To what extent did Thatcher achieve her aims in foreign policy?

When Margaret Thatcher first came to power in 1979 she had little interest in foreign policy but focussing mainly on economic and domestic policy. However, it was an area where she left a huge impact on. One of Thatcher’s aims was to increase the defence for Britain as she believed the USSR was a massive threat militarily. This meant improving relations with the USA. Her views on Communism helped with this as her and Ronald Reagan both shared the same ideas. She also believed NATO was vital to British and European defence and so to strengthen this relationship was important. She supported NATO’s decision to deploy US nuclear cruise and Pershing missiles in Western Europe and permitted the US to station more than 160 cruise missiles at RAF Greenham Common, even though she knew it would trigger mass protests by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Relations improved with the US when Thatcher permitted US F-111s to use Royal Air Force bases for the bombing of Libya in retaliation for their apparent bombing of a Berlin nightclub; this decision wasn’t very popular with the British citizens. Another one of Margaret Thatcher’s aims was to reassert Britain’s position as a major power. Many people will say she achieved this because of the Falklands War. In April 1982, Argentina ordered the invasion of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia which were under British control at the time. She successfully retook the islands back by setting up a War Cabinet and dispatching a naval task force against them which in June they surrendered. Even though 255 British soldiers died and the attack on an Argentinian cruiser which sunk and killed everyone on board, people were far more distracted by the victory which took place. This helped her win the 1983 elections. However, she was strongly criticised as to why she didn’t pay attention to the Falklands’ defence that led to the war, in which she could have stopped happening. This in turn would have saved the lives of the British soldiers and the people on the Argentinian cruiser. Some people may disagree that Thatcher achieved the aim to raise Britain’s status entirely because of the Grenada incident. On October 1983, the USA attacked Grenada; a member of the Commonwealth, without consulting Britain to take-over a Marxist organisation. This was an embarrassment for Thatcher because it showed her weakness to defend countries which were once members of the Commonwealth who felt they still needed to be defended. Thatcher also wanted to see the defeat of Communism, which some people argue was achieved and that her role played an important part. She was able to build a working relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev who came to power in the Soviet Union in 1985. This placed Britain in a good position to be the peace-maker between the US and the Soviet Union. They ended up meeting a couple of times which led to the agreement to scrap all intermediate-range missiles from Europe, the elimination of tactical and battlefield nuclear weapons and conventional forces. After that many countries in Eastern Europe experienced their own revolution which led to domestic changes and an end to the Soviet domination over them. This was a victory for Britain and all the other NATO countries. Although this aim was achieved, Thatcher feared that because many changes were happening across Eastern Europe, Germany would start to reunify and become strong again which would affect the European balance of power and Thatcher didn’t like this. After discussing the aims of Margaret Thatcher in Foreign Policy, I believe on the whole she achieved them. She managed to reassert Britain’s position as a superpower because of the Falklands war. It was a massive turning point for Thatcher and a defining moment in her premiership which helped her stay in power by winning the 1983 election. Even though many people died during the Falkland’s War, she was considered a highly talented and committed war leader by many people. She also helped defeat Communism by building a relationship with the Soviet leader and making discussions between the US and the Soviet Union easier. This led to nuclear disarmament which helped with Britain’s fear of Russia attacking them.

Assignment on Horlicks

ASSIGNMENT-2 SUB: Pick up a Branded product & explain the Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning of the Product HORLICKS – AN INTRODUCTION Horlicks is a name of the company and of a malted milk hot drink. It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline in the United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Pakisthan, India and Jamaica. Horlicks came to India with British army. British army gave them as a Diet Supplement in the time of World War 1 and then took this as a family drink. It became a sort of status symbol of upper class Indians and middle classes.In recent years, there has been an increase in the scope of the brand in India. Horlicks has become an umbrella brand for a wide variety of products. Now Horlicks is a leading health drink of India for all aged groups. SEGMENTATION & TARGETING Horlicks introduced a wide varieties of product to india. Horlicks meant everything to everybody. It was a health drink that every one consumed. Right from small children to very elderly people Horlicks realized this and came out with its new versions of different horlicks to different customers.Horlicks differentiated the product as follows; Horlicks Junior It is for Pre-school children. Keeping the targeted customers in mind the packaging is cute and package has a picture of a small elephant which is very exciting for small children’s Horlicks Regular It is for General use. Regular Horlicks is a health drink of people of all ages. The packaging is contemporary and has great visuals to attract children and the young adults. Horlicks Mothers It is special nutritional drink with 26 vital nutrients designed keeping the specific needs of the pregnant and breast feeding women.The packaging is very interesting. It is shaped like an hour’s glass Horlicks Lite and Lite bite A nutritional drink and snack specially designed for all health conscious adults and is also suitable for use by people with diabetes. The packaging again is interesting. The horlicks lite is thin and tall. The Horlicks proves that segmentation could very efficient way of holding on and even increasing one’s market share. What is needed is clear focus and clever innovations in adapting product and changing the needs of customers. POSITIONING & RE-POSITIONINGIt was initially introduced both a substitute & an additive to milk and it was initially positioned itself as â€Å"as food for convalescing†& a nutrient supplement for kids only. Re-Positioning From a boring nutritional drink, GSK positioned Horlicks as â€Å"Pleasurable Nourishment† by launching it in vanilla, chocolate and honey variants. It introduced other variants like-Jr. Horlicks, Women’s Horlicks, Mother Horlicks& Horlicks Lite to reposition itself from the children segment to other segment for consumption. Marketing Mix (4 p’s) for Horlicks Product:Horlicks is a widely regarded and highly respected 130-year-old brand. GSK has four brands in the health food drinks segmen t. Apart from Horlicks, which contributes Rs 600 crores in revenue to the consumer healthcare division, it has Boost, Maltova and Viva – the last three are much smaller brands than Horlicks. Faced with stagnating sales in the health food drinks segment, the company has chalked out an aggressive brand push strategy and a revamp for its flagship brand, Horlicks. The relaunch aims to focus on children as Horlicks was previously considered as a nourishment drink for old people.The company expects Horlicks contribution to the total turnover to be around Rs 800 crore which amounts to a major chunk of the company’s turnover. Horlicks is a nourishing malted food drink which combines the wholesome goodness of malted barley, wheat and dairy ingredients. A For more nourishment, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare India Ltd (GSKCH) has relaunched its flagship brand Horlicks. A to enable consumers choose different flavours, Horlicks is now available in Regular, Chocolate, Creamy Va nilla and Honey Buzz varieties in a new package.A Horlicks drinks provide the following essential nutrients: A Proteins, Carbohydrate, Fat, Vitamin A, Niacin, Vitamin B1, VitaminB12, Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, and Iron & Calcium Price: HORLICKS Flavors (Rs) ElaichiChocolateHoney BuzzVanilla Weight (gm)JarRefill PackJarRefill PackJarJar 20057-57— 500108103108103108108 1000199189—- HORLICKS JUNIOR Weight (gm)JarRefill Pack 20058- 500114105 Target market: Earlier Horlicks believed, white drinks are for the entire family in contrast to the browns, whose prime target audience is children.This is probably because whites–whose growth rate is faster than the browns–have the added advantage of being perceived as food which enhances the healthy image of those who are recovering. But gradually they realized that they have to focus on one segment of market that is children. Horlicks is now positioned as a pleasurable nourishment drink aimed at children between the age gr oup of 8 -14. Nowadays children have tremendous influence on the things purchased for the family and therefore we want children to prefer Horlicks as a pleasurable nourishment drink.While all the action will be in the general Horlicks segment, the focus of Junior Horlicks (target segment: kids between one and three) will continue to remain the same. Promotion: The company has earmarked around Rs 10 crores for brand promotion throughout 2003, and 70% of this will be spent in next six months. Sixty-five per cent of the ad-spend (around Rs 10 crores) will be for the visual medium and the balance for the print and others. Apart from the high-decibel media campaign, the company also plans to conduct an inter-school competition called Activity 2003 in which around 1. million students are expected to take part. Unlike its other drink (the Rs 170-crore Boost, promoted by Sachin Tendulkar); the new Horlicks does not have a brand ambassador. While all the action will be in the general Horlick s segment, the focus of Junior Horlicks (target segment: kids between one and three) will continue to remain the same. The brand will continue to talk to the mother since the purchase decision rests with her. Place: It has a strong marketing network in India comprising over 1800 wholesalers and direct coverage of over 4,00,000 retail outlets.Horlicks sales have been strong in the south and eastern markets which contributes about 46 per cent and 47 per cent of the total sales. Milk-deficient South and East preferred white liquid powders (Horlicks, Viva, and Complan) as the drink could be prepared with hot water. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTH †¢It is current No: 1 position in the market †¢Variety of product targeting different segments †¢Trusted brand †¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœHealth’ is the central idea for all the products of horlicks †¢All the products of Horlicks belong to different categories which will not kill the market of its own product. WEAKNESS Customer perceived v alue of Women’s Horlicks †¢Price of Women’s Horlicks †¢Packaging of Women Horlicks Opportunities †¢Making Nutribar individual brand without the endorsement of Horlicks †¢Creating functional food category with the help of Nutribar (functional foods are those Health foods like energy drinks, cereals and cereal bars which contain health promote ingredients. ) †¢The market for functional foods in India is estimated to be around Rs 1700 crores and is growing very fast. THREAT †¢Cheaper version of Horlicks that is ASHA may damage the brand. CONCLUSION As far as I am concerned

Research Methods in Human Relations Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Methods in Human Relations - Coursework Example Lastly, the third study was merely attempting to draw inference no whether or not drivers were aware of the fact that others had an impact upon the amount of time they took to leave a parking spot (Ruback & Juieng, 1997). Although these research questions are similar in many ways, it cannot be understood that they are the same by any means. In total, the general phenomena of interest can be determined to be human behavior and the way in which constraints and understandings of territory or other factors impact upon the way in which humans act towards one another. Methodological triangulation was used by seeking to discuss what was expected, justify this with theory, and then measure these outputs against experiment yields. This is both qualitative and quantitative research due to the fact that numbers are readily engaged as a means of drawing inference upon the area of interest. Though it is impossible not to have any degree of bias with regards to any experiment, it appears as if the researchers in this particular case did their very best to avoid any large degree of observer bias. This is due to the fact that no broad generalizations, racial stereotypes, or sexism was found anywhere within the study in question. In such a way, it is impossible to ever have a situation in which truly unbiased or unobtrusive observation can occur; however, this is a benchmark that all researchers should strive towards. Exercise #6 One of the key topics I continually find myself interested in is with regards to the dynamics of marriage as it is neither a natural or evolutionary process connected to life as are so many other processes and actions of human reproduction, behavior, and survival mechanisms. Likewise, with regards to this aspect of behavior and rational action, I can say that I found the discussion regarding marital satisfaction to be particularly interesting due to the fact that it is a useful research topic in helping to not only understand marriage to a more appreci able level, it also helps to integrate a better understanding of divorce ratios and statistics within our current time. With regards to operationally defining such a concept/construct, it is necessary to first realize the fact that it would be necessary to narrow the focus to something that could be manageably researched. In such a way, it would be necessary to seek to measure such an operationally defined mechanism within a relatively narrow framework so that the most inference could be gained. Likewise, in order to accomplish such a goal, a strategy that might be employed would to be to seek to decipher the level of impact that divorced parents has upon overall divorce levels in their children. In such a way, the research will seek to create something of a standardized measurement of divorce that seeks to provide a level of inference with regards to the issues at hand. Exercise #7 The first advantage of using a mailed questionnaire is quite obvious and ultimately has to do with se eking to derive a high level of diversity and blindness with regards to the respondents which will be included. Such an approach has traditionally worked quite well with regards to the general population and allowed for a degree of diversity that could not have been engaged by many other means (Adler, 2011). However, it should not be understood that a particular approach that Enos took with regards to engaging in this particular study was the most efficient and effective with regards the given population that

Formal Letter to the legislative representative Essay

Formal Letter to the legislative representative - Essay Example An earlier proposed bill in California also supported this bill and had a similar agenda to this bill. Following the rising reports published by the American Psychological Association, which determined that minors were accessing conversion therapies in the State of California, Senator Ted W. Lieu drafted a bill that sought to ban the therapies owing to their severe side effects on minors. Several facilities in the country offer such to adults who willingly seek the services. The service providers thus explain the potential ramifications of changing one’s sexuality. Studies proved that the sexual orientation efforts often had negative effects on children. Such effects included confusion, depression and substance abuse at some levels. Therefore owing to the adverse effects that are associated with the sexual conversion therapies that are currently targeting the minors, we proposed the bill that seeks to have proper guidance in the policies ascribed to in the practices. As indica ted in our proposed bill, the main aims of the bill is to have sanity restored in the medical and legal system concerning protection of the rights of the minors while upholding ethical practices within the society. Children have always been the major target of sexual abuses over ages with children being assaulted owing to their vulnerability. Despite the great psychological as well as physical suffering that children suffer, undergo through due to sexual exploitation, the orientation therapies have increased to this suffering in targeting the minors more. The practices are not only exploitative but also unethical and hence needs to be opposed with all seriousness possible. It was in the position that the bill was drafted in order to have a voice against such vices in the society. Among other recommendations of the bill were the serious disciplinary and corrective measures to be enforced towards such perpetrators who are guilty of breaking the law when the bill is enacted.

Law - legal systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law - legal systems - Essay Example The expansion of the role of government in the lives of its citizens has brought with it an increasing number of controversies between citizen and state. There is a perception too that as a people we have become more litigious. All this has resulted in an increase in litigation, aggravating the problems within the current judicial structure, causing delays from the ensuing backlog of cases, higher costs to the parties and the taxpayer, the bureaucratization of dispute-processing systems and exaggeration of minor disputes as a result of regulations, delays and costs. Furthermore, both court congestion and high cost are used as bargaining tools to extract settlements which may otherwise be unacceptable. For many, however, the concern runs deeper. There is a growing awareness that the corner-stone of our judicial structure, the adversary system itself, is not the most appropriate for the effective resolution of all forms of disputes; it may not be capable of resolving a problem to both parties' satisfaction and may easily cause disputes to escalate to more serious levels. Moreover, even though the vast majority of disputes are 'resolved' outside the courtroom, they are still resolved 'under the shadow' of this adversary mentality; for instance, the threat of instituting court proceedings may be enough to exact an inappropriate settlement. It is often unfortunate that the adversary mentality permeates all resolution processes, polarizing the parties and exacerbating their disaffection. Still, negotiated or 'lumped' settlements far exceed in number those resolved through other means. On many occasions the 'threat' of suit is therapeutic where otherwise stubbornness might prevail. The basic philosophy of the adversary system is that it is the best means to find the truth through the testing of the various versions of the disputants by putting each to the proof of his or her claim. Correlatively the burden of establishing legal entitlement rests with the litigants. The system is based on individualistic premises: each party is presumed to be equally motivated and competent to investigate the facts and to present his or her case to a passive, neutral and independent court and each is presumed to have equal opportunity to pursue the claim. Implicitly the system presumes adequate resources in both time and money in order to do so. Each party confronts the other, as an adversary, before the court, each having an opportunity to present her or his story, to a judge, whose business is to decide the dispute under law. Eventually so the theory goes, the truth will emerge at least to the extent it can be discovered. However, it is generally accepted that the practice does not work nearly as well as the theory, despite an absence of empirical evidence either way. Each party will usually not have equal or even adequate time, money, motivation or ability to present his or her case properly. Furthermore, because the system is in part predicated on competitiveness, combativeness and confrontation, the emphasis is less on the best resolution of conflict but rather, oftentimes it seems, on 'winning at all costs'. It is little wonder that this system has been labeled 'the sporting theory of justice'. The end results include a lot of wasted time and money and a perceived lack of

Media on the War in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Media on the War in Iraq - Essay Example These dominant ways influence every nation, even if they are not involved in the war, â€Å"a degree of transnationalization of the media. Coverage could come from a broader range of locations, more quickly and be beamed back across the world† (Brown 2003, 4). The television only brought into focus the important ‘hotspot’ of Iraq. Without analyzing, who is wrong and who is right in the Iraq war and who is the victim and who is the threat, this paper will critically analyze how the two important Television channels from different backgrounds, CNN and Al-Jazeera covered and importantly ‘showed’ us the Iraq war. So, the aim of the paper is to find out find out by using Chomsky’s model, how predominant ways is not the perfect, ethical way to go about for CNN and Al-Jazeera. CNN (acronym for The Cable News Network) was founded by Ted Turner. CNN rose to fame in 1991 with the coverage of the First Iraq war. That is, when Iraq was bombed by America, CNN was the only news channel, which communicated from Iraq during the initial hours of the American bombing campaign. Its camera crew stationing in the al-Rashid Hotel in Baghdad gave covert, live, greenish night-vision shots of the Baghdad sky line with tracers and explosion lighting the night sky, at the same time killing the people. Even though CNN cannot be accused for these causalities, they can be accused of covering the war in a predominant way. Now, the same accusation was being leveled against CNN with the Iraq invasion and overthrowing of Saddam Hussein. CNN with its team of reporters, cameraman and crew got well entrenched in Iraq and gave a 24 hour coverage of the war. They especially used the concept of â€Å"Embedded† journalists, the term given to a news reporter, who is attached to a military unit, which is involved in an armed conflict. CNN involved a number of â€Å"Embedded† journalists. But there are criticisms

Equipment Specification Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Equipment Specification - Assignment Example This large capacity unit is ideal for constant drying, curing and baking during high-volume food processing. Electrical specifications of the oven shall be 220Volts, 50/60 Hertz and 16.5 Amps and the oven has a 24-month warranty. Enter ‘Set point mode’ on the controller by pressing UP or DOWN arrow pads one time. Digital display will start to blink, turning from bright to dim. The current set point is showed by the digital display while blinking. Adjust the Set point using UP and DOWN arrow keys. Make sure the High Limit Thermostat is turned to maximum position until the oven has stabilized the required Set temperature. [Oven shall need around 24 hrs to get stabilized into the set point temperature] Keep a certified reference thermometer inside the oven chamber or through the access tube at top left. Make sure thermostat is not in contact with the shelves. Check temperature in every hour until the reading is not changing anymore and compare the reading of the digital display with that of the reference thermometer. If there is a considerable difference between the two readings, put the display into ‘calibration mode’ by pressing both UP and DOWN arrow keys simultaneously until the display starts to flash. Adjust the temperature using the UP and DOWN arrow keys while flashing. Allow the oven temperature to stabilize and recalibrate if necessary. When the oven is stable at the desired set point (see 3 and 4 above), turn the Safety Thermostat counterclockwise till the OTP light turns â€Å"ON† and then turn the Safety Thermostat clockwise just until the OTP light turns ‘OFF†. Next, turn the thermostat clockwise two smallest divisions of the scale past the point where the lights went out to set the Safety Thermostat at a temperature approximately 100C above Main Temperature Set Point. Ten minute function – Push RESET pad. Blinking decimal

COmpare and Contrast Human RIghts Instruments in groups Essay

COmpare and Contrast Human RIghts Instruments in groups - Essay Example People across the globe can be categorized into different groups according to their needs. In order to uphold the rights of different recognizable groups, there are different instruments that are used. Thus, according to the United Nations (2006, p.3), the following human rights instruments are used to protect the rights of different groups: â€Å"Article 40 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 1966, Article 9 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, (ICERD), 1965, Article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 1979, Article 19 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), 1984, Article 44 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), 1989 and Article 73 of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, (ICMW), 1990.â₠¬  In every nation, there are different political groups and they represent diverse views and interests. However, there is a tendency by dominant political groups to suppress other groups with diverse ideological view but this should not be the case since any person according to the United Nations has a right to join a political group of desire. In this regard, it can be seen that Article 40 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 1966 is the instrument used to protect the rights of people belonging to different political groups. Similarly, it can be seen that people across the whole globe belong to different races and it can be seen that they have a right to equal protection under international law. The instrument that can be applied is Article 9 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, (ICERD), 1965. In the same vein, it can be observed

Do Athlethes and Actors Get Paid to Much Assignment

Do Athlethes and Actors Get Paid to Much - Assignment Example , it is a belief that in a typical society where traditionally the amount of money payable in salaries and related earnings is determined against the value of one’s work to the society, the pay packages of athletes and actors go against the grain. It is a common economic practice in the modern society that in determining the pay commensurate to someone’s work, it is to be determined by the economic significance of their work, and value added to the society by that particular job. For instance, the teaching profession is among one of the most economically significant profession since the future of any economy is dependent on the education acquired by its young generation. In spite of this fact, teachers are paid peanuts when compared to established athletes such as Usain Bolt (Quirk, Rodney and Pay108). In addition, there is the opinion that athletes and actors do not encounter hardships and life-endangering situations in their work. However, this cannot be said of occupations such as those of policemen, medical practitioners and fire brigades who save lives of other people even risking their lives in the process. What of the gallant police officers and military personnel who even abandon their loved families for the service of protecting and defending their nations with some paying the ultimate price in the process? They all earn just a little fraction of these athletes and actors. In fact even the number one patriot in America, President Obama’s pay cannot stand what these A-class athletes and actors take home in spite of the fact that he handles and makes critical policy decisions that directly affect the entire world each day he is in office (Hanold 89). The group that hold this view reiterate that if athletes and actors are to be paid these huge pay packages, then they should at least give back some of it to the society. They can do this through charity organizations as a show of goodwill since the same people make their payday. In addition, they should

Local Law Enforcement Essay Example for Free

Local Law Enforcement Essay Stages/Steps in the Hiring Process: First step is the applicant processing division to identify the most qualified applicants. Second step is the Pre-hire interview, next is a medical exam and then take a written psychological test. Next one will take a job standard test and an oral psychological interview. Last but not least a character investigation and any other additional requirements under exceptional circumstances. Specific Requirements: Applicants must be at least 17 ½ years of age by the last day of filing of the exam they are applying for. . Those applicants who are 35 and over and have active United States military service may deduct up to six years from the age requirement. If by mail: Applications must be submitted/postmarked by the filing deadline of the exam they are applying for. Candidates must be at least 21 years of age on or before the day of hire. Candidates must be a United States citizen on or before the day of hire. On or before the day of hire, candidates must have successfully completed either: Sixty (60) college credits with a 2.0 G.P.A. from an accredited college or university, or Two (2) years of full-time, active military service in the United States Armed Forces with an honorable discharge and have a high schools diploma or its equivalent. Candidates must reside either within one of the five boroughs of New York City or one of the surrounding counties of New York City; Suffolk, Westchester, Orange, Rockland, Nassau or Putnam Counties on the day of hire. Candidates must possess a valid, unrestricted New York State Driver’s License on the day of hire. Candidates must pay a $75.00 fee for fingerprinting as part of the investigation process. Candidates must pass a drug/alcohol screening. Candidates must pass a character and background investigation. Pay Scales: Police Academy 44,744; after 6 months 46,288; after 1.5 years 48,173; after 2.5 years 53, 819; after 3.5 years 58,786; after 4.5 years 62,455; after 5.0 years 69,005; after 5.5 years 90, 829. †¢Candidates must compete in the required written examination and pass additional screening procedures. †¢Candidates must be legal residents of Nassau County, Suffolk County, Westchester County or one of the five boroughs of New York City at time of appointment and maintain residency. †¢Candidates must be at least 17 but less than 35 years of age on the date of the written exam; provided, however, that time spent on military duty or on terminal leave, not exceeding a total of 6 years, shall be subtracted from the age of any applicant who has passed their 35th birthday, as provided in subdivision 10-a of Section 243 of the New York State Military Law. †¢Candidates must be citizens of the United States at time of appointment. †¢Candidates will be required to submit to a background investigation prior to appointment. †¢Candidates must possess a valid New York State driver’s license at time of appointment. †¢Appointments are determined on an individual basis by the Nassau County Civil Service Commission, however, anyone with a felony conviction may be excluded from being a Nassau County Police Officer. †¢No college education is required to take the written examination; however, 32 credits of college education are required for appointment. Those candidates who have not attained that level of education but are otherwise eligible for appointment will remain on the eligible list and will become eligible for appointment after they have obtained the necessary college credits. Pay Scales: Get paid while you train in the Police Academy;$34,000 starting salary;$107,319 after 9 years;12% shift differential; Education incentive pay Title of Agency (3): City of New York Department of Correction Web Address: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doc/html/home/home.shtml Stages/Steps in the Hiring Process: The primary responsibility of the Applicant Investigation Unit is to ensure the New York City Department of Correction hires the most qualified candidate to join the uniform members of service. The candidates are investigated, evaluated medically, inclusive of an agility test, and physically to determine their fitness for duty in all aforementioned areas. The New York City Department of Correction investigates thousands of candidates; however, only the most qualified for the position are selected.

Pain Sensation: Nociceptive receptors and transduction

Pain Sensation: Nociceptive receptors and transduction Pain is a subsystem of somatic sensation which includes a wide range of unpleasant sensory and emotional experiences usually associated with actual or potential tissue damage (Das et al., 2005). Over the years, by means of the evolutive process of natural selection, nature has made sure that pain is a bodily signal we cannot ignore. As a matter of fact, sensitivity and reactivity to noxious stimuli are essential to the well-being and survival of an organism. In dangerous circumstances pain tells the subject to get out of that situation immediatly, this is its main function. Without these attributes provided by pain mechanisms, the organism would have no means to prevent or minimize dangerous circumstances (individuals congenitally insensitive to pain are easily injured and most of them die at an early age1). While most of the sensory and somatosensory modalities are primarily informative, pain is a protective modality. Pain perception (also called nociception) doesnt come from excessive stimulation of the same receptors that generate somatic sensations, as someone could even think, it is a properly devoted subsystem. Nociception (from the Latin nocere, to hurt) in fact depends on specifically dedicated receptors and, due to its vital importance, this kind of information travels through redundant pathways. Pain also differs from the classical senses (hearing, smell, taste, touch, and vision) because it is both a discriminative sensation and a graded emotional experience. In the big picture, pain appears as a more complex whole experience than simple somatic sensation; that is why there are still many obscure aspects not completely understood, especially in the field of pain physiology and pharmacology. For this and other reasons, even nowadays, nociception remains an extremely active area of scientific research. 2. Pain Sensation Nociceptive receptors and transduction Pain sensation begins with relatively unspecialized free nerve cell endings called nociceptors. Like other somatic sensory receptors, they transduce a variety of noxious stimuli into receptor potentials, which in turn trigger action potentials in the pain nerve fibers (afferents). These action potentials are transmitted to the spinal cord and then, through the brainstem, to the thalamus and the somatic sensory cortex according to specific pathways2. Nociceptors are widespread distributed, they also show different degrees of sensitiveness and specialization. There are nociceptors in the skin, in the joints and also in visceral organs, but none of them is found inside the central nervous system (CNS)1. In contrast with somatic sensory receptors (responsible for the perception of innocuous mechanical stimuli), the axons associated with nociceptors conduct relatively slowly, being only lightly myelinated or, more commonly, unmyelinated2. Thus, according to the different kind of axon, there are faster or slower pain pathways. In particular, pain receptors can fall into four major categories depending on their response to the different types of stimulation caused by the damage: mechanosensitive nociceptors: respond to mechanical stimulation and have A-delta fibers, bigger axons with faster conduction velocity; mechanothermal nociceptors: respond to thermal stimuli, A-delta fibers; chemical nociceptors: respond to chemical substances, A-delta fibers; polymodal nociceptors: respond to high intensity stimuli of the previous three types and have C fibers, smaller and unmyelinated axons with slower conduction velocity. The cell bodies of these primary pain-neurons are located in the dorsal root ganglia (for body afferents) and in the trigeminal ganglia (for face afferents)1,2. The transduction of nociceptive signals, which starts with the nociceptive receptors, is a complex task. Tissue damage results in the release of a variety of chemical substances which triggers the response of nociceptors. Some of these substances activate the transmembrane transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, which in turn initiate action potentials2. Another characteristic feature of nociceptors is their tendency to be sensitized by prolonged stimulation, making them respond to other sensations as well in certain circumstances. This prolonged stimulation increases the release of chemical substances, making nociceptors sensitized and reducing their response threshold. Actually, within a few seconds after the injury, an area of some centimeters around the injured site shows reddening caused by vasodilation. This inflammation becomes maximal after about ten minutes and this region shows a lowered pain threshold (hyperalgesia) in response to additional noxious stimuli. This effect is also referred to as peripheral sensitization, in contrast to central sensitization that can occur at higher levels in the dorsal horn1. Although it is still unknown whether nociceptors respond directly to the noxious stimulus or indirectly by means of one or more endogenous chemical intermediaries released from the traumatized tissue, the activation of nociceptors initiates the process by which pain is experienced: these receptors relay information to the CNS about the intensity and location of the painful stimulus. Pain classification The result of sudden painful stimulation can be divided into two categories of sequential sensations separated by a short time interval. A sharp first pain, immediately after the damage, its followed some seconds later by additional, diffuse and longer-lasting second pain sensation. The temporal interval between these two separate sensations is due to the difference between fast transmitting A-delta fibers and slow transmitting C fibers. This phenomenon is also known as double pain sensation. Pain has also been classified into three major types1: Pricking pain: is also called fast pain or sensory pain (first pain) and arises mainly from the skin, carried by A-delta fibers which permit discrimination and localization of the pain. Burning pain: is caused by inflammation, burned skin and is carried by C fibers. This type of pain is a more diffuse, slower to onset, and longer in duration (second pain). Like pricking pain, burning pain arises mainly from the skin, but it is not distinctly localized. Aching pain: is a sore pain which arises mainly from the viscera and somatic deep structures. This pain is carried by the C fibers from the deep structures to the spinal cord and is not distinctly localized. Pain pathways The neural pathway that conveys pain (and temperature) information from the periphery of the body to the higher centers of the CNS is often referred as the anterolateral system (or ventrolateral column). This pathway is physically separated from the system that conveys mechanosensory information like touch and pressure (dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathway). However, even though the dorsal route has been always considered a touch pathway functionally separate from the anterolateral pathway, recent reports indicate that the dorsal column can carry noxious information from the viscera and widespread skin regions as well1. Anyway, the main difference between these two systems remains the site of decussation: while the dorsal column is an ipsilateral tract until the medulla (where synapses and decussates), the anterolateral system makes early synaptic connections and decussates right away in the spinal cord, becoming a contralateral tract. Composing the anterolateral system, there are three major ascending tracts: the neospinothalamic tract (the main, central pain pathway, phylogenetically younger, with few synapses), the paleospinothalamic tract and the archispinothalamic tract (which constitute minor parallel pain pathways, phylogenetically older and multisynaptic tracts)1. Every pain tract is made of three kinds of pseudounipolar neurons: first-order, from free nerve endings (nociceptors) to the dorsal horns of the spinal cord; second-order, from the dorsal horns to the thalamus; and third-order, from the thalamus to the primary somatic sensory cortex. The cell bodies of first-order neurons are located in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) for all three pathways. a) The neospinothalamic tract (central pathway) constitutes the classical anterolateral system. This pathway is responsible for the immediate awareness of a painful sensation and for the understanding of the exact location of the painful stimulus. The first-order nociceptive afferents enter the spinal cord via the dorsal roots of the DRG and, when these projecting axons reach the dorsal horns of the spinal cord, they branch into ascending and descending collaterals, forming the tract of Lissauer2. Once within the dorsal horn, these afferents make synaptic connections with second-order neurons located in Rexeds laminae (layer I to V). Axons of these second-order neurons then cross the midline of the spinal cord, decussating in the anterior white commissure, and ascend to the brainstem in the contralateral (anterolateral) quadrant. Most of the pain fibers from lower extremities of the body and below the neck terminate, through the brainstem, in the ventral posterior lateral nucleus (VPL) of the thalamus. The VPL, which serves as a relay station, is thought to be mainly concerned with discriminatory functions1. Finally, here axons of second-order neurons synapse with third-order neurons that send the signal to the primary and secondary somatosensory cortex (SCI and SCII, respectively). Unlike the rest of bodily afferents, first-order nociceptive neurons from the head, face and intraoral structures have somata in the trigeminal ganglion. Trigeminal fibers enter the pons, descend to the medulla (forming the spinal trigeminal tract) and make synaptic connections in the spinal trigeminal nucleus, then cross the midline and ascend as trigeminothalamic tract (or trigeminal lemniscus). Axons from the second-order neurons terminate in a variety of targets in the brainstem and thalamus, but the discriminative aspects of facial pain are thought to be mediated by projections to the ventral posterior medial nucleus (VPM) of the thalamus and by projections (from here) to primary and secondary somatosensory cortex2. All of the fibers terminating in VPL and VPM are somatotopically oriented and still here the information supplied by different somatosensory receptors remains segregated. Axons from the thalamus synapse with third-order neurons of the SCI, which includes Brodmanns Areas 3a, 3b, 1 and 2. Each of these cortical areas contains a separate and complete representation of the body: they are somatotopically organized maps representing the human body (from the foot up to the face) in a medial to lateral arrangement2. b) The paleospinothalamic tract is a parallel pathway where the emotional response to pain is mediated1. This tract also activates brainstem nuclei which are the origin of descending pain-suppression pathways which regulate the sesation of noxious inputs at the spinal cord level. In the paleospinothalamic tract the majority of the first-order nociceptive neurons make synaptic connections with second-order neurons in Rexeds layer II (substantia gelatinosa). These second-order neurons also receive input from mechanoreceptors and thermoreceptors, and thats why the anterolateral system is also responsible for temperature perception1. The nerve cells that compose the paleospinothalamic tract are multireceptive or wide dynamic range nociceptors. Most of their axons cross and ascend in the spinal cord primarily in the anterior region and thus form the anterior spinal thalamic tract (AST). These second-order fibers contain several tracts and each of them makes a synaptic connection in different locations: in the mesencephalic reticular formation (MFR) and in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), forming the spinoreticular tract; in the tectum, also known as the spinotectal or spinomedullary tract; in the midline thalamic nuclei, forming the spinothalamic tract. Altogether these three fiber tracts are thus known as the paleospinothalamic tract, which is in part bilateral, because some of the ascending fibers do not cross to the opposite side of the cord1. Finally, from the thalamic nuclei, these fibers synapse bilaterally in the somatosensory cortex. Pain is a complex experience processed by a diverse and distributed network of neurons and brain regions. In addition to the sensory-discriminative aspects (carried by the neospinothalamic tract) there are also affective-motivational components of pain2. In the paleospinothalamic pathway there are extensive connections between the thalamic nuclei and the limbic areas such as the cingulate gyrus and the insular cortex. The insular cortex integrates the sensory input with the cognitive components. The limbic structures (amygdala, superior colliculus) project to the hypothalamus and initiate visceral responses to the pain. The thalamic nuclei also projects to the frontal cortex, which in turn is linked to the limbic structures involved in processing the emotional components of pain1. c) The archispinothalamic tract is another parallel pathway, phylogenetically the oldest that carries noxious information1. The characteristics of this tract are very similar to the ones found in the previous pathway. First-order nociceptive neurons make synaptic connections in Rexeds layer II (substantia gelatinosa). From here, second-order fibers ascend and descend in the spinal cord surrounding the grey matter to end synapsing with cells in the reticular formation and in the periaqueductal gray. Further diffuse multisynaptic pathways ascend to the diverse nuclei of thalamus and send collaterals to the hypothalamus as well as the limbic system nuclei. These fibers, like for the paleospinothalamic tract, mediate visceral, emotional and autonomic reactions to painful stimuli. In short, because of the importance of warning signals of dangerous circumstances, several nociception pathways are involved to transmitting these signals and some of them are redundant. The neospinothalamic tract conducts fast pain (via A-delta fibers) and provides information of the exact location of the noxious stimulus. The multisynaptic paleospinothalamic and archispinothalamic tracts conduct slow pain (via C fibers), a pain which is chronic and harder to localize. Through these patways, pain activates many different brain areas which link together sensation, perception, emotion, memory and motor reaction1. 3. Pain Modulation When talking about pain, we always have to consider and keep in mind the discrepancy between the objective reality of a painful stimulus and the subjective rsponse to it. Modern studies have provided considerable insight into how circumsatnces affect pain perception-interpretation and, ultimately, into the pharmacology of the pain system2. For many years it has been suggested that somewhere in the CNS there should be some neuronal circuits modulating incoming painful informations. Evidence for an intrinsic analgesia system was demonstrated by intracranial electrical stimulation of certain brain sites1,3. The circuit consisting of the periaqueductal gray matter (PAG), the raphe nuclei (RN), the locus coeruleus (LC) and the caudate nucleus (CN) contributes to the descending pain suppression mechanism, which inhibits incoming pain information at the spinal cord level6. Stimulation of such areas produce analgesia without behavioral suppression; indeed, touch, pressure and temperature sensation remain intact1. At the interneuronal level, opiate receptors activation causes hyperpolarization of the neurons, which in turn results in the inhibition of firing and in the release of substance P (a neurotransmitter involved in pain transmission) that blocks pain transmission1. In addition to descending projections, also local interactions between mechanoreceptive afferents and neural circuits within the dorsal horn can modulate the transmission of nociceptive informations to higher centers2. Observations by Melzack and Wall led to the idea that concomitant activation of the large myelinated fibers associated with low-threshold mechanoreceptors can mediate the flow of pain. This mechanism, also known as Gate Control Theory13, predicts that (at the spinal cord level) non-noxious stimulation will produce presynaptic inhibition on dorsal root nociceptor fibers and thus blocking incoming noxious information from reaching the CNS1 (i.e. non-painful input closes the gates to other painful inputs, which results in prevention and suppression of pain sensation). This explains also why if you, for example, stub a toe, a natural and effective reaction is to vigorously rub the site of injury for a couple of minutes2. However, there are many different factors that can influence the way we understand pain. Doubtless, three of these are: drugs, prior injuries and, more broadly speaking, circumstances. a) Drugs The brain has a neuronal circuit and endogenous substances to modulate pain. There are two primary types of drugs that work on the brain: analgesics and anesthetics1. The term analgesic refers to a drug that relieves pain without loss of consciousness, whereas the term anesthetic refers to a drug that depresses the CNS. Anesthetics are characterized by the absence of perception for all sensory modalities, including loss of consciousness, but without loss of vital functions. The areas that produce analgesia when stimulated are also responsive to exogenously administered opiate drugs2. As a matter of fact, the most effective clinically used drugs for producing temporary relief from pain are the opioid family, which includes morphine and heroin1. Unluckily, several side effects resulting from opiate use include tolerance and drug dependence (addiction). In general, these drugs modulate the incoming pain information as well as relieve pain temporarily, and are also known as opiate producing analgesia (OA). Opioidergic neurotransmission is found throughout the brain and spinal cord and appears to influence many CNS functions: opioids exert marked effects on mood, cognition and motivation1 (e.g. producing euphoria). The analgesic action of opiates implied the existence of specific brain and spinal cord receptors for these drugs long before the receptors were actually found. Since such receptors are unlikely to have evolved in response to the exogenous administration of opium and its derivates, the convinction grew that endogenous opiate-like compounds must exist in order to explain the evolution of these receptors in the body2. Nowadays, three classes of opioid receptors have been identified: ÃŽÂ ¼ (mu), ÃŽÂ ´ (delta) and ÃŽÂ º (kappa). All three classes are widely distributed in the brain, and particularly in the PAG, which is the site for higher cortical control of pain modulation in humans8. Moreover, three major classes of endogenous opioid peptides that interact with them have been recognized in the CNS: ÃŽÂ ²-endorphins, enkephalins and the dynorphins. Enkephalins are considered the putative ligands for the ÃŽÂ ´ receptors, ÃŽÂ ² endorphins for the ÃŽÂ ¼-receptors, and dynorphins for the ÃŽÂ º receptors1. The opioid peptides modulate nociceptive input mainly in two ways: blocking neurotransmitter release by inhibiting Ca2+ influx into the presynaptic terminal; or opening potassium channels, which hyperpolarizes neurons and inhibits spike activity. The various types of opioid receptors are distributed differently within the central and peripheral nervous system and this can explain many unwanted side effects following opiate treatments1. (For example, ÃŽÂ ¼-receptors are widespread in the brain stem parabrachial nuclei, which is a respiratory center. Inhibition of these neurons elicits also respiratory depression). In addition to opiates, the other big family of analgesia producing drugs is represented by the cannabinoids. Like opiates, cannabinoids produce analgesia when microinjected in the PAG and pain itself serves as a trigger for endocannabinoid release3. Results from the study by Walker et al. (1999) indicate that anandamide (an endogenous cannabinoid) fulfills the requirements for a nonopiate mediator of endogenous pain suppression and these data support the existence of endogenous cannabinergic circuitry in the dorsal and lateral PAG. Even if the opiate and cannabinoid mechanisms partially overlap anatomically, the endogenous opiate system is activaetd by intense and prolonged stimuli (such as high threshold electrical stimulation), while endogenous cannabinoids occur mostly in tonic pain suppression, during tests that do not produce significant stress or fear3. Cannabinoids have been used to treat pain for centuries and cannabis is still used despite its illegal status in most parts of the world. The spontaneous and stimulated release of anandamide in a pain-suppression circuit suggests that such drugs may form the basis of a modern pharmacotherapy for pain, particularly in instances where opiates are ineffective3. b) Previous injury A curious effect, well known and documented in clinical literature, is referred to as phantom limb sensation. Following the amputation of an extremity, nearly all patients have an illusion that the missing limb is still present. Although this illusion usually diminishes over time, it persists in some degree throughout the amputees life, and can often be reactivated2. A reasonable explanation for this phenomenon is that the central sensory processing apparatus continues to operate indipendently of the periphery, giving rise to these bizarre sensations. Indeed, considerable functional reorganization of the somatotopic maps in the primary somatosensory cortex occurs immediately after the amputation and tends to evolve for several years2. Neurons that have lost their original inputs respond to tactile stimulation of other (near) body parts, and so it is not unusual for the patient to perceive a phantom limb as a whole and intact, but displaced from the real location. These and further ev idences suggested then that a full representation of the body exists indipendently of the peripheral elements that are mapped2. Anyways, the major problem following phantom limbs phenomena is constituted by the fact that up to 85% of the amputated patients develop also phantom pain4. The description of this common unease can vary from a tingling or burning sensation to some more serious and debilitating issues. Phantom pain, in fact, is one of the more frequent causes of chronic pain syndromes and is extraordinarily difficult to treat2. Neverthless there is no really effective treatment, a study by Jahangiri et al. (1994) demonstrated that preoperative epidural infusion of morphine, bupivacaine and clonidine significantly reduces the incidence of phantom limb pain and phantom limb sensation. Moreover, this kind of treatment has been shown as safe for use on general surgical wards with a low incidence of minor side-effetcs4. Other than amputations, pain perception may also be modulated in certain stressful situations. Exposure to a variety of painful or stressful events produces an analgesic reaction, and this phenomenon is called stress induced analgesia (SIA). It has been considered that SIA can provide insights into both the psychological and physiological factors that activate endogenous pain control and opiate systems1. (For example, soldiers wounded in battle or athletes injured in sports events sometimes report that they do not feel pain during the battle or game; however, they will experience the pain later after the battle or as game has ended). Some studies demonstrated in animals that electrical shocks cause stress-induced analgesia3 and it has been suggested that endogenous drugs, (opiates or cannabinoids) released in response to stress, inhibit pain by activating the midbrain descending system1. Based on these and other experiments, it is assumed that the stress experienced by the soldiers and the athletes suppressed the pain which they would later perceive. c) Circumstances The experience of pain is highly variable between individuals: this highly subjective perception has a complex and often non linear relationship between nociceptive input and pain sensation5. From human experimentation we know that a variety of pain modulatory mechanisms exist in the nervous system, and these systems can be accessed either pharmacologically or through contextual and cognitive manipulation7,6. Various mental processes such as attention, emotional state, past experiences, memories, beliefs and feelings have been shown to influence pain perception and bias nociceptive processing in the humain brain9. All these top-down factors can be grouped together in the category of circumstances that either enhance or diminish pain sensation in regard to dedicated modulatory circuits. Among the cognitive variables influencing pain, the brain mechanisms underlying attentional control have been probably the most extensively studied5. A number of reports show the important role of attentional state in modulating the activity of primary somatosensory areas7. Thus, pain is perceived as less intense when individuals are distracted from it, as proved in an interesting study by Das et colleagues (2005). This research provides strong evidence supporting virtual reality (VR) based games in providing analgesia and positive influence on children with acute burn injuries, with minimal side effects10. VR can be considered an intermediary between reality and computer technology, and its ability to immerse the user interacting with the artificial environment is central in this kind of approach. However, attentional processes interact with mechanisms supporting the formation of expectations about pain and reappraisal of the experience5. The ability to predict the likelihood of an aversive event is an important adaptive capacity11. Our subjective sensory experiences are thought to be heavily shaped by interactions between expectations and incoming sensory information12 and this cognitive factor is important also for pain perception: positive expectations (i.e., expectations for decreased pain) produce a reduction in perceived pain that rivals the effects of a clearly analgesic dose of morphine12. These evidences provide also a neural mechanism that can, in part, explain the positive impact of optimism in chronic disease states. In fact, perceived control, attentional control and the descending pain modulatory system are involved in the placebo-induced analgesia, which is a clinical example of cognitive pain modulation that decreases pain intensity and cerebral responses to pa in5. Such top-down modulatory mechanism is a robust and clinically important phenomenon, which can be demonstrated in approximately one-third of the population9. Moreover, placebo analgesia requires the activation of endogenous opioid-mediated inhibition and neuroimaging techniques showed that there is also overlapping among brain sites activated by opioids and those that are activated during placebo analgesia9. Also the emotional state driven by the (experimental) context alters the attitude of patients and can produce powerful effects on pain perception7. In general, negative emotions increase pain, whereas positive ones decrease it14,7. Neverthless the brain mechanisms underlying these effects remain largely unknown, the prefrontal cortex, as well as parahippocampal and brainstem structures, are thought to be involved in the emotional regulation of pain14. According to Roy et al. (2009) cognitive and emotional processes induced by pleasant or unpleasant pictures interact with pain perception and modulate the responses to painful electrical stimulations in the right insula, paracentral lobule, parahippocampal gyrus, thalamus, and amygdala14. Not only, recent studies suggested that emotionally laden images representing human pain had a unique capacity to enhance pain reports15, in the suggestive perspective that search for the neural bases of human empathy with huge social implications. Thus, even though is well-established that mood selectively alters the affective-reactive response to pain (also called pain tolerance), the interpretation for some of these studies is sometimes difficult, since they do not always clearly dissociate changes in mood from changes in attention7. In fact, other studies showed that emotions can have a direct effect on attention to pain, leading to what is called attentional bias toward pain-related informations, which does not ensure the absence of covariate processes7. In the end, the available data indicate that emotion and selective attention may both interact modulating pain perception and cortical responses. But the observations that emotional manipulations alter pain unpleasantness more than pain sensation, while attention alters both pain sensation and unpleasantness, suggest that different modulatory circuits are involved7 and that they act through at least partially distinct mechanisms, which can be separated by appropriate experimental settings15. All this multiplicity of mechanisms underlying the emotional modulation of pain is reflective of the strong and reciprocal interrelations between pain and emotions, and emphasizes even more the powerful effects that emotions can have on pain perception14. 4. Conclusions In conclusion, in the CNS, much of the information from the nociceptive afferent fibers results from excitatory discharges of multireceptive neurons. The pain information in the CNS is controlled by ascending and descending inhibitory systems that can exert both facilitatory and inhibitory effects on the activity of neurons using endogenous opioids or other substances as mediators. In addition, a powerful inhibition of pain-related information occurs in the spinal cord. These inhibitory systems can be activated by brain stimulation, intracerebral microinjection of morphine, and peripheral nerve stimulation1. However, pain is an extremely complex perceptual and cognitive experience that is influenced also by many top down factors such as past sensations, expectations, the context within which the noxious stimulus occurs, the attentional and emotional state. Therefore, for all these reasons, the response to pain can often vary considerably from subject to subject. Case Report: Use of Valproate in Kleine Levin Syndrome Case Report: Use of Valproate in Kleine Levin Syndrome Successful use of Valproate in Kleine Levin Syndrome: a case report and review of cases reported from India Abstract Kleine-Levin Syndrome (KLS) is characterized by recurrent episodes of hypersomnia and other symptoms and it is a really challenging for the physician, since its causes are not yet clear, and available treatment options are not having adequate support. Here we are reporting a case with successful use of Valproate in KLS and also reviewing the cases reported from India. Introduction Kleine-Levin Syndrome (KLS) is a rare disorder which mainly affects adolescent boys and characterized by recurrent episodes of hypersomnia, and sometime along with hyperphagia, behavioral and cognitive disturbances, and hypersexuality (Yao et al., 2013). Several medications (stimulants, lithium, valproate, antipsychotics, antidepressants) have been reported to provide variable benefit in different symptoms, with lithium being the most widely used drug (Arnulf et al., 2005 2012). We are presenting a case of KLS, who had complete remission with valproate and also reviewing the cases reported from India. Case details: A 17 year old single male student of 12th standard, presented to our psychiatric outpatient clinic in September 2004 with hypersomnolence, low mood, decreased appetite and interest in studies, social and sexual disinhibition (such as singing obscene songs loudly at home, and touching unconsenting females’ including mother’s body parts- limbs, face and genitalia). Onset was acute, without any elicitable precipitating factor and course was episodic with average 7-10 days episode in every month for last four months and he maintained completely well in interepisodic period. Provisional diagnosis of recurrent depressive disorder (brief episodes) was kept and he was started on Sertraline (50 mg), on which he responded well. He remained asymptomatic for nearly nine months, but started having similar episodes again from mid 2005, due to which Sertraline was gradually hiked up to 150 mg/day, but of no use. Hence he was admitted in our inpatient setting in March, 2006 for diagnostic evaluation and further management. After detailed evaluation, it was found that his sadness was not pervasive and depressive cognitions and associated disturbances were not present and hypersomnia remained predominant complaint as initially he was sleeping 16-20 hours per day. He was also not responding with these medications, hence differential diagnosis of KLS vs. depression was kept and later finalized to KLS. His heamogram, renal functions, liver functions, blood sugar, routine urine, thyroid functions were within normal limits and chest X ray, ECG, EEG, and MRI brain were nor mal. In view of good literature support Lithium was started from 600 mg/day and hiked to 900 mg/day (serum level 0.8 mEq/liter). On which he has shown significant improvement initially for six month but later again started experiencing similar symptoms. He also had three episodes of fall, unresponsiveness and epileptiform discharge in EEG twice. Hence in view of seizure disorder and lack of response, Neurologist’s consultation was sought, who opined to start antiepileptic medication. Hence lithium was switched to Valproate (750 mg/day) in December 2006, on which he maintained completely well for 4 years, except brief reemergence of symptoms on discontinuing Valproate, which improved completely on resuming the medication. Valproate was gradually tapered and stopped in January 2011 on insistence of patient and family with discussing its pros and cons. Now index case has been maintaining well off Valproate for last three years without any episode of hypersomnolence, sexual disin hibition, sadness, or epileptic seizure. Discussion Based on historical reports by Kliene and Levin, KLS was essentially described and termed by Critchley (1962). Thereafter many researchers have reported their cases and reviewed cases with KLS (Arnulf et al., 2005 2012). Here we are reporting a case with KLS, who responded well with Valproate, after diagnostic dilemma and different psychotropic medications and also reviewing the other cases reported from India. In our electronic search for Indian studies on Kliene-levin syndrome, by using PUBMED and Google Scholar, we could find 15 cases reported from India (Aggarwal et al., 2011; Mendhekar et al., 2001; Prabhakaran et al., 1970; Shukla et al., 1982; Sagar et al., 1990; Narayanan et al., 1972; Agrawal Agrawal, 1979; Malhotra et al., 1997; Gupta et al., 2011). Of them 13 were males and 2 females, similar to male preponderance reported in the literature (Arnulf et al., 2005 2012). While presenting to psychiatric services their age was between 9 to 26 years and they had onset between 7 to 24 years of age. In two-third of patients (10 out of 15 patients) it was preceded with fever and their episodes of somnolence were lasted from 3 days to 10 weeks. Hypersomnia and hyperphagia were present in all, while two-third of patients also had social and sexual disinhibition (11 out of 15 patients). Other symptoms were cognitive disturbances (low intelligence quotient, impaired memory, confusion, and a cademic decline), irrelevant talk, and perceptual disturbances. Nearly one-third of patients improved spontaneously without any medication, while rest was given lithium, carbamazepine, methyl amphetamine, dextro amphetamine, and modafinil. Longest asymptomatic follow-up period is reported for 2 years (Aggarwal et al., 2011) (as depicted in table-1). Though literature supported lithium for higher response rate (Arnulf et al., 2005 2012), but index patient had remarkable response with Valproate, not with lithium, like earlier two reports (Crumley, 1997; Adlakha Chokroverty, 2009). Like earlier report (Adlakha Chokroverty, 2009), index patient also improved on lower dose of Valproate (divalproate 750 mg vs. 500 mg Valproate). Compared to other cases reported from India (Aggarwal et al., 2011; Gupta et al., 2011), index patient had longest follow-up (7 years) and remained asymptomatic in this period, except small exacerbation on discontinuation of Valproate treatment, which improved completely on resuming the drug. Similar to our patient, anticonvulsants (like Valproate) are the preferred treatment for KLS patient, and may also offer benefits in case of comorbid epilepsy (Yao et al., 2013). Valproate may be a good alternative to lithium in terms of efficacy as well as side effect profile. References Yao, C.C., Lin, Y., Liu, H.C., Lee, C.S., 2013. Effects of various drug therapies on Kleine–Levin syndrome: a case report. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 35, 102.e7-102.e9. Arnulf, I., Zeitzer, J.M., File, J., Farber, N., Mignot, E., 2005. Kleine-Levin syndrome: a systematic review of 186 cases in the literature. Brain. 128, 2763-76. Arnulf, I., Rico, T.J., Mignot, E., 2012. Diagnosis, disease course, and management of patients with Kleine-Levin syndrome. Lancet Neurol. 11, 918-28. Critchley, M., 1962. Periodic hypersomnia and megaphagia in adolescent males. Brain. 85, 627–56. Aggarwal, A., Garg, A., Jiloha, R.C., 2011. Kleine-Levine syndrome in an adolescent female and response to modafinil. Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 14, 50-2. Mendhekar, D.N., Jiloha, R.C., Gupta, D., 2001. Kleine-levin syndrome : a report of two cases. Ind J Psychiatry. 43, 276-8. Prabhakaran, N., Murthy, G.K., Mallya, U.L., 1970. A Case of Kleine-Levin Syndrome in India. Br J Psychiatry. 117, 517-519. Shukla, G.D., Bajpai, H.S., Mishra, D.N., 1982. Kleine-levin syndrome: a case report from India. Br J Psychiatry. 141, 97-98. Sagar, R.S., Khandelwal, S.K., Gupta, S., 1990. Interepisodic morbidity in Kleine-Levin syndrome. Br J Psychiatry. 157, 139-141. Narayanan, H.S., Narayanan Reddy, G.N., Rama Rao, B.S., 1972. A case of Kleine-levine syndrome. Ind J Psychiatry. 14, 356-358. Agrawal, A.K., Agrawal, A.K., 1979. Kleine-levin syndrome: a case report. Ind J Psychiatry. 21, 286-287. Malhotra, S.M., Das, M.K., Gupta, N., Muralidharan, R, 1997. A Clinical Study of Kleine-levin syndrome evidence for hypothalamic-pituitary axis dysfunction. Biol Psychaitry. 42, 299-301. Gupta, R., Lahan, V., Srivastava, M., 2011. Kleine-Levin syndrome and idiopathic hypersomnia: Spectrum disorders. Ind J Psychol Med. 33, 194-8. Crumley, F.E., 1997. Valproic acid for Kleine-Levin syndrome. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 36, 868-9. Adlakha, A., Chokroverty, S., 2009. An adult onset patient with Kleine-Levin syndrome responding to valproate. Sleep Med. 10, 391-3. Table-1: Reported cases with Kleine Levin syndrome from India

Themes of Hannah Webster Foster’s The Croquette Essay -- Hannah Webste

Themes of Hannah Webster Foster’s The Croquette  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hannah Webster Foster’s The Coquette, published in 1797, has long been regarded as a sentimental novel with little literary quality. Though The Coquette was a best seller at publication and remained in print for most of the 19th century, critics gave it little attention other than to ridicule the novel. Not until 1978 with the publishing of Walter Wenska’s The Coquette and the American Dream of Freedom did Foster’s book receive critical attention and praise. Since then, other literary critics have given their attention to The Coquette for critical analysis and praise. These critics have focused on facets of the novel that were completely ignored until the last twenty years. The themes critics discuss include the injustices of patriarchal culture, societal attitudes, the depiction of an economy of vision, treatment of language and the role of the female circle. It is obvious modern critics have delved below the surface of the sentiment al novel to extract meaningful themes and information written by Foster. In her book Revolution and the Word: The Rise of the Novel in America, Cathy N. Davidson includes The Coquette in the historical chronology and criticism of the American novel. Davidson concentrates her writing about The Coquette’s theme as it â€Å"does not openly challenge the basic structure of patriarchal culture but instead, exposes its fundamental injustices through the details and disasters of the plot† (144). The novel opens with Eliza Wharton expressing both her sadness and relief over the death of Mr. Haly. Davidson points out the injustice of Eliza submitting to an arranged marriage out of obedience to her parents which contradicts the supposed... ... by the aforementioned writers must emphasize the depth of Foster’s novel. WORKS CITED Baker, Dorothy Z. â€Å"Detested by the Epithet!†: Definition, Maxim and the Language of Social Dicta in Hannah Webster Foster’s The Coquette.† Essays in Literature 23 (1996): 58-68. Davidson, Cathy N. Revolution and the Word: The Rise of the Novel in America. New York: Oxford, 1986. Hamilton, Kristie. â€Å"An Assault on the Will: Republican Virtue and the City in Hannah Webster Foster’s The Coquette. Early American Literature 24 (1989): 135-151. Pettengill, Claire C. â€Å"Sisterhood in a Separate Sphere: Female Friendships in Hannah Webster Foster’s The Coquette and The Boarding School.† Early American Literature 27 (1992): 185-203. Waldstreicher, David. â€Å"Fallen Under My Observation: Vision and Virtue in The Coquette.† Early American Literature 27   (1992): 204-218.    Themes of Hannah Webster Foster’s The Croquette Essay -- Hannah Webste Themes of Hannah Webster Foster’s The Croquette  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hannah Webster Foster’s The Coquette, published in 1797, has long been regarded as a sentimental novel with little literary quality. Though The Coquette was a best seller at publication and remained in print for most of the 19th century, critics gave it little attention other than to ridicule the novel. Not until 1978 with the publishing of Walter Wenska’s The Coquette and the American Dream of Freedom did Foster’s book receive critical attention and praise. Since then, other literary critics have given their attention to The Coquette for critical analysis and praise. These critics have focused on facets of the novel that were completely ignored until the last twenty years. The themes critics discuss include the injustices of patriarchal culture, societal attitudes, the depiction of an economy of vision, treatment of language and the role of the female circle. It is obvious modern critics have delved below the surface of the sentiment al novel to extract meaningful themes and information written by Foster. In her book Revolution and the Word: The Rise of the Novel in America, Cathy N. Davidson includes The Coquette in the historical chronology and criticism of the American novel. Davidson concentrates her writing about The Coquette’s theme as it â€Å"does not openly challenge the basic structure of patriarchal culture but instead, exposes its fundamental injustices through the details and disasters of the plot† (144). The novel opens with Eliza Wharton expressing both her sadness and relief over the death of Mr. Haly. Davidson points out the injustice of Eliza submitting to an arranged marriage out of obedience to her parents which contradicts the supposed... ... by the aforementioned writers must emphasize the depth of Foster’s novel. WORKS CITED Baker, Dorothy Z. â€Å"Detested by the Epithet!†: Definition, Maxim and the Language of Social Dicta in Hannah Webster Foster’s The Coquette.† Essays in Literature 23 (1996): 58-68. Davidson, Cathy N. Revolution and the Word: The Rise of the Novel in America. New York: Oxford, 1986. Hamilton, Kristie. â€Å"An Assault on the Will: Republican Virtue and the City in Hannah Webster Foster’s The Coquette. Early American Literature 24 (1989): 135-151. Pettengill, Claire C. â€Å"Sisterhood in a Separate Sphere: Female Friendships in Hannah Webster Foster’s The Coquette and The Boarding School.† Early American Literature 27 (1992): 185-203. Waldstreicher, David. â€Å"Fallen Under My Observation: Vision and Virtue in The Coquette.† Early American Literature 27   (1992): 204-218.   

AOL : An Exceptional Internet Service Provider :: Internet Online Communication Essays

AOLÂ  : An Exceptional Internet Service Provider The internet is expanding every day to new heights never reached before. To accommodate this new growth, internet service providers are needed. One of the largest internet service providers today is American Online, otherwise known as AOL. AOL has created a friendly atmosphere where online users can easily navigate their way on the internet. There are many reasons as to why AOL is one of the leading internet service providers. By clearly gathering and evaluating these reasons, it is obvious they have made all the right choices in building a successful company. AOL started in the eighties when personal computers were just put on the market. Stephen Case founded the company which was known then as Quantum Computer Services, in 1985. (Shelly, 2001) It was located in Dulles, Virginia. Originally the purpose of the company was to sell limited online service to PC users, as opposed to now where there is unlimited service. Slowly but surely Quantum started providing more services and eventually changed its name to American Online in 1991. By 1994 AOL had 1,000,000 members and had bought Redgate Communications, NaviSoft, BookLink Technologies, and ANS. (Who We Are, 2001) Similarly in 1996 AOL had set up in France, United Kingdom, and Canada, with plans to be in Japan. Now with more than seven million members, a deal is reached for unlimited use per month for $19.95. For the last four years the business has grown into a giant corporation. As of this year AOL has exceeded 31 million members and merged with Time Warner. (WWA, 2001) With this many members, it shows AOL must have an outstanding internet service. Since AOL is so commonly used, its website must be easy, convenient, and informative. The site contains a lot of information including entertainment, health, news, sports, and much more. Chat has become widely popular on the internet, allowing people from around the world to talk. It has been recorded that 56 million hours are used up a month in AOL chat rooms. (WWA, 2001) In addition to chat, news is taken from the television, radio, and newspapers to be posted on the web. There is also a section for kids where they can chat, look for help on homework, and go to other children websites.

South African Apartheid Essay -- South Africa Apartheid Essays

Have you ever wondered how it would feel to be considered inferior because of your race? The people of South Africa had to endure racial inferiority during the era of apartheid. The apartheid laws the government of South Africa made led to an unequal lifestyle for the blacks and produced opposition. South Africa really began to suffer when apartheid was written into the law. Apartheid was first introduced in the 1948 election that the Afrikaner National Party won. The plan was to take the already existing segregation and expand it (Wright, 60). Apartheid was a system that segregated South Africa’s population racially and considered non-whites inferior (â€Å"History of South Africa in the apartheid era†). Apartheid was designed to make it legal for Europeans to dominate economics and politics (â€Å"History of South Africa in the apartheid era†). Apartheid consisted of a set of unequal laws that favored the whites (â€Å"History of South Africa in the apartheid era†). The Race Classification Act, which divided everyone into four race groups, whites, blacks, coloreds, and Indians were the first of many major laws (Evans, 8). Hundreds of thousands of black South Africans were forced to leave their homes and move into special reservations called â€Å"homelands† or Bantustans that were set up for them (Evans, 8). There were twenty-three million blacks and they were divided into nine tribal groups, Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, North and South Sotho, Venda, Tsonga, Swansi, and South Ndebele, and each group were moved into a separate homeland (Evans, 8). Another major law was the Groups Area Act, which secluded the twenty-three million blacks to 14 percent of land, leaving 86 percent of the land for the 4.8 million (Evans, 9). Under apartheid laws a minority ... ...rry their pass books (â€Å"Black’s resistance to Apartheid†). â€Å"During 1980 there were 304 major incidents concerning struggle with apartheid including arrests, tear gas violence, stoning, and strikes (â€Å"Black’s resistance to Apartheid†). In 1986 violent conflict forced the government to assert a national state of emergency (Wright, 68). The Public Safety Act increased penalties such as fining, imprisonment, and whippings for protesting the law (â€Å"History of South Africa in the apartheid era†). Finally in 1990 De Klerk, president of South Africa unbanned the ANC (‘History of South Africa in the apartheid era†). In 1994 the first free multiracial elections were held and the people voted to end apartheid (â€Å"History of South Africa in the apartheid era†). Nelson Mandela was elected president (Wright, 66). The opposition to apartheid helped turn things around in South Africa.

Year Round School Persuasive Essay

Imagine a way where your children could be relieved of their stress that they gain throughout the year, be given more breaks and not lose any knowledge over the summer! By going to the year round school system your children can achieve all of these things and also make higher test scores! It is better to have year round school as opposed to tradition school because when having year round school schools take more frequent breaks throughout the year.These more frequent breaks cause kids to have less stress and without the huge summer break you are not losing the knowledge that you have already learned throughout the year. By going to the year round school system there is no longer the long three-month summer break. However without the summer break it allows for schools to make for more frequent, weeklong, breaks throughout the year. Some schools, instead of taking breaks throughout the year, only go to school for three or four days a week to even out the time that summer break had give n kids before.Having a traditional school year and less school per week will cause kids to have less stress that everyday school brings to them now. The stress level from kids now going through a traditional school year is at an all time high. The stress levels of children would drop if there were more frequent breaks throughout the year or if the students only had to go to school for 3 to 4 days a week. In traditional schools where you have a three-month long summer break children lose the knowledge that they have gained throughout the year over that period with no learning.In schools throughout the nation that have a yearlong school program the test scores and grades of those students are significantly higher than those in a traditional school system. When going into a year round school system you are not having any lengthy time off from learning so you are not losing any knowledge that you already have gained. It is better to have year round school as opposed to tradition school because when having year round school schools take more frequent breaks throughout the year.These more frequent breaks cause kids to have less stress and without the huge summer break you are not losing the knowledge that you have already learned throughout the year. Imagine a way where your children could be relieved of their stress that they gain throughout the year, be given more breaks and not lose any knowledge over the summer! By going to the year round school system your children can achieve all of these things and also make higher test scores!

Helping the Environment Essay

Trees are very important to humans. As part of the environment, we must. More and more trees are being cut to sustain the needs for products such as paper. Making small ways to help the environment is important to make a difference. As a hypothesis, I presume that preventing the use of paper towels and napkins that are made from trees can help the environment. The use of cloth as napkins paper instead of those made of paper at homes, restaurants and other places have significant contributions to the demand of paper products. Paper towels and napkins are disposable products made of paper. It serves the same general purposes as conventional towels, such as drying hands, wiping windows and dusting. However, cloth and rugs and ordinary towels can serve the same purpose. It is also more durable. It will wiser to use cloth instead of paper napkins since it is cheaper to use because cloth can be washed and used again. . If you replace the majority of paper towels and napkins with cloth rags or cloth napkins, the savings to the environment are tangible. The average cost of paper towels is about anywhere from 1. 00 to 2. 25 per roll depending on the brand. The demand for paper products such as napkins has a huge impact on the amount of trees being cut. According to the Law of Supply and Demand, as the demand increases the corresponding supply must be produced. It implies that, as the demand for paper towels and napkins increases, more trees are more likely to be cut down in order to address. I would say I use at least 4 roles of paper towels a week with approx. 100 sheets a roll and its 2 ply sheets which is just a stronger type of paper towel. In order to contribute something to the environment, one should avoid using paper products like paper towels and napkins. Instead of disposable napkins, use a handkerchief. A campaign for not using such products can also have significant effects on the number of trees to be cut. In conclusion, even in small things we can contribute big changes to help the problems in the environment. We should all be aware of the consequences of our daily consumption. REFERENCES: Tsien, Tsuen-Hsuin, ‘†Paper and Printing,† vol. 5 part 1 of Needham, Joseph Science and Civilization in China:. Cambridge University Press, 1986.

Angels Demons Chapter 9-12

9 The corpse on the floor before Langdon was hideous. The late Leonardo Vetra lay on his back, stripped naked, his skin bluish-gray. His neck bones were jutting out where they had been broken, and his head was twisted completely backward, pointing the wrong way. His face was out of view, pressed against the floor. The man lay in a frozen puddle of his own urine, the hair around his shriveled genitals spidered with frost. Fighting a wave of nausea, Langdon let his eyes fall to the victim's chest. Although Langdon had stared at the symmetrical wound a dozen times on the fax, the burn was infinitely more commanding in real life. The raised, broiled flesh was perfectly delineated†¦ the symbol flawlessly formed. Langdon wondered if the intense chill now raking through his body was the air-conditioning or his utter amazement with the significance of what he was now staring at. Angels & Demons His heart pounded as he circled the body, reading the word upside down, reaffirming the genius of the symmetry. The symbol seemed even less conceivable now that he was staring at it. â€Å"Mr. Langdon?† Langdon did not hear. He was in another world†¦ his world, his element, a world where history, myth, and fact collided, flooding his senses. The gears turned. â€Å"Mr. Langdon?† Kohler's eyes probed expectantly. Langdon did not look up. His disposition now intensified, his focus total. â€Å"How much do you already know?† â€Å"Only what I had time to read on your website. The word Illuminati means ‘the enlightened ones.' It is the name of some sort of ancient brotherhood.† Langdon nodded. â€Å"Had you heard the name before?† â€Å"Not until I saw it branded on Mr. Vetra.† â€Å"So you ran a web search for it?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And the word returned hundreds of references, no doubt.† â€Å"Thousands,† Kohler said. â€Å"Yours, however, contained references to Harvard, Oxford, a reputable publisher, as well as a list of related publications. As a scientist I have come to learn that information is only as valuable as its source. Your credentials seemed authentic.† Langdon's eyes were still riveted on the body. Kohler said nothing more. He simply stared, apparently waiting for Langdon to shed some light on the scene before them. Langdon looked up, glancing around the frozen flat. â€Å"Perhaps we should discuss this in a warmer place?† â€Å"This room is fine.† Kohler seemed oblivious to the cold. â€Å"We'll talk here.† Langdon frowned. The Illuminati history was by no means a simple one. I'll freeze to death trying to explain it. He gazed again at the brand, feeling a renewed sense of awe. Although accounts of the Illuminati emblem were legendary in modern symbology, no academic had ever actually seen it. Ancient documents described the symbol as an ambigram – ambi meaning â€Å"both† – signifying it was legible both ways. And although ambigrams were common in symbology – swastikas, yin yang, Jewish stars, simple crosses – the idea that a word could be crafted into an ambigram seemed utterly impossible. Modern symbologists had tried for years to forge the word â€Å"Illuminati† into a perfectly symmetrical style, but they had failed miserably. Most academics had now decided the symbol's existence was a myth. â€Å"So who are the Illuminati?† Kohler demanded. Yes, Langdon thought, who indeed? He began his tale. â€Å"Since the beginning of history,† Langdon explained, â€Å"a deep rift has existed between science and religion. Outspoken scientists like Copernicus – â€Å" â€Å"Were murdered,† Kohler interjected. â€Å"Murdered by the church for revealing scientific truths. Religion has always persecuted science.† â€Å"Yes. But in the 1500s, a group of men in Rome fought back against the church. Some of Italy's most enlightened men – physicists, mathematicians, astronomers – began meeting secretly to share their concerns about the church's inaccurate teachings. They feared that the church's monopoly on ‘truth' threatened academic enlightenment around the world. They founded the world's first scientific think tank, calling themselves ‘the enlightened ones.' â€Å" â€Å"The Illuminati.† â€Å"Yes,† Langdon said. â€Å"Europe's most learned minds†¦ dedicated to the quest for scientific truth.† Kohler fell silent. â€Å"Of course, the Illuminati were hunted ruthlessly by the Catholic Church. Only through rites of extreme secrecy did the scientists remain safe. Word spread through the academic underground, and the Illuminati brotherhood grew to include academics from all over Europe. The scientists met regularly in Rome at an ultrasecret lair they called the Church of Illumination.† Kohler coughed and shifted in his chair. â€Å"Many of the Illuminati,† Langdon continued, â€Å"wanted to combat the church's tyranny with acts of violence, but their most revered member persuaded them against it. He was a pacifist, as well as one of history's most famous scientists.† Langdon was certain Kohler would recognize the name. Even nonscientists were familiar with the ill-fated astronomer who had been arrested and almost executed by the church for proclaiming that the sun, and not the earth, was the center of the solar system. Although his data were incontrovertible, the astronomer was severely punished for implying that God had placed mankind somewhere other than at the center of His universe. â€Å"His name was Galileo Galilei,† Langdon said. Kohler looked up. â€Å"Galileo?† â€Å"Yes. Galileo was an Illuminatus. And he was also a devout Catholic. He tried to soften the church's position on science by proclaiming that science did not undermine the existence of God, but rather reinforced it. He wrote once that when he looked through his telescope at the spinning planets, he could hear God's voice in the music of the spheres. He held that science and religion were not enemies, but rather allies – two different languages telling the same story, a story of symmetry and balance†¦ heaven and hell, night and day, hot and cold, God and Satan. Both science and religion rejoiced in God's symmetry†¦ the endless contest of light and dark.† Langdon paused, stamping his feet to stay warm. Kohler simply sat in his wheelchair and stared. â€Å"Unfortunately,† Langdon added, â€Å"the unification of science and religion was not what the church wanted.† â€Å"Of course not,† Kohler interrupted. â€Å"The union would have nullified the church's claim as the sole vessel through which man could understand God. So the church tried Galileo as a heretic, found him guilty, and put him under permanent house arrest. I am quite aware of scientific history, Mr. Langdon. But this was all centuries ago. What does it have to do with Leonardo Vetra?† The million dollar question. Langdon cut to the chase. â€Å"Galileo's arrest threw the Illuminati into upheaval. Mistakes were made, and the church discovered the identities of four members, whom they captured and interrogated. But the four scientists revealed nothing†¦ even under torture.† â€Å"Torture?† Langdon nodded. â€Å"They were branded alive. On the chest. With the symbol of a cross.† Kohler's eyes widened, and he shot an uneasy glance at Vetra's body. â€Å"Then the scientists were brutally murdered, their dead bodies dropped in the streets of Rome as a warning to others thinking of joining the Illuminati. With the church closing in, the remaining Illuminati fled Italy.† Langdon paused to make his point. He looked directly into Kohler's dead eyes. â€Å"The Illuminati went deep underground, where they began mixing with other refugee groups fleeing the Catholic purges – mystics, alchemists, occultists, Muslims, Jews. Over the years, the Illuminati began absorbing new members. A new Illuminati emerged. A darker Illuminati. A deeply anti-Christian Illuminati. They grew very powerful, employing mysterious rites, deadly secrecy, vowing someday to rise again and take revenge on the Catholic Church. Their power grew to the point where the church considered them the single most dangerous anti-Christian force on earth. The Vatican denounced the brotherhood as Shaitan.† â€Å"Shaitan?† â€Å"It's Islamic. It means ‘adversary'†¦ God's adversary. The church chose Islam for the name because it was a language they considered dirty.† Langdon hesitated. â€Å"Shaitan is the root of an English word†¦Satan.† An uneasiness crossed Kohler's face. Langdon's voice was grim. â€Å"Mr. Kohler, I do not know how this marking appeared on this man's chest†¦ or why†¦ but you are looking at the long-lost symbol of the world's oldest and most powerful satanic cult.† 10 The alley was narrow and deserted. The Hassassin strode quickly now, his black eyes filling with anticipation. As he approached his destination, Janus's parting words echoed in his mind. Phase two begins shortly. Get some rest. The Hassassin smirked. He had been awake all night, but sleep was the last thing on his mind. Sleep was for the weak. He was a warrior like his ancestors before him, and his people never slept once a battle had begun. This battle had most definitely begun, and he had been given the honor of spilling first blood. Now he had two hours to celebrate his glory before going back to work. Sleep? There are far better ways to relax†¦ An appetite for hedonistic pleasure was something bred into him by his ancestors. His ascendants had indulged in hashish, but he preferred a different kind of gratification. He took pride in his body – a well-tuned, lethal machine, which, despite his heritage, he refused to pollute with narcotics. He had developed a more nourishing addiction than drugs†¦ a far more healthy and satisfying reward. Feeling a familiar anticipation swelling within him, the Hassassin moved faster down the alley. He arrived at the nondescript door and rang the bell. A view slit in the door opened, and two soft brown eyes studied him appraisingly. Then the door swung open. â€Å"Welcome,† the well-dressed woman said. She ushered him into an impeccably furnished sitting room where the lights were low. The air was laced with expensive perfume and musk. â€Å"Whenever you are ready.† She handed him a book of photographs. â€Å"Ring me when you have made your choice.† Then she disappeared. The Hassassin smiled. As he sat on the plush divan and positioned the photo album on his lap, he felt a carnal hunger stir. Although his people did not celebrate Christmas, he imagined that this is what it must feel like to be a Christian child, sitting before a stack of Christmas presents, about to discover the miracles inside. He opened the album and examined the photos. A lifetime of sexual fantasies stared back at him. Marisa. An Italian goddess. Fiery. A young Sophia Loren. Sachiko. A Japanese geisha. Lithe. No doubt skilled. Kanara. A stunning black vision. Muscular. Exotic. He examined the entire album twice and made his choice. He pressed a button on the table beside him. A minute later the woman who had greeted him reappeared. He indicated his selection. She smiled. â€Å"Follow me.† After handling the financial arrangements, the woman made a hushed phone call. She waited a few minutes and then led him up a winding marble staircase to a luxurious hallway. â€Å"It's the gold door on the end,† she said. â€Å"You have expensive taste.† I should, he thought. I am a connoisseur. The Hassassin padded the length of the hallway like a panther anticipating a long overdue meal. When he reached the doorway he smiled to himself. It was already ajar†¦ welcoming him in. He pushed, and the door swung noiselessly open. When he saw his selection, he knew he had chosen well. She was exactly as he had requested†¦ nude, lying on her back, her arms tied to the bedposts with thick velvet cords. He crossed the room and ran a dark finger across her ivory abdomen. I killed last night, he thought. You are my reward. 11 â€Å"Satanic?† Kohler wiped his mouth and shifted uncomfortably. â€Å"This is the symbol of a satanic cult?† Langdon paced the frozen room to keep warm. â€Å"The Illuminati were satanic. But not in the modern sense.† Langdon quickly explained how most people pictured satanic cults as devil-worshiping fiends, and yet Satanists historically were educated men who stood as adversaries to the church. Shaitan. The rumors of satanic black-magic animal sacrifices and the pentagram ritual were nothing but lies spread by the church as a smear campaign against their adversaries. Over time, opponents of the church, wanting to emulate the Illuminati, began believing the lies and acting them out. Thus, modern Satanism was born. Kohler grunted abruptly. â€Å"This is all ancient history. I want to know how this symbol got here.† Langdon took a deep breath. â€Å"The symbol itself was created by an anonymous sixteenth-century Illuminati artist as a tribute to Galileo's love of symmetry – a kind of sacred Illuminati logo. The brotherhood kept the design secret, allegedly planning to reveal it only when they had amassed enough power to resurface and carry out their final goal.† Kohler looked unsettled. â€Å"So this symbol means the Illuminati brotherhood is resurfacing?† Langdon frowned. â€Å"That would be impossible. There is one chapter of Illuminati history that I have not yet explained.† Kohler's voice intensified. â€Å"Enlighten me.† Langdon rubbed his palms together, mentally sorting through the hundreds of documents he'd read or written on the Illuminati. â€Å"The Illuminati were survivors,† he explained. â€Å"When they fled Rome, they traveled across Europe looking for a safe place to regroup. They were taken in by another secret society†¦ a brotherhood of wealthy Bavarian stone craftsmen called the Freemasons.† Kohler looked startled. â€Å"The Masons?† Langdon nodded, not at all surprised that Kohler had heard of the group. The brotherhood of the Masons currently had over five million members worldwide, half of them residing in the United States, and over one million of them in Europe. â€Å"Certainly the Masons are not satanic,† Kohler declared, sounding suddenly skeptical. â€Å"Absolutely not. The Masons fell victim of their own benevolence. After harboring the fleeing scientists in the 1700s, the Masons unknowingly became a front for the Illuminati. The Illuminati grew within their ranks, gradually taking over positions of power within the lodges. They quietly reestablished their scientific brotherhood deep within the Masons – a kind of secret society within a secret society. Then the Illuminati used the worldwide connection of Masonic lodges to spread their influence.† Langdon drew a cold breath before racing on. â€Å"Obliteration of Catholicism was the Illuminati's central covenant. The brotherhood held that the superstitious dogma spewed forth by the church was mankind's greatest enemy. They feared that if religion continued to promote pious myth as absolute fact, scientific progress would halt, and mankind would be doomed to an ignorant future of senseless holy wars.† â€Å"Much like we see today.† Langdon frowned. Kohler was right. Holy wars were still making headlines. My God is better than your God. It seemed there was always close correlation between true believers and high body counts. â€Å"Go on,† Kohler said. Langdon gathered his thoughts and continued. â€Å"The Illuminati grew more powerful in Europe and set their sights on America, a fledgling government many of whose leaders were Masons – George Washington, Ben Franklin – honest, God-fearing men who were unaware of the Illuminati stronghold on the Masons. The Illuminati took advantage of the infiltration and helped found banks, universities, and industry to finance their ultimate quest.† Langdon paused. â€Å"The creation of a single unified world state – a kind of secular New World Order.† Kohler did not move. â€Å"A New World Order,† Langdon repeated, â€Å"based on scientific enlightenment. They called it their Luciferian Doctrine. The church claimed Lucifer was a reference to the devil, but the brotherhood insisted Lucifer was intended in its literal Latin meaning – bringer of light. Or Illuminator.† Kohler sighed, and his voice grew suddenly solemn. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, please sit down.† Langdon sat tentatively on a frost-covered chair. Kohler moved his wheelchair closer. â€Å"I am not sure I understand everything you have just told me, but I do understand this. Leonardo Vetra was one of CERN's greatest assets. He was also a friend. I need you to help me locate the Illuminati.† Langdon didn't know how to respond. â€Å"Locate the Illuminati?† He's kidding, right? â€Å"I'm afraid, sir, that will be utterly impossible.† Kohler's brow creased. â€Å"What do you mean? You won't – â€Å" â€Å"Mr. Kohler.† Langdon leaned toward his host, uncertain how to make him understand what he was about to say. â€Å"I did not finish my story. Despite appearances, it is extremely unlikely that this brand was put here by the Illuminati. There has been no evidence of their existence for over half a century, and most scholars agree the Illuminati have been defunct for many years.† The words hit silence. Kohler stared through the fog with a look somewhere between stupefaction and anger. â€Å"How the hell can you tell me this group is extinct when their name is seared into this man!† Langdon had been asking himself that question all morning. The appearance of the Illuminati ambigram was astonishing. Symbologists worldwide would be dazzled. And yet, the academic in Langdon understood that the brand's reemergence proved absolutely nothing about the Illuminati. â€Å"Symbols,† Langdon said, â€Å"in no way confirm the presence of their original creators.† â€Å"What is that supposed to mean?† â€Å"It means that when organized philosophies like the Illuminati go out of existence, their symbols remain†¦ available for adoption by other groups. It's called transference. It's very common in symbology. The Nazis took the swastika from the Hindus, the Christians adopted the cruciform from the Egyptians, the – â€Å" â€Å"This morning,† Kohler challenged, â€Å"when I typed the word ‘Illuminati' into the computer, it returned thousands of current references. Apparently a lot of people think this group is still active.† â€Å"Conspiracy buffs,† Langdon replied. He had always been annoyed by the plethora of conspiracy theories that circulated in modern pop culture. The media craved apocalyptic headlines, and self-proclaimed â€Å"cult specialists† were still cashing in on millennium hype with fabricated stories that the Illuminati were alive and well and organizing their New World Order. Recently the New York Times had reported the eerie Masonic ties of countless famous men – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the Duke of Kent, Peter Sellers, Irving Berlin, Prince Philip, Louis Armstrong, as well as a pantheon of well-known modern-day industrialists and banking magnates. Kohler pointed angrily at Vetra's body. â€Å"Considering the evidence, I would say perhaps the conspiracy buffs are correct.† â€Å"I realize how it appears,† Langdon said as diplomatically as he could. â€Å"And yet a far more plausible explanation is that some other organization has taken control of the Illuminati brand and is using it for their own purposes.† â€Å"What purposes? What does this murder prove?† Good question, Langdon thought. He also was having trouble imagining where anyone could have turned up the Illuminati brand after 400 years. â€Å"All I can tell you is that even if the Illuminati were still active today, which I am virtually positive they are not, they would never be involved in Leonardo Vetra's death.† â€Å"No?† â€Å"No. The Illuminati may have believed in the abolition of Christianity, but they wielded their power through political and financial means, not through terrorists acts. Furthermore, the Illuminati had a strict code of morality regarding who they saw as enemies. They held men of science in the highest regard. There is no way they would have murdered a fellow scientist like Leonardo Vetra.† Kohler's eyes turned to ice. â€Å"Perhaps I failed to mention that Leonardo Vetra was anything but an ordinary scientist.† Langdon exhaled patiently. â€Å"Mr. Kohler, I'm sure Leonardo Vetra was brilliant in many ways, but the fact remains – â€Å" Without warning, Kohler spun in his wheelchair and accelerated out of the living room, leaving a wake of swirling mist as he disappeared down a hallway. For the love of God, Langdon groaned. He followed. Kohler was waiting for him in a small alcove at the end of the hallway. â€Å"This is Leonardo's study,† Kohler said, motioning to the sliding door. â€Å"Perhaps when you see it you'll understand things differently.† With an awkward grunt, Kohler heaved, and the door slid open. Langdon peered into the study and immediately felt his skin crawl. Holy mother of Jesus, he said to himself. 12 In another country, a young guard sat patiently before an expansive bank of video monitors. He watched as images flashed before him – live feeds from hundreds of wireless video cameras that surveyed the sprawling complex. The images went by in an endless procession. An ornate hallway. A private office. An industrial-size kitchen. As the pictures went by, the guard fought off a daydream. He was nearing the end of his shift, and yet he was still vigilant. Service was an honor. Someday he would be granted his ultimate reward. As his thoughts drifted, an image before him registered alarm. Suddenly, with a reflexive jerk that startled even himself, his hand shot out and hit a button on the control panel. The picture before him froze. His nerves tingling, he leaned toward the screen for a closer look. The reading on the monitor told him the image was being transmitted from camera #86 – a camera that was supposed to be overlooking a hallway. But the image before him was most definitely not a hallway.