2,000 word Conflict Analysis and Research Proposal

2,000 word Conflict Analysis and - Research Proposal Example To many, natural resources are a vital resource for development and seems as the sole sure path to poverty reduction and economic growth. The increased awareness of the correlation between natural resources, security, and conflict continues to serve as reinforcement for the perception that natural resources are now a security issue (Bannon and Collier 2003 ). While appreciating that there are other drivers, this proposal suggests a detailed research to establish the interrelationship between distribution of economic resources and conflict. A succinct understanding of this relationship is considered necessary especially when formulating and implementing policies to mitigate the risk of conflict whether within a country or region. Limited knowledge of the correlation has resulted into misaligned policies and strategies that fail to achieve their objectives on prevention of conflicts related to natural resources distribution. The contemporary society is concerned that tension and conflicts continue to persist despite the formulation and implementation of conflict prevention policies in various world regions and countries. Much has been done to combat conflicts although researchers have shown that tensions and threat of violence are still high. An understanding of the correlation between conflicts and various drivers is considered as a vital step towards sustainable conflict prevention strategies and policies (Odhiambo 2011). It is necessary that the society adopt strategies that comprehensively address regional conflicts regardless of the dynamics of the contemporary world. All aspects of life are experiencing fast changes largely because of globalization. This research proposal in an attempt to establish the linkage between natural economic resources and conflicts presents a succinct literature review, research methodology, and possible results in subsequent sections. The literature refers to earlier re search studies to give insight on how different regions and

Bone Cancer Essay Example for Free

Bone Cancer Essay Bone cancer is a disease that occurs on or inside a bone. Usually, bone cancer involves a tumor filled with abnormal cells that will occasionally appear on the exterior of the bone. Similar to other types of cancer, bone cancer can be life threatening. Doctors are not completely sure what causes cancer, but they continue the search to find an answer. There are five different types of bone cancer that can affect people from ages 10-60 years old. Bone cancer can occur in any bone in the body from the legs to the head. Unfortunately, symptoms of bone cancer are not always obvious. Most of the time, pain is the most apparent symptom. When recognizing symptoms at an early stage, doctors can complete testing and supply treatment to the patient. Treatment for bone cancer usually begins with surgery followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Because of the need to kill all of the abnormal cells that are growing on or inside the bone, treatment for bone cancer can be very powerful. In most cases, treatment is very successful. Before starting cancer treatment, many patients rely on statistics for a survival rate, but statistics are simply averages. Each patient has a different circumstance with his/her disease. There are 206 bones in the human body. Each bone serves several purposes. The bones of the body act as the structure that helps to support and protect many internal organs. The bones also serve as a muscle attachment that connects to the muscle to help during movement. But, most importantly, the bones of the body produce and store cells in the bone marrow. Cells make up the body tissue. However, some cells can become abnormal. Given that healthy cells make up body tissue, unhealthy cells grow and destroy body tissue and can often spread to other parts of the body. This abnormal growth of cells is called cancer. There are more than 100 types of cancer known to man, and 5 out of 100 are bone cancer. The most common type of bone cancer is Osteosarcoma, which commonly affects people from ages 10-25 years old. Osteosarcoma develops in new tissue usually in the arms, legs, or around the knee joint. Chondrosarcoma is another type of bone cancer. It usually develops in the cartilage of the pelvis, upper part of legs and arms, and the shoulder. Chondrosarcoma affects people from ages 50-60 years old. Ewing’s Sarcoma is a bone cancer that is known to begin in immature nerve tissue in the bone marrow. It attacks the pelvis, femur, and tibia. Ewing’s Sarcoma usually affects people from 10-20 years old. The last two types of bone cancer are Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma and Fibrosarcoma. Both of these types of bone cancer are very rare and usually develop in the arms and legs or around the knee joint. Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma and Fibrosarcoma are known to affect middle aged people. Bone cancer can sometimes be hard to detect. Symptoms of bone cancer can develop very slowly if at all. Often, one will develop swelling or tenderness in the affected area. Sometimes, a slightly visible lump may be felt through the skin. Bone cancer can also interfere with body movements like walking or hiking. Broken bones can also result from bone cancer. In one case, a victim of bone cancer recently started seeing symptoms of bone cancer. She developed a strong pain in her knee joint that enabled her to walk. The victim experienced a large amount of swelling around the joint. When she consulted a physician, the patient found that she had a fracture and a cancerous tumor in her knee. Even though the above symptoms can also lead to other injuries or diseases besides bone cancer, it is strongly recommended that one should consult a physician if in doubt. When diagnosing bone cancer, a doctor must first complete some tests. According to a summary of tests and procedures by Medicine Net on line, a doctor will first ask about a patient’s personal and family medical history in order to find out if there is any history of cancer in the family. Next, the doctor will order blood tests and x-rays. The exact size, shape, and location of a bone tumor can be seen through an x-ray. Then, a CAT scan (Computed Axial Tomography) will be completed to show whether the cancer has begun to spread to other parts of the body. A CAT scan will give detailed pictures of the cross section of the body. There are also similar tests like an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and an Angiogram (x-ray of the arteries), but a biopsy is the ultimate test that will make sure that cancer is present in the body. After the victim was told that she had bone cancer, she experienced a biopsy in Seattle, Washington. The Medicine Net on line explained that during a biopsy, doctors test a sample of the bone tumor and determine through a microscope whether or not the tumor is cancerous. The many different tests of bone cancer are very critical to the outcome of the disease. The tests are used for staging the bone cancer. For example, if a patient of bone cancer had a CAT scan, and it showed that the bone cancer was not spreading, the doctors could stage the patient’s cancer as controlled. There are three types of treatment for bone cancer: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The treatment preference depends upon the type, location, size, and extent of tumor along with a patient’s needs. Sometimes, a combination of the three treatments is used on a patient. Because cancer can recur in the original affected area, surgeons often remove the tumor, tissue, and some healthy bone surrounding the tumor. In some cases, especially in children, a metal device will be implanted in place of the bone that was removed by a surgeon. This metal device functions to save a limb and lengthen as the child grows. Another type of treatment is chemotherapy. The National Cancer Institute, which covers both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, states that chemotherapy uses several drugs such as Cyclophosphamide, Vinblastine, and vincristine to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is a very intense treatment that can be given by mouth or by injection into a muscle or blood vessel. Chemotherapy is so powerful that there has to be a treatment period followed by a recovery period, which is usually when one has fully recovered from the intense drugs used in chemotherapy. Recovery periods can vary with each person. The last treatment for bone cancer is radiotherapy. This type of treatment uses high-energy rays to damage cancer cells and stop them from growing. Radiotherapy can sometimes be used in place of surgery to remove the bone cancer. Another use for radiotherapy is to kill cancer cells remaining in the affected area after treatment. All treatments for bone cancer are very strong. The treatments are so strong that they kill not only cancer cells but also some healthy cells. The five bone cancers are a very small proportion of the 100 or more cancers known to man. However, the National Cancer Institute is developing and sponsoring clinical trials on bone cancer patients in many hospitals and cancer centers. The National Cancer Institute is trying to find new effective treatments and methods for bone cancer. The future for bone cancer patients is very promising. Doctors and scientists are hoping to discover the cure for cancer in the next ten years.

Culture of Fear Essay example -- Frank Furedi Western Culture Essays

Culture of Fear Culture of Fear, by Frank Furedi, is a book that looks at how widespread fear impacts Western cultures like the United States and Great Britain. Frank Furedi believed that society tends to panic too much, as we actually enjoy "an unprecedented level of safety." I admit that Frank Furedi's novel is based upon a novel concept, and an interesting one at that. However, Frank Furedi comes off to me as little more than a fear monger and an intellectual elitist. His book, to me, seems redundant more often than not. But sometimes part of college is learning about points of view that you may not agree with, so I tried to maintain that perspective when I read the book. Our assignment for class was to read the book, and every week or so we would write a reading log about a particular chapter. This was beyond a doubt a very difficult assignment for me. It involved reading a book I neither liked nor understood completely, and the writing logs seemed to never end. It was kind of a drag writing every week, and I usually procrastinated until the day it was due. The saving grace of the assignment was that the reading logs were informal, and for that I am grateful to my professor. I suspect that a major point in having regular logs was for all of us in class to have practice in regularly writing. The other point was to help us understand the concepts behind analyzing texts. We were given the liberty to write any random thought that we could conceive. Spelling and grammar did not count, and I believe that as long as we used thought and effort, then the teacher was satisfied. As a result, my logs are indeed far from professional. There may be occasional spelling errors, some swearing, and some pretty damn bizarre thoughts. ... ...n't paranoid of HIV, then this could happen, just one of the many cases of HIV infected people infecting many other people: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1111/is_n1778_v297/ai_20952867 Political correctness was also mentioned. I think many people, especially in white America, are sick of PC. While America is a big melting pot, it would be nice if there was a lot more conformity. At least make English the official language. In post-9/11 America, racial profiling in under the gun. People say we can't use it because it isn't PC. I say fuck PC. If you take all emotion out of the situation, and focus on statistical fact and scientific information, then if racial profiling works, why take away a successful tool from law enforcement? Most middle-easterners are not terrorists, but most terrorists are middle-easterners. What's wrong with acknowledging that?

Employee rewards Essay

Employee reward is about how people are rewarded in accordance with their value to an organization (Armstrong, 2001). It is concerned with both financial and non financial rewards and embraces the philosophies, strategies, policies, plans and processes used by organization to development maintain reward systems. An employee reward system consist of an organizations integrated policies, processes, practice, structures and procedures which will provide and maintain appropriate type and levels of pays benefits and other forms of rewards. The main components of a reward system include processes for measuring the value of jobs, the contribution of individuals’ in those jobs and the range and level of employee benefit to be provided, these processes consist of job evaluation, market rate analyses and performance management (Armstrong,2004). Practice for motivating people by use of financial and non-financial rewards, the financial reward rewards consist of base and variable pay and employee benefits and allowances and non-financial rewards are provided through effective leadership, the work itself and the opportunities given to employees to develop their skills and careers. Structures for relating pay and benefit levels to the value of positions in the organization and for providing scope for rewarding people according to their performance, competence, skill and experience (Gephart&Caroll, 1998). Employee rewards are an effective way to drive performance and reinforce the behavior that helps a company meets its objectives. Pay bands are profiled in terms of the level of required competence, which describe the typical or minimum requirements of the roles allocated to each band. Individual roles are then slotted into the appropriate band by the company their profile with the band profiles. The purpose of pay structure is to organize and demonstrate organizations compensation philosophy and to reflect and support the advancement of the company culture. An effective pay structure allows employees to attract and retain the people who can help achieve our business goals (Jones, 1991). Broad banded pay structure is one in which the range of pay is significantly higher than convectional graded structures. The progression is appropriate because they provide for more flexibility in making and administrating pay decision. Broad banded structure recognizes that in flat organizations career are more likely to develop within more broadly homogenous areas of responsibilities rather than progressing up a number of steps in a clearly defined hierarchy. This structure has few broad bands which reduces the problem of grade drift. More authority is developed to managers to manager rewards in their departments which they can view them as their kingdom. The broad banded pay structure posses a problem of controlling pay decision so that a fair degree of equity and consistency is achieved. Broad banded pay structure requires that the line managers are literate on the issues of pay otherwise the process will be badly managed and complains will arise in the organizational of discrimination in pay. Broad banded pay structure can only succeed in sophisticated organizations with a tradition of good pay practices if this is not adhered to misunderstanding may occur due to irregularities in pay of employees doing the same job. Broad banded pay structure enable line mangers the freedom to manage the pay of their staff within their budget but this can become disadvantageous especially if the managers create their own kingdoms in these departments. Also too much scope for pay progression. The control mechanism in broad banded pay structure can be provided but can be difficult to mange and costly as job evaluation of no longer drive grading decisions (White&Drunken, 2000). Broad banded may pay structure create unrealistic expectation or scope for pay rise as it seems to restrict the scope for promotions making if difficult to understand equal pay progress. All these issues can cause potential problems in an organization that operates a traditional narrow banded structure. Narrow banded structure has ten or more graded and progression is expected to occur in small but relatively frequent steps. Progression is usually linked to performance. It is more appropriate in an organization when the organization is large and bureaucratic with well defined and extended hierarchies. In narrow banded structure pay progression is expected to occur in small but relatively frequent steps (Thrope&Homan, 2000). The culture in the organization having narrow banded structure is one in which mass significance is attached to status as indicated by grindings. This pay structure is appropriate when same little scope of pay is wanted as it facilitates control and clearly indicating relativities. In a narrow banded structure the hierarchy is tall as all the jobs are allocated into a salary grade within the structure on the basis of an assessment of their internal and external value hence it will be difficult for a broad banded pay structure when being introduced in the organization as it is mostly appropriate for flat organization not all hierarchy organization. Each salary grade consists of a salary range in narrow banded structure which can be 10 or more grades while in a broad banded pay structure. It is more flexible and can consist of five to six broad bans. In a narrow banded structure the rate of salary progressive is determined by performance as well as length of service while the broad banded pay structure progression is linked to contribution and competency of the employee. In narrow banded pay structure the number of salary ranges required depends on the lower and upper salary level of the jobs in the structure of an organization, the differentiate between the ranges, and the number of distinct levels of responsibility in the hierarchy which need to be catered for by separate grades. This will create many pay grade which if a broad banded pay structure is introduced in the organization implementation will be difficult as it will be possible to design and differentiate them more accurately as an aid to better precision when grading jobs.

Individual Diff and diversity

Describe some beliefs that are commonly held about leaders, managers and/or other professions Over the period of observations, experience, reading we believe some common features of different characters in our life. These observations might be situational or might depend on socio economic structure and values of an Individual. These beliefs might be different for different persons. But for a certain professions there are some common beliefs for some specific characters.For example common people always believe that a manager/leader will be very responsible, smart, strict what one normally experience In books, cinemas or personally over a period of time while grew up. Same message Susan Cain tried to explain about Introverts. Introverts are believed to be very shy and not fit to be leaders/managers. But the study shows the opposite about the Introverts. These beliefs are different for different professions. It might be different In some socio-economic structure than other. Obsessions w e expect the behavior of the profession to behave accordingly the Idea,' perception we have in our mind. For example when we think about a doctor first we think about their help and dedication to save our life and we expect to behave/ perform the doctor accordingly. As a human when these professions behave per our expectation, the perception about those characters will be good to us and we start liking those characters. It's totally different to us when these characters don't fulfill one's expectation.How do these beliefs help or hinder our ability to lead effectively? As a leader sometimes the perception/expectation helps to manage the subordinates immensely. It helps the leader to love, listen, depend, and rely on these subordinates which will definitely increase the productivity of the team. At the same time wrong perception or evaluating the expectations wrongly create issues between the leaders and the subordinates and hence the productivity of the team.

3 Proven Ways To Ease Cross-Functional Team Collaboration

3 Proven Ways To Ease Cross-Functional Team Collaboration I hear marketers talk about the challenges of cross-functional team collaboration all the time. So I know #TheStruggleIsReal. How many times have you said something like â€Å"I need to collaborate with our designers. But they’re not in the same office as us.† â€Å"I can’t get other teams to prioritize our marketing projects. It’s a nightmare!† I never have any visibility into a projects status or what my team is working on day-in and day-out. ^^^ Sound familiar? I guess you could say cross-functional teams aren’t exactly†¦ functional. Here’s the definition (aka what you’ve been promised):  Cross-functional teams collaborate on specific projects to collectively produce results. These teams leverage the skill sets from many individuals (often from multiple different departments and teams within those departments) to work as effectively as possible. Therefore, when executed efficiently, these kinds of projects often present a 10x return. Here’s the reality:  Cross-functional teams sound great in theory, but they’re actually super difficult to manage. You see the benefits†¦ but efficiently coordinating the delegation, collaboration, and communication is pushing you toward insanity. So how can you  make cross-functional collaboration easier? How can you  actually make that definition the reality? Start with these three simple tips backed by examples and advice from authors I highly respect.

Early Greek Vases essays

Early Greek Vases essays Because of the 3D nature of the canvas, early Greek vase painters had to devise new and effective ways to portray their 2D work of arts onto the rounded vessels. The Greek vase painting styles of the era are divided into three main types (all of which describe their colouring after being fired): Black-figure, Red-Figure and White-Ground. Black-Figure painted vases fall into one of two groups: the miniature style and the grand style. The Franà §ois vase is an example of one of the most elaborate miniature style vases of the time. Its neck is divided into two bands; its belly has four, three of which portray figurines (the last being ornamental); one on the foot giving the vase a total of 6 decorated bands each portraying a different theme. The characters depicted have been painted using the typical black figure technique of the black fill and incision for detailed parts (added colour is used as well). The vase itself has two sides, therefore whether or not the story flows in a circular composition alternates between each band. Because of this and the nature of the vases shape (Volute Krater), it means the vase can be placed differently according to preference to show varied stories depending on which side is in view. The depiction of these multiple mythical stories by using bands to separate them, is an effective c ompositional technique by Kleitias. Another effective feature, and one used in a lot of other vases is the use of ornamental borders accentuate the curves of the handles and sometimes near the base of the vase or framing a frieze. An example of a grand style black figure vase is the Exekias Belly Amphora. The various parts of the vases is emphasised by the decoration in a variety of ways, both ornamentally and using the characters. A chain of ivy vines articulate the flanged curves of the handles with the rounded belly, which is also modelled with the ornamental pattern at the foot and the top bo ...

11 Rose Color Meanings to Help You Pick the Perfect Bouquet

Rose Color Meanings to Help You Pick the Perfect Bouquet SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips A red rose is a pretty universal symbol of love and passion. So universal, in fact, that the price of red roses can increase by 200% around Valentine’s Day in some regions!However, all colors of roses have their own unique symbolic meanings- not just red roses. The symbolic meanings of other rose colors just aren’t quite as well-known. In this article, we’ll briefly go over the concept of rose color symbolism. Then we’ll break down the meaning of different rose colors(including favorites like yellow, pink, and white roses) and provide appropriate occasions for each color. We’ll also discuss the symbolism of different numbers of roses and provide some insight into rose cost. All this will help you to choose the most appropriate roses for any given occasion! Rose Color Meanings: A Brief Overview While the concept of assigning symbolic meaning to flowers has existed since ancient times, the popularity of communicating through the â€Å"language of flowers† peaked in the Western world during the Victorian era. Both men and women consulted â€Å"flower dictionaries† to choose and interpret the appropriate flowers to send, wear, and display. Flowers were given meaning based on both their species and their color. So while the rose in general is a symbol of love, different rose colors provided different shades of meaning (or even, in some cases, a completely different meaning) to this base meaning of rose = love. The mania for flower dictionaries may have passed, but a fascination with flower symbolism- particularly with roses, one of the most popular flowers- has persisted. If you’d like to give a bouquet of roses that’s especially thoughtful and meaningful, consider the symbolism of the colors you select. Read on for a comprehensive guide to what different colored roses mean and what occasions they are most appropriate for. The Meaning of Rose Colors: 4Most Popular Colors While we will discuss all rose color meaningsin this article, we’ll start with the symbolism of the most popular rose colors: red, white, yellow, and pink. Red Rose Meaning Red is one of the most common and popular rose colors. The red rose is a symbol of beauty, passion, desire, and romantic love. The red rose was originally associated with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Myth holds that when her lover, Adonis, was wounded, she pricked her foot on the thorns of a white rose in her haste to run to him. Her blood stained the roses red, turning the red rose into a symbol of incredible passion and romantic devotion. Legend also has it that Cleopatra seduced Mark Antony in a room fully covered in red rose petals. A dozen red roses boldly declares, â€Å"I love you,† while a single red rose communicates devotion and loyalty. Beyond their more passionate connotation, red roses are often used outside of romantic contexts to convey congratulations or gratitude. Red Roses Occasions Red roses are very popular flowers for Valentine’s day. However, because of the increased demand, rose prices go up dramatically around this time, and you may be getting lower-quality roses.Additionally, they are somewhat of a Valentine’s day cliche, which may come across as fairly unoriginal. So unless you know the recipient has their heart set on red roses, consider another flower for this holiday and save red roses for another (romantic) time. For example, anniversaries or birthdays with a significant other. Red roses also often appear in bridal bouquets because of their connotation of a love that is both everlasting and passionate. Finally, you might give red roses for non-romantic reasons. They are popular flowers for giving to someone after a performance; you often see bouquets of red roses or single flowers thrown onstage after ballet or opera performances. So you might give red roses to someone who has just done a stage performance of some kind or completed a big accomplishment like a graduation or major work project. Red roses can also be deployed to thank someone who has done something meaningful for you. Context is everything- think about how your gesture of red roses will be interpreted under the circumstances! White Rose Meaning White roses have a variety of symbolic associations. In Greek myth, Aphrodite was born from the foam of the sea. Greek poet Anacreon wrote that the sea foam that dripped from her body after she emerged from the ocean turned into white roses.In the Christian tradition, the white rose is associated with the Virgin Mary. Perhaps because of its association with these two fairly different figures, white rose symbolism is somewhat broad.Possibly because of its connection to the Virgin Mary, it bears a meaning of innocence, chastity, and purity. It’s also associated with spirituality, reverence, and new beginnings. In Victorian tradition, the deeper the rose color, the deeper the passion- so a white rose was most appropriate for a young girl or woman who has not yet felt a deep and passionate love. Somewhat contradictorily, the white rose also symbolizes a soul-deep love and canrepresent marriage. White Roses Occasions Because of its associations with purity, spirituality, and new beginnings, the white rose is an appropriate funeral flower. However, it’s also a common wedding flower due to its association with marriage and deep love. Cream roses are considered particularly bridal. White roses are also appropriate for religious occasions like baptisms and confirmations. Yellow Rose Meaning The yellow rose has experienced a significant shift in meaning over time. In the Victorian era, the yellow rose signified jealousy and accused the recipient of infidelity. Not exactly a very happy message! However, in the present day,the yellow rose most commonly means friendship- and specifically platonic friendship. Sending yellow roses to someone you may have romantic interest in, then, may not be the best move as it could signal that you are only interested in friendship with that person. For someone you are friends with, the yellow rose sends a message of cheer, joy, caring, and platonic affection. Yellow Roses Occasions The yellow rose is an excellent congratulatory rose for a happy occasion. A new baby or an engagement are great reasons to send someone yellow roses. You might also send them to thank a friend for their support or help. Lastly, yellow roses are a good choice for someone who needs a pick-me-up- perhaps in a â€Å"Get Well Soon† bouquet. Pink Rose Meaning Pink roses have a pretty broad range of symbolic associations. In general, pink roses symbolize admiration, gentleness, dignity, elegance, innocence, and happiness. Different shades of pink can convey different shades of meaning.Paler pink roses signify grace and sweetness. Deeper pink roses convey gratitude. Pink Roses Occasions Pink roses are very versatile. They can convey either a romantic or platonic message. Pale pink roses are a good choice for the beginning of a romance, when red roses may come off somewhat strongly. You can also send pink roses to a friend to congratulate or cheer them. Deeper pink roses are especially well-suited as a thank you gift. Pink roses are also appropriate for a girl or young woman, especially to convey congratulations or to commemorate a milestone. Rose Color Meaning: 7 More Unusual Colors In this next section, we’ll go over the rose color meanings of some of the more unusual rose colors. Orange Rose Meaning Fiery orange roses send a strong message of fascination, passion, enthusiasm, attraction, and desire. Coral roses in particular signify desire. Orange Roses Occasions Orange roses convey a meaning that is primarily romantic in nature. Thus, they are best for romantic occasions. They can be a slightly unusual but appropriate choice for Valentine’s Day and anniversaries. They might also make a striking wedding flower in the right color scheme! Peach Rose Meaning Peach roses communicate sincerity and gratitude. They can also mark the closing of a deal or agreement. They have an alternative meaning of sympathy. Pale peach roses mean modesty. Peach Roses Occasions Peach roses are a very appropriate thank-you gift. Additionally, they are a good choice for a sympathy bouquet to someone who has just lost a loved one. With their meaning of modesty, pale peach roses can also make a very pretty component of a bouquet that communicates admiration- perhaps a bouquet of peach and pink roses together. This would also make a very pretty wedding flower combination and color palette. Burgundy Rose Meaning Burgundy roses have a very specific connotation of unconscious beauty. In the Victorian era, deeper rose colors signified deeper passion. Per this schema, burgundy roses signify a very deep passion, even beyond that of red roses. Burgundy Roses Occasions Burgundy roses are very romantic. They can make a striking choice for Valentine’s day or other romantic occasions and add depth to a bouquet with red and/or pink roses. They would also make a lush and beautiful wedding flower. Purple Rose Meaning Purple roses are very special and intriguing and have deep symbolic meaning. Purple roses symbolize enchantment and the mystical. Pale purple or lavender-colored roses send a message of â€Å"love at first sight.† Deeper purple roses convey majesty and royalty, adoration, and fascination. Purple Roses Occasions Purple roses are also very romantic and best for romantic occasions. Purple roses are an especially good choice for someone with a spiritual or mystical side. They also look beautiful in combination with red, pink, or burgundy roses. Green Rose Meaning Green roses symbolize peace, spiritual rejuvenation, calm, and fertility. It’s a soothing color that connotes close ties to the natural world. The pale green rose does occur in nature, although green roses that you buy from a florist may be dyed (especially if they are a bright St. Patrick’s-day green!) Green Roses Occasions Green roses are appropriate for any spiritual occasion, like a baptism or confirmation. As a symbol of peace, they also make an appropriate funeral flower. Because they are symbol of fertility, they would also be a good choice for new parents. Pale green and white roses together would make an especially striking and appropriate combination for such an event. Blue Rose Meaning True blue roses are not found in nature. Natural roses that are considered â€Å"blue† are actually a blue-toned purple. However, blue roses can also be obtained by dying white roses. Because they can’t be obtained naturally, blue roses symbolize the unattainable and the mysterious. Blue Roses Occasions Blue roses are not associated with many occasions, likely because they aren’t found in nature and must be artificially colors. However, with their enigmatic message,they could be used to send a message from a secret admirer. Black Rose Meaning Black roses are another color that is not found in nature. Natural roses that are called â€Å"black† are actually a very dark red or purple color. True black roses can only be obtained through dyeing. Black roses symbolize death, rebirth, and goodbye. Black Roses Meaning Black roses may be an appropriate funeral flower. However, they can come across as very gothic and morbid, so they may be somewhat of a risky choice unless you were close to the deceased and are confident they (and their surviving family members) would appreciate black roses. The Number of Roses - Meaning The number of roses gifted can also have symbolic meaning. However, the message is almost always some variant of â€Å"I love you.† Here’s a chart with the breakdown: Number of Roses Meaning One Devotion, love at first sight Two Mutual love Three â€Å"I love you† Six â€Å"I want to be yours,† infatuation Nine Eternal love Ten You are perfect Twelve (one dozen) Be mine Thirteen A secret admirer, or forever friendship Fifteen â€Å"I’m sorry,† â€Å"Please forgive me† Twenty Sincerity Twenty-one I’m committed to you Twenty-four (two dozen) â€Å"I’m yours,† â€Å"I’m thinking of you every hour of the day† Twenty-five Congratulations Thirty-six (three dozen) Remembering romantic moments Forty Genuine love Fifty Unconditional love 100 Complete devotion 108 Will you marry me? 365 I love you every day (of the year) 999 Eternal and infinite love (and an infinite bank account, probably!) Thus, almost all numbers of roses mean some version of â€Å"I love you,† â€Å"I’m devoted to you,† etc. Number, then, is overall less significant than color. Rose Color and Cost While color can (and does) play into the price of roses, it’s far from the most important factor. Rose cost is also affected by quality of the rose, time of year, and the labor involved in crafting the bouquet. Only after all this has been accounted for does color really come into play. Rose Quality It goes without saying that the higher the rose is in quality, the more expensive it will be per stem. Long-stemmed roses with hearty, full blooms cost more than their shorter-stemmed, less lush counterparts. The type of rose is another factor here. For example, garden roses, which are quite popular for weddings, tend to be far more expensive than the more typical rose varieties you would find in the grocery store. Time of Year Time of year plays into the level of demand for roses, which plays into price. Roses are most expensive around Valentine’s day, Mother’s day, and June due to increased demand. June is a high-demand time because many weddings take place in June, and roses are a popular wedding flower. Graduations could also contribute to increased demand at this time. Labor The amount of labor that goes into maintaining and arranging your roses is also reflected in the price. Bulk retailers who can’t give you much personalization and may not take as much care with the transport and storage of their blooms won’t charge as much for a dozen roses! By contrast, a specialty florist that does careful custom arrangements will charge you more. Rose Color Color comes into play primarily because it’s harder to find cheap roses in unusual colors. Red, white, and pink roses will almost always be easy to find at from bulk retailers like Costco or even at grocery stores for a fairly cheap price. But because there’s less demand for purple or peach roses, you are more likely to have to go through a florist, which will mean you’ll almost certainly need to pay more. Any artificially colored roses (so, a bright blue or green) will also cost more, because of the labor associated with coloring the roses. Rose Symbolism: Final Takeaways Here are some key takeaways for each of the rose colors: Red: Passion, love, desire. For romantic occasions. White: Innocence, purity, spirituality, new beginnings. Best for spiritual events, weddings, and funerals. Yellow: Platonic friendship. To cheer or congratulate a close friend. Pink: Pink roses primarily mean admiration, elegance, innocence, and gratitude. Very versatile; can be used for almost any occasion where flowers are appropriate. Orange: Desire, fascination, passion. For romantic occasions. Peach: Sincerity, gratitude, sympathy. Send as a thank-you or to someone in mourning. Burgundy: Unconscious beauty. For romantic occasions. Purple: enchantment, love at first sight (lilac), royalty and admiration (deeper purple). For romantic occasions. Blue (not found in nature): The unattainable and mysterious. Perhaps for a secret admirer. Black (not found in nature): Death and rebirth. Perhaps for a funeral. Almost every rose number sends some message of love and devotion, so there is a lot more variation and significance in rose colorsymbolism. Rose cost is primarily driven by the quality of the roses, the time of year, and the labor involved in the arrangement. However, you will have a harder time finding cheaper arrangements for less common rose colors like purple, orange, and green. Additionally, any artificially colored roses will cost you more.

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

International Business - Essay Example In short, international business is facing fewer constraints at present even though it faced plenty of barriers in the past. The mode of entry into overseas market by international companies is often attracted huge debates. Some companies are looking for alliances with a company in the target country whereas other companies are looking for merger and acquisition as a mode of entry strategy to expand their business to overseas countries. Even the same company opts for different mode of entries in different countries. For example, Wal-Mart established a business alliance with Bharti group in India as a mode of entry in India market. At the same time, they used mergers and acquisition as the mode of entry in European and South African markets. â€Å"Cross border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are a main vehicle for foreign direct Investment. Yet despite its quantitative importance, the determinants of cross-border M&As are still not well-understood† (Brakman et al, 2008, p.1). G aughan (2007) explained M & A as a process in which two corporations combined together to form a single one. Moreover, only one corporation survives after the M & A while the merged corporation goes out of existence after the merger process (p.12). Merger and acquisition are one of the most popular business strategies in the modern business world. However, there are lots of concerns and debates about the success and failures of this business strategy. This is because of the fact that there are plenty of examples about the success and failure of the M & A deals in recent times. Some of the recent statistics show that the popularity of M&A as a mode of entry is decreasing in recent times. Some think the M&A cycle has already started to turn up. In the first three quarters of 2012, as the euro tottered and fear gripped the global economy, M&A activity worldwide was 17.4% lower than in the same period of 2011. Yet it surged in the fourth quarter, to the highest level of any quarter in t he past four years. This is one reason to expect more mergers this year, says a report by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, a law firm that specializes in M&A. However, Mr Moritz suspects that some deals in late 2012 were rushed through by companies that were worried about possible changes to the tax code. Most deals in 2013 will probably be fairly small, designed to strengthen or fill a gap in the buyer’s existing operations. These are known as â€Å"plug and play†. Transformational megamergers grew rarer in 2012, with only four deals topping $20 billion. That was the same as in 2011, and fewer than in each of the three previous years (Mergers Shall we?, 2013). From the above statistics, it is evident that business pundits are not sure about the success and failures of M & As. To merge or not to merge, that is the question. Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the pains of negotiation & integration or to defy global trends and find alternatives. This paper critica lly evaluates the arguments of the pro-merger and anti-merger schools and takes a conclusive position that global mega-mergers are a good policy to undertake in international business practice. Arguments in favor of M & A Miller (2008) pointed out that Edwin L. Miller (Author) †º Visit Amazon's Edwin L. Miller Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author Are you

Hip Hop Dance (Documentary Responses) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hip Hop Dance (Documentary Responses) - Essay Example According to Williams, when the particular dance move or form was evolved in the 1970s, there was a lot of doubt theta whether this form going to last for too long or not. The starting of this famous dance step was associated with black & Latino teenagers, used to gather in a group and spin on their heads with a piece of cardboard with the tune of hip-hop music. At present, this dancing style becomes more and more attractive with mesmerizing choreography, complex and eye-popping acrobats into its gravity-defying routine. The planet B boy was a true homage or tribute to all the rubber limb performers of a hip hop act which was started by a poor kid somewhere in the ghetto with a radio and passion for self expression. Rize Documentary (The Birth of Krumping): The documentary movie Rize provides us a window to analyze the black culture in the city of Los Angeles and to it he introduction of krumping dance movement. This movie gives us a clear idea about the dancing form Krumping along w ith the black culture in USA. The documentary movie Rize was directed by David La Chapelles in the year 2005. This clearly indicates that Characterization of the dancers has a direct impact of the marketability. This film, with the help of its composition acted as a mediator between the viewers and the performers who was representing the problematic narrative dependent upon racial difference. The main focus of the documentary was on the African –American community of clowns and krumpers in South central Los Angeles. The dancers of this contemporary style are young, poor and can be termed as† at risk† and they opted this just to earn more money as well as to represent their own culture.. The krumping dance movement was a derivative of clown dancing, originated by Thomas Johnson who was more popularly known as Tommy the Clown. The reason behind originating this was to keep the young black children away from the streets. After this documentary was released the dance style cramping became a breakout dance form. Despite the fact that the movie incorporates both the dance form clowning and Krumping. The Krumping form of dance was evolved from the clowning with a special focus on self expression and social justice. Director of this documentary La Chapelle Interpreted that the dance form krumpings was a way of escape back to Africa, back to one's roots as he frames the movement of this particular dance steps as a representation of authentic blackness. Inclusion of poverty and violence of South Central America in this movie was very important to understand the context of the cropping and its bodily extremes. The History and Concept of Hip Hop: The History and Concept of the hip hop dance is a documentary directed by Moncell Durden in the year 2010. This documentary helps us to find out history and origin related to this worldfamous dance concept. The hip hop dance is not only associated with different attractive dance moves but also it represents a l ifestyle of young generation , how they want to see the life and how they want to live it accordingly. The dancing concept was first introduced in Bronx, New York city way back in the 1970s and 1980s. Hip hop can be considered as a cultural movement which was associated with music, dance dress up and speech of the American youth. This cultural movement was first originated in the South Bronx and also preferred as Boogie Down. The term

Life Cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Life Cycle - Essay Example Problems of business call for definite answers, to be given at once; the problem of life cannot be thus disposed of. Human life is made to consist of a succession of temporary practical problems, each of them set and once for all given by the outcome of the last and each of them to be solved, or in some form to be disposed of, right away. "Nothing which has ever interested living men and women can wholly lose its vitality" (Offer, & Sabshin, 1984). One can hardly state the limits of what this may be taken to mean. Such, however, is the attitude of humanism; and at the lowest terms it offers a complete contrast to the attitude of pragmatism. In connection with the pragmatic attitude it was said that the significance of any temporal moment of life, or the meaning of any present desire, might be anything you please; "the present" is a question of the present scope of imagination. The same indefinite possibility confronts us when we think to define the boundaries of human nature. Could we think of the human being simply as an organism with a definite habitat and a restricted span of life, we might then formulate a definite "science of ethics" (Offer, & Sabshin, 1984), based upon human nature as a natural fact, undisturbed by suggestions metaphysical. But such a science of ethics would hardly merit the name of moral philosophy. The "moral nature" of man implies that he is not a mere organism but an organism which is self-conscious and critical, an organism with imagination. To human nature as thus conceived it seems difficult to assign any "natural" boundaries. Despite the uniqueness of each individual and the different ways and varied environments in which we are raised, all of us are endowed with physical make-ups that are essentially alike and with similar biological needs that must be met. In common with all living things our lives go through a cycle of maturation, maturity, decline, and death. In common with all human beings each of us goes through a prolonged period of dependent immaturity, forms intense bonds to those who nurture us, and never becomes free of our need for others; and we mature sexually relatively late as if the evolutionary process took into account our needs to learn how to live and how to raise our offspring (Lidz, 1983). Each of us requires many years to learn adaptive techniques and become an integrated person, and we depend upon a culture and a society to provide our essential environments; we rely upon thought and foresight to find our paths through life and therefore become aware of the passage of time and our changing position in the life cycle. From an early age we know that the years of our lives are numbered; at times we bemoan the fact and at times we are glad of it; but in some way we learn to come to terms with our mortality and the realization that our lives are one-time ventures in a very small segment of time and space. These and many other such similarities make possible the generalizations and abstractions necessary for the scientific study of personality development. The Meaning of Development Many people have always been eager to form theories concerning the phenomena in and around them. They felt that once they had a "theory" concerning events, they could not only understand the event better but eventually control it (Offer, & Sabshin, 1984). When theories were proven wrong, new ones replaced old ones. In our opinion, a theory concerning normal human

A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines Essay

A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines - Essay Example A Gathering of Old Men occurs in Marshall Plantation situated in Bayonne Louisiana. The gathering is brought about by the revelations that Beau Baton, the plantations’ work boss, has been brutally murdered at the initial stages of the novel. As a result, she acts quickly and invites everyone staying within the precincts of the plantation. After Miss Merle’s arrival, Candy confesses to her that she was the one who had killed Beau. Merle does not believe her, and together, they decide to bring local men together with their shotguns so that they make it difficult for Sherriff Mapes to solve the crime. All the men arrive with their shotguns and are willing to co-operate. As anticipated, Sheriff Mapes arrive to investigate the crime. The first two people he summons both confess to have commite the crime. Moving to the next person, the sheriff questions Reverend Jameson. The Reverend keeps mum and does not answer him anything. Overwhelmed by anger, the sheriff punches him so hard that he falls to the ground (Gaines 80). The other men watching the scenario reacts to the sheriff’s action and lines up to be slapped too. The sheriff is so amazed by this sense of solidarity and their readiness to confess. He stops questioning them. Charlie’s absence from the men present in Mathu’s homestead is noticeable. This is because he was the one working closely with Beau. However, the sheriff does not pay much attention to his absenteeism since he views him as a weak individual who can not harm any one. His main suspect is Mathu since he has always openly demonstrated his hatred towards the local whites. Therefore, the sheriff believes that Mathu is the only one who can commit the murder (Gillis). On the contrary, he can not make any arrests since he does not have any evidence that links anyone to the murder. Furthermore, more black men come out to confess killing Beau. They claim that they were retaliating the killing of their son for a crime he did not commit, raping of their sisters and the killing of their brothers for no reason. Mapes is compelled to stay at the crime scene since he is confident that Fix, a white man known for lynching blacks will come with his men to avenge Beau’s death (Bryan). As the sheriff, he is bound to stay to maintain law and order. The sheriff strong belief that Mathu could be the murderer prompts him to arrest Mathu. However, before taking him away, Charlie comes to the picture. He confesses that he was the one who killed Beau (Gaines 110). He explains himself that he committed the crime after being threatened by Beau. He also revealed that he had convinced Mathu to take the blame before fleeing. However, he asserts that he had come back to speak the truth and take responsibility of his actions. After revealing his confession, Charlie is arrested by the sheriff. Before they leave Mathu’s compound to the police station, Luke Will and his group of whites arrive demanding Charlie t o be handed over to them for lynching (Attaining manhood). Mapes refuses and they shoot him. On seeing this, the black men immediately withdraw their shot guns and a gruesome battle ensues. The white men did not expect this retaliation and one of them is slightly injured (Attaining manhood). The primary battle takes place between Luke Will and Charlie. The two men strongly fight to finish one another. Eventually, Charlie shoots Luke Will before he is shot. He dies a hero and everyone in the area pays tribute to his dead body. On the other hand, all the individuals involved in the shootout are charged in a court of law and given five years probation each. Analysis The novel, A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest Gaines brings out many themes and various

The Bill of Rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Bill of Rights - Research Paper Example Origins of Bill of Rights Delegates from thirteen new American states drafted the Constitution in 1787 (U.S. Department of State). It provided the â€Å"blueprint† on the structure and functions of the government, but lacked a specific outline of human rights (Department of State). Virginia delegate George Mason stressed in one of his writings: â€Å"The Eyes of the United States are turned upon this Assembly and their Expectations raised to a very anxious Degree† (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration [NARA]). Mason wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights that inspired Thomas Jefferson in preparing the Declaration of Independence. Mason left the convention very dissatisfied, because it lacked a declaration of rights (NARA). Soon, George Mason's opinions affected the assembly and a heated discussion on the Bill of Rights began. When James Madison first wrote the amendments to the Constitution, which constituted the Bill of Rights, he depended a great deal o n the Virginia Declaration of Rights. The Bill of Rights represents the authoritative statement of many American of values: â€Å"the idea that the individual is prior to and takes precedence over any government† (NARA; Zinn).

A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines Essay

A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines - Essay Example A Gathering of Old Men occurs in Marshall Plantation situated in Bayonne Louisiana. The gathering is brought about by the revelations that Beau Baton, the plantations’ work boss, has been brutally murdered at the initial stages of the novel. As a result, she acts quickly and invites everyone staying within the precincts of the plantation. After Miss Merle’s arrival, Candy confesses to her that she was the one who had killed Beau. Merle does not believe her, and together, they decide to bring local men together with their shotguns so that they make it difficult for Sherriff Mapes to solve the crime. All the men arrive with their shotguns and are willing to co-operate. As anticipated, Sheriff Mapes arrive to investigate the crime. The first two people he summons both confess to have commite the crime. Moving to the next person, the sheriff questions Reverend Jameson. The Reverend keeps mum and does not answer him anything. Overwhelmed by anger, the sheriff punches him so hard that he falls to the ground (Gaines 80). The other men watching the scenario reacts to the sheriff’s action and lines up to be slapped too. The sheriff is so amazed by this sense of solidarity and their readiness to confess. He stops questioning them. Charlie’s absence from the men present in Mathu’s homestead is noticeable. This is because he was the one working closely with Beau. However, the sheriff does not pay much attention to his absenteeism since he views him as a weak individual who can not harm any one. His main suspect is Mathu since he has always openly demonstrated his hatred towards the local whites. Therefore, the sheriff believes that Mathu is the only one who can commit the murder (Gillis). On the contrary, he can not make any arrests since he does not have any evidence that links anyone to the murder. Furthermore, more black men come out to confess killing Beau. They claim that they were retaliating the killing of their son for a crime he did not commit, raping of their sisters and the killing of their brothers for no reason. Mapes is compelled to stay at the crime scene since he is confident that Fix, a white man known for lynching blacks will come with his men to avenge Beau’s death (Bryan). As the sheriff, he is bound to stay to maintain law and order. The sheriff strong belief that Mathu could be the murderer prompts him to arrest Mathu. However, before taking him away, Charlie comes to the picture. He confesses that he was the one who killed Beau (Gaines 110). He explains himself that he committed the crime after being threatened by Beau. He also revealed that he had convinced Mathu to take the blame before fleeing. However, he asserts that he had come back to speak the truth and take responsibility of his actions. After revealing his confession, Charlie is arrested by the sheriff. Before they leave Mathu’s compound to the police station, Luke Will and his group of whites arrive demanding Charlie t o be handed over to them for lynching (Attaining manhood). Mapes refuses and they shoot him. On seeing this, the black men immediately withdraw their shot guns and a gruesome battle ensues. The white men did not expect this retaliation and one of them is slightly injured (Attaining manhood). The primary battle takes place between Luke Will and Charlie. The two men strongly fight to finish one another. Eventually, Charlie shoots Luke Will before he is shot. He dies a hero and everyone in the area pays tribute to his dead body. On the other hand, all the individuals involved in the shootout are charged in a court of law and given five years probation each. Analysis The novel, A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest Gaines brings out many themes and various

Long-range planning is nowdays seen as an academic exercise Essay

Long-range planning is nowdays seen as an academic exercise - Essay Example It must be understood that planning is done to achieve certain goals. Long term goals can specify where the organization would like to be a few years in the future. Goals are stated as the intention of the organization that are specific, measurable, cover key result areas, challenging, and should have defined time periods. For individuals and workers at a given company, the goals may be linked to rewards (Welch, 2005). At the same time, planning specifies the means for achieving the organization’s goals (Daft, 2000). However today’s businesses operate in a highly volatile environment and managers are concentrating more and more on short term results. The statement given at World Economic Forum correctly suggests that ‘Long-range planning is nowadays seen as an academic exercise’ and this is fast becoming a widely accepted truth. Nevertheless in the interest of business as a going concern, the validity of the statement and legitimacy of long range planning needs to be re-evaluated. This paper focuses on discussing the merits and demerits of long range planning and aims to answer if it still is a necessary exercise or merely an academic exercise which can be ignored if other functions of management continue to perform at or better than expected levels. Before such an analysis is undertaken, it is important to know why the focus on the short term results is so predominant. Long term planning is getting more difficult and focus is shifting from it due to basic reason of increased volatility in the worldwide corporate as well as business environment. On top of that, the present financial community including stock/company analysts and mutual fund managers often evaluate the performance of many securities based on short term results. This means that a company presenting strong short term results can have its stock be given better performance reviews by peers. For individuals within the company, rewards such as bonuses, promotions and the like could

Aluminum smelter in South Africa Essay Example for Free

Aluminum smelter in South Africa Essay We recommend you do not build this new Greenfield primary aluminum smelter in South Africa. In order to achieve a 15% ROI on your investment, you require a long-term average price of $1500 for aluminum. We have estimated that demand for primary aluminum in 5 years will be at $20bn, which will support a market price of around $1490. This heavily builds on the assumption that aluminum inventories will be zero by that time, which depends on a successful implementation of the international Memorandum of Understanding. Historically these non-binding agreements have been very hard to enforce, and so a scenario where supply is far greater than demand is likely, leading to large inventories and lower prices. It is because of this uncertainty that we recommend you do not build the plant. Back-up calculations: 1.ROI calculation: Given investment costs of $1.6bn, full capacity of 466,000 t/year and an ROI requirement of 15%, we calculated that you require a price of $1,500 per ton of aluminum. 2.In the short run, all smelters need to cover variable costs, which include electricity, alumina, other material costs and freight cost. In the long-run, they need to cover total costs. a.The current price ($1,100) covers variable costs for 20 million tons of capacity; the long-run price will have to be higher. b.Smelters may hesitate to scale down production of individual pots, as this will still incur costs of labour or other non-material costs, as well as additional costs in having to rebuild and reline the pots. c.Not all producers are subject to the same pressures, e.g., variable costs differ significantly between different smelters (different size, efficiency, tax breaks, power agreements). Government-run facilities may have more financial support due to their social role in addition to pure production, such as securing raw materials supply for domestic industries, as well as providing jobs for local communities. 3.Given a CAGR of 2% per year, we estimate total aluminum demand to be 27 million tons in 1998. Assuming that inventories are zero, and primary demand accounts for 74% of total supply, this would imply primary demand of 20 million tons. 4.To produce 20 million tons, the price would be around $1,490 per ton. 5.The reduction in inventories and stabilization of the price level depends on the success of the MoU. Other producers may not look favorably on you opening a new smelter when they have had to cut down on production.

Nanotheranostic Approach for Cancer Therapy and Imaging

Nanotheranostic Approach for Cancer Therapy and Imaging HER 2 conjugated multifunctional cubic phase nanoparticles (CPNPs): A nanotheranostic approach for cancer therapy and imaging Abstract Recently, cubic phase nanoparticulate systems are used as attractive vehicle in drug delivery research due to sustained release of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs for cancer therapy. Currently, theranostic approach also emerged as frontier proposition for cancer therapeutics and diagnostics for better cancer management. Moreover, targeted drug delivery systems may be applied to increase the therapeutic index of the drugs and imaging agents at the targeted site. With an aim to develop a theranostic nanoformulation capable of drug delivery and imaging in a single shot, in the present study, HER 2 antibody conjugated cubic phase nanoparticles (CPNPs) were prepared by entrapping rapamycin (as a model anticancer drug) and QD 605 (as an imaging agent). The physicochemical characterisations of CPNPs were performed by different techniques. The antibody conjugated to CPNPs was confirmed by FT-IR and 1H NMR spectral analysis. In vitro studies were performed and demonstrated that, HER 2 conjugated rapamycin loaded CPNPs showed improved therapeutic efficacy than that of native rapamycin and rapamycin loaded CPNPs in HER 2 positive SKBr 3 cell line following enhanced cellular uptake through receptor mediated endocytosis. The molecular mechanisms of the particulate system on different signalling pathways were evaluated by western blot analysis. Further, the use of above system as an imaging modality was elucidated through optical imaging under in vitro system. Thus, these multifunctional CPNPs can be used as an effective targeted drug delivery system for cancer therapy and diagnosis in coming future. Introduction The life threatening disease cancer now becomes a challenge for survival worldwide due to its high mortality rate. So to achieve a better treatment modality, researchers are trying to develop new methodology for better management of cancer. Though chemotherapeutic agents are effective to some extent, however, clinical applications of these anticancer drugs are remained as a major problem due to their hydrophobic nature, low accessibility at the targeted site and dose limiting toxicity. With cancer tissues these drugs also affect the normal tissues with detrimental side effects [1, 2]. To overcome the lack of tumor specificity of cancer chemotherapy and diagnosis, till date nanomedicinal approaches have emerged as a hope for better therapeutics in cancer by using different nanocarriers like micelles, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles and nanoparticles consisting of biodegradable polymers etc. These approaches ultimately enhance the therapeutic potentiality of the drug in a sustaine d, controlled and targeted manner for longer period of time reducing the lethal side effects arose due to the drugs [3-5]. Recently, due to the capability to solubilise the hydrophilic, hydrophobic and amphiphilic molecules, cubic phase nanoparticulate systems are used as attractive vehicle in controlled drug delivery research [6]. In this regard, glyceryl monooleate (GMO) a synthetic lipid amphiphilic molecule approved by food and drug administration is known to form different lyotropic liquid crystalline phases depending upon water content. The cubic phase formed from GMO is a three dimensional network of curved lipid bilayers separated by intricate network of congruent water channels, now has been used for controlled drug delivery of different water soluble and insoluble drugs in the form of CPNPs [7, 8]. The use of surfactants may modulate the phase behaviour by controlling the shape and size of the nanoparticles which is an important parameter to cross different physiological barriers. In this current scenario, usually the surfactants like poly vinyl alcohol (PVA), tween 80, Pluronic F-127, Pluronic F-68, polysorbate 80 and vitamin-E TPGS etc are used as stabilisers in clinical studies to increase the therapeutic efficacy of the drug at the tumor site. In this regard, Barauskas et al have demonstrated that using Pluronic F-127 as a stabilising agent, stable aqueous nanoparticle dispersions may be obtained from the cubic phase of GMO [9]. Also it is shown that Pluronic F-127 through passive targeting can enhance the transportation of the drug towards cancerous tissues by inhibiting the drug efflux transporters [10]. Similarly, a well known natural polymer vitamin-E TPGS due to its biocompatible nature and excellent emulsifier in nanotechnology, is used for lipid-based drug delivery formulations. Moreover, also it can be used as an absorption enhancer and bioavailability promoter and facilitates the nanoparticles for carrying the drugs through gastrointestinal barrier. Apart from the above properties, recently vitamin-E TPGS is reported to inhibit p-gp pump effectively [11-13]. Recently, rapamycin and it analogs has been shown to inhibit the cancer cell growth obtained from breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, rehabdomyosarcoma, glioblastoma, neuroblastoma, osteosarcoma, leukemia and ÃŽ ²-cell lymphoma. Rapamycin is a cytostatic agent and it shows its function by arresting the cells in G1 phase of cell cycle. The antitumor activity of rapamycin is found by blocking mTOR pathway, proposed to be an important target for treatment of cancer due to its involvement in tumorigenesis and angiogenesis on aberrant activation [14-16]. In spite of having potent anticancer effects of rapamycin, the clinical application is restricted due to its low bioavailability and hydrophobic nature [17]. In this milieu, nowadays different nanoparticulate systems are being used by different group of researchers to improve the therapeutic efficacy of rapamycin with a smaller dose for longer period of time in a controlled manner [2, 18]. Targeted drug deliver y vehicles are now emerged for improvement of treatment modality of the therapeutic agents and/or imaging agents strictly localising its pharmacological activity at the site of action through active targeting [1]. The surfaces of nanoparticles are decorated with peripheral ligands which bind specifically to the receptors those are over expressed in cancer cells arbitrating ligand-receptor interaction. Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER 2), tyrosine kinase transmembrane receptor are highly expressed in different types of cancers like breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer, glioblastoma, ovarian cancer etc. Humanized anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) trastuzumab (Herceptin) was approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration for clinical trials and it exclusively binds to HER 2 receptors preventing the cell growth in breast cancers. Targeted drug delivery with the help of mAb has drawn attention as an alternative approach for antibody mediated drug delivery of the chemotherapeutic agents for effective clinical translation [19, 20]. Nowadays optical imaging has been explored in biomedical research due to its high sensitivity, cost effectiveness, portability and lack of radiation and it shows marvellous implication by providing information for both in vitro and in vivo studies [21, 22]. The development of light emitting semiconductor nanocrystals known as quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as one of the most exciting interface of nanotechnology due to its unique optical and chemical properties over organic dyes. The unique properties of these QDs lead powerfully to study in molecular, cellular and in vivo imaging with advantages including narrow, symmetrical and tunable emission spectra according to their size and material composition, broad absorption spectra, high quantum yield, extremely photostable, more brightness and resistance to chemical degradation [23, 24]. In this study, we have formulated a theranostic nanocarrier for targeted drug delivery and imaging in treatment of cancer. Here, preparation and characterisation of HER 2 conjugated rapamycin and QD 605 loaded CPNPs based on GMO was done by blending pluronic F-127, vitamin-E TPGS, TPGS-HER 2 as a targeting moiety. Therapeutic evaluation of our formulated CPNPs was performed by taking both HER 2 positive and negative cell line through different in vitro experiments. Results confirmed that HER 2 conjugated rapamycin loaded CPNPs due to their higher uptake through receptor mediated endocytosis were more effective than that of unconjugated CPNPs and native drug treated case. Furthermore, in vitro cellular imaging study of formulated multifunctional CPNPs was validated by confocal microscopy and the results suggested that this multifunctional particulate system can act as a single bullet capable of obtaining a new concept for better therapeutics and diagnostics in cancer.

The Importance of Education :: The Importance of Education

Education holds the key to your child's future. Education can help your child reach his/her life goals and dreams. Education will help your child choose what he/she wants in life. Here are 10 key reasons why going to college is important for your child: †¢ Education opens up doors. The more education your child gets, the more choices and opportunities he/she will have. With an education, your child has more options, which often lead to greater success and happiness in life. †¢ Education allows your child to choose his/her career. By going to college, your child can choose what he/she wants to do in life. Your student will be able to choose a career that interests him/her and that will enable him/her to achieve his/her dreams. †¢ Education increases the amount of money your child may be able to make. The more education your child receives, the more money he/she may be able to earn. On average, a person with a four-year college degree earns twice as much money as a person who graduated from high school but did not attend college. †¢ Education determines your child's lifestyle. By going to college, your child will likely have more flexibility to choose what type of house he/she lives in, what type of car he/she drives, what places he/she will visit during vacations, and many other things. †¢ Education expands your child's mind. The more educational opportunities your child is exposed to, the more knowledge and skills he/she will obtain. Education will expose your child to a variety of people, topics, and experiences. Your student will learn about things that interest him/her. Growth and development will occur in many areas, including decision-making, analytical awareness, reasoning, creative expression, verbal expression, and more. †¢ Education can help your child improve the community. Going to college will help to teach your child how to make a difference in his/her community. During college, he/she can learn about laws and resources that affect the community. After graduating from college, your child can come home and apply his/her knowledge and skills to better the neighborhood and the people who live there. As a college graduate, your child will also serve as a role model for other children in the community.

F.I.T.T for Life

The F. I. T. T Principle: Frequency: The frequency of exercising must allow the body to adapt but rest and repair at the same time. For Cardio Repertory the recommended frequency is three times minimally a week and five to six times a week at most. Intensity: The intensity principle defines how much effort should be in one training session or in the training program. To make this principle effective there should be enough effort to overload the body to allow it to adapt but not as much as to over-train the body.Type: The Type of exercise you do depends on the outcomes you would like to achieve from you r program. There are 6 different types of training. These include fartlek, interval, continuous, circuit, weight and cross. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Time: Time outlines the amount of time spent on each session of training within your program. Time is based on the type of exercise and the intensity. Delete text and place photo here. Year 9 Year 9 Personal Health An d Development Assignment Part A: Research Task Play For Life * Recovery time improves Results appear in a shorter time period * Disadvantages * Strenuous on your body and easy to over train * Knee or leg problems can cause difficulty speeding up between intervals. Continuous: Continuous training improves aerobic fitness and is recommended for people who have not trained for a long time. It is moderate exercise lasting for at least 15-20 minutes without rest. AN overload is achieved by increasing intensity, time and speed. * Advantages * Improves aerobic fitness * Cheap * Can be done Individually or in a group * Range of activities can be used Easy to apply F. I. T. T principle PDHPE Year 9 Delete text and place photo here. Delete text and place photo here. Interval Training Fartlek Training Fartlek: The word ‘Fartlek’ come from the Swedish definition of speed play. It combines low and high intensity and many changes in speed and terrain. * Advantages * Improves speed an d endurance * Can be done over a variety of terrain * Can include hill work and reps * Programs can be flexible * Suits game players * Disadvantages * If you are not trained can create problems such as cramps * Lack of motivation to do your best Can be too easy to skip the hard bits * Difficult to see how hard someone is training Interval: Interval training consists of periods of hard work followed by periods of rest. It improves mainly speed and is done at high intensity at a fast pace. * Advantages * Fitness and performance improves quickly Part A: Research Task Circuit, Weight and Continuous Cross training contains a number of different training methods. It is used for most sports. * Advantages * Allows for a variety of training * Makes training more interesting Training can be adapted to suit the weather * Disadvantages * Spending time on different types of exercises can distract you from the more important ones * There will be more exercises you might want and need to do. * Dis advantages * Doesn’t improve anaerobic fitness so isn’t ideal for team games which require short bursts of speed * Can be Boring Circuit: Circuit training contains 6-10 training sessions at which a particular activity is performed * Advantages * Not much equipment is needed * Fitness and skills * Can be done at home or at the gym Disadvantages * Your program may include equipment you don’t have * Takes time to set up circuit Weight: Weight training is used to increase muscular strength, endurance and speed. It improves bulk and can help you recover after an injury * Advantages * Is easy to monitor improvement and overload * Can use a variety of exercises to work on certain muscular groups * Disadvantages * Muscles can be sore after workout * Can be painful to do Re. PDHPE Year 9 Delete text and place photo here. Cross Training Cross Training PDHPE YEAR 9 Michaela Franz

Dhl Introduction

————————————————- DHL Express From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia â€Å"DHL† redirects here. For other uses, see  DHL (disambiguation). DHL Express Deutsche Post AG| | Type| Division| Industry| Express Logistics| Founded| 1969| Headquarters| Bonn,  Germany| Key people| Ken Allen (CEO, Chairman)[1] Adrian Dalsey  (co-founder) Larry Hillblom  (co-founder) Robert Lynn (co-founder)| Products| DHL Express Worldwide DHL Express 9:00 DHL Express 12:00|Owner(s)| Deutsche Post DHL| Employees| 275,000| Website| www. dhl. com| DHL Express  is a  division  of the German logistics company  Deutsche Post DHL  providing international  express mail  services. Deutsche Post  is the world's largest logistics company operating around the world. [2]  DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail. [3][4] Originally founded in 1969 to deliver documents betwe en  San Francisco  and  Honolulu, the company expanded its service throughout the world by the late 1970s.The company was primarily interested in offshore and inter-continental deliveries, but the success of  FedEx  prompted their own intra-U. S. expansion starting in 1983. DHL aggressively expanded to countries that could not be served by any other delivery service, including the  Soviet Union,Eastern Bloc,  Iraq,  Iran,  China,  Vietnam  and  North Korea. In 1998,  Deutsche Post  began to acquire shares in DHL. It finally reached majority ownership in 2001, and completed the purchase in 2002.Deutsche Post then effectively absorbed DHL into its Express division, while expanding the use of the DHL brand to other Deutsche Post divisions, business units and subsidiaries. Today,  DHL Express  shares its well-known DHL brand with other Deutsche Post business units, such as  DHL Global Forwarding  and  DHL Supply Chain. The DHL Express Service has ce ased domestic operations in the United States of America, as of February 2009. [5]

Shadow Kiss Chapter 22

Twenty-two DEIRDRE THE COUNSELOR must not have had much of a life, because she scheduled our next appointment on a Sunday. I wasn't thrilled about it, seeing as it wasn't just my day off – it was also the day my friends had off. Orders were orders, however, so I grudgingly showed up. â€Å"You're wrong,† I told her as soon as I sat down. We hadn't really addressed the questions from my first session yet. We'd spent our last couple of times talking about my mother and what I thought of the field experience. â€Å"What about?† she asked. She wore a sleeveless floral dress that seemed too cold for a day like today. It also bore an eerie resemblance to the nature photographs that hung around the office. â€Å"About the guy. I don't just like him because I can't have him. I like him because †¦ well, because he's him. I've proven it to myself.† â€Å"Proven it how?† â€Å"It's a long story,† I said evasively. I didn't really want to get into the details of my Adrian compulsion experiment. â€Å"You just have to trust me.† â€Å"What about the other thing we talked about?† she asked. â€Å"What about your feelings about Lissa?† â€Å"That idea was wrong too.† â€Å"Did you prove it to yourself?† â€Å"No, but it wasn't the kind of thing I could really test the same way.† â€Å"Then how can you be sure?† she asked. â€Å"Because I am.† That was the best answer she was going to get. â€Å"How have things been with her recently?† â€Å"Recently how?† â€Å"Have you spent a lot of time together? Kept up with what she's been doing?† â€Å"Sure, kind of. I don't see her as much. She's doing the same things as usual though. Hanging out with Christian. Acing every test. Oh, and she's practically got Lehigh's website memorized.† â€Å"Lehigh?† I explained the queen's offer to Deirdre. â€Å"She won't even be there until fall, but Lissa's already looking at all her classes and trying to figure out what she wants to major in.† â€Å"What about you?† â€Å"What about me?† â€Å"What will you do while she attends classes?† â€Å"I'll go with her. That's what usually happens if a Moroi has a guardian close to her age. They'll probably enroll me too.† â€Å"You'll take the same classes she does?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Are there classes you'd rather take instead?† â€Å"How do I know? She hasn't even picked the ones she's going to take, so I don't know if I want to take them or not. But it doesn't matter. I have to go with her.† â€Å"And you don't have a problem with that?† My temper was starting to prickle. This was exactly what I hadn't wanted to talk about. â€Å"No,† I said tightly. I knew Deirdre wanted me to elaborate, but I refused to. We held each other's eyes for a few moments, almost like we were challenging the other to look away. Or maybe I was reading too much into it. She glanced down at the mysterious notepad she always held and flipped through a couple of pages. I noticed that her nails were perfectly shaped and painted red. The polish on mine had started to chip. â€Å"Would you rather not talk about Lissa today?† she asked at last. â€Å"We can talk about whatever you think is useful.† â€Å"What do you think is useful?† Damn it. She was doing the question thing again. I wondered if one of the certificates on her wall gave her some sort of special qualification to do that. â€Å"I think it'd be useful if you stopped talking to me like I'm a Moroi. You act like I have choices – like I have the right to be upset about any of this or pick what classes I want to take. I mean, let's say I could choose them. What good would it do? What am I going to do with those classes? Go be a lawyer or a marine biologist? There's no point in me having my own schedule. Everything's already decided for me.† â€Å"And you're okay with that.† It could have been a question, but she said it like a statement of fact. I shrugged. â€Å"I'm okay with keeping her safe, and that's what you keep missing here. Every job has bad parts. Do I want to sit through her calculus classes? No. But I have to because the other part is more important. Do you want to listen to angry teenagers try to block your efforts? No. But you have to because the rest of your job is more important.† â€Å"Actually,† she said unexpectedly, â€Å"that's my favorite part of the job.† I couldn't tell if she was joking or not, but I decided not to pursue it, particularly since she hadn't responded with a question. I sighed. â€Å"I just hate everyone acting like I'm being forced to be a guardian.† â€Å"Who's ‘everyone'?† â€Å"Well, you and this guy I met at Court†¦this dhampir named Ambrose. He's†¦well, he's a blood whore. A guy blood whore.† Like that wasn't obvious. I waited to see if she'd react to the term, but she didn't. â€Å"He made it sound like I was trapped in this life and all that too. But I'm not. This is what I want. I'm good at this. I know how to fight, and I know how to defend others. Have you ever seen a Strigoi?† She shook her head. â€Å"Well, I have. And when I say I want to spend my life protecting Moroi and killing Strigoi, I mean it. Strigoi are evil and need to be wiped out. I'm happy to do that and if I get to be with my best friend in the process, that's even better.† â€Å"I understand that, but what happens if you want other things – things that you can't have by choosing this lifestyle?† I crossed my arms. â€Å"Same answer as before. There are good and bad sides to everything. We just have to balance them as best we can. I mean, are you going to try to tell me that life isn't that way? That if I can't have everything perfect, then there's something wrong with me?† â€Å"No, of course not,† she said, tilting back in her chair. â€Å"I want you to have a wonderful life, but I can't expect a perfect one. No one can. But what I think is interesting here is how you respond and cope when you have to reconcile these contradictory pieces of your life – when having one thing means you can't have another.† â€Å"Everyone goes through that.† I felt like I was repeating myself. â€Å"Yes, but not everyone sees ghosts as a result of it.† It took several heavy seconds for me to finally realize what she was getting at. â€Å"So wait. You're saying that the reason I'm seeing Mason is because I secretly resent Lissa for the things I can't have in my life? What happened to all the trauma I've been through? I thought that was the reason I'm seeing Mason?† â€Å"I think there are a lot of reasons you're seeing Mason,† she said. â€Å"And that's what we're exploring.† â€Å"And yet,† I said, â€Å"we never actually talk about Mason.† Deirdre smiled serenely. â€Å"Don't we?† Our session ended. â€Å"Does she always answer your questions with questions?† I asked Lissa later. I was walking with her through the quad, heading toward the commons for dinner. Afterward, we were going to meet up with the others for a movie. It had been a while since she and I had hung out just by ourselves, and I realized now how much I'd missed it. â€Å"We don't see the same counselor,† she laughed. â€Å"It'd be a conflict of interest.† â€Å"Well, does yours do that then?† â€Å"Not that I've really noticed. I take it yours does?† â€Å"Yeah †¦ it's actually pretty amazing to watch.† â€Å"Who knew the day would come when we'd be comparing notes on therapy?† We both laughed at that. Several moments passed, and then she started to say something. She wanted to tell me about what had happened with Jesse and Ralf, not realizing I already knew. Before she could say anything, though, someone joined us. Dean Barnes. â€Å"Hey, Rose. A bunch of us are trying to figure out why you're on half-time.† Great. I'd known somebody would ask about that sooner or later. And honestly, I was kind of surprised it hadn't happened already. Everyone had been too busy with their own field experiences to give it much thought until now. I had an excuse ready. â€Å"I've been sick. Dr. Olendzki didn't want me going full-time.† â€Å"Really?† he asked, staggering a little. â€Å"I thought they were always talking about how in the real world, you don't get sick days. Or something like that.† â€Å"Well, this isn't the real world, and Dr. Olendzki's word is final.† â€Å"I heard it was because you're a threat to Christian.† â€Å"No, believe me, that's not it.† The scent of alcohol radiating off of him gave me a convenient way to change the subject. â€Å"Have you been drinking?† â€Å"Yeah, Shane got some stuff and had a few of us up in his room. Hey.† â€Å"Hey what?† I asked. â€Å"Don't look at me like that.† â€Å"Like what?† â€Å"Like you disapprove.† â€Å"I'm not,† I argued. Lissa giggled. â€Å"You are, actually.† Dean put on an offended face. â€Å"Hey, it's my day off, and even if it is Sunday, that doesn't mean I can't – â€Å" Something moved beside us. I didn't even hesitate. It was too fast, too covert to be anything friendly. And it was wearing all black. I threw myself between it and Lissa and lashed out at my attacker. In the flurry of activity, I vaguely recognized a guardian who generally taught the elementary novices. Her name was Jane or Joan or something like that. Jean, that was it. She was taller than me, but my fist made contact with her face anyway. She staggered back, and then I noticed another shape coming up beside her. Yuri. I leapt over so that she was between him and me. I kicked her in the stomach. She fell toward him, and both stumbled. In that brief moment, I had my practice stake out and aimed for her heart. I hit the mark, and she immediately stepped aside since she was now technically â€Å"dead.† Yuri and I then faced off. Beyond me, I heard a muffled sound that I suspected was Dean fighting his own attacker or attackers. I didn't have time to check yet. I needed to dispatch Yuri, which was harder since he was stronger than Jean. He and I circled, both feinting and landing blows. Finally, he made his major move, but I was faster and wiggled out of his grip. I stayed out of his reach just long enough to stake him too. As soon as he backed away in defeat, I turned toward Dean. Lissa stood off to the side, watching as Dean sparred with his attacker. It was pathetic, to say the least. I'd given Ryan a hard time, but his mistakes were nothing compared to this. Dean's practice stake was on the ground, and his moves were jerky and unsteady. I decided then that he was more of a liability if he stayed in the fight. I threw myself forward and shoved him out of the way, off toward Lissa. I think I might have pushed hard enough to make him fall, but I didn't care. I needed him out of the way. Facing my opponent, I saw: Dimitri. It was unexpected. Some little voice in the back of my head said I couldn't fight Dimitri. The rest of me reminded that voice that I'd been doing it for the last six months, and besides, he wasn't Dimitri right now. He was my enemy. I sprang toward him with the stake, hoping to catch him by surprise. But Dimitri was hard to catch by surprise. And he was fast. Oh, so fast. It was like he knew what I was going to do before I did it. He halted my attack with a glancing blow to the side of the head. I knew it would hurt later, but my adrenaline was running too strong for me to pay attention to it now. Distantly, I realized some other people had come to watch us. Dimitri and I were celebrities in different ways around here, and our mentoring relationship added to the drama. This was prime-time entertainment. My eyes were only on Dimitri, though. As we tested each other, attacking and blocking, I tried to remember everything he'd taught me. I also tried to remember everything I knew about him. I'd practiced with him for months. I knew him, knew his moves, just as he knew mine. I could anticipate him the same way. Once I started using that knowledge, the fight grew tricky. We were too well matched, both of us too fast. My heart thumped in my chest, and sweat coated my skin. Then Dimitri finally got through. He moved in for an attack, coming at me with the full force of his body. I blocked the worst of it, but he was so strong that I was the one who stumbled from the impact. He didn't waste the opportunity and dragged me to the ground, trying to pin me. Being trapped like that by a Strigoi would likely result in the neck being bitten or broken. I couldn't let that happen. So, although he held most of me to the ground, I managed to shove my elbow up and nail him in the face. He flinched, and that was all I needed. I rolled him over and held him down. He fought to push me off, and I pushed right back while also trying to maneuver my stake. He was so strong, though. I was certain I wouldn't be able to hold him. Then, just as I thought I'd lose my hold, I got a good grip on the stake. And like that, the stake came down over his heart. It was done. Behind me, people were clapping, but all I noticed was Dimitri. Our gazes were locked. I was still straddling him, my hands pressed against his chest. Both of us were sweaty and breathing heavily. His eyes looked at me with pride – and a hell of a lot more. He was so close, and my whole body yearned for him, again thinking he was a piece of me I needed in order to be complete. The air between us seemed warm and heady, and I would have given anything in that moment to lie down with him and have his arms wrap around me. His expression showed me that he was thinking the same thing. The fight was finished, but remnants of the adrenaline and animal intensity remained. Then a hand reached down, and Jean helped me stand up. She and Yuri were beaming, as were the spectators who had wandered up. Even Lissa looked impressed. Dean, understandably, looked miserable. I hoped word of my stunning victory would spread around campus as fast as the recent bad stuff about me had. Probably not. â€Å"Well done,† said Yuri. â€Å"You took down all three of us. That was textbook perfect.† Dimitri was on his feet now too. I looked pointedly at the other two guardians because I was pretty sure if I looked at him, my expression would give everything away. My breathing was still heavy. â€Å"I hope †¦ I hope I didn't hurt any of you,† I said. This made all of them laugh. â€Å"That's our job,† said Jean. â€Å"Don't worry about us. We're tough.† She glanced at Dimitri. â€Å"She got you pretty good with her elbow.† Dimitri rubbed his face near his eye, and I hoped I hadn't caused too much damage. â€Å"The student surpasses the teacher,† he joked. â€Å"Or stakes, rather.† Yuri was giving Dean a hard look. â€Å"Alcohol isn't allowed on campus.† â€Å"It's Sunday!† he exclaimed. â€Å"We aren't supposed to be on duty.† â€Å"There are no rules in the real world,† said Jean in a very teacherlike way. â€Å"Consider this a pop quiz. You passed it, Rose. Very nice job.† â€Å"Thanks. Wish I could say the same for my clothes.† I was wet and muddy. â€Å"I'm going to have to go change, Liss. I'll meet you for dinner.† â€Å"Okay.† Her face was alight. She was so proud of me, she could barely contain it. I could also sense her keeping something secret, and I wondered if there would be a congratulations surprise when I saw her later. I didn't probe too deeply, lest I ruin it. â€Å"And you,† said Yuri, tugging at Dean's sleeve, â€Å"are going to take a walk with us.† I met Dimitri's eyes. I wished he could have stuck around and talked. My adrenaline was running high, and I wanted to celebrate. I'd done it. Finally. After all the embarrassment over my fumbles and alleged incompetence, I'd finally proven what I could do. I wanted to start dancing. Dimitri had to go with the others, though, and only a slight nod of his head told me he wished it were otherwise. I sighed and watched them leave, and then I walked back to my dorm alone. Back in my room, I discovered the situation was worse than I thought. Once I'd stripped off my muddy clothes, I realized I was going to need a shower and a good scrubbing before I was presentable. By the time it was all done, nearly an hour had passed. I'd missed most of dinner. I ran back over to the commons, wondering why Lissa hadn't sent me any nagging thoughts. She had a tendency to do that when I was running late. Probably she'd decided I'd deserved a break after my triumph. Thinking about it again, a big grin crept over my face, one that dried up when I headed down the hallway that led to the cafeteria. A big group of people had gathered around something, and I recognized the international sign of a fight. Considering how Jesse's band liked to conduct their beatings in secret, I figured this probably had nothing to do with them. Squeezing through people, I pushed myself forward and peeked over some heads, curious as to who could have drawn such a crowd. It was Adrian and Christian. And Eddie. But Eddie was clearly there in a referee role. He was standing between them, trying to keep them away from each other. Manners gone, I shoved aside the last few people in front of me and hurried to Eddie's side. â€Å"What the hell's going on?† I demanded. He looked relieved to see me. He might be able to fend off our instructors in combat, but this situation was clearly something he was confused about. â€Å"No idea.† I looked at the two combatants. Fortunately, no one seemed to have hit anybody †¦ yet. It also looked as though Christian was the one on the offensive. â€Å"How long did you think you could get away with it?† he exclaimed. His eyes were like blue fire. â€Å"Did you seriously think everyone would keep buying your act?† Adrian looked laconic as usual, but I could see some anxiety under that lazy smile. He didn't want to be in this situation, and, like Eddie, he wasn't even sure how it had happened. â€Å"Honestly,† said Adrian in a weary voice, â€Å"I have no idea what you're talking about. Can we please just go sit down and discuss this reasonably?† â€Å"Sure. Of course you'd want that. You're afraid I might do this.† Christian held up his hand, and a ball of flame danced over his palm. Even under the fluorescent lights, it glowed bright orange with a deep blue core. There were gasps from the crowd. I'd long since gotten used to the idea of Moroi fighting with magic – Christian in particular – but for most, it was still a taboo thing. Christian smirked. â€Å"What have you got to fight back with? Plants?† â€Å"If you're going to go start fights for no reason, you should at least do it the old-fashioned way and throw a punch,† said Adrian. His voice was light, but he was still uneasy. My guess was that he figured he could do better with hand-to-hand than spirit-to-fire. â€Å"No,† interrupted Eddie. â€Å"No one's going to set anyone on fire. No one's going to punch anybody. There's been some huge mistake.† â€Å"What is it?† I demanded. â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"Your friend there thinks I'm planning to marry Lissa and carry her off into the sunset,† said Adrian. He spoke to me, but his eyes never left Christian. â€Å"Don't act like it's not true,† growled Christian. â€Å"I know it is. It's been part of your plan – yours and the queen's. She's been backing you the whole time. Coming back here†¦the whole studying thing †¦ it was a scam to get Lissa away from me and tied to your family instead.† â€Å"Do you have any idea how paranoid you sound?† asked Adrian. â€Å"My great-aunt has to manage the entire Moroi government! Do you think she really cares about who's dating who in high school – especially with the state of affairs lately? Look, I'm sorry about all the time I've spent with her†¦we'll find her and figure this out. I really wasn't trying to get between you. There's no conspiracy going on here.† â€Å"Yes, there is,† said Christian. He glanced over at me with a scowl â€Å"Isn't there? Rose knows. Rose has known for a while about this. She even talked to the queen about it.† â€Å"That's ridiculous,† said Adrian, surprised enough that he too shot me a quick glance. â€Å"Right?† â€Å"Well †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began, realizing this was getting very ugly very quickly. â€Å"Yes and no.† â€Å"See?† asked Christian triumphantly. The fire flew from his hand, but Eddie and I jumped into motion at the same time. People screamed. Eddie grabbed Christian, forcing the fire to fly high. Meanwhile, I grabbed Adrian and slammed him to the floor. It was a lucky division of labor. I didn't want to think what would have happened if Eddie and I had gone for the same person. â€Å"Glad you care,† muttered Adrian, wincing as he lifted his head from the floor. â€Å"Compel him,† I murmured as I helped him up. â€Å"We need to sort this out without someone spontaneously combusting.† Eddie was trying to restrain Christian from leaping forward. I grabbed a hold of one arm to help. Adrian didn't look thrilled about coming any closer, but he obeyed me nonetheless. Christian tried to jerk free but couldn't fight both Eddie and me. Uneasily, probably afraid of his hair catching on fire, Adrian leaned over Christian and made eye contact. â€Å"Christian, stop this. Let's talk.† Christian struggled a little against his restraints, but slowly, his face went slack and his eyes started to glaze over. â€Å"Let's talk about this,† repeated Adrian. â€Å"Okay,† said Christian. There was a collective sigh of disappointment from the crowd. Adrian had used his compulsion smoothly enough that no one suspected. It had looked as though Christian had simply seen reason. As the crowd dispersed, Eddie and I released Christian enough to a lead him over to far corner where we could talk in private. As soon as Adrian broke the gaze, Christian's face filled with fury, and he tried to leap at Adrian. Eddie and I were already holding on. He didn't move. â€Å"What did you just do?† exclaimed Christian. Several people down the hall glanced back, no doubt hoping there'd be a fight after all. I shushed loudly in his ear. He flinched. â€Å"Ow.† â€Å"Be quiet. Something's wrong here, and we need to figure it out before you do something stupid.† â€Å"What's wrong,† Christian said, glaring at Adrian, â€Å"is that they're trying to break up Lissa and me, and you knew about it, Rose.† Adrian glanced at me. â€Å"Did you really?† â€Å"Yeah, long story.† I turned back to Christian. â€Å"Look, Adrian didn't have anything to do with this. Not intentionally. It was Tatiana's idea – and she hasn't even actually done anything yet. It's just her long-term plan – hers alone, not his.† â€Å"Then how did you know about it?† demanded Christian. â€Å"Because she told me – she was afraid that I was moving in on Adrian.† â€Å"Really? Did you defend our love?† Adrian asked. â€Å"Be quiet,† I said. â€Å"What I want to know, Christian, is who told you?† â€Å"Ralf,† he said, looking uncertain for the first time. â€Å"You should have known better than to listen to him,† remarked Eddie, face darkening at the name. â€Å"Except, for once, Ralf was actually telling the truth – aside from Adrian being in on it. Ralf's related to the queen's best friend,† I explained. â€Å"Wonderful,† said Christian. He seemed calm enough, so Eddie and I released him. â€Å"We've all been played.† I looked around, suddenly taken aback by something. â€Å"Where's Lissa? Why didn't she stop all of this?† Adrian raised an eyebrow at me. â€Å"You tell us. Where is she? She didn't come to dinner.† â€Å"I can't. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I frowned. I'd gotten so good at shielding myself when I needed to that long periods of time would go by without me feeling anything from her. This time, I sensed nothing because there was nothing coming from her. â€Å"I can't feel her.† Three sets of eyes stared at me. â€Å"Is she asleep?† asked Eddie. â€Å"I can tell when she's asleep†¦This is something different†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Slowly, slowly, I gained a sense of where she was. She'd been blocking me out on purpose, trying to hide from me, but I'd found her as I always did. â€Å"There she is. She was – oh God!† My scream rang down the hall, echoing Lissa's own screams as, far away, pain shot through her.