Reasearch paper on a poet, a genre, atopic or a special aesthetic Essay

Reasearch paper on a poet, a genre, atopic or a special aesthetic problem. Chinese Classical Poetry - Essay Example Most of the poetry was often sung in teahouses as well as more theatrical venues and eventually evolved into longer stories and sagas and musical histories of the past. Refined for almost three hundred years this period produced near fifty-thousand poems and gave birth to almost three thousand poets. (Owen 21-32) It was also a time of blending philosophical schools of thought. Taoism and Confucianism were of purely Chinese origin and have had deep cultural impact on their society. Buddhism, however, was imported from India and adapted well to the previous two philosophies. All being reevaluated and merged during this dynasty and were often translated to fit more in line with the mores of the Tang period. ..there was an entire school of Tao-te-ching interpretation, known as Twofold Mystery, that took up the dialectic of the Buddhist school known as Madhyamaka (Middle Way). Flourishing in the seventh century under the Tang, it was represented mainly by Cheng Hsuan-ying and Li Jung and represents a thinking that strives for a balance between being and nonbeing, the via positiva and the via negativa in approaching the Tao, rejecting each in turn because any form of comprehension in relation to the ultimate truth of the Tao can only be a means, never an end. (Kohn and Lafargue 134) The following is an example of the subtle change to the original text of the Tao Te Ching is an illustration of this influence. Li Yuehs, a Tang commentator on the Tao Te Ching, created the following changes to the traditional text and this is certainly an example of idiosyncratic personal translation. The last lines of chapter 25 usually read: The difference embodies many of the evolutions to the poetry of the age, showing not so much an order of things but a state of being. Early influences in the Tang dynasty reflect the more natural Taoist bent as there was

Auebach Enterprises Essay Example for Free

Auebach Enterprises Essay These are not presented in scholarly discussion, but are simply the solutions. Student papers are expected to be written in scholarly discussion following APA formatting guidelines incorporating solutions and supported with scholarly research. CASE 3A – AUERBACH ENTERPRISES Auerbach Enterprises manufactures air conditioners for automobiles and trucks manufactured throughout North America. The company designs its products with flexibility to accommodate many makes and models of automobiles and trucks. The company’s two main products are MaxiFlow and Alaska. MaxiFlow uses a few complex fabricated parts, but these have been found easy to assemble and test. On the other hand, Alaska uses many standard parts but has a complex assembly and testing process. MaxiFlow requires direct materials costs which total $135 per unit, while Alaska’s direct materials requirements total $110 per unit. Direct labor costs per unit are $75 for MaxiFlow and $95 for Alaska. Auerbach Enterprises uses machine hours as the cost driver to assign overhead costs to the air conditioners. The company has used a company-wide predetermined overhead rate in past years, but the new controller, Bennie Leon, is considering the use of departmental overhead rates beginning with the next year. The following planning information is available for the next year for each the four manufacturing departments within the company: Overhead Machine Costs Hours Radiator parts fabrication.. $ 80,000 10,000 Radiator assembly, weld, and test. 100,000 20,000 Compressor parts fabrication. 120,000 5,000 Compressor assembly and test.. 180,000 45,000 Total $480,000 80,000 Normally, the air conditioners are produced in batch sizes of 20 at a time. A production batch of 20 units requires the following number of hours in each department: MaxiFlow Alaska Radiator parts fabrication.. 28 16 Radiator assembly, weld, and test. 30 74 Compressor parts fabrication 32 8 Compressor assembly and test 26 66 Total 116 164 Required: 1. Compute the departmental overhead rates using machine hours as the cost driver. 2. Compute a company-wide overhead rate using machine hours as the cost driver. 3. Compute the overhead costs per batch of MaxiFlow and Alaska assuming: (a) The company-wide rate. (b) The departmental rates. 4. Compute the total costs per unit of MaxiFlow and Alaska assuming: (a) The company-wide rate.  (b) The departmental rates. 5. Is one product affected more than the other by use of departmental rates rather than a company-wide rate? Why or why not?

Characterization in The Glass Menagerie Essay -- Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie makes use of the characters to not only show a story but to also tell a story. Characterization is how characters are represented and the ways in which this is accomplished, such as, how an author limits one’s responses, questions or observations, for instance. An author may also characterize a character through his or her gestures or speeches. The idea of characterization and how one character’s actions may enlighten audiences to issues surrounding another character is brilliantly illustrated by Williams in his The Glass Menagerie. On the surface of the play the issues present seem to be rooted in the fact that Laura is â€Å"crippled† and unwed, however, upon further examination it is seen that there are other deeper issues. Williams writes in his production notes that this is a â€Å"memory play† (1041). What is interesting about The Glass Menagerie is the point of whose memory the audience is exposed to. Tom acts as the protagonist because it is his memory that audiences must trust, as the narrator in addition to being the man of the house in the absence of his father. As the play progresses we see the relationship and conversations between Tom and his mother Amanda. In this we see Amanda’s character (not the actor) as overbearing, fantastical and controlling. Upon further assessment of Amanda’s character audiences may concede to the fact that she is these things while acknowledging a more admirable facet to her character. As pointed out in a lecture by Dr. Pearl McHaney there are lines in the play in which it is evident that Amanda is trying to love her children. For example, in Scene four during a conversation between Amanda and Tom, Amanda confides, â€Å"I’ve never told yo... ...point in that the title of the play is The Glass Menagerie. This title does present different ideas and themes such as, the idea of the family being so fragile. The menagerie is beautiful on the outside but easily broken much like the family. They have hidden secrets and fears. However, when one examines the story through a lens focused on characterization and how each character is depicted a conclusion may be drawn that the title serves as a hint for audiences to pay closer attention to Laura as she is the one most closely connected to the menagerie. Works Cited McHaney, Pearl A. Lecture on The Glass Menagerie. Engl 3860-American Drama. Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA. 20 June 2006. Williams, Tennessee.   The Glass Menagerie. 1945.   The Bedford Introduction to Drama. 5th ed.   Lee A. Jacobus, ed.   Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005.   1041-1069.

Developmental Defects of Teeth

developmental defects of teeth with recent genetic concepts INTRODUCTION: Disorders of development of teeth may be prenatal or postnatal in origin and may be inherited or acquired. Their recognition and evaluation requires a thorough knowledge and evaluation of the normal chronology of the human dentition and of the normal development and structure of the teeth.Disorders of development of teeth of teeth may be due to abnormalities in the differentiation of the dental lamina and the tooth germs, causing anomalies in the number, size and form of teeth (abnormalities of morphodifferentiation) or to abnormalities in the formation of the dental hard tissues resulting in disturbances in tooth structure (abnormalities of histodifferentiation). Abnormalities of histodifferentiation occur at a later stage in development than abnormalities of morphodifferentiation; in some disorders both stages are abnormal. Histophysiology of tooth development:A number of physiologic growth processes particip ate in the progressive development of the teeth. These are – 1. Initiation The dental lamina and associated tooth buds represent those parts of the oral epithelium that have the potential for tooth development. Different teeth are initiated at different times. Initiation induction requires ectomesenchymal epithelial interaction. A lack of initiation results in the absence of either a single or multiple teeth or complete lack of teeth. Abnormal initiation may result in the development of single or multiple supernumerary teeth. 2. ProliferationEnhanced proliferative activity after initiation results successively in the bud, cap and bell stages of the odontogenic organ. Proliferative growth causes regular changes in the size and proportions of the growing tooth germ. A disturbance has entirely different effects according to the time of occurrence and the stage of development that it affects. Tooth anomalies may include disturbances in the size, proportion or number of teeth 3. H istodifferentiation It succeeds the proliferative stage. The formative cells of the tooth germ developing during the proliferative stage undergo definite morphologic as well as functional assignment.Differentiation of odontoblasts and ameloblasts takes place resulting the formation and apposition of enamel and dentin. Disturbance is the stage results in defects in the structure of tooth like amelogensis imperfecta type 1 and 4. 4. Morphodifferentiation The morphologic pattern or basic form and relative size of the future tooth are established by morphodifferentiation that is by differential growth. Dentinoenamel junction and dentinocemental junctions are established. Disturbances in morphodifferentiation may affect the form and size of the tooth without impairing the function of the ameloblasts or odontoblasts. 5. ApppositionIt is the deposition of the matrix of the hard dental structures. Defects in apposition results in anomalies like amelogenesis imperfecta type 2, dentin dysplas ia. 6. Mineralization and Maturation After matrix formation full mineralization and dental hard tissue maturation. Anomalies like amelogensis imperfecta type 3, fluorosis and interglobular dentin. CLASSIFICATION OF DEVELOPMENTAL DEFECTS OF TEETH 1. Anomalies of initiation and proliferation – anomalies of number hypodontia and anodontia hyperdontia – anomalies of size Microdontia Macrodontia – anomalies of shape Germination Fusion Concrescence 2. Anomalies of morphodifferentiation anomalies of size and shape Dilacerations Dens invaginatus Dens evaginatus Taurodontism Talon cusp 3. Anomalies of histodifferentiation – enamel defect Amelogensis imperfecta type I – dentin defect Dentinogensis impefecta type I,II,III 4. Anomalies of apposition – enamel defects Amelogensis imperfecta type II, IV Enamel hypoplasia Enamel pearl – dentin defects Dentin dysplasia Regional odontodysplasia – cementum defects Hypercementosis Hypophophatasia 5. Anomalies of mineralization – enamel defects Amelogenesis imperfecta type III Enamel fluorosis Anomalies of initiation and proliferation Development disturbances in number a. ypodontia and anodontia True anodontia or congential absence of teeth may be of two types Total anodontia – in which all teeth are missing. It may involve both deciduous and permanent teeth. It is a rare condition when it occurs it is frequently associated with generalized disturbances, hereditary ectodermal dysplasia. Partial anodontia (hypodontia or oligodontia) Hypodontia when there is lack of development of one or more teeth Oligodontia is a subdivision of hypodontia indicating the lack of development of six or more teeth. An incidence of 1. 5 – 10% is seen excluding 3rd molars in permanent dentition and . 09 – . % for primary dentition. Most frequently affected teeth are 3rd molars, mandibular 2nd premolar, maxillary lateral incisor and maxillary 2nd premolar. In case of deci duous dentition usually maxillary lateral incisor are missing. According to Grahen and Granath there is a close correlation between congenitally missing deciduous teeth and their permanent successors suggesting a genetic factor. A familial tendency for this defect is noted. Graber reported enough evidence that it is actually the result of one or more point mutations most often transmitted in an autosomal dominant pattern with incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity.Some investigators implied that hypodontia is a normal variant suggesting that humans are in an intermediate stage of dentitional evolution. A proposed future dentition would include one incisor, one canine, one premolar and two molars per quadrant. Hypodontia correlates with the absence of appropriate dental lamina. Mostly this is due to genetic alteration. However, environmental factors like trauma, infection, radiation and endocrine disturbance may also result in loss of developing tooth bud. Hypodontia is asso ciated positively with microdontia, reduced alveolar development, increase free way space and retained primary teeth.Pax 9 gene maps to chromosome 14, it encodes a transcription function that is important in the development of pharyngeal pouches. Its mutation may lead to congenitally missing teeth. Syndromes associated with hypodontia: – cleft lip/palate – crouzon syndrome – down syndrome – hyphidrotic ectodermal dysplasia – ellis van crevald syndrome – oro facial digital syndrome b. hyperdontia it is the development of an increase number of teeth. Genetics of hyperdontia suggests an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance with incomplete penetrance. The variable expression and penetrance of the gene may be affected by the environmental factors.The development of hyperdontia is development of excess dental lamina which leads to formation of additional teeth. An incidence of . 3-3% and a male to female ratio of 2:1 is noted. It occurs most frequently in permanent dentition and approximately 90% of cases present in maxilla with a strong predilection for the anterior region. Terms used to describe supernumerary tooth depending on their location i. Mesiodens is located in the maxillary incisor resion. It is the most common supernumerary. ii. Distodens/ distomloar is the accessory fourth molar iii.Paramolar is a posterior supernumerary tooth situated lingually or buccally to a molar tooth. Classification based on morphology In the primary dentition morphology is usually normal or conical. Greater variety is seen in case of permanent dentition Conical is a small peg shaped conical tooth and is the most common supernumerary. It develops with root formation ahead or at an equivalent stage to that of permanent incisor. It can result in rotation or displacement of the permanent incisor but rarely delays eruption. Tuberculate possess more than one cusp or tubercle and is barrel shaped.Root formation is delayed as compared to pe rmanent incisors. They are often paired and are commonly located on the palatal aspect of the central incisors. It results in delayed eruption of the incisors. Supplemental refers to a duplication of teeth on the normal series and is usually found at the end of the tooth series. Most commonly permanent maxillary lateral incisor is the supplemental supernumerary. Majority of the deciduous supernumeraries are of this type. Odontome is listed as the fourth category by Howard. It is a hamartomoatous malformation nd is composed of more than one type of tissue called composite odontoma. Mainly two types are there complex and compound. Syndromes associated with hyperdontia 1. cleft lip/palate 2. cleidocranial dysplasia 3. gardner syndrome 4. oro facial digital syndrome Developmental disturbances in size of tooth a. microdontia – teeth which are smaller than normal. Females demonstrates a higher a frequency of microdontia and hypodontia. Three types are – True generalized micr odontia in this all the teeth are smaller than normal. It is seen in cases of piutatry dwarfism, Down syndrome, congenital heart diseases. Relative generalized microdontia normal slightly smaller teeth present in the jaws larger than normal producing an illusion of microdontia. Role of hereditary as jaws are inherited from one aren’t and tooth size from other parent. – Microdontia involving single tooth is common condition affects maxillary lateral incisors and 3rd molar most commonly. b. macrodontia – teeth that are larger than normal. Three types similar to that microdontia – True generalized macrodontia all teeth are large. Seen in cases of pituitary gigantism and pineal hyperplasia with hyperinulinism. Relative generalized macrodontia presence of normal teeth in similar jaw giving an illusion of macrodontia – Macrodontia of single tooth relatively uncommon. Occasionally seen in cases of hemihypertrophy of the face. Should not be confused with f usion of teeth. Development disturbances of shape of teeth a. germination – anomalies which arise from an attempt at division of single tooth germ by an invagination with resultant incomplete or complete formation of teeth. Incidence of . 5% is seen and it more common in primary dentition. Higher frequency in maxillary anterior region.It may retard eruption of permanent successor. Usually appear as one with two completely or incompletely separated crowns that have a single root and root canals. Twining production of equivalent structure by divisions resulting in one normal and one supernumerary tooth. Etiology is unknown although a genetic basis has been suggested. b. fusion – union of two normally separated tooth germs. Depending upon the stage of development of the teeth at the time of the union. More common in the deciduous than in the permanent dentition. Union by dentin, separate pulp chambers/ canals. May retard eruption of permanent successor. . concrescence â⠂¬â€œ form of fusion which occurs after root formation. Teeth are united by cementum only. As a result of traumatic injury or crownding of teeth with resorption of the interdental bone. More frequently in the posterior and maxillary region. Anomalies of morphodiferentiation Anomalies of size and shape a. dilaceration: An angulation or a sharp bend or curve in the root or crown of a formed tooth. Due to trauma during the period in which the tooth is forming, with the result that the position of the calcified portion of the tooth is changed and the remainder of the tooth is formed at an angle.Syndrome associated with dilaceration. Lamellar ichthyosis. Present difficulty at the time of extraction. b. dens invaginatus: dens in dente It is a deep surface invagination of the crown or root that is lined enamel. Results due to invagination in the surface of tooth crown before calcification has occurred. This can be due to increased localized external pressure focal growth retardation and fo cal growth stimulation in certain areas of the tooth buds. The permanent maxillary lateral incisors are the teeth most frequently involved. Two forms are usually seen as Coronal dens in dente – more frequent prevalence varies from . 4% to 10%. Depth of iinvagination varies from a slight enlargement of the cingulum pit to deep infolding that extends to the apex. Radicular dens in dente – rare and thought to arise secondary to proliferation of hertwig’s root sheath with the formation of a strip of enamel that extends along the surface of the root. Radiographiclaly the affected tooth demonstrates an enlargement of the tooth. It chances of caries and pulp infection. c. dens evaginatus – Leong’s premolar it is a developmental condition that appears clinically as an accessory cusp or a globule of enamel on the occlusal surface between the buccal and lingual cusps.Unilaterally or bilaterally with an increased mandibular predominance. Pathogenesis is the p roliferation and evagination of an area of the inner enamel epithelium and subjacent odontogenic mesenchyme in to the dental organ during early tooth development. If seen in association with another varaiton of coronal anatomy. Shovel shaped incisors affected incisors demonstrate prominent lateral margins, creating a hollowed lingual surface. Maxillary incisor is the most commonly affected. This extra cusp may contribute to incomplete eruption, displacement of teeth and/or pulp exposure with subsequent infection following occlusal wear or fracture. . taurodontism – it is an enlargement of the body and pulp chamber of multirooted tooth with apical displacement of the pulpal floor and bifurcation of the roots. Overall shape of the taurodont resembles that of the molar teeth of cud chewing animals â€Å"bull like† Shaw classified taurodont teeth into 3 division according to the degree of apical displacement of pulpal floor – hypotaurodont (mild) – mesotaurod ont (moderate) – hypertaurodont (severe) may occur as an isolated trait or as a component of specific conditions like 1. klinfilter’s syndrome . amelogenesis imperfecta 3. orofacial digital syndrome 4. hypohydrotic ectodermal dysplasia 5. tricho dento osseous syndrome 6. down syndrome It is seen that taurodontism may develop in presence of any one of a large number of different genetic alterations. These findings suggest that chromosomal abnormalities may disrupt the development of the tooth form and that taurodontism is not the result of any specific genetic abnormality e. talon’s cusp – Is also known as dens evginatus of the anterior teeth. It is a well delineated cusp that is located on the surface of an anterior tooth.Predominantly affects permanent dentition esp maxillary lateral incisors. It projects from the lingual surface of the affected tooth and forms a three pronged pattern that resembles an eagle’s talon. The cusp blends smoothly with the tooth except that there is a deep development groove where the cusp blends with the sloping lingual tooth surface. It is associated with other dental abnormalities like supernumearary teeth, odontomas, impacted teeth; peg shaped lateral incisors and dens invaginatus. It is also associated with other syndromes like Rubinstein Tyabi syndrome & Sturge Weber syndrome.Complications like interference with occlusion, comprised esthetics, displacement of teeth, caries, periodontal problems and irritation of the adjacent soft tissue may occur. ANOMALIES OF HISTODIFFERENTIATION Enamel defects a. Amelogenesis imperfecta type I AI is a heritable enamel defect in the absence of any systemic disease. Reported incidence varies from 1:14000 to 1:4000. Multiple inheritance patterns are noted. It may differentiated into 4 main groups depending on the clinical presentation and the likely stage of enamel formation that is primarily affectes. – hypoplatic hypocalcified – hypomature â⠂¬â€œ hypomature hypoplastic with taurodontism Each group is further subdivided into several subgroups depending on the mode of inheritance as well as the clinical appearance of the defective enamel. Genetic studies – have shown that etiology of AI is related to the alteration of genes involved in the process of formation and maturation of the enamel. X linked AI has shown the defective gene is closely linked to the locus DXS85 at Xp22. this site has been identified as the general location of the human gene amelogenin the principal protein in the developing enamel.In the case of autosomal dominant type of AI the locus of the defective gene is on the ch 4q21 to which enamel protein enamelin maps. AI type I Hypoplatic The basic alteration centers an inadequate deposition of enamel matrix. Any matrix present is mineralized appropriately. Subgroups (Witkop 1989) I A – hypoplastic, pitted AD I B – hypoplastic, local AD I C – hypoplastic, local AR I D – hypoplastic, smooth AD I E – hypoplastic, smooth XR I F – hypoplastic, rough Ad I G – enamel agenesis, AR Clinical feature: – In the generalized pattern pinpoint to pinhead sized pits are scattered across the surface of the teeth. Buccal surfaces of the teeth are affected and staining of these pits may occur – In the localized pattern, the affected demonstrate horizontal rows of pits a linear depression. The altered area is located in the middle third of the buccal surface of teeth. – The type IC is more severe and typically demonstrate involvement of all teeth in both dentitions – In type ID the enamel of all teeth exhibits a smooth surface and is thin hard and glossy – Anterior open bite is seen and teeth exhibit a thin peripheral outline of radiopaque enamel on radiograph – In type IE this is a lesion showing lionization effect. In females the teeth would exhibit alternating zones of normal and abnormal enamel. Males exhibit diffuse thin, smooth and shiny enamel in both dentitions. The teeth have the shape of crown formation with open contacts. – In the rough pattern, the enamel is thin, hard and rough surfaces. An anterior open bite is common. – In enamel agenesis demonstrate total lack of enamel. The teeth are the shape and color of the dentin. The surface is rough. Dentin defects b. Dentinogenesis imprfecta A hereditary developmental disturbance of the denitn in the absence of any systemic disorder.This is an autosomal dominant condition affecting both deciduous and permanent teeth. Affected teeth are gray to yellowish brown and are tulip shaped. Genetic studies show that the gene defective maps to chromosome 4 in case of type II. It encodes a protein called dentin sialophosphoprotein and constitutes about 50% of the noncolllagenous component of dentin matrix. DI type I is due to mutational changes in gene coding pro alpha 1, pro alpha 2 chains of type I collagen, major protein of organic matrix in bone and dentin.Recent studies report that type II and type III arise from a single mutation of DSPP gene and that these are not separate disease but rather phenotypic variation of a single disease. Acc. to Sheild’s classification DI type I – osteogenesis imperfecta with opalescent teeth DI type II – isolated opalescent teeth DI type III – isolated opalescent teeth Brandywine Extensive studies have proven that DI is a disorder distinct from Osteogenesis imperfects so a revised classification is proposed DI type I corresponds to type II of Sheild’s Type II corresponds to type III of Sheild’sThere is no substitute for type I of Sheild’s classification Clinical and radiographic features – deciduous teeth are affected most severely followed by the permanent incisors and first molars – enamel is normal but separates easily from dentin because of defective dentinoenamel junction – once exposed the d entin often demonstrates significantly accelerated attrition – radiographically, the teeth have bulbous crowns cervical constriction thin roots and early obliteration of the root canals and pulp chambers. Type III has shell teeth demonstrating normal thickness enamel in association with extremely thin dentin and dramatically enlarged pulps Histologic features – The dentin adjacent to the enamel junction appears similar to normal dentin but the remainder is distinctly abnormal – Short tubules course through an atypical granular dentin matrix which often demonstrates interglobular calcificaiton. – Cells can be seen entrapped within the defective dentin Anomalies of apposition Enamel defects a. amelogenesis imperfecta type II & IVAI type II – hypomaturation the enamel matrix is laid down appropriately and begins to mineralize however there is a defect in the maturation of the enamel crystal structure Classified into Type IIA – hypomaturation, p igmented AR Type IIB – hypomaturation, X linked recessive Type IIC – snow capped teeth, AD Genetic studies show that multiple mutations in the AMELX gene in the type IIA AI whereas IIA & C the gene defect is unknown. Clinical features – Affected teeth are normal in shape but exhibit a mottled, opaque white brown yellow discoloration.The enamel is softer than normal and tends to chip from the underlying dentin. Radiographically the affected enamel exhibits a radiodensity that is similar to that of dentin. – Type IIA the surface enamel is mottles and agar brown. Enamel is soft enough to be punctures by an explorer – Type IIB shows lionization that is male exhibit differebti pattern in deciduous and permanent teeth. The deciduous teeth are opaque white with a translucent mottling; the permanent teeth are opaque and may darken with age.Female patients exhibit a similar pattern in both dentitions. The teeth demonstrate vertical bands of white opaque ena mel and normal translucent enamel. Radiographically the bands are not perceptible. – Type IIC exhibits a zone of white opaque enamel on the incisal or occlusal third of the crown. AI type IV – hypomaturation hypoplastic with taurodontism This type of Ai exhibit enamel hypoplasia in combination with hypomaturation. Classified into Type IV A hypomaturation hypoplastic Type IVB hypoplastic hypomaturation Genetic defects in both groups is unknownType IV A the predominant defect is one of enamel hypomaturation in ehich the enamel appears mottled yellowish white to yellow brown. Pits are seen frequently on the buccal surface of the teeth. Radiographically the enamel is similar to dentin in density and large pulp chambers may be seen in addition to varying degree of taurodontism Type IVB the predominant defect is one of enamel hypoplasia in which the enamel is thin; the enamel that is present demonstrates hypomaturation. Radiographically there is decrease in the thickness of the enamel.Both these types are seen in the systemic disorders, trich dento osseous syndrome. Other features seen are kinky hair, osteosclerosis and brittle nails. b. enamel pearl Refers to the presence of enamel in unusual locations mainly the tooth root. These are hemispheric structures that may consist entirely of enamel or contain underlying dentin and pulp tissue. These are thought to arise from a localized bulging of the odontoblastic layer. This bulge may provide prolonged contact between Hertwig’s root sheath and the developing dentin, triggering induction of enamel formation. t is found most frequently on the roots of maxillary molars. The enamel pearls precludes normal PDL attachment with CT. Dentin defects c. dentin dysplasia It is a rare disturbance of dentin formation characterized by normal enamel but atypical dentin formation with abnormal pulpal pathology. It is an abnormality that maps to the same site on ch 4 as does DI type II & III. It too may be an alleli c variant. Classified into Type I radicular dentin dysplasia Type II coronal dentin dysplasia Both these patterns appear to be hereditary diseases, transmitted as an autosomal dominant characteristic.Clinical features – Type I both dentitions are affected although the teeth are clinically normal. The teeth are extremely mobile and exfoliated prematurely – Type II both dentitions are affected. Deciduous teeth have the same color as that in DI but the permanent dentition is normal. – Type I both dentitions roots are short blunt and conical. In deciduous pulp chambers and root canals are completely obliterated. Permanent teeth crescent shaped pulpal remanant remains. Periapical radiolucencies involving intact teeth are present. Type II deciduous dentition presents with completely obliterated pulp chambers. Permanent teeth exhibit an abnormal large pulp chamber in the coronal portion. Histologic features – Type I a portion of coronal dentin is normal. Most of the pulp is obliterated by calcified tubular dentin, osteodentin and fused denticles. New dentin forms around these obstacles giving the characteristic appearance described as Lava flowing around the boulders. – Type II deciduous teeth exhibit amorphous and atubular dentin in the radicular portion while coronal dentin is normal.Permanent teeth same but the pulp has multiple pulp stones. d. regional odontodysplasia It is a localized non hereditary development abnormality of teeth with extensive adverse effects on the formation of enamel, dentin and pulp. Proposed causes – abnormal migration of neural crest cells – latent virus – local circulatory deficiency – local trauma or infection – hyperpyrexia – malnutrition – radiation therapy – somatic mutation pathosis associated with RO – ectodermal dysplasia – epidermal nevi – hypophosphatasia – hydrocephalus neurofibromatosis – Rh incompatib ility – Vascular nevi Clinical features – maxillary teeth esp anterior are most commonly affected – female predilection with a ratio of 1. 4:1 – the affected teeth fail to erupt and their shape is markedly altered – the erupted teeth show small irregular crown that is yellow to brown with rough surface – on x ray they have a very thin enamel and dentin surrounding an enlarged radiolucent pulp – There is lack of contrast between enamel and dentin.Histologic features – marked reduction in the amount of dentin and widening of predentin layer – presence of large areas of interglobular dentin and an irregular pattern if dentin – the reduced enamel epithelium around nonerupted teeth show many irregular calcified bodies known as enameloid conglomerates (also seen in AI) e. hypercementosis It is a nonneoplastic deposition of excessive cementum that is continous with normal radicular cementum Clinical and radiographic feat ures in x ray affected teeth demonstrate a thickening or blunting od the root – the enlarged root is surrounded by the radiolucent PDL space and intact dental lamina – may be isolated or involve many teeth – premolars are involved more frequently – predominantly in adults and the frequency increases with age – factors associated with hypercemntosis i. local 1. abnormal occlusal trauma 2. adjacent inflammation 3. unopposed teeth ii. systemic 1. acromegaly 2. arthritis 3. alcinosis 4. paget’s disease 5. rheumatic fever Histologic features – periphery of root exhibits deposition of an excessive amount of cementum – this may be hypocellular or ostecementum – the material is arranged in concentric layers Anomalies of mineralization a. amelogenesis imperfecta type III hypocalcifeid in this type the enamel matrix is laid down appropriately but no significant mineralization occurs. Classified into Type III A – autosomal d ominant Type IIIB – autosomal recessiveIn both gene defect is unknown. Most common type of AI. Teeth are norma on eruption but the enamel is very soft and easily lost. Enamel is yellow brown on eruption and turns to brown black due to staining. Autosomal recessive are more severe than the dominant type. Radiographically the density is similar for both enamel and dentin. CONCLUSION An understanding of the many disturbances of development of teeth is predicated upon s thorough understanding of the embryology of these structures.Genetic factors are undoubtedly of importance in the development of these defects. REFERENCE: ? Oral pathology by Shafer ? Oral pathology by Somes and Southam ? Oral & maxillofacial pathology by Naville ? Developmental defects of teeth by www. UNC DENTISTRY. com ? Oral histology by Orban’s ? Oral histology by Tencates ? Normal and abnormal dental development- by Isabelle Miletich & Paul T. Sharpe Human Molecular Genetics, 2003. ? Mouse models of t ooth abnormalities Eur J Oral Sci 2008; 116: 1–10

Dorian Gray Essay

The Picture Of Dorian Gray Essay There are certain aspects of Dorian Gray’s personality that make me think he is schizophrenic, such an example is multiple personalities. In the beginning of the story, Dorian was a young, attractive boy with cunning wit and a semi-feminine charm. It was just an ordinary day and all of the sudden, Dorian meets Basil Howard. Infatuated with his good looks, the beauty of Dorian hit Basil like a Mata bus. As Basil began painting a picture of Dorian, he met Lord Henry, a close companion of Basil and he too was struck by Dorian in a different way. He had interests of studying him instead of admiring him. Finally, Basil finishes the picture and in the first two chapters of the book and in one paragraph, you have met three contributions of Dorian’s conscience: the painting, Lord Henry Wotton, and Basil Howard. The painting was an obvious representation of Dorian’s conscience in my opinion because as his soul grew weaker, as did his conscience. As Dorian aged, he became evil and he never thought for himself, he either adopted Lord Henry’s views or Basil’s. Dorian clearly listened to Lord Henry more because in the long run, he became evil. â€Å"It had, perhaps, served often as a pall for the dead. Now it was to hide something that had a certain corruption of its own, worse than the corruption of death itself– something that would breed horrors and yet would never die† (Wilde 122). According to the bible, your soul is immortal and I think Dorian is expressing this in his thoughts. In this quote, Dorian wants to cover up his conscience and his soul to avoid listening to it. The portrait represents his constant nagging conscience and bad decisions he has made in the past. Lord Henry and Basil Howard were the good angel (Basil) and bad angel (Lord Henry) on Dorian’s shoulder. Lord Henry always tried to speak aphorisms and spoke of himself as a higher power, such as: â€Å"My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are a decorative sex. They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals† (Wilde 51). Lord Henry was always trying to force his opinions into Dorian’s head and the sad thing was, he ate every word and practiced it in his life. Lord Henry represents the bad angel/conscience and it was also the side he listened to more often than any other. On the other hand, Basil represents the good angle/conscience. Throughout the book, Basil always tried to steer Dorian in the right direction. Dorian looked up to Basil in the beginning but, as his infatuation became stronger with Lord Henry, the respect dwindled and Dorian listened less and less. The prayer of your pride has been answered. The prayer of your repentance will be answered also. I worshiped you too much. I am punished for it† (Wilde 162). Even in a time of horror, Basil stood behind Dorian and tried to help him in a hard situation but, Dorian did not listen and turned to the dark side when he said: â€Å"Each of us has Heaven and Hell in him, Basil! † (Wilde 161). Dorian had finally shut the door on his good conscience and killed him within minutes. In Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde is telling his readers it is harder to follow the better side of your conscience. There are many temptations to do the right and the wrong thing and this story is an example of when you always make the wrong choices. The ending of this story also showed the final bad decision when a change is presented right in front of you and yet the weak character still follows a bad influence. Wilde is teaching us a lesson in life, to always follow your heart as you take in bad and good influences. Works Cited Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2003.

Boz

Boz "Boz" Charles John Huffam Dickens was not only a great writer, but "the most popular novelist in the [19th] century, and one of the greatest humanists that England has produced." (Murray, Brian. Charles Dickens, p. 15) Charles Dickens' greatness was expressed throughout his life in his works and in the reputation he gained while writing.Charles Dickens was born on Friday February 7, 1812 in a small area known as New Town or Mile End, just on the outskirts of Portsmouth, England. His father, John Dickens, worked in the Naval Pay Office. It was not until 1821 when Charles received his first formal education. He was able to do so because they moved next to a church in which the minister's son kept a school not far away. After only a year in school, Charles was moved back to London after his father had accumulated a large debt. Charles was not sent back to school.English: Catherine Dickens

Bloggercise Your Writing

Bloggercise Your Writing Probably the best writing advice I ever received was this: Keep a Blog. Let me share with you a few reasons why and how my blog has helped me begin earning as a freelance writer. In my former life as a music teacher I found that the best musicians were those that didn’t just practise their scales and pieces the most; they were the ones that listened to music too. Both things are essential exercise for the musician. Writing is the same. Your ‘scales’ are the articles, books, stories and poems you write; your ‘listening’ is the literature you read. The old saying is true: a writer is a reader first. Keeping a blog helped me practise my ‘scales’ to develop my technique and my ‘listening’ was the hundreds of blog posts I’ve read as I mingled in the blogging community. I discovered what was popular, what was en vogue and what worked for me. Here’s a summary of just how my blog has helped develop my craft:   Ã‚     Experimentation Although my blog, kenthinksaloud, is primarily about Bangladesh where I work for a charity organisation as a teacher, I played with all sorts of ideas many of which have become lucrative for me. For instance, I started posting book reviews after enjoying some books with my kids. I had one accepted   Ã‚     Deadlines Keeping deadlines with editors is a big deal. For a while I made myself write three posts a week, each with a self-imposed word count, even when I didn’t feel like it just to practise meeting deadlines. Now I’m getting plenty of paying gigs, I’ve reduced it to once a week but after writing hundreds of posts, dashing off 500 words is a breeze now!   Ã‚     Finding an audience My main topic is something of a specialist interest, but as I explored ideas I was surprised which subjects were very popular. My son and I both have ADHD and writing about this provoked huge response. I am now submitting articles about ADHD to editors.   Ã‚     My blog sells me Several of my articles and stories, re-written from the blog, have been published So, I recommend bloggercising for you today. You can read what’s out there, try a variety of styles for yourself, practise meeting your own deadlines, build an audience as you learn what’s popular and then turn those winning ideas into paying articles and maybe even books that catch the eye of publishers. And if nothing else, bloggercise is fun and good for you. Give it a go – you never know where your posts might take you!

How to Make Homemade Liquid Nitrogen

How to Make Homemade Liquid Nitrogen You can make your own homemade liquid nitrogen using readily available materials. Its not really liquid nitrogen, however, but cryogenic-temperature alcohol. Chilled alcohol can be used for many liquid nitrogen projects, such as freezing flowers or other materials. It is not suitable for ice cream or anything edible. Also, although this poor mans liquid nitrogen is very cold, it doesnt vaporize off your skin like true liquid nitrogen, meaning it can give you frostbite very easily. Avoid skin contact and use all the safety precautions you would use with nitrogen. Homemade Liquid Nitrogen Materials dry ice99% rubbing alcohol or methanol (lower percentage will work but youll get a gelatinous cryo-fluid)plastic container (dont use glass because extreme temperature changes may cause it to shatter) Prepare the Homemade Liquid Nitrogen Youve got two ways to do this. Pour the alcohol into a plastic container and nest this container inside a bucket of dry ice.Alternatively, you can pour the alcohol directly over the dry ice. This is easier, but you wont have control over the temperature of the dry ice, so its possible your alcohol will freeze. Use the homemade liquid nitrogen simulant to super-cool science projects or chill materials. If you dont use all of the liquid at one time, you can store it in the freezer or an insulated cooler to help it last longer. If the alcohol warms up, you can re-chill it using more dry ice. After the project is completed, the rubbing alcohol will remain useful for its normal purpose and may be returned to its container.

Personal Qualities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Qualities - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that from the time the reporter   was allowed to skip 8th grade, he discerned that the greatest element of education is success. He also learned that the reporter can do anything so long as he set his mind well. Currently, he can affirm that he is ever determined in everything the reporter does. He has also grown to be exceptionally open-minded and non-judgmental. One of the factors that contributed to this is his schooling in a private school. Attending a private school up until seventh grade exposed him to stereotypical judgments. Some students referred me as a pretentious diva living an opulent lifestyle which is often revealed by her designer clothes and expensive handbags. However, this was a false accusation. Torn between two households, a fortune holder father and a poor mother, he could probably not afford such a lifestyle. As a result of their divorce, his parents shared custody with his dad paying for his education.As the discussion highlights the author can associate his childhood spoilage with growing up in a gated community. He associated himself with kids who not only grew up with money, but also showed no appreciation for what they had. The situation was changed however by the fall of his mother’s relationship with her second husband. Being robbed off all her money by her second husband who ran away to Vietnam, him together with his mom was forced to move into an apartment. The switching of houses led to him shifting from private school to public school.

Marketing Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Case Study - Essay Example The IKEA products are often referred as ‘start up furniture’ which is bought by the consumers for their first home. It is due to this reason that the company focuses on income level, age, education etc while targeting the market segment. The market has been segmented in the following manner: Segment Age Group Annual Income Level Psychology Education 1 18 - 25 >$ 34500 This particular age group has a tendency of being driven by social trends. They generally do not possess much knowledge about ethical trading. High school and College (education) 2 26 - 35 $34500 - $ 68000 This age group has knowledge related to ethical trading and they remain ready to purchase quality products by paying high prices. College and masters level (education) 3 36 - 65 >$ 69000 This age group purchases products in order to represent their self image in the peer group. Educational level does not have any influence on the purchasing behaviour of this particular age group. IKEA mainly targets the y oung group with lower income level (Business Today, 2013). The affordable price offerings increase the demand of the company’s products in the market. The college students those who belong to the young generation cover wide target market for the company as it mainly consists of those individuals who are planning to purchase furniture for 1st time. Another target segment set by IKEA on the basis of demography is the family life cycle. The company targets new families who require furniture for filling their houses but do not have high money to spend for this purpose. IKEA always provides quality products and services to these young families and they provide stores which are entirely environment friendly. The stores have specially designed playing area where the parents can keep their children at the time of shopping in order to complete it in a peaceful manner. The company targets those customers who want high value for their money invested and opt for quality products with com paratively cheap prices. Thus from the above table, target segments 1 and 2 are the target segments for IKEA. Answer 4 PESTEL Analysis Pestel analysis would help in the environmental scanning of IKEA (Lorat, 2009). Political The level of consumer taxation and corporate tax which is regulated by the political authorities of any particular country has an effect on the after-tax income of any corporation. The corporate tax rate has an impact on the profitability of the organization thereby affecting the after tax income as well. IKEA regional earnings are generally subjected to the regional tax laws. The corporate tax rate of any region has an impact on the business structure as well. The special business structure of the organization plays a vital role in the tax rate. IKEA business structure has a subsidiary model which instructs the subsidiaries of the company to abide by the regional tax rules and regulations. In addition to the corporate tax, the trade barriers such as tariff and quotas also have an effect on the businesses. The major reasons behind imposing tariffs and other trade barriers are: protecting the local employment, retaliation, national security etc. However imposition of tariff increases the prices of the products that are imported in the country. This benefits the local producers in place as they are not forced to raise the prices. In case of IKEA, their higher reliance on the local producers rather than import of the products decrease the extent of influence of tariff and other trade b

Bitch first Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bitch first - Essay Example For many decades, the society has considered the word offensive, more so when used to refer to a woman (Donalson 136). Until recently, the word ‘bitch’ was a derogatory name for a whore or a woman with loose morals (Low 96). Nevertheless, the contemporary society has fully embraced the use of the word even in inoffensive situations such as when referring to female colleagues and in idiomatic expressions (Dines, Gail, and Humez 78). Essentially, Queen Latifah brought significant influence on the use of the word through her rap music that continues to gain wide acceptance to date. Although the mention of the word ‘bitch’ in reference of a person was hitherto a taboo, the influence of rap as stated by Queen Latifah has made the word acceptable to the current generation. In the ancient times, the society was most conservatives and the use of certain words such as ‘bitch’ was limited to the animal reference and not humans (Allen 104). However, with r apid modernization, the use of the word to insinuate various scenarios has been widely accepted especially considering the huge number of slangs that the modern English has brought (Dines, Gail, and Humez 78). ... Although the traditionalist still abhor the use of the word ‘bitch’ to insinuate a human character, the modern use of the word has surpassed the virtual rule (Dines, Gail, and Humez 78). Perhaps it is appropriate to insinuate that Queen Latifah frequently named women in the same word in her lifelong musical career and in the world of art (Allen 104). This actually means that the use of the term in a social manner is acceptable in many social platforms as opposed to the ancient times when its mere mention was an abomination (Keyes 79). While the mention of the term bitch in the modern social context may elicit mixed reactions, it is widely believed that it appeals to many people in the same sense that it may offend others (Dunn 41). Therefore, one ought to consider the audience and the immediate social context whenever they plan to use the word in their conversation in order not to attract negative judgment from conservative audience (Donalson 136). Perhaps another aspect of the use of the term ‘bitch’ in the contemporary context is the reference to awful things (Dunn 41). For instance, one can refer to life as a bitch to connote the various challenges that come along in this world. In this regard, the use of the terms ought not to offend anyone, as it is used positively (Allen 104). Perhaps the use of the term ‘bitch’ came into popularity because of being used in many idiomatic expressions (Hess 82). While most of the idioms that use the word ‘bitch’ may not have any intention of negativity in them, it is important to admit the fact that modernity has only worsened the offensiveness of the word, particularly considering the disgusting idioms that use the

Operating strategies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Operating strategies - Assignment Example It is also playing an integral roll in problem in problem solving, implementation and knowledge building to build durable trust based relation ship. And also do your best for superior quality and unique impact. Serve all clients as firm clients by influencing our scale and global network of knowledge resources. Also try to develop and broadcast world class research practice. Try to manage client and firm resources in cost effective manner too. If you want to make any kind of reputation and want your company brand as a standard than you have to deliver best of the firm to each and every client. These strategies also give publicity to your product as a standard one. Al ways try to develop and excite your people through a great active learner ship and make bigger, industrial opportunities. Always promote the wide ranging working atmosphere. And also support the compulsion to be descent to work. Respect the responsibility of individuals for balancing professional and private life and also showing care and consulate for every individual. 4. Govern Yourself Through a Partnership Based on Some Values: Always live by the principles of a concerned partner ship and benefit from individual freedom and take for granted the responsibility of mutual accountability and self governance. And always operate as single form. Operating Strategies in Immediate Staffing Group: Operating strategies should be very unique regarding immediate staffing issues for production of new product. The new generation of product will involve the new technologies that are not known by many current engineers. We mean to say that for the production of new generation we need a persons having command in all aspects that are

Randomised clinical trials Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Randomised clinical trials - Essay Example The critical resource of D G Altman's "Practical Statistics for Medical Research" was also available at Google Books. Various search terminologies were used which include "Evolution/History/Review of Clinical Trials", "Ethical issues of clinical trials", "Nazi medical war crimes", "Nuremberg/Helsinki/Belmont" codes. Formulae for the sample size calculations were also accessed from journal publications and some power point presentation slides which have been cited and calculations were performed manually. Owing to the practical significance of implications of therapeutic interventions for patients, historians have shown an active interest in the charting out of evolution of clinical trials. Histories of clinical trials have been recorded and they have analysed the development of quantification in therapeutic evaluation, the emergence of probabilistic thinking, the application of statistical methods and theory and the sociology, ethics and politics of clinical trials as succinctly summarized by Chalmers (1) in 2001. The basic concept behind the modern day clinical trial is not a new one. In fact, the earliest recorded reference to something resembling a clinical trial can be found in none other than the Bible. The extract, which is found in the Book of Daniel, describes the efforts of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BCE), to compare his recommended diet, consisting of meat and wine, with one of legumes and water over a 10 day period. At the end of the trial the king noted that those on the legumes and water diet were fitter than those who had been fed meat and wine and switched the latter to legumes as well. Inclusion of blinding and placebos to reduce observer biases comprise an important factor in planning an effective RCT. Records of these point out to as early as eighteen century when Dr.Benjamin Franklin was appointed by King of France in the Royal Commission to judge the authenticity of "Animal Magnetism" which alleged that sicknesses were caused by some apparent "obstacle" in the flow of body fluids and could be removed by the touch of a physicians finger or by pointing an iron rod. In a retort to the small percentage of success, Franklin replied, " the Spirits given by the Hope of Success them to exert more Strength in moving their Limbs " Clearly, Franklin was aware of what we now call 'the placebo effect' as described by Huth (2) in 2006 Further, Booth (3) in his book in 2005 documented the role of Physician John Haygarth in 1810-1820 attacked the widespread quack of Perkinism which involved "redirecting the natural body electricity" by using bi-material rods and was the first physician to carry out a single blind clinical trial using a placebo. May it be the instance of the challenge put forth by Flemish physician Jean Baptist Von Helmont of ensuring that like is compared with like in the case of people suffering from fevers, pleurisies without bloodletting in the 1700's or Amberson flipping a coin for unbiased allocation for assigning treatment in the Tuberculosis trial in 1938; medical practitioners have considered the ethical aspects of fair allocation and avoidance of undue advantage since a long time now. Unbiased comparison groups according to Chalmers (1) in those times would result either from "schedules (coin tosses, selection of different coloured beads from an urn, reference to

What ever intererests you (Restrictions in directions) Research Paper

What ever intererests you (Restrictions in directions) - Research Paper Example Coffee just like many other products has an interesting history; this research focuses on providing a background on where the caffeinated phenomenon begin and what made it loved so much (Pendergrast, 2001). Just like many other products the beginnings of coffee are enveloped in lore and mystery, legend states that the Ethiopian goat herder by the name of Kaldi discovered the crop. Kaldi noticed that his goats had full energy and were flokering soon after eating berries of coffee shrub, when Kaldi tried the same berries he had the same reaction. Later a monk took the berries to his fellow monks who spent the whole night alert and awake which was probably a reaction from the high caffeine found in coffee berries, a stimulant that usually protects the coffee crop from pests. Soon after the two incidents the knowledge about the energizing effects of the coffee berries started spreading all around the world, the word moved east reaching Arabian Peninsula, from there the reputation of the plant spread all around the globe. The Arabs in the Arabian Peninsula began the cultivation of the crop and also were the first to begin the trade of coffee berries, the cultivation of the crop spread around the Arab world fact, by 16th century countries such as Egypt, Turkey Syrian, and Persia cultivated the crop and traded its berries. People did not only drink coffee at homes but also in many of the coffee houses during the period; this coffee houses began appearing in different cities all across the east. As the coffee houses (qahveh kahneh) increased so did the people who frequented these places, the people increased as this was not only a place for drinking coffee, they also engaged in conversation, watched performers and listened to music. The word about the new product kept spreading, to maintain a monopoly of the coffee trade

Randomised clinical trials Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Randomised clinical trials - Essay Example The critical resource of D G Altman's "Practical Statistics for Medical Research" was also available at Google Books. Various search terminologies were used which include "Evolution/History/Review of Clinical Trials", "Ethical issues of clinical trials", "Nazi medical war crimes", "Nuremberg/Helsinki/Belmont" codes. Formulae for the sample size calculations were also accessed from journal publications and some power point presentation slides which have been cited and calculations were performed manually. Owing to the practical significance of implications of therapeutic interventions for patients, historians have shown an active interest in the charting out of evolution of clinical trials. Histories of clinical trials have been recorded and they have analysed the development of quantification in therapeutic evaluation, the emergence of probabilistic thinking, the application of statistical methods and theory and the sociology, ethics and politics of clinical trials as succinctly summarized by Chalmers (1) in 2001. The basic concept behind the modern day clinical trial is not a new one. In fact, the earliest recorded reference to something resembling a clinical trial can be found in none other than the Bible. The extract, which is found in the Book of Daniel, describes the efforts of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BCE), to compare his recommended diet, consisting of meat and wine, with one of legumes and water over a 10 day period. At the end of the trial the king noted that those on the legumes and water diet were fitter than those who had been fed meat and wine and switched the latter to legumes as well. Inclusion of blinding and placebos to reduce observer biases comprise an important factor in planning an effective RCT. Records of these point out to as early as eighteen century when Dr.Benjamin Franklin was appointed by King of France in the Royal Commission to judge the authenticity of "Animal Magnetism" which alleged that sicknesses were caused by some apparent "obstacle" in the flow of body fluids and could be removed by the touch of a physicians finger or by pointing an iron rod. In a retort to the small percentage of success, Franklin replied, " the Spirits given by the Hope of Success them to exert more Strength in moving their Limbs " Clearly, Franklin was aware of what we now call 'the placebo effect' as described by Huth (2) in 2006 Further, Booth (3) in his book in 2005 documented the role of Physician John Haygarth in 1810-1820 attacked the widespread quack of Perkinism which involved "redirecting the natural body electricity" by using bi-material rods and was the first physician to carry out a single blind clinical trial using a placebo. May it be the instance of the challenge put forth by Flemish physician Jean Baptist Von Helmont of ensuring that like is compared with like in the case of people suffering from fevers, pleurisies without bloodletting in the 1700's or Amberson flipping a coin for unbiased allocation for assigning treatment in the Tuberculosis trial in 1938; medical practitioners have considered the ethical aspects of fair allocation and avoidance of undue advantage since a long time now. Unbiased comparison groups according to Chalmers (1) in those times would result either from "schedules (coin tosses, selection of different coloured beads from an urn, reference to

Applied_Health_Perspectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Applied_Health_Perspectives - Essay Example    "We must guard against the increasing commodification of human life, its tissues and body parts †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦which has the potential to debase human dignity and steer society towards a state where anything goes - if you have the money" Anon, 2010 Analyse the ethical basis of the views expressed in this quotation. Discuss any alternate views which are relevant to the topic and their ethical basis. Conclude by evaluating the effectiveness of any methods used to 'guard against' increasing commodification of human life. You are expected to use illustrative examples throughout and refer to primary literature. Money, money, money: the availability of which opens doors to a lot of possibilities especially in the utilization of human body and/or culture for one’s pleasure. The definition of commodification is based on the Marxist political theory. According to which, anything without a value is given a certain value. This could be anything such as an identity or an idea. This sh ows how with time, the social values have been replaced by market values. Hence, commodification can be defined as the process whereby things are treated as commodities and market trade is expanded to areas that were non-market previously (Stilwell & Argyrous, 2003). Commodification in relation to people is characterized with genetic engineering, cloning, eugenics, social engineering, fascism, social Darwinism, mass marketing and employment. And the most active participants to these forms of human commodification are those with the resources. All these would be discussed further in the following paragraphs. Genetic engineering is referred to the science of manipulating the genetic contents in order to insert genes of desirable traits into the organism. This induction could be done directly to the organism or it could be through an external cell that is permeated with the organism. Genetic engineering does not include traditional breeding of species, and allows man to choose the gene tic traits for its subject. When the genetic content of an organism is added to another host then the resultant is given the name of transgenic. Removing genetic content from an organism is also a part of genetic engineering. Genetic material is the commodity in subject, and when one has the capability and resources to acquire the desired genes the values in human reproduction and childbirth becomes skewed The same holds true for human cloning. Human cloning  can be defined as the process of creating a twin that is a human being who is a copy of another person based on genetics. There is usually not derived from a single fertilized embryonic cell mass. There have been plethoras of ethical outburst related to the concept of cloning. There are two types of human cloning that are discussed more frequently. These are reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning. Reproductive cloning can be described is the development of cloned humans and is considered a crime in many parts of the wor ld, hence, not done legally. The latter, therapeutic cloning is the area of cloning which uses human cells cloning for research and medicine. Another category which is rather novel is the replacement of damaged or failing body with the help of cloning supported by brain transplant. This type of cloning is referred to as replacement cloning. There have been supporters as well as opponents to the concept of cloning. Advocates argue that there is a considerable difference

Comparison of Cousin Kate and The Seduction Essay Example for Free

Comparison of Cousin Kate and The Seduction Essay After she has taken the decision about what to do about the lord, she hints that she regrets her relationship with the lord by asking questions. The girl in The Seduction also admits that she regrets her fling with the boy by asking questions, the tenth, eleventh and twelfth stanzas are all asking questions for example how did she feel betrayed? . Both of the poems make the reader feel sorry for the girls featured in them. The Seduction makes you feel sorry for the girl by using phrases such as and he muttered little slag and she sobbed in the cool locked, darkness of her room. From these phrases you learn that the girl is unaware of what the boy is really thinking about her. She also seems to be unaware that she could get pregnant. Cousin Kate makes you feel sorry for the maid by using phrases such as Not mindful I was fair and now I moan an unclean thing that might have been a dove. These phrases tell the reader that she was innocent and unaware of the consequences when she met the lord. I feel more sorry for the maid in Cousin Kate than the girl in The Seduction. This is because I feel that although the girl in The Seduction knew what she was doing was wrong, she did it anyway. She didnt have to have sex with him and although she liked him and it appeared that he liked her she should have known better. I feel more sorry for the maid because she says O cousin Kate my love was true, your love was writ in sand. She truly loved the lord, more than she believes Kate does. The maid also seems innocent. Another reason I feel sorry for the maid is even when she was with the lord, they didnt have a proper relationship, he didnt treat her very well. She felt like his plaything. She didnt mean anything to him. In The Seduction the atmosphere is conveyed well. In the beginning of the poem there is a sense that something will go wrong. Descriptive phrases such as the quiet bricks, far past the silver stream of traffic and far from the blind windows are a sign that things do not all go well. The adjectives are used to show that no one will be around to see whats going on. Another sign that something is going to go wrong is that the poem keeps reminding the reader that the girl is very drunk. We are twice reminded about the number of drinks shes had, these are he handed her the vodka and she knocked it back like water and as he bought her more drinks. The poem says she sat her head rolling forward. This shows that the girl is not in control of what she is doing. The imagery used in the poem is not very positive. The girl is said to be facing the frightening scum on the water. The use of frightening scum gives a very unpleasant image of the water. In the beginning of the poem the scum she faces is only on the top of that water, in the later stages of the poem, she feels the scum facing her is the rest of her life. The Mersey, green as a septic wound is also a negative simile. It gives a bad image of the setting, which gives an image of bad things to come. After the girl has discovered she is pregnant, the atmosphere is very powerful. Using strong verbs such as ripped and flung, cheated, creates this. At the end of the poem the girl is very depressed. She says: Better to starve yourself like a sick precocious child- Than to walk through town with a belly huge and ripe. We anticipate what will happen in the future. The atmosphere also changed in Cousin Kate. In the beginning of the poem the atmosphere is good. The maids says contented with my cottage mates which tells me that she is happy with her life before she met the lord. After this point she becomes angry and depressed. This is because the lord has left her for Kate. She becomes enraged and jealous. I believe that The Seduction is aimed at a younger audience than Cousin Kate. The Seduction uses much simpler language, although this could be because The Seduction was written much later. Both poems warn about pregnancy but The Seduction is easier to understand for people my age. I found The Seduction easier to understand and relate to because the language is more modern. In Cousin Kate the maid says the neighbours call you good and pure, call me an outcast thing. In The Seduction it says: And better now, to turn away, move away, fade away, Than to have the neighbours whisper that you always looked the type. In both examples the girls are worried about what other people (the neighbours) think of them. The mood of both poems is quite angry. In Cousin Kate, the mood changes from excitement to anger and jealousy. The maid is excited because about her future with the lord and their relationship. She is then angry about the lord leaving her to be with Kate. She is jealous of Kate because she took the lord away from her. However, the maid also feels quite proud because she has a son and Kate does not, she is smug. In The Seduction the mood also changes from excitement to anger. She too is excited about her relationship with the man. She is angry because the man left her, instead of feeling proud or smug at the end of the poem, she is depressed. The tones of the two poems are very different. In Cousin Kate, the writer (Rosetti) seems to be very sympathetic to the maid. She says that the maid has sex with the lord because she loves him and does not criticize her behaviour or suggest that she has done anything wrong by doing this. The tone of The Seduction however, does seem to criticize the girl. The writer (McAuley) seems to criticise the girls behaviour, she makes out that the girl deserves what happens. The phrase and he muttered little slag suggests this. I have found The Seduction easier to understand, mainly because the language is simpler and the images described are more modern. However I prefer the imagery used in Cousin Kate because I feel it is more original and interesting. I prefer phrases such as his plaything and his love and he wore me like a silken knot to his eyes as blue as iodine and green as a septic wound. On the other hand, I think the symbolism used in The Seduction is very effective, i. e. the confetti and the high white shoes. I feel that the main reason I prefer The Seduction is its easier to relate to for my age group. It is very hard to imagine what it would be like to be singled out by a great lord and then to be left for her cousin and having the lords baby on the way. I find it much easier to relate to The Seduction as I can understand how it must feel to have a one night stand and then become pregnant. 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE JRR Tolkien section.

The Two Faces of Man Exposed in The Lord of the Flies Essay -- Lord of

The Two Faces of Man Exposed in The Lord of the Flies  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚         William Golding was inspired by his experiences in the Royal Navy during World War II when he wrote Lord of the Flies (Beetz 2514). Golding has said this about his book: The theme is an attempt to trace the defeats of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable. The whole book is symbolic in nature except the rescue in the end where adult life appears, dignified and capable, but in reality enmeshed in the same evil as the symbolic life of the children on the island. (Epstein 204)    In the novel he displays the two different personalities that mankind possesses, one civilized, the other primitive. Golding uses the setting, characters, and symbolism in Lord of the Flies to give the reader a detailed description of these two faces of man.    The story's setting is essential for the evolution of both sides of man. When an airplane carrying a bunch of school boys crashes on an island, only the children survive. The island the children find themselves on is roughly boat-shaped (Golding 29; ch. 1). It is ironic that the children are stuck on an island shaped like the thing that could save them (a boat). Despite this irony, they are trapped. They are surrounded by ocean and no one knows where they are. The boys, isolated from society, must now create their own.    The children soon realize that there are, "No grownups!" (Golding 8; ch. 1) This means that the boys must fend for themselves until they are rescued. There are no parents or adults to give the boys rules or punish them i... ...etz, Kirk H., ed. Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction. Vol. 5. Osprey: n.p., 1996. 5 vols. Epstein, E. L. Afterword. Lord of the Flies. By William Golding. New York: Berkley, 1954. Gunton, Sharon R., ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 17. Detroit: Gale, 1981. 68 vols. Magill, Frank N., ed. Masterplots. Vol. 2. Englewood Cliffs: n.p., 1949. 3 vols. Matuz, Roger., ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 58. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 68 vols. Michel-Michot, Paulette. "The Myth of Innocence,". Matuz 175-7. Rosenfield, Claire. "Å’Men of a Smaller Growth': A Psychological Analysis of William Golding's Lord of the Flies." Matuz 172-5. Spitz, David. "Power and Authority: An Interpretation of Golding's Lord of the Flies,". Gunton 172-3. Taylor, Harry H. "The Case against William Golding's Simon-Piggy." Gunton 170-1.      

Exxon Mobil Essay -- Business Analysis

ExxonMobil is the largest publicly traded oil and gas producing company. ExxonMobil does business in 200 countries world-wide (1). Some countries are designated for exploring gas and petroleum, and some are designated for manufacturing chemicals, lubricants, and market fuels (1). ExxonMobil's world-class petroleum portfolio gives access to proven reserves of 21.9 billion oil-equivalent barrels of oil and gas, which is the highest in the industry (1). The company's discovered resources consist of 72 billion oil equivalent barrels of oil and gas. On average, each day, they produce 2.5 million barrels of oil and 10.5 billion cubic feet of gas (4). Their asset base, includes more than 60,000 production wells in 1,800 fields in 25 countries. With activities in some 40 countries, ExxonMobil's oil and gas fields extend from West Texas to West Africa and from Australia to Alaska (1). The company operates in deep seas, arctic ice and deserts in some of the world's most remote regions (1). Ex xonMobil is the world's largest nongovernmental marketer of equity natural gas. The company has access to 56 trillion cubic feet of proven reserves and discovered resources of more than 185 trillion cubic feet. It has gas sales in 25 countries and across five continents (4).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oil is Exxon’s primary means of revenue. In the Oil industry there are competitive forces that function in the industry, but none stronger than the barriers of entry. One of the major barriers to entry is finding a supply of petroleum or gas. The cost of research, discovery, and output of gas and petroleum can easily reach the 100’s of millions of dollars. Another problem a new company would face, is receiving permission to develop oil in a foreign country. Because of the amount of money involved in oil, countries tend to produce oil on their own, rather than share the profits. The large investment in capital and the political connections needs to enter the industry, make it almost impossible to start a new oil company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second force that affects the oil industry is the bargaining power of suppliers. In the industry, suppliers have all the power. There is no international trade commission, so oil can be dispersed at any pace and be sold at what ever price suppliers want. The inelasticity of oil and the constant fear that oil is on the verge of running out, gives suppliers absolute power in the ... ...d. The have more than enough money and resources to work on alternative energy sources. Whether it is hydrogen or electricity, they can reap both the financial and humanity rewards. For Exxon to end with oil would be a tremendous blunder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Exxon is not a company that needs to worry about competition. In the oil industry it is all about raw materials. The more a company has the more control they have. Exxon also has no need to be concerned with competition because gas is gas. No one is going to pay a dollar more for Exxon’s gas than Texaco. Another factor that eliminates competition from the industry is a unwritten theme that gas prices move together. It is rare to see two gas stations on the same block with significance in price. When oil prices go up, gas prices follow. Works Cited 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ExxonMobil’s Official Website 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  TexacoShell’s Official Website 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yahoo Finance ExxonMobil stock information and financial reports. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ExxonMobil’s Official Website Products and Services Subsidiaries and info about. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  TexacoShell’s Official Website 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ExxonMobil stock information and financial reports. Historical Stock Prices   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 5

Peter, Cody, and Hugh already had a table when I arrived at the Cellar. Tawny sat with them, much to my dismay. I'd completely forgotten about my apprentice. At least she didn't have Niphon in tow. I hoped that meant she'd finally bagged a guy, though her lack of a post-sex succubus glow suggested otherwise. Neither Carter nor Jerome had deigned to show. I recalled that Jerome was out of town and figured the angel was out with his colleagues. They could all still be at my apartment for all I knew. â€Å"Hey,† Cody called in greeting, making room for me beside him. â€Å"I thought you said you were busy.† â€Å"Yeah, well, plans change,† I grumbled. I gestured to Hugh. â€Å"Got a cigarette?† He tsked me. â€Å"No smoking in public places anymore, sweetie.† Groaning, I flagged down a waitress. Smoking was an ugly habit I'd given up for the sake of the mortals around me. Still, after smoking for over a century, I found I craved the occasional hit during stressful times. The city smoking ban was good for Seattle but damned inconvenient for me and my bad mood. Cody couldn't let my vague answer go. â€Å"How'd your plans change? Weren't you and Seth going out?† Hugh laughed when I didn't answer. â€Å"Uh-oh, trouble in paradise.† â€Å"He had things to do,† I replied stiffly. â€Å"Things or people?† asked Peter. â€Å"Didn't you give him the go-ahead to sleep around if he wanted?† â€Å"He's not doing that.† â€Å"Tell yourself that if it makes you feel better,† teased Hugh. â€Å"No one can write as much as he claims to.† Since my friends apparently had no lives of their own, I had to endure a number of other pokes and jibes. They probably didn't mean to do any real damage, but their words hurt anyway. Seth had already upset me enough without their help. Anger simmered within me, and I tried to channel it into my rate of gimlet consumption rather than my friends. The only person who looked more miserable than me was Tawny. She wore a strapless red dress, almost identical in cut to the satin sheath I still had on from the ballet. Unlike mine, hers was made of spandex – what was it with her and that fabric anyway? – and about six inches shorter. Mine also fit. â€Å"Why so glum?† I asked, hoping the others would find someone else to obsess on. Her lower lip trembled, either from sadness or an inability to hold its own massive collagen-filled weight. â€Å"I still haven't, you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was enough to allay my own distress. It also meant Niphon was still in town, as I'd suspected upon seeing her. â€Å"How? How is that possible?† She shrugged and leaned forward wretchedly, her elbows resting on knees that were spread open guy-style. With grace like that, no wonder she couldn't get laid. I waved my hand around us. â€Å"Well, go out there, young succubus. This place is a buffet. Grab a plate and take your pick.† â€Å"Oh, yeah, like it's that easy.† â€Å"It is that easy. You might not be up to scoring a priest or anything, but you can definitely get some sort of fix.† â€Å"Maybe you can. I don't†¦I don't really know what to say to them.† I honestly couldn't believe this conversation was happening. It was weirder than me trying to convince Dante I was a succubus. Maddie had trouble talking to guys too, but a giant, crazily proportioned blonde throwing herself at men could get someone to sleep with her. It was a basic law of the universe. â€Å"Well†¦if you really don't know what to say, just try going up and asking them if they want to have sex. Crass, but it'll probably work for someone.† She scoffed. â€Å"Right. That's all there is to it.† â€Å"That is all there is to it,† I said. Hugh returned from the bathroom, and I glanced over at him. â€Å"You want to go have sex?† He didn't even blink. â€Å"Sure. Let me pay my bill.† I turned back to Tawny. â€Å"See?† â€Å"Wait,† said Hugh, one hand on his coat. â€Å"Was that a joke?† â€Å"You were an instructive example,† Peter explained. â€Å"Fuck.† Tawny shook her head, tousled blond curls fluttering. â€Å"I can't do that.† â€Å"Oh my God.† I resisted rubbing my eyes, lest I muss the makeup. â€Å"Tawny, this isn't rocket science.† â€Å"Weren't you telling us how hard it was to do your job, back when your incubus buddy was around?† asked Peter. My friend Bastien's recent visit had elicited a veritable cheerleading squad of admirers for him and what my male friends deemed â€Å"the hardest job ever.† â€Å"Shut up,† I snapped. â€Å"You're ruining my mentoring.† â€Å"I don't want a bad one,† Tawny said petulantly. â€Å"I want to corrupt a good one. One that'll give me lots of energy.† â€Å"Start small. Don't worry about the good ones when you probably can't even pick them out in the first place.† â€Å"How do you find one?† â€Å"It's an art. One you'll learn. I'm telling you, though, just start small.† I did give her a few pointers, recalling my alleged role as mentor. We studied some of the men in the bar, spotting wedding rings and one bachelor party. A guy about to get married was a really nice hit. I also advised on demeanor, how a quiet man was often (but certainly not always) a better bet than a loud, obnoxious one – if you were going for good ones. Of course, serial killers tended to be quiet too. Really, it came down to reading people, which wasn't a skill she could learn overnight. Keeping this in mind, I tried to reiterate how she should just try easy fixes for now. â€Å"I really like how you've got the entire male population pegged,† said Peter when I'd finished lecturing. â€Å"I'm glad you don't believe in stereotyping or anything.† I shrugged. â€Å"I've been doing this for a while.† â€Å"Okay, prove it,† said Hugh. He and I were at about equal levels of intoxication now. â€Å"Find three decent souls in here.† I grinned. Imps could gauge the strength and goodness of a person's soul with a glance. Accepting the challenge, I scanned for a long time. When I picked my three, he shook his head. â€Å"You got two out of three. The two that are right are really good. The one you got wrong is pretty bad. At least you're dealing in extremes.† Tawny moaned. â€Å"You see? This is hard.† â€Å"For Christ's sake,† I exclaimed, finishing another gimlet. â€Å"It's not. Not in the rookie leagues you're playing in. Look, you want a tip? Go get a job that gives you easy access.† â€Å"I am not going to go stand on a corner,† she said huffily. â€Å"Then go†¦I don't know. Go to Hugh's date auction.† The imp glared at me. â€Å"Or go work at a strip club. It's about the easiest thing a succubus can do. Hang out at the bar after your number, and they'll come to you. A stripper's a hot commodity, particularly when a lot of those guys'll think you're a prostitute anyway.† â€Å"I don't know. It still sounds degrading.† â€Å"You're going to be fucking to sustain your existence for the rest of eternity! Get off your high horse. You wait much longer, and your first-one's-free energy stash will dry up. Stripping's easy. And fun. And you get to wear pretty costumes. Trust me, it's a good racket.† â€Å"I guess,† she said at last. She exhaled heavily, the motion pushing her breasts out even further than usual. â€Å"Georgina's a pro,† said Hugh, reaching over to give her a comforting pat. Considering he really wasn't a warm and fuzzy kind of guy, I suspected he just wanted to brush her breasts. â€Å"Or so I hear. I guess I'll never find out.† He gave me a bitter glance. â€Å"If that's true,† Tawny said, â€Å"then how come her own boyfriend blew her off?† The guys let out a collective â€Å"ooh† and glanced eagerly between the two of us, apparently in anticipation of the catfight they'd long predicted. All of my earlier fury resurfaced, fueled now by alcohol and Tawny's incompetence. Grabbing my glass, I strode up to the bar to get a refill in person. Hanging out with my friends was rapidly losing its charm. A newbie succubus didn't have any right to mock me about my dating difficulties, particularly when she couldn't land one guy. I could have landed a dozen if I'd wanted to tonight. At the same time. And, glancing over beside me, I realized I might very well have an easy score right here. The guy from the bookstore, the one with the fetish books, stood at the bar, talking to the bartender. He didn't appear to be with a group. Hastily, I turned away so he wouldn't recognize me. After I got my drink, I set it on my friends' table and retreated to the bathroom without another word to them. I'd had to use bathrooms as shape-shifting hideouts for years, but there was nothing to be done for it in these situations. Inside a stall, I changed into a long, graceful body with flowing gold hair – not unlike some of the ballerinas I'd seen tonight. I'd show Tawny how to do blond right. Walking back out, I caught Cody's eye. My friends could recognize me in any shape, of course, and he gave me a puzzled look as I strode back to the bar. Standing beside the guy from the bookstore again, I ordered another drink. This time, he turned and caught sight of me. I smiled. â€Å"That any good?† I asked, nodding to the red concoction he was drinking. â€Å"I guess.† He lifted up the glass and peered at it. â€Å"It's a pomegranate cosmo. I think. Kind of girly, honestly – no offense.† â€Å"None taken.† The bartender slid my whiskey on the rocks to me. The guy beside me laughed. â€Å"I suddenly feel emasculated,† he said. I grinned and extended my hand, speaking the first name that came to mind. â€Å"I'm Clara.† â€Å"Jude.† â€Å"Hey, Jude.† He sighed. â€Å"Sorry,† I said. â€Å"Couldn't resist.† â€Å"You and everyone else.† â€Å"You here alone?† I asked. He looked embarrassed and absentmindedly rubbed the empty finger his wedding ring had been on the last time I saw him. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Me too.† He looked me over, attempting covertness and not doing a good job. â€Å"I find that hard to believe.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I looked down at my drink, playing with its edge. â€Å"It's kind of a long story†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And slowly, skillfully, I crafted a tale about how I'd come here to meet a guy and how he'd stood me up. He was supposed to go to a sex club with me, though I didn't come right out and say that immediately. That would have been too much for someone like Jude, someone who was intrigued but still nervous about the whole idea of exotic sexuality. So, I spoke vaguely at first, using innuendoes, hinting at my own interest in exhibitionism, how I just wanted to go see what a place like that was all about. As I concluded, I used the same line he'd used in the bookstore. â€Å"I feel like such a pervert. Honestly†¦I don't know why I'm telling you this. I don't even know you. It's just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I looked up at him with big blue eyes. â€Å"You're easy to talk to.† A long silence followed as Jude held my gaze. â€Å"I don't think†¦I don't think there's anything wrong with what you're saying†¦what you want†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Snick! I started reeling in the line. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Yeah†¦I mean, sometimes†¦I've kind of†¦you know, wanted†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Really?† He nodded. I allowed a five-second hesitation. â€Å"You want to go with me? Just to, you know, watch?† After a bit of rumination, Jude agreed. Unsurprisingly, he didn't know where any sex clubs were in the city. Also unsurprisingly, I did. I didn't even look back at my friends as Jude and I left the bar. I hadn't clocked it or anything, but I was pretty sure my solicitation had been accomplished in record time. That'd teach the gang to question my pro status. The club we went to was one I'd visited a number of times before. I'd been to better ones in my day, but I liked this one simply because of its name: Insolence. Establishments that catered to sex and fetishism all operated in different ways. In places where everyone expected to participate – like swingers' clubs – admission was strictly regulated. Single girls always got into places like that, and couples usually only had a few requirements. Single guys had a harder time. In a place like Insolence that was focused primarily on watching, admission was more lax. We simply had to pay our cover, and we were in. Mine was still cheaper, though. The place was packed and had a dance club kind of feel. Techno music pulsed through the darkened room, the only illumination coming from recessed lights that shone blue and purple. Most of this light focused down on roped off areas that were reserved for those who wanted to â€Å"perform.† They were like small stages that the club-goers could gather around. Some of the stages were themed – one with a doctor's office and operating table setup – while most were couches and beds. There appeared to be no system about who could use them. It was a first-come, first-served system, and since about half the platforms were empty, there didn't seem to be too much urgency. But the spectators eagerly crowded around those areas that were occupied, people craning their necks to get a better view. â€Å"There sure are a lot of guys here,† Jude told me as we pressed our way through the people. â€Å"It's the way of the world,† I told him. â€Å"You think guys are more interested in this stuff than women?† â€Å"To a certain extent, yeah. Guys tend to be more visual, so stuff like this is about as good as it gets. Plenty of girls are into it too – just harder to get them to come out to something like this.† I promptly shut up, immediately realizing I sounded a bit too knowledgeable for a shy novice. We finally made our way up to the edge of a roped-off area. There, we watched a man thrusting eagerly into a woman bent over an elegantly set dining room table. Jude and I studied them for a while, neither of us saying a word. We then moved on to the next couple, a man and woman going at it on an ordinary bed. She wore a shiny leather bustier and hiked-up skirt. After the third couple – pressed up against a wall – Jude finally spoke. â€Å"These people aren't what I expected.† â€Å"How so?† I asked. â€Å"They just look†¦ordinary.† I laughed. â€Å"Because they are. What'd you expect, porn star couples coming in off the streets?† â€Å"Well, no.† I suspected he was blushing in the darkness. â€Å"Everyone's entitled to do what's sexy to them. And really, when you see how they're getting into it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My gaze drifted to the couple going at it against the wall. Their eye contact was so powerful, so intense†¦you could totally see how much they aroused each other. I shivered. â€Å"Yeah, this is all sexy, even if it's not airbrushed. This is real. That's what gives it its edge.† He didn't answer but glanced around as though he was reassessing it all. As he did, I studied his profile. He wasn't quite six-foot, but he had a nice upper body and neatly styled, sandy blond hair. He turned toward me, sensing my scrutiny. â€Å"You know,† I said, â€Å"if you're so concerned about raising the bar around here†¦well, we're pretty attractive.† He didn't get it at first. â€Å"Yeah, I suppose we – oh. Oh.† His brown eyes went wide. I looked back at the wall couple. â€Å"We're already here. We could really give these people something to watch.† His eyes grew wider still, like they might pop out. â€Å"I†¦I couldn't. I mean. God. Not in front of all these people. And what if someone I know is here†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I doubt it. Besides, what are they going to do? If they tell anyone, they'd have to acknowledge that they were here too.† I caught hold of his hand. â€Å"Come on, I know you're interested.† â€Å"Yeah,† he admitted. â€Å"But I've never†¦I don't think I could†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I tugged him toward one of the stages. â€Å"You gotta start sometime. It's easy.† Jude looked terrified but let me drag him. â€Å"You act like you've done this before. I thought it was all new.† â€Å"It is.† â€Å"You sure? Maybe you just play innocent and then seduce random men into crazy sexual acts.† I scoffed. â€Å"That's ridiculous.† We'd barely ducked under the stage's ropes when a mob suddenly swarmed around us. I doubted this had as much to do with us in particular – yet – as it did the fact that we were a new couple. Ah, variety. The spice of life. Jude still looked terrified, but I didn't have the patience for his hesitancy anymore. The performer in me had clicked on. All those people were waiting and watching, and I had to deliver. One of our props was a chaise lounge covered in white velvet that glowed blue under the lights. White, I decided, probably hid certain stains better than other colors. â€Å"Come on,† I said, pushing Jude toward the chaise. â€Å"Lie down.† He did, but still looked panicked. â€Å"Clara – â€Å" â€Å"You're already here,† I said sharply. â€Å"What are you going to do? You going to slink off in front of all these people? You didn't strike me as a coward when I first met you.† I'd become someone else now, someone commanding and terrifying. He shook his head. I climbed onto the chaise with him, straddling his hips with my legs. The lack of energy within me suddenly burned and ached, and I didn't want to be gentle. Leaning down, I kissed him hard, my teeth scraping his lips as I thrust my tongue into his mouth. He let out a small sound of surprise that was lost in the kiss. Meanwhile, my hands were already frantically unfastening the buttons of his shirt. I think I ripped one of them off. Jude lay there limply, still in shock. It didn't matter to me, though, so long as he didn't fight me. And from the feel of him underneath my hips, not all of him was limp. I ran my fingers down his chest, digging my nails into the flesh there. A kindly part of me wondered how he'd explain scratch marks to his wife. The rest of me didn't care. I'd given â€Å"Clara† a black tank top and gray skirt – simple but sexy. I yanked the top off over my head, shaking my hair out afterwards like a golden veil. I contemplated taking off the black lace bra underneath but decided to leave it on. My mouth moved down from his lips, traveling to his neck and chest, pausing to tease one of his nipples. Then I kept going, down to the edge of his khakis. While there, I undid his belt and unfastened his pants in one swift motion. I pushed them and his underwear down to his knees, just enough to give me access to the erection underneath. I took it into my mouth, letting its long shaft glide into me, almost to the back of my throat. He gasped, a noise echoed by some of the appreciative spectators. I felt the early twinges of his life force. It twinkled like starlight, seeping into me. As it did, I got a taste of his thoughts and emotions, as well as his strength and character. When I'd gleaned enough of his energy to assess its quality, I almost laughed. This wasn't the first time he'd done anything like this with a strange woman. He'd actually done it twice before. He was still shy about it all, but some of his innocence had been faked, a lure for dominant women like me. Hugh had been right – I couldn't always gauge a soul. But, infidelity still didn't sit right with Jude, so he had enough goodness and life force to fill the void that the dream had left inside me. My mouth moved with more urgency, sucking and teasing. He groaned as my lips slid back and forth. His back arched, and I pulled away, fearing this might end right now if I wasn't careful. Climbing off him, I stood up and pulled my skirt off, letting it fall in a crumpled pile on the floor. Jude looked at me with pleading eyes, not proactive yet, but definitely wanting more. An ornate wooden chair stood near the chaise. I moved over to it and knelt on its cushioned seat, pressing my breasts up against its carved slats. I peered back at Jude over my shoulder. â€Å"Showtime,† I said. I expected hesitation or reluctance, but Jude had apparently overcome his initial reticence. Good. I didn't want to feel like I was raping him or anything. He clambered off the chaise and walked over to me. I had pushed his pants to his knees earlier, and now he finished the job, kicking the khakis off. Positioning himself behind me, he ran his hands along the sides of my hips, letting his fingers slide along the edges of the black panties I still wore. I shifted, pressing my ass up closer to him. He sighed. â€Å"You are so sexy.† â€Å"I know,† I told him impatiently. He pulled the panties down, letting them rest near my knees. I ground against him even more and felt him push into me, the penetration forceful and deep. Gripping my hips, he began moving in and out, shoving me into the chair's hard back with each thrust. I moaned loudly, but whether it was for his benefit or the crowd's, I couldn't say. And speaking of the crowd, I was now literally in a position to look at them, at the faces and eyes all directed toward me. I'd shed most of my self-consciousness over the years, and God only knew this wasn't the first time I'd had sex in public. Sometimes, I appreciated privacy, but tonight I loved being the center of attention. Maybe it was simply my longing for more life energy. I would have taken it under any conditions right now. Whatever the cause, I found myself getting turned on by making eye contact with different guys in the audience while Jude continued pumping away at me. As I'd noted earlier, eye contact was a powerful thing. It took you away from the realm of superficial study and moved you into something deeper and more intimate. I favored the guys watching me with a heavy, sultry look – the look of a woman being fucked within an inch of her life and who wanted nothing more than to do it with them next. It thrilled me to think of all the men I was arousing, of all of them aching for sex – of all of them aching for me. In meeting the gazes of my admirers, I almost forgot that it was Jude who was behind me. It could be any of these men, and their expressions clearly showed that they'd be happy to trade places with him. I looked from face to face, imagining what each man would feel like, how each one would fuck differently. The thrill of it was so arousing that my wandering mind soon fantasized about having more than one at the same time. One in back, one in front†¦ One of Jude's hands gripped my hair and jerked my head back while the other hand still steadied itself on my hip. The rough maneuver pulled me out of my daydreams, but I was so turned on now that I welcomed his aggression. He thrust harder, driving me painfully into the chair, and I hoped it wouldn't fall over. The sweetness of his life energy coming into me continued building, and I felt his thoughts stream into me as well. So good, so good, so good. And it was good. The voyeurs around us and him fucking me on my knees had aroused me to dizzying heights. The whole act was dirty and exciting and thrilling. â€Å"So good, so good,† I cried, echoing his thoughts. â€Å"Don't stop, don't stop, don't – oh.† Talk about irony. The trick I'd used on Bryce or Bruce or whatever his name was had worked here too. Only, I hadn't actually wanted it to end this time. Maybe this was Jude's normal style – short and sweet – and not actually my doing. Regardless, it was done, and I hadn't even come. Damn it. But I'd gotten my energy fix, a burst of life and wonder that had exploded into me with his orgasm. Ecstasy or no, he'd felt a pang of guilt at the last minute, regret over this continued desire to cheat on his wife. That guilt had been a bonus for me. Sin was subjective, and often, the magnitude of a sin was in the eye of the beholder. I'd gotten him to sin – which Hell always liked and gave me bonus points for – and I'd cracked his morals, giving me more energy than I would have stolen if he were completely corrupt. I felt that life reinvigorate my essence, fueling my immortality and ability to shape-shift. He pulled out. I stood up from the chair, catching his hand as he started to stagger. A few people whistled and clapped. Jude wore a look of wonder – and exhaustion. I handed him his pants. â€Å"Wow,† he gasped. â€Å"That was†¦wow.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said with a grin. â€Å"I know.†