Samsung Company Analysis

Introduction Samsung Electronics is one of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers; Samsung Electronics is also South Korea's top electronics company. It makes many kinds of consumer devices, including DVD players, digital TVs, and digital still cameras; computers, color monitors, LCD panels, and printers; semiconductors such as DRAMs, static RAMs, flash memory, and display drivers; and communications devices ranging from wireless handsets and smart phones to networking gear. The company, which is the flagship member of Samsung Group, also makes microwave ovens, refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines.Nearly half of sales come from the Asia/Pacific region. Top industries for Samsung Electronics Co. are memory chip and module manufacturing, communications chip manufacturing, wireless telephone handset manufacturing. ? Samsung is no longer the company that it used to be, it is a company that has put in a lot effort and money for changing its reputation. Today, Sam sung is striving and growing into one of the most successful companies ever. It has an extensive product line that caters to many different people. It no longer operates on low profits; it’s striving on the highest.Sales Preparation MarketValue160834. 8asof 2012-11-09 FiscalYear-EndDec 2011 Sales (mil)104,155. 453 2011 Employees101,970 EmployeeGrowthPercent6. 6% Assets (mil)101,260. 188 NetIncomeGrowthPercent-25. 94% SalesGrowthPercent5. 2% Income Statement201120102009 Revenue$104,155. 454$99,004. 037$77,007. 137 GrossProfit$26,216. 298$30,225. 083$18,331. 443 OperatingIncome$10,088. 036$13,163. 092$5,445. 767 NetIncome$8,646. 132$11,674. 559$8,277. 33 Diluted EPS$28. 8$39. 04$27. 96 SWOT analysis A good SWOT analysis can help the company and competitors place themselves in the market wisely.Therefore, let us look at the SWOT Analysis of Samsung to give an idea of how the company is operating in the world. Strengths †¢ Samsung has a wide product range, which allows them to grab ample market share from various markets. This allows Samsung to not only earn a high return but it also allows them to diversify their risk and failure †¢ According to many magazines, Samsung holds a significant portion of the market share in nearly all its products. †¢ Samsung is a reputed name and many people are familiar with it around the world. †¢ Samsung has won many awards on its high quality products. Samsung has the ability and resources to use the latest technology and offer new and exciting features frequently. †¢ Samsung has won many awards due to its ability to make innovative, sleek and slim products †¢ Samsung has set up many production plants in low cost locations, thus they save on cost of production significantly. †¢ Samsung recently has attracted ample positive press, thus its reputation continues to grow and has a positive impact on the operations of the company. Weaknesses †¢ Samsung never introduces a new design on its own, it always waits to attack it’s competitors.Thus, it missed the first mover advantages. †¢ Samsung does not charge high price for its products, therefore often people relate the low price to begin a supplier of low quality products. General perception supports that the higher the price, the higher the quality of products. †¢ Many Samsung products are not user friendly, therefore consumer often hesitate to switch to Samsung products even if the price and quality is exceptional. †¢ Samsung does not focus on a specific niche; it offers its products to the mass market only. Samsung does not create its own software therefore it often relies on other sources to complete the products. †¢ Samsung faces immense competition from new companies and online companies. †¢ High set up and operation cost for such a company. Opportunities †¢ Samsung should make an active effort to offer unique products to customers, in order to grab more market share. †¢ Samsung could start creating software’s for their hardware devices and reduce outsourcing. †¢ Samsung could launch sub brands to the company, with new and improved strategies. †¢ Samsung could launch in countries to tap the needs of consumers. Samsung could open more stores to serve more customers. †¢ Samsung could make an effort to launch creative products first, rather than after its competitors. †¢ Samsung could increase its product variation in its products. †¢ Samsung should participate in product development and attract more customers. It should also consider participating in various events to attract attention. †¢ Samsung could offer additional services to retain existing customers and attract new ones. †¢ Increase in the need for mobile phones, Samsung could exploit this need well.Threats †¢ Samsung has linked product lines, which means that if one product line fails due to its own reasons other product lines will also suffer. †¢ Samsung is very scattered; it controls and operates different products while its competitors use their resources and effort on one segment only. Diversification takes a lot of effort and attention. †¢ Samsung has set up production plants in low cost areas, which are subject to ample political and economic instability. These instabilities can have an impact overall company it the crisis gets unmanageable. Samsung is facing threats from many other low cost companies. †¢ Various companies have realized the importance of advertising, therefore Samsung will be subject to a lot more competition as advertising creates and draws attention of consumers. †¢ Countries all over the world are experiencing a high cost due to high inflation rates in most locations. †¢ Many government legislations are now active against the innovative technology due to health and mental concerns. Samsung vs. others On the Kazakhstani market Samsung has various competitors as LG and Sony. All three companies are strong, despite Samsung takes almost a half of market share. Still Samsung has lots of thing to work on here, in Kazakhstan. I have made an analysis of all three web sites of Samsung, LG and Sony, compared them and indicated Samsung’s weak sides. Samsung. com/kz Samsung doesn’t have a local web site in Kazakhstan. While entering it for the first time system asks to indicate your location. When choose Kazakhstan, Russian language is chosen by default. It is also worth to mention that in Kazakhstani version of website Russian is the only language, Kazakh is not represented.Generally web site is not very easy to use, even though most of major stuff represented on the main page. The problem is that in order to find an item customer is really has to search for it, using all these tabs and vertical search. Customer cannot just browse web site without knowing what exactly he wants. The main page represents new Samsung products as Samsung Galaxy Note II , Smart TV sets, etc. After clicking on the product you’d like to buy it immediately redirects you to product’s profile page where presented all the information about it, including Store Locator.The problem with this locator that it works only in huge cities, engine does not allow to narrow search to smaller towns or districts. So, for example, if I live in Almaty and I want to buy smartphone, web-site will give the list of all distributors located in Almaty, not the nearest to me. Also, it doesn’t show the prices and discount that different distributors have. Instead they offer to call them by ourselves. The possible reason to this is security issues that require lot of financial investments.Also profile page contains the feature called â€Å"Compare with other devices† where you can choose up to 5 devices and compare it in terms of technical characteristics. But this is all that Samsung offers as pre-order feature. They do not have any video review of p roducts, 3D models of them, panoramic photos and many other things that could possibly engage them with new customers. Samsung actively works on creating local brand communities as on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. With help of those communities they try to engage together all Samsung current and possible customers.Another option that web-site introduces is collaboration with KupiKipon company, which provides coupons and discounts on selected Samsung production. To become a participant, customers, firstly, have to enter into Samsung Premium Club, only then all features as KupiKupon will be available, as well as many other options like discounts for AirAstana, service of Toyota service Center, etc. Sony. kz Web site of Sony has Kazakhstani domain and as well as Samsung’s web site, it has not got any possibility of changing language to Kazakh or English. Web site is also quite easy to use, I would say much easier than Samsung’s.When customer wishes to buy something every step is structured and clear, so search engine is well organized and works nice: 1. He has to define what exactly he wants to buy. Whether it is TV or Walkman 2. He is given a list of different series of different price categories. He has to make another choice. 3. Then system provides him with a list of all, for example, Walkmans of specified prices and year of production. Price is also included but in rubles, not in tenge. The feature of comparison of different phones and cameras also presented on this web site.Sony also does not have feature of buying online and store locator, no list of distributors and anything that could somehow get interest of Kazakhstani customers, seems like the web site is made for Russian customers with domain name . kz. Sony runs technical and customer support program that allows Sony production owners to upgrade, fix their gadget almost for free. They have created various brand communities in different social network in order to gather together their o ld and new customers, organize contests and actions. LG. kzThe web site of LG is pretty similar to Sony’s, especially in terms of search engine: it is very easy to use it. First of all the structure of site is very different from previous two: it all compact and arranged from left to right, so we do not have to scroll page up and down. The main page is divided on three parts: left, central and right. The first ad the last never changes, like a banner ad, they represent the list of production, vertical search and news and actions respectively. The central part is the most active, like a working are, where customer can look through products he chose, compare them and make a final decision.But in comparison to Sony and Samsung only limited line of production is presented on their web site – only latest models. As LG has a domain name . kz, still default language is Russian and no possibility to change if to any other, only if change the location. Also as two previous web sites, LG does not have an option of buying production online (direct distribution). As it was mentioned earlier, this option might not be used because of very high financial expenses. So web site has only one direct task – to introduce new production to public. As well as Sony, LG has not got any information about it distributors or shops.LG works a lot on CRM: they create brand communities on different social networks, provide customers with free OS upgrades and free application for their phones, microsite for SMART TV owners. Also they were the only who presented option for slow Internet connection, possibly aware of bad Internet in Kazakhstan. Customer relationship management (CRM) We are looking on internet strategy of Samsung Company. So, CRM in this case should not only manage a company’s interactions with customers, clients, and sales prospects, but also use technology, internet to organize, and synchronize business processes.The goal is to find new clients, an d safe those which company already have. Looking on the brochure that we received from representative of Samsung in KIMEP, we can make conclusion that now we know some characteristics of described printers, but nothing where to buy it. So, customer have to do it own research, to find where he could buy a product in which he is interested. Moreover, the lady that was representative is just from event agency. She cannot tell anything about the product in which students were interested, but which were not presented on the stand and material she learned.This small research showed us how it is hard for customers find the shop were to buy the product they need. For sure it is cheaper to pay once lady from the agency for representing the material, rather than open department dealing with this. But, we thing department will be more productive, because they can answer on more questions, than just learned. Or not spending more money lady-representative can refer to the site, where customer ca n find more information about interested product. Also, site should be written on the brochure. RecommendationsWhile researching Samsung site, we found that company does not represent online shopping or delivery services as all sales go trough distributors and Samsung don’t interfere into contact between customers and dealers. Samsung has no official shop in Almaty or any other cities of Kazakhstan. As we understood their main aim is dealing with promotions, PR, advertisement and publicity. In Kazakhstan many products that are resell by disturbers always have special additional price that have a huge difference between initial and final prices.It would be a good idea if Samsung on their site near the products placed their prices so customers will know at first hand the cost of the product. On the other hand it could cause discontent of distributor since clients choose negotiated price of other dealers or no profit will be gained. Samsung in advance can discus and find the opt imal additional price for distributors so both customers and dealers will be satisfied. Here is the situation; Customer is surfing Samsung site to find the product he or she liked and willing to by right away.Site provides all dealers addresses and contact numbers and this entire list is about50 shops around one city. Customer need to find on the Google maps of any other gadget where these shops located. While processing all the Almaty streets aspiration can go away and company loosing a potential client. We suggest directing present location of the customer and pick out top 5 closest shops to get product they like. No need for searching and finding out which store is right next to your location. This novation facilitates search and willing to own Samsung products.Any tracking for products creates a desire to possess and enjoy them. Samsung can create online delivery through dealers just right on their site. No potential customer is missed and no dealer left without profit. This abi lity gives a client to choose any dealer and store he liked and order the product without leaving home. Another convenient option would be listing all Samsung goods dealers have in the moment. It can ease life and prevent the buyer in the way there will be no need to have a long ride to the store and find out that good you need is out of stock.Very often happens the situation when a client came to buy a Samsung product but because it is out of stock shop assistance offer goods of other companies, which is detrimental for Samsung sales. The main aim of dealers is to make a potential customer buy and if there is no special product he or she needs they can easily find a substitute as the world of technology is extensive and easily replaceable. Process improvement What makes Samsung's potential customers to enter the site and search it further? Most important page on the whole website is main page. It makes client be interested in products company offer.In our previous group research of Samsung we found out that main page of the company is not attractive at all. Here are some solutions how to make it more catchy and favorable: 1. Customers should be informed with updated news or special offers the first thing. Samsung needs to update this information daily so buyers see that company is alive, it is operating ever day and care to hold customers on the site. 2. We noticed a very huge mistake of designers of the site that all pictures allocated are so not real and it’s hard to see how actual products look like.Nowadays, most of the sites that provide any selling activity make the goods look very realistic as if you are shopping in the mall and see the product, e. g. 3D pictures can create this visual effect. 3. Forum is also another important part of the web site as here customers can discuss their complaints, whether they like the product or they don't, get some new ideas to improve the site and marketing strategy. It brings benefit to both visitors and compa ny. Visitors can find for themselves the product that suits them the most, advantages and disadvantages, write critique, review and so on.Company gets new ideas, fix errors or mistakes, and see how people react to some updates of the goods system. 4. Our group has conducted an independent research about Samsung and LG companies to understand how these two companies maintain customer relationship management and meanwhile provide service for its customers. We have gone to one of the retail stores representatives of both Samsung and LG which is serving as distributor at the same time and pretended to be secret buyers. We were just like ordinary buyers who were interested in purchase.As the result, we created a list of statements and criteria that for our opinion are important when choosing an electronic company. In the table below we have rated them on the following criteria and identified to what extend do we agree with the following statements about Samsung and LG customer service re presentative. SamsungLG GoodAveragePoorGoodAveragePoor Selection of productsVV Quality of productVV Price of productVV AdvertisementVV Recommendation of friends and relativesVV Store layoutVV Guarantees/WarrantiesVV Online shop VV Convenient LocationVV Brand name recognitionVV Service CenterVVAgreeNeutralDisagreeAgreeNeutralDisagree The staff is friendlyVV The staff is patientVV The staff is politeVV The staff is responsiveVV The staff has listened carefullyVV The staff has sufficient product knowledgeVV Conclusion Samsung is well known company. We think that using our small research and recommendations this company will be closer to customers by itself, not just through retailers. Solutions about their web site will make company more attractive to customers. Finally, brief information about the company in the beginning of the paper will help reader to make clear understanding about company products and processes.

Experiment on Animal Should Be Stopped

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Policy Brief Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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Prince Hall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Statistics and Data Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

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Use of Information technology in education Essay

Use of Information technology in education - Essay Example The paper presents that there are several benefits that can be obtained from the use of Information technology in education presently. Generally, when we talk about IT we simply mean computers together with their networks; however, in this instance, we also mean some other technologies that help in moving information around from one region or place to another. While most academic institutions have their own systems and databases, there is a huge lake of linking these institutions which make it as islands of automation. This is because most of academic institutions often purchase systems to address its internal needs. Consequently, the academic institutions provide physical evidence of our achievements that everyone needs for further study or employment. Many academic institutions have always been in need of economical options for storing and maintaining information that might be essential or critical from a service viewpoint. Virtual vaults and even some other systems of security do not only store essential information but also enable control over the accessibility to such data. Adoption of IT security systems has appeared as the best and safest way as it helps in protecting virtual data from things such as wiping out or even hacking in the case of a technical hitch. However, even though IT has appeared as the best solution to problems that are related to the storage of information, we find that there are some instances that some illegal activities could emerge from these paper-based certificates; the paper is going to conceptualize these problems.... Now, we are going to focus on two illegal activities, which are forgery and identity fraud. 2.1.1 Forgery Forgery is a crime in which someone falsifies something with the intent to deceive. Unfortunately, the technology revolution makes creation of fake paper-based documents easier. In the present world, there are number of sites available on the Internet to issue fake degree certificates. It is a growing trade worldwide in counterfeit university degree certificates and academic transcripts, which in turn creates a potential damage to the universities and employment systems. In May 2004, an audit showed that around 463 employees in the federal government in the US had the fake academic degrees (Murthy, 2011). Forgery is defined in State v. Lutes,38 Wn.2d 475, 479, 230 P.2d 786 (1951), as "... the false making of an instrument, which purports on the face of it to be good and valid for the purposes for which it was created, with a design to defraud any person or persons....".( State v. Goranson,1965) 2.1.2 Identity fraud In some cases, while the paper-based certification is real, there is a potential illegal activity by using the right certification with the fake person. Identity fraud is described as: ‘That someone with malicious intent consciously creates the semblance of an identity that does not belong to him or her, using the identity of someone else or of a non-existing person’ (Koops and Leenes, 2006). Identity fraud could be described functionally: ‘Identity fraud arises when someone takes over a totally fictitious name or adopts the name of another person with or without their consent.’ (Koops and Leenes, 2006). The fraud triangle theory (How fraud is likely to occur) The fraud triangle theory was developed by Cressey (1973), a

(Choose the Topic) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

(Choose the Topic) - Essay Example Huxley is correct though when he comments that â€Å"the release of atomic energy marks a great revolution in human history† (Huxley, 1946, xi). When Huxley wrote Brave New World, nuclear energy had yet to be used in warfare. However, later in his foreword Huxley does mention of America’s use of nuclear bombs the year before in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Huxley was at least correct in saying that nuclear fission would change the way that wars are fought in the future, and this has proved to be the case. Huxley also predicted that the â€Å"politicians and generals of Europe consciously resisted the temptation to use their military resources to the limits of destructiveness or to go on fighting until the enemy was totally annihilated† (Huxley, 1946, xii). As World War II had just ended when Huxley was writing his foreword, he could not have predicted that the European Union would be formed. What Huxley did get right was that the horrors of the two world wars taught leaders and politicians to not get involved militarily. Since the end of World War II, many European nations have attempted to diffuse conflicts through negotiation and as such there have not been any major wars in Western Europe. Huxley also talked about the shifts in political and economic power that would occur in the future. â€Å"To deal with confusion, power has been centralized and government control increased† (Huxley, 1946, xiv). Over the last eighty years there has been increased centralization in the major economies of the world, and this has been facilitated through international trade. Trade unions have made the world smaller and also kept political and economic power in the hands of the few. To combat this, Huxley correctly surmises that â€Å"only a large-scale popular movement toward decentralization and self-help can arrest the present tendency toward statism† (Huxley, 1946, xiv). Perhaps Huxley underestimated the control that governments and

Critically evaluate the role of e-Business adoption models to assess Essay

Critically evaluate the role of e-Business adoption models to assess exisiting eBusiness capabilities of SMEs and make recommendations for future strategy and investment - Essay Example In the olden stages of business, the manufacturer used traditional methods of marketing with advertising in the print and electronic media (Shima & Varfan 2008). And traditional methods uses different channels of distribution such as â€Å"wholesalers and retailers† (Bernard et al. 2010). Thus it involves a huge cost of distribution. The functioning of the business based on the â€Å"Internet and web based technology† is termed as E-business (Andam 2003, p. 5). As the technology advances day by day, it is better to adopt these changes to be successful in the business sector in terms of production and marketing. E-business helps in marketing through reducing the advertisement cost by reaching out to the people â€Å"globally† through the internet by search engines such as Yahoo, Google etc (Chapter 1: Introduction to E-business and e-Commerce n.d.). Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have low man-power and low capital compared to large scale companies. Usually SMEs face difficulties at their initial stage of establishment. Since SMEs play a major role in the economic development of the country, a special â€Å"priority† has to be provided (The New SME Definition User Guide and Model Declaration 2005). Hence a study has to be made on the E-business model and the best among them can be adopted for the enhancement of SMEs. The cost of production and distribution is applicable to both large scale and small scale organizations. But the â€Å"SMEs† face more difficulties in raising funds as their amount of investment is very low (Promoting Entrepreneurship and Innovative SMEs in a Global Economy: Towards a More Responsible and Inclusive Globalisation 2004). At present the big and branded companies use â€Å"online marketing† as a selling method, which reduces their huge marketing cost (Eriksen & Hemmingsen n.d.). This technique can be also used by the SMEs. It involves the â€Å"electronic transactions† between a company and the third party (Myers, Fletcher & Gordon

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Underground Railroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Underground Railroad - Essay Example These were groups that were against slavery and they felt that there was a need to come up with more effective measures to end this vice. The idea was actualized in 1838 with a well organized Underground Railroad having been developed. Robert Purvis was on the helm of this idea. Through the directions that were provided by the agents, thousands of slaves were able to escape from their masters. These Underground Railroads composed of mainly the back roads, swamps, caves, forest, rivers, etc. These well developed routes made it hard for the masters to recapture the escapees. As a result, many masters felt that there was no need to purchase more slaves only for them to escape using these well developed networks. Therefore, the notion that slave-trade was a loss making business played a significant role in reducing the magnitude of the trade (Peterson 35). The reason is that the demand for slaves reduced drastically after thousands of slaves escaped from their masters.The Underground Rai lroad actualized the campaign by the abolitionist that slave trade was immoral. Slaves who used these routes were put in safe places such as homes and churches where they could eat before embarking on the journey to freedom to as far as Canada. This aspect encouraged many slaves to attempt to escape, an aspect that made it hard for the masters to keep these slaves in their farms. This increased the interests of the masters towards paid labor or the use of machineries which were more predictable.

Comparison of Toc vs Lean Essay Example for Free

Comparison of Toc vs Lean Essay Even though each improvement methodology contributes valuable concepts, ideas and techniques to every organization not all of them serve to the needs of organization if leadership doesn’t actively involve to the efforts of the improvement teams. Theory of Constraints (TOC) At his book Goldratt (2004) defines the primary goal as to make money. This can be achieved by simply identifying and eliminating the constraints that limits the output of the entire system. As a result of the organizational change, he aims to see an increase on throughput and decrease on operational expense and inventory. Theory of constraints (TOC) is based on the premise that the rate of goal achievement is limited by at least one constraining process. Only by increasing flow through the constraint can overall throughput be increased where throughput is the rate at which the system generates money through sales. Inventory is all the money that the system has invested in purchasing things which it intends to sell. Operational expense is all the money the system spends in order to turn inventory into throughput. He recommends a five step process: 1. Identify the constraint. 2. Exploit the constraint. 3. Subordinate other processes to the constraint. . Elevate the constraint. 5. Repeat the cycle. Line Manufacturing (Thinking) Lean is a total operating system for manufacturing plants and has broad application in product or service businesses. On the contrary to TOC, Lean focuses to create a value to customer by the removal of waste, which is defined as anything not necessary to produce the product or se rvice. Lean manufacturing measure the performance of the company by using three dimensions, cost, lead time and value-added percentage. As Reid (2007) says, Lean initiates metric improvement by assessing the system using Value Stream Mapping (VSM). VSM has a standard set of icons and instructions for documenting material and information flows based on actual shop floor observation. Value stream observation starts at the process closest to the customer and follows upstream step-by-step to raw material receiving. Similar to TOC, there are five essential steps in lean: 1. Identify which features create value. 2. Identify the sequence of activities called the value stream. 3. Make the activities flow. 4. Let the customer pull product or service through the process. 5. Perfect the process. Lean involves many people in the value stream. Lean sees an organization as a collection of parts and aims a local optimization system where TOC focuses on a local action with holistic optimization for the organization. The Theory of Constraints (TOC) is a relatively new managerial philosophy that has been steadily evolving since the early 1980s. TOC does advocate buffers at inventory at selected points to ensure that neither the constraint nor the customer is left waiting. Lean aims to reduce lead time and inventory and thus costs by eliminating waste; TOC aims to reduce lead time and inventory in order to gain capacity, increase Throughput (i. . the rate at which money is generated through the sale of products) and provide a competitive edge – thus enabling the business to grow. Thus it is evident that TOC methodology can provide Lean techniques with a high degree of focus which is both in tune with reality and achievable on a practical level, effectively bridging the knowledge gap that can exist between Lean in theory and Lean in practice. Because the bottom line benefits to be gained from increasing Throughput are greater than those likely to be realised via Lean waste/cost reduction alone, TOC provides Lean Manufacturing with a forward-thinking framework which not only directs improvement efforts where they will be most beneficial, but which is also an excellent platform for future growth.

Human Rights Violations by the Armed Forces

Human Rights Violations by the Armed Forces CHAPTER IV: ALLEGED HR VIOLATIONS BY THE ARMED FORCES IN NE INDIA Fundamental violations of human rights always lead to people feeling less and less human. San Suu Kyi India’s CI ops in the NE have allegedly resulted in widespread HR violations including, torture, forced disappearances, extra-judicial killing, rape, detention without trial, and harsh restrictions on freedom of assembly, movement and expression. Human rights abuses have been invariably now linked with the AFSPA, 1958, which was enacted in response to the Naga insurgency movement in then Assam State and union territory of Manipur. Between 2005 and 2008, the number of security troops killed in the northeast declined from 71 to 46 per year. In that same period, the ACHR notes an increase in the number of reported civilian deaths (1666) in the region.[1] As per media reports, out of those killed very few died in combat with armed forces. Instead most were killed in ‘fake encounters’ where in an individual is usually picked-up by police or armed forces and later his dead body is found at a secluded location, in rebel uniform and planted with a forbidden weapon and some unregistered (illegal) SIM cards. In February 2012, two judges of the Supreme Court, intervening in a case where the Central Bureau of Investigation was seeking to prosecute army officers accused of murdering five villagers in Jammu Kashmir, in what is known as the Pathribal incident, declared clearly that AFSPA’s protection was limited to acts conducted in the line of duty. â€Å"You go to a place in exercise of AFSPA, you commit rape, you commit murder, then where is the question of sanction? It is a normal crime which needs to be prosecuted, and that is our stand,† declared the bench of Justices Swatanter Kumar and B.S. Chauhan.[2] Thangjam Manamora Devi On 10 Jul 04, a 29 yr old Manipuri woman named Thangjam Manorama Devi was allegedly picked up from her residence by the troops of 17th Assam Rifles. The next morning her bullet ridden body was found in the field at a short distance from her residence. The autopsy of her corpse suggested rape and murder. Assam Rifles claimed that she was shot for her attempt to escape. Post the incident an inquiry commission was set up by the Manipur Govt. The commission submitted its report in Nov 2004, but the Guwahati High Court ruled that the State Govt has no jurisdiction over the Assam Rifles because of its deployment under AFSPA.[3] The Assam Rifles, for its part, has refused to cooperate with the Judicial Commission instituted by the Ibobi Singh Govt to probe the circumstances that led to Manoramas death. It moved the Guwahati High Court and obtained an interim stay on the summoning of its personnel by the commission. Col. Jag Mohan, Commandant of 17 Assam Rifles, requested the commission to set aside the proceedings against Assam Rifles personnel since a petition had been filed in the Guwahati High Court. The Assam Rifles petition in the High Court said that the commission has been summoning persons who do not come under its jurisdiction. In the past, some judicial inquiry commissions had to be wound up on technical grounds. Under the AFSPA, no prosecution process can be initiated against personnel of the Central forces without first obtaining the Centres approval. The Assam Rifles moved the High Court certainly not without the prior sanction of both the Home and Defence Ministries. Quoting the first post-mortem report of Manorama, Assam Rifles denied the charge of rape of her by its personnel.[4] Mr Colin Gonsalves, a senior advocate of the Supreme Court has stated that â€Å" Not only man on the street, but even judges have been arbitrarily picked up, detained and tortured by the men in uniform deriving unlimited and unaccounted powers from the Armed forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958. If the judiciary cannot protect itself, how can it do justice to the people of Manipur†.[5] Guwahati High Court ruled for the submission of report of Inquiry commission constituted by State Govt to the Home ministry and since then this report has not been made public. This shocking incident resulted in wide scale unprecedented protests throughout the state. Anger and anguish among the locals reached such a level where a group of middle aged women stripped naked outside the headquarters of Assam Rifles and shouted slogans ‘ Indian Army Rape Us’. In order to reach out to the feelings of Manipuri people then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh promised the people of Manipur to review the AFSPA.[6] Irom Chanu Sharmila Irom Sharmila is a 42 years old woman from Manipur who is also referred to as ‘The Iron Lady of Manipur’ for her hunger strike which she started on 2 Nov 2000. She has been called â€Å"the world’s longest hunger striker† for having refused food and water for more than 14 years. On 2 Nov 2000, ten civilians were allegedly killed by the armed forces operating in the state under AFSPA at Malom town in the Imphal valley. Protesting the ‘Malom Massacre’ Sharmila started her unending hunger strike which is continued till date. Her main demand to the central Govt is complete repeal of AFSPA which has been perceived by the local Manipuri people as the root cause of the HR violations by the armed forces.[7] Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee. As mentioned above, during the visit of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to Manipur in 2004, he promised the people to consider the review of AFSPA. Thereafter a committee was constituted by the Central Govt, under the chairmanship of Justice (Retired) BP Jeevan Reddy, on 19 Nov 04 to recommend either changes in the present act or to replace the AFSPA in present form with a more humane act. The committee also included four other members. During the course of its work, the committee members met several individuals, organisations, parties, institutions and NGOs, which resulted in the report stating that the Act, for whatever reason, has become a symbol of oppression, an object of hate and an instrument of discrimination and high handedness. The report clearly stated that It is highly desirable and advisable to repeal the Act altogether, without of course, losing sight of the overwhelming desire of an overwhelming majority of the [North East] region that the Army should remain (though the Act should go).[8] The committee submitted its report to the Central Govt in August 2005. The Govt has not yet decided on the recommendations proposed by the committee. Some of the important recommendations of the committee are as follows[9]:- (a) AFSPA should be repealed. The Act is too sketchy, too bald and quite inadequate in several particulars. (b) Insertion of appropriate provisions in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (as amended in the year 2004) would be more appropriate, instead of suggesting a new piece of legislation. Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 as amended in 2004 by the Parliament should be the only law to deal with all kinds of internal security problems including the threats of insurgency and terrorism. (c) A chapter needs to be added to facilitate employment of armed forces in the present Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 as amended in 2004. The draft chapter has also been included in report of the Reddy committee as compatible to the constitutional principles. Justice Santosh Hegde Committee The Supreme Court of India by its order dated 4th Jan 2013 appointed Justice Santosh Hegde commission with directions to make thorough inquiry in the first six cases detailed in ‘Compilation –I’ filed by the writ petitioners in WP (Crl) No.129 of 2012, with further directions to the commission to record a finding regarding the past antecedents of the victims and the circumstances in which they were killed.[10] The Apex Court further directed the commission to report regarding the functioning of State Police and Security Forces and if necessary the commission was mandated to make recommendations for keeping the police and the security forces within the legal bounds without compromising the fight against insurgency.[11] The specific cases which were enquired by the commission are as per the details given below[12]:- After carrying out the detailed inquiry in respect of all six case the Justice Santosh Hegde Commission submitted its report on 30 Mar 13. Following are the highlights of the recommendations proposed by the commission[13]:- (a) The six cases which were inquired by the commission were egregious examples of AFSPA’s gross abuse. (b) With a burgeoning, restive and youthful population only proactive inclusive governance can hope for some stability. (c) Commission was in respectful agreement with the finding of Justice Jeevan Reddy committee that AFSPA has become â€Å"a symbol of oppression, an object of hate and instrument of discrimination and high headedness†. (d) It is time to progressively de-notify more areas of the Manipur State under section 3 of AFSPA. If at any stage of the de-notification there is a serious and continued regression in the law and order situation, it should be open to the appropriate Govt to reconsider the options available to it. (e) The Do’s and Don’ts, laid down by the Supreme Court during its 1997 verdict, may be given statutory status. (f) A sensitive, proactive and responsive administration will go long way in normalizing the situation and winning the confidence of the people. (g) All cases of encounters resulting in death are reviewed once in three months by a committee chaired by the Head of the State Human Rights Commission with Principal Secretary Home and DG of the state as members. (h) Central Govt be given a reasonable time to pass order under Section 6 of AFSPA, preferably within three months from the date of its receipt of the request of the prosecution, failing which its sanction will be presumed. Conclusion Apart from the cases of HR violations discussed above, there are many other cases some of which are not even reported. These HR violations clearly show the undesired consequences of employing the Armed Forces for the task which under the normal circumstances should have been undertaken by the state law enforcing agencies. When the Armed Forces are deployed for prolonged duration for maintenance of public order, there is ample possibility of certain member from the forces seeking advantage of the power and position to harass or trample upon the rights of the local people. Hence the act needs to be analysed in detail to ascertain the availability of suitable checks and balances to prevent the appalling HR violations by the Armed Forces. Footnotes [1] Lierde Van Frank, We, Widows of the Gun, A joint publication from Manipuri NGO’s Women in Governance (WinG), the Gun Victims Survivors Association (GVSA), Human Rights Alert (HRA), the Extrajudicial Execution Victims Families Manipur (EEVFAM) and the Dutch international development organization Cordaid, 2011, p-13. [2] An abomination called AFSPA, The Hindu 12 Feb 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/an-abomination-called-afspa/article4405641.ece accessed on 15 Nov 14. [3] Thangjam Manorama, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thangjam_Manorama accessed on 15 Nov 14. [4] Talukdar Sushanta, Manipur on fire, Frontline Aug28-Sep10,2004, http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2118/stories/20040910007400400.htm accessed on 16 Nov 14. [5] The Murder of Manorama, http://www.unipune.ac.in/snc/cssh/HumanRights/02 STATE AND ARMY POLICE REPRESSION/B Assam and the north east/11.pdf accessed on 15 Nov 14. [6] Dr. Manmohan Singh was amiable with Manipur leaders, assured to amend armed forces special powers law with a new humane law, Asian Tribune, 01 Nov 04, http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2004/11/01/dr-manmohan-singh-was-amiable-manipur-leaders-assured-amend-armed-forces-special-pow accessed on 15 Nov 14. [7] Irom Chanu Sharmila, Wikipedia, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irom_Chanu_Sharmila accessed on 15 Nov 14. [8] Justice(Retd) BP Jeevan Reddy Committee’s Report, 6 Jun 05. [9] Ibid. [10] Report of Supreme Court Appointed Justice Santosh Hegde Commission, P-1. [11] Ibid [12] Ibid, P- 4,5. [13] Ibid, P- 95-104.

Sucrose Synthase Key Enzyme In Sucrose Metabolism Biology Essay

Sucrose Synthase Key Enzyme In Sucrose Metabolism Biology Essay Sucrose synthase is a key enzyme in sucrose metabolism. Sucrose metabolism is required by the plant to form carbon required for various processes in the plant such as respiration, starch and cell wall formation. The enzyme is encoded by a small multigene family where most plants have at least two isoforms of the enzyme. The kinetics of sucrose synthase show that different Km values and ratios of sucrose breakdown exist for the enzyme. The methods of extracting, assaying and purifying the enzyme are shown in the enzyme characteristics. Factors such as pH, addition of different buffers, metal ions, fungal volatiles as well as environmental factors such as anoxia have all been shown to affect sucrose synthase activity. The enzymes protein sequences have been phylogenetically divided up into six main groups using clustalw. Sucrose synthase is normally present in the cytoplasm but the availability of sucrose in the chloroplast and its ability to use ADP as a substrate would indicate that the enzyme may be able to act in the chloroplast as well as the cytoplasm. Sucrose synthase is an important enzyme in sucrose metabolism in plants cells. (Persia et al., 2008) The main route of entry of carbon from sucrose is commonly known to be sucrose synthase. (Bieniawska et al., 2007) This carbon is used for respiration and in the synthesis of cell wall polymers and starch. (Persia et al., 2008) The main form of reduced carbon in plants is sucrose. It is used to support growth and synthesis of reserve materials e.g. starch in heterotrophic sink tissues. (Matic et al., 2004) The UDP-glucose supplied by sucrose synthase is used for cell wall biosynthesis while working with the cellulose synthase complex. (Baud, Vaultier and Rochat, 2004) In most fruit tissues, an increase in sucrose synthase activity is alongside with sucrose accumulation. This would suggest that sucrose synthase plays a physiologically important role. (Islam, Matsui and Yoshida, 1996) Carbohydrates are transported from photosynthetic source tissues to sink tissues in the form of sucrose . The consequent cleavage of sucrose in the sink tissues is the first step for its use in various metabolic pathways. The sugar is cleaved in vivo by either sucrose synthase (Sus) or by invertase. Invertase catalyses an irreversible reaction where sucrose is cleaved into glucose and fructose (Matic et al., 2004) while sucrose synthase catalyses the reversible conversion of sucrose and uridine-diphosphate (UDP) into uridine-diphosphoglucose and fructose. (Hirose, Scofield and Terao, 2008) (Hardin and Huber, 2004) These enzymes play a crucial role in plant growth and development. (Abid et al., 2009) Sucrose Synthase is cytosolic (Ã…  ebkovà ¡ et al., 1995) and has been characterized in many different plant species such as maize (Hardin and Huber, 2004), rice (Odegard, Liu and Lumen, 1996) and sugarcane (Schà ¤fer, Rohwer and Botha (2005)). Its activity has been studied in many plant organs such as roots, leaves and seeds. (Ã…  ebkovà ¡ et al., 1995) For trees, cellulose biosynthesis is a highly regulated process in which carbon is permanently placed in their primary and secondary cell walls. Sucrose is the main carbon source for cellulose synthesis. The stem is made up of extremely active sink cells which utilise sucrose for cellulose synthesis. Sucrose synthase is the main sucrolytic enzyme in these cells that catalyzes the reversible conversion of sucrose into fructose and UDP-glucose which is needed for cellulose biosynthesis. (Joshi, Bhandari and Ranjan, 2004) It also plays an important role providing adequate sugar supply during anoxic stress. It has been shown that during anoxic germination of rice, sucrose synthase activity was enhanced whereas the activity of invertase was depressed. This would indicate that sucrose synthase is the enzyme predominantly responsible for sucrose breakdown during anoxia. (Joshi, Bhandari and Ranjan, 2004) Fig 1: Diagram of the cleavage and synthesis reaction of sucrose synthase (Rà ¶mer et al., 2004) Different isoforms of the gene are present in most plants. In the case of maize, two non-allelic genes were discovered for sucrose synthase but more investigation lead to the discovery of a third. At least three genes for sucrose synthase have been discovered in rice where the genes show differences in expression between tissues. RSus1 is expressed in root phloem while RSus2 is expressed in leaf phloem. (Schà ¤fer, Rohwer and Botha, 2005) When examining the different isoforms at an amino acid level it is appears that there is less homology between different sucrose synthase genes in a species than when the gene is compared to its corresponding gene in another species. In the case of maize, there is 75% homology between the SS1 gene and SS2 gene of maize but there is 90% homology between rice RSus1 and maize SS2 genes. In sugarcane, the SS1 gene is 97% identical at the amino acid level to maize SS1 gene. (Lingle and Dyer, 2001) Nolte and Koch (1993) undertook a study to determine whether sucrose synthase was localized to certain part of the vascular strand. It is well known that sucrose synthase is present in vascular bundles for example in transgenic tobacco plants phloem specific expression of a maize sucrose synthase gene has been observed. Their study, using immunohistochemistry, found that sucrose synthase was restricted to the cytoplasm of companion cells of the phloem and did not appear to be present in other organelles of the plant. (Nolte and Koch, 1993) The molecular mass of sucrose synthase can be determined by gel filtration. Sucrose synthase elutes from the column with a Kav value of 0.17844 which when using a calibration curve correlates to a molecular mass of 362kDa. Using SDS-PAGE gradient gel the molecular mass of each subunit can be estimated at 92kDa. This can conclude that sucrose synthase is a tetrameric enzyme with a molecular mass of 360kDa and four identical subunits of 90kDa. (Hardin and Huber, 2004) (Elling and Kula, 1993) It can associate with membranes and the actin cytoskeleton where its activity is known to be involved with cellulose synthesis. It does this by channelling uridine-diphosglucose to the growing glucan chain by the enzyme cellulose synthase. (Hardin and Huber, 2004) Analysis of Sucrose Synthase Gene Family: From the results of species examined to date, it is shown that sucrose synthase is encoded by a small multigene family. (Bieniawska et al, 2007) Most species of plants have at least two isoforms of sucrose synthase. These isoforms usually have comparable biochemical properties and highly homologous amino acid sequences. (Wen et al., 2010) Further analysis of transgenic and mutant crop plants show certain isoforms of sucrose synthase have specific functions in the plant. The rug4 mutation of pea removes the SUS1 isoform but has no effect on SUS2 or SUS3. This would indicate that these two isoforms are not able to make up for the loss of SUS1 in the seed or root nodule. It is clear that the loss of different isoforms affect the plant in certain ways. Loss of the SH1 isoform in maize has different outcomes from the loss of SUS1 isoform. SH1 is required for normal cell wall formation during endosperm development while both isoforms are needed for wild-type rates of starch synthesis. Why different isoforms have different functions is unclear. The same functions can be carried out in the cell by different isoforms but can occur in distinct cell types, developmental periods or environmental conditions. It is likely that different isoforms could have non-overlapping, particular functions in the same cell. (Bieniawska et al., 2007) It is difficult to decide on the precise roles of the genes in sucrose synthase gene family when there is not enough information in existence. Although there is some information available on some of the isoforms and theyre functions in the plant, no analysis of the functions of the gene family has been carried out. The model plant Arabidopsis is ideal for carrying out such an analysis. Six sucrose synthase genes are in the Arabidopsis genome. Based on comparisons of the amino acid sequences the isoforms they encode can be divided into three distinct pair groups. The isoforms SUS1 and SUS4 are 89% identical to each other but have less than 68% similar amino acid sequences to other isoforms. Similarly, SUS2 and SUS3 are 74% identical to other isoforms and are 67% less identical to the other forms of enzyme. SUS5 and SUS6 are 585 identical to each other but have less 48% similarity to the other isoforms. When examining other dicotyledonous species it appears that at least two of the thr ee pairs of isoforms are present. When phylogenetic analysis was carried out, it showed that the isoforms AtSUS1 and AtSUS4 are related to pairs of isoforms from pea (Fabacae), carrot (Umbelliferae) and potato (Solanacae). A pair of isoforms from Craterostigma plantagineum (Scrophulariacae) is closely related to the pair of isoforms AtSUS2 and AtSUS3 in the Arabidopsis. The pair AtSUS5 and AtSUS6 is related strongly to a pair of genes from rice. This evidence shows that it is unlikely that the three pairs of isoforms in Arabidopsis are as a result of gene duplication events. It is possible that each isoform has an exact function preserved in a wide range of plants. The members of Arabidopsis gene family are strongly differentially expressed in different organs of the plant through its development and in response to external stimuli e.g. environmental stress. This is seen in gene families of other plants studied. (Bieniawska et al., 2007) Fruit quality is determined by the type and quality of sugars present. A study of the sucrose synthase-encoding gene from the muskmelon fruit was carried out to evaluate how to genetically improve the quality of the fruit. This is done by finding the sugar components in fruit, to identify the enzymes involved in sugar metabolism and distinguish the relationship between sugar accumulation and the activities of related enzymes. It is thought that sucrose synthase is the enzyme involved in metabolising sucrose in developing muskmelon fruit. To examine this, a full length cDNA strand encoding sucrose synthase was extracted from a muskmelon fruit by RT-PCR and RACE and identified as CmSS1. Real time PCR analysis showed that CmSS1 expression changed in among different tissues of the plant e.g. root, stem, leaf. It showed that the mRNA levels are highest in the root and lowest in mature fruit. Fig 2: The patterns of CmSS1 transcript abundance in the different tissues of the muskmelon plant. These results were found using quantitative real-time PCR analysis of total RNA prepared from the root, stem, leaf, flower and mature fruit of muskmelon. During fruit development and ripening it was shown that CmSS1 mRNA was at its maximum level at five days after pollination and decreased steadily during fruit development until it reached its minimum level of maturity. This was discovered using again real-time RT-PCR analysis of mesocarp tissues from five days of pollination to ripening. Fig 3: This graph depicts the patterns of CmSS1 transcript abundance in developing muskmelon fruits found by using quantitative real-time PCR analysis of total RNA prepared from muskmelon. (Wen et al., 2010) The sugar content and SS activity were analysed to show the functions of CmSS1 in regulating fruit quality. It showed that very low concentrations of sucrose are present in young and unripe muskmelons. Between 20 and 30 days after pollination there is a massive rise in the amount of sucrose in the fruit. Sucrose synthase activity increased in the direction of sucrose synthesis and decreased in the direction of sucrose cleavage through fruit development. (Wen et al., 2010) Fig 4: The depiction of sucrose content and sucrose synthase activity during muskmelon fruit development. The first chart shows sucrose content during fruit development. The second shows sucrose activity in the sucrose synthesis direction and the third shows sucrose cleavage direction during muskmelon fruit development. (Wen et al., 2010) Enzyme Kinetics of Sucrose Synthase: An investigation was carried out by Schà ¶fer et al. to the find the properties of three sucrose synthase isoforms present in sugarcane. Kinetic analysis indicated that the three sucrose synthase genes in sugarcane are different isoforms, with major differences in Km values and the ratios of sucrose breakdown synthesis. The kinetic characteristics of the SuSyA and SuSyB isoforms, both expressed in the leaf roll, differ greatly. It was found that SuSyA has almost three times higher affinity for sucrose than the SuSyB isoform whereas SuSyB has a much greater affinity for UDP than SuSyA. Based on the differences in their kinetic properties it can be concluded that SuSyB and SuSyC are different isoforms of sucrose synthase. SuSyC has roughly ten times higher affinity for UDP compared to the other two isoforms. (Schà ¤fer et al., 2005) Fig 5: The graph shows the Lineweaver-Burk plot of 1/v against 1/S for the isoforms SuSys A, B and c where UDP was the variable substrate. The concentration of sucrose was kept constant at 320nM. The Km values were determined from the non-linear fit of the data to the Michaelis-Menten equation. (Schà ¤fer et al., 2005) When examining sucrose synthase in soybean nodules Morell and Copeland (1985) found the kinetic constants of UDP, UDPglucose, sucrose and fructose by fitting the data to the following two equations: 1. v = VA/KiaKh + KhA + KhB + AB 2. v = VA/Ka + A + A/Ki The kinetic constants for ADP, CDP and ADPglucose were found using non linear regression analysis of initial velocity data. Fig 6: Graph showing the effect of sucrose concentration on the cleavage activity of sucrose synthase in soybean nodule. The lines show the fit of data to equation 1. The reaction mixture were composed of 20 µmol Hepes-KOH buffer (pH 7.5) 2 µmol UDP, 1.5 µmol NAD, 25 µg UDPglucose dehydrogenase. Each symbol represents a different concentration of sucrose. The dark circle shows 3.2 µM, the clear circle shows 4 µM, the dark triangle shows 6.25 µM, 10 µM is shown by the clear triangle and the dark square depicts 20 µM. In the cleavage and synthesis direction standard Michaelis-Menten kinetics are observed. The variation of concentration of sucrose at different concentrations of UDP gave an intersecting pattern of linear double reciprocal plots. (Morrell and Copeland, 1985) Parameter Value V (U/mg protein) 13.3 ±2.0 Km sucrose (mM) 31.3 ±7.1 Ki sucrose (mM) 31.9 ±13.1 Km UDP (mM) 0.005 ±0.002 Ki UDP (mM) 0.005 ±0.001 Fig 7: Table showing the kinetic parameters for the cleavage reaction of sucrose synthase in soybean nodules. (Morrell and Copeland, 1985) Fig 8: The graph depicting the effect of UDPglucose concentration on the synthesis reaction of sucrose synthase activity in soybean nodules. The reaction mixtures contained 20 µmol Hepes-KOH buffer, 15  µmol fructose, 5 µmol MgCl2, 0.4  µmol P-enolpyruvate, 0.15  µmol NADH, 20 µmol KCl, 25 µg pyruvate kinase 25 µg lactate dehydrogenase and the required amount of enzyme. As in the previous graph, the amount of UDPglucose was varied in the presence of 2.5mM (dark circle), 3.2mM (clear circle), 4mM (dark triangle), 5mM (clear triangle) and 8mM (dark square) fructose. The results on the graph are representing the fit of data to equation 1. When the concentration of UDPglucose was varied at the concentrations of fructose in the graph, an intersecting pattern of linear double reciprocal plots was seen. From fitting the data from the graph to equation 1, it is noted that substrate inhibition would have occurred at a concentration greater than 15mM fructose. Parameter Value V (U/mg protein) 14.3 ±1.2 Km fructose (mM) 3.7 ±0.8 Ki fructose (mM) 19.6 ±9.9 Km UDPglucose (mM) 0.012 ±0.006 Ki UDPglucose (mM) 0.064 ±0.014 Fig 9: table showing the kinetic results by fitting the figures from the graph to equation 1. When partially purified SuSyA, SuSyB and SuSyC were blotted to a nitrocellulose filter the results showed that all three isoforms are approximately 94kDa. (Schà ¤fer et al., 2005) The would correlate to the findings of Hardin et al and Lothar et al who stated that sucrose synthase is tetrameric enzyme made up of four 90kDa subunits. Fig 10: Immunoblot of sugarcane SuSy. A crude extract of protein from leaf roll was loaded into lane 2 while partially purified isoforms of SuSyA, SuSyB and SuSyC were loaded to lane 3, 4 and 5. The molecular weight ladder was used to identify the bands see in each lane. (Schà ¤fer et al., 2005) Characteristics of Sucrose Synthase: Extraction of Protein: The method for extracting protein from the leaves of maize (Zea mays), rice (Oryza sativa) and tobacco was done as follows: 1-3g of leaves was ground in liquid nitrogen and the powder was mixed in the ratio 1:2 with extraction buffer. The buffer was made up of 0.1M tris-HCl, pH 8, 10mM DTT and 1% polyvinylpolypyrrolidone. The samples were then incubated on ice for 15 minutes and then centrifuged at 1,000g for 10 minutes at 4oC. The pellet was then removed and the supernatant was re centrifuged at 100,000g for one hour at 4oC. After this final centrifugation, the pellet and supernatant which contained the soluble proteins was resuspended in sample buffer for electrophoresis. (Persia et al., 2008) When extracting protein from rice seeds, a similar procedure is followed. Seeds weighing roughly 50-100mg at various stages of growth were homogenized in 400 µl of extraction buffer and kept at 4oC. The buffer was made up of 50mM Tris-HCl, pH7.5, 1.0mM DTT, 1.0mM EDTA and 2mM PMSF. Ammonium sulphate fractions (30-50% w/v) were precipitated and then resuspended in dialysis buffer made up of 50mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, 5mM MgSO4, 5mM 2-mercaptoethanol. This was then dialyzed overnight at 4oC. (Odegard, Liu and De Lumen., 1996) The method for extracting protein from tobacco pollen tubes is slightly different to those mentioned previously. The pollen first was slowly thawed from storage at -20oC and hydrated in a humid chamber overnight. It was then germinated in BK medium and allowed to germinate at 25oC for three hours. After this period had elapsed, the pollen was collected by centrifugation at 1,000g for 5 minutes at 25oC. It was then washed twice with BRB25 buffer which is made up of 25mM HEPES, pH 7.5, 2mM EGTA and 2mM MgCl2 and 15% Suc. After washing, the pollen was resuspended in lysis buffer and lysed on ice using a motor-driven Potter-Elvehk-jem homogenizer. The lysis buffer used was made up of BRB25 buffer along with 2mM dithiothreitol, 1mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluo ride (PMSF), 10 µL/mL protease inhibitors, 1mM NaN3 and 10% mannitol. After lysis was carried out, the samples were centrifuged at 1,000g for 10 minutes at 4oC. The supernatant was centrifuged again at 4oC for 45 minutes at 100,000g over a 20% (w/v) Suc cushion. The supernatant was then collected as it contained the soluble protein fraction. (Persia et al., 2008) Enzyme Assays: After extracting protein, the sucrose synthase activity in sugarbeets was found using a spectrophotometric end point assay. The activity of the enzyme was monitored as fructose formed at 35oC. This was carried out in a solution that contained 250mM sucrose, 2mM UDP and 100mM MES. The control was carried out by assaying for activity in the absence of UDP. The total protein concentration was determined using the Bradford method where bovine serum albumin was the standard. (Klotz and Haagenson., 2008) When assaying for protein from rice, the Bradford method was followed to determine protein concentration as was done in Klotz et al. 40mg of protein was used per assay. The assay was carried out in 20mM MES pH 6.4, 200mM sucrose and 4mM UDP for 15 minutes at 30oC. The reaction was stopped by boiling for 2 minutes and the fructose levels were measured. The control tubes did not contain UDP. (Odegard, Liu and De Lumen., 1996) When examining the effect of sucrose synthase on carbon partitioni ng a similar method was followed for assaying the protein. Sucrose synthase was assayed in the direction of sucrose breakdown using 50 µl poplar plant extract. The tetrazolium blue assay was followed to determine the amount of free fructose. As in previously mentioned assays, the absence of UDP in the assay acted as a control. The total protein content was found by employing the Bradford (Bio-Rad) protein assay. (Coleman, Yan and Mansfield., 2009) A similar method was followed for carrying out an assay for the enzyme on tomato tissue. The reaction mixtures contained 50mM Hepes-NaOH buffer, 15mM MgCl2, 25mM fructose and 25mM UDP glucose. This was incubated at 37oC for 30 minutes and was terminated with the addition of 70 µl of 30% KOH. The enzyme blanks were terminated with the addition of KOH at 0 minutes. The tubes were then kept at 100oC for 10 minutes to destroy any fructose. The soluble protein content was determined using the Lowry method whereby bovine serum albumin was th e standard. (Islam, Matsui and Yoshida., 1996) Alkaline copper solution is added to each tube and allowed to stand at room temperature for roughly 30 minutes. Dilute folate reagent is then added to each tube rapidly and after 30 minutes the absorbance is read at 750nm. (Lowry et al., 1951) The results were measured as  µmole of sucrose per minute per mg protein. (Islam et al., 1996) When assaying for sucrose synthase in the cleavage direction Rà ¶mer et al used recombinant SuSy1 gene from potato. In a volume of 100 µl HEPES buffer with a concentration of 200mM and pH 7.6 recombinant sucrose synthase was incubated along with 2mM UDP and 500mM sucrose for ten minutes at 30oC. HPLC analysis was used for the formulation of UDP-glucose. The Bradford assay was used to determine protein concentrations as was carried out by Klotz et al and Coleman et al. The activity of the enzyme was also tested with the nucleoside diphosphates dTDP, CDP, ADP and GDP at 2mM. For assaying recombinant e nzyme in the synthesis direction a similar method was followed as when assaying for standard enzyme. Recombinant sucrose synthase was incubated in a total volume of 100 µl HEPES buffer where this time the pH was 8.0 and the concentration was as in cleavage direction of 200mM. 1mM UDP-Glc and 20mM D-fructose was also added to the mixture and it was incubated for five minutes at 30oC. The reaction was heated to 95oC for five minutes and HPLC analysis was used to establish the formation of UDP. The sucrose synthase activity was also tested using dTDP-Glc, CDP-Glc and ADP-Glc. (Rà ¶mer et al., 2004) Purification of Protein: After extraction of the protein from the crude extract, purification can be carried out. This can be done in a number of ways such as Batch adsorption with Sephadex A50, Anion exchange chromatography and Gelfiltration. SDS-PAGE can be carried out after purification to check the purity of the protein sample. The Sephadex A50 gel is loaded into a glass funnel and washed twice with deionised water. The gel was then washed twice with 300ml standard buffer. The protein sample was loaded to the gel and slowly sucked through the gel for 30 minutes. The gel bed was then washed with 300ml standard buffer and then with 300ml standard buffer containing 100mM KCl. The last washing step contained 300mM KCl. 200ml of the first salt preparation was concentrated to 40-50ml by using a cross-flow ultrafiltration module with YM 30 ultrafiltration membrane that had been pretreated with 55 PEG 4000 solution. This was done to prevent the enzyme sticking to the membrane. In anion exchange chromatography a Sepharose Q column was first equilibrated with 300ml Hepes buffer. This was made up of 200mM pH 8 with 50mM KCl. 70-80mg of protein sample was loaded and the elution was started using two different salt gradients. To prevent enzyme inactivation after elution all the fractions were titrated back to pH 7.2. All fractions that contained enzyme activity were pooled and concentrated by using ultrafiltration. Gelfiltration experiments are carried out on a prepacked HiLoad 16/60 Superdex 200 prep grade column that was connected to FPLC equipment. Four samples containing 2mg of protein were loaded and eluted with a flow rate of 1 ml min-1. The fractions were then pooled and stored at -20oC in 500 µl aliquots. (Elling and Kula., 1993) To determine the purity of the protein, SDS-PAGE is carried out. This is done by loading 100 µg of protein samples to a 125 SDS-polyacrylamide slab gel that was overlaid with stacking gel. The electrophoresis was carried out at 4oC and at 40V for 16 hours a nd followed by 200V for one hour. Coomassie blue R 250 was used to stain the gel followed by destaining. (Kumutha et al., 2008) Factors that affect Sucrose Synthase Activity: Ã…  ebkovà ¡ et al (1995) stated that sucrose synthase has two different pHs for optimal activity. In the cleavage direction it was found that most enzyme activity was observed between pH 6.0 and 8.5 at temperatures between 50 to 55oC. In the synthesis direction, a pH between 8.5 to 9.5 and a temperature of 35oC was optimal for enzyme activity. (Ã…  ebkovà ¡ et al., 1995) This would correlate with the findings of Morell and Copeland (1985) who found that optimal activity of the enzyme in soybean was at pH 6 in the cleavage direction and at a pH of 9.5, sucrose synthase activity in the synthesis direction was at its highest. It was also found that at a pH of 7.5 the cleavage and synthesis activities were their highest. (Morrell and Copeland., 1985) Elling and Kula (1995) examined the effect of buffers TES-NaOH, MOPS-NaOH, TEA-NaOH and Tris-HCl on the pH optimum of sucrose synthase activity. These were determined using UDP and TDP as substrates for the reaction. They found that the e nzyme had its highest activity in Hepes-NaOH buffer. When MOPS-NaOH and TES-NaOH buffer was used, only 60-80% activity was noted. (Elling and Kula 1995) It was also found that the velocity of the reaction could be increased by increasing the temperature where optimal activity was seen between 50 and 60oC. Xu at al (1989) reported that potato and bean are also able to withstand these high temperatures. However once the temperature goes above 60oC enzyme activity starts to decreased rapidly and was destroyed once the temperature reached 70oC. (Xu et al., 1989) The cleavage of sucrose by the sucrose synthase enzyme was investigated to find the rate of cleavage reaction using different nucleosidediphosphates as cosubstrates. They found that the rate of reaction was UDP>TDP>ADP>CDP>GDP. Echt and Chourey (1985) found similar results when examining nucleotide specificity. They found that substrate specificity for SS1 and SS2 were UDP>TDP>ADP>CDP>UTP where each substrate was at a concentrat ion of 4mM. (Echt and Chourey 1985) Low levels of heavy metal ions such as mercurate inhibited cleavage activity of the enzyme. This would lead to the assumption that sulfhydryl groups are involved in the catalytic process. It is also inhibited by Tris-HCl and by small concentrations of MgCl2 and MnCl2. (Ã…  ebkovà ¡ et al., 1995) Cations were shown by Elling and Kula (1995) to have a slight influence on enzyme activity. The activity was lessened slightly (10%) by the presence of 1mM Mn2+ and Mg2+ ions with UDP. The enzyme is completely inactivated in the presence of 1mM Cu2+ or Fe2+. (Elling and Kula., 1993) A recent study was undertaken to examine the effects of volatile emissions on carbohydrate metabolism. Studies on this area have taken place before but it is usually examining the results of physical contact between the host plant and the microbe. No work has taken place until now on the effect on the plant in the absence of physical contact. Many microbes such as Pseudomonas spp, Strepomyces spp, Penicillin spp and a selection of truffles produce ethylene. This gaseous plant hormone plays an important role in many aspects of plant growth and development such as seed germination, root hair initiation, fruit ripening and starch accumulation. In the work of Ezquer et al (2010), the possible effects of volatiles released from gram-negative bacteria, gram-positive bacteria and fungi on starch metabolism was studied. The results showed that the volatile compounds released by microbes promoted high levels of starch accumulation in mono- and dicotyledonous plants. It also revealed fungal vo latiles (FVs) promoted massive changes in expression of genes involved in many important processes in plant such as metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, sulphur and lipids, energy production, protein translation and stability, cell wall biosynthesis and photosynthesis. However no changes were noted in the expression in some of the genes that coded for proteins involved in starch and sucrose metabolism such as plastidial hexokinase, plastidial phosphoglucose isomerase, plastidial adenylate kinase, alkaline invertase and UDPglucose (UDPG) pyrophosphorylase. It was found in the study that FVs strongly upregulate the expression of Sucrose Synthase in potato leaves. The plants were cultured in the presence and absence of FVs emitted by A. Alternata. This caused a massive enhancement of expression of Sus4 isoform. A 29.4- and 31.63-fold increase was observed in expression when the plants were cultured in the presence and absence of sucrose. This isoform of the enzyme controls the accumulation of ADPG, UDPG and starch in potato source leaves and tubers. Analyses of the intracellular amounts of starch and nucleotide-sugars in the leaves of the plant show a positive correlation between patterns of enzyme activity and starch, UDPG and ADPG amounts. This was noted when the leaves were cultured in the presence and absence of FVs. Western blot analyses and quantitative RT-PCR confirmed also the increase in expression. (Xu et al., 1989) Environmental Factors affecting Sucrose Synthase Activity: Anoxia: Waterlogging is where oxygen supply is blocked to root leading a severe decrease in the amount of oxygen available to the plant. This leads to inhibition of root respiration that causes a major decline in energy of root cells affecting vital metabolic processes of the plant. This is restriction of oxygen supply is known as anoxia. The presence of glucose in an anoxic incubation medium drastically decreases meristem death and studies have shown that sucrose synthase is the enzyme mainly responsible for sucrose breakdown under anoxia. (Kumutha et al., 2008) The increase in glycolytic demands caused by these demands is the cause of increased sucrose synthase expression. This has been demonstrated in many plant species e.g. sucrose synthase gene is induced in wheat and in rice when oxygen levels are low. (Ricard et al., 1998) Harada et al (2005) also found an increase in sucrose synthase activity in pondweed turins while under anoxia. (Harada et al., 2005) Klotz and Haagenson (2008) foun d that sugarbeet contained two genes for sucrose synthase activity-SBSS1 and SBSS2. They demonstrated that anaerobic conditions caused a large increase in the transcription levels of SBSS1 and a quick increase and succeeding decline in SBSS2 transcription levels. However this did not correlate with a significant increase in sucrose synthase enzyme activity. A 23% increase in sucrose synthase activity was noted after initiation of anaerobic conditions but otherwise the activity of the enzyme did not differ greatly to that of the controls. (Klotz and Haagenson., 2008) Fig 11: The graph outlines the different rates of sucrose synthase activity in the con

Richelieus Great Success :: European Europe History

Richelieu's Great Success Machiavelli, More, and Richelieu all at one point or another occupied a high post in their respective governments: Italy, England, and France; from such a vantage point, or rather in the case of Machiavelli after descending from office, each identified the ills existent in his given state and derived his own remedy for such ills. However, the efforts of Machiavelli and More proved less fruitful in the short run than did Richelieu's; while Richelieu raised the state of France under Louis XIII to a condition of greatness through the elimination of internal strife and discord which had for so long plagued the nation and through the advocacy of increased involvement in the international realm, his two predecessors in their renowned works, The Prince, Discourses on Livy, and Utopia, made a number of espousals concerning certain desirous reforms which would prove extremely influential in the future and throughout the world, but which would fail to be adopted as remedies for the immediate c oncerns which fostered them. Italy, and Florence itself, the birthplace and residence of Niccolo Machiavelli had endured violent political and social upheavals throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 1440's the social balance which had permitted the germination of much of Renaissance thought a few decades prior was already beginning to fall into decay as a result of heavy wartime taxation; Florence had been forced to keep Spanish held Naples and Milan at bay for years and consequently found herself lacking in funds to continue such a defense. The Florentine military was composed primarily of mercenaries who proved both a costly and not necessarily loyal force. The increasing costs incurred by warfare inevitably led to a centralized state led by the Medicis that could more readily generate and amass the necessary revenues; however, the outward trappings of a republican form of government were preserved. The Medici maintained their dominance of the Florentine Republic until1494 when Piero d' Medici was oust ed from office. The ostracization of Piero by his Florentine counterparts was in direct correlation to the invasion and capture of Naples from Spanish control by the French King Charles VIII. In 1494 on route to Naples the French took Pisa, Florence, and Rome without conflict; however, Piero's surrender of Pisa, which left Florence vulnerable, provoked a fierce rebellion in Florence putting an end to Medici rule there for the time being. Despite such unrest the Dominican Friar Girolamo Savonarola who sought to create in Florence a "new Jerusalem" restored the Republic; regardless of his good intentions Savonarola made multitudous enemies, the most dangerous being Pope Alexander VI. Richelieu's Great Success :: European Europe History Richelieu's Great Success Machiavelli, More, and Richelieu all at one point or another occupied a high post in their respective governments: Italy, England, and France; from such a vantage point, or rather in the case of Machiavelli after descending from office, each identified the ills existent in his given state and derived his own remedy for such ills. However, the efforts of Machiavelli and More proved less fruitful in the short run than did Richelieu's; while Richelieu raised the state of France under Louis XIII to a condition of greatness through the elimination of internal strife and discord which had for so long plagued the nation and through the advocacy of increased involvement in the international realm, his two predecessors in their renowned works, The Prince, Discourses on Livy, and Utopia, made a number of espousals concerning certain desirous reforms which would prove extremely influential in the future and throughout the world, but which would fail to be adopted as remedies for the immediate c oncerns which fostered them. Italy, and Florence itself, the birthplace and residence of Niccolo Machiavelli had endured violent political and social upheavals throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 1440's the social balance which had permitted the germination of much of Renaissance thought a few decades prior was already beginning to fall into decay as a result of heavy wartime taxation; Florence had been forced to keep Spanish held Naples and Milan at bay for years and consequently found herself lacking in funds to continue such a defense. The Florentine military was composed primarily of mercenaries who proved both a costly and not necessarily loyal force. The increasing costs incurred by warfare inevitably led to a centralized state led by the Medicis that could more readily generate and amass the necessary revenues; however, the outward trappings of a republican form of government were preserved. The Medici maintained their dominance of the Florentine Republic until1494 when Piero d' Medici was oust ed from office. The ostracization of Piero by his Florentine counterparts was in direct correlation to the invasion and capture of Naples from Spanish control by the French King Charles VIII. In 1494 on route to Naples the French took Pisa, Florence, and Rome without conflict; however, Piero's surrender of Pisa, which left Florence vulnerable, provoked a fierce rebellion in Florence putting an end to Medici rule there for the time being. Despite such unrest the Dominican Friar Girolamo Savonarola who sought to create in Florence a "new Jerusalem" restored the Republic; regardless of his good intentions Savonarola made multitudous enemies, the most dangerous being Pope Alexander VI.

Essay examples --

Canterbury Christ Church University College This is a report on the Canterbury Christ Church University College. The complete address of the University is given at the end of the report. The report discusses the background of the University and then the educational and the administrative activities of the University. Specific attention has been given to the BA (Hons) American Studies program. Canterbury Christ Church University College offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate degree, diploma and professional courses such as social work, sociology, social policy, social science, psychology, criminology, social science, society and science. Number of students: Its student population numbers well over 12,000, including many mature and part-time students. Many of the College’s students are mature, with 50% aged thirty or over, partly reflecting the substantial amount of continuing professional development courses. Two thirds of students come from Canterbury and the res t of Kent. A small proportion of overseas students join the College and a number of staff participate in exchange programs with the USA or other countries.  The College is a Church of England Foundation with students of many faiths and of none amongst its members. Programs offered: Business and Science, Education, Health, Arts and Humanities. Diplomas, first and higher degrees and other postgraduate courses and research programs are offered. Some courses provide initial professional qualification such as those for teachers, nurses and social workers. Other work addresses the needs of existing practitioners for continuing professional development and advanced study. Teacher Training: The teacher training and nursing programs at Christ Church have long enjoyed a... ...ernational student. The IO also supports international students once they arrive in Canterbury, organizing an induction program and providing a focus for students during their stay at the College. The Student Support Officer is dedicated to international students' needs and arranges a social program including local excursions and visits to London and other European capitals. Staff: The College employs 1150 staff and generates an income of  £50 million for the economy of Kent.  Academic work is organized into four Faculties and an Associate Faculty:   Arts and Humanities Business and Sciences Education Health Salomons Associate Faculty, an associate faculty located at Tunbridge Wells. References Canterbury Campus Canterbury Christ Church University College North Holmes Road Canterbury Kent CT1 1QU United Kingdom http://www.cant.ac.uk/ (Accessed 13-05-03)

A Paddle in the River - Original Writing Essay -- Papers

A Paddle in the River - Original Writing Admittedly I was not expecting a stroll along picturesque canyon scenery when the activity of gorge walking was announced, despite the region's hilly nature, but neither had the prospect of preparing for full blown assault down a river in its upper course occurred to me. Snowdonia is abundant with water of all descriptions, from the mists that drift across the mountain tops, to the waterfalls and rivers that forge their way towards the coast. It is safe to declare that not one part of this activity included walking; wading, staggering, stumbling, even plummeting maybe, but definitely not walking. From the moment the coach set off from base camp, and parked on a dusty cobbled road, I was awaiting the activity with anticipation. Then, to my shock, following the inquisitive cries from surrounding pupils, the instructor bluntly likened the activity to a, 'dip in a pond'. A wetsuit has always been an item of clothing designed for reassurance. Whether it be surfing in the Pacific, or even paddling off the coast of Scotland, a wetsuit is made to protect you from bitter waters. Strangely however, the suits flung on a trailer which we were told to wriggle ourselves into left me feeling helplessly exposed. The fluorescent orange shoulder patches were in tatters, and the zips on your back jammed and in some cases were non-existent. In tandem with the mild yet prominent sewerage stench, I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. After grabbing a helmet capable of fitting, and struggling to put on a life jacket, we began an ungainly stagger up to the start of our activity. The ascent proved a challenge, the ... ...sed my numb arm and wiped a bead of sweat from my brow, before loosening my collar. Suddenly my life jacket became a worthless chunk of yellow padding. A cheerful Mr Allen below, perching on a boulder, did little to boost my confidence. Hell's demons were playing cunning tricks on my mind: Is the plunge pool deeper enough? Are you certain you will not scrape your back on the side of the rock face? I was superman, as I teetered nervously off the edge and plunged down. All I could see was a blur of rich green leaves, jagged rocks, and finally Mr Allen's freckled face before I was consumed by the effervescent potion. As I plodded slowly back to the coach I had time to reflect. There was no doubt that the activity has been unusual and exhilarating and, after one sniff, I could safely say it had been a, "dip in the pond".

Good vs Evil Essay

Going back to as far as we can remember there has always been a battle between good and evil or right vs. wrong. At the end of the day we are all faced with a moment where we must make a decision. A series of made decisions will, as a result, mold our character to somehow define ourselves as either good people or bad people. It is no surprise that this very own reality is the focus on our entertainment as well. We lose ourselves in an action packed film about a superhero saving the world from a villain to spending an evening watching soap operas where Mr. Perfect goes through an injustice as Mr. Wrong in Every Sense takes his woman away from him. But before all of this technology took over, this scenery was given to us in a more witty and creative way. We will discuss these mentioned roles in two superb stories that until this day simply cannot be replaced by special effects and/or exaggerated and unnecessary stunts. Let’s begin by discussing this subject along with one of O’Connor’s masterpieces â€Å" A Good Man is Hard to find†. This is a story without restraint on going straight to the point. We may describe O’Connor’s style of writing as a no apologies type of writing. The story begins by portraying an almost ordinary family. There is a grandmother, who plays the main role, along with her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. This family discusses the possibilities of taking a road trip to Florida whereas the grandmother tries her best to persuade them into not following along with the plans. Being the paranoid elder we read about, she brings up the recent release of a killer and saying how â€Å"I couldn’t answer to my conscience† (449) if her family came across him. Moving on to spoiling the finale, the story ends with every member of the family being shot and killed. Although brutal, it is tied completely to the title as the family comes across a cold hearted, merciless killer who did not care for the pleading of poor old grandma. As previously discussed, this is a classic case of the innocent (good) sadly falling under the mercy of a criminal (evil). O’Connor was an author that wrote with a purpose and meaning behind every story. Even though some may argue about this being simple a story for entertainment, we are able to take a look around and notice that scenarios like the one in the story happen around us sadly. Therefore, the reader can relate and surely sympathize for the family and what they went through. One of O’Connor’s greatest attempt in revealing the mindset behind a character like The Misfit is through one of his final words after killing the grandmother by saying â€Å"She would have been a good woman†¦if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life† (459). Moving along to Boyle’s â€Å"Carnal Knowledge† we will find a variation of the Right vs. Wrong scenario. In this story we will read about the common scenario of a man, Jim, doing whatever it takes with the purpose of pursuing love in the arms of a very selfish and egotistical Alena. Like many, Jim works hard and enjoys eating meat, as he would love nothing more than to have â€Å"Beef, mutton, pork, venison, dripping burgers, and greasy ribs† (569). But his whole world is turned upside down when he meets Alena, as he was laying on the beach feeling lonesome. In contrast to him, Alena is an animal rights fanatic. Regardless, cupid’s arrow had struck Jim from the moment he laid eyes on her. He tried changing everything about himself to try and win her heart. Jim lost his job, became a vegan, and became part of animal rights protests to impress her. The sad part of the story was not love striking Jim. Instead, Alena being as self involved as she was, did not reciprocate the feelings he had for her. She did not reciprocate anything at all for that matter. After all his effort and attempts, Alena ends up with Rolfe and leaving with him to Wyoming, Along with this devastating heart break for Jim, during their whole friendship he was mistreated and being unfairly dealt by the woman who stole his heart. This is another relatable topic as we see this happen all the time around us or to us in our daily life. We find a relationship where there is and abuser and an abused. There is a relationship where there is right vs. wrong. Good vs. evil and right vs. wrong. We learn about this endless battle through stories, poems, movies, etc. Most importantly, we must treasure the brilliant work from authors like Boyle and O’Connor, which show us some of these scenarios through some of their writing. The same way we recognize the faults and the attributes in these characters, we can learn a thing or two and avoid making the same mistakes or catching ourselves while we still can before we hurt someone or even ourselves. We can all agree that right is most important after all.