Enzymology and Catalytic Mechanism Essay Example for Free

Enzymology and Catalytic Mechanism Essay Many diseases and disorders are caused by defects in the molecular level of cells and not just having to do with nutrition or other extrinsic factors ,in this report ,we will specifically look at enzymes and their key role in energy production and the cycles and series of activities that make it possible for the human to function properly . Enzymes have four basic characteristics .They do not make a reaction occur that would not occur on its own, they just enhance and make it happen quicker. The enzyme will not be changed by the reaction, it may be changed during the process, but the end product will leave the enzyme as it was when it started. Enyzmes can be used repeatedly. Enyzmes have specific substances in our bodies, so if enzymes don’t work properly, metabolism will not work properly. Enzymes do their work as catalyst by speeding up the process to improve performance. They lessen the activation energy making producing products easier .Enzymes act on specific substances in our bodies. The enzymes will fit into the substance or substrate like a lock and key .Once it is with its certain substrate, it acts like a key and it unlocks the substrate and the substrate can do what it needs to do and then the enzyme will releases from it and is not changed ,then it moves on to another substance. Heredity Fructose Intolerance is a condition that can be passed down through families ,in HFI,two copies of an abnormal gene are present ,thus making it an auto recessive diso rder, and frequently it is seen in person without a history of the disorder . HFI is a condition that affects fructose metabolism ,basically the amount of Aldolase B’s substrate ,F1P ,changes when Aldolase B is deficient or doesn’t work at all. People that have this disorder do not have any symptoms if they do not ingest any  fructose ,whether orally or by IV .F1P is a product of fructokinase and substrate for Aldolase B ,when Aldolase B is not available ,we start to see symptoms of HFI .Aldolase B is only seen in the kidney,liver,and small intestines. An excellent way to see enzymatic roles in our bodies is by studying how Fructose is metabolized in our liver .It is a multiply step, complex process .The first step is the conversion of fructose to fructose 1-phosphate by fructokinase ,which causes the fructose to become trapped in the liver .Then,Fructose-1-phosphate undergoes the chemical reaction called hydrolysis by fructose-1-phosphate aldolase (aldolase B) to form dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) and glyceraldehyde. This usage of fructose leads to either glycolysis for the production of ATP or gluconeogenesis.Sanders, J. (2013) When fructose is taken into the body it is phosphorylated by fructokinase to make fructose 1 –phosphate , Aldolase B then impels F1P breakdown into glyceraldehyde and DHAP,that are used to go on to make ATP through glycolysis or to be used for storage through gluconeogenesis(glycolysis in reverse) .Fructose 1 Phosphate is a product and substrate but also a signal and it send out an alert for high blood sugar and will send signals to tell glucokinase to come out of the nucleus and into the cytoplasm and lower blood sugar by sending out glucose to the body. Our bodies usually only have fructose in the blood if we have an increase amount of glucose or high blood sugar ,this means we have elevated F1P levels and that is when glucokinase needs to be released .When F1P is low and our blood sugar is low and our blood glucose is low ,glucokinase will go into the nucleus. When the liver senses hypoglycemia, it produces glucose to be sent to liver cells .Glycolysis reverses to gluconeogenesis to produce glucose to be released in the blood. With HFI,if there is an abundance of F1P because there is no Aldolase B,then our blood sugar is low and the liver will not be picking up the phosphate and it is not being used glycogen breakdown will be slowed down and not much glucose will get produced and glucose will not be getting released, that’s when you see symptoms of hypoglycemia .Also, symptoms of liver damage will result because there is no phosphate available for the ATP synthase ,because it is bound up ,the cells in the liver will die without the ATP production .If a person continues to ingest and not be able to metabolize the fructose a person can die .Symptoms of HFI are hypoglycemia,jaundic,nausea/vomiting, renal or  liver damage or failure. .When bodies are overworked; our breathing will speed up as we try to get more oxygen delivered to our body cells. Most of our energy is made through aerobic methods; however, some situations need an accelerated more energy than our bodies can effectively make. That is when our bodies will cause muscles to generate energy through glycolysis. During glycolysis, glucose breaks down into pyruvate. If our bodies have enough oxygen; pyruvate is goes into an aerobic pathway to be broken down and used for energy. When we don’t have enough oxygen, our body will temporarily change pyruvate into lactate and it will be sent through a cycle to change it to glucose. If there are high lactate levels in the muscle cells there will be a high level of acidity and other metabolites will be disrupted .The high lactate levels do prevent permanent muscle damage when muscles are exerted by slowing the primary systems needed for muscle contraction, but when the body rest, oxygen becomes available and the lactate changes back to pyruvate, allowing continued aerobic metabolism and energy for when a persons the body is recovering from an extreme physical exertion. In glycolysis, 2 ATP are produced to turn glucose into lactate, but in gluconeogenous, it takes 6 ATP to lactate back into glucose. In our muscles glucose can combine with oxygen to generate energy. If there is not any oxygen, the anaerobic breakdown of glucose is achieved through glycolysis; however, ATP and Lactate are present through this process. In the normal presence of O2, glycolysis in muscle cells produces two units of ATP and two units of pyruvate. The two compounds provide the energy that enables a cell to perpetuate breathing through a series of chemical reactions called the Krebs cycle, also called the citric acid or tricarboxylic acid cycle. Oxidation pulls a carbon atom and 2 hydrogen atoms, water and carbon dioxide, out of the equation. Higa, M. (2015) In the absence of oxygen, enzymes can break down the glucose carbohydrate by fermentation. Dehydrogenase enzyme in muscle cells converts it into lactate and the amino acid alanine. The liver filters the lactate out of blood to reverse engineer it to pyruvate and then into glucose. While two ATP molecules are produced by glycolysis in the muscles, it costs the liver six ATP molecules to feed the cycle by gluconeogenesis. If the Cori Cycle occurred in one cell, then glucose to lactate would make 2 ATP, but the lactate to glucose process would cost 6 ATP, this is a net loss of 4 ATP, if the cycle continued over  and over then it would be a futile cycle. If there is any defect with the enzymes in the citric acid cycle ,the cycle will not continue to function as it should, every step has a specific role and a lot of the time the enzymes and products relay on one to function properly for the next step to occur, an example would be :if citrate synthase did not occur or if there was a defect ,then Acetyl-CoA would not happen, nor would CoA,therefore ,the following steps in the CAC would not happen as they should and since it is a cycle, each part has to function properly. The biggest problem with a break in the CAC is that the ATP production is not possible because CAC products are sent to the Electron Transport Chain for Oxidative phosphorylation. During the ETC ,products from Citric Acid Cycle are sent to the matrix of the mitochondria ,the workhouse of the eukaryotic cells ,and it is there ,that NADH and FADH2 are sent to a series of 4 complexes, first to complex 1 and then to complex 2 and then then both of them send their electrons to a co-enzyme ,named Q10, and then from there these products transfer to complex 3 and then to co-enzyme Cytochrome C and then complex 4 ,at this point these the electrons are given for oxygen to make water . This is called Aerobic Respirations. Oxygen takes the electrons and makes water and then the hydrogen ions are pumped out across the intra membranes space. The complex I, III, and pushes these hydrogen ions out .The next complex are called ATP synthase. These hydrogen ions move through this complex and they have energy and they take ADP and phosphate and make it in ATP. Sanders, J. (2013) If any enzyme in the CAC stops working the amount of ATP is affected, example would be if citrate synthase is not working properly then citrate would not be made, also CoA nor would Acetyl- CoA, which is the molecule that enters the CAC.Subsequently the entire cycle is disrupted and then `the ETC will not have access to the products required for ATP production. Sources: Sanders, J. (2013).Electron Transport Chain Retrieved from http://wgu.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer/Default.aspx?id=9ec716ab-3610-47a4-bb37-41b4805935d6 Gilbert, S. (2014).Enzymes Retrieved from http://www.biologyreference.com/Dn-Ep/Enzymes.html Sanders, J. (2013) Aldolase B and Hereditary Fructose Intolerance. Retrieved from http://wgu.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer/Default.aspx?id=ce81226c-d293-4232-997e-fb2957530367 Higa, M. (2015) What is the Cori Cycle .Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-cori-cycle.html

Growth opportunities in detergent market

Growth opportunities in detergent market The case deals with Unilevers Home Care Cleaning range and is evaluating the growth opportunities in the marketing of detergents to around 48 million low income consumers living in the Northeast region of Brazil. Clearly, the aim of Unilever, like all profit making organizations, is to have a bigger piece of the pie. Its first step forward is to assess whether or not, its target market is lucrative enough. To do so we first understand the buying behaviour of the target users, analyse the current market scenario and Unilevers internal environment. The importance of knowing how people will behave is tantamount to knowing the secret of organisational success. The simplest description of consumer behaviour is the purchase and/or consumption decision of an individual and/or household who buy goods and services for personal consumption. In the case we analyse the behaviour of group of individuals in the Northeast of Brazil and the use of detergent and soap in order to evaluate whats not working for Unilevers growth in that market segment and decide the best positioning strategy to encourage increased consumption. Because we know comparatively little about human behaviour, we as marketers, tend to make some assumptions to know how consumers will react to what we do. The first one being, consumers go through a rational decision process when they buy. We assume the process to start with ignorance of the consumer and moving through awareness, information search, short listing alternatives and so on until the ultimate goal purchase is reached.. A distinction is further made between two types of products purchasing: high involvement and low involvement. Washing detergents are low involvement products where consumers may not go through the entire decision making process and either pick a brand out of compulsion, out of a desire to seek variety or because of their past preferences and experiences, or they may pick a brand due to some constraints such as income and amount allocation to household spending. Consumers put preferences and budgetary constraints together to determine their choices. The No rtheast Brazilian households are low income groups and thus the price of the laundry soap, bleaching liquid and detergent powder is a primary criterion for evaluation of the brand of laundry products. The women in this region of Brazil tend to pick a particular brand based what others in their social group are using (as they often do their washing in a public laundry or by the river with a group of friends) and their own past experience and satisfaction. The second assumption is that consumers are brand loyal either loyal to your own brand or loyal to your rivals brand. A wall street journal (19th October 1989) published that 48% consumers remain loyal to the laundry detergent they are already using. To penetrate and gain additional market share, Unilever will have to offer some extra inducements to get the NE consumers hooked and divert their loyalty towards its brands. The stimulus response model (Exhibit 1), the starting point for understanding consumer behaviour, has been used to understand the Brazilian household behaviour towards washing detergent powders and soaps. The stimuli enter the consumers consciousness and the buyers characteristics and decision processes lead to certain purchase decisions. Our task, as marketers, would be to understand what happens in the consciousness of the north-eastern Brazilians between the arrival of stimuli and the purchase decision. Exhibit 1: Stimulus Response Model Source: Marketing Management, Kotler, 2003, p.184. The women in this region of Brazil tend to pick a particular brand based on the performance of the product on the six attributes cleanliness, whitening, productivity; fragrance and softness; ability to remove stains; ability to dissolve in water; packaging of the product; and the ability to keep colours from running out. Cultural factors Culture, subculture and social class are the fundamental determinants of a persons basic values, perceptions, wants and behaviour. Majority (39.8 million) of the north eastern population of Brazil ranges from grade D to E- of social class. Brazilians are concerned about their position in a social class, because no class interacts with another social class unless it is in a professional way. Since the past many years, the vast income social stature difference has been impressed in the society.  Still, the north easterners take great pride in how they look and present themselves in the society, despite their poverty and inability to purchase a variety of clothes. It is perceived to be the duty of the lady of the house to maintain cleanliness of clothes of her family, as it is seen as an indication of the dedication of the mother to her family. It is the reason why the north eastern women spend a long and laborious time at doing the laundry. They first scrub the clothes with a soap bar, then bleach those clothes to remove tough stains, and finally wash the clothes with detergent powder to add a pleasant fragrance. This is opposed to women in the south eastern region who just simply mix detergent powder and softener in a washing machine. Social factors Consumers behaviour is also influenced by social factors such as the consumers relation to small groups, family, and social roles. Women from the northeast of Brazil do their laundry at a public laundry or at a nearby river or pond along with their friends. It is the most pleasurable activity as they get to meet and chat in their social network. It is here that these women discuss matters of personal and home cleanliness such as which laundry detergents they use, how their experience has been, and likely word of mouth promotions take place. Personal factors The characteristics of the individual consumer such as his age, economic situation, occupation and lifestyle play an influential role as well in assessing consumer behaviour. Of the 48 million, 25.4 million people of the north eastern region of Brazil have an annual income of less than $1700. In Recife, for example, only 28% households own a washing machine. Thus, having a push strategy for a detergent powder isnt going to be fruitful. Even though the per capita income for the whole Brazil was $4,420, it wasnt quite reflective of the north-eastern region, where the per capita income was $2,250 only. This translates to the fact that even though a product may have the right and required attributes, if not appropriately priced, people of this region would not pick it up from the shelf since they are constrained by their incomes. Also, since the people from the low income group own less clothes, their washing needs are frequent, and hence, a product that would be a success would be one t hat is affordably cheap, available in bigger quantities (for example, saver price or additional 20% pack) and removes dirt well keeping the colour from running. Psychological factors An individuals buying choices are manipulated by four major psychological factors motivation, perception, learning and beliefs and attitudes. The low income consumers of the Northeast have developed six key attributes (Exhibit 2) which would determine their attitude towards the brand of detergent they chose to use for their laundry. For them, the ability of the detergent to clean and whiten the clothes with a small quantity of the product is the most important attribute. The NE women often associate a strong pleasant fragrance with softening power and gentleness to fabric and hands. The ability to remove stains without the use of a soap bar and bleach, and the ability of the detergent to dissolve in water without any residue on the fabric, are equally important attributes. Packaging and the running down of colour are the least important features. Ladies perceive doing their laundry as a leisure activity where they meet and natter with their friends. They discuss and learn from each others experiences of personal and household cleaning habits and products. Main brands / players Competition is important in influencing how successful an organization can be. Merely producing a good product which matches consumer requirements and provides satisfaction should not be the goal. A firm must competitively position itself in the minds of its customers so that its products stand out. Unilever was the first to introduce laundry detergents in Brazil with Omo, followed by Minerva, Campeiro, Skip, Rinso, Drive, Puro and Unox to name a few. Competitive challenges came from Procter Gamble, ASA, and other small Brazilian companies. Market leading brands from PG included Ace, Bold Pop. ASA contested with its Bem-te-vi laundry soap and Invicto detergent powder. Even though PG entered the Brazilian market 59 years after Unilever, it entered the market quiet swiftly by strategically acquiring an existing Brazilian company, Bombril and its three brands Quanto, Odd Fasses Pop. With in-depth RD and investment for manufacturing improvements, PG rebranded Quanto to Ace, and Odd Fases to Bold, which are now key competitors with Minerva and Campeiro. In terms of market share, for the laundry detergent powder segment, Omo is the market leader with a 52% share, Minerva Campeiro collectively account for 23% share, while Ace, Invicto other PG brands take a 22% share jointly and other Brazilian brands take a 3% share. Unilevers 75% market share compared with competitors 25% share in the laundry detergent segment indicates a strong penetrative strategy that gives Unilever the competitive edge. Market share in the laundry soap segment is not so pleasing. Little console is that PG did not manufacture laundry soap. But local Brazilian companies posed enough competition. Even though Minerva had a 19% market share in this segment, smaller Brazilian companies, enjoyed the rest of the 81%. In terms of pricing promotion strategies, Unilevers premium brand Omo was the highest priced (whole sale price) at $3/kg. None of the competitors came in this price range. Because of its strong power to remove stains with low quantity, it became a market pioneer. It used a very simple yet direct advertising message which said removes stains on pockets, cuffs collar, clearly attracting consumers for whom cleanliness was of highest importance. It was meant to target the high income group. Minerva (Unilever), Ace (PG) and Bold (PG) fell in the same price category and probably targeted the upper middle income group; while Campeiro (Unilever), Pop (PG) and Invicto (ASA) targeted the lower middle income group. Minerva attracted consumers for whom the fragrance and softness were of key importance with its advertising campaigns. Pop used a Bundle promotion and Contest Strategy it ran a contest offering 200 washing machines and gave away 2 copies of the Viva! Magazine with its purchase. Table 1 below gives details on the Pricing strategies followed by the main brands in the laundry detergent segment. SWOT Analysis An analysis of Unilevers internal environment (strength weaknesses) and its external environment (opportunities threats) is depicted in Exhibit 3. Exhibit 2 : SWOT Analysis Strategy Suggestion With the above mentioned scenario, Unilever faces the following choices to cater to the low income group of the North eastern region of Brazil : Extending Omo Rebranding Campeiro Launching a new product Customising a product from its international portfolio Brand extensions are only profitable if the existing brands equity is strong and positive and it is likely to transfer its benefits to the new extension. Brand extensions face a serious challenge if not recognised and met with positive action will probably lead to death of existing brands. Before considering extension of Omo, Unilever should be aware of the fact that consumers get puzzled by the variety of identical products and may end up buying a rival brand. Omo already has its niche market with its Price-Quality inference strategy. It enjoys a 52% market share in the detergent powder product line. Even though the low income group of the NE likes Omo, but to target that segment, Unilever would have to reduce the price drastically and lower its profit margins. This would cannibalise its high margin sales with low margin sales in the short term and in the long term Omo would lose its price premium and would create confusion in the minds of people. Radically changing Campeiro and rebranding it does seem like a good option Exhibit 4 details the strategy. But, the perception of its brand value is not strong or positive with consumers of detergent powder. It only has a 6% market share. One of the lucrative options is to launch a new brand. Exhibit 5 evaluates the strategies of introducing a new product altogether. Unilever can introduce a new product to replace /or supplement Minerva Campeiro in its existing markets, and to serve new market the NE region of Brazil. The issues with rebranding Campeiro, repositioning Minerva would also be resolved. But before deciding to establish a new product, Unilever has to layout the profile of the target market, understand the problems they face and group them into segments, evaluate competition, identify core competencies, identify areas where competitor is vulnerable and define a new value proposition for the new target market. Introducing a new brand would be to Unilevers advantage, as its entering a target market which it has not catered earlier in Brazil. Another worthwhile option is to introduce a customised version of an existing and successful brand from Unilevers international portfolio of detergent powder. But the brand would have to be carefully selected one that caters to a similar demographics and similar income group; one that has high success rate with the right marketing mix. For example, Active Wheel Unilevers brand in India targets the low income group, stresses that with this product people will need to put less efforts to do their laundry, promotes the whitening attribute, is the biggest laundry brand with sales revenue of  £21million 2007. The advantages of considering this option are various. The same ingredients and basic formula can be used. Similar pricing strategy. Customisation required only in language on the cardboard boxes. Meaning and content of advertisements can be the same, only changes required would be to fit the ad to local environment. Probability of success is higher, although it is not guarante ed that a brand that works in one region will work in the other too. Even if the rumours of reducing brand portfolio are true, this option would still be lucrative as no new brand is being introduced; alternatively, Unilever could completely drop Campeiro and reposition Minerva, along with introduction of a brand from its international portfolio. The growing size of typical supermarket retailers such as Wal-Mart, Carrefour and Grupo Pà £o de Aà §Ãƒ ºcar in Brazil has produced extra shelf space that has allowed and encouraged such proliferation. The US magazine Business Week publishes an annual survey of the Best New Products. From the 38 noted for the years 1989, 1990 and 1991, there were only 13 brand extensions and 3 genuine product innovations that were titled under the best new products over the 3 years. Ehrenberg (Repeat Buying, 1988) found that most buyers buy several brands over a period of time. They buy some brands more often than others and some not at all, but they mainly buy a large range of acceptable brands. The frequency with which they buy each brand varies from consumer to consumer but, on an average, it matches the brands overall market share. Unilevers forward strategy should not appear to make a distinct product without a real difference and that merely tries to differentiate the brand from competitors.

Death Camps Of World War II :: essays research papers

Starvation. Mass shootings. Gas chambers. Beatings. Mass murder. In the early 1940s, perhaps the most brutal attrocities ever committed on a people in our world’s history took place. It was World War II. The Nazi Regime, led by Adolf Hitler, was waging war across Europe. Occupied Poland became the place where those prisoners and captives held by the Nazis were sent to be eliminated. From 1941 through 1945 a total of some 3.5 million Jews met their deaths in Nazi extermination camps. These â€Å"death camps† as they are often referred to had the single goal of eliminating the Jews while hiding these crimes under a shroud from the rest of the world. Unlike the â€Å"concentration camps† of the same time, where Jews were brainwashed and ordered to do labor for the Germans yet still often killed, the death camps were devised solely for the mass killings of prisoners. There was no discrimination. Men fit for work, women and children of all ages were not sorted and suf fered the same fate. These events would be known as â€Å"the Final Solution† to the Jewish problem faced by the Nazis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Captive Jews were held in areas called â€Å"ghettos† ultimately commanded by the Germans. Following through with the elimination of the Jews, the Nazis gave them fierce living conditions often housing dozens of people in small buildings. Food was administered in very small amounts. Those that did not starve to death were either shot or sent to camps. Some were sent to concentration camps. There were also labor camps. During some of these trips, prisoners would be told that they were being relocated. Many of these people instead arrived at the extermination camps never to be heard from again. The Polish town known as Kulmhof, though more popularly known as Chelmno, was the first place where mass killings by gas took place as part of the â€Å"Final Solution.† It was established in December of 1941. The first man in charge of this operation was Herbert Lange. This â€Å"Sonderkommando† or special commander, was once in charge of a T4 euthanasia program in which he was the overseer of the murder of psychiatric patients in the town of Posen. He had control of about 150 assorted German security police and uniformed police. Twenty members had posts within the camp as well as many secondary units. There was also a group, called the Waldkommando, who operated in the surrounding forest to make sure no one could see what was happening inside.

Animals are Valuable in Behavioral Research :: Behavioral Research Essays

From the dawn of time, when the first human killed an animal for food, or drove it from a fruit patch so that he could eat instead, there has been competition with animals for basic resources. Likewise, over the ages, humans have contemplated their relationship with animals. Ancestral societies worshipped the animals they used recognizing that the lives they took fueled their own lives. Further introspection on humanity's place in the world resulted in the development of codes of morality and ethics and subsequently the first modern religions. While biblical views of animals are primarily those of utility rather than of moral value, early scholars argued that animals should be treated kindly because animal cruelty represented a flawed morality and was ultimately detrimental to the moral development of humans. This view that humans may ultimately be judged based on their treatment of other lives exists to this day, and for many, is a strong argument for stewardship toward animals. Interestingly, advances in biology that began in the 1800's have provided some of the strongest arguments for imbuing animals with an enhanced moral value. By recognizing that the nervous systems of all vertebrate animals are very similar, it is assumed that activities that will cause a human pain or distress will likewise cause pain or distress to other animals. It is for this reason that current animal use regulations require the use of analgesics, anesthetics and sedatives for any procedures on animals that may cause more than momentary pain or distress. Animal experimentation is an essential component of biomedical and behavioral research, a critical part of efforts to prevent, cure, and treat a vast range of ailments. As in the past, investigators are using animals to learn about the most widespread diseases of the age, including heart disease and cancer, as well as to gain basic knowledge in genetics, physiology, and other life sciences. Animals are also needed to combat new diseases, of which AIDS is currently the most prominent example. As Miller (1985) pointed out in a trenchant defense of animal research in psychology, behavioral research on animals has laid the foundation for breakthroughs in the treatment of drug addiction, anxiety disorders, phobias, urinary incontinence, and ruminative vomiting. At the same time, behavioral researchers are drawing on animal studies to learn more about such major causes of human suffering as mental illness, and senility. Teaching machines and programmed learning have evolved out of experimental work on animals (Skinner, 1958) and are being used to increase the efficiency of instruction by the armed forces and by industry.

Critical Analysis of the Story The Sky is Gray by Ernest Gaines Essay

Critical Analysis of the Story The Sky is Gray by Ernest Gaines The title of the story â€Å"The Sky is Gray† by Ernest Gaines is ironic. It suggests at first the bleak mood of the story but also hints at hope in the future. Just as the clouds clear after a storm, James finds out on his trip to Bayonne that the stormy clouds that are his life are parting to let some sunshine through. Throughout the whole story, a very bleak mood is portrayed. The setting contributes to this gloominess. For example, the weather is awful. James, seeing how cold it was, said, â€Å"I seen the smoke coming out o’ the cow’s nose.† Later he says, â€Å"The sleet keep falling. Falling like rain now- plenty, plenty.† Once James turns up his collar to protect himself from the very windy conditions that also exist throughout the story. Another sign of the story’s gloominess is the fact that many of its scenes are without color. For example, the road in this story is very gray: â€Å"It’s a long old road, and far’s you can see you don’t see nothing but gravel,† as James put it. James also lets it be known that â€Å"the sky is gray† and that there isn’t much grass. Even the clothing that they wear is very dull-colored! James’ mother is â€Å"wearing that black coat and that black hat.† The story takes place during a war, which contributes to the overall gloomy setting of the story. â€Å"I wonder when us go’n see him again†¦Look like he ain’t ever coming home,† James laments, showing that his father went into the war and most likely is dead. The father’s absence leaves his family without adequate food, money, or manpower. The family’s poverty (which is partially due to the father’s absence) makes their future seem hopeless. The family lives in a poor, rural area, which was typical of black persons of their time. The family is crowded into a small, shabby home, so they must share rooms and beds. The family’s clothes are quite shabby too, for when James sees a mannequin in a store with new brown shoes, he looks at his own old shoes and thinks, â€Å"You wait till Summer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The family does not even have enough money for some of life’s other necessities, such as food and medical care. For example, they eat bread and syrup every day for breakfast; and as James’ younger brother, Ty, said, â€Å"I’m getting tired of this old syrup. I want me some bacon sometime.† Beans are another bland food that J... ...le also recognizes James and his mother’s dignity. The woman lets James take her trash to the corner in exchange for the food (â€Å"Ernest [her husband] has a bad cold and can’t go out there.†). However, when James lifts the cans, he can feel that they are empty. When James and his mom are leaving, she asks the old lady if she sells salt meat (seeing that the old woman’s house is also a store). The old lady does, and Mama asks for two bits worth. The old woman knows that this isn’t much, so she tries to give mama more than her money’s worth. Mama notices this, so the old lady, trying to restore mama’s pride, eventually gives her the correct amount of salt meat for her money. Throughout the story, James begins to pass his mother’s tests for being a man of the household. For example, James doesn’t show the pain of his toothache, trying to appear strong for his family. He’s also learning to hide his fear, which shows in the â€Å"bird event.† The biggest test of all perhaps is when James learns that dignity (â€Å"you’re not a bum, you’re a man†) is more important than the chill wind. The reader is left hoping with James that soon the sun may finally peak through the clouds in his life.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Keurig Coffee

How government political system and economy influence each other? There are many countries in a world, and each country has its specific government system, also different government systems leads to diverse economic results. Otherwise, the economic output shapes the certain government system as well. As a consequence, government system interacts with economic results, and vise versa. Such as the relationship between centrally controlled political system or decentralized political system and economic income. Next, more details information will be given and bring a discussion about how they influence each other.Through searching on the internet, political system is â€Å"a system of politics and government. It is usually compared to the legal system, economic system, cultural system, and other social systems. However, this is a very simplified view of a much more complex system of categories involving the views: who should have authority, how religious questions should be handled, and what the government’s influence on its people and economy should be. † (Almond, 2011) Different countries from all over the world owe their own specific political system and economic results.For example, China’s remarkable economic success rests on reforming political government system foundation. In article â€Å"Federalism, Chinese Style: The Political Basis for Economic Success in China†, it referred that the government political reform provides significant degree of available commitment to markets and lead to the successful economy in China. What’s more, a special type of institutionalized or organized decentralized is reflected by this reform, and author call â€Å"federalism, Chinese style. In addition, Montinola who is the author of this article claimed there are three consequences: at first, it helps to promote competition, not only just in product markets, but also among labour and foreign capital of local governments. And without any dou bt, the competition also lead new forms of enterprises, regulation, and economic relationships are promoted by government trying and learning. After that, it provides incentives for local governments to encourage local economic prosperity. At last, there are considerable amount of protection for local governments and enterprises which come from political intrusion by the central government. 2011). This article describes how the government political system impacts the economy output. On the one hand, China reform the political system depends on the national conditions, and take advantages of this system to develop economy and achieve successful goal. On the other hand, China already got wealthy benefits from the existing political system. Moreover, in article â€Å"US Political System Gets Downgraded, Failure to Deal with Economy the Reason†, Dayen said â€Å"To the extent that there’s any fallout from the political gridlock in Washington, it’s that the country cannot execute the simple, fundamental steps to improve economic performance. (Aug 3, 2011) And also talked about a Chinese rating agency did actually downgrade US debt all the way, which could resonate with their sovereign wealth funds. This agency appeared to not so much downgrade the credit rating as the political system. It discussed if there was not existing good and suitable government political system, and there is no way to develop economic as expect. In other words, instable and inadaptable political cannot help to further the development of economic outputs. Meanwhile, there is no doubt that if there is existing terrible economy, the new type of government system need to form.Government agencies influence the economy through a variety of policies all the time. â€Å"Political system has helped initiate new industries, cushion the effects of economic depression, create a sound economic infrastructure, and protect the living standards of the citizenry. † (n. d. ) Japa n is such a typical country. Japan through adjusting the relationship between government political system and economic income in order to set up the most suitable government and increase economy as much as possible. They focus on enterprise.In other words, Japan's economic development is primarily the product of private entrepreneurship. There is no doubt government make a significant contribution to nation's prosperity. In a word, the enterprise focus need the help of centrally controlled political system, because it can pay a lot more attention to develop their enterprise in order to promote their economy. There are advantages and disadvantages among different type of government political, both of them have opportunity to increase or decrease their national economy.However, it has great challenges to reconcile the centralized and decentralized systems. Most of time, centrally controlled is focus on specific area, decentralized controlled has diverging structure, the scope is much more abroad and wide than centrally controlling. But centrally control can get more attention. So chose the right system need depend on each country’s specific situation. In order to reach the economy goals, it is necessary to look for the right government political system to push its developing.Also under current system, government should consider how to achieve their economy target. Above all, no matter which government systems, such as centrally controlled political system and decentralized controlled political system, both of them could generate significant economic results, at the same time, the country should get wealthy benefit from a specific controlled political system. Reference Almond, G. A. , (June 25, 2011). Comparative Politics Today: A World View. Political System. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Political_system Dayen, D. (August 3, 2011). US Political System Gets Downgraded, Failure to Deal With Economy the Reason. FDL. Retrieved from http://new s. firedoglake. com/ 2011/08/03/us-political-system-gets-downgraded-failure-to-deal-with-economy-the-reason/ Montinola, G. (June 13, 2011). Federalism, Chinese Style: The Political Basis for Economic Success in China. World Politics. Retrieved from http://journals. cambridge. org/action/displayAbstract? fromPage=online&aid=7607848 The role of government and business. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://countrystudies. us/japan/99. htm

Explore the theme of loneliness in Mice and men Essay

Explore the theme of loneliness in Mice and men, how does Steinbeck show the loneliness of an itinerant lifestyle through three particular characters. Many of the characters in mice and men are lonely and this motivates them to look for an alternative way of life. This is one of the reasons why they are drifters. They are continually searching often without knowing what they are really looking for. Characters are also lonely because of something within themselves. Different characters seek comfort in different things, for Candy this is his dog, for George and Lenny it’s each other â€Å"I want you to stay with me Lenny†, for Crooks it’s his pride and skill at pitching horseshoes. These small comforts are the only things that keep these men going. They have no family to feed so the only real motivation they have to work is to keep themselves alive. Right from the beginning of the book Steinbeck emphasizes the loneliness of George and Lenny by putting just two men in such a big and empty space â€Å"On one side of the river the golden foot-hill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan Mountains†. Steinbeck uses lexical choice like Strong and rocky to make the description more cinematographic so that you can actually see these two small mean compared to their mountainous surroundings. These two men have travelled together for all of their lives. They were friends as children but now George has had to take a more parental role over Lenny. â€Å"You know damn well what Lenny, now hand over that mouse.† The use of the word damn makes George sound much more authoritative. Lenny being mentally disabled is probably a lot less lonely in his mind compared to the other characters in the novel as his brain seems to be more child like and he is easily occupied â€Å"I’d just love to pet those rabbits George†. The main goal in Lenny’s life is to have his own rabbits. In a way this would be his way of becoming less lonely as he could be an authority figure over them rather than everyone else telling him what to do. George is Lenny’s best friend and mentor. He is the closest thing to family that Lenny has got from what we can tell in the book and although he gets angry sometimes and talks about how he could do so much better without Lenny, â€Å"When I think of the swell time I could have without you, I go nuts, I never get no peace.†, he knows deep down that without Lenny he wouldn’t be the same â€Å"No – look ! I was jus foolin, Lenny cause I want you to stay with me.† When Lenny threatens George that he will actually leave George realises the loneliness that they would both face if Lenny carried out the threat and told Lenny to stay. Crooks is the stable-buck on the ranch. Although most of the men are lonely none of them are outcasts. This is an advantage which Crooks doesn’t carry. He is a Negro and in the 1930’s racial discrimination was an every day practise â€Å"where the hell is that god damned nigger?† Writing about coloured people in this context in those days wasn’t a problem and people wouldn’t think twice about using words such as â€Å"nigger† or â€Å"Negro† to a black persons face. Crooks has no friends, he just sits in his own little room in the stables â€Å"and he had books too; a tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905.† Reading these books has made Crooks intelligent and being so bitter this intelligence makes him manipulative at times. For example he teases Lenny about George not returning from town â€Å"S’pose George don’t come back no more, S’pose he just took a powder and just ain’t coming back.† He knows that Lenny is easily fooled and teasing him is a way of gaining a higher social status as he has someone to ridicule. Crooks has no woman in his life and the book doesn’t mention that he ever has. The only time Crooks isn’t lonely is when the men play the horseshoe tossing game. Crooks in this unique social activity is aloud to take part and forget that he is a social pariah â€Å"Outside came the clang of horse-shoes on the playing peg as Crooks scored top points† In conclusion one of the novels main themes is loneliness. There isn’t one character in the whole story who doesn’t feel lonely. All the men move to a ranch and just as they make good friends it becomes time to move in to the next ranch and start again. For Crooks he will most likely stay in the same place for all his working life living alone until such time he becomes useless and then he will be thrown out into a world that has no place for him. By the end of the novel the only two people who escape this life long loneliness seem to be Lenny and Curlies wife.