Evidence-Based Practices in Oncology Nursing Research Paper

Evidence-Based Practices in Oncology Nursing - Research Paper Example Evidence-based practice is a multi-step, dynamic process that incorporates best external data and best clinical judgment that is according to patient response to nursing interventions. Â  Even one individual nurse may complete this process however a multidisciplinary team approach allows for even bigger perspectives on a clinical problem. With the new ways of health care practice brought about by evidenced-based practice nurses are given the chance to provide the best possible nursing care that can provide desirable outcome based on evidence altogether with the way which Nursing Care Delivery Model is suited for the situation. Â  Nursing care delivery models are mechanisms for organizing and delivering patient care. Â  Nursing care delivery models focus on structure, process and/or outcomes. Â  Along the evolution of nursing and the sprout of nurse educators and scholars, many nursing care delivery models have also been developed that eventually evolved to different types and kin ds from various developments and modifications of use. Â  Some have been developed using task approaches where patient care tasks are listed and categorized under the level of care required providing the task. More recent models have arisen out of a psychological approach, focusing on patient satisfaction with nursing care and job satisfaction among nurses. Â  Some of the most obvious reasons for such variations are cost of nursing care delivery, availability of personnel, patient care needs and individual preference.and organizational preference. Nevertheless regardless of what nursing care delivery model is utilized by nurses, the purpose of any delivery system is to provide high quality care, efficiently and effectively as possible (Neisner & Raymond, 2002, p. 7). Nursing Care Models and the development of Evidence-Based Practice The author of this essay deemed three Nursing Care Delivery Models that would best support evidenced-based practice in oncology nursing-- Patient-Centered Care, Team Nursing and Nursing Case Management. Models of care are important because it is how evidenced-based patient care is delivered to the patient. Evidenced-based practices will be null and void if nursing care delivery is poor in the first place it will not be properly delivered or worst not delivered at all. Patient-Centered Care (Table 1) is a model first utilized during the hospital reengineering era of the 90’s. This method uses multi-skilled workers and a team approach to nursing. By virtue of this method, patients are being grouped together according to similarity of cases. The four principle of this method are: simplifying outcomes, grouping similar patient population together, bringing services closer to patients

Isolation of Recombinant Escherichia Essay Example for Free

Isolation of Recombinant Escherichia Essay One technique important in both genetics and biochemistry is the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), first developed in the 1960s, and then automated in 1983. Current PCR technology was not developed until the discovery of thermostable polymerases, specifically Thermus aquaticus (Taq) polymerase (1). The protein Taq polymerase was first isolated from the extreme thermophile T. aqauticus, where extreme thermopiles are bacteria that live in temperatures at or above 45 °C. The Taq enzyme is a member of the DNA polymerase I family (2, 3). The interesting property of Taq polymerase is that it has a temperature optimum at 74-75 °C, allowing it the remain active in temperatures required for PCR double stranded DNA denaturation (3, 1) . The protein has an approximate molecular weight of 6263 kDa when isolated from T. aquaticus, and 94 kDa when isolated from recombinant Escherichia coli, and is still stable at temperatures of 93-95 °C, hence the thermostability of the enzyme ). Taq specifically lacks any proofreading activity in the 3’ to 5’ direction, and therefore has a relatively high error rate of single base mispairings of 1 error per Isolation of Recombinant Taq Polymerase for PCR 9000 nucleotides, as well as a frame shift error rate of 1 per 41,000 basepairs (5, 6). Taq polymerase has an activity that is highly dependent on the environment of which it is in as it is thermostable, and has differing activities at nearly all temperatures up to the point of denaturation. Taq specifically can add up to 1000 base pairs in length on a template in under one minute under typical PCR conditions. The enzyme has a specific activity of 200,000 units mg-1, and can add approximately form 60 nucleotides per second at 70 °C (7). The isolation of Taq is essential for the PCR reaction. The most important reason for Taq being used in PCR is the thermostability at high temperatures (95 °C). This allowed for the process of elongation, annealing, and denaturation to occur without the replacement of new enzyme, and thereby, was more efficient, faster, and cheaper because the reaction could be automated through the use of a machine known as a thermocycler which basically is just a machine able to change temperatures of an isolated environment rapidly (7). Prior to the discovery of Taq, PCR was done using Klenow fragments of E. coli DNA polymerase I at 37 °C. The lack of thermostability required replenishment of enzyme after each PCR cycle (8). One of the initial difficulties of Taq polymerase was the organism in which it was expressed in, T. aquaticus, as it was difficult to culture and produce large quantities of enzyme. E. coli bacteria were engineered to expressed the Taq polymerase gene to allow for retrieval of large quantities of enzyme ). The isolation of the Taq gene involved culturing T. aquaticus and then isolated the DNA of the cells through lysing, proteinase K addition, extracting of aqueous and phenolic phases, dialyzing of extractions, addition of SDS, and then centrifugation of solution to eventually retreieve the DNA of the organism as outlined in Lawyer et al., 1989. With the isolation of the 2401+ BP gene of Taq, the gene was incorporated into a 6.58 kbp plasmid (pLSG1). The gene was inserted 171 bp distal to the lacZÃŽ ± promoter/operator, and 109 bp distal to the BgII site, so the gene expression could be controlled through an inducible promoter. With the pLSG1 plasmid, the vector was introduced to E. coli bacteria to allow for plasmid uptake (4). Other experiments have been conducted towards the purification of Taq from recombinant E. coli. Specifically Engelke et al., 1990 developed a method for purfication of Taq. The E.coli strain 2 DH1 was used for the expression of the recombinant plasmid containing Taq polymerase. The bacteria were grown in 12 Litre batches of Luria Broth; using 1 mL of saturated DH1 culture and 80ÃŽ ¼g/mL of ampicillin. Isopropyl-1-thio-ÃŽ ²-Dgalactopyranoside (IPTG) was added to 0.5mM and the cultures were grown for 16-20 hours. The cells were harvested in 2.4 L of buffer A (50 mM TrisHCL, pH 7.9, 50 mM dextrose, 1mM EDTA) and collected via centrifugation, resuspended in Buffer A with 4mg/mL lysozyme and incubated at room temperature for 15 minutes. Buffer B (10 mM TrisHCl, pH 7.9, 50mM KCl, 1mM EDTA, 1mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), 0.5% Tween 20, 0.5% NP-40) was added and incubated in 180 mL fractions, for 60 minutes at 75 °C in a water bath. The mixtures were centrifuged at 8000 rpm for 15 minutes at 4 °C. Taq then precipitated with polyethyleneimine (PEI) at room temperature, then isolated through centrifugation and suspended in buffer C (20mM HEPES, pH 7.9, 1 mM EDTA, 0.5mM PMSF, 0.5% Tween 20, 0.5% NP-40) containing 0.25 M KCL. PEI eluatents were diluted in 50mM KCL and buffer C and applied to a 150mL BioRex 70 ion exchanger column, and then eluated using 200mM KCL. The protein was dialyzed for 12 hours against two changes of 1 L storage buffer (20mM HEPES, pH 7.9, 100 mM KCL, 0.1 mM EDTA, 0.5 mM PMSF, 1mM dithiothreitol, 50% glycerol. The experiment resulted in 40-50 mg of protein per litre of cell culture (9). The methods used in this experiment differed in certain key aspects. First, Engelke’s experiment made use of a higher concentration of ampicillin. The IPTG was added to the same concentration, but was added after cell growth up to an optical density of 0.700. Instead of a water bath at 75 °C, this experiment made use of an air incubator for the temperature requirements. Engelke’s experiment made use of PEI to precipitate Taq, while this experiment made use of 30g of (NH4)2SO4 per 100mL of supernatant. Buffer C was not used throughout this experiment, and no ion exchange columns were used. The dialysis procedure was done for twice as long with twice as many changes of solution per 6 hours. The changes made from Engelke’s experiment offers a different method for protein precipitation. The method used by Engelke made use of PEI which is an affinity precipitation method versus a salt prec ipitation method. The PEI Isolation of Recombinant Taq Polymerase for PCR method has the major drawback through the lack of selectivity, and can often precipitate nucleic acids as well (10). This is why the BioRex column needed to be used. Ammonium sulfate has the advantage that the precipitation can be controlled based on ionic strength of species involved, as well as has no negative effects on the activity of the target enzyme. Salting out also has the advantage that only native state proteins are precipitated due to the hydrophobicity involved with native state proteins (10). Buffer C was not required for this experiment as no BioRex column was required. This experiment made use of various techniques and methods including: SDS-PAGE, differential centrifugation, Western Blotting, real time-PCR (rtPCR), PCR, agarose gel electrophoresis, and dialysis. Two important techniques were PCR and rt-PCR. PCR does not allow for the quantification of DNA amplicons as it is an end-point PCR, but it does allow for confi rmation of template duplication along with measurement of base pair length. Amplification of primer would confirm the presence of a thermostable DNA polymerase. The following agarose electrophoresis helps to find amplicon size which can tell us the activity of Taq, as well as the specificity, as one template should only return one band in PCR (7). rt-PCR allows for a quantitative assessment of PCR, and therefore the kinetics of the reaction, as it detects the amount of amplicons produced in the reaction. The point at which the standard curve reaches threshold in cycle number gives information on the activity of Taq, as a more active sample of Taq reaches threshold earlier. Melt curve analysis also provides information regards DNA amplicons in solution (11). The purpose of this experiment was the test the methods for the isolation of PCR grade Taq polymerase from recombinant E. coli using differential centrifugation, salting out, and heat denaturation following lysation of cells to potentially improve isolation of Taq from past methods. The presence of Taq will be confirmed through Western blotting, and rt-PCR and PCR reactions along with purity will be assessed through SDS-PAGE. The activity of Taq will be found through rt-PCR and PCR. Finding the most efficient method for the isolation of Taq offers a valuable reagent source for any PCR reactions required. The isolation technique would also be applicable to any thermostable proteins. 3 EXPERIMENTAL PROECDURES Isolation of Taq Polymerase Luria broth (500 mL + 100ÃŽ ¼g/mL ampicillin) was inoculated with 50 ÃŽ ¼L of frozen Taq polymerase expressing E. coli cell stock. Incubation was commenced for 12 hours at 37 °C until the Optical Density had reached 0.700. IPTG (0.5 mM or 0.112g/L culture) was added and the culture was incubated for 12 to 14 hours at 37 °C. The 50mL of cells were then centrifuged (4000 RPM x 15 minutes at room temperature) in an Eppendorf Centrifuge 5810, and 5 mL of buffer A (50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.9, 50 mM dextrose, 1mM EDTA) was used to suspend the separated pellet. The solution was then centrifuged again (4000 RPM x 15 minutes at room temperature) in an Eppendorf Centrifuge 5810 and the pellet was once again suspended in Buffer A, with an additional 20 mg of lysozyme added. The reaction was incubated for 15 minutes at room temperature. Following incubation, 5mL of buffer B (10 mM Tris HCl, pH 7.9, 50mM KCl, 0.5% Tween 20, 0.5% NP-40, 1mM PMSF, 1mM EDTA) was added and incubated at 75 °C for 1 hour in a New Brunswick Scientific-Innova 40 incubator shaker series, and shaken by hand approximately every 5 minutes. The solution was then centrifuged (15000 RPM x 10 minutes at 4 °C) in a Thermoscientific Sorvall RC 6+ centrifuge and using a 603s Delta Range 30g of (NH4)2SO4 per 100mL of supernatant (8 mL of supernatant equivalent to 2.4g (NH4)2SO4 ) was added and incubated for 10 minutes at room temperature and shaken on the Innova 40 incubator. The lysate was then centrifuged again (15000 RPM x 10 minutes at 4 °C) in Thermoscientific Sorvall RC 6+ centrifuge and the resultant pellet was suspended in 2mL of buffer A. The solution was then dialyzed in a Spectra/Por membrane tubing set at 6000-8000 Da molecular weight selection in 1 L of storage Buffer (50 mM Tris HCl, pH 7.9, 50mM KCl, 0.1mM EDTA, 1mM DTT, 0.5 mM PMSF, 50% glycerol) for 24 hours at 4 °C changing the buffer every three hours. The dialysis solution was then diluted in a 1:1 ratio of storage buffer and stored at -70 °C until needed. Protein Concentration Determination A Bovine Serum Albumin Bio-Rad assay standard curve was prepared (0 –0.3 mg/mL) using Isolation of Recombinant Taq Polymerase for PCR a 1mg/mL stock solution and an Asys Expert Plus spectrophotometer set at 620 nm. Bio-Rad assay was run in triplicate using 20ÃŽ ¼L of protein dilution and 150 ÃŽ ¼L of diluted Bio-Rad Dye Concentrate. 10x and 100x dilutions of the sample prepared previously were made and 20ÃŽ ¼L were used with 150ÃŽ ¼L of diluted Bio-Rad Dye concentrate. The solutions were incubated for 10 minutes and absorbances were tabulated. sandwich was then assembled with an additional ice block in the transfer apparatus. The apparatus was run at 180mA overnight in a refrigerator and the membrane was then stored in TBST buffer (20 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.6, 137 mM NaCl, 0.1% Tween 20) and refrigerated. 24 hours prior to the primary antibody (Anti-Taq monoclonal Antibody (8C1)) addition, the membrane was blocked in 1 gram of Carnation nonfat dry milk (5% w/v) and 20 mL of TBST Buffer. The primary antibody in TBST with SDS-PAGE 5% w/v nonfat dry milk at a 1:800 dilution of A discontinuous polyacrylamide gel was antibody was added to the membrane and shaken prepared using a Mini-PROTEAN Tetra Cell for 1 hour at room temperature. The membrane was module. The casting stand was assembled for 1mm then washed three successive times for 15 minutes gel and filled with National Diagnostics 12% with TBST buffer at room temperature. The Resolving Gel (Protogel 2400 ÃŽ ¼L, Resolving Gel secondary antibody (Peroxidase-conjugated Buffer pH 8.8 1560 ÃŽ ¼L, dH2O 1974 ÃŽ ¼L, 30% w/v AffiniPure Goat Anti-Mouse IgG (H+L)) was then APS 21ÃŽ ¼L, TEMED 6ÃŽ ¼L), casted to 1 cm below top applied in TBST with 5% w/v nonfat dry milk at a of glass plate, and then 4% Stacking Gel (Protogel 1:2000 dilution of antibody and shaken for one hour 390 ÃŽ ¼L, Stacking Gel Buffer pH 6.8 720 ÃŽ ¼L, dH2O at room temperature. The membrane was then 1830 ÃŽ ¼L, 30% w/v APS 6ÃŽ ¼L, TEMED 3ÃŽ ¼L) was washed three successive times for 15 minutes with casted on top with a ten well gel comb. The TBST buffer at room temperature. The edges of the electrode set up was then submersed in 1 x Trismembrane were dried with a Kim and next 1mL of Glycine SDS Page Running Buffer. To each 20 ÃŽ ¼L Renaissance Western Blot Kit NEN Life Sciences of sample, 20 ÃŽ ¼L of Laemmli buffer (0.5 M TrisProducts, Cat. No. NEL 101 luminol reagent with HCl, pH 6.8, 4.4% w/v SDS, 20% v/v glycerol, 2% 1mL of oxidizing reagent were mixed together and v/v 2-mercaptoethanol, 10 mg/mL bromophneol then applied to the membrane. The membrane was blue) was added and boiled for 3 minutes and then then imaged with an exposure time of 40 seconds cooled for 5 minutes on ice. To one well 7ÃŽ ¼L of using AlphaEaseFC software. New England BioLabs Inc. Prestained Protein Marker (7-175 kDa) was added. To the following PCR/agarose gel electrophoresis wells 15 ÃŽ ¼L of standard Taq polymerase was added, A master mix for PCR was prepared (1x PCR along with 20ÃŽ ¼L of six different samples, with the buffer minus Mg, 0.2mM dNTP, 1.5 mM MgCl2, fifth being prepared the previous year with the same 0.5ÃŽ ¼M forward primer, 0.5ÃŽ ¼m Reverse Primer, 0.1 method of isolation as outlined previously. The gel ng Template DNA and Nuclease-free PCR water) was run at 200 Volts for 40 minutes, incubated in and 22.5 ÃŽ ¼L of master mix and 2.5ÃŽ ¼L of Taq fixing solution overnight and then stained with Bio- sample, the standard, or the Taq prepared a previous Safe Coomassie Blue for one hour at room year were added to PCR tubes and centrifuged temperature under agitation. The gel was then briefly on a Fisher Scientific Accuspin micro 17 analyzed used AlphaEaseFC software. just briefly using 1.5mL eppendorf tubes with no caps to contain the PCR tube. The PCR tube was Western Blotting then added to T3 Biometra Thermocycler and Using the method described above for SDSdenatured at 94 °C for 3 minutes and then 35 cycles PAGE, a SDS-PAGE gel was taken prior to fixing. of PCR with the denature 94 °C for 45 seconds, The gel was then transferred to transfer buffer anneal 55 °C for 30 seconds, and extension at 72 °C (20mM Tris-HCL, pH 8.0, 150 mM Glycine, 20% for 1.5 minutes. The sample was then incubated at Methanol). Immobilon-P transfer membrane with 72 °C for 10 minutes and then temperature was 0.45 ÃŽ ¼m pore size and Whatman paper were cut to maintained at 4 °C. The samples were then stored at the size of the gel. The membrane was wet with -20 °C until agarose gel preparation. A 1% agarose 100% methanol, then transferred to MilliQwater gel w as prepared through 1.5g of agarose (Sigma and soaked for several minutes. A standard blotting No. A-6877 Type II) to 150mL of Tris-Acetate4 Isolation of Recombinant Taq Polymerase for PCR EDTA (TAE) buffer. The solution was microwave for 1 minute and mixed until in solution. Once cooled to 60 °C, 7.5 ÃŽ ¼L of Biotium Gel Red Nucleic acid stain was added and mixed. The solution was then poured into the electrophoresis tray; a comb was installed, and set at room temperature. One Litre of 1x Tae buffer was prepared through dilution of 50x TAE buffer and then the solution was poured onto the electrophoresis tray to cover the gel in 1mm of buffer. 20 ÃŽ ¼L of PCR product prepared previously and 4ÃŽ ¼L of Gel Red dye were mixed and 20ÃŽ ¼L of each sample, the standard, and Taq prepared the previous year and Invitrogen life Technologies 1 Kb DNA ladder Cat. No. 15615016 was run at 150 Volts, 100 mA for one hour (or until dye reached the bottom of the gel). The bands were then visualized under 300 nm light and fluorescence was measured at 590 nm. The gel was analyzed using AlphaEaseFC software. concentration of the sample Taq was 1.88 + 0.11 mg/mL. The solution of proteins was not pure Taq as confirmed by the SDS-PAGE (Fig. 2) as various proteins created distinct bands (B to K excluding E). The standard Taq revealed only one band (A), indicating band E was most likely belong to Taq, as it was the darkest band in the gel. An analysis of the molecular weights of the bands through electrophoretic mobility (Tab. 3) showed the standard Taq having a molecular weight of 115.2 + 14.6 kDa, and the likely band (E) had a molecular weight of 113.4 + 14.3 kDa. There was a distinct distortion in the bands of the SDS page in all lanes with the exception of the standard Taq and the 2011 Taq (Fig. 3). The distortion is of a smile. The overall gel also has a large distortion, but of a frown. It would appear there was a similar protein to D E and F present in all samples, including the 2011 sample. The standard Taq did not contain the bands. Re al Time PCR The Western Blot (Fig. 4) revealed distinct A master mix for PCR was prepared (1x PCR bands; however, there were more than one band in buffer minus Mg, 0.2mM dNTP, 1.5 mM MgCl2, each lane with the exception of the standard Taq. 0.5ÃŽ ¼M forward primer, 0.5ÃŽ ¼m Reverse Primer, 0.1 Two distinct bands were present in 5, Taq, and 2 (b, ng Template DNA and Nuclease-free PCR water). c). The lanes of * and ? contained several bands To PCR tubes, 22.5 ÃŽ ¼L of Master Mix and 2.5 ÃŽ ¼L also. The overall gel also expressed a slight color of Taq sample or the standard Taq were combined, banding along the solvent front edge which is mixed through vortexing and then centrifuged with shown in both Fig. 3 and 4. The 2011 lane did not a Fisher Scientific Accuspin micro 17 just briefly appear to have any Taq present, as no band was using 1.5mL eppendorf tubes with no caps to distinguished. The entire ladder expressed some contain the PCR tube. The Taq samples were antibody activity. prepared in triplicates. 20ÃŽ ¼L of each sampled were The real time-PCR revealed a threshold reached then transferred to a 96-well PCR plate and then at 20 cycles, with the vast majority occurring at 24 sealed. The well was then placed in a BioRad CFX cycles. The melt curve showed an approximate connect Real Time System using the programing of melting temperature of 81 °C (Fig. 7). enzyme activat ion (95 °C, 30 seconds, 1 cycle), 40 The agarose gel electrophoresis revealed one cycles of Denaturation (95 °C, 1 second) and distinct band at approximately 5883.5 base pairs in annealing/extension (60 °C, 5 seconds), with a melt length. The brightest bands, and therefore the curve of (60-95 °C in 0.5 °C intervals, 3 seconds per highest quantities of Taq enzyme were found in the step, 1 cycle). The samples were then analyzed std., 2 and 4. When the base pairs specific activity using AlphaEase FC software. of the enzyme was calculated it was found to be 834.5 + 63.9 bp/min/ÃŽ ¼g of sample, or 3922.3 + 192.9 bp per minute. RESULTS The results of the Bio-Rad assay on the sample of Taq polymerases diluted to 10x and 100x revealed that the 10x dilution was far to concentrated and fell outside the linear curve of the Bio-Rad assay. The retrieval of protein from the Luria broth was found to be 300.8 + 17.7 mg protein per L of Luria broth. These results (Tab. 1) suggest the protein 5 DISCUSSION Through the analysis made through SDS-PAGE, the MW of the standard Taq was found to be 115.2 + 14.6 kDa and 113.4 + 14.3 kDa. This is different from the accepted literature value of 94 kDa (9). Even with error correction, the prot ein did not fall Isolation of Recombinant Taq Polymerase for PCR within the range of the accepted literature value. In total, the two proteins differ by 23% and 21% without error correction, or 21.2 kDa and 19.4 kDa respectively. In comparison to one another, the two bands have essentially the same molecular weight, indicating whatever error occured in the gel was equivalent on both the standard and the isolated Taq. One explanation for the difference in the molecular weights may be explained through the quantitiy of protein used. The darkest and thickest band ( E, fig. 4) likely belongs to the Taq protein. To get a more defined band, a dilution would be effective in making a higher resolution band (12). The amount of protein isolated per volume of Luria broth was determined to be 300.8 + 17.7 mg per L of Luria Broth. Quite obviosuly, there are issues both with the heating of the gel, and distortion of the bands into â€Å"smiles†. The distoration of the gel likely was caused by unequal heati ng of the gel causing the center of the gel to be hotter than the peripheries, as the walls of the apparatus act as heat sinks (13). The uneven heating can be removed by switching to a lower voltage for a longer period of time (12). The distortion of the protein bands within the individual lanes produced a smile structure. The distortion was likely caused by either an overloading of proteins, which can be solved by dilution of the protein sample, or was due to salt conditions of the loading sample. This step could be fixed through extra steps of dialysis to decrease salt content of the loading sample. (14). One final issue with the SDS-PAGE gel was the distance between bands. The target molecular weight was near 100 kDa, so the concentration of the gel could be decreased to allow for a higher resolution of the higher molecular weight proteins, or allowed to run for a longer period of time (14). A purity assessment of the isolated Taq enzyme can be made through the SDS-PAGE gel (fig. 2). Distinct banding occurs in ten different bands on the Taq lane, with 9 being distinct from Taq protein (E). This highlights that there were infact multiple proteins still present in the Taq solution. This would indicate that the heat shock portion of the methods was insufficient in denaturing all of the proteins in the E. coli, allowing for precipitation upon salting out. This is based on the extra protein banding only occuring for the Taq polymerases prepared for this experiment. A factor that could have also played a role was the incubation at 75 °C was continually 6 interrupted through the need to shake the reaction vessel thereby lowering the temperature of the solution. This was due to mechanical difficulties of the equipment. It would be best to find a working New Brunswick Scientific-Innova 40 incubator shaker series to improve the protein isolation. To decrease the protein impurities, an increased heat cycle could be implemented, as Taq is thermostable at 75 °C, and could sustain structure at that temperature for long durations (7). The ammonium sulfate salting out would be mor e efficent after an increased heat cycle as even fewer native state proteins would remain (10). Another method to decrease impurities would be to add a purification step using another specific property of Taq polymerase. This could be the isoelectric point. This could be done through ion exchange columnsor isoelectric focusing (12). The extra isolation step would significantly decrease the impurities, and increase the specific activity per mg of protein of sample.The impurities were likely a result of other proteins present in E. coli bacteria lysate that were relatively thermostable, as those proteins would be most probable (9). The isolation of Taq can be confirmed through the Western Blotting and PCR reactions (Fig. 4-7), as a distinct band in the Western Blot, and measureable amplicon replication in the PCR and rt-PCR. In the standard of Taq of the Western blot (Fig. 4) there is a distinct band. The same band in the channel containing the isolated Taq can be seen. The band occurs in the same relative vicinity as the Taq molecular weight band in the SDS-PAGE (Fig. 2) so would fit best fit the Taq enzyme. The banding of the blot shows a common band across all lanes that line up with the standard Taq, emphasizing the isolation of Taq. There is a hesitation in confirmation of Taq due to the extra protein banding in the prepared fractions, as these bands were not seen in the standard Taq. The banding would suggest proteins transferred from the gel to the membrane and was still able to bind to the primary antibody or secondary antibody. There are various possible explanations for this. First and foremost, the banding occurred in areas wherever protein was present (ladder and lanes). This would indicate lack of specificity in the primary antibody which is intended to only find full sequence Taq and bind to it (15, 16). Another problem may be due to lack of blocking solution binding to the membrane, or Isolation of Recombinant Taq Polymerase for PCR excessive washing removing blocking solution from the membrane. A final possible explanation may be binding of the secondary antibody to membr ane bound proteins with the exception of casein (the blocking protein used) (15, 17). Antibody specificity can be corrected by finding a new antibody, lack of blocking simply requires longer blocking periods or increased blocking solution concentration, and washing can be minimized to see resultant effect on the membrane. Each of the possible problems with the Western Blot would have to be tested by altering the procedure used above by one method (washing, antibody, blocking solution). The PCR results show template replication through thermocycling, which indicates the presence of thermostable DNA polymerases in the PCR tube. From this, it can be conferred that Taq polymerase was indeed isolated. Further confirmation could be made through further purification of Taq. This could be done through 2-D SDS-PAGE vs Isoelectric point electrophoresis using the isoelectric point of Taq and using the bands emphasized as Taq, and a lower concentration gel (12). Another method would be to analyze the gel bands through other methods such as mass spectropscopy or NMR (18). There wa s distinct differences between three sets of Taq polymerases: the standard, the sample prepared in the previous year, and the sample produced in this experiment. Most distinctly the proteins differ with respect to SDS-PAGE gels. Quite obviously, the purest of the enzymes was the standard Taq, followed by the 2011 sample, and the sample prepared in this experiment. The sample prepared through this experiment had a high amount of a salt concentration and resulted in distorted bands, along with numerous other proteins present in the sample. The enzymes also differed with respect to the Western Blot (Fig. 4). The 2011 sample failed to return 2 ° antibody response, indicating lack of Taq polymerase, or lack of primary antibody binding, while the standard and experimental sample both had representive banding. There may have been excessive blocking or drying of the lane containing the 2011 Taq, as the SDS-PAGE shows a representive band in the region of Taq, that is the darkest band in the lane (15). The protein concentrations as determined through the Bio-Rad assay (Tab. 1, Fig. 1) returned 7 drastically different results. The two protein concentrations differed by 2x concentration. The easiest explanation of thi s result is the 10x dilution was insufficient in reducing the absorbance to within the standard curve. Due to the absorbances being above the standard curve, the results are invalid, as the region in which the curve is linear is up to 0.5mg/mL (19). The 100 x dilution returned a result of 1.88 + 0.11 mg/mL. This coroborates the SDS-PAGE findings as the protein was not excessively overloading the lane. The SDS-PAGE could have been further diluted, but the concentration used was sufficient for the purposes of the experiment. In an analysis of the PCR results (fig. 7), the brightest fluorescence bands occurred in the std., 2 and (4/Taq) lanes. This would indicate the highest activities occuring in these lanes. When compared to the western blot, the darkest banding of regions of Taq (5,?,*) returned the bands with less fluorescence. This result shows that the amount of enzyme may inhibit the PCR reaction as the the bands with the highest recoveries returned the lowest fluorescence. With an assessment of the basepair length, reaction time, and amount of enzyme used, an approximately activi ty of 834.5 + 63.9 bp/min/ÃŽ ¼g of protein, or 3922.3 + 192.9 bp per minute. In comparison to the literature values of the protein, this is slightly above the 60 base pairs per second value, however, that was at 70  °C (7). The rt-PCR returned a consistent melting temperature of 81 °C (Fig. 6)for all amplicon samples indicating the lack of a primer-dimer formation. Threshold was initially reached at 20 cycles (Fig. 5), which an RFU value of approximately 9000. This indicated a high activity of the taq polymerase used, at least above 1.25 Units (20). Both PCR assays agree with one another. There was no primer dimer formation noted on the agarose gel, or the melt curve analysis. There was a high activity of the enzyme sample isolated as found through the bpmin-1 and cycle # of reaching threshold, however, between the two assays, the rt-PCR has the significant advantage of time, and no electrophoresis required. Currently, Taq is widely available and would likely be cheaper to simply purchase commercially. This experiment does however outline a method for thermostable protein isolation which could be used for the more recent and more valuable thermostable enzymes (Pyrococcus furiosus Polymerase) which Is olation of Recombinant Taq Polymerase for PCR are superior to Taq in both thermostability, and error rate due to proofreading ability (21). Overall, the purpose of the experiment was met. Taq was indeed isolated from a culture of recombinant E. coli. This was confirmed through the Western Blotting, and thermostable DNA activity in the PCR and rt-PCR. The purity was assessed and found to be below that of the methods used by Engelke et al., 1990. The purity could be increased through use of a cation exchange column (9). The length of heat denaturation and an automatic heat controlled shaker would help to remove excess proteins and improve purity. The length of dialysis time would need to be increased for less band distortion in SDS-PAGE, and either more selective primary antibody, increased blocking or decreased washing would be required for improved Western Blotting. For further experiments, it is suggested testing the new method modifications, and or implementing recombinant Pyrococcus furiosus Polymerase.

Metamorphosis of Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw Es

The Metamorphosis of Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw    The benefits of acquiring an education are not limited to the academic aspects often associated with it. Part of the edification it bestows includes being enabled to reach new insight, being empowered to cultivate a new awareness, and being endowed with a new understanding of life and of self. In Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, Eliza Doolittle experiences this type of enlightenment as the result of undergoing a drastic change in social status. With the sponsorship and guidance of Colonel Pickering, Eliza, a common street flower vendor, receives phonetic instruction from Professor Henry Higgins and is transformed into an elegant and refined "duchess" (817). Eliza Doolittle is highly emotional and has dauntless pride; however, her level of confidence increases as she gains a new perception of herself and a new outlook on life through the instruction she receives. Although in the beginning of the play Eliza Doolittle possesses a dignity of self that has persevered despite the lowliness of her social status as a "draggletailed guttersnipe" (817), she has little confidence and a low sense of worth. By describing Eliza's emotional states throughout the play, Shaw illuminates the evolution of Eliza's character. In the opening act when Eliza receives the impression that she is being "charged" for "taking advantage of [a] gentleman's proximity" to persuade him to "buy a flower," Shaw describes that she becomes "terrified" and claims, "I ain't done nothing wrong . . . I've a right to sell flowers . . ." (806). Eliza's initial feeling of fear points to a momentary sense of self-doubt in her character; however, her solid pride leads her to make a declaration in def... ...f" as she "sweeps out" (864). Too proud to be bossed around, Eliza is confident enough to stand her ground and defend her dignity without being timid. Although it was in Eliza's sensitive nature to "fetch slippers," now she "won't care for anybody that doesn't care for [her]" (860). Eliza Doolittle continually manifested pride and a touchy sensitivity; however, once educated, the drastic change of experiencing a substantially improved social standing caused the development of visual confidence in her character. Armed with self-esteem, Eliza had the necessary force in her character to face adversity without doubting herself or relying on the strength of others. Works Cited Shaw, Bernard. Pygmalion. Introduction to Literature: Reading, Analyzing, and Writing. 2nd ed. Ed. Dorothy U. Seyler and Richard A. Wilan. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1990. 800?64.

The implementation of balanced scorecard in a Chinese car insurance company

It was decided that the best tool to gather data about stakeholders’ thoughts with regard to the Balanced Score Card system in Tian-an Car Insurance Company would be through interviews. A detailed questionnaire and data on the findings is found in the Appendix. 4. 3. Findings. The researcher found out that the implementation of the Balanced Score Card system did not succeed in this company. The reason for failure was not due to the technical nature of the BSC as a system but rather due to how it was implemented.Of great interest were the comments from four of the Tian-an Car Insurance Company branch managers interviewed. Three of the managers interviewed work with the Shanghai branch and one manager with the We Zhou branch. From the managers’ responses it became apparent that there were serious inadequacies in the way the BSC system was implemented. The findings below are arranged in three parts. First, the question that was posed by the researcher, second the answers t hat the managers gave and finally an interpretation of the findings.The findings follow a certain sequence that is intended to reveal the order in which the change agent should have implemented the BSC system so as to attain success. It has been found that implementation should have started with a consideration of the company’s strategy, followed by acceptance by every player, training, motivation and communication. 4. 3. 1. The current status in the company with regard to the BSC: The researcher posed the following question: â€Å"Is the company currently using balanced scorecard as a performance measurement system†?A manager answered that Tian-an Car Insurance Company â€Å"started to use it in June 2008†, but somewhere along the way they started experiencing â€Å"some problems† which forced them to stop to using it. Reasons given for stopping were that; â€Å"we found it is not really suitable for us†, and that â€Å"the duration for implement ation was 8 months. † This finding reveals a lack of appreciation of the BSC system. The BSC as research has shown; is superior to ‘traditional financial performance measures that worked well for the industrial era.’ This is a holistic system that complements the financial measures with operational measures on customer satisfaction, internal processes, and improvement activities –operational measures that are the drivers of future financial performance. (Kaplan and Norton 1992) If the Japanese can successfully transplant their auto plants to America using processes that are superior to the ‘American’ way of doing things then there is no way that the BSC can be faulted in the Chinese business set-up. (Franchesco & Gold 2005) 4. 3. 2. How the BSC was introduced to the company:The response to the interview question: â€Å"Why would you choose it (BSC) as the performance measurement system at the beginning? † reveals a fundamental flaw that led to the failure of the BSC system in this company. The Car insurance sales manager (S) replied that one of their old customers who was employed in an agency that was applying the BSC successfully recommended it to Tian-an Car Insurance Company. S somehow convinced the other branch managers F and H most likely because the company did not have any performance measurement system.Management had a rosy idea of the BSC; that it was â€Å"successful and famous in the world. † They did not take time to figure out how to implement the system but rushed to poach the change agent who apparently lacked the professional ability to implement such a system in a brand new environment. A successful BSC system implementation requires that the spirit of the system be tuned with the business strategy. Before any action is taken top management must fall in love with the idea, and it has to be in sync with the mission and vision of the company.From the strategic level the change agent has to co nvince all stakeholders and through actively involving them in the formulation of divisional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) make every one to like and own the system. The managers do not even talk about how the employees fare with the system. This shows that information was not being shared from all sides in the company. 4. 3. 3. The BSC as a solution: Despite the management’s failure to implement the BSC system, when the question: â€Å"Why not to use it?† was posed, the We Zhou branch sales manager (O) opined that â€Å"we believed the balanced scorecard would increase our profit† though, he had â€Å"heard about some negative opinions about balanced scorecard. † This positive perception shows that there is hope that the BSC system can be properly implemented in the company. The fact that he associates the BSC system with â€Å"increase [in] our profit† shows that they are yet to grasp the basic BSC truth that; improved financial performance i s a product of a company that has worked on the following key BSC perspectives: innovation and learning, internal business processes, and customer care.(Kaplan and Norton 1992) 4. 3. 4. Training is core to a successful implementation of the BSC system: The training aspect of BSC is two pronged. A thorough knowledge and understanding of the how the system works is a must. Stake holders have to be trained on how to develop individual KPIs, how and individual employee’s efforts ultimately contributes towards the company’s bottom line and how the individual stake holder can benefit from adhering the BSC requirements. Secondly a key perspective of the BSC is innovation and learning.Employees have to be trained on the production processes, about new products and customer care. As some one put it ‘a knowledgeable employee is more productive because he has the tools and know-how, he deals better with clients, and he is more likely to come up with new product development ideas which are key to sustaining the profitability of the company. The honest answers three managers give in response to the interview question: â€Å"At the time you started using it did you have any training on this program? † shows that lack of training greatly contributed to the failure of the BSC system to take off.The Car insurance sales manager (S) admitted that management â€Å"did not set a particular training program† to educate all players about the BSC system. The â€Å"once-a-month-meetings and â€Å"booklets† are insufficient. The responses of the Human resources manager (H) show a common thread. That he has heard some negative tales about the BSC. This manager has ‘just seen’ the BSC booklet; and ‘thinks’ it’s a bright idea. This is not the right attitude! And coming from management for that! It just shows how the initial introduction was flawed. That ‘employee’ did not do a proper job as ‘chan ge agent’ in changing the mindset of the workers.That is why this manager feels that the company does not â€Å"have enough time to train [their] ours employee about the tool. † 4. 3. 5. A reward system must be embedded in the balanced scorecard system: When asked: â€Å"Do you have any reward system related to the balanced scorecard? † The Car insurance financial manager (F): replied that â€Å"Maybe, he thought the reward is about the target to set about each department. † The Human resources manager (H): candidly said â€Å"No, there is no directly reward system about balanced scorecard. † Absence of a reward system is yet another serious flaw revealed in this interview.As a best practices rule for BSC, the reward system should be embedded in the BSC. Every player in the system should know the rewards associated with achieving the goals outlined as well as the penalties for underperformance. When brainstorming on performance indicators consensus should be sought for rewards such as bonus, leave days, vacations, promotions, and so on for good performance on one side, and penalties such as warnings, fines and termination for poor performance. Added responsibilies and promotions and career paths are good rewards for good performers.4. 3. 6. As a performance measurement system, the BSC is rated as better than most others: Despite implementation problems, the managers gave very encouraging views when asked to rate the BSC in the following question: â€Å"In your experience, how do you feel about the balanced scorecard as a performance measurement system? † Advantages of the BSC system were outlines as follows: The Car insurance sales manager (S) correctly responded that: â€Å"it clearly gives detailed information of the company’s performance in both financial and non-financial areas.† â€Å"It shows the detailed strength and weakness of the overall company. The Car insurance financial manager (F): seconde d that with the BSC it is easy to pinpoint â€Å"what areas we need to focus on. † Because of its robustness; F also revealed that â€Å"our shareholders decided to use balanced scorecard to measure the performance instead of only looking at the financial figures. † Human resources manager (H) affirmed that he knew that the BSC â€Å"is a good tool to measure the performance† while O the We Zhou branch manager knows that this too has â€Å"a lot of advantages.† On the flip side the managers made the following comments against the BSC system: S said that â€Å"the target part makes our employees very dissatisfied. They feel it is not fair. † F did not see any â€Å"short-term benefits† accruing from application of the BSC system. H observed that â€Å"a lot of complaints had been raised by employees regularly. † O â€Å"thought† that he wouldn’t â€Å"recommend [the] company to apply BSC because the tools concept â€Å" is not mature in china. † The negativity stems from poor implementation.The reason why employees see the targets as too high to achieve and hence due to frustration â€Å"feel that it is unfair† is because their targets were apparently developed by management. Management wrongly uses the BSC as a ‘control’ tool instead of applying it as a performance measurement tool. If the users of the system are not allowed to choose the targets they can reasonably achieve BSC can change from a friendly system that urges employees to higher levels of achievement to a demanding beast that stresses and drains employees’ power.With so many multinationals relocating production plants to China and advancement in information technology turning the world into a global village, the opinion that the BSC concept is not mature in China doe not wash. 4. 3. 7. Company specific problems that lead to the failure of the implementation: Internal constraints that lead failure in im plementing the BSC system in Tian-an Car Insurance Company were brought out when the following research question was posed: â€Å"Why did you stop to use it, is there any disadvantages you can find?† Following is a raft of company specific difficulties that the company faced during implementation as per the responses of managers S, H, F and O. †¢ An excess of indicators: poor design of the BSC resulted to so many â€Å"indicators† that others were left unaccounted for. †¢ Due to inability to synchronize available resources with demand the company could not sufficiently satisfy the requirements of all the four perspectives. That is why one manager said:† We can not spend too much time on customers and employees’ investigation. †Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ The fear that questionnaire data collected by company employees from clients would be biased and not the true picture of the BSC perspective â€Å"how our Customers view us. † †¢ A completed balanc ed scorecard model for the business took too long. †¢ Expectation of Instant results: â€Å"The agent told us that it need spend some time to see the effect, I think BSC can not help in short-run decision making. † A manager said. The BSC is a performance measurement system that directs decision makers toward long-term value creating activities. It is not meant be a measure of dealing with emergencies.†¢ The problem of size: â€Å"our branch is not large enough, so the advantages were not clearly identified† Said F. â€Å"Comparing benefits against costs (to the agent fee), there was no â€Å"good value for money. † A unified approach would have given better results. The company has eight branches! †¢ Resistance: â€Å"I found that there were many complaints from our employees. Someone felt it waste their time to response each indicator† said H. A change management process would have sufficed. †¢ SBC used as a control tool: management ’s lack of knowledge on how to use the BSC led to strictly following â€Å"targets†, and decreasing staff bonuses.This made â€Å"others to doubt their ability† and increased complaints. This was a case of managing staff instead of managing processes. †¢ After applying the BSC manager O could not fins any noticeable â€Å"good performance in the period† 4. 3. 8. Communication is the life blood of a successful BSC system: That poor communication contributed to the failure to implement the BSC system in Tian-an Car Insurance Company is revealed by responses obtained from the question: â€Å"Do the managers and employees communicate regularly?† The Car insurance sales manager (S) said: â€Å"Not really, because our employees are really busy. But we have employees’ meeting in each Wednesday, we could communicate at that time. † The Car insurance financial manager (F) said: No, unless at employees’ meeting, but I just report so me targets and requires. Comments will not be reflected to me. † While the Human resources manager (H) said: â€Å"Yes, I communicate with employees regularly and they will have some complaints and suggestions. † This finding suggests that the communications structure in this company is flawed.It could just be that the company has a top-bottom but no bottom up, horizontal and diagonal communication. Additionally it is evident that complaints are only directed towards the human resource manager. 4. 3. 9. Tian-an Car Insurance Company management have no regrets and would consider implementing the system if given a second chance: The whole rounded nature of the BSC serves as an eye opener to any one who gets a chance to experience it. When a manager was asked: â€Å"After you quitted using the BSC, have you tried other performance measurement systems?† He answered: â€Å"No, I think BSC [introduced us to the world of] performance measurement systems. Our employees have increased their knowledge about management performance and when our company becomes large enough, we will consider using it again. † 4. 3. 10. Lessons Learnt: To appreciate the impact of implementing the BSC, Tian-an Car Insurance Company managers gave a raft of lessons learnt that shows the true extend of their new understanding of performance measurement. This was in response to the following question: â€Å"Any possible suggestions for using the balanced scorecard in your branch?† †¢ The Car insurance sales manager (S) said that: â€Å"I think each level of a company should understand their Key Performance Indicators and Targets. The training of balanced scorecard should not be neglected. †¢ Company Car insurance financial manager (F) responded: â€Å"Key Performance Indicators and Targets should be set properly† †¢ The Human resources manager (H) advised: â€Å"I think [a good] training on the balanced scorecard is more important than th e other [aspects of the system]. Companies should let their employees understand the whole [BSC] process first.They should [establish] a feedback [feature to facilitate communication from all directions] so that management and employees can discuss and adjust the targets immediately. † A proper appraisal mechanism should also be in place. † The above lessons learnt are excellent and are important ingredients for best practices in the implementation of the BSC system in any company. 4. 4. Conclusion What you measure is what you get. (Kaplan and Norton 1992) Effective managers understand that performance measurement systems that focus on only one aspect like finance and production are not good enough.They realize that no single measure can provide a clear performance target or focus attention on the critical areas of the business. The balanced score card allows managers to look at the business from four important perspectives: the customer, internal, innovation and learnin g and financial perspectives. This checks the company from having too many or too few measures. It is a superior system. It is recommended that the Tian-an car insurance company adopts the balanced Score Card system.

Sour Grapes

During the problem solving process, Quality Ice Cream Company will need to have a structured approach to determining a solution. There are seven tools that Quality can use to improve their processes during production of the ice cream. These tools are: flow charts, run charts, process-control charts, check sheets, Parent diagrams, cause-and-effect diagrams, and scatter diagrams (Shower, p. 182). Each of these will help the identification of the variation that is happening and will also aid in the analysis, documentation ND organization of the information.This will help with process improvement. â€Å"They are simple but powerful tools that can be of significant value throughout the problem-solving and continuous-improvement processes (Shower, p. 183). † The first place for Quality to start is with a flow chart. The flow chart can show the relationship between the activities and tasks for each process, and give a better idea of how the rejections are happening. Next, a scatter d iagram can be run from the data collected.This will show the link between he run time and viscosity of the ice cream. This type of tool can also determine how long the ice cream should be mixed to avoid soapiness and stiffness. From the ten days of data collected, it seems as though the run time is too short resulting in a too soupy mixture (Shower, p. 201-202). After a more suitable run time is determined Quality can then look into the other problems causing the rejects. Aside from the soapiness causing most of the rejects, there are other problems.

Assess the significance of Judith Butlers work Essays

Assess the significance of Judith Butlers work Essays Assess the significance of Judith Butlers work Essay Assess the significance of Judith Butlers work Essay The modern significance of the word gender emerged in the 1970s. Its original intent was to pull a line between biological sex and how peculiar ideas and behaviors could be defined as either feminine or masculine ( Pilcher A ; Whelehan, 2004 ) . The ground for utilizing the word gender was to raise consciousness of the hyperbole of biological differences between work forces and adult females. The popularity of this significance for the word gender resulted from the attempts of 2nd wave feminism in the 1970s. This essay examines how 2nd wave feminism attempted to build a grand narrative of adult females s subjugation. It so examines Judith Butler s part to post-modern womens rightist theory through her performative theory of gender and how this fits into post-modern womens rightist arguments. A merchandise of 2nd moving ridge feminism, which began around 1970, was the effort to topographic point adult females within a grand narrative history of their subjugation. One of the seminal authors on this narration was Simone de Beauvoir. Her work in depicting how adult females had become the other in her bookThe Second Sexual activity( de Beauvoir, 1961 ) laid the foundations for what was to come in the 2nd moving ridge of feminism ( Gamble, 2002 ) . De Beauvoir argues that the manner in which work forces think about adult females is merely in relation to their phantasies, that they have no substance of their ain. Unfortunately, for de Beauvoir, adult females have come to accept work forces s phantasies of muliebrity as representing their ain construct of themselves. For de Beauvoir, it was for adult females to gestate of themselves in their ain footings, to take back the power themselves. A unfavorable judgment of de Beauvoir s attack was that it tended to fault adult females for their current status ( Gamble, 2002 ) . The 2nd moving ridge womens rightists of the 1970s, nevertheless, such as Millet ( 1970 ) , pointed to patriarchy as the root cause of adult females s subjugation. It is patriarchy, so Millet argued, that has become a political establishment, and from this flows all the other signifiers of adult females s subjugation. Firestone ( 1970 ) besides took a strong line against patriarchate, comparing adult females s subjugation to a caste or category system. Ideological support for patriarchate, in Firestone s position, has come from establishments such as the household, matrimony along with romantic love. These thoughts are referred to as building a grand narrative , a manner of charting the history and development of peculiar thoughts, in this instance adult females s subjugation ( MacNay, 1997 ) . One of the jobs that much feminist idea has come up against in seeking to supply a grand narrative of adult females s subjugation is that it is hard to efficaciously give all adult females a common individuality ( Whelehan, 1995 ) . If the really thought of gender flows from cultural beginnings, so it is merely natural to reason that gender has different significances in different cultural contexts. How so can a common individuality be posited? Other critics such as Richards ( 1982 ) , analyzing 2nd wave feminism from a broad position, have seen it as a motion that has failed. Richards sees many of the feminist attacks as being utmost and unattractive, and non focussing, as she sees it, on rational argument. She criticises womens rightists for using eccentric statements which do non conform to the normative outlooks of philosophical argument. Further, she criticises feminism for disregarding the obvious differences between work forces and adult females such as adult females s ability to hold kids and thereby showing an unrealistic image of Utopian gender dealingss. Another vivacious watercourse of unfavorable judgment against 2nd moving ridge feminism has been that it assumes that what is required is a reversal in the comparative places of work forces and adult females. In other words, if adult females can take the place of work forces in society so their subjugation will eventually be undone ( Brooks, 1997 ) . Alternatively, nevertheless, post-modernist signifiers of feminism have tended to knock the placing of adult females and work forces in oppositional classs. Post-modernist authors, such as Judith Butler, Brooks argues, assist the feminist argument move on from the expansive narration to the focusing on deconstruction and individuality ( Brooks, 1997 ) . Judith Butler s work as a societal theoretician has been highly influential. Some of the major subjects of her work include of import parts to thwart theory and her unfavorable judgment of the manner in which gender has been constructed ( Clough, 2000 ) . Her discovery work wasGender Troublewhich strongly criticised bing womens rightist theory on gender such as the work of Firestone and Millet. Butler ( 1990 ) points out that feminist attacks have tended to underscore the difference between gender and sex. In these positions sex is seen as a biological fact, while gender is a cultural building. The job for Butler is that this split has gone excessively far, such that it is non possible to analyze how the sexed organic structure is constituted ( Salih A ; Butler, 2004 ) . Rather than dividing gender and sex, so, Butler s work has really collapsed one into the other ( Fraser, 2002 ) . Sandford ( 1999 ) explains that this is achieved by demoing that gender really produces sex. Butler ( 1990 ) asks whether it is possible to speak about the masculine properties of a adult male and so speak about their feminine properties and still be able to impute reasonable significance to the word gender . Butler ( 1990 ) argues that when the thought of woman and man are dispensed with, it is more hard to see how these gendered properties can still be feasible. Butler ( 1990 ) states that gender can non needfully be referred to in footings of these properties, or as a noun, a thing of itself, but instead as a verb. In this sense Butler considers gender to be performative, to be an act which constitutes itself instead than fluxing from some other beginning. The unfavorable judgment aimed by Butler ( 1990 ) at feminist theory is exactly that it has argued there must be a beginning for actions. This means that gender can non be performed of itself ; it must be performedbysomething. Butler ( 1990 ) provides an illustration in the relationship between sexual desire and gender. Freud s account that attractive force comes from biological sex is considered by Butler. She argues that sexual attractive force, instead than coming from sex, is a procedure that is learned over clip, that is a public presentation we work on, non something fluxing straight from biological sex. The political deductions of this statement are critical, particularly for homosexualism. Kirsch ( 2001 ) argues that some people in the fagot motion have accepted the primacy of biological science. This thought is related to essentialism which relies on factors such as the gay cistron to explicate homosexualism. In contrast to this position, a constructionist attack concentrates on the ways in which society encourages certain types of behavior through societal norms. Men and women , within Butler s theory, are no longer essentialist cosmopolitan classs but instead free-floating classs which are socially produced. The norms to which Butler is mentioning are those which see the organic structure as being straight related to the types of sexual desire and patterns that are associated with it ( Salih A ; Butler, 2004 ) . Sexual desires and patterns which do non suit within this matrix are not allowed . In order to understand how sexed organic structures are produced, Butler uses Lacan s reading of Freud ( Salih A ; Butler, 2004 ) . Lacan argues that it is through phantasy that the sexed organic structure is created. Salih ( 2002 ) points out that it is Butler s usage of Freud that is one of her most of import accomplishments. Here, she analyses Freud s thought of the Oedipus composite. This is where the kid is forced to give up its desire for its parents by the incest tabu. Butler reinterprets this by reasoning that the kid desires the parent of thesamesex, but finds that this is forbidden. Sexual activity and gender individualities are so formed from this tabu. Butler argues that everyone s g ender individuality is formed from this homosexual tabu. Butler refers to the formation of gender individuality in footings of melancholy designation ( Salih, 2002 ) . The topographic point where this designation can be seen, harmonizing to Butler, is on the organic structure in the signifier of gender and sex individualities. While Butler s theory of performativity along with her work in post-modern womens rightist theory has been highly influential, it has besides provoked a just grade of unfavorable judgment. Benhabib ( 1995 ) has argued that the decease of the topic, which is at the bosom of Butler s thesis, leads to an incoherent image. Benhabib ( 1995 ) points out that it is hard to believe there is nil behind the mask of gender, that bureau appears wholly absent. In a parallel statement to Benhabib, Kirsch ( 2001 ) makes the point that this negation of the topic has negative effects for thoughts of individuality and corporate action. A sense of collectivity, in peculiar, is frequently seen by those coming out as supplying support. In Butler s theory, nevertheless, there is merely the focal point on the person. To Kirsch ( 2001 ) it seems that Butler s theory tends to cut down the ability of the wider community to supply support to the person. A more generalized unfavorable judgment of modern feminism, nevertheless it is labelled, is that there is a sense in which it is an sole nine. Butler s thoughts associating to the performativity of gender are merely available to a certain restricted group in society: white, middle-class, rational ( Whelehan, 1995 ) . Each feminist sub-movement implicitly creates its ain lists of what can be done, and what can non. Womans, hence, can happen it hard to label themselves every bit womens rightists as there are now many evident bars to entry and negative associations with it ( Whelehan, 1995 ) . Possibly in this sense 2nd moving ridge feminism, as enunciated by Firestone and Millet, provided a vision with which it was easier to tie in. In contrast, post-modern positions, a class in which Butler s work has been put, supply a much more complex and illusive analysis of gender ; even, as some critics would hold it, doing it harder for those trying to populate outside society s norms. It has been argued that theories such as those put frontward by Butler have lead to the demand for a new type of feminism ( Pilcher A ; Whelehan, 2004 ) . This is exactly because postmodernist idea has rejected the grand narrations associated with 2nd moving ridge feminism. As a consequence, adult females may happen it hard to claim the individuality woman as its nature is so contested in postmodernist idea ( Pilcher A ; Whelehan, 2004 ) . This is portion of the job that alleged post-feminism has attempted to turn to. This leads to an effort to reply the inquiry: What gender am I? Viewed through the influence of Butler s theories, it is progressively hard to supply a clear reply. The two replies that are most natural , male or female all of a sudden become disused looks which appear devoid of their old significance. With the subject seemingly removed from the equation, it is hard to put claim to any peculiar gender. Certainly Butler s theory does non connote that both work forces and adult females can go without hinderance across the boundaries of gender, far from it. Naturally society s norms still apply and even evildoings are carried outin relation tothe norms themselves. Ultimately, though, the inquiry comes back to the job of bureau. If it is up to me to take my gender, as I wish, so who is making the choosing? When Butler even rejects the thought of there being an histrion at all, all intending slices from the inquiry What gender am I? In decision, the 2nd moving ridge of feminism brought a expansive narrative position of the history of adult females s subjugation. It pointed to subjugation as a political establishment enforced through societal mechanisms such as the household, matrimony and economic sciences. Critics of this attack, nevertheless, questioned whether it was possible to put adult females up in direct resistance to work forces. Judith Butler responded to the 2nd moving ridge position by fall ining the thoughts of gender and sex into each other. Gender, she argues, is performed, and so the topic in feminist idea, was seemingly destroyed. But, argued critics of Butler, these impressions of gender appear to curtail the political power of feminism, to go forth it toothless, without its topic. Trying to reply the inquiry What gender am I? when viewed in the visible radiation of Butler s theory, leads to a sense of confusion. I could be both, I could be either, I could be neither. Is this freedom, or is it merely excessively free-form? Mentions Benhabib, S. ( 1995 ) . Subjectivity, historiography, and political relations: Contemplations on the feminism/postmodernism exchange. In: S. Benhabib, J. Butler, D. Cornell, A ; N. Fraser ( Eds. ) .Feminist contentions: A philosophical exchange. New York: Routledge. Brooks, A. ( 1997 ) .Postfeminisms: Feminism, cultural theory, and cultural signifiers. Oxford: Routledge. Butler, J. ( 1990 ) .Gender Trouble: Gender and the Subversion of Identity. Oxford: Routledge. Clough, P. T. ( 2000 ) Judith Butler. In: G. Ritzer ( Ed. ) .The Blackwell Companion to Major Social Theorists. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Beauvoir, S. ( 1961 ) .The Second Sexual activity. Translated by HM Parshley. New York: Bantam. Firestone, S. ( 1970 ) .The dialectic of sex: The instance for feminist revolution. New York: William Morrow and Company. Fraser, M. ( 2002 ) . What is the affair of feminist unfavorable judgment?Economy and Society, 31( 4 ) , 606-625. Gamble, S. ( 2002 ) .The Routledge comrade to feminism and postfeminism. Oxford: Routledge. Kirsch, M. ( 2001 ) .Queer theory and societal alteration. London: Routledge. MacNay, L. ( 1997 ) .Foucault and feminism: power, gender and the ego. London: Polity Press. Millet, K. ( 1970 ) .Sexual political relations. London: Ballantine. Pilcher, J. , A ; Whelehan, I. ( 2004 )Cardinal constructs in gender surveies. London: Sage. Richards, J. ( 1982 ) .The doubting womens rightist: a philosophical question. London: Penguin. Salih, S. ( 2002 ) .Routledge critical minds: Judith Butler. Oxford: Routledge. Salih, S. , A ; Butler, J. ( 2004 ) .The Judith Butler reader. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Sandford, S. ( 1999 ) Contingent ontologies: sex, gender and â€Å"woman† in Simone de Beauvoir and Judith Butler.Extremist Philosophy 97, 18–29. Whelehan, I. ( 1995 ) .Modern feminist idea: from the 2nd moving ridge to post-feminism. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

The First Jobs of the 2016 Presidential Candidates

The First Jobs of the 2016 Presidential Candidates The 2016 presidential race is underway and things are getting heated. Whether or not your favorite candidate is winning, we thought it would be interesting to explore the humble beginnings of each candidate. Here are the first jobs of each of the 2016 Presidential Candidates held before they got their start in politics.  Source: [payscale.com/]

How to Say of Course in Spanish

How to Say of Course in Spanish If you want to indicate that something is obvious, just as you would do in English with the phrase of course, here are some words and phrases that you can use, some of them are adverbs of affirmation. Of course, when translating such sentences to English, you arent limited to the phrase of course or those used here; depending on the tone of the conversation, you can also use words such as obviously and certainly. Claro A literal translation of claro is clearly, although of course often works, depending on the context: Claro que irà © a Costa Rica a ver a Cristiano. (Of course, Ill go to Costa Rica to see Cristiano.)Sà ­, sà ­, claro, estoy muy contenta. (Yes, yes, of course, Im very happy.) ¡Claro que sà ­! (Of course!) ¡Claro que no! (Of course not!) ¡Claro que fue gol! (Of course, it was a goal!)La diferencia, claro, es que la droga es ilegal. (The difference, of course, is that the drug is illegal.)Claro que el paà ­s est dividido entre los que trabajamos y los que no trabajamos. (Clearly, the country is divided between those of us who work and those of us who dont work.) Desde Luego As is the case with other idioms, the phrase desde luego doesnt make much sense if you try translating it word for word (since later). But in some areas it is a popular way to say of course:  ¡Desde luego! (Of course!) ¡Desde luego que no! (Of course not!)Desde luego que habrà ­a un nuevo plan. (Of course thered be a brand-new plan.)Desde luego que vamos hacerlo lo ms rpido posible. (Of course, were going to do it as quickly as possible.)Jimmy Page es un gran guitarrista, desde luego. (Jimmy Page is a great guitarist, of course.) Por Supuesto Por supuesto is also very common:  ¡Por supuesto! (Of course!) ¡Por supuesto que no! (Of course not!)Por supuesto creo que el estado debe ayudarnos. (Of course I believe the state should help us.)Estoy muy satisfecha, por supuesto. (Im quite satisfied, of course.)Por supuesto, vamos a analizar todo lo que pasà ³. (Obviously, were going to analyze everything that has happened.) Be aware that sometimes por supuesto can be part of a longer phrase to indicate that something is supposed rather than proven, as supuesto is the past participle of suponer, which often means to suppose: Detuvieron al hijo del actor por supuesto abuso. (They arrested the actors son for alleged abuse.) Es un Hecho Que Es un hecho que can be used to indicate that something can simply be assumed: Es un hecho que los senadores tambià ©n aprobarn el programa. (It can be taken for granted that the senators will also approve the program.)Creo que es un hecho que el cambio del clima se debe al hombre. (I believe its a given that climate change is mans doing.) Other Adverbs Other possibilities include the adverbs obviamente (obviously), seguramente (surely) and ciertamente (certainly), although of course the choice of translation depends on the context: Obviamente la pregunta est formulada de esa manera para confundir a la gente. (Obviously the question is worded that way to confuse people.)Compramos muchas cosas y obviamente compramos trajes de baà ±o. (We bought a lot of things, and obviously we bought swimsuits.)Seguramente prefieren lo mismo que nosotros. (Surely they prefer the same thing as we do.)Ciertamente no quiero ser parte de ello. (Certainly, I dont want to be part of that.)Nuestro profesor, ciertamente, es à ºnico. (Our teacher definitely is unique.)Las casas estn deterioradas y seguramente requerirn de una inversià ³n grande. (The houses are deteriorated and surely will require a large investment.)

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE - Essay Example The pilot group will usually undergo the clinical trial, while the control group is barely affected. By using the confidence interval function, the researcher will possibly avoid erroneous conclusions that the pilot and control group have the same result in case non-significant results are reported. Furthermore, the pilot study in this case measured the Critical Reading of Research Journals Plus teachings with nurses in intensive care units. The purpose for the study was to determine whether the experience of improved education, from published research, would improve nurses’ research self-efficiency. Swenson-Britt and Reineck (2009) show that, the statistical significance from the pilot study by conducting a paired t-test, there is an increase on three out of the four subscales in research self-efficiency. However, the clinical significance from this study reveals that using a course may or may not improve research self-efficacy of nurses under practice (Swenson-Britt & Reineck, 2009, p. 460-461). While including a mentor would most probably improve the result, the clinical significance conclusion seems weaker. In conclusion, researcher may rely on one of the two contrasting approaches to decision making-the clinical significance or statistical significance. The former seems to hinge on the researcher’s judgmental interpretation and accuracy, while the latter seems to be robust in my opinion. This is because statistical significance over a long time has proved to be uncorrelated to research findings and has exhibited greater accuracy in its approach. Swenson-Britt, E., & Reineck, C. (January 01, 2009). Research education for clinical nurses: a pilot study to determine research self-efficacy in critical care nurses. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 40, 10,

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Ethics - Essay Example In my view, the 1st Commandment which says that â€Å"Thou shalt not use a computer to harm people† is a reasonable one. Harming someone is generally disallowed either morally or legally, whether one uses a computer to do it or not. Harming someone is wrong under almost all ethical frameworks in almost all situations. Possible exceptions would be in the case of self defense. However, unlike in the real world, the gravity of the consequences in the context of the use of computers is unlikely to be as dire. As such, the exceptions provided in, say, the Penal laws of the various States which specify the criminal liability of a person would not apply in the same way in the context of the computer. Given the above, I agree with this 1st Commandment. I equally agree with the 4th Commandment which says that â€Å"Thou shalt not use the computer to steal†. The rationale behind my support of this Commandment is largely the same as that set out above in relation to the 1st Comman dment. Stealing, like harming, is already something prohibited both legally and morally. This Commandment as such merely reinforces the code of general ethics and the law already prevailing in relation to this same area. Stealing, just like harming, is wrong no matter how one does it or what one uses to do it. Stealing cannot and should not be less wrong just because it is done through a computer. Just as the various record companies in their advertisements against privacy emphasize, we would not steal a video from the video store†¦we shouldn’t steal that contents of that same video by illegally downloading it. The difference is that it feels less wrong because of the way it is done – usually at your own private place, using your own computer and no one seeming to get hurt. But the result is the same†¦it is stealing. I am in agreement with this 4th Commandment as it goes to emphasize this point†¦stealing through the use of computers is equally wrong as s tealing using your hands. The 9th Commandment is another one that I agree with. Thinking about the consequences of your actions is something that one must always do. The problem in the context of writing computer programs is that one gets absorbed into the codes and numbers and specifics without thinking about the real life impact of those codes and numbers. The fact that this Commandment serves to remind programmers that what they are doing has a real impact to real people, although it seems far removed at the time the programmer is writing the code, is important. I have agreed with the aforesaid Commandments because they merely reflect ethical principles already prevailing. However some of the other Commandments, while doing the same, fail to recognize that in the context of computers and the internet, they cannot hold absolute. For example, the 2nd and 3rd Commandments provide that one should not interfere with other peoples’ work or snoop in their files. In the context of computers and especially the internet, sometimes the whole purpose is to snoop and interfere. The various social networks, blogs, forums et.c are all based on people getting into each other’s business. The whole concept is based on snooping so to speak. In addition, in the context of the enforcement of the rest of the Commandments, just like the use of police powers in the real world to uphold the laws of a State, authorities must snoop and interfe

Anaylsis Wordsworth A Slumer Did Steal My Sleep Essay

Anaylsis Wordsworth A Slumer Did Steal My Sleep - Essay Example There are many connotations of words and phrases. In the beginning, â€Å"a slumber did my spirit seal† connotes the idea of the author being unconscious or unaware of reality, in that a sleep has rendered him ignorant of reality. â€Å"The touch of earthly years† is a phrase which connotes the idea of immortality or agelessness. The last two lines are especially connotative â€Å"Roll’d round in earth’s diurnal force, with rocks, and stones, and trees†. These phrases and words are earthy and connote the physical world around us. They are also suggestive of nature and the natural lifecycle of the environment. The characters mentioned are both the author and the subject who appears to be female. The author speaks for himself at the beginning, then describes the fate of a woman, the subject of the poem. The relationship between the two is suggested in the lines â€Å"she seem’d a thing that could not feel, the touch of earthly years†. The author describes his perception of this woman, as someone who seemed otherworldly, or beyond physical interference. This suggests that he was in love with her, and that this love blinded him to her vulnerability and humanity. There are several images used. â€Å"Rocks and stones and trees† conjure images of death, burials, nature and of life cycles. â€Å"I had no human fears† and â€Å"the touch of earthly fears† convey images of a realm beyond physicality and time. â€Å"Slumber† is a symbolic word. Rather than literally meaning sleep, the author uses this word to symbolize his sense of being unaware of the vulnerability of this woman. â€Å"Human fears† symbolizes the spiritual dimension the author seems to have existed in when he was with this woman.†rocks and stones and trees† are symbolic of the fact that this woman is now dead and buried, in the ground, part of the earth. Themes in this poem appear to be loss and the feeling that

The Effect of Emotional and Psychosocial Difficulties and Anonymity in Research Proposal

The Effect of Emotional and Psychosocial Difficulties and Anonymity in Online Interaction on the Willingness of Teenagers to Engage in Cyber Bullying - Research Proposal Example Ultimately, it is similarly crucial to become aware of useful ways of addressing episodes of cyber bullying when they happen. Statement of the Problem Cyber bullying, not like traditional bullying, can take place anytime and anywhere, and it is virtually unlikely for a cyber bullying victim to avoid or walk away from the cyber bully. Moreover, in majority of cases, even though the cyber bully knows or is acquainted to the victim, the latter does not know his/her attacker’s identity. Hence, according to some studies (Willard, 2006), anonymity in the Internet is the primary motivator of cyber bullying. However, aside from this external motivation, there are also internal ones such as emotional and psychosocial problems (Ybarra et al., 2007) which are discussed in the latter sections of the research proposal. This study focuses on the motivations behind the behavior of cyber bullies. More specifically, this study explores potential motivators, namely, (1) emotional and psychosoci al factors (e.g. depression and anxiety) and (2) anonymity in the Internet. Brief Background to the Problem Cyber bullies have distinct social and psychological profiles. Teenage cyber bullies, according to Pellegrini and colleagues (1999), have a tendency to have low self-discipline and high emotionality. Even though bullies are reactively and proactively antagonistic, bullies seem to exercise proactive hostility to build authority and power in their peer groups. Bullies display little or no empathy to their victims (Pellegrini et al., 1999). As reported by Menesini and colleagues (2003), bullies are usually aware of the feelings of their victims but are reluctant to or incapable of letting those sentiments affect them. Schoolyard bullying and cyber bullying equally... Cyber bullies have distinct social and psychological profiles. Teenage cyber bullies, according to Pellegrini and colleagues, have a tendency to have low self-discipline and high emotionality. Even though bullies are reactively and proactively antagonistic, bullies seem to exercise proactive hostility to build authority and power in their peer groups. Bullies display little or no empathy to their victims. As reported by Menesini and colleagues, bullies are usually aware of the feelings of their victims but are reluctant to or incapable of letting those sentiments affect them. Schoolyard bullying and cyber bullying equally affect bullies. Bullying, as reported by Ybarra and colleagues, is correlated with serious psychological and health difficulties among adolescents such as poor academic performance, emotional distress, anxiety, and depression. Research on cyber bullying is a new field of inquiry. Even though studies on cyber bullying focus on the effects of bullying on victims and other researchers have explored the frequency, associated factors and forms of victimization and incident of cyber bullying in depth, there remains an inadequacy of findings about the factors that motivate adolescents to engage in cyber bullying and whether cyber bullying behaviors can be predicted from certain psychological and social needs. These issues are addressed in the study.

MANAGING FINANCIAL INFORMATION ( part 2 ) Essay

MANAGING FINANCIAL INFORMATION ( part 2 ) - Essay Example The results are also analysed for the prospects of growth and the ability of further development. The major competitors with which the company has been compared are J Sainsbury Plc, Morrisons and Marks and Spencer. The company secured net revenue of  £60,931million for the 2011 financial year end. The revenue grew from  £56,910 million as the company showed a growth in revenue of over 7% for this particular year. The gross profit of the company also increased from  £4,607 million to  £5,060 million indicating a growth in the gross profit of 9.8% compared to last year where the growth in the gross profit was marginally over 10%. The following chart sheds light on the growth in revenue and gross profit of the company for the past 5 years (in millions). (Tesco Plc, 2011) The company was able to secure a net profit before tax of  £3,535 million for the year ended February 2011, which rose from  £3,176 million in 2010. The net profit after tax saw a considerable growth as the company sustained a net profit after tax of  £2,655 million for 2011 which was an increase of 14% since 2010 from  £2,327 million. The adjacent chart shows the trend of the net profit before and after tax for the past 5 years (in millions). The total current assets of the company amounted to  £11,438 million which rose from  £11,392 million for the previous year. On the other hand, the total current liabilities were  £17,731 million which rose considerably from the previous year as they were  £16,015 million in 2010. This shows that the company’s ratio of current assets to current liabilities indicates a lack of liquidity to finance the current liabilities. A trend of current assets and liabilities is shown which indicates that the current liabilities have always been over and above the current assets of the company, due to the nature of the company’s business which is a retail business. The

Global War on Drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global War on Drugs - Essay Example Global War on Drugs The drug prohibition laws prohibit, except under special circumstances and licenses the production, possession and distribution of substances that are recognized as drugs. This limits the circulation of anything that is considered a drug. By doing so they ensure that the country remains the drug-free zone that it was intended to be. One such person who has been very vocal and active in this issue is Richard Davenport-Hines. He is a historian and biographer who has accomplished so much in his time. He has spoken vocally against the issue of drugs and their use. He has constantly criticized the United States government of not doing all that it should in relation to the drug issue. The United States government in response to the issue of drug use and trafficking has created several sustainable policies. These policies will enable the government to effectively and efficiently deal with the issue. The United States categorically emphasize that drug use is the administering of any drug on an individual contrary to their intended use. The campaign that was started to discourage drug use in the states was criticized by Richard in his book. He propagated that the states and the policies that they were employing were not necessarily the way forward. The government devised some ways for example arrest and sentencing to deal with the drug barons and users. They also created drug prohibition laws that were to deal with the drug trade. In the book: The Pursuit of Oblivion, A Global History of Narcotics there are some issues addressed against the United States policies. The arguments state that the government does not deal effectively with the issue of arrests. He goes ahead to explain that there is always a high percentage of illegal drugs on the streets. The percentage could be as high as 100%. During the arrests and interception stage only a small percentage of the drugs are intercepted. The book’s author notes that by going with such statistics the drug war will never be won. If only 20% of the drugs are intercepted, the remainder that is still out can still keep the drug business afloat. This will obviously ensure that their profits continue soaring despite the drug intercepts (Gerber 31). He sees the drug policy as a sho w of might and the power between the interested stakeholders. The United States government is using the drug issue as a step stone to flex its muscles on other nations and its own citizens. He ponders why despite all the arrests and sentencing both local and international, drugs are still getting a way to the streets. He wonders when the government will internalize the urgent need to arrest the never known barons instead of the hired hirelings who sell the drug in small doses on the street The state has long been accused of using its military might in all the wrong ways. He deems the policy as an excuse to employ over exaggerated operations by the military. They use so much of the tax payers’ money yet they have little to show on the undertaken drug operations that they conduct (Gerber 37). The government is also accused by both citizens and the author of the text of being very hypocritical in the drug war. The government is noticed to be employing double standards in the sen se that it allows the pharmaceutical companies to continue advertizing their drugs. He considers this kind of advertizing as an attraction to drugs. This tempts users to use them. He suggests that companies should have some regulations in relation to advertising. In the television drama The Wire, the actors have carefully acted their thoughts on the policy of drug use in the states. The series in one of their episodes showed that the investigators tasked with the responsibility of investigating drugs and their use as being very incapable. It

MANAGING FINANCIAL INFORMATION ( part 2 ) Essay

MANAGING FINANCIAL INFORMATION ( part 2 ) - Essay Example The results are also analysed for the prospects of growth and the ability of further development. The major competitors with which the company has been compared are J Sainsbury Plc, Morrisons and Marks and Spencer. The company secured net revenue of  £60,931million for the 2011 financial year end. The revenue grew from  £56,910 million as the company showed a growth in revenue of over 7% for this particular year. The gross profit of the company also increased from  £4,607 million to  £5,060 million indicating a growth in the gross profit of 9.8% compared to last year where the growth in the gross profit was marginally over 10%. The following chart sheds light on the growth in revenue and gross profit of the company for the past 5 years (in millions). (Tesco Plc, 2011) The company was able to secure a net profit before tax of  £3,535 million for the year ended February 2011, which rose from  £3,176 million in 2010. The net profit after tax saw a considerable growth as the company sustained a net profit after tax of  £2,655 million for 2011 which was an increase of 14% since 2010 from  £2,327 million. The adjacent chart shows the trend of the net profit before and after tax for the past 5 years (in millions). The total current assets of the company amounted to  £11,438 million which rose from  £11,392 million for the previous year. On the other hand, the total current liabilities were  £17,731 million which rose considerably from the previous year as they were  £16,015 million in 2010. This shows that the company’s ratio of current assets to current liabilities indicates a lack of liquidity to finance the current liabilities. A trend of current assets and liabilities is shown which indicates that the current liabilities have always been over and above the current assets of the company, due to the nature of the company’s business which is a retail business. The

Money & Banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Money & Banking - Essay Example The Fed comes out with the monetary policy in order to ensure a certain key objectives like, delivering price stability with a low inflation level coupled with an objective to support the Government's economic objectives of growth and employment. To understand how the Fed monitors price related regulations to keep a check on inflation, we may consider a small example of the regulation of house and property prices. To take any decisions related to interest rates keeping in mind the ongoing inflation rate, the Fed must be thorough with the booming property prices and must take steps to ensure that the prices are not artificial. Government intervenes through its central bank to regulate the prices of many commodities, similarly it also regulates the prices of houses like any other important commodity. Fed has the responsibility to keep a check on asset prices including the prices of houses. There can be a number of reasons why the prices of houses may shoot up, like the simple rule of demand and supply has a definite impact. (Demand and Supply for Housing). Other reasons behind a change in property prices can be Mortgages. A mortgage is the money borrowed to buy a house, as for most people buying a house is not easy. Over the years mortgage market has picked up greatly and the current scenario is totally different from the one that existed in the beginning. Mortgages were supplied only by the building societies. Building societies were non-profit institutions and encouraged only the members for the grant of loans, so the people who were members and had contributed to an extent for a considerable period of time got loans easily and account with building societies became the only means to get mortgages. Soon these societies had to compete with the banks and other financial institutions specialized in granting housing loans. This price war resulted in a greater demand for owner occupied houses and consequently the demand for houses grew stronger, resulting in a substantial increase in price. (The UK Housing Market - Factors Influencing th e Housing Market: Mortgages) Besides the above-mentioned factor of mortgages there are other factors like stamp duty and planning that affect the market for housing. Mortgage interest relief at source (MIRAS) was a tax concession to owning a house. It reduced the house owner's liability to income tax as the money spent on the interest on mortgage was considered to be tax-free. This made borrowings cheaper and as a result there was a huge demand for housing and the prices shot up. With the introduction of MIRAS in 1990 many people were exempted from stamp duty. (The UK Housing Market - Factors Influencing the Housing Market: Stamp Duty and Planning) The central bank sets a fixed interest rate at which it lends money to financial institutions and depending on this interest rate, individual banks and other financial institutions set up their own interest rates, which apply to the whole economy. This step is of indispensable importance to the economy, as this is very widely used to contain inflation. The only purpose behind such a step is just to contain undue inflationary levels prevailing in an economy. The point to be noted here is that,

Presentation of the Principles of Science in the Movie Armageddon Essay Example for Free

Presentation of the Principles of Science in the Movie Armageddon Essay People have successfully created an advance and modern attack of imparting to students the principles of and topics relating to science or physics laws. What used to be a general learning course of study present in every curriculum of almost all school facilities was made into an exciting and entertaining education. This is attributed to the fact that the fresh approach utilizes films or movies to present and make students internalize and grasp scientific concepts in depth. This is achieved by studying and connecting every scene of a movie with the pieces of information derived from the important science or physics laws. By making students recognize and understand the effects of movie scenes and relating them to reality aroused the curiosity of students who normally regarded the subject as too difficult and dull when taught in the conventional manner. Ultimately, the presentation and use of the principles of science or physics in a movie have created more options for instructors to boost the improvement and benefits of the course to the studies of students and to the society in general. The 1998 blockbuster movie Armageddon top-billed by Bruce Willis (Harry Stamper), in particular, tells of a large and uncontrolled asteroid as large as Texas, which is bound to collide with our planet in 18 days. Harry, with his group of oil well drillers, is sent to space under a mission to stop this catastrophe from happening and prevent the destruction of the planet and mankind. To achieve this, they have to destroy the asteroid with a powerful nuclear bomb by placing it inside the asteroid (Bruckheimer Bay, 1998). From the perspective of physical science, it is actually during the drilling scenes of the movie that the principles of science and physics law are likewise being laid out. This explains the logic behind the showing of the horizontal speed and increased velocities of the asteroid, which was blown-up into pieces by the nuclear bomb. These two scientific conditions are actually aimed at showing how a powerful nuclear bomb can greatly destroy the asteroid at that intense speed and resulting its pieces in just avoiding the planet and eventually forbidding a tragic end. A scientific analysis of this condition creates an impression that the movie scenes have effectively presented the use of energy and momentum preservation, addition of vector, as well as the law of gravity. Moreover, the formula and calculations used by the characters in the movie provide an apparent introduction to the students of the principle of devising fair or sensible calculations or approximations. One particular example is the use of the asteroid and making it appear that its size is the same as that of Texas (Bruckheimer Bay, 1998). With this variable, it is assumed that Texas is a square size the surface area of which is equivalent to this U. S. state. Subsequently, the asteroid’s figure is estimated to be a cube, with each side equivalent to the surface area of the cited state. Therefore, the total mass or physical measure of the asteroid can then be adequately estimated by multiplying the amount of the cube by the normal density or concentration of the planet Earth. Thus, the nuclear bomb employed to detonate the asteroid which is equal to at least 100,000 bombs that were dropped in Hiroshima during World War II gave an estimate of the energy needed by Harry and his team to carry out the heroic task. Further presumption that all of the said energy turned into a kinetic energy separated equally between the two parts of the asteroid, would tell us that the length of the portions of the asteroid can be calculated. Results of the computation conclude that the direction where they are heading would turn perpendicular to its primary route of motion by the time they impact the planet. This could be possible when the energy required to blow up and separate the asteroid into two is ignored. The deflection for each asteroid piece is only a little over 200 meters. This will lead to the scenario that a two half-Texas-size, rather than only a Texas-sized asteroid, will reach and destroy the planet. This concept of physics was what Armageddon effectively presented. This explains why it is practically understandable for the United States, or any nation for that matter, to discover and pursue the movements of any object in the space that is likely to hit the planet or come near its crossing orbits. Armageddon was able to present that the principles of science or physics laws are beneficial to society. This is because the movie succeeded in realizing the purpose of increasing awareness on the said field of study among students. The movie also proved that recognizing the wonders of science can be breathtaking and satisfying especially when presented in the context of an entertaining film such as Armageddon. Reference Bruckheimer, J. (Producer) Bay, M. (Director). (1998). Armageddon. [Motion picture]. Burbank, CA: Touchstone Pictures.