. His heart withers if it does not answer another heart. His mind shrinks away if he hears only the echoes of his own thoughts and finds no other inspiration. Vicki Baum Fame always brings loneliness. Success is as ice-cold and lonely as the North Pole. Anonymous I think Id do better on my own, no friends, no fights, just me alone. Christopher Morley Beauty is ever to the lonely mind a shadow fleeting; she is never plain. She is a visitor who leaves behind the gift of grief, the souvenir of pain. Hafiz of Persia â€Å"I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being.† Ancient Chinese Proverb â€Å"An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless or time, place, and circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle. But it will never break.† Mandy Hale â€Å"A season of loneliness and isolation is when the caterpillar gets its wings. Remember that next time you feel alone.† Dr. Wayne Dyer You cannot be lonely if you like the person youre alone with. Joseph F. Newton â€Å"People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.†

Culture's influence on basic psychological processes Assignment

Culture's influence on basic psychological processes - Assignment Example The community does not consider this practice as a risk to life because they perceive it as a safe culture. Other communities’ maybe perceive canoes as unsafe and primitive to use in an ocean, but to Pulawat island community it is their way of life. Their brains cognitive and perpetual abilities see this as the best way to tackle the problem of crossing to the main land. Culture differs depending on the geographical location and the environment and what is right to one community maybe wrong to another. The Americans are used to cross from the island to the mainland using motor boats which are manufactured in their industries. Pulawat community has, on several times, been challenged to adapt the use of modern boats without success. This shows that culture persists for a long period of time and it takes long time to change (Westen, 12). Until recently, the Pulawat island community has slowly started to adapt modern engine boats because they have been influenced by American culture that canoes are not safe. The community has been highly influenced but in the absence of this influence the community would have continued sticking to their canoes. This implies that an ethnocentric view of culture can have an influence on another community’s culture. In conclusion, cultures are influenced by psychological functions which are coordinated by human brain. Ethnocentric views of one culture can inflict fear to another causing cultural change. Fear is a brain function that in turn influences change of culture. Thus, culture is influenced by psychological functions such as

A critical review of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S Essay

A critical review of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - Essay Example This is a direct reference to the story of Genesis which tells of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. This referencing puts a tone of connection within the race of humanity. As Marcus Muhling put it in his book called A Theological Journey Into Narnia, â€Å"This is because in Christianity, humanity - by which is meant all people throughout history - is not just a race or a class, but an organism: all human beings are in relationship to one another.† (Muhling, p. 14) This way of classifying the four children designates them as apart from the other races of Narnia. This unifies their existence within the realm and elevates them, to a degree, to positions of exception. school associations† he could â€Å"steal past those watchful dragons† of tedious sermons and obligatory worship. By enlisting the unfettered powers of imagination, Lewis hoped to recapture the original beauty and poignancy In this way, Lewis was able to craft a story that could relate the principles of the Christian story in a way that could be easily digested by a young reader. While the biblical references could be difficult to comprehend, the fantastical one created by Lewis could be read by a child and understood, thus priming the intellectual process that could bring a deeper understanding to faith in Christ. Lucy, the heroine of the story, approaches her newfound world with innocence. She accepts what she sees and feels around her, without regard to the fantastical existence of Narnia. She exhibits faith as she walks through the wardrobe into a world that exists outside of her own world. This type of trust is indicative of the type of trust that is desired in faith for Christ. Faith is a goal should be reached without questioning the reality of the existence of God which is believed without proof through tangible evidence. and Edmund have both gone through the wardrobe to Narnia, but Peter and Susan have not been

Management of Info Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management of Info Systems - Essay Example This helps companies make decisions faster. In the case of Jackson Kayak, he is able to communicate to the company headquarters so that informed decisions are made (Laudon, 2013). The Chief Operations officer is also able to compare manufacturing equipments side-by-side with the images of replacement parts so that the company gets the correct pieces that will in turn help in improving the operational efficiency. The problems that whitewater kayak manufacturer solved by the use of mobile digital devices is accessing information while outside the company. In this case, Jackson is able to gain instant access to his entire operation from afar. He is able to approve new designs, analyze customer data, and refresh the content of its Web site. This has saved the company time that would have been taken by Jackson to travel to the headquarters, submit the information gathered so that a decision is made. The company has also been able to maintain its competitive advantage by analyzing customer data. This analysis helps the company be able to determine in good time the changing taste and preferences of its customers. As a result, the company is able to satisfy the needs of its customers and make the loyal to the company. General Electric (GE) has been able to manage gas turbine inventory and manage electronic transformers throughout the world by using the company’s Transformer Monitoring application. Monitoring applications also help the company to zoom in from a global map to a specific transformer, and be able to read all of the key performance indicators. Dow Corning executives have been able to use mobile devices to view and analyze real-time data from the company’s core corporate systems that include sales figures, trends, and projections. This presents the company’s managers with simple and intuitive dashboards of complex data. The company has also

The Role of Entrepreneurship in Economic Development Essay Example for Free

The Role of Entrepreneurship in Economic Development Essay European Journal of Business and Managementwww.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online)Vol 4, No.8, 2012 100 and support services to accelerate the development and modernisation of MSMEs, SMEDAN badly needed to have acomprehensive understanding and knowledge of the population of MSMEs in the country, their distribution bysectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, services, trade, construction, mining, technology, etc, and their distribution by rural and urban areas as well as the level of vertical and horizontal linkages within and betweenvarious sectors of industry so as to access the level of industrial integration and the incidence of sub-contracting andits potential in giving a flip to industrial development. The census/survey will also enable SMEDAN to determine and assess the major operating difficulties of MSMEsrelating to both market functions (such as demand-pricing factors, supply factors, raw materials, technologyinfrastructure, etc) and policy environment as it relates to regulatory, incentive and support regimes. The overall benefits of the census/survey would hinge on the expected robust data and information, which SMEDAN wouldemploy as a basis for policy formulation, implementation and intervention, effective developmental planning, vitaladvice on new investments, grow and profitable areas, raw materials availability as well as available technology,available markets, available sources of funds and assistance.The survey exercise is also expected to adequately equip and empower SMEDAN to effectively do the following,inter alia:i. Map out effective strategies for revamping and reforming the MSMEs sub-sector through appropriatelyadvising the government on policy formulation and execution.ii. Recommend the right operators for various incentives and support by government including funding, be itloan, equity and grants.iii. Offer relevant advisory services to state governments on how best to support and invigorate MSMEs in their domains bearing their peculiarities and circumstances in mind.iv. Ide ntify viable projects for both local and foreign investors in order to attract foreign investment.v. Identify viable projects with export potentials and also identify and advise on the appropriate foreignmarkets in order to boost foreign exchange earnings.vi. Identify and assess MSMEs critical requirements in the areas of capacity building, skills gap, knowledge,skills and process and liaise with the relevant institutions and agencies of government like the National PovertyEradication Programme (NAPEP), the Centre for Management Development (CMD), the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), etc.vii. Establish a befitting business support centre for each state in the federation.viii. Facilitate the promotion and government patronage of quality local products of MSMEs for either localconsumption or export or both. 4.1 A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN INDIA’S SMALL SCALE INDUSTRIES (SSIs) ANDNIGERIA’S SMEs The magnitude of contributions as well as the impact of SSIs on the economic growth and development of India ishighly significant as evidenced by the following figures. The SSIs represent ninety-five percent (95%) of the totalindustrial units in India, contribute forty-five percent (45%) of the total industrial output, account for eighty percent(80%) of all employment in the industrial sector, and contribute thirty-five percent (35%) each of total exports andvalue-added by the entire manufacturing sector respectively in India. Between 1990 and 1991, SSI real growth inIndia recorded between a low of 7.1% in 1993/94 and a high of 11.3% in 1996/97.As a result of commitment and focus on SSIs and driven by their all important role in the economic development, thegovernment of India had as far back as in 1948 put in place, an effective and efficient industrial policy for developing SSIs such that by the year 2000, India had three (3) million SSIs with a production value of US$110billion, export volume of US$ 10billion and staff strength or employment figure of eighteen (18) million. Eventhough SMEs‟ performance in Nigeria shows that technology and fiscal incentives had made little positive impact onthe sub-sector given the obvious lapses in implementation modalities as well as the constraining policy andinfrastructural environment, recent estimates have put the contribution of SMEs to total industrial employment in Nigeria at seventy percent (70%) and to total manufacturing output at 10 – 15 percent. SMEs in Nigeria have beenquite active in promoting the use of local raw materials with many of them also engaged in the processing of localinputs into either intermediate or final products especially agro-allied and solid minerals products. Many SMEs havealso successfully adopted imported plant and machinery for local use and thus positioning themselves as veritable European Journal of Business and Managementwww.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online)Vol 4, No.8, 2012 101 tools for promoting technical expertise and development of indigenous entrepreneurship. The Nigerian SMEs aremostly resource-based and dispersed throughout the country (in urban, suburban and rural areas) and hence have tosome extent, facilitated the opening up of the rural areas, mitigated rural-urban drift, and significantly contributed to poverty alleviation.The following represent a brief comparison between Nigeria‟s SMEs and India‟s SSIs:i. Definition†¢ Nigeria‟s SMEs cover enterprises with total cost of N20million excluding land and total employees of between 10and 300 people†¢ India‟s SSIs are defined as units in the manufacturing, processing or preservation of goods with investment in plantand machinery not exceeding Rupees 10million ($210,000).The difference here hinges on the fact that India has no provision for mediu m scale enterprises; their focus is on thereal sector thus excluding trading and services. (ii) Credit Dispensation:†¢ In Nigeria, there are universal banks, development banks, and other special institutions, which provide credit butnot at subsidized rates.†¢ In India, there is a multi-agency system for credit flows; term loans are provided by term lending institutions andworking capital is provided by commercial banks.(iii) Funding Arrangements:†¢ In Nigeria, no minimum quantum of credits to SMEs is mandatory anymore. In the past, a percentage of totalcredits used to be mandatory for SMEs. However, 10% of banks‟ annual Profit Before Tax (PBT) is mandatory for equity investment in SMEs under the SMIEIS program.†¢ In India, 40% of total advances go to the priority sector, and 60% of net bank credit to the priority sector goes toSSIs.(iv) Management of funds invested in SMEs/SSIs:†¢ In Nigeria, the funds can be managed directly, or through a subsidiary or through a venture capital manager.†¢ In India, the credits to SSIs are driven need-ba sed limits on liberal terms with level and profitability as key factorsand not linked to security or collateral. Flexibility is the watchword with each activity assessed on its own merit.(v) Structure of BusinessesIn Nigeria, an SME must be a limited liability company†¢ In India, an SSI could be a limited liability company, or a partnership or a proprietary firm.(vi) Incentives and support to the SME/SSI sector:†¢ In Nigeria, it is mandatory for banks to set aside 10% of their annual profit before tax in support of SMEs. TheBank of Industry (BOI) is expected to provide credits to SMEs but not on soft lending rates. It is only the NigerianExport Import Bank (NEXIM) that provides soft loans to export oriented SMEs.†¢ In India, the incentive and support schemes available to SSIs are much more elaborate and include official generaland organisational support as well as support by other agencies. The nature and levels of key incentives and supportinclude but are not limited to the following:From the above, one can categorically affirm that the incentives and support given to SSIs by the government of India are quite wholesome and formidable. The package of support and incentives provided by the government of Nigeria can in fact, be said to be insignificant when compared with those of India. It is thus less surprising, thedevelopment gap between the SSIs of India and the Nigerian SME sub-sectors and hence the significant role SSIs are playing in the economic growth and development of India. The continuous reinforcement of incentives and support European Journal of Business and Managementwww.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online)Vol 4, No.8, 2012 102 to SSIs by the government of India underscores the high degree of appreciation of the importance of the SSIsubsector to the future of the Indian economy.In Nigeria, there are relatively few SMEs in the formal sector and many more in the informal sector. TheInternational Labour Organisation (ILO) has attempted to make some estimates of the contributions made to theeconomy by SMEs, including the informal sector, and believes that they account for over 60 percent of economicactivities and over 35 percent of urban employment 4.2 RESEARCH DESIGN The research design approach adopted in this work is the survey research technique. The survey approach appeared best suited for this work since it is not feasible to interview the entire population. Furthermore, in surveys, there arefixed sets of questions, and responses are systematically classified, so that quantitative comparisons can be made.The sources of primary data were through questionnaires that were administered to the SMEs owner-manager andoral interview held with them. Secondary data were gathered from earlier research work and studies that have beendone. METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS Appropriate descriptive statistical techniques such as frequency distribution and simple percentages were used tocharacterize the responses. The use of percentages analysis enables the figures in the research work which were inabsolute terms to be converted to real terms. The statistical tool facilitated the comparism of figures and standardizesdata, thereby reducing the difficulty of comparing non standardized figures. It uses 100 as its base.An in-depth examination of the responses revealed that SMEs involved in manufacturing/assembling ventures rated poor infrastructure as their greatest challenge. Worst among the infrastructural problems facing the SMEs relates toelectrical energy supply, which is rather hydra-headed. In some cases it is nonexistence in which case theentrepreneur has to provide his own energy supply. In other cases it is either epileptic in supply with incessantoutages with the attendant damages to equipment or the voltage supplied is too low as to support the plant andmachinery in use for the respective operation. The increase in production cost emanating from inadequate electric power supply to SMEs is said to be enormous. These costs relate to loss in output due to down time as a result of power outages, cost of fixing damaged equipment resulting from outages, poor quality of products as a result of bumpy production process, the high cost of fuel to operate own generating plants, costs of maintaining and servicingthese generating sets. Respondents regretted the frustration they encounter daily from power outages adding that the plant and equipment they use, especially the locally fabricated ones, can hardly absorb the shocks they are routinelysubjected to. FINDINGS SMEs have been fully recognized by governments and development experts as the main engine of economic growthand a major factor in promoting private sector development and partnership. The development of the SME sector therefore represents an essential element in the growth strategy of most economies and holds particular significancein the case of Nigeria. SMEs not only contribute significantly to improved living standards, employment generationand poverty reduction but they also bring about substantial domestic or local capital formation and achieve highlevels of productivity and capability. From a planning standpoint, SMEs are increasingly recognized as the principalmeans for achieving equitable and sustainable industrial diversification, growth and dispersal. In most countries,including the developed countries like Japan, USA, UK, etc, SMEs account for well over half of the total share of employment, sales, value added and hence contribution to GDP.A major gap in Nigeria‟s industrial development process in the past years has been the absence of a strong and virileSME sub-sector. With over 120 million people, vast productive and arable farmland, rich variety of mineral depositsand other natural resources, Nigeria should have been a haven for SMEs. Unfortunately, SMEs have not played thesignificant and crucial role they are expected to play in Nigeria‟s economic growth, development andindustrialization.

Essay --

My long-term goal is to transition into academia and ultimately become a full Professor in Epidemiology at an academic institution. My goal is to develop a nationally recognized research program, engage in extramurally-funded multidisciplinary research, teach intermediate or advanced graduate level epidemiology courses, mentor graduate students, and engage in university and professional service. Several themes have emerged in my life that make me well suited for a career in Epidemiology, a passion for research and a strong desire to make an impact on the lives of others. My primary interest in public health is chronic disease epidemiology, mainly the underlying etiologies of and effective preventive measures of chronic diseases. I am particularly interested in researching cardiovascular disease and diabetes in traditionally disadvantaged or underserved populations. As an epidemiologist, I want to master the skills of effective research, work to improve the processes of epidemiologic research, and successfully educate minority populations so they are empowered to choose healthy lifestyles. As a lifelong student, learning must precede anything I do. When I first came to the United States, I fell in love with the English language and wanted to be able to speak eloquently. To pursue my goal I immersed myself in books and media, mainly Schoolhouse Rock to acquire grammatical and syntactical knowledge. Then I worked persistently to learn the proper mechanics of the language. Today, the area of my pursuit is different, but the principle is the same. Through extensive study and practice I want to discover novel, paradigm-shifting approaches to addressing health disparities in the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of common chronic dis... ...because there seems to be endless opportunities for personal and professional growth within its multiple research institutes and centers as well as hospital partners and clinics. Additionally, the health disparities concentration offered to students by the School of Public Health caters to my future career goals as well as provides me the opportunity to enhance my skills. As an English learner, I am accustomed to uncertainty but have also experienced the payoff of staying the course and not being afraid to face adversity. As a child, whenever I would become overwhelmed with phonetics or grammar, I would repeat the mantra, "Today I am a student and tomorrow I hope to be a better one." Continued learning is also essential to becoming an epidemiologist. I have no doubt I will carry on this perseverance, tenacity and work ethic in order to thrive as a PhD student.

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 19

Damon wouldn't have thought a sadistic old fool who whipped a woman to pieces for not being able to pull a cart meant for a horse would have any friends. And Old Drohzne, indeed, may not have had any. But that wasn't the issue. Neither, strangely, was murder the issue. Murder was an everyday affair around the slums and the fact that Damon had initiated and won a fight was of no surprise to the inhabitants of these dangerous alleyways. The issue lay in making off with a slave. Or perhaps it went deeper. The issue lay in how Damon treated his own slaves. A crowd of men – all men, no women, Damon noticed – had indeed gathered in front of the doctor's building, and they did in fact have torches. â€Å"Mad vampire! Mad vampire on the loose!† â€Å"Drive him out here for justice to be done!† â€Å"Burn the place down if they won't turn him out!† â€Å"The elders say to bring him to them!† This seemed to have the effect the crowd desired, clearing the streets of the more decent people and leaving only the bloody-minded sort who'd been hanging about at a loose end, and were only too glad of a fight. Most of them, of course, were vampires themselves. Most of them were fit vampires. But none of them, Damon thought, flashing a diamond-bright smile around the circle that was closing in on him, had the motivation of knowing that the lives of three young human girls depended on him – and that one of them was the jewel in the crown of humanity, Elena Gilbert. If he, Damon, was torn to pieces in this fight, those three girls would lead lives of hell and degradation. However, even this logic didn't seem to help him prevail as Damon was kicked, bitten, head-butted, punched, and stabbed with wooden daggers – the kind that slice vampire flesh. At first he thought he had a chance. Several of the youngest and fittest vampires fell prey to his cobra-quick strikes and his sudden strafes of Power. But the truth was that there were simply too many of them, Damon thought, as he snapped the neck of a demon whose two long tusks had already scored his arm almost through the muscle. And here came a huge vampire, clearly in training, with an aura that made Damon feel bile at the back of his throat. That one went down with a foot in the face, but he didn't stay down; he came up, clinging to Damon's leg and allowing several smaller vampires with wooden daggers to dart in and hamstring him. Damon felt black dismay as his legs went out from under him. â€Å"Sunlight damn you,† he grated through a mouthful of blood as another tusked, red-skinned demon punched him in the mouth. â€Å"Damn you all to the lowest hells†¦.† It was no good. Dully, still fighting, still using great swaths of Power to maim and kill as many as he could, Damon realized this. And then everything became dreamlike and dazed – not like his dream of Elena, whom he seemed to see constantly in his side-eye, weeping. But dreamlike in a feverish, nightmare sense. He could no longer use his muscles efficiently. His body was battered and even as he healed his legs, another vampire scored a great cut across his back. He was feeling more and more as if he were in a nightmare where he could not move except in slow motion. At the same time, something in his brain was whispering for him to rest. Just rest†¦and it would all be over. Eventually, the greater numbers bore him down, and somebody appeared with a stake. â€Å"Good riddance to new rubbish,† the stake bringer said, his breath reeking of stale blood, his leering face grotesque, as he used leprous-looking fingers to open Damon's shirt so as not to make a hole in the fine black silk. Damon spat on him and had his face stamped on hard in return. He blacked out for a moment and then, slowly, came back to pain. And noise. The gleeful crowd of vampires and demons, drunk on cruelty, were all doing a stomping, rhythmic, improvised dance around Damon, roaring with laughter as they thrust imaginary stakes, working themselves into a frenzy. That was when Damon realized that he was actually going to die. It was a shocking realization, even though he'd known how much more dangerous this world was than the one he'd recently left, and even in the human world he had only escaped death by a hairsbreadth more than once. But now he had no powerful friends, no weaknesses in the crowd to exploit. He felt as if seconds were suddenly stretching into minutes, each one of incalculable worth. What was important? Telling Elena†¦ â€Å"Blind him first! Get that stick blazing!† â€Å"I'll take his ears! Someone help me hold his head!† Telling Elena†¦something. Something†¦sorry†¦ He gave up. Another thought was trying to break into his consciousness. â€Å"Don't forget to knock out his teeth! I promised my girlfriend a new necklace!† I thought I was prepared for this, Damon thought slowly, each word coming separately. But†¦not so soon. I thought I'd made my peace†¦but not with the one person who mattered†¦yes, who mattered the most. He didn't give himself time to think about that subject further. Stefan, he sent out on the most powerful but clandestine jettison of Power he could manage in his foggy state. Stefan, hear me! Elena's come for you – she'll save you! She has Powers that my death will let loose. And I am†¦I am†¦s – At that moment there was a stumbling in the dance around him. Silence descended on the drunken revelers. A few of them hastily bowed their heads or looked away. Damon went still, wondering what could possibly have stopped the frenzied crowd in the very midst of their revelry. Someone was walking toward him. The newcomer had long bronze hair that hung in separate unruly tangles down to his waist. He was naked to the waist, too, exposing a body that the strongest demon might envy. A chest that looked as if it had been carved out of gleaming bronze stone. Exquisitely sculpted biceps. Abs – a perfect six pack. There was not a spare ounce of fat on his entire tall leonine frame. He wore unadorned black trousers with muscles rippling under them at every step. All along one bare arm he had a vivid tattoo of a black dragon eating a heart. Nor was he alone. He held no leash, but by his side was a handsome and uncannily intelligent-looking black dog that stood at alert attention every time he paused. It must have weighed close to two hundred pounds, but there was not an ounce of fat on it, either. And on one shoulder he carried a large falcon. It wasn't hooded as most hunting birds were on forays out of their mews. It also wasn't standing on anything padded. It gripped the bare shoulder of the bronze young man, digging its three front talons into the flesh and sending small streams of blood down his chest. He didn't seem to notice. There were similar, dried streams beside the fresh ones, undoubtedly from previous journeys. In the back, a single talon made a lonely red trail. An absolute hush had fallen on the crowd and the last few demons between the tall man and the bloody, supine figure on the ground scrambled out of his way. For a moment, the leonine man was still. He said nothing, did nothing, emitted no trace of Power. Then he nodded at the dog, which padded forward heavily and sniffed at Damon's bleeding arms and face. After that it sniffed at his mouth and Damon could see the hairs go up on its body. â€Å"Good dog,† said Damon dreamily as the moist, cool nose tickled his cheek. Damon knew this particular animal and he knew also that it did not fit the popular stereotype of a â€Å"good dog.† Rather, it was a hellhound who was used to taking vampires by the throat and shaking them until their arteries spouted blood six feet high into the air. That kind of thing could keep you so occupied that having a stake slipped into your heart might seem an afterthought, Damon mused, holding perfectly still. â€Å"Arrtez-le!† said the bronze-haired youth. The dog obediently backed off, never taking its shining black eyes off Damon's, who never took his own eyes off it until it was some feet away. The bronze-haired youth glanced over the crowd briefly. Then he said with no particular vehemence, â€Å"Laissez-le seul.† Clearly, to the vampires no translation was necessary, and they began to edge away immediately. The unlucky ones were those who didn't edge fast enough and were still around when the bronze young man took another leisurely look about him. Everywhere he looked, he met downcast eyes and cringing bodies, frozen in the act of edging but apparently turned to stone now in an attempt not to attract attention. Damon found himself relaxing. His Power was returning, allowing him to make repairs. He realized that the dog was going from individual to individual and sniffing at each one with interest. When Damon was able to lift his head again, he smiled faintly at the newcomer. â€Å"Sage. Think of the devil.† The bronze man's brief smile was grim. â€Å"You compliment me, mon cher. You see? I'm blushing.† â€Å"I ought to have known you might be here.† â€Å"There is infinite space to wander, mon petit tyran. Even if I must do it alone.† â€Å"Ah, the pity. Tiny violins are playing – † Suddenly Damon couldn't do it anymore. He just couldn't. Maybe it was because of being with Elena before. Maybe it was because this hideous world depressed him unutterably. But when he spoke again, his voice was entirely different. â€Å"I never knew I could feel so grateful. You've saved five lives, though you don't know it. Though how you stumbled on us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sage crouched down, looked at him with concern. â€Å"What is it that has happened?† he said in a serious voice. â€Å"Is it that you hit your head? You know: news travels fast here. I heard you arrived with a harem – â€Å" â€Å"That's true! He did!† Damon's ears caught a bare whisper of sound at the edge of the street where he'd been ambushed. â€Å"If we take the girls hostage – torture them – â€Å" Sage's eyes met Damon's briefly. Clearly, he had heard the whisper as well. â€Å"Saber,† he said to the dog. â€Å"Just the speaker.† He jerked his head, once, in the direction of the whisper. Instantly, the black dog jumped forward, and faster than it took for Damon to describe it in his own mind, had sunk his teeth into the throat of the whisperer, flipped him over once, causing a distinctive crack, and was bounding back, dragging the body between his legs. The words: Je vous ai inform au sujet de ceci! blasted by on a surge of Power that made Damon wince. And Damon thought, yes, he did tell them before – but not what the consequences would be. Laissez lui et ses amis dans la paix! Meanwhile, Damon was slowly getting up, only too glad to accept Sage's protection for himself and his friends. â€Å"Well that certainly should have done it,† he said. â€Å"Why not come back and have a friendly drink with me?† Sage peered at him as if he'd gone mad. â€Å"You know the answer to that is no.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"I told you: no.† â€Å"That's not a reason.† â€Å"The reason I will not come back for a friendly drink†¦mon ange†¦is that we are not friends.† â€Å"We pulled some pretty scams together.† â€Å"Il y a longtemps.† Abruptly, Sage took one of Damon's hands. There was a deep and bloody scratch on it, which Damon hadn't got around to healing. Under Sage's gaze it closed, the flesh turned pink, and it healed. Damon let Sage continue to hold the hand for a moment, and then, not ungently, retrieved it. â€Å"Not such a very long time ago,† he said. â€Å"Away from you?† A sarcastic smile formed on Sage's lips. â€Å"We count time very differently, you and I, mon petit tyran.† Damon was full of befuddled cheer. â€Å"What's one drink?† â€Å"Along with your harem?† Damon tried to picture Meredith and Sage together. His mind balked. â€Å"But you've made yourself responsible for them anyway,† he said flatly. â€Å"And the truth is that none of them are mine. I give my word on that.† He felt a twinge when he thought about Elena, but his word was true. â€Å"Responsible for them?† Sage seemed to be reasoning it out. â€Å"You pledged to save them, then. But I only inherit your pledge if you die. But if you die†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The tall man made a helpless gesture. â€Å"You have to live, to save Stefan and Elena and the others.† â€Å"I'd say no, but that would make you unhappy. So I'll say yes – † â€Å"And if you don't perform, I swear I'll come back to haunt you.† Sage regarded him for a moment. â€Å"I don't think I've ever been accused of being unable to perform before,† he said. â€Å"But of course that was before I became un vampire.† Yes, Damon thought, the meeting of the â€Å"harem† and Sage was bound to be interesting. At least it would be if the girls discovered who Sage really was. But maybe no one would tell them.