The Harlem Renaissance is a convenient metaphor Essay Thesis Example For Students

The Harlem Renaissance is a convenient metaphor Essay Thesis The Harlem Renaissance is a convenient metaphor for the artistic and intellectual explosion that took place during the asses and asses. Discuss. By Tanya Monkish-Benefit Kerr The Harlem Renaissance remains one of the most momentous creative movements in American history, exceeding its original importance to one specific interest group and hence cannot be looked upon simply as a convenient metaphor. This essay will show that in addition to the eruption of creativity, the Harlem Renaissance should be acknowledged for its significant contribution to changing the self-perception of the We will write a custom essay on The Harlem Renaissance is a convenient metaphor Thesis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Negro in America in such a positive and significant way that eventually transformed the Harlem Renaissance into the Civil Rights Movement of the sasss and changed the identity of America forever. The renaissance served to create a perception of distinctiveness among African Americans, at the same time, compelling white America to acknowledge the significance of an ethnic group far too long seen as inferior. The Harlem Renaissance may be defined as an eruption of creativity overflowing from the gifted minds of African-Americans between the asses and asses; though in truth, it was the center of focus for the articulation and litigation of a marginalia populace as much as it was an artistic movement. Even though mostly considered an African-American literary movement, the Harlem Renaissance stretched far beyond books and poetry to embrace art, dance, and music. The creative minds of blacks behind the Harlem Renaissance used creative expression to make an important impact on all aspects of society, while at the same time providing African-Americans with their first sense of distinctiveness not defined by slavery. Embracing creative arts, individuals sought to re-conceptualize the Negro apart from the white stereotypes that had influenced black peoples allegations to their culture and to one another. They also sought to break free of Victorian ethical values and conformist shame about aspects of their lives that might strengthen racist opinions by whites. Never controlled by a specific school of thought but rather characterized by powerful debates, this movement laid the foundation for all later African American literature and had a huge influence on succeeding black literature and consciousness internationally. While the Harlem Renaissance was certainly not restricted to New York City, Harlem enticed a significant concentration of intellect and talent; therefore, it served as the symbolic capital of cultural development. During the 20th century, approximately six million African-Americans escaped the remunerative hardships and harsh segregationist laws of the South and migrated northward to metropolises in an effort to obtain Jobs and economic stability as well as searching for a more racially open-minded society. Winter estimated that 175,000 of these African-Americans settled in New York City. To attach an unambiguous commencement to the Harlem Renaissance by singling out one precise text can only serve to spark debates since black authors had been published since effortlessly definable as a defining moment was the range of issues that black writers covered as its onset. The true origin of this Renaissance is not in any single work that sparked a revolution, but in the various and multiple congregations of mutual interests by those yearning to showcase the remarkable surge of creativeness via the publication of literary magazines and books. Crucial to the movement were magazines such as the Crisis, published by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Opportunity, published by the National Urban League; and The Messenger, a socialist Journal eventually connected with the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, a black labor union. These groups attracted many Negro intellectuals who were particularly upset with the rise in violence against blacks in the United States; therefore, theses organization became the driving force for changing the status quo of the Negro. This mutual need to help one another was a primeval component in changing the movement from a purely literary standpoint into one that incorporated all fine arts; it also played an important role in turning the Harlem Renaissance into a search for a new identity for an ethnic group previously defined by centuries of oppression. Although the artists created vivacious and lasting works of literature, art and music, the Harlem Renaissance quickly became Just as important for the way in which it gave African-Americans a real culture and a pride in acknowledging and embracing that culture. .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea , .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea .postImageUrl , .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea , .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea:hover , .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea:visited , .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea:active { border:0!important; } .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea:active , .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u33313720b771196ddf6eaa408ca9c1ea:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: High and Late Renaissance Period EssayPrior to this era, the representations of African-Americans in American literature were that of the illiterate and inferior peasant who made his or her living in the dirt of the cotton fields. The intellects contributed to the importance of the Harlem Renaissance by understanding and contributing to its purpose in creating positive role models for the Negro everywhere. One of the most important traits of the Harlem Renaissance is that teamwork was considered a better way to help individual works rather than to compete. An intuitive sense that any single artistic effort was going to define all others created an effort by everyone involved to create a cultural tapestry that served not Just other artists, but audiences as well. In reality, this cultural movement essentially created the idea of the black intellectual for both Americans and Europeans. Furthermore, the creation of the New Negro in Harlem represented the liberation of the last relics of chattel slavery, those of low esteem and even uncertainty and self-revulsion. Appraisers, however, query whether the Renaissance actually accomplished its goals of creating a new identity for the Negro separated from the history of slavery. One of the denunciations is that by trying to create a distinct culture detached from the past cruelties and even the influence of Anglo- European customs it succeeded only in alienation. A more powerful denunciation is that the Harlem Renaissance duplicated only the specific identity of the middle class, intelligent elites of an ethnic group trying to sway its background and views on a population still dominated by lower-class and illiterate people. Yet, another criticism is that the very goal of forging an identity for an entire ethnic group and socially enlightening them was utterly impractical because the vast numbers of African Americans were mostly oblivious of it or knew it only as history. The foundation of all criticisms of the Harlem Renaissance is that it encloses an inevitable element of two- fixedness in that it tried to produce a distinct identity that was centered primarily on white society and educational system. In fact, the central theme that can be concluded from all of the criticism is that it tried to accomplish little more than a lack representation of the white middle class establishment. What is not up for argument is the actual value of the artistic contributions of the era. James Weldon Johnson is an iconic figure in the initiation of the Harlem Renaissance both as writer and editor. He had written the contentious Autobiography of an Ex-colored Man and had also edited the book of American Negro Poetry. This collection showcased quite a few of the Renaissances most artistic poets, including Longboats Hughes, a man who became legendary in the literary world, Hughes possessed a passion for music and mentioned as a medium by showcasing the importance of traditional black folk music. Zorn Neal Hurst published a literary magazine that collapsed almost immediately because of funding issues, but was influential nevertheless. Hurst later achieved immortality with her book Their Eyes were Watching God. Literature was not the only art that defined the Harlem Renaissance. In fact, the music of the era may have been more significant in defining the uniqueness of the common Negro than the literary accomplishments. The music became a channel of communication, while providing inspiration to the literary achievements of writers and dramatists. Jazz surged into the arena of respectability and became symbolic as the essence of the urban way of life. The first Jazz performers were Bessie Smith, Duke Elongating, Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday. Added to this, Longboats Hughes specifically set out to bridge the gap between music and literature by adding the rhythms of Jazz into his poetry while Claude McKay used the ambiance of Jazz in his novel, Home to Harlem. Harlem Renaissance, therefore, epitomizes an attempt to combine artistic channels to construct an identity of artistic expression which is often views as the apex of human creation. It is from this view point that the Renaissance can be propelled to being much more than a metaphor which speaks to comparison, but rather this makes the Renaissance an exemplary worthy of imitation. The visual arts were also a vital component in stimulating the notion of a universality of individuality among blacks during the Harlem Renaissance. Aaron Douglas was head of the Department of Art at Fist University, where he exercised substantial influence over up and coming artists. He truly embraced the status of being the most important visual artist during the glory days of Harlem Renaissance, focusing on large murals hat brought to the fore the accomplishments of African-Americans all through history. .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983 , .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983 .postImageUrl , .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983 , .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983:hover , .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983:visited , .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983:active { border:0!important; } .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983:active , .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983 .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5da0abd6e25030c45332df024a760983:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Famous People in During the Harlem RenaissanceDouglas showed one of the undercurrents that drove the Harlem Renaissance, which was calling attention to value and contributions of blacks to the advancement of America. Implicit in that goal was the even greater goal of spurring future generations to even greater accomplishments and pride in their culture. Surely, the most long-lasting effect of the Harlem Renaissance may have been the one which entrenched upon the education of African Americans. The innovative endeavor of Negroes proved that stereotype of black inferiority was null and void. The enlightening legacy of the Harlem Renaissance was not simply one in which more blacks saw the significance of education but it was one which saw an intensification in the importance and availability of high education. After the renaissance, more African Americans than ever, enrolled in colleges and universities. However, it was education that African Americans obtained. Since the socio-political actualities of racism divided America either indirectly or openly in nearly every work of literature produced during this period, the Harlem Renaissance is acknowledged for generating militancy borne by that pursuit of knowledge. Anytime a people, who is exposed to an education system at a level they have been deprived of, it is only expected that certain quarters to identify the radical aspects of the denial of that education. Hence, there was a beginning of consciousness among African Americans across America that agreements made had not been kept from Reconstruction through World War I. The Renaissance essentially had the effect of deepening the sense of unfair discrimination by displaying how it could be achieved through much more indirect methods than chattel slavery or the Jim Crow Laws. A significant amount of the intellects of the movement urged that discrimination of this type be challenged and overcome. It could only be through education that the real issues African Americans met in a racially divided world could be dealt with, and as such the literature and art of this period forced black audiences to become to embrace education so that they could understand what they were reading or looking at. During the period of the Harlem Renaissance, African-Americans for the first time had an honest reason to experience pride and rejoice in their identity. Out of Harlem came works of literary, classical and fine arts that spoke of the contribution of their race and forced white supremacist groups to accept their contributions. In that moment in time, the entire world looked at Harlem as the future of artistic expression. The artistic works were grasped by scholars as a means of showcasing the idea that African-Americans no longer needed to classify themselves with a history of suppression and subsidiaries. The Harlem Renaissance produced novelists, poets, artists and musicians who are today considered some of the finest that America ever produced, regardless of the lour of ones skin. That, in fact, may be the ultimate achievement of the Harlem Renaissance. After the tremendous flood of artistic accomplishments that crossed every medium available, these Negro men and women and the works they created could no longer be treated with the grudging respect of great African-American art. Today the finest books, poems, music and artwork are universally recognized as simply great American art. Thus, in addition to the burst of creativity in the artistic and intellectual explosion, the Harlem Renaissance should be recognized for its nutrition to changing the self-image of the Negro; a rise in self-esteem that would eventually transform into the Civil Rights Movement of the asses and changed the identity of America forever. Indeed it was not a convenient metaphor but a celebration of African American heritage and cultural expression that continues to have positive effects on the social, intellectual and economic stature of African Americans and the Diaspora. 1. Bio True Story, Aaron Douglas Biography. 2. Houston Koala, Harlem. 3. Huggins Nathan, Harlem Renaissance (New York: Oxford University Press, 1971) . Kramer Victor and Robert Russ, Harlem Renaissance Re-Examined (New York: Whitish Publishing Company, 1997) 5.

Student Paraphrase and Ideas Essay

Student Paraphrase and Ideas Essay Student: Paraphrase and Ideas Essay Part 5: A tutorial on Paraphrasing This final part of the tutorial consists of 4 parts: Part 5a. How to paraphrase: A method. (A tutorial that helps you to develop the skills necessary to paraphrase successfully.) Part 5b. How to paraphrase: Using the method. (An interactive tutorial that allows you to practice and develop your paraphrasing skills.) Part 5c. How to use paraphrase in your assignments: A method. (A tutorial that shows you how to integrate paraphrase into your essays and reports.) Part 5d. How to Use paraphrase in your assignments: Using the method. (An interactive tutorial that allows you to practice and develop your skills in integrating paraphrase into your assignments.) PART 5a. How to paraphrase: A method How do you write effective paraphrases that avoid plagiarism? This section of the tutorial will provide you with a method of paraphrasing that will help you to avoid the kinds of writing practices that can lead to unintentional (or accidental) plagiarism. [pic] Take note! You will not be able to write successful paraphrases if you are too dependent on the original source, or if you try to paraphrase â€Å"word by word† from the source. There are 4 important steps or stages that can help you to produce a successful and appropriate paraphrase which avoids plagiarism: The section below will take you through these steps by providing an example source which talks about the causes of stress (stressors) in the workplace. Step 1. Read the original text carefully 1. Carefully read the original passage for understanding before you start to paraphrase the ideas in it. A very clear understanding of the original is essential. As you are about to paraphrase this passage you will need to read it several times to properly understand the ideas before trying to rewrite them in your own words. [pic] Take note! It is very important for successful paraphrasing that you think and read critically. Real mental engagement with any source under review involves a willingness to question and compare ideas in order to form a strong understanding and informed opinion. This kind of thoughtful interrogation of sources protects you from the simple repetition of ideas which not only leads to plagiarism but to poor paraphrases. Step 2: Explain it to yourself 2. Cover the passage or close the book (that contains the original passage) and explain to yourself what it is about. After reading the text you want to paraphrase, you should be able to explain to yourself the ideas or arguments in the text without referring back to it. If you cannot explain the ideas in the passage without constantly consulting the original passage then you are not ready to paraphrase it. Read the following explanation of the passage which shows the student’s understanding of the source and her capacity to explain it without continually referring back to the original text. [pic] [pic] Take note! Any attempt to paraphrase after only a quick reading of the text will lead to a dependence on the original source, which will result in a word by word and phrase by phrase paraphrase (usually by repeatedly moving back and forward between the original passage and the paraphrase). This practice leads to poorly constructed paraphrases and accidental plagiarism. Once you can clearly explain the passage to yourself in your own words, then you can begin the process of paraphrasing. Step 3: Paraphrase it 3. Write a paraphrase of the ideas, as you have understood them (without constantly referring back to the original passage). [pic] Take note! Use your explanation to write the paraphrase. Only refer back to the original text to check what you have written. If your paraphrase changes the meaning of the original text then adjust your paraphrase so that it reflects the meaning (not the wording) of the original source more accurately. The following paragraph is the

Trends Related To the Social, Economic, Technological, Competitive, Assignment

Trends Related To the Social, Economic, Technological, Competitive, and Regulatory Forces that Relate to the Product or Service - Assignment Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that economic factors include interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates. The current economic slowdown ensures that clients will start focusing on alternatives which will save their energy bill in the long run. It has been observed that new technologies create new products and new processes. It may be observed here that solar installations have become must more cost-efficient in the least efficient. Continuous R&D has also ensured that cost of production of other energy conserving products has gone down. Greenomics has a distinct first-mover advantage as the market is still new for players to come in and set up shop. Since it is a very new market, Greenomics may enjoy unique benefits while negotiating with its suppliers and end clients. Regulatory factors are the biggest positives that Greenomics have and will continue to, encounter in their quest. With the current global trend favori ng carbon credit regulations and the move towards the ‘Green Office’, clients seem to be lined up for Greenomics! The most important factor that needs consideration while calculating the target market for Greenomics is the fact that the concept of a ‘Green Office’, is still a new concept. So there are no set benchmarks, no set pattern and no established rules concerning the use of energy efficient techniques. The market for Greenomics will consist of all interested in having in place energy-conserving techniques at a place. The initial customers will be comprised of offices who are interested in saving money on the power bill in the long run. A more conscious clientele will, however, emerge, who are concerned about the immense environmental costs associated with traditional energy and thus focus on better and more efficient methods.

Obama Rally on November 4th Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Obama Rally on November 4th - Essay Example For sure, the likes of this campaign are such that they will probably never be repeated in history. Over $600 million dollars was spent by President-Elect Obama in his bid for the White House. However, his decision not to take public financing paid off. The fact that he counted on three million donors who gave an average of $86 dollars, mainly on the Internet-accounted for most of his war chest. This allowed him to outspend his rival, Sen. John McCain. In doing so, he was able to be more competitive in traditionally Republican-voting "red" states such as Florida, Virginia, Indiana, and North Carolina, Colorado, and New Mexico-which Obama won handily. The other, but more important historical factor of note is that we will have, for the first time in the history of our nation, an African-American President. This is significant for a number of reasons. The struggle that many black leaders have encountered over the years in the Civil Rights Movement, and the sacrifices that some gave wit h their lives, including Dr. King, Jr., and Medgar Evers, for example-are testaments to the many difficulties that African-Americans have suffered through the years, for the right to vote, for the rights to live in a desegregated society, and the right to live lives of dignity within their own communities. President-Elect Obama's speech encapsulated a heaviness as well, as it was a somber speech.

Structures of Bacterial Tyrosinases

Structures of Bacterial Tyrosinases Tyrosinases oxidise phenolic hydroxyl groups of small molecules or large polymeric substrates such as proteins. Tyrosinases catalyse first the ortho-hydroxylation of the phenolic substrate and second its subsequent oxidation to quinone (Figure 1) with the concomitant reduction of oxygen to water. The reaction is chromogenic as the quinones produced can undergo further non-enzymatic polymerisation to form black eu-melanins and, when reacting with thiol groups, brownish pheo-melanins [14]. This process can be inhibited by antioxidants such as ascorbic acid, for example to prevent the browning reaction in food preparations [15]. Tyrosinase activity is generally measured by either determining the consumption of oxygen during the reaction or spectrophotometrically by following the increase of absorbance at 475 nm due to dopachrome formation. The cross-linking activity of tyrosinase on proteins is usually analysed by SDS PAGE, size-exclusion chromatography, UV spectroscopy or mass spectrom etry [16]. The active site of tyrosinases interacts with both the phenolic substrates and the co-substrate oxygen and it alternates among three different oxidation states. When in the oxy state, tyrosinase binds oxygen and is able to catalyse the hydroxylation of monophenols to diphenols, thus changing into the met form. The met form of tyrosinase is responsible for the oxidation of diphenols to quinones and the reaction turns the enzyme into the deoxy form that, upon binding molecular oxygen, returns to the oxy form. The met form is the resting state of the enzyme and it has been calculated that up to 85% of the enzyme is in this state when in solution [17, 18]. The inability of most of the enzymes in an enzyme population to act on monophenols explains why a significant lag phase is detected in the activity when monophenols are the substrate of the reaction. Bacterial tyrosinases have been divided in five types according to the organisation of domains and the possible requirement of a caddie protein for enzyme activity [12]. The necessity of a secondary helper protein (caddie protein) for secretion, correct folding, assembly of the copper atoms and activity of the enzyme is common to tyrosinases of type I, e.g. the enzyme from S. castaneoglobisporus and S. antibioticus [19, 20]. Type II tyrosinases are small, monomeric enzymes containing only the catalytic domain, which do not require additional helper proteins and are possibly secreted. An example is the tyrosinase from B. megaterium [6]. Type III tyrosinases are represented by the enzyme from Verrucomicrobium spinosum. Like the fungal tyrosinases it carries a C-terminal domain whose removal led to about 100-fold higher activity [21]. This supports the theory that the role of the C-terminal extension in plant and fungal tyrosinases is to keep the enzyme in an inactive form inside the ce ll [22-24]. Among the smallest bacterial tyrosinases reported (Type IV) are the ones produced by Streptomyces nigrifaciens (18 kDa) and Bacillus thuringiensis (14 kDa) [25, 26]. However, it is debated whether these proteins are true tyrosinases [12]. Type V tyrosinases include enzymes that do not carry the sequence features of tyrosinases but show features typical of laccase and have only marginal activity on tyrosine. For example, a membrane-bound tyrosinase active on the typical laccase substrate ABTS (NCBI ID: AAF75831.2) has been isolated from Marinomonas mediterranea. A tyrosinase with a classical substrate specificity that is activated by SDS (NCBI ID: AAV49996.1) has also been reported from the same organism [27]. Similar to catechol oxidases and the oxygen carrying haemocyanins, tyrosinases are type-3 copper proteins, containing two copper atoms in the active site. The absorbance spectrum of oxy-tyrosinases has a characteristic maximum in the UV region (330-345 nm). As reported for the structurally similar catechol oxidases, a fluorescence intensity maximum at 330 nm upon excitation at 280 nm is also detected [28, 29]. Copper is essential for the catalytic activity of tyrosinases. The crystal structure of these enzymes has demonstrated the presence of two copper ions in the catalytic core (Table 1). In all tyrosinases of different origins and in the haemocyanins each of the copper ions is coordinated by three histidine residues that are found in a characteristic pattern in the primary structure (Figure 2). In the tyrosinase from Streptomyces glaucescens, for example, the key role of histidines at position 37, 53, 62, 189, 193 and 215 in the coordination of copper, and thus in catalytic activi ty, was confirmed by the decrease of activity upon their substitution with other amino acids [30, 31]. Various additional residues have been identified to have a function in fungal and bacterial tyrosinases, either being essential for or modulating tyrosinase activity. Sequence analysis and various mutagenesis studies have been performed in order to identify the residues necessary for the activity of the enzyme. In tyrosinase sequences from plants and fungi, the N-terminal signal peptide, when present, is followed by a conserved arginine residue that marks the beginning of the central catalytic domain and that forms a pi-cation interaction with a conserved C-terminal Y/FXY tyrosine motif, where X is any amino acid [32]. These residues are conserved also in bacterial tyrosinases (Supplementary file 1). Substitution of the N-terminal conserved arginine (R40) has been reported to abolish the production of tyrosinase from V. spinosum [21]. Two single-amino acid substitutions have been reported to improve the catalytic activity of the tyrosinase from Rhizobium etli CFN42. The independent r eplacement of proline at position 334 and of aspartic acid at position 535 (Supplementary file 1) with a smaller residue such as serine (P334S) or glycine (D535G), respectively, led to a significant enhancement of the catalytic activity and melanin formation [33-35]. In the tyrosinase from B. megaterium, a single substitution of arginine by histidine within the copper B binding region (R209H) has been sufficient for a 1.7-fold improvement of the activity towards tyrosine (monophenolase) and for a 1.5-fold reduction of activity on L-DOPA (diphenolase), whereby the overall protein stability was not affected [36]. The crystal structure of the tyrosinase from B. megaterium showed that this arginine is positioned at the entrance of the active site in a flexible position and plays a role in the docking of the substrate [6]. However, the conservative substitution of the corresponding residue asparagine 190 to glutamine (N190Q) in S. glaucescens tyrosinase abolished the catalytic activity, indicating that this residue was possibly involved in hydrogen bonding at the active site [30]. Moreover, the conservative substitution of the residue aspartic acid 209 (D209E) has been reported to stabilise the oxy-form of the same enzyme [37]. To our knowledge, no study has investigated the role of the oxygen binding motif PYWDW [38] with regards to the affinity for oxygen in tyrosinase. The affinity for the co-substrate oxygen has been evaluated for the tyrosinase from Streptomyces antibioticus that carries the PYWDW motif. It was found that this enzyme had a three-fold lower dissociation constant (kD) for oxygen than the A. bisporus tyrosinase [39, 40] that carries a PFWDW motif, i.e. 16.5 ÃŽ ¼M compared to 46.6 ÃŽ ¼M. The analysis of the characterised bacterial tyrosinases evidenced the presence of functionally active variants of this motif (Supplementary file 1 and 2), e.g. PYWNY in the tyrosinase from M. mediterranea, PFWDW in tyrosinase from R. etli, PYWEW in the tyrosinase from B. megaterium, PYWRF and PYWNW in the tyrosinases from Ralstonia solanacearum. Mutational studies have also addressed the interaction of tyrosinases from streptomycetes and their caddie protein. In S. antibioticus, the two histidine residues at positions 102 and 117 of the caddie protein MelC1 have been found to be crucial for the biosynthesis of active tyrosinase [41]. The available crystal structures of bacterial tyrosinases and their mutant forms have been obtained from Gram-positive S. castaneoglobisporus and B. megaterium (Table 1). While the B. megaterium tyrosinase formed crystals containing only the enzyme, the S. castaneoglobisporus tyrosinase required the presence of a second protein, referred to as caddie protein, to stabilise its structure [4]. Moreover, the structure of the Streptomyces tyrosinase has been solved in different states of oxidation. Aiming at understanding the interaction between tyrosinase and caddie protein, tyrosinase has been crystallised in the presence of mutant forms of the caddie protein (Table 1). Likewise, the fungal tyrosinase from A. bisporus was crystallised as a tetramer in a complex with a second protein, a lectin-like protein [7]. Both intracellular and secreted bacterial tyrosinases have been isolated and characterised. For example, the tyrosinases from Streptomyces nigrifaciens, Bacillus thuringiensis, M. mediterranea, R. solanacearum and Thermomicrobium roseum were isolated from cell biomass and the ones from S. antibioticus, S. glaucescens, S. castaneoglobisporus, Streptomyces albus, B. megaterium, Sinorhizobium meliloti, Aeromonas media, R. etli and V. spinosum were either isolated from the culture medium or predicted to be secreted [19, 21, 25, 26,42-51]. The twin-arginine signal peptide is often found in cofactor-binding oxidoreductases that undergo complete folding in the cytoplasm prior to secretion to the periplasmic or extracellular space. Twin-arginine type signal peptides [52] could be identified in the N-terminal region of tyrosinases from R. solanacearum (34-amino acid long) and V. spinosum (33-amino acid long). A more detailed analysis of the sequence retrieved for the tyrosinase from R. etli a nd the alignment with the other sequences of tyrosinases (Supplementary File 1) suggests the possibility of incorrect open reading frame prediction. The true N-terminal methionine may be M112 (underlined in Supplementary file 1) as it aligns with the initial residue of the tyrosinase from R. solanacearum (number 15 in Supplementary file 1) and is followed by a predicted twin-arginine signal peptide of 31 amino acids [51]. Thus, we suggest that these proteins purified from the cell biomass but carrying a signal peptide for secretion are localised in the periplasm. Tyrosinases, also from bacteria, and their caddie proteins generally lack conserved cysteine residues (for comments see [11, 12]). The paucity of cysteine residues, and thus disulphide bonds, allowed, however, the isolation of tyrosinases with significant thermal stability, e.g. the enzyme from B. megaterium had an optimum temperature of 50Â °C [48]. A single cysteine residue is conserved in proximity of the second histidine residue of the copper A binding motif in the characterised tyrosinases from M. mediterranea, R. solanacearum, S. meliloti, R. etli and V. spinosum (Supplementary file 1). A cysteine residue at this position has been found to be covalently bound to a histidine residue two positions forward in, for example, the fungal tyrosinase from Neurospora crassa [53], the plant catechol oxidase from I. batata [8] and haemocyanins from the snail Helix pomatia [54]. The function of this unusual cysteine-histidine bond is not established, but it could confer structural rigidity to the copper-binding region and affect the redox potential [8]. Replacement of this cysteine residue (C84) with serine abolished the production of the tyrosinase from V. spinosum [21]. Type-3 copper proteins carrying six conserved cysteines (forming three in silico predicted disulphide bonds) and characterised by significant thermal stability have been reported in fungi [26]. No mutagenesis study has addressed a possible improvement of the thermal stability of bacterial tyrosinases by introducing disulphide bonds. However, in silico analysis revealed the possible presence of one disulphide bond in the tyrosinases from R. solanacearum and S. meliloti and two in the enzymes from M. mediterranea and R. etli (Dianna software, http://clavius.bc.edu/~clotelab/DiANNA). The tyrosinase from S. castaneoglobisporus and the one from B. megaterium share approximately 30% sequence similarity with a catechol oxidase from Aspergillus oryzae that showed a melting temperature above 70Â °C and a ha lf-life of 20 hours when incubated at 50Â °C [29]. It should be noted that the tyrosinase from A. media exhibits different sequence features when compared to the other enzymes. The sequence alignment with bacterial tyrosinases shows that none of the typical signature motifs (copper A and B regions, oxygen binding motif and tyrosine motif) are present (see Supplementary file 1). Moreover, this enzyme has a predicted 23-amino acid long signal peptide [50] and shows strong sequence similarity to bacterial periplasmic proteins that are responsible for the uptake of peptides and involved in nutrition and sensing of the environment [55].

War and Memory in Irene Zabytko?s ?Home Soil?, Bruce Weigl?s ?Song of N

Bullets flying through the air right over me, my knees are shaking, and my feet are numb. I see familiar faces all around me dodging the explosives illuminating the air like lightning. Unfortunately, numerous familiar faces seem to disappear into the trenches. I try to run from the noise, but my mind keeps causing me to re-illustrate the painful memories left behind. The three narratives â€Å"Home Soil† by Irene Zabytko, â€Å"Song of Napalm† by Bruce Weigl, and â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† by Wilfred Owen all have the same feelings of war and memory, although not everyone experiences the same war. Zabytko, Weigl, and Owen used shifting beats, dramatic descriptions, and intense, painful images, to convince us that the horror of war far outweighs the devoted awareness of those who fantasize war and the memories that support it. In the story â€Å"Home Soil† by Irene Zabytko, the reader is enlightened about a boy who was mentally and emotionally drained from the horrifying experiences of war. The father in the story knows exactly what the boy is going through, but he cannot help him, because everyone encounters his or her own recollection of war. â€Å"When their faces are contorted from sucking the cigarette, there is an unmistakable shadow of vulnerability and fear of living. That gesture and stance are more eloquent than the blood and guts war stories men spew over their beers† (Zabytko 492). The father, as a young man, was forced to reenact some of the same obligations, yet the father has learne...

Human Relations Case Study

Human Relations Human relations can be defined as a study of group behavior for the purpose of improving interpersonal and social relationships in work environment. In order to improve work productivity, achieve successful teamwork and understand the importance of managing people, it is necessary for managers to develop appropriate ways how to do it. Human relations management has become a concern of many companies. To increase work productivity each company must create a way how to motivate their employees, see them as individuals and not machines, and provide them with good working conditions.Since human being is the main key factor of the organization, managers should always be encouraged to seek for new opportunities for the company growth. Human relations movement approach was started and established by Elton Mayo – a Harvard professor who is most famous for the well-known Hawthorne studies experiment at the Hawthorne plant of Western Electric Company in Chicago,USA. Mayo conducted and analyzed the experiment for several years. The intention of the experiment was to investigate the relationship between work conditions and productivity by examining environmental influences at workplace.After a while experiment moved on to the psychological aspects as well. During this research, new approaches to motivation, social relations and employee care were developed in order to increase work performance and productivity. Experiment gave an opportunity to understand human behavior in groups and their needs in work environment. The experiment had four stages- illumination studies, relay assembly test room, interviewing process and bank wiring observation room. For the first stage, there were selected workers from the Hawthorne plant. Workers were separated in groups and placed under the eye of supervisor in separate test rooms.The idea was to research and determine relationship between illumination in workplace and employee work efficiency, by increasing or decr easing lighting in the test rooms. The final results were confusing and everyone thought that the experiment has failed, because despite of the increase or decrease of lighting-productivity has been increased or stayed the same at all times. Researchers tried to figure out different theories, why it has happened. The general conclusion was that illumination is not the most important factor of output. After this stage change in employee’s behavior was discovered, workers felt important and knew that the work erformance will be researched. Researchers decided to call this phenomenon as Hawthorne effect. This unusual effect is still noticeable in nowadays and it has a big role in human relations management. For example, clinical research organizations- when patients are randomized for the trial, organization is subordinating patients for the Hawthorne effect. Patient health is studied for a long period of time and special attention is received from many employees. Clinical trial organizations usually choose two randomization options for patients-giving the actual trial medicine or the placebo medicine, which is not a real treatment.In most of the cases, clinical trial measures can result either in true or false improvement, which is caused by Hawthorne effect. In clinical research industry important factor is not only scientific, but also psychological effect, because without investigating human factors, finding necessary answers would be much harder, if the theory would be based only on scientific and medical impacts. The second stage of the experiment was relay assembly test room. Again there were selected people from the Hawthorn plant and divided in groups.This stage was conducted to investigate importance of working hours, lunch breaks, rest periods, wages etc. There were numerous questions that needed to be answered in order to understand how to manage efficient working day. That is why researchers kept changing rest periods, work weeks, wages, super visory practices etc. This stage had the same effect as the illumination stage- no matter what change researchers introduced; productivity either increased or stayed the same. After this stage the most important conclusion was that material gains are not as important as the social processes at the workplace.Every company must pay attention to employee well being, in order to establish positive working conditions and improve employee motivation scheme. One of the most popular motivation programs in nowadays is the â€Å"Employee of the month† title. Organizations make effort to analyze employee’s accomplishments every month. That is a simple way how to say â€Å"thank you† for the effort that has been made and motivate for even more successful results by granting workers with the special title and, in some cases, even with material bonus. The third stage at the Hawthorne plant was interview process.Over 21,000 of employees were interviewed by the time of three ye ars to find out the reasons for the increased productivity in previous two stages. Questionnaires were about everything what affect employees working conditions. Workers were allowed to talk about anything, but not always the answers were truthful or useful for the experiment. During the interviews Mayo thought that he had spread his research too wide and too far, because many of the answers were too vague. At the end of the interviews, researchers were surprised by the unpredictable results again.Investigators came to revelation that employees started to reveal more of personal facts, by the time of interviewing. Rather than giving direct answers, workers chose to speak about their personal life details and issues. After this stage became clear, that each person has their own individuality and important fact for the employers is to create certain trainings and interview processes-applicable for every employee. Also it is important to create surveys for employees and clients as well , to make sure that the company is moving forward, not backwards.For example, worldwide hotel â€Å"Premier Inn† has created survey called â€Å"Your say† (Premier Inn, 2011), which is a short questionnaire for employees and guests. By asking questions about the guest satisfactory level, â€Å"Premier Inn† can summarize information and create a plan how to avoid from biggest mistakes and also consider guest recommendations. Survey is also for employees-to make sure every single employee is satisfied and after the survey there is possibility to organize meetings and discuss negative or positive outcomes of their responsibilities.Most of the companies use these surveys in nowadays, to strengthen and improve their business. The last stage at the bank wiring room in Chicago was conducted to study behavior of the workers in informal groups, and research the social structure and its importance at the workplace. Overall conclusion for this stage: when humans interact w ith each other for a long period of time, various social structures are being created. Work productivity is affected by social processes at workplace, which is why important factor in every organization is communication.Many companies use informal meetings to strengthen employees, by creating different team building programs, so employees doesn’t feel like that is a compulsory task to attend. Overall, the main characteristics of the Hawthorne experiment theory are still noticeable in nowadays. Motivation, social relations, employee care/needs in work environment and behavior of groups are the basics of the human relations movement. Elton Mayo’s experiment was a major historical event and even though Hawthorne studies received a lot of criticism, it was a huge step in human relations management.While Scientific Management looked at technology and processes, Mayo found that the real key to high productivity lies within the people and â€Å"work units,† or groups, in the organization (Odportal 2011). Human satisfaction will always lead to productivity, which is why communication at workplace is important factor to achieve positive results. Also motivated workers are always more committed to their job-this was one of the most important characteristics in Hawthorne experiment. Without human relations theory, working conditions would be slightly different nowadays.Every person has their own individuality and needs, why it is important for organizations to take care of employees, make their own researches and seek for different options how to keep employees interested and motivated at all times. References 1. A Fast Learner’s Guide to Leadership. The Human Relations Movement. http://www. odportal. com/leadership/fastlearner/humanrelations. html -accessed 01/11/2011 [i. p. 1] 2. Guest Recommend Survey http://www. premierinn. com/en/why/contact_us/guest-recommend-survey. html – accessed 01/11/2011 [i. p. 1]