The role of procoagulant microparticles in haemostasis Essay

The job of procoagulant microparticles in haemostasis - Essay Example Procoagulant MPs for the most part show up because of apoptosis and vascular cell initiation. An expansion in the degree of monocyte, platelet, or endothelial-inferred MPs flowing in the blood is related with CVD hazard factors and shows poor clinical result. They demonstrate vascular cell harm and meddle with atherothrombosis by applying impacts on vascular and platelets. Under infection conditions, cell cross-talk is bolstered by circling MPs support, which prompts vascular aggravation, leukocyte attachment, endothelial brokenness, and incitement. Practical tissue factor and uncovered layer phosphatidyserine are procoagulant substances delivered by coursing MPs. Platelet inferred MPs (PMPs) contain anionic phospholipid PS, which makes them unequivocally procoagulant. The expulsion of MPs from the blood of ordinary human plasma draws out the coagulating time (Ahn, 2005). Platelet determined MPs bolster thrombin age in plasma without platelets, which are significant for blood coagula ting. Platelets structure a significant substrate for coagulation and their films give a surface to the arrangement of prothrombinase complex. This protein is used in the change of fibrinogen to fibrin which consolidates with different variables to frame a steady coagulation (Lawrie et al, 2009). The accessibility of platelet MPs at the site of vessel injury adds to the coagulating procedure by giving an enormous surface layer important for enzymatic procedure. The presentation of phosphotidyserine during thrombin age increments enzymatic reactant impact. The huge surface framed by MPs is important for actuating the coagulation course that shapes the fibrin coagulation. Coursing MPs harbor cytoplasmic effectors or useful film that advances prothrombotic reactions (Ay et al, 2009). These MPs channel their procoagulant potential to the objective within the sight of the proper counter ligands. They tie onto dissolvable immobilized fibrinogen shaping totals that upgrade the conveyance o f procoagulant elements. In vitro, TF and TF-subordinate procoagulant system is encouraged by the collaboration of monocytes and endothelial MPs. TF is a constituent protein in minute sums that flips the endothelial procoagulant properties bringing about the commencement of a TF-driven thickening procedure. Blood-borne TF can be joined in the creating clots through a progression of TF-ward, CD15 and CD18, and associations. Blood-borne TF is principally held by PMPs and monocyte-determined MPs give the chemical after lipopolysaccharide incitement. Polunuclear leukocytes and endothelial-determined MPs likewise produce blood-borne TF under uncommon endothelial actuation. These MPs give the necessary measure of TF and flow the compound, which is fundamental for keeping up a hemostatic parity. MPs, selectins and TF converge into a significant group of three of apoplexy. The surfaces of platelet and endothelial cells contain a significant attachment particle called P-selectin (Hugel et al , 2005). The particle is used during TF aggregation and leukocyte incorporation in the blood clot when an endothelial physical issue happens. The aggregation of hematopeic cell-determined TF is like the MPs collection energy before leukocyte-blood clot cooperation. A solvent P-selectin improves the creation of leukocyte-determined TF-MPs used to address hemostasis. The plasma levels of microparticles increment with age, which demonstrates the commitment of P-selectin pathway. P-selectin pathway additionally favors the exchange of PF into monocyte determined

Hinilawod Summary Essay

Hinilawod describes the tale of the endeavors of three Sulodnon mythical being siblings, Labaw Donggon, Humadapnon and Dumalapdap of antiquated Panay. It would take around three days to play out the epic in its unique structure. Subsequently, making it as probably the longest epic on the planet. Kaptan, the ruler of the Gods, proclaimed that the wonderful Alunsina (likewise called Laun Sina, The Unmarried One) wed after contacting her womanhood. In spite of the fact that all the unmarried divine beings from each edge of the universe attempted to win her deliver marriage, she decided to wed a human, Datu Paubari, leader of the Halawod. Maddened by Alunsina’s choice, her admirers schemed to hurt the love bird couple. Maklium-sa-t’wan, the lord of the fields, assembled a committee conference of the Gods. The chamber chose to annihilate the couple’s home, Halawod, by flood. Luckily for Alunsina and her better half, her sister Suklang Malayon (Goddess and Guardian of Happy Homes) found the abhorrent plot and cautioned them of it. Prior to the flood, the new couple looked for shelter on a higher ground and got away the gods’ fury undetected. They came back to the fields and settled close to the mouth of the Halawod River after the flood has died down and lived in mystery. Following a while, Alunsina got pregnant with triplets. The couple was delighted and Datu Paubari arranged the things required for labor including the siklot. At the point when the triplets were conceived, the couple called them Labaw Dongon, Humadapnon and Dumalapdap. Following conceiving an offspring, Alunsina called the esteemed cleric Bungot-Banwa to play out the customs of the lords of the Mount Madya-as to guarantee that the triplets will have great wellbeing. During the custom, Bungot-Banwa consumed some alanghiran fronds and a touch of kamangyan in a special raised area that he made himself. He opened the windows of the north side of the room after the function an d in came a virus wind that changed the newborn children into solid, attractive youngsters. At the point when he arrived at adulthood, Labaw Donggon, the oldest of the triplets, chose to go on a journey to get himself a spouse. He knew about the magnificence of Angoy Ginbitinan of Handug and needed her for a spouse. He requested that his mom set up the things he will requirement for the journeyâ€a enchantment cape, cap and belt, and kampilan (blade). The excursion to Handug took a few days. Labaw Donggon needed to pass by fields, valleys and mountains to arrive. At the point when he at last showed up, he requested a crowd of people with Angoy Ginbitinan’s father and requested her deliver marriage. The dad concurred in one condition: Labaw Donggonâ must murder the beast Manalintad as a component of his share. Labaw Donggon concurred and left to go up against the beast. With the assistance of his enchantment belt, he had the option to murder the Manalintad. He remove the tail of the beast and took it back to Handug as a proof of his triumph. Angoy Gibintinan’s father was happy with the confirmation and permitted Labaw Donggon to wed his little girl. After the wedding, Labaw Donggon and his n ew lady began their excursion back to his home. En route, they met a gathering of youngsters who were en route to Tarambang Burok to win the hand of Abyang Durunuun, sister of Sumpoy, the master of the black market. As indicated by these youngsters, Abyang Durunuun has excellence that approaches no other. Labaw Donggon and Angoy Gibintinan proceeded on their excursion. After arriving at home, Labaw Donggon solicited his mom to take care from his new spouse and disclosed to her that he will be going on another journey. This time he will be going to Tarambang Burok and compete for the hand of the lovely Abyang Durunuun. On his approach to Tarambang Burok, Labaw Donggon had an experience with the monster Sikay Padalogdog. This goliath had a hundred arms and he won’t let the youthful demi god go without a battle. What's more, battle they did. At long last, the hundred-outfitted monster conceded rout and permitted the Labaw Donggon to pass the edge. Labaw Donggon won the hand of the incredible Abyang Durunuun and furthermore took her home to his mom. From there on, the demi god went on third journey to Gadlum. This time the object of his craving is Malitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata, the youthful lady of the ruler of obscurity, Saragnayan. On board his biday nga inagta (dark vessel), Labaw Donggon cruised across numerous oceans on his way Gadlum. He likewise traversed the district of the mists and the place where there is stones before he wound up at the shores of Tulogmatian, the shoreline stronghold of Saragnayan. After going to the shore, Saragnayan asked what his identity was and his business. When Labaw Donggon communicated his longing to have Saragnayan’s youthful spouse, the master of murkiness just giggled and disclosed to him it’s unthinkable. The youthful demi god at that point moved the Saragnayan to a duel for the hand of the delightful Malitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata. The duel went on for a considerable length of time. Labaw Donggon held Saragnayan’s head submerged for a long time however the ruler of the obscurity despite everything lived. With the assistance of his pamlang (ornament), Saragnayan crushed Labaw Donggon and detained him underneath his home. In the interim, Labaw Donggon’s two spouses brought forth a child each. Angoy Ginbitinan called her youngster Aso Mangga while Abyang Durunuun called her son Abyang Baranugon. The two children went looking for their dad a couple of days after they were conceived. They showed up in Tulogmatian and asked Saragnayan to free their dad. Saragnayan advised Abyang Baranugon to return home to his mom when he saw that the youthful fellow despite everything has an umbilical rope. The youthful chap disapproved and provoked the master of the dimness to a duel. Saragnayan acknowledged the demand and battled with Abyang Baranugon. The master of dimness was no counterpart for the quality of Abyang Baranugon and was vanquished all the while. Abyang Baranugon earned the opportunity of his dad and took him home. In the interim, the annihilation of Labaw Donggon in the hands of Saragnayan and his resulting detainment irritated his siblings Humadapnon and Dumalapdap. Humadapnon promised to the divine forces of Madya-as and pledged that he would look for vengeance on all of Saragnayan’s family and supporters. He at that point left on an excursion to Saragnayan’s. He took with him a man known for his remarkable swordsmanship, Buyong Matanayon of Mount Matiula. Together they ventured to every part of a similar way that Labaw Donggon took. The team wound up at a spot called Tarambang Buriraw. Here lives an enchanting sorceress called Piganun. The sorceress changed herself into an extremely wonderful lady and caught the core of Humadapnon. Regardless of what Buyong Matanayon did, Humadapnon would not leave Tarambang Buriraw. Following seven months of remaining in Tarambang Buriraw, Buyong Matanayon recollected that they carried some ginger with them. He thought of an arrangement to break Piganun’s spell over his companion. One night, at supper, Buyong Matanayon tossed seven cuts of ginger into the fire. After smelling the consuming ginger, Piganun fled from the room. Buyong Matanayon struck Humadapnon in the head, which rendered the last oblivious. He at that point hauled his body away from the spot and figured out how to get away. The team proceeded with their trek and got retribution on all of Saragnayan’s family and companion. They in the long run wound up in a spot called Piniling Tubig. There was a major get-together when they showed up in the town in light of the fact that the leader of the land, Datu Umbaw Pinaumbaw, was parting with the hand of his little girl in union with any individual who can expel the enormous stone that moved off the mountain to the focal point of the town. Nobody has succeeded. Humadapnon met people's high expectations and removed his enchantment cape. He at that point utilized it to lift the tremendous rock off the focal point of the town and flung it back to the mountain. Datu Umbaw Pinaumbaw respected his assertion and gave his daughter†™s deliver union with Humadapnon. The two were hitched andâ a large dining experience was held. During the wedding feast, a visitor minstrel sang and paid tribute to the magnificence of Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan, the goddess of avarice. Charmed with the story, Humadapnon began a journey to look for the goddess’ turn in marriage. He met Buyong Makabagting, child of the Datu Balahidyong of Paling Bukid, who was likewise wanting to win the hand of Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan. The two battled in a duel and Humadapnon rose triumphant. The vanquished Buyong Makabagting helped Humadapnon in his mission. Humadapnon in the long run wedded the goddess of covetousness and carried her home to his mom. Not long after Humadapnon left their home to look for vengeance on Saragnayan’s family and devotees, Dumalapdap set out on his very own journey. He chose go to Burutlakan-ka-adlaw and wed the lady Lubay-Lubyok Hanginun si Mahuyokhuyokon. With him was Dumasig, the most impressive grappler in Madya-as. Following a while of voyaging, the two warriors encountered a two headed beast called Balanakon. The beast protected the edge that prompted where the lady lived. They figured out how to murder the beast however were gone up against with another sort of beast when they arrived at the door of the castle where the lady lived. Called Uyutang, the beast was like a bat with sharp, harmful hooks. Dumalapdap battled with the Uyutang for seven months. He had the option to crush the beast when he got its lower leg and broke it. At that point he took his iwang daniwan (enchantment knife) and struck Uyutang under the armpit. The beast wailed in torment, causing a quake that broke the edge they were battling in into two. Half of the edge turned into an island that is referred to today as Negros, while the other half became Panay. With the beast Uyutang dead, Lubay-Lubyok Hanginun si Mahuyokhuyokan was allowed to wed Dumalapdap. He carried her home and was brought together with his family. Datu Paubari praised the arrival of his three children with an extremely large dining experience. His children left for various pieces of the world after the dining experience. Labaw Donggon wandered north, Humadapnon went south, and Dumalapdap left toward the west. Datu Parubari was left

Paying for School COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Paying for School COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog The admission season is filled with ups and downs for applicants.   You may receive admission offers from some schools and not from others.   Those who are admitted may experience the exhilaration of all their hard work paying off only to experience the worry of how to pay for the tuition and all of the related educational expenses. When I speak with prospective students I always try to be upfront and state that I do not like surprises.   I do not want people to be surprised by the fact that the cost of attending SIPA for two years can well exceed $100,000.   This figure includes tuition, fees, housing, food, travel, health insurance and everything it will take to support your studies for approximately two years in a city known for high prices. I also do not want to hide the fact that we are only able to award funding to approximately 10% of first year students.   I am happy to say that 70% of those who apply for funding in their second year at SIPA are awarded a scholarship. Having worked in higher education for many years now, I can say that it is quite common to have very emotional conversations with students about money and financial aid.   I can both empathize and sympathize with students I speak with because I attended graduate school and took a considerable amount of loan funding to do so.   I am also happy to say I did apply for and receive scholarships to attend school. Unfortunately when I speak with students and ask them about the effort they have put into searching for scholarships or other sources of free funding, very few are able to respond in the affirmative.   It is common to hear responses such as: “I simply don’t have time.”   “I don’t know where to look.”   “I started to look but there was nothing out there.” For me searching for scholarships is like many other things in life â€" the effort you put in equals the result.   If you want an “A” in a class you have to put in the time.   If you want to find an apartment in New York City you have to search, talk to people, and expend a great deal of energy. In a way searching for scholarships is like saving for retirement.   First, the sooner you start the better off you are.   Second, it is wise to keep researching for ways to make your money and opportunities grow.   So my question to you applicants out there is, “How much time have you spent looking for funding?” My hope is that you have been looking but if not it is never too late to start.   My advice to you would be to make scholarship searches a part of your normal routine.   Most of us have things we like to do that we will not miss.   It can be watching a T.V. show, going to the gym, or taking time to write a letter to a friend.   Schedule a time once a week to look for scholarships and it literally can pay off.   Here are some ways to get started: •  Check out SIPA’s own fellowship database. We search for scholarships for you and post them to the database.   The database is not SIPA specific.   As we search for and hear about funding, we make the information available to you. •  Use RSS  technology to deliver news to your email account or RSS Reader.   RSS allows for news to be delivered to you without having to go look for it every day.   As an example, Gmail accounts have something called the “Alert” tool and I am sure other providers have the same capability.   All you have to do is put in text for searches and a search engine will perform the searches daily  and deliver news to your email account.   You can type in search terms like “Graduate School Scholarships” or “International Affairs Scholarships.”   You can also utilize an RSS reader.   They are free and if you do not know what an RSS reader is, click here for a YouTube tutorial. •  Talk to people you know who have gone to graduate school and find out if they were able to find scholarship opportunities. •  Contact people who are willing to write you a letter of recommendation and have them make multiple copies of the recommendation letter and give them to you in sealed envelops so you are ready if a scholarship opportunity arises and there is a tight deadline. I will not say the process of searching is easy and it can take a considerable amount of effort.   However, if you wish to reduce the amount of loan funding you might need to pay for school it is well worth the effort.

The Way My Elementary School Delt With Age Disparity Essay

The way my elementary school delt with age disparity was by assigning each second grader a fifth grade â€Å"buddy.† I really wanted Jonah for my buddy. He was the coolest kid at school, and he liked baseball, just like I did. Like all the fifth graders, he was really excited to have a younger buddy and excitedly jostled his way into the room alongside his classmates. My teacher gave each child a half sheet of construction paper cut in a specific pattern - whoever’s paper matched mine would be my buddy. Mine was red, as was Jonah’s. It seemed too good to be true. I felt delighted but became confused when I realized that Jonah was looking at me in a weird way, with a sort of pity and fear in his eyes. â€Å"What’s wrong?† I asked. The look didn’t fade from his eyes. â€Å"You’re black, aren’t you? You must be a part of the METCO Program,† he replied, his words long and drawn out as if he thought I couldn’t understand. I didn’t really understand at the time, but as a seven year-old, I was labeled. A ten year-old white American boy marked me as black. Because my skin was a little bit darker than his, he made a set of assumptions about my race and intelligence that were entirely false. I am half Indian and half European, so my skin is naturally a lighter shade of brown typical of my ancestors from Punjab.Why is it that despite centuries of our nation fighting racism, it still persists in 2016? But what are we fighting over? Race, but what is race? Biologically speaking, it relates to the

Strategic Position of Starbucks - Building a Sustainable Supply Chain Free Essay Example, 3000 words

The Bowman s strategy clock suggests that Starbucks falls under the category of Focused differentiation. This category is characterized by high price and high perceived value. Starbucks charge premium price for high quality coffee, unique ambience and customer experience. The high perceived value allows the company to build a strong brand awareness which acts as a competitive advantage for the company. The rival brands of Starbucks like Caf Nero and Dunkin Donuts fall under Differentiation and Hybrid category. Caf Nero has medium perceived value offered at a medium price, thus it follows a differentiation approach. On the other hand Dunkin Donuts falls under the hybrid category, which is characterized fair perceived quality at a lower price. Although Dunkin Donuts does not offer unique in-store experiences like Starbucks but it has captured consumer preference by product quality and competitive pricing (MarketLine, 2014). The perceptual map shown above highlights the relative posi tion of Starbucks based on two parameters, product quality and price. The graph suggests that Starbucks offers high product and service quality at a higher price than its competitors. The high product and service quality has allowed the company to enjoy the leadership position in the market. The graph shown above suggests that the company has incorporated an appealing aesthetics which offers the customers a unique Starbucks experience , thereby gaining higher preference from the niche customers. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Position of Starbucks - Building a Sustainable Supply Chain or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page This section discusses the external drivers and its affect the business of Starbucks by using PESTLE analysis.

Current research into the health-related impact of bullying at work. Free Essays

Abstract This paper addresses the current state of research concerning the psychological and physical effects that bullying within the work place can have on the victim, both its immediate impact and in the long term. The effectiveness of the research method of large scale surveys as a means of determining these findings will be considered. Introduction A recurring issue that arises in the literature of bullying is that it is hard to define; it is a broad term that can be used for a continuum of cases, from a physical assualt to a verbal attack on a person’s character. We will write a custom essay sample on Current research into the health-related impact of bullying at work. or any similar topic only for you Order Now Currently the UK has no legal definition for what constitutes as bullying due to this inability to formally characterise it. UNISON (2003) defines it as â€Å"..persistent unacceptable ‘offensive, intimidating, malicious, insulting or humiliating behaviour, abuse of power or authority which attempts to undermine an individual or group of employees and which may cause them to suffer stress’†. Bullying can be carried out by individuals or groups (mobbing) and can occur at almost every level within an organisation. A survey conducted by Hoel and Cooper (2000) found the phenomenon was prevalent regardless of the sex, ethnicity or superiority, they also recorded that 68.5% of instances of bullying extend over a year. The profile of the victim is largely determined by the bullies want of power and control (Kurth, Spiller Travis, 2000), as such the victim will tend to have poor social and problem-solving skills (Cook et al., 2010), typically in lower superiority relati ve to the instigator. The bullying itself can be both blatant deliberate or subconscious acts, typically in a way that the victim in unable to defend against (CIPD, 2005), removing any sense of control. In order to do this without the risks (e.g. criminal charges or a morality issue), abuse in a workplace is largely indirect (or social aggression) (Daniel, 2006) and within the rules of the organisation. This typically will involve spreading rumours, being highly critical of their work and character, overload of work responsibilities or verbal and physical harassment. The role of power in the bully-victim relationship is best represented in what Fuller (2003) termed as â€Å"Rankism† whereby the bully exploits the disparity of their particular rank in a hierarchy; through the â€Å"superiority† within a company they reduce the risk of the victim reporting to a higher rank, leaving the victim feeling powerless and without options. This ability to abuse subordinates with impunity could explain its prevalence in supervisory roles, as reported by Namie Namie (2000). Effects The abuse can have an immediate detrimental effect of offence and humiliation, but when repeated over a period of time this can lead to severe psychological distress (Einarsen, 2003; Daniel 2006; Vartia, 2001) including stress, damaged self-esteem and confidence, overarousal, anxiety issues, depression, and- in some cases even suicide, all of which can carry over from the work environment to the victims social life in general-. The range of symptoms varies vastly depending on the severity of the attacks, the frequency and the duration it extends over unresolved. Stress is the biggest cause of sickness in the UK and workplace bullying contributes up to 50% of the total figures (Daniel, 2006). Einarsen (2003) found that mental health was beyond the threshold level where people would need to seek psychiatric consultation. Victims can develop somatic symptoms such as sleeping disorders or lowered resistance, leading to physical illnesses and a range of disorders (Sansone Sansone, 2008). The research from the CIPD (the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) suggests that initially the victim will be unaware of the bullying and will interpret it as a professional standard, as such they will consider it a failing on their part, over time as the initial assaults are reinforced the victim can become exhausted, incapable of defending themselves and demoralised, their initial means of coping have been ineffective and it becomes a problem-solving issue. If the victim perceives the situation as their fault they can develop anxiety in performing their jobs; Turney (2003) cites a case where a lawyer was criticised so consistently that he lost confidence in performing simple tasks like writing letters. These findings however still have to account for the fact that some of the traits of bullying victims might themselves be pre-morbid, this is a major problem with large surveys: the level of vulnerability and sensitivity before and after cannot be made distinct; Coyne et al. (2000) raises the question as to what traits associated to the effects of bullying are in fact pre-existing traits that are targeted by the bully. Einarsen (2003) gives the example of re-experiencing the event(s) as something that could be directly linked to a symptom of bullying, but a quality like a negative attitude has been found to be part of the profile of a â€Å"typical† victim (Cook et al., 2010). If there is such a thing as a predisposed victim, their inclusion could distort the outcome of the research in determining the true effects of bullying. Mechanism In a culture where people identify themselves by their jobs, when their inferiority in this is brought into question, it naturally carries over to their identity, leading to low self-esteem; in some cases resulting in abandoning the idea of finding employment again (CIPD, 2005). Surveys have shown that some common coping reactions are regression to substance abuse, eating disorders, social isolation and internalisation tactics (Sansone Sansone, 2008; CIPD, 2005; Daniel, 2006); Einsarsen sees it as their perception of their environment becoming that of hostility where simple tasks can become acts of self-recrimination. Daniel (2006) reports that roughly 25% of the victims leave their jobs as a result of the bullying without even reporting the incident. There exists no model that can fully explain the complex mechanism by which bullying induces the varied symptoms. Mark Smith (2008) reviewed the twelve most significant models of how work related stress could produce its symptoms: none of them can be deemed satisfactory in reproducing the true statistics- considering the range of symptoms, the variation in the sector, variation of profiles, and the diverse nature of the human psyche, this is not unexpected. Conclusion The current level of understanding of bullying and its effects of the victim is in a state of arrested development- it is possible to predict how being bullied will create a stressful state of mind, but the variation in possible characters and their ability to cope with abuse makes the mechanism of symptom production hugely complex. It is possible to predict a victim based on a profile as Coyne et al. (2000) suggests, but the relationship between duration, severity, frequency of the abuse and the development of psychological responses means the impact on the health of the victim is highly unpredictable. Word count: 1065 References CIPD, (2005). Bullying at work: beyond policies to a culture of respect. Retrieved 17/12/2012 from [http://www.cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D9105C52-7FED-42EA-A557-D1785DF6D34F/0/bullyatwork0405.pdf] Cook, C.R., Williams, K.R., Guerra, N.G., Kim, T.E. Sadek, S. (2010). Predictors of bullying and victimization in childhood and adolescence: a meta-analytic investigation. School Psychology Quarterly, 25(2), pp. 65-83. American Psychological Association. Coyne, I., Seigne, E. Randall, P. (2000) Predicting workplace victim status from personality. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 9(3), pp. 335-349. Taylor Francis Daniel, T.A. (2006). Bullies in the workplace: A focus on the â€Å"abusive disrespect† of employees. SHRM Whitepapers. Retrieved 16/12/2012 from [http://moss07.shrm.org/Research/Articles/Articles/Pages/CMS_018341.aspx.] Einarsen, S. (2003). Individual effects of exposure to bullying at work. Bullying and Emotional Abuse in the Workplace: International Perspectives in Research and Practice. London: Taylor Francis. Fuller, Robert W. (2003). Somebodies and Nobodies: Overcoming the Abuse of Rank. Gabriola Island, Canada: New Society Publishers. Hoel, H., Cooper, C.L., (2000). Destruction conflict and bullying at work. UMIST Survey. Retrieved 16/12/2012 from [http://www.socialpartnershipforum.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/UMIST%20report.pdf ] Kurth, S. B., Spiller, B.B., Travis, C. B. (2000). Consent, power and sexual scripts: Deconstructing sexual harassment. In C. B. Travis J. W. White (Eds.), Sexuality, society and feminism, pp. 323-354. Washington, D.C. American Psychological Association. Mark,G.M. Smith,A.P. 2008. Stress models: A review and suggested new direction. Vol. 3.Nottingham University Press. .Namie, G., Namie, R. (2000). The bully at work: What you can do to stop the hurt and reclaim your dignity on the job. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc. Rick, J., Perryman, S., Young, K., Guppy A. Hillage, J. (1998). Workplace trauma and its management: a review of the literature. IES Report. Retrieved 17/12/2012 from [http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/crr_pdf/1998/crr98170.pdf] Sansone, R.A. Sansone, L.A. (2008) Bully Victims: Psychological and Somatic Aftermaths. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 5(6), pp. 62–64. Turney, L. (2003) Mental health and workplace bullying: The role of power, professions and on the job training. Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health, 2(2), [http://www.auseinet.com/journal/vol2iss2/turney.pdf] UNISON, (2003). Bullying at work. Retrieved 16/12/2012 from [http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/13375.pdf] Vartia, M. (2001) Consequences of workplace bullying with respect to the well-being of its target and the observers of bullying. Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment and Health, 27(1), pp. 203-214. How to cite Current research into the health-related impact of bullying at work., Essays

Tale Of Genji Overveiw Essay Research Paper free essay sample

Narrative Of Genji Overveiw Essay, Research Paper 1. The work forces expected the # 8220 ; hidden flower # 8221 ; to be from the upper category, nevertheless, in-between category was acceptable. Bing in the lower category was wholly unacceptable. The adult female must hold unflawed beauty, intelligence, fidelity ( even though this was hypocritical ) , and entry. Submissiveness is a namby-pamby feature because Genji was most attracted to those that rejected him and did non accept his progresss as Murasaki and Aoi did. Genji wanted to model the perfect adult female or # 8220 ; hidden flower # 8221 ; out of Murasaki. She was hidden off and he kidnapped her to do her into who he wanted her to be. Genji seemed to bask the pursuit and challenges involved with adult females. He seemed to travel from one adult female to the following to hike his ego regard and solidify his image as a adult male. Each adult female had admirable traits ; nevertheless, each adult female had really distinctable defects to Genji, which discredited her from being the # 8220 ; perfect # 8221 ; adult female. We will write a custom essay sample on Tale Of Genji Overveiw Essay Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For illustration, Murasaki was really immature and non submissive due to her immatureness. Aoi was really rough and provided no pursuit for him because she already belonged to him. Rokujo was seven old ages older than Genji and was really covetous. The Saffron Flower did non possess the unflawed beauty that was desired. All of these adult females were beautiful in their ain ways ; Genji was excessively unsighted to recognize it. 2. Geni was capturing on the exterior to most that knew him. However, a closer scrutiny reveals that he is selfish, uncompassionate, unfaithful and superficial. He is everything I am non looking for in a adult male. He sees what he wants and he takes it, as he did with Murasaki. He is really hypocritical. Genji expects his married woman to be faithful to him while he is invariably sharing himself with other adult females. Lady Murasaki does praise Genji ; nevertheless, her regards do non fit his actions. Lady Murasaki might hold experienced a similar experience in her ain life. She might hold been utilizing Genji as an illustration to demo how work forces are praised for making immoral Acts of the Apostless such as being unfaithful when adult females are ridiculed for such Acts of the Apostless. 3. Womans are expected to function work forces deferentially. They are like flowers # 8230 ; beautiful, delicate and they have no pick in who comes along and picks them. Womans were used for amusement and satisfaction. The book seemed to fundamentally go around around Genji # 8217 ; s relationships with adult females. 4. Apparels represented societal position throughout the novel. Even if adult females were non wholly acceptable to Genji, he would direct them apparels to convey them up to his criterions. Peoples were really self-aware of manner. Still today people are judged based on name trade names and manners of vesture. 5. Sneaking about was a cardinal subject in the novel. Shadows and screens enhanced this topic. The houses and suites were easy entered and unfastened which might hold represented the easiness with which Genji entered into personal businesss with assorted adult females. The houses were distant which made mousing around possible. Several cases occurred which represented the characters emotions and the events taking topographic point. For illustration, the storm after Aoi # 8217 ; s decease represented the bereavement and darkness in Genji # 8217 ; s life. 6. Poetry and letters were the chief signifier of communicating throughout the novel. Secrecy and coded information were really of import as good. Secrecy made the brushs more exciting and perplexing. Peoples were judged by how good they wrote poesy and the manner in which it was written. The colour of the paper was besides critical for it set the temper and communicated unwritten emotions.

Employment and Form I

Employment and Form I Employment and Form I- 9 Essay OMB No. 1615-0047; Expires 06/30/09 Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Instructions Read all instructions carefully before completing this form. Anti-Discrimination Notice. It is illegal to discriminate against any individual (other than an alien not authorized to work in the United States) in hiring, discharging, or recruiting or referring for a fee because of that individual's national origin or citizenship status. It is illegal to discriminate against work-authorized individuals. Employers CANNOT specify which document(s) they will accept from an employee. The refusal to hire an individual because the documents presented have a future expiration date may also constitute illegal discrimination. For more information, call the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices at 1-800-255-8155. What Is the Purpose of This Form? The purpose of this form is to document that each new employee (both citizen and noncitizen) hired after November 6, 1986, is authorized to work in the United States. When Should Form I-9 Be Used? All employees, citizens, and noncitizens hired after November 6, 1986, and working in the United States must complete Form I-9. Filling Out Form I-9 in Section 2 evidence of employment authorization that contains an expiration date (e.g., Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766)). Preparer/Translator Certification The Preparer/Translator Certification must be completed if Section 1 is prepared by a person other than the employee. A preparer/translator may be used only when the employee is unable to complete Section 1 on his or her own. However, the employee must still sign Section 1 personally. Section 2, Employer For the purpose of completing this form, the term "employer" means all employers including those recruiters and referrers for a fee who are agricultural associations, agricultural employers, or farm labor contractors. Employers must complete Section 2 by examining evidence of identity and employment authorization within three business days of the date employment begins. However, if an employer hires an individual for less than three business days, Section 2 must be completed at the time employment begins. Employers cannot specify which document(s) listed on the last page of Form I-9 employees present to establish identity and employment authorization. Employees may present any List A document OR a combination of a List B and a List C document. This part of the form must be completed no later than the time of hire, which is the actual beginning of employment. Providing the Social Security Number is voluntary, except for employees hired by employers participating in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (EVerify). The employer is responsible for ensuring that Section 1 is timely and properly completed. If an employee is unable to present a required document (or documents), the employee must present an acceptable receipt in lieu of a document listed on the last page of this form. Receipts showing that a person has applied for an initial grant of employment authorization, or for renewal of employment authorization, are not acceptable. Employees must present receipts within three business days of the date employment begins and must present valid replacement documents within 90 days or other specified time. Noncitizen Nationals of the United States Employers must record in Section 2: Section 1, Employee Noncitizen nationals of the United States are persons born in American Samoa, certain former citizens of the former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and certain children of noncitizen nationals born abroad. Employers should note the work authorization expiration date (if any) shown in Section 1. For employees who indicate an employment authorization

How To Say Again in Spanish

How To Say Again in Spanish Although Spanish has no single word that means again, it has at least three common ways of expressing the concept. They are usually interchangeable. Key Takeaways: 'Again' in Spanish The most common way of expressing the concept of again in Spanish is by using the verb volver followed by a and an infinitive.The adverbial phrases otra vez and de nuevo also are frequently used to mean again.The phrase una y otra vez can be used to strongly emphasize the concept of again. Volver a + Infinitive Volver typically means to turn or to return, but when followed by the preposition a and an infinitive it is perhaps the most common way of saying again. If you think of volver a as meaning to return to, you can see how it can be used in all tenses and moods. Nunca volverà © a trabajar en esta ciudad. (I will never again work in this city.)Es probable que no vuelva a escribir. (She probably isnt writing again.)El jefe vuelve a vender acciones de Microsoft. (The boss is again selling shares in Microsoft.)Es importante que volvamos a tener un cierto respeto por el acto de comer. (It is important that we again have a certain respect for the act of eating.)Costanzo volvià ³ a defenderse. (Costanzo again defended himself.)No quiero que vuelvas a llorar. (I dont want you to cry again.)Quiero volver a viajar con mi madre a Buenos Aires. (I want to travel again with my mother to Buenos Aires.) Otra Vez Literally, otra vez means another time. Note that una should not precede this phrase. Its use is especially common in partial sentences, i.e., ones with no verb. In complete sentences, otra vez, like most adverbs, is usually placed next to (either directly before or after) or after the verb it modifies. The same is true for other again phrase show below. Siento que otra vez va a pasar lo mismo. (I feel the same thing is going to happen again.)Mucha tarea otra vez. (Much homework again.)Est otra vez de moda. (Its in style again.)Parece que olvidaron otra vez explicarme el problema. (It seems that they again forgot to explain the problem to me.)El mecanismo empezà ³ otra vez a responder. (The mechanism began to respond again.) De Nuevo Like otra vez, de nuevo can be used in partial sentences without a verb. Unlike the English equivalent of anew, its closest equivalent, de nuevo has colloquial as well as formal usage. Brasil, de nuevo campeà ³n mundial. (Brazil, again the world champion.)Voy a escribir de nuevo a usted tambià ©n. (Im going to write to you again.)Hace unos meses me hablà ³ de nuevo. (A few months ago she spoke to me again.)Empezarà © de nuevo sin mirar atrs. (I will begin again without looking back.)Tan pronto la tenemos, contactaremos de nuevo contigo. (As soon as we have it, we will contact you again.) Miscellaneous Translations of 'Again' A common equivalent of again and again is una y otra vez. El nuevo presidente se contradice una y otra vez. (The president contradicts himself again and again.)Es importante escuchar una y otra vez. (It is important to listen again and again.) ¿Hay pelà ­culas que podrà ­as ver una y otra vez sin cansarte? (Are there movies you could see again and again without getting tired of them?) There are a few idioms where again doesnt mean another time. Among them are its uses in the phrase now and again, which can be translated as de vez en cuando, and the phrase then again, which can be translated as por otra parte. Los delfines nos visitan de vez en cuando. (Dolphins visit us now and again. You could also translate this sentence to English using phrases such as occasionally and from time to time.)Si no te equivocas de vez en cuando, es que no lo intentas. (If you dont make a mistake now and again, its because you arent trying.)Por otra parte, no vamos a confiar en este software. (Then again, we arent going to trust this software. You also could translate this sentence using phrases such as on the other hand or furthermore, depending on the context.)Por otra parte, no queremos acusar a ellos de ser locos. (Then again, we dont want to accuse them of being crazy.)

Comparison of Scripting Languages Research Paper

Comparison of Scripting Languages - Research Paper Example They are categorized into scientific concerned and general purpose scripting languages. Examples of scientific based one are Matlab and Octave while those of general purpose are python and Perl. However, we are going to compare and contrast Matlab, Python, and Octave scripting languages by analyzing. According to Chapman, Matlab is a computer program enhanced to perform scientific and engineering calculations (2008). It started as a program to calculate matrix mathematics but with time, it improved to a malleable calculating program capable of resolvingbasically any technical difficult. Python is a dynamically, securely, and powerfully typed language. Python offers the clean and easy word order of the prevalent scientific calculating environments, grounded on your preferredhigh-performance FORTRAN, C, and C++ codes (Langtangen, 2008). While Octave is software, same as Matlab that has a well-matched scripting interface. However, Octave image processing purposes are not as broad as tho se provided by Matlab. Python, Matlab, and Octave scripting languages have many things in common. They have no affirmation of variables, and simple and suitable word order that make them easy to use ad to learn. In addition, they easily go together with GUIs, simulation, and visualization. However, Matlab and Octave are more independent languages, while Python requires coupling with several other packages in order to make an environment of reasonable functionality. Federico argues that, dynamic typing is easily found in scripting languages such as Python, while in Matlab and Octave both dynamic and static typing is found (2010). In addition, Python is much stronger programming language compared to Matlab and Octave making it the most convenient to use in computing scientific calculations. However, this python feature makes it to be preferred to by scientists can perform weighty operations compared to Matlab and Octave. The time needed to load and change input files folder of the Mat lab, Octave, and Python differ considerably. Python is the fastest followed by Matlab and Octave respectively. These show that Python can load fastest compared to the other two, however, it is the best in loading. In terms of the power structure examination, Python has the best performance compared to Matlab and Octave. This makes it efficient in the calculation and extremely fast compared to Matlab, though, Octave is the slowest of all. These clearly illustrate that Python programming language is stronger compared to Matlab and Octave. The Python, Matlab, and Octave environments differ considerably. The Python environment is incredibly open and is made in such a way that external tool can be integrated with it. For example, calling a program like FORTRAN from the Python is extremely easier, and the Python borders can take benefit of object- concerned scheme and easy gluing to GUIs, and visualization. However, calculating with FORTRAN from these boarders can be done in either short scripts or interacting full over a Python shell. Therefore, Python interfaces can be used to existing libraries like a way of making your own custom-made environment for resolving predicaments. Conversely, Matlab and Octave environments are not open, therefore, they cannot be easily be integrated with external tools. The characteristic of the toolbox of the Python, Matlab, and Octave also differ according to how can be contained. In Matlab and Octave, the toolbox is mostly characterized by a

Responses to DQ1Selling ReceivableDW and DQ2 Use of Depreciation CH Essay

Responses to DQ1Selling ReceivableDW and DQ2 Use of Depreciation CH - Essay Example The mechanism of factoring is a good way for companies to improve their liquidity and cash position. DQ2 Your premise that depreciation is a technique that is used to devalue an asset instead of being a method for asset valuation is completely correct. When I first read the message of the president of Keene Company I thought, â€Å"Where did this guy go to business school†. The premise the person stated is illogical. The person is mixing accounting concepts. Depreciation only has one purpose which is to devalue an asset through the passage of time. As you stated in your response book value and market values are different. There are different methods of depreciation that can be used by an accountant. Four depreciation methods are declining balance, sum of year digits, straight line, and the modified accelerated cost recovery system (MACRS) (Fixedassetssoftware, 2011). The MACRS method is an accelerated depreciation method that is used of assets that lose value fast such as comp uters. References Besley, S., Brigham, E. (2000). Essentials of Managerial Finance (12th ed.). Fort Worth: The Dryden Press. Fixedassetssoftware.com (2011). Depreciation Methods. Paragon Systems.

Back Pain Causes And Effects Biology Essay

Back Pain Causes And Effects Biology Essay According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke (NINDS) back pain is considered one of the most common disabling conditions, being the second most common neurological disorder after headache in the USA and affecting almost 60% of the general population. The essay discusses in details and aided by the latest studies, the various causes of this disease including obesity, occupational hazards, pregnancy, sports and the natural aging process. Also, utilizing the best diagnostic approaches to reach to the proper cause of the back pain and therefore the appropriate modality of treatment. Finally and to sum the issue, I would like to emphasize on the best line of treatment in back pain which is the prevention, elimination of the potential causes, risk factors and the need of more research and for better management of back pain. Back Pain: Causes and Effects Back pain is considered to be the second most common neurological disorder after headache in the United States of America (USA) according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke (NINDS) in USA (2003). Nearly everybody had experienced the episode of back pain in different severity, timing, age and with variety of associated causes. Prevalence estimates suggests that 70-85 % of adults will experience low back pain during a given year and 30% will seek treatment for this problem. The health institutions are paying a large number of money treating back pain all over the world because of the high incidence of the complains and the various degree of disabilities caused by acute and chronic back pain (Andersson, 1999). To fully understand back pain, a glance of the back anatomy will be of great help. The back is a complex structure consisting of 24 small bones (vertebrae) that support the weight of your upper body and form a protective canal for the spinal cord which carries nerve signals from the brain to the rest of the body. Between each consecutive vertebra are found the shock-absorbing discs (intervertebral discs) that cushion the bones and allow the spines to bend, held all together by Ligaments, Tendons and Muscles. The lower part of the back is known as the lumbar region, which is made up of five vertebrae, known as L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5. The lumbar supports the entire weight of the upper body (plus any extra weight that you are carrying), and it is under constant pressure, particularly when bending, twisting and lifting (Smeltzer, S Bare, B, 2000). Though the presence of huge number of literatures and researches has been conducted to discuss the causes and effects of back pain, there has still been a matter of controversy among medical researchers. However, the causes of back pain were categorized according to the effects with the associated signs and symptoms the victims describe, as well as the physical fitness of the targets. In fact, most back problems are probably the result of a combination of factors. Some factors, such as family history, arent preventable. You can control other factors, such as weight, fitness and flexibility, by changing your lifestyle. This essay will discuss the main causes and effects of back pain, but it will also put on the light on the associated signs and symptoms, as well as the most common treatments used. Obesity is one of the leading causes of back pain. According to the American Obesity Association (AOA), 64.5% of adult Americans (about 127 million) are categorized as being overweight or obese. The unfortunate truth is that obesity is becoming an epidemic affecting adults and children (Silveri). Extra abdominal fat and weight on the pelvis pulls the body forward and puts strain on the lower back muscles. Over time, obesity causes the spine to carry the bodys weight and distribute the loads encountered during rest and activity. When excess weight is carried, the spine is forced to take in the burden, which may lead to structural injuries. Hence, this burden on the spine may lead to poor flexibility and weak muscles in the back, pelvis, and thighs, as well as pain over other regions of the spine for example, the neck. Being overweight poses a lot of health risks associated with back pain. It puts added stress on muscles and joints pain and causes degenerative disc disease, spinal sten osis, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hernia, ruptured disc, heavy burden on the spine and unhealthy posture. Many occupations à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬such as nursing, construction and industrial work à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ may place significant demands on the back. Even routine office work can worsen back pain. The associated factors that may contribute with work load related back pain may be caused by three elements. The first element is the strain and exerting too much force on the back may cause injury. If the job is physical in nature, a person might face injury with frequent lifting or moving of heavy objects. The second element is the posture and position of the employee when sitting, standing or performing a task at work. Sitting for prolonged hours in front of a computer, for example, usually causes occasional pains from sitting still. The third and last element is stress. Pressures at work will increase stress level and lead to muscle tension and tightness, which eventually leads to back pain. The third main cause of back pain is pregnancy. Back pain, unfortunately, is an expected symptom during pregnancy in most of women. In most cases, back pain in pregnancy will cause disturbance of daily living activities, as well as resting time and sleep disturbance. (Palmer, 2001) stated that there are a number of physical reasons for back pain in pregnancy, some of which include: increase of hormones à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ hormones released during pregnancy allow ligaments in the pelvic area to soften and the joints to become looser in preparation for the birthing process of your baby; this shift in joints and loosening of ligaments may affect the support your back normally experiences. The center of gravity associated with pregnancy will gradually move forward as the uterus and baby grow, which causes the posture of pregnant women to change. Furthermore, additional weight during pregnancy and baby will create additional weight that back must support. Poor posture, excessive standing, and bending over can trigger or escalate the pain. Lastly, stress usually finds the weak spot in the body, and because of the changes in the pelvic area, pregnant women may experience an increase in back pain during stressful periods of pregnancy. Back pain can be a natural part of getting older (Hainline, 2007). Getting older always has degenerative effects on the body. Aging causes minor as well as major backaches. Some pain can be tolerable to some extent, where it causes disabilities in other conditions. Thus, getting older cannot be prevented, but being prepared on the consequences of aging is the key in controlling the age-related back pain. Osteoporosis creates weak and porous bones. Vertebral fractures are a common result of osteoporosis in elderly patients. On the other hand, osteoarthritis can create pain in many areas of the body including the spine. Degenerative disc disease is a normal part of aging. It is often asymptomatic but can create pain in some patients. Spinal Stenosis is common in elderly people. Stenosis may or may not cause pain. Spinal stenosis can also cause neurological impairment. CompressedHYPERLINK http://www.cure-back-pain.org/pinched-nerve.html nerves can be caused by spinal stenosis, spondylol isthesis, bone spurs, or spinal curvature. Adult scoliosis is often a result of aging and osteoporosis. Cauda Equina Syndrome the compression of a bundle of nerve roots that serve the lower back, legs and vital pelvic structures e.g. bowel and bladder, can cause weakness in the legs, numbness in the saddle or groin area, and loss of bowel or bladder control. This syndrome should be recognized due to its devastating neurological impact if not identified and treated promptly. All those factors can be a natural part of getting older. The last main cause is the sport related back pain. Up to 20% of all injuries that occur in sports involve the lower back or neck. Sports that use repetitive impact e.g., running, or weight loading at the end of a range-of-motion e.g., weightlifting are commonly cause damage to the lumbar spine or lower back. Sports that involve contact like football, place the spine at risk of injury, (Hyde, 2000). Thus, Injuries to the lower back can be the result of improper conditioning and warm-up, repetitive loading patterns, excessive sudden loads and twisting activities. With all those causes and effects, the end result pain comes with the classical signs and symptoms. The pain might be intermittent, sudden, gradual, or sometimes without reason. Pain is classified accordingly to severe pain that last for more than a few days without improvement and may require medical attention. Severe pain comes with difficulty passing urine; numbness in the back or genital area; numbness, pins, or weakness and pain in the legs; or unsteadiness when standing. Another type of pain is the localized pain which is often described as aching, tight, stiff, sore, burning, throbbing, or pulling. Localized pain may worsen while bending, sitting, walking, or standing too long in one position. Other signs and symptoms of pain may accompanied with a compressed nerves that cause numbness and weakness in the muscle associated with the nerve. The muscle may atrophy if the compression is not relieved. Diagnostic tests arent usually necessary to confirm the cause of back pain. However, after a thorough physical exam including the range of movements, ability to carry on simple daily tasks and testing reflexes with a reflex hammer, it is the decision of the doctor to either treat conservatively or the need of further investigation to rule out more serious causes of back pain in the form of X-Rays, MRI, Bone scan and Nerve studies.. The NINDS and other institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conduct pain research in laboratories at the NIH. Currently, researchers are examining the use of different drugs to effectively treat back pain, in particular, chronic pain that has lasted at least 6 months. Other studies are comparing different health care approaches to the management of acute low back pain (Standard medical care versus chiropractic, acupuncture, and acupressure or massage therapy). These studies are measuring symptom relief, restoration of function, and patient satisfaction. Another research is comparing standard surgical treatments to the most commonly used standard nonsurgical treatments to measure changes in health-related quality of life among patients suffering from spinal back pain. In the treatment of back pain, people may decide to choose the alternative treatments than to see a doctor. In many cases, doctors may advise their client to seek for those alternative resources. Acupuncture or acupressure is a type of therapy developed in China. Practitioners believe that people have an energy force. When this force is blocked, person can develop physical illness, such as back pain. Other therapy is using the herbal remedies which may be having side effects that could interfere with a prescribed medicine. Other alternative option of medicine is massage. A massage can help release muscle tension and relieve muscle inflammation and pain. Medical treatment will be focusing on the relive of the pain and treat the possible inflammation, as well as reducing the side effects of this pain. Acetaminophen is a type of medication that has proven to be a good pain reliever. Over-the-counter NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) will help reduce swelling (or inflammatio n) while relieving the pain; thats how NSAIDs differ from acetaminophen other prescription medications like muscle relaxants if the cause of pain was muscle spasm and opioids in the extreme cases, and only under careful supervision. Lastly the treatment may be by eliminating the causes of the pain, like loosing of extra weight, exercising, physiotherapy and surgery for severe cases. In conclusion, back pain is still considered to be a rich topic for study. Americans spend at least 50 billion dollars each year on low back pain, the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work (NINDS). Luckily, most types back pain relived within a few days, where other conditions needs more time to cure and may lead to more serious conditions. Most of back pain causes cannot be completely prevented, but thought they can be modified in order to decrease the severity of the effects. Obesity can be modified with regular exercise and consumption of healthy food. Work related back pain as well as sport injuries can be prevented by accurate posturing and stretching of spine and muscles. Good back-strengthening exercises may include walking, swimming, bike riding and yoga could be beneficial to overcome aging back pain, where carful lifting, housekeeping and relaxing exercises will help pregnant women in controlling the incidence of lower back pai n. Signs and symptoms of back pain differ from person to another according to the severity of the injury to the spin and in the most of the cases, seeking for medical advice is important. The type of treatment to choose may be optional for people suffering of pain. Many people may seek to alternative therapy like Acupuncture, herbal medication and massage. On the other hand, many patients will seek for medical treatment for the severe pain by using prescribed pain killers and regular physiotherapy, exercise and weight reduction. Unfortunately, most of the literatures stated that attempts to prevent the occurrence of back pain have been unsuccessful. Proper health education can increase the health awareness of population regarding back pain and its prevention tips might be the key to solve this problem.   

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 1 PARTY

I WAS NINETY-NINE POINT NINE PERCENT SURE I WAS dreaming. The reasons I was so certain were that, first, I was standing in a bright shaft of sunlightthe kind of blinding clear sun that never shone on my drizzly new hometown in Forks, Washingtonand second, I was looking at my Grandma Marie. Gran had been dead for six years now, so that was solid evidence toward the dream theory. Gran hadn't changed much; her face looked just the same as I remembered it. The skin was soft and withered, bent into a thousand tiny creases that clung gently to the bone underneath. Like a dried apricot, but with a puff of thick white hair standing out in a cloud around it. Our mouthshers a wizened pickerspread into the same surprised half-smile at just the same time. Apparently, she hadn't been expecting to see me, either. I was about to ask her a question; I had so manyWhat was she doing here in my cream? What had she been up to in the past six years? Was Pop okay, and had they found each other, wherever they werebut she opened her mouth when I did, so I stopped to let her go first. She paused, too, and then we Goth smiled at the little awkwardness. â€Å"Bella!† It wasn't Gran who called my name, and we both turned to see the addition to our small reunion. I didn't have to look to know who it was; this was a voice I would know anywhereknow, and respond to, whether I was awake or asleep or even dead, I'd bet. The voice I'd walk through fire foror, less dramatically, slosh every day through the cold and endless rain for. Edward. Even though I was always thrilled to see himconscious or otherwiseand even though I was almost positive that I was dreaming, I panicked as Edward walked toward us through the glaring sunlight. I panicked because Gran didn't know that I was in love with a vampirenobody knew thatso how was I supposed to explain the fact that the brilliant sunbeams were shattering off his skin into a thousand rainbow shards like he was made of crystal or diamond? Well, Gran, yon might have noticed that my boyfriend glitters. It's just something he does in the sun. Don't worry about it What was he doing? The whole reason he lived in Forks, the rainiest place in the world, was so that he could be outside in the daytime without exposing his family's secret. Yet here he was, strolling gracefully toward mewith the most beautiful smile on his angel's faceas if I were the only one here. In that second, I wished that I was not the one exception to his mysterious talent; I usually felt grateful that I was the only person whose thoughts he couldn't hear just as clearly as if they were spoken aloud. But now I wished he could hear me, too, so that he could hear the warning I was screaming in my head. I shot a panicked glance back at Gran, and saw that it was too late. She was just turning to stare back at me, her eyes as alarmed as mine. Edwardstill smiling so beautifully that my heart felt like it was going to swell up and burst through my chestput his arm around my shoulder and turned to face my grandmother. Gran's expression surprised me. Instead of looking horrified, she was staring at me sheepishly, as if waiting for a scolding. And she was standing in such a strange positionone arm held awkwardly away from her body, stretched out and then curled around the air. Like she had her arm around someone I couldn't see, someone invisible Only then, as I looked at the bigger picture, did I notice the huge gilt frame that enclosed my grandmother's form. Uncomprehending, I raised the hand that wasn't wrapped around Edward's waist and reached out to touch her. She mimicked the movement exactly, mirrored it. But where our fingers should have met, there was nothing but cold glass With a dizzying jolt, my dream abruptly became a nightmare. There was no Gran. That was me. Me in a mirror. Meancient, creased, and withered. Edward stood beside me, casting no reflection, excruciatingly lovely and forever seventeen. He pressed his icy, perfect lips against my wasted cheek. â€Å"Happy birthday,† he whispered. I woke with a startmy eyelids popping open wideand gasped. Dull gray light, the familiar light of an overcast morning, took the place of the blinding sun in my dream. Just a dream, I told myself. It was only a dream. I took a deep breath, and then jumped again when my alarm went off. The little calendar in the corner of the clock's display informed me that today was September thirteenth. Only a dream, but prophetic enough in one way, at least. Today was my birthday. I was officially eighteen years old. I'd been dreading this day for months. All through the perfect summerthe happiest summer I had ever had, the happiest summer anyone anywhere had ever had, and the rainiest summer in the history of the Olympic Peninsulathis bleak date had lurked in ambush, waiting to spring. And now that it had hit, it was even worse than I'd feared it would be. I could feel itI was older. Every day I got older, but this was different, worse, quantifiable. I was eighteen. And Edward never would be. When I went to brush my teeth, I was almost surprised that the face in the mirror hadn't changed. I stared at myself, looking for some sign of impending wrinkles in my ivory skin. The only creases were the ones on my forehead, though, and I knew that if I could manage to relax, they would disappear. I couldn't. My eyebrows stayed lodged in a worried line over my anxious brown eyes. It was just a dream, I reminded myself again. Just a dream but also my worst nightmare. I skipped breakfast, in a hurry to get out of the house as quickly as possible. I wasn't entirely able to avoid my dad, and so I had to spend a few minutes acting cheerful. I honestly tried to be excited about the gifts I'd asked him not to get me, but every time I had to smile, it felt like I might start crying. I struggled to get a grip on myself as I drove to school. The vision of GranI would not think of it as mewas hard to get out of my head. I couldn't feel anything but despair until I pulled into the familiar parking lot behind Forks High School and spotted Edward leaning motionlessly against his polished silver Volvo, like a marble tribute to some forgotten pagan god of beauty. The dream had not done him justice. And he was waiting there for me, just the same as every other day. Despair momentarily vanished; wonder took its place. Even after half a year with him, I still couldn't believe that I deserved this degree of good fortune. His sister Alice was standing by his side, waiting for me, too. Of course Edward and Alice weren't really related (in Forks the story was that all the Cullen siblings were adopted by Dr. Carlisle Culler and his wife, Esme, both plainly too young to have teenage children), but their skin was precisely the same pale shade, their eyes had the same strange golden tint, with the same deep, bruise-like shadows beneath them. Her face, like his, was also startlingly beautiful. To someone in the knowsomeone like methese similarities marked them for what they were. The sight of Alice waiting thereher tawny eyes brilliant with excitement, and a small silver-wrapped square in her handsmade me frown. I'd told Alice I didn't want anything, anything, not gifts or even attention, for my birthday. Obviously, my wishes were being ignored. I slammed the door of my '53 Chevy trucka shower of rust specks fluttered down to the wet blacktopand walked slowly toward where they waited. Alice skipped forward to meet me, her pixie face glowing under her spiky black hair. â€Å"Happy birthday, Bella!† â€Å"Shh!† I hissed, glancing around the lot to make sure no one had heard her. The last thing I wanted was some kind of celebration of the black event. She ignored me. â€Å"Do you want to open your present now or later?† she asked eagerly as we made our way to where Edward still waited. â€Å"No presents,† I protested in a mumble. She finally seemed to process my mood. â€Å"Okay later, then. Did you like the scrapbook your mom sent you? And the camera from Charlie?† I sighed. Of course she would know what my birthday presents were. Edward wasn't the only member of his family with unusual skills. Alice would have â€Å"seen† what my parents were planning as soon as they'd decided that themselves. â€Å"Yeah. They're great.† â€Å"I think it's a nice idea. You're only a senior once. Might as well document the experience.† â€Å"How many times have you been a senior?† â€Å"That's different.† We reached Edward then, and he held out his hand for mine. I took it eagerly, forgetting, for a moment, my glum mood. His skin was, as always, smooth, hard, and very cold. He gave my fingers a gentle squeeze. I looked into his liquid topa2 eyes, and my heart gave a not-quite-so-gentle squeeze of its own. Hearing the stutter in my heartbeats, he smiled again. He lifted his free hand and traced one cool fingertip around the outside of my lips as he spoke. â€Å"So, as discussed, I am not allowed to wish you a happy birthday, is that correct?† â€Å"Yes. That is correct.† I could never quite mimic the flow of his perfect, formal articulation. It was something that could only be picked up in an earlier century. â€Å"Just checking.† He ran his hand through his tousled bronze hair. â€Å"You might have changed your mind. Most people seem to enjoy things like birthdays and gifts.† Alice laughed, and the sound was all silver, a wind chime. â€Å"Of course you'll enjoy it. Everyone is supposed to be nice to you today and give you your way, Bella. What's the worst that could happen?† She meant it as a rhetorical question. â€Å"Getting older,† I answered anyway, and my voice was not as steady as I wanted it to be. Beside me, Edward's smile tightened into a hard line. â€Å"Eighteen isn't very old,† Alice said. â€Å"Don't women usually wait till they're twenty-nine to get upset over birthdays?† â€Å"It's older than Edward,† I mumbled. He sighed. â€Å"Technically,† she said, keeping her tone light. â€Å"Just by one little year, though.† And I supposed if I could be sure of the future I wanted, sure that I would get to spend forever with Edward, and Alice and the rest of the Cullens (preferably not as a wrinkled little old lady) then a year or two one direction or the other wouldn't matter to me so much. But Edward was dead set against any future that changed me. Any future that made me like himthat made me immortal, too. An impasse, he called it. I couldn't really see Edward's point, to be honest. What was so great about mortality? Being a vampire didn't look like such a terrible thingnot the way the Cullens did it, anyway. â€Å"What time will you be at the house?† Alice continued, changing the subject. From her expression, she was up to exactly the kind of thing I'd been hoping to avoid. â€Å"I didn't know I had plans to be there.† â€Å"Oh, be fair, Bella!† she complained. â€Å"You aren't going to ruin all our fun like that, are you?† â€Å"I thought my birthday was about what I want.† â€Å"I'll get her from Charlie's right after school,† Edward told her, ignoring me altogether. â€Å"I have to work,† I protested. â€Å"You don't, actually,† Alice told me smugly. â€Å"I already spoke to Mrs. Newton about it. She's trading your shifts. She said to tell you ‘Happy Birthday.'† â€Å"II still can't come over,† I stammered, scrambling for an excuse. â€Å"I, well, I haven't watched Romeo and Juliet yet for English.† Alice snorted. â€Å"You have Romeo and Juliet memorized.† â€Å"But Mr. Berty said we needed to see it performed to fully appreciate itthat's how Shakespeare intended it to be presented.† Edward rolled his eyes. â€Å"You've already seen the movie,† Alice accused. â€Å"But not the nineteen-sixties version. Mr. Berty said it was the best.† Finally, Alice lost the smug smile and glared at me. â€Å"This can be easy, or this can be hard, Bella, but one way or the other† Edward interrupted her threat. â€Å"Relax, Alice. If Bella wants to watch a movie, then she can. It's her birthday.† â€Å"So there,† I added. â€Å"I'll bring her over around seven,† he continued. â€Å"That will give you more time to set up.† Alice's laughter chimed again. â€Å"Sounds good. See you tonight, Bella! It'll be fun, you'll see.† She grinnedthe wide smile exposed all her perfect, glistening teeththen pecked me on the cheek and danced off toward her first class before I could respond. â€Å"Edward, please† I started to beg, but he pressed one cool finger to my lips. â€Å"Let's discuss it later. We're going to be late for class.† No one bothered to stare at us as we took our usual seats in the back of the classroom (we had almost every class together nowit was amazing the favors Edward could get the female administrators to do for him). Edward and I had been together too long now to be an object of gossip anymore. Even Mike Newton didn't bother to give me the glum stare that used to make me feel a little guilty. He smiled now instead, and I was glad he seemed to have accepted that we could only be friends. Mike had changed over the summerhis face had lost some of the roundness, making his cheekbones more prominent, and he was wearing his pale blond hair a new way; instead of bristly, it was longer and gelled into a carefully casual disarray. It was easy to see where his inspiration came frombut Edward's look wasn't something that could be achieved through imitation. As the day progressed, I considered ways to get out of whatever was going down at the Cullen house tonight. It would be bad enough to have to celebrate when I was in the mood to mourn. But, worse than that, this was sure to involve attention and gifts. Attention is never a good thing, as any other accident-prone klutz would agree. No one wants a spotlight when they're likely to fall on their face. And I'd very pointedly askedwell, ordered reallythat no one give me any presents this year. It looked like Charlie and Renee weren't the only ones who had decided to overlook that. I'd never had much money, and that had never bothered me. Renee had raised me on a kindergarten teacher's salary. Charlie wasn't getting rich at his job, eitherhe was the police chief here in the tiny town of Forks. My only personal income came from the three days a week I worked at the local sporting goods store. In a town this small, I was lucky to have a job. Every penny I made went into my microscopic college fund. (College was Plan B. I was still hoping for Plan A, but Edward was just so stubborn about leaving me human) Edward had a lot of moneyI didn't even want to think about how much. Money meant next to nothing to Edward or the rest of the Cullens. It was just something that accumulated when you had unlimited time on your hands and a sister who had an uncanny ability to predict trends in the stock market. Edward didn't seem to understand why I objected to him spending money on mewhy it made me uncomfortable if he took me to an expensive restaurant in Seattle, why he wasn't allowed to buy me a car that could reach speeds over fifty-five miles an hour, or why I wouldn't let him pay my college tuition (he was ridiculously enthusiastic about Plan B). Edward thought I was being unnecessarily difficult. But how could I let him give me things when I had nothing to reciprocate with? He, for some unfathomable reason, wanted to be with me. Anything he gave me on top of that just threw us more out of balance. As the day went on, neither Edward nor Alice brought my birthday up again, and I began to relax a little. We sat at our usual table for lunch. A strange kind of truce existed at that table. The three of usEdward, Alice, and Isat on the extreme southern end of the table. Now that the â€Å"older† and somewhat scarier (in Emmett's case, certainly) Cullen siblings had graduated, Alice and Edward did not seem quite so intimidating, and we did not sit here alone. My other friends, Mike and Jessica (who were in the awkward post-breakup friendship phase), Angela and Ben (whose relationship had survived the summer), Eric, Conner, Tyler, and Lauren (though that last one didn't really count in the friend category) all sat at the same table, on the other side of an invisible line. That line dissolved on sunny days when Edward and Alice always skipped school, and then the conversation would swell out effortlessly to include me. Edward and Alice didn't find this minor ostracism odd or hurtful the way I would have. They barely noticed it. People always felt strangely ill at ease with the Cullens, almost afraid for some reason they couldn't explain to themselves. I was a rare exception to that rule. Sometimes it bothered Edward how very comfortable I was with being close to him. He thought he was hazardous to my healthan opinion I rejected vehemently whenever he voiced it. The afternoon passed quickly. School ended, and Edward walked me to my truck as he usually did. But this time, he held the passenger door open for me. Alice must have been taking his car home so that he could keep me from making a run for it. I folded my arms and made no move to get out of the rain. â€Å"It's my birthday, don't I get to drive?† â€Å"I'm pretending it's not your birthday, just as you wished.† â€Å"If it's not my birthday, then I don't have to go to your house tonight† â€Å"All right.† He shut the passenger door and walked past me to open the driver's side. â€Å"Happy birthday.† â€Å"Shh,† I shushed him halfheartedly. I climbed in the opened door, wishing he'd taken the other offer. Edward played with the radio while I drove, shaking his head in disapproval. â€Å"Your radio has horrible reception.† I frowned. I didn't like it when he picked on my truck. The truck was greatit had personality. â€Å"You want a nice stereo? Drive your own car.† I was so nervous about Alice's plans, on top of my already gloomy mood, that the words came out sharper than I'd meant them. I was hardly ever bad-tempered with Edward, and my tone made him press his lips together to keep from smiling. When I parked in front of Charlie's house, he reached over to take my face in his hands. He handled me very carefully, pressing just the tips of his fingers softly against my temples, my cheekbones, my jawline. Like I was especially breakable. Which was exactly the casecompared with him, at least. â€Å"You should be in a good mood, today of all days,† he whispered. His sweet breath fanned across my face. â€Å"And if I don't want to be in a good mood?† I asked, my breathing uneven. His golden eyes smoldered. â€Å"Too bad.† My head was already spinning by the time he leaned closer and pressed his icy lips against mine. As he intended, no doubt, I forgot all about my worries, and concentrated on remembering how to inhale and exhale. His mouth lingered on mine, cold and smooth and gentle, until I wrapped my arms around his neck and threw myself into the kiss with a little too much enthusiasm. I could feel his lips curve upward as he let go of my face and reached back to unlock my grip on him. Edward had drawn many careful lines for our physical relationship, with the intent being to keep me alive. Though I respected the need for maintaining a safe distance between my skin and his razor-sharp, venom-coated teeth, I tended to forget about trivial things like that when he was kissing me. â€Å"Be good, please,† he breathed against my cheek. He pressed his lips gently to mine one more time and then pulled away, folding my arms across my stomach. My pulse was thudding in my ears. I put one hand over my heart. It drummed hyperactively under my palm. â€Å"Do you think I'll ever get better at this?† I wondered, mostly to myself. â€Å"That my heart might someday stop trying to jump out of my chest whenever you touch me?† â€Å"I really hope not,† he said, a bit smug. I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Let's go watch the Capulets and Montagues hack each other up, all right?† â€Å"Your wish, my command.† Edward sprawled across the couch while I started the movie, fast-forwarding through the opening credits. When I perched on the edge of the sofa in front of him, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against his chest. It wasn't exactly as comfortable as a sofa cushion would be, what with his chest being hard and coldand perfectas an ice sculpture, but it was definitely preferable. He pulled the old afghan off the back of the couch and draped it over me so I wouldn't freeze beside his body. â€Å"You know, I've never had much patience with Romeo,† he commented as the movie started. â€Å"What's wrong with Romeo?† I asked, a little offended. Romeo was one of my favorite fictional characters. Until I'd met Edward, I'd sort of had a thing for him. â€Å"Well, first of all, he's in love with this Rosalinedon't you think it makes him seem a little fickle? And then, a few minutes after their wedding, he kills Juliet's cousin. That's not very brilliant. Mistake after mistake. Could he have destroyed his own happiness any more thoroughly?† I sighed. â€Å"Do you want me to watch this alone?† â€Å"No, I'll mostly be watching you, anyway.† His fingers traced patterns across the skin of my arm, raising goose bumps. â€Å"Will you cry?† â€Å"Probably,† I admitted, â€Å"if I'm paying attention.† â€Å"I won't distract you then.† But I felt his lips on my hair, and it was very distracting. The movie eventually captured my interest, thanks in large part to Edward whispering Romeo's lines in my earhis irresistible, velvet voice made the actor's voice sound weak and coarse by comparison. And I did cry, to his amusement, when Juliet woke and found her new husband dead. â€Å"I'll admit, I do sort of envy him here,† Edward said, drying the tears with a lock of my hair. â€Å"She's very pretty.† He made a disgusted sound. â€Å"I don't envy him the girljust the ease of the suicide,† he clarified in a teasing tone. â€Å"You humans have it so easy! All you have to do is throw down one tiny vial of plant extracts† â€Å"What?† I gasped. â€Å"It's something I had to think about once, and I knew from Carlisle's experience that it wouldn't be simple. I'm not even sure how many ways Carlisle tried to kill himself in the beginning after he realized what he'd become† His voice, which had grown serious, turned light again. â€Å"And he's clearly still in excellent health.† I twisted around so that I could read his face. â€Å"What are you talking about?† I demanded. â€Å"What do you mean, this something you had to think about once?† â€Å"Last spring, when you were nearly killed† He paused to take a deep breath, snuggling to return to his teasing tone. â€Å"Of course I was trying to focus on finding you alive, but part of my mind was making contingency plans. Like I said, it's not as easy for me as it is for a human.† For one second, the memory of my last trip to Phoenix washed through my head and made me feel dizzy. I could see it all so clearlythe blinding sun, the heat waves coming off the concrete as I ran with desperate haste to find the sadistic vampire who wanted to torture me to death. James, waiting in the mirrored room with my mother as his hostageor so I'd thought. I hadn't known it was all a ruse. Just as James hadn't known that Edward was racing to save me; Edward made it in time, but it had been a close one. Unthinkingly, my fingers traced the crescent-shaped scar on my hand that was always just a few degrees cooler than the rest of my skin. I shook my headas if I could shake away the bad memoriesand tried to grasp what Edward meant. My stomach plunged uncomfortably. â€Å"Contingency plans?† I repeated. â€Å"Well, I wasn't going to live without you.† He rolled his eyes as if that fact were childishly obvious. â€Å"But I wasn't sure how to do itI knew Emmett and Jasper would never help so I was thinking maybe I would go to Italy and do something to provoke the Volturi.† I didn't want to believe he was serious, but his golden eyes were brooding, focused on something far away in the distance as he contemplated ways to end his own life. Abruptly, I was furious. â€Å"What is a Volturi?† I demanded. â€Å"The Volturi are a family,† he explained, his eyes still remote. â€Å"A very old, very powerful family of our kind. They are the closest thing our world has to a royal family, I suppose. Carlisle lived with them briefly in his early years, in Italy, before he settled in Americado you remember the story?† â€Å"Of course I remember.† I would never forget the first time I'd gone to his home, the huge white mansion buried deep in the forest beside the river, or the room where CarlisleEdward's father in so many real wayskept a wall of paintings that illustrated his personal history. The most vivid, most wildly colorful canvas there, the largest, was from Carlisle's time in Italy. Of course I remembered the calm quartet of men, each with the exquisite face of a seraph, painted into the highest balcony overlooking the swirling mayhem of color. Though the painting was centuries old, Carlislethe blond angelremained unchanged. And I remembered the three others, Carlisle's early acquaintances. Edward had never used the name Volturi for the beautiful trio, two black-haired, one snow white. He'd called them Aro, Caius, and Marcus, nighttime patrons of the arts â€Å"Anyway, you don't irritate the Volturi,† Edward went on, interrupting ray reverie. â€Å"Not unless you want to dieor whatever it is we do.† His voice was so calm, it made him sound almost bored by the prospect. My anger turned to horror. I took his marble face between my hands and held it very tightly. â€Å"You must never, never, never think of anything like that again!† I said. â€Å"No matter what might ever happen to me, you are not allowed to hurt yourself!† â€Å"I'll never put you in danger again, so it's a moot point.† â€Å"Put me in danger! I thought we'd established that all the bad luck is my fault?† I was getting angrier. â€Å"How dare you even think like that?† The idea of Edward ceasing to exist, even if I were dead, was impossiblypainful. â€Å"What would you do, if the situation were reversed?† he asked. â€Å"That's not the same thing.† He didn't seem to understand the difference. He chuckled. â€Å"What if something did happen to you?† I blanched at the thought. â€Å"Would you want me to go off myself?† A trace of pain touched his perfect features. â€Å"I guess I see your point a little,† he admitted. â€Å"But what would I do without you?† â€Å"Whatever you were doing before I came along and complicated your existence.† He sighed. â€Å"You make that sound so easy.† â€Å"It should be. I'm not really that interesting.† He was about to argue, but then he let it go. â€Å"Moot point,† he reminded me. Abruptly, he pulled himself up into a more formal posture, shifting me to the side so that we were no longer touching. â€Å"Charlie?† I guessed. Edward smiled. After a moment, I heard the sound of the police cruiser pulling into the driveway. I reached out and took his hand firmly. My dad could deal with that much. Charlie came in with a pizza box in his hands. â€Å"Hey, kids.† He grinned at me. â€Å"I thought you'd like a break from cooking and washing dishes for your birthday. Hungry?† â€Å"Sure. Thanks, Dad.† Charlie didn't comment on Edward's apparent lack of appetite. He was used to Edward passing on dinner. â€Å"Do you mind if I borrow Bella for the evening?† Edward asked when Charlie and I were done. I looked at Charlie hopefully. Maybe he had some concept of birthdays as stay-at-home, family affairsthis was my first birthday with him, the first birthday since my mom, Renee, had remarried and gone to live in Florida, so I didn't know what he would expect. â€Å"That's finethe Mariners are playing the Sox tonight,† Charlie explained, and my hope disappeared. â€Å"So I won't be any kind of company Here.† He scooped up the camera he'd gotten me on Renee's suggestion (because I would need pictures to fill up my scrap-book), and threw it to me. He ought to know better than thatI'd always been coordinationally challenged. The camera glanced off the tip of my finger, and tumbled toward the floor. Edward snagged it before it could crash onto the linoleum. â€Å"Nice save,† Charlie noted. â€Å"If they're doing something fun at the Cullens' tonight, Bella, you should take some pictures. You know how your mother getsshe'll be wanting to see the pictures faster than you can take them.† â€Å"Good idea, Charlie,† Edward said, handing me the camera. I turned the camera on Edward, and snapped the first picture. â€Å"It works.† â€Å"That's good. Hey, say hi to Alice for me. She hasn't been over in a while.† Charlie's mouth pulled down at one corner. â€Å"It's been three days, Dad,† I reminded him. Charlie was crazy about Alice. He'd become attached last spring when she'd helped me through my awkward convalescence; Charlie would be fore'ter grateful to her for saving him from the horror of an almost-adult daughter who needed help showering. â€Å"I'll tell her.† â€Å"Okay. You kids have fun tonight.† It was clearly a dismissal. Charlie was already edging toward the living room and the TV. Edward smiled, triumphant, and took my hand to pull me from the kitchen. When we got to the truck, he opened the passenger door for me again, and this time I didn't argue. I still had a hard time finding the obscure turnoff to his house in the dark. Edward drove north through Forks, visibly chafing at the speed limit enforced by my prehistoric Chevy. The engine groaned even louder than usual as he pushed it over fifty. â€Å"Take it easy,† I warned him. â€Å"You know what you would love? A nice little Audi coupe. Very quiet, lots of power† â€Å"There's nothing wrong with my truck. And speaking of expensive nonessentials, if you know what's good for you, you didn't spend any money on birthday presents.† â€Å"Not a dime,† he said virtuously. â€Å"Good.† â€Å"Can you do me a favor?† â€Å"That depends on what it is.† He sighed, his lovely face serious. â€Å"Bella, the last real birthday any of us had was Emmett in 1935. Cut us a little slack, and don't be too difficult tonight. They're all very excited.† It always startled me a little when he brought up things like that. â€Å"Fine, I'll behave.† â€Å"I probably should warn you† â€Å"Please do.† â€Å"When I say they're all excited I do mean all of them.† â€Å"Everyone?† I choked. â€Å"I thought Emmett and Rosalie were in Africa.† The rest of Forks was under the impression that the older Cullens had gone off to college this year, to Dartmouth, but I knew better. â€Å"Emmett wanted to be here.† â€Å"But Rosalie?† â€Å"I know, Bella. Don't worry, she'll be on her best behavior.† I didn't answer. Like I could just not worry, that easy. Unlike Alice, Edward's other â€Å"adopted† sister, the golden blond and exquisite Rosalie, didn't like me much. Actually, the feeling was a little bit stronger than just dislike. As far as Rosalie was concerned, I was an unwelcome intruder into her family's secret life. I felt horribly guilty about the present situation, guessing that Rosalie and Emmett's prolonged absence was my fault, even as I furtively enjoyed not having to see her Emmett, Edward's playful bear of a brother, I did miss. He was in many ways just like the big brother I'd always wanted only much, much more terrifying. Edward decided to change the subject. â€Å"So, if you won't let me get you the Audi, isn't there anything that you'd like for your birthday?† The words came out in a whisper. â€Å"You know what I want.† A deep frown carved creases into his marble forehead. He obviously wished he'd stuck to the subject of Rosalie. It felt like we'd had this argument a lot today. â€Å"Not tonight, Bella. Please.† â€Å"Well, maybe Alice will give me what I want.† Edward growleda deep, menacing sound. â€Å"This isn't going to be your last birthday, Bella,† he vowed. â€Å"That's not fair!† I thought I heard his teeth clench together. We were pulling up to the house now. Bright light shined from every window on the first two floors. A long line of glowing Japanese lanterns hung from the porch eaves, reflecting a soft radiance on the huge cedars that surrounded the house. Big bowls of flowerspink roseslined the wide stairs up to the front doors. I moaned. Edward took a few deep breaths to calm himself. â€Å"This is a party,† he reminded me. â€Å"Try to be a good sport.† â€Å"Sure,† I muttered. He came around to get my door, and offered me his hand. â€Å"I have a question.† He waited warily. â€Å"If I develop this film,† I said, toying with the camera in my hands, â€Å"will you show up in the picture?† Edward started laughing. He helped me out of the car, pulled me up the stairs, and was still laughing as he opened the door for me. They were all waiting in the huge white living room; when I walked through the door, they greeted me with a loud chorus of â€Å"Happy birthday, Bella!† while I blushed and looked down. Alice, I assumed, had covered every flat surface with pink candles and dozens of crystal bowls filled with hundreds of roses. There was a table with a white cloth draped over it next to Edward's grand piano, holding a pink birthday cake, more roses, a stack of glass plates, and a small pile of silver-wrapped presents. It was a hundred times worse than I'd imagined. Edward, sensing my distress, wrapped an encouraging arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head. Edward's parents, Carlisle and Esmeimpossibly youthful and lovely as everwere the closest to the door. Esme hugged me carefully, her soft, caramel-colored hair brushing against my cheek as she kissed my forehead, and then Carlisle put his arm around my shoulders. â€Å"Sorry about this, Bella,† he stage-whispered. â€Å"We couldn't rein Alice in.† Rosalie and Emmett stood behind them. Rosalie didn't smile, but at least she didn't glare. Emmett's face was stretched into a huge grin. It had been months since I'd seen them; I'd forgotten how gloriously beautiful Rosalie wasit almost hurt to look at her. And had Emmett always been so big? â€Å"You haven't changed at all,† Emmett said with mock disappointment. â€Å"I expected a perceptible difference, but here you are, red-faced just like always.† â€Å"Thanks a lot, Emmett,† I said, blushing deeper. He laughed, â€Å"I have to step out for a second†he paused to wink conspicuously at Alice†Don't do anything funny while I'm gone.† â€Å"I'lltry.† Alice let go of Jasper's hand and skipped forward, all her teeth sparkling in the bright light. Jasper smiled, too, but kept his distance. He leaned, long and blond, against the post at the foot of the stairs. During the days we'd had to spend cooped up together in Phoenix, I'd thought he'd gotten over his aversion to me. But he'd gone back to exactly how he'd acted beforeavoiding me as much as possiblethe moment he was free from that temporary obligation to protect me. I knew it wasn't personal, just a precaution, and I tried not to be overly sensitive about it. Jasper had more trouble sticking to the Cullens' diet than the rest of them; the scent of human blood was much harder for him to resist than the othershe hadn't been trying as long. â€Å"Time to open presents,† Alice declared. She put her cool hand under my elbow and towed me to the table with the cake and the shiny packages. I put on my best martyr face. â€Å"Alice, I know I told you I didn't want anything† â€Å"But I didn't listen,† she interrupted, smug. â€Å"Open it.† She took the camera from my hands and replaced it with a big, square silver box. The box was so light that it felt empty. The tag on top said that it was from Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper. Selfconsciously, I tore the paper off and then stared at the box it concealed. It was something electrical, with lots of numbers in the name. I opened the box, hoping for further illumination. But the box was empty. â€Å"Um thanks.† Rosalie actually cracked a smile. Jasper laughed. â€Å"It's a stereo for your truck,† he explained. â€Å"Emmett's installing it right now so that you can't return it.† Alice was always one step ahead of me. â€Å"Thanks, Jasper, Rosalie,† I told them, grinning as I remembered Edward's complaints about my radio this afternoonall a setup, apparently. â€Å"Thanks, Emmett!† I called more loudly. I heard his booming laugh from my truck, and I couldn't help laughing, too. â€Å"Open mine and Edward's next,† Alice said, so excited her voice was a high-pitched trill. She held a small, flat square in her hand. I turned to give Edward a basilisk glare. â€Å"You promised.† Before he could answer, Emmett bounded through the door. â€Å"Just in time!† he crowed. He pushed in behind Jasper, who had also drifted closer than usual to get a good look. â€Å"I didn't spend a dime,† Edward assured me. He brushed a strand of hair from my face, leaving my skin tingling from his touch. I inhaled deeply and turned to Alice. â€Å"Give it to me,† I sighed. Emmett chuckled with delight. I took the little package, rolling my eyes at Edward while I stuck my finger under the edge of the paper and jerked it under the tape. â€Å"Shoot,† I muttered when the paper sliced my finger; I pulled it out to examine the damage. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut. It all happened very quickly then. â€Å"No!† Edward roared. He threw himself at me, flinging me back across the table. It fell, as I did, scattering the cake and the presents, the flowers and the plates. I landed in the mess of shattered crystal. Jasper slammed into Edward, and the sound was like the crash of boulders in a rock slide. There was another noise, a grisly snarling that seemed to be coming from deep in Jasper's chest. Jasper tried to shove past Edward, snapping his teeth just inches from Edward's face. Emmett grabbed Jasper from behind in the next second, locking him into his massive steel grip, but Jasper struggled on, his wild, empty eyes focused only on me. Beyond the shock, there was also pain. I'd tumbled down to the floor by the piano, with my arms thrown out instinctively to catch my fall, into the jagged shards of glass. Only now did I feel the searing, stinging pain that ran from my wrist to the crease inside my elbow. Dazed and disoriented, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arminto the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires.