Net Neutrality Paper

Capitalism is an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market. (Merriam-Webster Online, 2010) The United States of America is considered a â€Å"free market†, in some cases. Internet Seen,'ice Providers own the tangible cables and pipes providing the service of connectivity to the internet. They are the bridge. They own the bridge. In a free market, they can regulate heir bridge how they see fit, within the parameters of the law.This same model is expressed by cell phone companies in the communication industry as well as cable companies in the television industry. Cellular phone companies own all the variables that make up their network. They then sell you service to connect to their network based off of their interpretation of what the market will allow. They dictate wha t you pay, how much usage you are allowed and what types of usages are allowed. Cable companies evolved in the same manner. Once a free entertainment source is now a billion dollar year industry marked with the footprints of capitalism.Cable companies put forth the ground work to make the cable experience what it is today. In return, they profit from their investments to do so. They also dictate what we pay and what types of usage we are allowed. These cable and cellular communication companies have thrived in our free market mentality but in the same instance have been regulated by government when it applies to the internet. In the same way they own the physical cables, the pipes underground, the satellites and the air space, they are providing the bridge.Without their bridges, the consumer cannot access the internet. In a free market society, we tell companies to manage their business according to what the market will allow. The market has allowed the cell phone industry to operat e without regulation. The cable companies have thrived without regulation under the allowance of the market. The internet is no different. Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned or possessed by a person or jointly by a group of people. Property is synonymous with ownership.Ownership is the exclusive right to possess and dispose of what oh own. â€Å"When you pull out the government, you take out socialism, and when you remove the rights of ownership and place the benefits broadly on the least able to pay for them, you have communism. It isn't yet clear if socialism will work in the U. S. , and it is doubly doubtful that communism (aka â€Å"Net neutrality†) will ever work. † (Ender, 2010) In economic terms, calculability is the ability to exclude others from use of a good. Rivalry is when one person's use of a good diminishes another's ability to use that good.When you have a resource that doesn't have calculability but does display rivalry you hav e what is known as ‘Tragedy of the Commons† which is an overused, under maintained resource (aka â€Å"the free-rider problem†). In Africa arose the possibility of the elephant becoming extinct from humans killing them for their hides and tusks. Two countries decided to act against this problem, Kenya and Rhodesia. Kenya took the approach of placing a ban on elephant poaching while Rhodesia gave property owners Private Property Rights to the elephants with incentives for elephant maintenance.Jenny's elephant population decreased while Rhodesia increased dramatically. The conclusion of when property rights are given, ownership of property motivates protection and care for the property more efficiently than federal regulations. In economic terms the internet would be classified as an Clubbable resource. The classification of rival or non-rival is debatable due to bandwidth. However if we look at this example from the rival standpoint, it bears identical resemblance of the private goods industry.When property rights are given with incentives, the elephant will prosper. If ownership is revoked and regulations are implemented by government, we have Tragedy of the commons. Sip's currently don't have incentives to make broadband bandwidth accessible in all parts of our country due to lack of profitability. Therefore our elephant population (internet) will decrease. This is a simple example of how capitalism is a great model for economical success. It is the same model that has molded our country for over two centuries. Why the model is continually changing I do not know.The Internet is not public property. Telecommunications companies have spent billions Of dollars on network infrastructure all over the world. They did so in the hope of selling communications services to customers willing to pay for them. The government has no right to effectively nationalize Sip's by telling them how run their networks. Proponents of net neutrality love to invent hypothetical scenarios of ways companies could abuse customers. It is true that a free society gives people the freedom to be stupid, wrong, and even malicious.The great thing about capitalism is that it also gives people the freedom to decide whom they want to do business with. A socialized Internet takes away that freedom and turns it over to politicians and lobbyists. Why do â€Å"net neutrality' advocates ridicule politicians for impairing the Internet to a â€Å"series of tubes,† and then trust them to regulate it? (vessels, 2007) The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has the ability to regulate wireless network providers by reclassifying them as Title II common carrier services, essentially equating them with cable and phone companies.That type of regulation would allow the FCC to impose traffic equality laws on all carriers, where under Washman's proposal wireless providers would have been exempt. Verizon, AT and wireless association ACTA have opposed the PC's m easures, while Google, Faceable and Keep, among various public interest groups strongly supported them. (Prism, 2010) Phone and cable companies have argued that increased regulation of Internet practices could have a detrimental effect on the industry. They argue that tough regulations could deter network investments and hinder the expansion of broadband infrastructure.The free-speech objection to net neutrality has also gained some ground recently. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCAA) and AT&T began citing First Amendment objections to net neutrality in public discussions and in filings with the FCC this year. The free-speech argument states that, by interfering with how phone and cable companies deliver Internet traffic the government would be manipulating the free-speech rights of providers such as AT&T, Verizon and Compass. Jerome, 201 0) The Federal Communications Commission first established rules in 1 965 for cable systems which received signals by micro wave antennas. In March 1 966, the Commission established rules for all cable systems (whether or not served by microwave). The Supreme Court affirmed the Commission's jurisdiction over cable in United States v. Southwestern Cable Co. , 392 US. 157 (1968). The Court ruled that â€Å"the Commission has reasonably concluded that regulatory authority over CATV is imperative if it is to perform with appropriate effectiveness certain of its responsibilities. The Court found the Commission needed authority over cable systems to assure the preservation of local broadcast service and to effect an equitable distribution of broadcast services among the various regions of the country. In March 1 972, new rules regarding cable television became effective. These rules required cable television operators to obtain a certificate Of compliance from the Commission prior to operating a cable elevation system or adding a television broadcast signal.The rules applicable to cable operators fell into se veral broad subject areas franchise standards, signal carriage, network program non-duplication and syndicated program exclusivity, non-broadcast or cable casting services, cross-ownership, equal employment opportunity, and technical standards. Cable television operators who originated programming were subject to equal time, Fairness Doctrine, sponsorship identification and other provisions similar to rules applicable to broadcasters.Cable operators were also required to maintain certain records ND to file annual reports with the Commission concerning general statistics, employment and finances. In succeeding years, the Commission modified or eliminated many of the rules. Among the more significant actions, the Commission deleted most of the franchise standards in 1 977, substituted a registration process for the certificate of compliance application process in 1978, and eliminated the distant signal carriage restrictions and syndicated program exclusivity rules in 1980.In 1 983, th e Commission deleted its requirement that cable operators file financial information. In addition, court actions led to the deletion of the pay cable programming rules in 1977. In October 1 984, the U. S. Congress amended the Communications Act of 1 934 by adopting the Cable Communications policy Act of 1984. The 1 984 Cable Act established policies in the areas of ownership, channel usage, franchise provisions and renewals, subscriber rates and privacy, obscenity and lockers, unauthorized reception of services, equal employment opportunity, and pole attachments.The new law also defined jurisdictional boundaries among federal, state and local authorities for regulating cable elevation systems. Following the 1984 Cable Act, the number of households subscribing to cable television systems increased, as did the channel capacity of many cable systems. However, competition among distributors of cable services did not increase, and, in many communities, the rates for cable services far ou tpaced inflation. Responding to these problems, Congress enacted the Cable Television Consumer protection and Competition Act of 1992.The 1 992 Cable Act mandated a number of changes in the manner in which cable television is regulated. In adopting the 1 992 Cable Act, Congress dated that it wanted to promote the availability of diverse views and information, to rely on the marketplace to the maximum extent possible to achieve that availability, to ensure cable operators continue to expand their capacity and program offerings, to ensure cable operators do not have undue market power, and to ensure consumer interests are protected in the receipt of cable service.The Commission has adopted regulations to implement these goals. In adopting the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress noted that it wanted to provide a pro-competitive, De-regulatory national policy ramekin designed to accelerate rapidly private sector deployment of advanced telecommunications and information technologies and services to all Americans by opening all telecommunications markets to competition. The Commission has adopted regulations to implement the requirements of the 1996 Act and the intent of Congress. General Cable Television Industry and Regulation Information Fact Sheet, 2000) In the end life contains complex decision making decisions that come from those with opposing opinions. If we take positive economic results from the past and try to replicate them today, it might begin with clear and concise repertory rights pertaining to the internet. Let the free and open market drive competition to fuel creativity and innovation.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

In Rebecca Skloot’s novel The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks many ethical questions are raised regarding the practices used to collect and distribute Henrietta’s cells. These practices led to emotional challenges faced by each of Henrietta’s family members and close friends. These ethical issues combined with the struggles faced such as poverty, trust and the lack of education by the Lacks’ family contribute to the overall theme of the novel. Once Henrietta was diagnosed with cervical cancer, she was forced to undergo harsh radiation treatments in the hopes to battle the disease, which ultimately led to her demise.Her family and friends watched her suffer without any knowledge of her cells being taken or continuing to live after her body had departed. The Lacks family, including Henrietta, trusted the doctors at Hopkins and never thought to question anything tests they needed to run or surgeries they asked to preform. The family was also very uneducated. When told her mother’s cells were immortal and still living, Deborah as well as other Lacks began to think there were millions of Henriettas roaming the world.The question of ethics, which reoccurs throughout the novel, was that of whether the doctors at John Hopkins should have asked for permission before collecting Henrietta’s cells. Another question raised was whether the HeLa cells fame, should have been explained to the remaining Lacks’ and whether or not the family was entitled to a portion of the profits. When Slook came in touch with the family, she began to teach them about their mother and her cells; they were finally beginning to understand the nature of their mother’s cells. The theme that had the largest impact on my reading of the novel was that of ethics.The use of human cells without the knowledge of the patient is unethical especially when the education level and social class of that patient is used to the doctors advantage. There were s everal decisions made throughout the novel in which the family had no say, therefor they were made to the advantage of the decision maker. The initial sample taken from Henrietta’s tumor is one of many examples. Henrietta thought that she was simply going in to have her cancer removed, when in fact her cells were removed and currently are still thriving.The question of ethics did not come into play when the outcome benefited someone other than the patient. The nature in which Henrietta and her family were treated is very unethical. They were virtually left in the dark and the fame that Henrietta’s cells received was never shared with the family. There are many different views on people’s cells once they have been removed from the body. Whether or not I agree with these views would be enough for a paper itself. The novel written by Skloot gave Henrietta, her family, and her cells the proper place in history to which they deserve.

Event Planning

Vietnam National University The University of Social Sciences and Humanities The Faculty of Oriental Studies BUSINESS ENGLISH: PLANNING EVENT SUCCESSFULLY Teacher: Tr? n Cao B? i Ng? c, M. A Student: Nguy? n Th? Thien Thanh Student code: 0665339 Class: Australian Studies 06 Ho Chi Minh City November 27th, 2009 CONTENT I. Pre-planning5 1. Forming a team and assigning tasks5 2. Brainstorming6 3. Defining your event7 4. 4. Setting program goals and objectives8 II. Planning stage8 1. Summary8 2. Planning9 1. Draft budget9 2. Event activity list/Create a plan of action12 3. After the event24 3. Create event timeline24 III. Evaluation of event27 INTRODUCTION Chances are, at some point in your life you have organized or helped organize an event. Remember your birthday parties growing up? There must have been some planning involved, such as guest lists and food. Accordingly, most planned events, especially in the business world, require prior arrangements and preparations. Planning conferences and meetings has ecome a skilled profession these days. Conference and meeting planners, also known as event planners organize, coordinate and run conventions and meetings and make sure they function smoothly without any glitches. These events range from first-birthday parties to political fundraisers, anniversaries, fashion shows, product launches, conferences, graduations, and reunions, to name just a few! According to a recent report, it takes about 15 0 hours for a planner, working with her staff, to produce a major event from start to finish. You do the math. Millions of events multiplied by hundreds of hours spent planning equals many, many opportunities for those entering this field. Events help our organizations educate the public about environmental issues, give the public a chance to get involved in campaigns, raise money, and publicize our organizations and their campaigns and activities. Events do not just magically come together. For every conference, concert, dinner, or lecture, a dedicate group of people worked together to plan and execute the event. Planning an event means more than just deciding to have one and trying to pull it together by the seat of your pants. Planning involves taking necessary steps to accomplish a goal. When events are planned, hang-ups, which often destroy an event, can be dealt with much more easily or sometimes are avoided all together. For example, events are often ruined when weather turns foul or a speaker drops out. However, if the event was planned, an alternative location can be booked, and backup activities planned in the absence of a speaker. These following steps to successful event planning will provide you the event planner with all the various important tasks involved in event planning. The keys to successful event planning will make your event a successful one, no matter how big or small the event, the purpose of the event or whether it is personal, business, entertainment or otherwise. I. Pre-planning: Pre-event planning, as outlined in this section, will be among the most important steps you will take on your path to a successful event. You may have heard the phrase, ‘‘If you don’t know where you are going, any path will take you there. ’’ It’s true. Without knowing where you are going and why, you might as well set out on your journey and be content wherever you happen to arrive. You would not start a family vacation with this attitude, would you? Thus, key factor to a successful event is that it is well planned with plenty of time to make sure things are done as required and within time frames set down. Depending upon the type of event, look to plan the event at least 6-9 months before the actual date happens to allow for success. This also allows for any potential problems to be resolved in plenty of time. Once you cycle through your first year, pre-event planning for the following year begins the day after your event. In other words, what is best and most successful is to never go out of business— to have one event’s conclusion lead directly into the next event’s preplanning. This is the best way for organizations to continue to improve, reduce burnout of staff, and break the cycle of reinventing the wheel. In fact, the more you follow planning as a continuum from one event to the next, the easier it gets to achieve success. 1. Forming a team and assigning Tasks First, running an event alone can be very difficult, so it’s important to recruit others to help. Be sure the members of the organization are invested in sponsoring the event. They will be more likely to follow through and participate in all the planning details if they feel a sense of ownership for the event. Designate a chair person for the event to coordinate and supervise the entire process. Be sure that all of your team to fill out all the proper forms and obtain signatures. †¢ List the interests, abilities, and talents of the people in the group. For instances, who like to plan, who are skilled at handling logistics (such as organizing parking, purchasing supplies, and coordinating volunteers), and who can come up with original ideas for event- and cause-related publicity. Provide opportunities for everyone to brainstorm ideas for the group’s work †¢ Trim down the list you develop and set some priorities. Factor in how well the ideas match the interests, abilities, and talents from the initial list. †¢ Put it all on a calendar, and then take into account other commitments, like exams, holidays, or other â€Å"busy times†. †¢ Assign coordination roles, tasks, and do a â€Å"reality check† on timetables and workload. Many groups create an overly ambitious plan the first time. †¢ Check in regularly on the progress of your plans. 2. Brainstorming You would be surprised on how many great ideas your group can get from a ten-minute brainstorm! Here’s how to do it: It is really important to create a basic planning framework at the start. It is surprising how often people get carried away by a big idea and rush into planning it, without thinking through who the message is aimed at, what kind of effect it will have on its audience or even what the objectives for it are. If you do not agree objectives early on, you will not be able to judge whether you are going to get the results you hope for. So, think through the answers to the following questions: The ‘5 Ws’ – why? who? what? where? when? – may seem blindingly obvious, but the answers will help keep your planning on course: WHY Why do we want to hold the event/action? What’s the nature of the opportunity? WHO Who will do it? Who are our potential allies? Who are our partners? Who is our target? Who do we want to influence? Who is our audience? Who will participate? Who is going to do all the work? WHAT What kind of event do we want to run? Outdoor? Indoor? Site-based? Is it business related, purely social, or somewhere in between: (Celebrations (fairs, parades, weddings, reunions, birthdays, anniversaries, first communions) (Education (conferences, conventions, meetings, graduations) (Promotions (product launches, political rallies, fashion shows, conventions) (Commemorations (memorials, civic events) WHERE Where do we want to do it? Venue? Site? Is the place available? Consider seating, parking, accessibility for people with disabilities, transportation, and any permit that may be required. WHEN When do we want to do it? Is it time critical? Is there an external agenda driving this? Is it weather-dependent? Will any other events conflict with your date? Finally there is one other vital question, and that is HOW How much is the event going to cost and where will the money come from? How long will your event last? Once you have concrete answers to the questions listed above, you are ready to move on to develop the program’s goals and objectives. 4. Setting program goals and objectives: One of the importance to pre-planning is setting objectives or goals. In order to do this, keep in mind these things. 1. Summary When planning an event need to consider a checklist of primary factors. They are: (Datewhen the event will be held. ? Locationwhat city or town it will be held in. ? Venuewhere will the project/event be held e. g. hotel, motel, conference centre. ? Budgetdraft budget – including expected income and expenditure. ? Speakerswho is going to speak/run the event. ? Inviteeswho are you targeting to attend the event. ? Sponsorscan you obtain sponsors for the event and who are they. ? Timelineproject plan timeline for the event including responsibilities for each item. Materialswhat information is required to give to attendees. ? Collationcollation of all material required for the event. ? Advertisinghow going to advert the event? And in what forms e. g. radio, newspaper, or email. ? Mediainvite media to attend event (if appropriate) or advertising of the event. 2. Planning At the initial meeting, need to set up a number of objectives and form a timeline for the project or even t. Important to plan the event with plenty of time to allow for all aspects of the event to happen without too many problems. Keep everyone in the loop so as all aware of what is happening and what every person is dealing with – means no double ups and some accountability to make sure everything is done correctly and within the time frame set. The â€Å"dates† on the timeline do not have to be set in concrete, but need to be flexible enough to make sure everything is covered. You should hold a meeting every two weeks with the committee/organizing group, just to check that everything is happening as it should be and everyone understands at what stage of the timeline the event is at. Be sure that: †¢ Assign tasks and roles appropriately †¢ Determine who will actually be executing the event †¢ Instruct clear expectations as to who will be responsible for each role and how exactly will they fill the role †¢ Involve as many people as you can because people enjoy supporting something that they played a part in planning/organizing 2. 1. Draft budget: Budgeting for an event reflects on a number of costs and needs to be as detailed as possible; otherwise, you can end up spending more than you anticipated. Therefore, identify the sources and amounts of potential revenue and expenses, and revise for realistic and necessary true cost and revenue updates. If you are not able to have exact figures for some of this, estimate – you can always correct this once you have confirmed figures and can change this for the final budget. (Speakers In initial contact with these people, check availability for the dates you have decided on. Establish with them if there are any costs to payment fee, airfares, and accommodation. Are there any additional costs like incidentals e. . taxi’s, meals? Is anyone accompanying them? Do they need transport? A key point to also ask is what are their requirements for the event e. g. are they presenting the topics on Power Point, can they supply with copy, how much material do they need for the handout material or folders? Note that your section would usually buy the speaker a gift of thanks so this cost needs to be put into the budget. All of this inform ation needs to be established at the start to give you an indication of what sort of costs will be required. (Venue Most places can send you pricing by email – this is helpful in preliminary draft budget planning. Pricing will reflect cost of room’s available (for the event), style of seating, pricing for food and beverages, electronic/AV requirements e. g. data projector. They may offer discounts on room hire or accommodation. Check when you need to confirm. (Sponsorship Need to look at whether we can get sponsorship for the event? And if so, in what form will it be e. g. money (donation towards costs), full cost or half cost of the event, may wish to pay for speakers only etc. What requirements do they have for handout material, if any? Can they supply pens, pads etc. Need to discuss this right at the beginning of planning the event and make sure decision is clear and in writing to all parties. Need to address and find out what they want out of the event and this in turn will affect the budgeting of both expenditure and income. (Event Materials Need to determine what is going to be given to the attendees. Need to follow your organization standard folder presentation. Need to design cover for each event and need to allow enough time for printing of covers and contents etc. Need sponsors logos (electronically). An agenda, contents page, list of attendees (if relevant) to event, evaluation form all need to be decided upon, the format designed and then allow time for printing plus collation of the material once printed. Need to allow time for couriering of information to venue (if necessary). All costs for this need to be examined and put into budget (Advertising and Media Here need to address who targeting to attend the event, how they will be invited e. g. invitation in mail, electronically. Some form of registration system to be put in place – ideally with one person only (so as not to duplicate any work and to have control over invoicing registrants etc). How much do we charge for registration fee Need to look at all costs (estimates) to ensure we have a successful registration fee. Do we need to involve the Media? – if so do they come to the event, can they assist in promoting the event before? Need to ask these kinds of questions and again look at relevant costs. (Note: a) Finance the event before it happens. Know where the money will be coming from. Never plan to finance an event from registration fees, ticket sales or gate receipts. b) A good way to finance an event is to create a fundraising arm of the production. *Note that the event itself and the fundraising effort should not be mixed. A good way to avoid any overlapping of the two is to assign a different planning team to the fundraising. These are two different responsibilities and they should b e planned separately. c) There are three types of fundraising effort to cover the cost. The first is a strategic alliance. Co-branding events not only provides more name recognition for your events, but it is also a way to help cover the expenses of the event. The second option to consider is sponsorship. This option allows you to generate money, but not share as much of the spotlight. The third option is charging for attendance. Depending on the type of event you hold this can be a positive or negative thing. EVENT BUDGET TEMPLATE Event: _____________________________ Date: ______________________________ |Expense |Estimated Cost |Actual Cost | |Facility Fee | | |Rentals (tables, dishes) | | | |Presenter/Entertainer Fee | | | |Audio/Visual Equipment | | | |Advertising/Promotion | | | |Printing | | | |Postage | | | |Food/Catering | | | |Decorations | | | |Transportation | | | |Security and Technicians | | | |Other ____________ | | | |Other ____________ | | | | | | | |Total Expenses: |_______________ |_______________ | Revenue |Estimated Revenue |Actual Revenue | |Ticket Sales | | | |Food Sales | | | |Vendo r Fees | | | |Event Sponsorship | | | |Donations | | |Other ____________ | | | |Other ____________ | | | | | | | |Total Revenue: |_______________ |_______________ | 2. 2. Event activity list/ Create a plan of action: The Events Activity List is good tool to use when organsing a function – as each point is raised and completed, it can be ticked off. This means nothing is forgotten and it is also a double check from the timeline document. Also if you are away for any reason, someone else can easily see at what stage you are up to with the event organization. ( Date: Set a date and check to make sure it doesn’t conflict with your target audiences industry dates, convention dates, holidays. Need to consider at least two dates so when planning the venue, you can work around any clashes that may occur. Have some dates in mind and contract the venues to see if they are available on those dates. ( Location When booking a venue, make sure it aligns with your objectives and goals. Look at your rough agenda and find out what the ideal space would be to accomplish the event's goals. ompany will incur for the event. Once you have outlined space needs for the event, brainstorm some perspective places for the event and make visits. Before you head over to visit a site, sketch a list of criteria and questions for the facility and its st aff. Visit several so you can make an effective comparison based on the event's needs and budget. Check list for facilities †¢ Is the venue centrally located? †¢ Does the venue provide plenty of parking? †¢ Is the venue located near public transportation? †¢ Will the venue support our food needs? †¢ Does the venue provide for adequate space? †¢ Will the venue support our technology needs ( Speakers and performances Before recruiting any speakers, decide what roles the speakers will play as well as how many speakers you will need in each role. Next, brainstorm a list of the people you would like to fill the roles you've defined. Next, start recruiting the speakers and performers. Start by making a packet with information about the event, your group, and a letter explaining why you want them to speak or perform at your event. Include a reply card and self-addressed, stamped envelope for your speaker prospects to return to you with their availability, contact information, title of their talk, audiovisual needs, how the speaker should be listed on the agenda, and housing, food, and travel needs. Send packets to all of the potential speakers on your brainstorm list. Once the packets have been out for about a week, make follow up calls. Follow up calls show your commitment to the event and make speakers feel more welcomed to the event. While on the phone, try to get a commitment and provide the speaker with all of the information they need to make a decision about attending the event. They need to supply you with their requirements for the event. What AV requirements do they have, are they bringing their presentation on disk or laptop? Do they need a data projector etc? What papers/material do they have for the folder(s)? Make them aware that we need this information at least a month and a half before the event, not the week before – not acceptable. If possible, make arrangements to accommodate the speaker's schedule and travel needs. In addition to your initial recruitment of speakers, you should also devise a backup plan for speakers. It's inevitable that one or more of your speakers will cancel closer to the event. If you are ready for cancellations, it will have little to no affect on the quality of your event. Go back to the list of speakers you brainstormed early in the planning. Make sure you have all necessary contact information and can reach each of them if you should need to. The back up plan will help your group plan ahead for possible pitfalls, making for smooth sailing no matter what curve ball is thrown your way. Contact speakers one week before the event and confirm their attendance, how they wish to be listed, and when and where they are speaking. Once a speaker arrives at the event, give her a name tag, remind her of when and where she is speaking, and make sure her needs have been met. Have a volunteer take the speakers to the space they will be using and make sure there is always someone available to introduce your speakers and performers to the audience. Finally, offer tokens of thanks and appreciation to the speakers and performers. Also we usually purchase a gift for overseas speakers – something based e. g. wood, stone etc ( Catering Depending on the facilities, you have several options for serving food. Initially you will need to consider what kind of food you will serve. Get quotes from different venues – look at cost and what they are offering. Is the food what you want? Can you change any menu supplied? Need to look at these sorts of things. No matter how you choose to feed the crowd, keep in mind dietary restrictions such as diabetics and restrictions on salt. Once decided on venue, look through menus and decide what you want to use for the event. Before you move on have an idea of the number of meals or snacks being served at the event and how many people you will need to feed. Closely estimate food amounts through a careful head count to minimize waste. Same with beverages as well. ( Equipment needs For every event you'll need to plan for equipment needs, which can include everything from tables and chairs to audio visual equipment to written materials. Take a look at your rough agenda and the list of requests from speakers and performers. Then, make a list of all of the equipment you will need for the event. Also, sketch out the layout for the event. Now, use the checklist below to prepare the equipment for the event. Make sure you leave room in your timeline and budget for acquiring the equipment you need. Some venues allow you to bring in your own equipment or equipment that you have hired specifically for the event as well. Checklist of Possible Equipment Needs: ? overhead projector ? VCR/TV ? microphones flip charts with markers ? dry erase/chalk boards with markers or chalk ? cups and fresh water ? podium ? megaphone Have to decide who you are targeting for the event. Then decide what kind of invitation you want i. e. printed invitation, electronic email flyer, booklet etc . All of these will have different costs associated and all costs need to be budgeted for. Also a time frame for getting anything printed – allow 2-3 weeks 2 months before, so will be able to send out the printed invitations 4-5 weeks ahead of the event and arrange to have follow up calls i. e. someone to ring every single person who has not replied about their attendance to the event. It is time consuming but done properly usually can increase numbers significantly as not everyone replies to invites, often they just arrive. This doesn’t help your section with catering, handout materials or seating for the event or budgeting so it’s important to follow up. Suggest once you have an invitation list (either printed or electronic) supply list to Administrator so they can confirm attendance/non attendance of invitees. ( Publicity This is promotions or basically letting people know about the event. *Remember part of a successful event is to actually have patrons. Without satisfactory support your event cannot be counted a success. This area requires much attention and effort. It may also be a long- term process. Remember that the advertising should be geared towards the participants you want to target. This is things you will need to take to the event such as handouts, paper, markers and white board, name tag etc. (Name badges (usually Administrator) need t o be made 1-1/2 weeks before the event. Be sure to consist of persons name and organization (do not put titles etc). Include badges for speakers as well. paper, stapler, scissors, paper clips, drawing pins and anything else that people may ask for or that you can use so as not having to ask the venue as sometimes they don’t have them. Gifts for speakers/guests especially overseas guests are necessary. Decide on awards items and identify sources to purchase them. Add cost into the budget for this. Needs to be gift wrapped and have a thank you card attached. ( Photographer If you need one for the event, book them well ahead of the event, as they are hard to get, would suggest 3-4 months before and again ring 2-3 people and get quotes. Once booked put all contact details on sheet for ease of access by anyone else who may have to contact them. Make sure they understand what your company wants from the photos. ( Logistics & Contingency Plans Good logistics planning ensures your event will run smoothly. Prior to the event you need to send out communications to event staff. Staffing to schedule: Receptionist – Make sure they are prepped with a cheat sheet if people call. Technical Staff – Make sure they are standing by and know you need the servers to be free of any large processing. Runners – Get a few people to help as needed. Train Runner and Receptionist and create information cards. Q&A Managers – Have someone assigned to handle the Q&A and chat. Plants or audience seeds – Have someone dialed in and armed with a few questions to get the Q&A rolling if necessary. Reserve the following: Technology – Phone lines and Web technology for all calls (test yourself before sending out. and make arrangements for the archive recording. Rooms – Made available for presenters and support team for all calls. Equipment – Laptops, servers, phones, back-up equipment, etc. for all calls. Contingency Plans: Backup Equipment – Modem and remote. Communication Line – Have a direct line with the operator at all times. Send your team and speakers an e-mail with everyone’s contact information in case there is a problem. ( Emergency Services (such as ambulance service, secured money transfers and handling through a reputable security company). These need to be on the scene or on call during the event *Very important The little things make a big difference: Always do â€Å"one more check† to validate the logins and phone numbers. Have water near each speaker. Have notepads and paper available. Print hard copies of all the presentations – One copy for you and one for each speaker. Test backup equipment. Create and post â€Å"quiet signs. † REMEMBER – Over-communicating is better than under-communicating! Constantly send reminder notes during the event process and planning stages. ( Running Sheet This is a breakdown of the event on the day, broken into 10-15 minute intervals (see example). All staff and speakers/guests will get one of these so as they know exactly what is happening on the day and who is speaking and for how long. There is protocol to follow when scheduling speakers as well. Here’s a sample checklist for an event that will help you work out what needs to be done and make everyone’s jobs easy to follow. Date (function date) | | |Start time | | |Finish time | | |Location address | | |Location phone number | | VIP’s | |Name |Position |Organization |Phone number | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Special Men tions | |Name |Position |Organization |Phone number | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Key Contacts | |Name |Position |Organization |Phone number | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | RUNNING SHEET | |Item |Action |Responsibility |Budget |Deadline |Completed | | |Required | | | | | |SIGNAGE | | | | | | |Production | | | | | | |Quantity | | | | | | |Delivery | | | | | | |Placement | | | | | | |Removal | | | | | | |Storage | | | | | | |Other | | | | | | | | | | | | |SECURITY | | | | | | |Venue | | | | | | |Hospitality | | | | | | |Cash | | | | | | |Other | | | | | | | | | | | | | |TICKETING | | | | | | |Branding | | | | | | |Quantity | | | | | | |Staff | | | | | | |Outlets | | | | | | |Other | | | | | | 2. 3. After the Event The final stage of the event entails cleaning up and thanking everyone who helped make the event happen. Organize a clean-up crew to make sure the facility is as clean. Do not forget to send thank you notes to speakers, performers, organizations, and volunteers who made the event a success. After all is said and done, get together with the members of your group and evaluate the event. Discuss what worked well and what should be changed for next year. Do not forget to look at whether or not the event accomplished its goals. Finally, celebrate your accomplishment and reflect on a job well done. 2. Create event timeline: (One year: Set date and site for your event Develop goals and objectives for the event Develop the theme for event Draft version of revenue & expense budget. If this is a fundraising event, contact the Office of College Development, Marketing & PR. (Six Months: Negotiate facilities, services, and contracts Prepare Event time table Construct a realistic budget for event. Building revenue sources is very important. Set event pricing. Leadership structure of event identified Specify staff responsibilities Create a plan for use of volunteers: how many needed & outline of duties Establish publicity plan in conjunction with Office of College Development, Marketing & PR Prepare press releases Design draft of invitation package & related materials Prepare guest lists Draft program and script Negotiate for special speakers Get lists of A-V equipment needed by all participants Negotiate with site and catering managers Solicit or purchase giveaways and/or souvenirs (Three Months: Clarify details and instructions for menus, receptions Arrange site layout, sound & decorating Complete in-kind solicitations Prepare checklist for items & people you need at event Arrange for a photographer Arrange for recording/taping Finalize design for invitation, program & materials (Two Months: Event invitations mailed Monitor invitation response Fine tune event schedule Fine tune event program timeline (One Month: Make or order final visuals Order necessary signage Alert press if coverage is desired Make detailed arrangement charts Arrange for last minute reproduction of papers, handouts, if needed Confirm all agreements in writing with speakers, suppliers, etc. (Two Weeks: Assemble checklist & materials for event Prepare releases for invited media Arrange for any VIP transportation, such as out-of-town invited speaker pickup at airport Reconfirm all arrangements with suppliers (food, shipping, audio-visual, etc) Set seating charts if needed Schedule any rehearsals needed (One Week: Prepare name badges Order any VIP amenities (Two days: Go over your checklist Review plans with Leadership Check on arrival of all shipped materials and equipment Secure storage of materials and equipment Check handout materials Reconfirm photographer (One Day: Check weather report for possible effect on event Review plans with electrician and other facilities staff Arrange to meet speakers and special guests Distribute duplicate event setup plans to staff Final briefings to staff on responsibilities Finalize meal guarantee if necessary with caterer Dress rehearsal (Two hours: Check room/venue setup Check micros and PA equipment Check A/V equipment Arrange handout materials for use Check for necessary personnel Check for signage in place (One Hour: Introduce invited speakers to other participants Check on place cards, if appropriate Check on recording/taping operator Check lectern light and stage props Give program participants any last minute instructions (After the event: Pay all invoices Write thank you notes and send gifts Complete your expenditures and match to budget After the event, it is crucial for the group to evaluate your efforts. The evaluation process should consist of the following: (Audience feedback Make sure that you conduct an honest evaluation of the event for a greater chance of future success. Brainstorm a list of the things that worked and made the conference a success and a list of the things you would change the next time the group organizes a conference. Ask questions such as: (Did you feel the event’s goals and objectives were accomplished? (What area(s) did you think went well? (What area(s) did you think could have used improvements? (Which vendors should be used again? (Which vendors should not be used again? (What items/services were missing? (Was the event well attended? (Was informal and formal feedback about the event positive? You can distribute the evaluation by mail, email or having it available on your organization’s website/event website. Keep evaluations on file for future reference and record in a place where future members of the group will be able to learn from your efforts. It is important to remember to celebrate your success and to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the event! CONCLUSION In many ways, event planning is linked to advertising and marketing. The planner needs to imagine the event is a product or brand, and then develop and promote it in a creative way. Ultimately, what’s important is that the attendees (the consumers) have a positive experience that leaves them feeling good about the organizers. The same applies whether the organizer is a business, charity or family. You need to be a well organized worker who is skilled in co-ordination, particularly with regard to logistics. Your presentation and communication skills should be excellent, and you should be able to motivate other people. Knowledge of marketing and press relations is invaluable, along with a creative approach to solving problems and ‘making things happen’. Above all, you must be a hard worker, who is prepared to put in extra hours to ensure that the job gets done within budget and on time. This work requires perfection, so you must be willing to pay attention to every detail. Not every event will fit perfectly into the following schedule and you’ll have to use your best judgement on handling last minute mishaps that may happen despite superb co-ordination and arrangements. â€Å"Event Planning† has become more of a necessity nowadays. It has become a fundamental part of the society, to help us to run smoothly the events, with everything professionally organized. No doubt, time is money nowadays and managing events at such short notices becomes even more impossible. Especially when behind every function success is to be certain. That’s why, we Event Planners are here for. Making every occasion more unique, outstanding, lively and of course memorable that every attendees admire. As long as you have the desire, your rewarding is your clients’ satisfactory. REFERENCES Vietnamese 1. Nguy? n Van K? t, CD-Rom Tai li? u mon Nghi? p v? thu ky van phong 2. PGS. TS. D? ng Th? Thanh Phuong, ThS. Nguy? n Th? Ng? c An, Nghi? p v? thu ky giam d? c th? i d? i m? i, NXB Th? ng Ke. Websites 1. http://www. tuvannhansu. om/cong-nghe-cham-soc-khach-hang/cong-viec-thuong-ngay-cua-dich-vu-khach-hang/102 2. http://www. tuvannhansu. com/cong-nghe-cham-soc-khach-hang/cong-viec-thuong-ngay-cua-dich-vu-khach-hang/97 3. http://www. snc. edu/planning/program. html 4. http://docs. google. com/viewer? a=v&q=cache:5KR8QIMiwbQJ:www. feministcampus. org/fmla/pro gram-materials/pdf/6 EventPlanning%2520thru%2520Public%2520Speaking. pdf+planning+event+successfully&hl=vi&gl=vn&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgeL87csTsCUPENPIDFJaZDY8wSPoKRETYYrbx3EehSnzVVWY419IrG PCtBXBdHIF_24Da9BhjQHoH99ZN4gM_BGpwlPXIuRynGW0PFrXAxW7-oF7A95hm0BHL120w0CliGmvEj&sig=AHIEtbT9Fp8dgvD44PJCZqPLmt4Zz0Mncg 5. http://www. girlmeetsbusiness. com/plan-event

Using Simulations in Nursing Education Research Paper

Using Simulations in Nursing Education - Research Paper Example Nursing is not an exception as there are numerous aspects of the study in nursing which cannot be grasped by the students without practical knowledge. Simulation has been used in the nursing domain and health care sector for a long time but there is a need to elevate the frequency and quality of simulation based techniques in nursing in order to completely exploit the benefits (Jun et al., 1999). The three main learning theories which are known as cognitive, social, and constructivist explain the detailed processes through which the learners gain in depth knowledge about any topic while using simulations. This paper will discuss the evidence based depictions generally in health care and then an emphasized study with specific relation to field of Obstetrics, which will explain the effectiveness and importance of using the simulations in nursing education and its positive impact on the patient outcomes. Literature Review The importunate need of the simulation in nursing domain surfaced in late 20th century when the resources were depleting for the health care sector and time restrictions were augmenting. There were loop holes in the skills of the trained nurses which were experienced in the practical fields and the patient outcomes were going through drastic results. ... report, IOM called an emergency meeting of the health sector gurus which passed as resolution with consensus that the human error ratio is because of the weak educational system and the nurses are needed to be equipped with emergency case scenarios and in depth knowledge of different kind of diseases. Simulation provides the best space for the students to learn and practice the medical theories without a fear of harming the patient. Simulation also provides a massive opportunity for the students to test their skills and periodic repetitions of the practical methodological studies. The apprenticeship training processes can be easily performed and the instructors can effectively transmit the changing health patterns to the students by practically showing them the simulations. The sensitivity factors often acts as a major hindrance in the learning process for the nurses (Rutherford-Hemming, 2012). The operative vaginal delivery with forceps and vacuum devices are also being deployed at large in the medical domain of Obstetrics. The neonatal risks are accompanied with the use of vacuum cups, but they are far more efficient in the delivery procedures and are used by a great number of Obstetricians. In the same way some other sectors of Obstetrics such as needle usage amniocentesis and fetal blood sampling  requires a great deal of practice and such cases are not available for the nursing students for practice on hands. Some medics foresaw the importance of simulation in the field of Obstetrics and issues order to embed the low-fidelity models for amniocentesis in the learning and training procedures (Cass et al., 2011). The results were optimal, and patient outcomes were affected in a very positive way after the training and on hands experience of the students on these

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Discuss what is meant by job design and discuss what might contribute to its success in an organisation - Essay Example or rearrangement, the aim of which is to reduce or to resolve job dissatisfaction and to overcome employee alienation arising from repetitive and mechanistic tasks† (BusinessDictionary.com, n.d., n.p.). In other words, it is a process of improving working conditions or job environment for the sake of employee’s motivation and productivity. Job design helps an organization to determine the tasks that should be done, how these tasks should be done, by whom and in what order and afterwards to organize the content of tasks with the maximum benefits to the organization and employees (Allsubjects4you.com, n.d). Based on the definition of job design it is possible to conclude that there can be many different designs due to the variety of jobs. However, despite the variety of job designs, there can be identified seven key performance objectives of job design (Slack, Chambers, & Johnston 2004). These objectives include the following: quality, speed, dependability, flexibility, cost, health and safety, quality of working life (Slack, Chambers, & Johnston 2004). Quality is one of the critical objectives in any work performed. Job design can affect the employee’s ability to create or produce high-quality products and to offer high-quality services to the clients (Slack, Chambers, & Johnston 2004). Speed of work or response is also an important objective of job design as some jobs require prompt and quick reaction to certain situations. A great illustration of this factor in job design can be the jobs of emergency service personnel, where the sequence of activities in procedures, the range of tasks they are trained, etc all play critical role in terms of timing (Slack, Chambers, & Johnston 2004). Dependability is the objective of job design as it can be influenced by dependable supply of services and goods (Slack, Chambers, & Johnston 2004). Job design can also impact on the ability of employees to adjust to changes in the working arrangements, including the following

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MODIGLIANI AND MILLERS ADVICE ON DEBTS IGNORED BY COMPANIES - Essay Example Considering the setting of a perfect market, with the absence of frictions, a seminal research conducted by Modigliani and Miller in 1958 proposed that the value of an organization’s market tends to operate in independence of such an organization’s capital structure. The argument by Modigliani and Miller had the essence, adding on the value of debt tends to lower the value of any outstanding capital (equity). Firm’s gain realized by utilizing more of the so seemed cheaper debt will be offset through the implementation of a higher costing policy of the adopted riskier equity. Therefore, considering a fixed value of total equity, the capital allocation between equity and debt will thus be irrelevant since the two capital costs’ weighted average will be of the same amount regardless of any possible combination of the two capital costs2. Unfortunately, no corporation operates in a perfect business world; few if any, are debt financed 100%. Since the realizatio n of the winning paper by Modigliani and Miller, a number of potential explanations regarding the applicability of certain financial structures have emerged, revolving around a number of elements such as the role of taxes, the default cost, credit rationing, equity dilution, and agency costs, while including goals by sponsors and management, yet such goals tend to differ from each other. Another suggestion by Modigliani and Miller is that organizations maintain a capacity of a borrowing reserve in order to accommodate instances of economic uncertainty. It is, therefore, essential to investigate each of the potential inefficiencies mentioned in the prior discussion. Regarding the impact of Taxes, Modigliani and Miller present assumptions which portray obvious violations on the deductibility of payments of interest, and tax as well as corporate taxes. Often, payments on interest committed to debtholders are part of the deductions exercised from corporate revenues before the taxation o f such revenues. Consequently, the retained corporate tax plays the role of a subsidy upon interest payments. On the other hand, if the income paid out is in the form of a dividend to stockholders, such an income will undergo double taxation. The initial taxation happens at the level of corporate through corporate taxes, while the subsequent taxation will be exerted on income tax upon holders of equity. Therefore, a corporation striving to reduce taxes while intending to maximize the incomes available to respective investors should, therefore, supports itself financially, entirely through debt3. Default Costs refer to costs associated with distresses of finances, and, more certainly, bankruptcy. Default costs help in keeping the firm from giving large amounts of debt in comparison to the firm’s amount of underlying financing equity. There are two forms of default costs; can either be implicit or explicit. Explicit default costs cover the payments committed to accountants, law yers, as well as other professionals who advise the firm in instances of liquidation and bankruptcy, or while filling protection forms. Explicit costs can portray an essential fraction of total assets of the corporation. Such fractions are committed to investors during bankruptcy. Additionally, it is essential for corporations to take into consideration, the indirect costs associated with the financial distress incurred when a firm approaches bankruptcy or even

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Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach - Essay Example They are not in any way inferior or less powerful than the male race. In fact, in the book, it expresses a desire to look at gender without attaching certain and specific roles to it. Women don’t have to be born with an already fixed set of actions and functions in the society that are expected of them. Women can now do what all men can. The book additionally points out that when it is said that women should have more power in the society than what they have now, it clearly also expresses that they do not overpower the men either. As a response to this notion of absolute equality of gender, I personally think that this should truly be the case in a better world. Both men and women should be given equal opportunities, and roles should not be attached to their gender so as to not limit them from the work or functions they might want to have in the society. Who is to say that women should be the one to stay at home and do the household chores while the men should be the one to work and earn the money for the family? Who is to say that women are incapable of performing certain jobs than men, that women may not be as strong or as powerful as men? Today, we are already seeing changes that are moving towards gender equality. More and more women are now becoming more empowered. Compared to the olden times, we are now seeing a significant change in the way people perceive gender and the roles that play around them in the society. Less and less functions and responsibilities are limited and are expected now for each ge nder. With the onset of the age of modernity, people are now starting to realize that with gender equality comes a better world. There is no longer any prejudice or discrimination for both genders, and people are no more liberated to do what they want to do without being condemned or hindered. Although we still see today that men and women are still not completely equal in the society as

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Stops, Frisks, and Terry Stops - Research Paper Example This paper will analyze the Terry stop legal issue and its impact in the society. The paper will also look at constitutional issues that touch on the matter and the impact that they have had. Introduction The issue of stop, frisk and Terry stop is very controversial and has been debated for a long period of time. A Terry stop involves stopping of an individual by a law enforcement officer for frisking and in some cases a short detention. An individual may be stopped for frisking if they are suspected of having committed or being likely to commit a crime by a law enforcement officer. As one undergoes a Terry stop, the police officer frisks and individual (the suspect) to ensure that the officer is not in danger or other members of the public (Acker & Brody, 2012). A Terry stop is different from an arrest since it takes less time and is accompanied by less legal procedures. During a Terry Stop, a police officer usually confirm the details of the suspect and finds out whether they have a criminal record or outstanding fines or arrest warrants that have been issued against them. Groups that represent both sides of the argument present their debates which sound justified. Records of crime statistics show that there has been an increase in crimes that are committed all over the country. People all over the world feel that is up to the government to introduce measures that lead to a reduction of crime levels. Stop, frisks and Terry stops is one of the ways that was introduced by the government to try and curb crime levels all over the country. Law enforcers feel that prevention of crimes consumes fewer resources and saves more lives for minimal inconvenience if any to those that undergo the Terry stops. Discussions Stops, Frisks, and Terry Stops affect many individuals in the United States and perceptions on the government and law enforcement officers. This constitutional issue also affects the constitutional rights of individuals. Terry stop and frisk involves detent ion by police if they are suspicious that an individual has been involved in committing a crime. The Terry stop and frisk law was introduced in 1968 after the Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S 1 (1968) court decision that was made by the Supreme court in the United States. The decision also authorized the police to conduct searches on the outer garments of the suspect if they have articulable suspicion that the suspect is armed and dangerous. The court authorized law enforcers to being able to detain an individual who they suspect is involved in committing a crime. Law enforcement officers also have the legal right to search the individual that they have detained. In some cases, the law enforcers might feel that the suspect might be in possession of a weapon, and may be planning to use in order to commit a crime. The rationale that causes the law enforcers to feel that the individual is likely to commit a crime should be reasonable. For example, a suspect might look overly nervous yet there is no evident reason why they should appear so. Such behavior might be an indication that such an individual is about to commit a crime. The law authorizes police officers to seize any form of contraband that they would find on a suspect while conducting the frisking. However there are some conditions in the frisking of the suspect (Acker & Brody, 2012). The frisking should be limited to the outer clothing of the

Criminal Law Liability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Criminal Law Liability - Essay Example There is also the legal duty to act because of an actual or implied contract. For example, in R. v. Pitwood (1902)2 a defendant was convicted of manslaughter after he failed to close a level crossing gate with the result of a hay cart and a train colliding. The collision resulted in the death of a man. Pitwood argued that he had no legal duty to the deceased, but Judge Wright held that he did have one arising from his contract of employment. While R. v. Pitwood is often regarded as a classic case of criminal liability for omission, Wright's actual words leave some room for doubt: Thus the judge may actually have been seeing liability coming from the fact that Pitwood had left the level crossing gate open rather than the fact that he had not shot the level crossing gate. Thus did the liability come from an action or an inaction It would seem that the former occurred. This was a case of gross negligence manslaughter, a crime that is a useful background to the whole subject of criminal liability for omission. In general such manslaughter requires the following elements: Duty is imposed by common law statute. ... A breach is the failure to do something or doing something incorrectly according to the standard expected. The causal link is the fact that death has resulted from this failure with no intervening cause while gross negligence is the fact that the standard of performance or non-performance is so bad as to make it criminal. A "reasonable person" standard can apply when there is no actual contractual arrangement. Thus if a 'reasonable person" would have acted in a manner that would have prevented or avoided the resulting damage/injury then the defendant may be found liable. For example, in R. v. Miller4 (1982) a defendant was held liable for criminal damage to a building that had been caused by a fire. Miller was a tramp who had fallen asleep in a disused property while smoking a cigarette. The cigarette fell onto the mattress he was asleep on, and when he woke up because of the smoke, Miller did not attempt to put the cigarette/smoldering out but merely moved to another room and fell asleep. The court found that Miller was bound to act because the dangerous circumstance had been of his own making, and the omission that had subsequently occurred was of a criminal nature. By contrast, if Miller had been a person passing by the house and had seen it smoldering but had done nothing he would not have had a duty to put the fire out and thus the other elements of the crime would be irrelevant. Miller, as well as Pitwood also brings up a problem that has yet to be fully resolved regarding criminal liability for omission. The problem revolves around the fact that a general principle of criminal law is that the mens rea of the offence must exist at the time of the actus reus. Essentially there must be a coincidence of the actus reus and the mens

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Solve equations and word problems - Speech or Presentation Example Thomas had a checking account there for 8 months and was charged $53.10 in service charges. How many checks did he write during that period? Geometry; Dave and Jane wells have a new rectangular driveway. The perimeter of the driveway is 168 feet. The length is 12 feet longer than three times the width. What are the dimensions of the driveway? Geometry; a leather coin purse has the shape of a triangle Two sides are equal in length and the third side is 3 centimeters shorter than one and one-half times the length of the equal sides. The perimeter is 28.5 centimeters. Find the lengths of the sides Health Club Memberships: In 2006, the number of Americans who were members of a health club was 42.7 million. This was an increase of 106% from the number of health club members in 1990. How many Americans were health club members in 1990?(Source: www.emaxhealt h.com) The Clarke family went sailing on a lake. Their boat averaged 6 kilometres per hour. The Rourke family took their outboard runabout for a trip on the lake for the same amount of time. Their boat averaged 14 kilometres per hour. The Rourke family travelled 20 kilometres farther than the Clarke Family. How many hours did each family spend on their boat

Teaching Reading to Students with Learning Disabilities Essay

Teaching Reading to Students with Learning Disabilities - Essay Example The development of effective reading strategies can have positive consequences for students with learning disabilities, yet many students do not learn to use strategies automatically. Finally, the implications for reading instruction for students with and without disabilities in inclusive settings are discussed. The ability to read is a critical component of school success. A strong correlation exists between poor reading ability and school failure, and students who do not learn how to read during their elementary years have difficulty navigating the school curriculum during middle and upper grades (Marston, Deno, Dongil, Diment, & Rogers, 2005). The National Center for Education Statistics reported that more than 75% of all fourth graders and eighth graders scored below the reading proficiency range on the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment (U.S. Department of Education, 2002). These numbers suggest that a large number of students with and without disabilities are not benefiting from current traditional reading curricula and instructional practices (Carnine, Silbert, & Kameenui, 2001; Simmons & Kameenui, 2000). Improving reading instruction is a top priority for both general and special education. These concerns are paramount for students with high-incide... Among the students with high-incidence disabilities, children classified with learning disabilities constitute the largest group of students receiving special education services. More than 2 million students in the United States are classified with a learning disability, a number that has increased dramatically since the late 1970s. In the past decade alone, the number of students classified with a learning disability increased 38%, and currently students identified with a learning disability represent 51% of all students with disabilities (U.S. Department of Education, 2000). The 2001 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) specifically identified the general education setting as the most appropriate placement for all students, and about half of the students classified with a learning disability participate full time in a general education classroom. Full-time placement in the general education classroom is commonly called inclusion or inclusive education (U.S. Department of Education, 2000). In inclusion settings, students with disabilities may or may not receive additional support from a special education teacher. Some programs involve general and special education teacher collaboration, but in many cases the general education teacher is responsible for implementing all academic support services, curricular adaptations, and testing modifications (Schulte, Osborne, & Erchul, 2002). Moreover, most new standards-based reform initiatives require that students with learning disabilities meet minimum local and state competenc y requirements. Despite the extra responsibilities this places on teachers, many school districts continue to reshape the roles of

Amelie - Intercultural Film Review Essay Example for Free

Amelie Intercultural Film Review Essay Amelie is a French movie about a young twenty something girl who’s world opened up to her when her mother dies and she is allowed to venture out. After a health misdiagnoses at a young child Amelie is stranded in her home away from all people and relationships until her mother passes away and she finds herself free. She becomes a waitress and decides to help all the people around her until one day she herself finds love. This film shows a French cultural pattern where the people are open minded, whimsical, unique, and quirky. The main character Amelie, wants to get the most out of her life. She takes the viewer on a path through a series of subplots where she is trying to help people that surround her find happiness and joy. Paris and the people of France are shown in a whimsical and fairytale environment. All the while, Amelie, is removed from all human contact which makes for an interesting film if one is attempting to view this film through the lens of interpersonal communication. All the communicating in the movie is done through the use of metaphors, scheme, plots, tricks, and the like. It’s interesting because Amelie doesn’t directly communicate with people even though she is not anti-social. She is very social and likes to help people but she does so almost exclusively nonverbally. One exception to this is when Amelie helps a blind man to cross a busy street and, opposite to her normally silent nonverbal character, she proceeds to very quickly describe everything that she sees and everything that is happening to the blind man in exceptional detail. This is done as an act of kindness for someone who can’t see and not as a form of actual or real communication. All real communication in this movie, is done in a childlike fashion of cat and mouse. It feels almost like interpersonal communication in this movie is a game that is not to be taken seriously. When Amelie finds a boy that she is romantically interested in, she finds herself needing to communicate with him only from a distance. Amelie once again plays one of her games in order to conceal her identity. Nino, the object of Amelie’s affection, is a boy who collects old photos from an old photo booth. The use of pictures in this movie is overwhelming and must have some reason behind it. Itâ€℠¢s almost as if the characters are communicating through the pictures rather than with words. Even when Amelie was quickly describing the surrounding to the blind man she was helping across the street, it was as if she was creating a picture in his mind so he could connect with her. Perhaps Amelie can only  communicate through imagery like metaphors and photographs because she spent her entire childhood alone with only her parents because they thought she was too ill to be around others. I have mixed feelings about this film because I can appreciate a good romantic comedy and I understand the feeling the director was trying to create but I’m not a fan of the fanciful fairytale romances which I think this movie falls into. I would have preferred a movie with a real underlining tone and I could do without all the whimsy. Amelie felt like a child in a woman’s body, not unlike 13 going on 30 ¸ and for me the doe eyed cutesy character began to wear on me and I found myself more annoyed than anything by the end. The setting is Paris, but not the real Paris but rat her a fantasy version of Paris not unlike a dream or the Paris you can see in old movies. The story itself felt very Disney-like in that the mother dies in the beginning which is the impetuous to the main character being forced unprepared onto the world, the main character then helps many sub-characters out along the way to finding her true love. Very Disney indeed. I’m certain that I would not recommend this movie to my friends or my family, but maybe it would have a place in a cultural communications classroom. I think the only problem I would have with it is that it doesn’t portray an actual or real culture, and only portrays a fantasy like culture. The lead character is able to form relationships and make the audience care about her without having to say much at all, which can have some value when it comes to the study of nonverbal communication. Also, there might be a value to getting a feel for the French culture from this film, because even though I didn’t love the story or the film-making, there was something about the ‘sound’ in the film. The dialogue did draw me into the French culture which was interesting because I don’t speak any French. Even though I struggle to pinpoint the feeling or atmosphere of the film, I do think that something was captured even if it was just the Disney version of Paris and French Culture.

Improving Concordance to Smoking Cessation Treatment

Improving Concordance to Smoking Cessation Treatment National Institute of Clinical Excellence (2009) identified that medicine taking is a complex human behaviour that lies ultimately, in the hands of the patient. NICE (2009) estimates that between a third and a half of all medicines prescribed are not taken as recommended and Dunbar-Jacob et al (1995) evaluates that up to 80 per cent of patients can be expected not to comply with their treatment at some time. Shuttleworth (2006) noticed that health professionals use two terms to describe the medicine taking behaviour of patients: compliance and respectively adherence. Compliance represents the extent to which a persons behaviour coincides with the medical advice, for example patients to do as they are told (Haynes et al, 1979) while adherence is the capacity of the patient to self-regulate his or her treatment, for example his or her ability to re-fill prescriptions (Brock, 2000). Medicines Partnership (2003) argue that in both compliance and adherence patients have a passive role, with no implication in their care and therefore concordance is needed to correct issues of non-compliance and non-adherence. Concordance advocates the idea of shared decision-making between health professionals and patients and it requires health professionals to engage with patients as partners, taking into account their beliefs and concerns (Medicines Partnership, 2003). NICE (2009) insists that the biggest challenge of the research of concordance is how to influence and change behaviour and this is where health psychology comes in. According to Marks and Evans (2005) health psychology attempts to move away from a linear model of health that treats only the physical, to a model that treats the whole person including his or her behaviour. In this essay the author will critically discuss how knowledge of health psychology can help nurses improve concordance with treatment in smoking cessation treatment. The idea promoted is that smoking is a behaviour influenced by the patients beliefs; the nurse will explore the patients beliefs on smoking and will help the patient to make an informed decision regarding her treatment. Patient X will be used as an example to observe behaviour change. The Stages of Change Model and other theories from health psychology will also be discussed. Discussion: Health Development Agency (2004) estimates that smoking is the greatest single cause of preventable illness and premature death in the UK, being responsible for more than 106,500 deaths each year. Approximately 4000 chemical compounds have been identified in the cigarette smoke, of which 40 are known to cause cancer (McEwen et al, 2006). Among these compounds tar was linked to cancer, lung disease and heart disease; carbon monoxide (CO) was also identified as an inevitable consequence of the combustion that takes place while smoking (Tyler, 1995); furthermore, nicotine was found in cigarettes, however nicotine is not connected to cancer but with the addiction process. According to the RCPÂ  [1]Â  (2000) nicotine meets all criteria used to define a drug of dependence and Wilkinson et al (2004) reasons that this makes smoking not a habit but an addiction. In the light of these, nurses face a real challenge when trying to improve patients concordance with smoking cessation treatment. However, NIHÂ  [2]Â  (2008) urges that most patients are ready to hear and receive help from nurses as the patients willpower alone has been shown to succeed in only 3 per cent cases of smoking cessation (McNeill et al, 2001). The following scenario will be used to exemplify a nurses action and use of health psychology knowledge in helping improve a patients concordance with smoking cessation treatment: Patient X is a bank manager. She has been a smoker for ten years. She is married and has one child age 5. She doesnt want to stop smoking because smoking calms her nerves, because it is not a good time and because she is afraid of withdrawal symptoms and gaining weight. The nurse will use the Transtheoretical Stages of Change Model to assess patients X motivation. The model was developed by Prochaska and DiClemente in 1982 to examine the five stages of change in addictive behaviours. According to Odgen (2009) the model is dynamic, not linear, with individuals moving backwards and forwards across the stages. The first stage of the model is Pre-contemplation. Patient X was identified as being in this stage because she is not interested in quitting. McGough (2004) points out that sometimes beliefs are used to sustain unhealthy behaviours, for example cigarettes calm my nerves, as patient X claims. To address such health beliefs and her resistance to change, the nurse will use a consciousness raising exercise, respectively she will address patient X reasons for not quitting and give counterpoints to refute these reasons (Perkins, Conklin and Levine, 2007; Kaufman and Birks, 2009). For example, patient X states that it is not the right time; the nurse can address this by saying, Im concerned about your health and I would like you to consider quitting. I know its going to be difficult because it will interfere with life responsibilities however, the perfect time to quit may never come therefore this moment is as good to quit as any (Perkins, Conklin and Levine, 2007; Hollis et al, 2003; Rana and Upton, 2009). TMAÂ  [3]Â  (2008) suggests that such message can prove more effective than a lecture about the lung cancer however the nurse can have a stop smoking handout to give to the patient as well. This interaction with the patient must be kept as patient-centred as possible to improve concordance with treatment (Walker, J et al, 2007). Balint et al (1970) as cited in Rena and Upton (2009) suggest that being patient-centred should involve the asking and receiving of questions and information which result in patients understanding of the health information and the treatment proposed. An accurate assessment of patient X within this stage will generate a strong treatment plan, therefore improved concordance (Straub, 2006; Brock, 2000). Furthermore, the nurse will convey warmth, understanding, acceptance and respect for the patient; this will help develop a fundamental nurse-patient relationship that is seen as a contributing factor to the patients concordance with the treatment regimen (Rana and Upton, 2006; Donohue and Levensky, 2006). By learning that smoking is not good for her health patient X will move to the second stage of the Stages of Change Model called Contemplation. The patient is now aware of the health risks that smoking entails and contemplates the idea of quitting (Perkins, Conklin and Levine, 2007). At this stage motivational interviewing can be used by the nurse to allow the patient to discover her own internal motivating factors in the favour of quitting; examples of factors can be: my five year old child will grow in a smoke free environment or I will have less changes of getting cancer (Ogden, 2009; NIHÂ  [4]Â  , 2009). Furthermore, the nurse can suggest that patient X writes down as a reminder I lose these benefits every day that I do not quit smoking (Connors, Donovan and DiClemente, 2004). Moreover, the nurse can help patient X identify the pros and cons of smoking cessation treatment (Hollis et al, 2003). According to the Health Belief Model (HBM) (Rosentock, 1974 as cited in Rana and Upton, 2009) by weighing the pros and cons of treatment, people arrive at a decision of whether the perceived benefits (e.g. NRTÂ  [5]Â  ) outweighs the perceived barriers (e.g. being afraid of the side effects of NRT). Moreover, patient X is concerned that she may gain weight upon quitting. By still using the HBM the nurse can help the patient decide whether the perceived benefits of quitting (e.g. improved health) outweighs the perceived barriers (e.g. gaining weight) (Perkins, Conklin and Levine 2007). The HBM is a social cognition model that has been applied to understand adherence behaviour in patients. This model suggests that the likelihood that someone will engage in a given health behaviour (e.g. adherence) is a result of four functions: perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits and cues to action (Rena and Upton, 2009). In an argument against HBMs application to smoking cessation, Robinson and Beridge (2003) state that weighing pros and cons of smoking cessation treatment is not a reliable approach because the smoking behaviour is underlined by addiction, so that it operates outside conscious awareness and it does not follow decision-making rules. Perkins, Conklin and Levine (2007) agree that the motivational intervention used in the contemplation stage may push the person into the third stage of the Stages of Change model, called Preparation. The patient is now determined to make a change. Both the nurse and patient X will share a decision making over preparation strategies; the outcome of this partnership will be a patient-centred, tailored plan that will improve adherence. For example, a nicotine patch may indeed help patient X to quit smoking, but a patient Z who not only has nicotine patches but also told his family and colleagues (especially those who smoke) about his quit attempt and ask for their support, is likely to be more successful than someone who relies on nicotine patches and willpower alone because social support enhances the likelihood of adherence (TMA, 2009; McEwen et al, 2006; Medicines Partnership, 2003). Furthermore, patient X will be encouraged to set a quit date. The chosen date should be of significance for the patient so she can feel motivated to adhere to the treatment (Gross and Kinnision, 2007). Moreover, the nurse may suggest behavioural changes such as clearing the house of all cigarettes and lighters (Marinker and Shaw, 2003). Patient X will also be educated to recognize withdrawal symptoms and will be given tips on how to resist cravings (e.g. keep busy, eat fruits, sip water, call a helping friend); patient X will be re-assured that withdrawal symptoms last 2-4 weeks and reduce gradually; also, the nurse must introduce patient X to medication that can help reduce the severity of the withdrawal discomfort, such as NRT and Bupropion (McEwen et al, 2000). According to NICE (2009) the information about medication should be written to serve as a reminder at any stage of the treatment. Moreover, the patient will be shown how to use nicotine patches and gums because in this stage specific skills rather than motivation alone are needed to facilitate concordance with treatment (Gross and Kinnison, 2007; Thomason, Parahoo and Blair, 2007). Furthermore, the nurse will answer any questions that the patient may have regarding medication. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (1997) as cited in Rana and Upton (2009) suggests that how individuals perceive and think about medication (medication belief) is important when considering treatment adherence, therefore the nurse should be aware of patients X medication beliefs if she wants to break the barrier of non-adherence to treatment. Patient X is now considered ready to move into the penultimate stage of the Stages of Change Model called Action. At this stage, the nurse must provide on-going support to prevent the patients relapse. The nurse is encouraged to be honest with patient X about the likelihood of reverting to the old behaviour once the change process has started, not because the nurse expects patient X to fail, but because it normalizes the experience and takes away some of sense of failure and shame (Singer, 2009). The nurse will also monitor patient Xs CO and saliva cotinine to confirm abstinence and boost motivation (Haskard-Zolnierek and DiMatteo, 2010). According to the Foundation for Blood research (2010) many patients may not be truthful when answering questions about their smoking behaviour, therefore tests such as measuring the amount of nicotine in saliva and the amount of carbon monoxide levels in the patients expired air can be useful to compare self-reported smoking behaviour against real measurements. In an argument against this, Riemsma et al (2003) state that there is no evidence that moving an individual closer to the action stage actually results in a sustained change of behaviour at a later date. After approximately six months in the action stage patient X will move to the last stage of the Stages of change model, the maintenance stage. The nurse will praise the patient for the efforts made to change the unhealthy behaviour into a healthy one. This will make the patient feel self-efficient and have confidence to maintain the behavioural changes done in the quitting process (Odgen, 2009; NIH 2009). Self-efficacy is a term introduced by Bandura (1997) as a cognitive mechanism underlying behavioural change. According to this theory, efficacy determines whether coping behaviour is initiated and maintained when faced with obstacles (e.g. nicotine cravings) (DiClemente, 1981). Furthermore, the nurse can also write down essential tips to help patient X maintain concordance with treatment, such as do something else instead of smoking, keep yourself busy, avoid tempting situations and stick with your effort to quit, you can do it (Johnson et al, 1999; NIH, 2009). Conclusion: To review, within this essay the author highlighted the ideas that knowledge of health psychology can be used to understand the patients smoking related health beliefs and also, improved concordance with smoking cessation treatment can be achieved by involving the patient as partner in care.

Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes (BACs) Features

Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes (BACs) Features Definition: Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes or BACs are plasmids (circular DNA molecules) constructed with the replication origin of E.coli F’ Factor. F’ is an incompatibility group involved in E. coli conjugative ability and chromosomal transfer, which can exist as an extra-chromosomal element. 1st developed as a large insert cloning system to facilitate the construction of DNA libraries to analyze genomic structure. Technology was developed to carry out genetic and functional studies of viruses (herpes virus especially). Since then BACs application have grown intensely and have benefited the research community in many fields, such as in genomic fingerprinting, sequencing of the human genome, in vaccine development and in vitro transgenesis,. Characteristic features of BAC vectors The original BAC vector, pBAC108L, is based on a mini-F plasmid, pMBO131 (Figure 1) which encodes genes essential for self-repli ­cation and regulates its copy number inside a cell. The unidirectional self-replicating genes are oriS and repE while parA and parB maintain copy number to one or two for each E. coli genome. Multiple cloning sites is present, flanked by â€Å"universal promot ­ers† T7 and SP6, all flanked by GC-rich restriction enzyme sites for insert excision.   Presence of cosN and loxP sites(cloned in by bacteriophage l terminase and P1 Cre recombinase, respectively) permits linearization of the plasmid for convenient restriction mapping. There is a chloramphenicol resistance gene for negative selection of non-transformed bacteria. Vector is 6900 bp in length and is capable of maintaining insert DNA in excess of 300 kilobases (kb). Other BAC Vectors There have been many modifications done to increase the ease-of-use as well as for use in specific systems and situations.   pBeloBAC11 2 and pBACe3.6 are modified BAC vectors based on pBAC108L and are commonly used as a basis for further modification. pBeloBAC11 The primary characteristic of this vector is the addition of a lacZ gene into the multiple cloning site 2 of pBAC108L. Plates supplemented with X-gal/IPTG, an intact lacZ gene encodes b-galactosidase which catalyses the supplemented substrate into a blue substance. Successful ligation of insert DNA into the vector inactivates lacZ, generating white colonies, indicating the presence of a successful vector-insert ligation. It is still a low-copy number plasmid due to presence of parA and parB. Size of vector is 7507 bp in length. pBACe3.6 This vector is based on pBAC108L but is more highly modified than pBeloBAC11. In order to overcome the issue of low plasmid copy numbers, the P1 replicon in F’ was deleted and a removable high copy number replicon originating from an inserted pUC19 was introduced.   This vector contains 2.7 kb pUClink stuffer fragment which is flanked by two sets of six restriction sites within a sacB region. Levansucrase, a product of sacB gene, which converts sucrose (sup ­plemented in the media) to levan, which is toxic to E. coli host cells. Hence, if the vector is re-ligated without an insert, the functional sacB produces levansucrase and the cells die before forming colonies. Successful ligation of an insert into the vector increases the dis ­tance from the promoter to the coding region of sacB, disrupting toxic gene expression in the presence of sucrose. In addition to this vectors, there are many specialized BAC vectors carrying a variety of different combinations of drug resistance genes. Besides, many different selection mechanisms and markers are available. Modifications of cloning sites (unique restriction endonuclease sites) are also common as per the addition of genes and promoters specific to different strains of bacteria. Development of BAC vector Advantages of BAC Vectors The large size of BACs help to minimize site of integration effects, a phenomenon which has been defined as endogenous sequences (such as gene coding regions and distal regulatory elements) to be disrupted, and to produce potentially undesirable phenotypes in gene cloning technology. Endogenous gene expression more accurately than other cloning systems. The human genome BACs consist of the full gene structure(which play very important role in gene regulation). Therefore the human genome BACs will ensure full mRNA processing and splicing when genes are transcribed, and produce the full complement of protein isoforms once mRNAs are translated. It can be transfected and expressed in mammalian cell lines even if transfection efficiency and copy numbers are low. Disadvantages of BAC vectors A construct containing a large genomic fragment is likely to contain non-related genes which may lead to indirect, non-specific gene expression and unanticipated changes in the cell phenotype. Recombinant BAC constructs can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. The large size BAC DNA constructs are more easily degraded and sheard during manipulation before transfection. Applications of BAC vectors BACs are useful for the construction of genomic libraries but their range of use is vast. It spans from basic science to economically rewarding industrial research, and fields as prosaic as animal husbandry. In genomic analyses, it helps in determining phylogenetic lineage det between species. Helps in study of horizontal gene transfer and since bacterial genes are usually clustered, the ability of BAC vectors to accommodate large inserts has allowed the study of entire bacterial pathways. By isolating DNA directly from soil or from marine environments, the â€Å"metagenomes† of those organisms which are either uncultureable or are termed viable but uncultureable can be cloned into BAC vectors and indirectly studied. In industrial research fields where BAC vectors are invaluable tools in cataloguing novel genomes is in the discovery of novel enzymes. Work has been done on identifying enzymes that are involved in biopolymer hydrolysis or even radioactive waste management. BAC vectors have been instrumen ­tal in studying large double stranded DNA viruses both from an academic point of view and as a tool to develop improved vaccines. In genomic research, high throughput determination of gains and losses of genetic material using high resolution BAC arrays and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) have been developed into the new tools for translational research in solid tumors and neurodegenerative disorders. BAC technology is becoming the most upcoming method for genome sequencing. The technique uses an overlapping tailing part of large genomic fragments (150-200 kb) maintained within BACs. Every individual BAC is shotgun sequenced, where these large overlapping sequences of the BACs are assembled to produce the whole genome sequence. BACs have also been used in mammalian genome mapping, genomic imprinting, vaccine development, gene therapy and studies of the evolutionary history and functional dynamics of sex chromosomes have recently been possible using BAC libraries. YAC (yeast artificial chromosome) vectors Definition: Yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) are plasmid shuttle vectors capable of replicating and being selected in common bacterial hosts such as Escherichia coli, as well as in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. They are of relatively small size (approximately 12 kb) and of circular form when they are amplified or manipulated in E. coli, but are rendered linear and of very large size(several hundreds of kilobases), when introduced as cloning vectors in yeast. Many different yeast artificial chromosomes exist as ongoing refinements of the initial pYAC3 and pYAC4 plasmids (Figure 1) constructed by Burke et al. (1987). Basic structural features of YACs were developed from the yeast centromere shuttle-plasmids (YCp) series. These are composed of double-stranded circular DNA sequences carrying the b-lactamase gene (bla) and the bacterial pMB1 origin of replication, thus conferring resistance to ampicillin and the ability to replicate in bacteria, respectively. YACs also contain the cloning site in the middle of the SUP4 suppressor of an ochre allele of a tyrosine transfer RNA gene; this enables restoration of the normal white color phenotype in otherwise red ade1 and/or ade2 nonsense mutants. Accordingly, in the insertional inactivation cloning process, the SUP4 gene is disrupted by the DNA insert, thus removing the suppression of the ade mutations and allowing their phenotypic expression as red color. They also include yeast ARS1 with its associated CEN4 DNAsequence, as well as the URA3 selectable marker. Biological Features of YACs The stability of YAC vectors in yeast per se is similar to that of natural chromosomes provided that all three structural elements (ARS, CEN and TEL) are present and functional, in addition, that the minimal required size is reached by the insertion of enough exogenous DNA. Indeed, several mutations are known to affect YAC stability and segregation together with natural chromosomes. Another important consideration is that faithful duplication of YACs is guaranteed only if other DNA sequences incompatible with ARS do not exist on the construct, particularly relevant when unknown DNA inserts are cloned in the YAC vector, as in the case for genomic libraries, in which there could be cryptic or otherwise unknown ARS-like sequences able to interfere with the ARS function. Construction of YACs Steps: Initially, purification of plasmid DNA is carried out. Two distinct digestions are performed: the first with BamHI that cuts twice adjacent to the two telomeric DNA sequences flanking the HIS3 gene, which therefore is excised from the plasmid and lost (Figure 2a). This first digestion generates a long linear fragment carrying telomeric sequences at each end. The second digestion consists of the opening of the cloning site within the SUP4 gene (Figure 2a). As a result of this second digestion, two linear fragments are produced as left and right arms of the future linear YAC (Figure 2b). Large DNA fragments with ends compatible to the cloning site, obtained from the desired genome source by digestion with an appropriate restriction endonuclease, are ligated with phosphatase treated YAC arms, to create a single yeast-transforming DNA molecule (Figure 2c). Primary transformants can be selected for complementation of the ura3 mutation in the host, and successively for complementation of the host trp1 mutation, thereby ensuring thepresence of both chromosomal arms. Transformant colonies containing the exogenous DNA insert within the SUP4 gene are detected by their red colour, due to the inactivation of the suppressor activity and the consequent accumulation of a red metabolic precursor in ade host cells. Applications of YACs Applications of YACs range from generating whole DNA libraries of the genomes of higher organisms to identifying essential mammalian chromosomal sequences necessary for the future construction of specialized mammalian artificial chromosomes (MACs). Helps in the study of regulation of gene expression by cis-acting, controlling DNA elements, that are present either upstream or downstream of large eukaryotic genes, after the transfer of these YACs from yeast to mammalian cells. YAC libraries has greatly advanced the analysis of genomes previously cloned in cosmid vectors. For example, YAC clones have been used as hybridization probes for the screening of cDNA libraries, thus simplifying the characterization of unidentified genes. Recent technological developments allow the transfer of YACs into mouse embryonal stem (ES) cells and the subsequent generation of transgenic mice. 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