Thursday, October 31, 2019

Theoretical Studies in Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Theoretical Studies in Fashion - Essay Example The essay "Theoretical Studies in Fashion" concerns the Fashion Theoretical Studies. After visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum, we visited the shoe exhibition called ‘Shoes and Pleasure Pain’ where I learned about different types of shoes that reflect social construction for gender. In the shoe exhibition I chose to focus on Men’s Clubbing Boots which were produced between 1992 and 1996 in England. This type of shoe is a high heeled leather shoe designed for men. These shoes are long with tall laces from the feet up to the legs. They are sexy, and can be used by men to demonstrate sexiness in the English culture. The men’s clubbing boots fall under the category of seduction in the exhibition because they are considered as sexy shoes. They influence the movement of the body. These high heeled shows which affect body movements have been considered in most societies to be suitable for the female gender. However, in this specific exhibition men have also be en portrayed as a group that can titillate the audience and develop sensual feeling. However, the shoe also has several characteristics that reflect the male gender through social construction. For instance, the men’s clubbing boots are look big and heavy, indicating masculine aspects of the wearer. The bigness and heaviness of the men’s clubbing boots shows the distinct appearance of men and women in terms of social construction. In social perspective, men and women have different levels of social power. The power of women is manifested in their appearance.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Curriculum as Influenced by Society and Technology Essay Example for Free

Curriculum as Influenced by Society and Technology Essay The current trend of technology in the classroom can be traced back to the early1900s when schools and museums, as a complement to verbal instruction, began to use visuals aids including drawings, paintings, and slides. In the 1920s, as film became widely used, The National Academy of Visual Instruction was formed to help distinguish between films that were for entertainment or educational value. As technology progressed and the television was introduced, the educational system began to use instructional television. During the 1970s and 1980s the biggest influence in the classroom, to date, came in the form of computers. As the 1990s progressed, computers and multimedia equipment continued to become more affordable and they began to be used across the world. The trend of technology in the classroom currently consists of multiple categories including Multimedia, Internet and Networking, Computer-assisted instruction (CAI), Computer-managed instruction (CMI), and teacher training. As the current trend of technology in the classroom continues to be centered on the inclusion of computers and other mediums, it only awaits to incorporate the next big step in technology. The Ever-changing Technology Trend The abacus, the slate, the red pad of paper, it is amazing to view the ever-changing technology in education today. As a society, not only has our language and communication developed, but the way that language and communication are expressed has changed drastically. In Mathematics an abacus was used to solve problems, now a student can program a graphing calculator to solve problems for them. Some schools allow children to bring laptops into class with them, in other schools it is mandatory that all students have a laptop to bring to school. From having no computers in the classroom to having dozens of computers in the classroom has been an evolution of the educational system. Technology in the educational system consists of many mediums, and the history to the current educational system is quite fascinating. What remains to be seen is how the ever-changing, ever-evolving technology will impact the schools today, and how technology will affect our schools in the future. The view of a teacher as the possessor and transferor of information is shifting to a new paradigm in which the teacher is now a facilitator or a coach. These new teachers provide appropriate learning environments that engage students in collaborative activities that require communications and access to information that only technology can provide. Technology engages students, and as a result they spend more quality time on basic learning tasks than students who use a more traditional approach. Students who have the opportunity to use technology to acquire and organize information show a higher level of comprehension and a greater likelihood of using what they learn later in their lives (Impact, 2005). The integration of technology into the curriculum has been shown to decrease absenteeism, lower dropout rates, and motivate more students to continue on to college. This current trend of technology in the classroom consists of multiple categories including multimedia, Internet and networking, computer-assisted instruction (CAI), computer-managed instruction (CMI), and teacher training: Multimedia Interactive multimedia combines text, graphics, sound, animation, and video into a single learning environment. The hardware of multimedia can include: Macintosh computers, audio digitizers, CD ROM players, graphic scanners, and videodisc players. Since information is presented in visual and verbal modalities, individual learning styles of students are easily accommodated. It is not only a presentation tool for the teacher, becoming the basis for classroom lectures, discussions, and simulations, but it is also a reporting and reference tool for students in preparing class assignments. Example of use: There is an ongoing multimedia project that is part of the seventh grade science curriculum at the Baker Demonstration School at National-Louis University. Students choose a mammal to study at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, IL. They then spend several sessions at the zoo observing this mammals physical characteristics, behavior, locomotion, and its zoo habitat. These observations become the raw data for constructing a multimedia presentation about their mammal. Internet and Networking There is a clear direction towards using the Internet to open education to students everywhere. The use of the Internet ranges from making course materials available on-line, to using the Internet as the communication tool for the course. With the vast capabilities of the Internet, computers are being networked for communication, research, and remote collaboration. Networks can help to break down communication barriers and connect students and teachers with the outside world. Access to a computer, a modem, and phone lines frees students and teachers from the physical limits and time constraints of the school environment. Networking also allows them to send electronic mail, participate in computer conferencing, and access information from remote sources. Example of use: Students studying the solar system can send questions directly to NASA scientists. Classes from different parts of the world could read the same book and share ideas and conclusions throughout the reading of the book. Another idea is for one class to write cliff hangers and have the other class finish the stories. In some cases, classes have done parallel science experiments or conducted surveys and then compared results with the other class. Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and Computer-managed instruction (CMI) (CMI) is the use of the computer to maintain records associated with student performance. This usually includes, but is not limited to, the results of particular Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI) packages. As the student completes each lesson, the computer stores the progress, scores, records the results of all tests or quizzes completed, and it provides progress reports to the teacher. These reports, either individual or class-wide, may be used to rapidly identify unsatisfactory progress or weak areas (Harrison 1983). Example of use: An individualized curriculum could be written for each student allowing the teacher to more effectively utilize the limited class time available. These tools can help remediate students lacking in certain skills and allow students access to information presented in multimedia formats. Teacher Training Tremendous increase in technology-related in-service teacher training is taking place. Teachers are learning how to use electronic grade books and other teacher utilities to create puzzles, tests and quizzes, and other materials in order to assist them. Examples of training: After-school workshops conducted by the computer enrichment instructor and/or volunteers is one form of teacher training available, another is one-on-one tutoring carried out by volunteers or a computer enrichment instructor. Technology conferences attended by selected members of the faculty and teacher-to-teacher instruction utilizing those faculties with advanced technology skills also provides valuable teacher training. In addition to the technologies mentioned, the Education Coalition (TEC) considers the merger of computing, television, printing, and telecommunications as the most significant trend in education and technology. Bringing them together results in the whole having greater impact than each individual part (Lane Portway, ND). Technology is abundant in the classroom today in many forms such as computers, the internet, DVDs, CD-ROMs, etc. However, technology in the classroom â€Å"can be traced back to the early 1900s, when schools and museums began to include visuals such as drawings, paintings, slides, films, and models as a complement to verbal instruction† (Summary of Major Events in the Field, 2005). In the early1900s, still and video cameras were considered to be the technology of the future, the likes of which had never been seen before. It was hard to imagine, at this time in history, that they would be used on a daily basis in the home, let alone in the schools. Contrary to popular belief, the history of technology within education goes back a lot further than simply the introduction of computers and televisions into the classroom in the 1980s and 1990s. Throughout history, many people have had high hopes of how technology would affect education in the future. Thomas Edison said, books will soon be obsolete in the schools. Scholars will soon be instructed through the eye. It is possible to teach every branch of human knowledge with the motion picture. Our school system will be completely changed in ten years(Major Trends of the Decade, 2005). In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Thomas Edison was working on perfecting his invention, a kinetophone, which synchronized sound on a phonograph cylinder with pictures on a screen (Life of Thomas A. Edison, 2005). Edison dreamed that films would one day revolutionize education. â€Å"In 1911, he released a series of historical films about the American Revolution, becoming one of the first producers of films for classroom use† (Major Trends of the Decade, 2005). While his invention did not exactly revolutionize education, the modern version of inventions like the kinetophone is used on a regular basis in the classroom via television, video, and DVD. In the 1920s, film was seen as a progressive style of teaching, and was used in only a few select classrooms across America. To aid in the process of incorporating film into education, The National Academy of Visual Instruction was formed in order to help distinguish between films that were for entertainment and films that had educational value (Major Trends of the Decade, 2005). During this time, there was also an attempt to use radio broadcasts in the classroom; however, this trend died out within 15 years as there were often technical problems that could make teaching unpredictable. As film began to be used more often in classrooms across the world, the United States government had to prepare teachers for the advancement of technology in order to keep up with other advancing countries throughout the world. This was hard to do as many teachers worried about the fire hazards from film projectors and also feared that technology would one day replace them and they would no longer have jobs (Major Trends of the Decade). Classrooms would continue to experiment with this new technology for years to come, in hopes of keeping up with the changing times. In the 1950s and 1960s, the demand for instructional television reached its height due to a shortage of teachers and overcrowded classrooms. In 1959, the Midwest Program of Airborne Television Instruction (MPATI) was created and 34 courses were televised to 2,000 elementary and secondary schools in six states (Saettler, 1990). Students were able to watch and learn from their classrooms, and many schools that were unable to participate in the program tried to acquire it by borrowing from other schools across the nation. It was a big step forward for the educational system and later in 1990, Christopher Whittle created a more advanced version of this known as Channel One, a show that aired in almost 12,000 public and private middle and high schools nationwide, while reaching 7. 7 million students (Borja, 2005). Studies done on MPATI showed that teachers disliked the program and found it interrupted their classes, so it lost much of its attraction to schools. While teachers did come to understand the importance of bringing the world into their classroom, the same situation evolved later with the classroom interruptions and Channel One in the 1990s and it has steadily declined in its use in classrooms. The decade of 1960 saw the introduction of computers into the educational setting, although it was not in many schools as the costs to supply them was too great for most school systems. The development of computers would continue to grow in the ‘70s and ‘80s, when microcomputers became available; more convenient for schools and somewhat more affordable. These decades saw rapid advancement in the way of computers, television, and video recorders, making it hard for schools to keep up with the latest equipment. As the 1990s progressed, computers and multimedia equipment continued to become more affordable and were widely used in many classrooms spanning the globe. While in the past students were content and well supplied by having a set of crayons, pens, pencils, books, and a chalkboard, technology has quickly advanced over the years to a point in which no classroom or student is complete without sophisticated sets of computers, DVDs, scanners, and the Internet. Technology has had a great impact on education in recent years. The trend to modernize schools and increase the amount of technology in the classroom has become apparent with the passing of new educational legislation and an increase of electronic devices in classrooms. Studies by major universities have also been undertaken to look at the use of computers and other items in learning and the effect that they have on students. The impact of technology on schools has been both positive and negative. While educators embrace the idea and the opportunities that new technology provides students, the trend has caused an increase in costs for an already under-funded system. Keeping up with such advances will be increasingly more expensive as time goes by. This cost is worth paying; however, as the trend in the workplace has also been moving toward technology as well. Studies have been undertaken by universities and researchers to learn the impact and necessity of technology in schools. A research project at the University of Georgia focused not only on the United States, but on many other English speaking countries as well, including Australia, Canada, and Great Britain. This study focused on the incorporation of media and technology in schools and the impact to which it has had on students and learning. The researchers found that these tools â€Å"are effective in schools as phenomena to learn both from and with. † (Reeves, 1998, The Impact of Media and Technology in Schools) The results of this effort point towards the importance of technology in school, and make an argument for its continued and increased use. Legislators, voters, and school officials have also realized the benefits of giving students an education involving technology. In recent years, the number of computers and other devices in schools has increased drastically. According to a study done by the California Department of Education in 2004, there were 1,181,649 computers in classrooms across the state. At that time, this was approximately 1 computer to every 5. 3 students. (California Department of Education, 2004) The number of computers in classrooms is expected to increase yearly, although the data has not yet been released for 2005. As these electronics do not come to schools cheaply, unless through donation, the State of California, as well as other states across the Union, have passed legislation to assist schools in purchasing the items. An example of this is California’s SB 1863, which was a bill signed into law by Governor Davis in 2002. This act grants non-profit organizations, such as public schools and hospitals, the ability to purchase computers and telecommunications systems at a discounted price (Bowen, 2002, SB1863). With legislation such as this in place, it is easier for schools to afford the necessary items they need to keep up with changing technology. As computers and other items are introduced into classrooms across the nation, teachers are being forced to learn how to use the technology and software in order to incorporate it into their lessons. For some, learning to do this can be difficult, while for others it may be simple. The amount of time it takes to learn the information and skills needed cuts into personal lives, taking away from family events and other activities. These hours are often unpaid, and are done from the teacher’s own desire to better instruct students for the future. Educating oneself to use computers and other devices is also expensive. Computers and their components are quite costly. Many teachers have to afford to buy the computers themselves. Teacher salaries are not exceptionally high, and purchasing such items is not always feasible. According to the American Federation of Teachers: The average teacher salary in the 2003-04 school year was $46,597, a 2. 2 percent increase from the year before. This falls short of the rate of inflation for 2004, this was 2. 7 percent. When adjusted for inflation, the 2003-04 salary actually drops 0. 4 percent from 2002-03. (American Federation of Teachers, 2005, Teacher Salaries Lag Behind Inflation) Teachers are also placed in another predicament as workplace trends are requiring computer and technology skills be incorporated into everyday business. A teacher’s job is to prepare their students for the future. In order to accomplish this goal, educators must be able to instruct their pupils in the areas of technology. To do this, teachers must be educated themselves, and in such a fashion that the teachers are forced to purchase nearly unaffordable items out of their own salaries. Including technology into the classrooms is important. Teaching students to use these items is beneficial to them and their futures. However, getting the tools to all students is difficult as funding is limited. Underprivileged schools tend to be less likely to have the computers that they need as funding is simply not available for them. This contributes to the problem of the technological divide, in which students from lower income areas do not have the equipment or skills to keep up with students in better neighborhoods and situations. In 1998, the incorporation of technology in schools cost roughly 16 billion dollars (Reeves, 1998, The Impact of Media and Technology in Schools). This money comes mostly from federal funding, but according to the study at the University of Georgia, it will not be enough to keep up with future needs. Technology in the schools is important. The inclusion of computers and other media in education of students will have a drastic impact on their future. These items are expensive but needed. Legislators are passing actions that will allow for funding to be available to purchase these items and place them into classrooms. In order for teachers to keep up with advancements in education, they have to learn to use the technology themselves. This takes their time away for other activities which they participate in and it can be costly in itself. The monetary cost of the inclusion of this trend in education is the biggest impact to which the system faces. Affording to pay for such material is difficult, as funds are hard to obtain. So, where will classrooms be in 10 years, 20 years? The question becomes where will teachers be? There are many proponents for online and virtual classrooms where a school room is not required, but there are many who object to this because school is not only where a child goes to learn, but it is also where a child goes in order to learn how to function in society. Currently in California, a new program has been implemented into high schools, it is the virtual enterprise, which gives students the opportunity to learn about business. However â€Å"there are no textbooks in the virtual enterprise (VE) programs. The classrooms don’t have the average-looking furniture; the furniture generally consists of cubicles, office desks, computers, fax machines and telephones. The teacher is called the coordinator, and the daily instruction is conducted with direct input from appoint company officers† (Tekaat-Davey, 2006). This form of environment is giving children a look into a more corporate environment, and for those students interested in a corporate world it is a very interesting form of education, and it is giving students a heads-up into how the â€Å"real-world† functions. Often, it takes a lengthy period of time for schools to implement new technologies because of the money constraints, however â€Å"a unique component of VE is the fact that it is very cost effective for the respective sites† (Tekaat-Davey, 2006). Many businesses donate the computers and other supplies that are needed in order to make the virtual enterprise environment work. This is an innovative approach that is giving the teacher a different role, but it may take on force because it is so much more cost effective. It seems that the goal of the future is to show children how to integrate technology into their lives effectively. Another aspect of technology is how small it makes the world, everything is so much closer through computers now, and students are going to be taught how best to interact and learn about different cultures, but schools in the United States are also going to need to compete more thoroughly with technologies in schools worldwide. Currently, 90 percent of schools have Internet connectivity and more than 33 percent of teachers have Internet access in their classrooms (Gahala, 2001). So yes, technology availability is there, but how to use it effectively is going to be the constant battle between teachers and technology experts. This country has developed in technology gradually over the years, even though sometimes it seems like it has been overnight. The growth of technology has been an ever-adapting process, and it is constantly changing. â€Å"Technology is not transformative on its own. Evidence indicates that when used effectively, ‘technology applications can support higher-order thinking by engaging students in authentic, complex tasks within collaborative learning contexts’ (Means, Blando, Olson, Middleton, Morocco, Remz, Zorfass, 1993)† (Gahala, 2001). But, will technology change the role of a teacher is what concerns many teachers today, and the answer is possibly. â€Å"As students become more self-directed, teachers who are not accustomed to acting as facilitators or coaches may not understand how technology can be used as part of activities that are not teacher-directed. This situation may be an excellent opportunity for the teacher not only to learn from the student but also to model being an information seeker, lifelong learner, and risk taker† (Gahala, 2001). So, even though the process of education may change, the traditional principles still hold, teachers are there to be a guide and a facilitator for education and knowledge. It is a teacher’s responsibility to incorporate current technologies into the history of teaching in order to give students the best possible education they can receive. Technology use impacting student grades All four research questions considered how technology use (low/high) as defined by overall use, teacher use and student use in the classroom effected at-risk students classroom grades. Inferential statistics showed no significant affect on at-risk student grades for any of the independent variables—teacher use, student use or overall technology use. For all the independent variables of teacher use, student use and overall technology use, the 1st quarter grades are higher for high technology using teachers. But that trend did not continue into second quarter for any of the independent variables. Since low GPA is a criterion for being identified at-risk at the studied school, it is logical that these students had low grades. However, some of these students had no passing grades, which is equivalent to a GPA of zero. The grade point average mean for the 66 at-risk students is 1. 52 at the end of the school year 2000–2001. Any grade mean above a zero is an improvement for some of the identified at-risk students. A possible explanation for this decline in grades is a greater use of technology in the 1st quarter. The researcher informally observed that students are immersed in technology in many of the classes: Power Point slide shows, travel brochures, postcards and video interviews are being created for presentations. During the 2nd quarter the classrooms slowly returned to a more traditional style. Some teachers, in informal discussions with the researcher, said they are using drill and practice, word processing for writing, and Internet for research projects. Without the use of technology infused in the classroom teachers would never know that with more constructivist methods students could achieve at higher levels. From research on the ACOT classrooms, students use technology as a tool to collect, organize, and analyze data; to enhance presentations; to conduct simulations and to solve complex problems. One of the changes seen over this 10-year study is the change in the lower-achieving students; the ones teachers could not reach with the teacher-centered learning. These students began to respond positively given the alternate ways of expressing their knowledge, which not only raised their self-esteem but their status with the teachers and their peers. The at-risk students are likely to show improvement in academic achievement when technology is used in the classroom appropriately. The conditions needed for appropriate use of technology to improve education are: first, the successful use of technology requires teachers to face their beliefs about learning and the efficacy of different instructional activities. Second, teachers view technology as one possible tool that must be used in the curriculum and instruction framework with meaning. Third, teachers need to become risk takers, experiment with technology, help and share with peers. Fourth, technology can be a catalyst for change, but the process of integrating technology is a long-term challenge for the teachers. In closing on student grades and technology, from the ten-year study conducted by ACOT comes this statement: â€Å"teachers also discovered that students who did not do well in a typical setting frequently excelled when working with technology. Low achievers had a chance to experience success and began concentrating and applying themselves to their projects† (p. 95). This study supports the findings in the present study indicating that the technology should be incorporated into the curriculum in meaningful, student-centered methods. Conclusion The impact of technology in schools is somewhere between its the only way to make a positive change in schools to its a new fad. They see technology as a strong tool for positive change but it must be presented in the right ways. Steps must be taken for technology to make a difference. Leaders of the schools must include everyone at the beginning of the plan, not after technology arrives. Leadership in the school system must plan for technology. Hire a full time technology director, involve the school in the changes, and provide the services that are needed for technology to succeed in the schools. Teachers must change the way they teach. Classrooms must take on the student-centered learning methods. Teachers need to become facilitators. Students need to be allowed to use technology as a tool, which will enable them to collect, analyze, and create major projects. When schools are prepared for technology, the entire school benefits. The quality of the time for technology to be integrated into the curriculum is the key to student learning, not the quantity of time with technology. Technology is not the entire solution for keeping at-risk students in the classroom, but it is a start in the right direction. References Aitoro, J. R. (2005). No Child Left Behind. VAR Business, 21, 1-2. American Federation of Teachers, (2005) Teacher Salaries Lag Behind Inflation. Retrieved from http://www. aft. org/presscenter/releases/2005/100605. htm on December 15, 2006 Borja, R. R. (2005). Channel one struggling in shifting market, Education Week, 24(43), 3-14. Bowen, D. (2002). SB 1863. Retrieved from http://info. sen. ca. gov/cgi-bin/postquery? bill_number=sb_1863sess=0102house=Bsite=sen on December 15, 2006 California Department of Education, (2004). Number of Computers Used for Instruction. Retrieved from http://www. cde. ca. gov/re/pn/fb/yr04numbcomp. asp. on December 15, 2006 Gahala, J. (2001). Critical Issue: Promoting Technology Use in School. Retrieved from http://www. ncrel. org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te200. htm. on December 15, 2006 Harrison , J. and M.. (October 1983). How computers can help the schools. Education Flip Side. 2(7) page 70. Impact of Technology on Student Achievement, The. Apple Education; K-12 Education. Retrieved from http://www. apple. com/education/research. on December 15, 2006 Lane, C. , Portway, P. (No Date). Trends. The Education Coalition. Life of Thomas A. Edison,The. Retrieved from http://memory. loc. gov/ammem/edhtml/edbio. html. on December 15, 2006 Miller, M. and Cruce, T.. A 20th Century Timeline: Classroom Use of Instructional Film, Radio, and Television, retrieved from http://www. arches. uga. edu/~mlmiller/timeline/timelineintro. html. on December 15, 2006 Reeves, Thomas C, (1998). The Impact of Media and Technology in Schools. Retrieved from http://www. athensacademy. org/instruct/media_tech/reeves0. html. on December 15, 2006 Saettler, Paul (1990). The Evolution of American Educational Technology. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Mutant and Wild-type Yeast Strains via Mitochondria Proteins

Mutant and Wild-type Yeast Strains via Mitochondria Proteins Differentiating between mutant and wild-type yeast strains via mitochondria proteins    By: Jason Hoang Lab Partner: Daryan Chan Introduction Yeasts are important organisms due to their uses in everyday such as baking, making fermented foods and alcohol production (Steensels et al, 2014). Yeasts have been so widely studied that it was one of the first organisms to have its genome sequenced (Goffeau et al, 1996). Thus, Yeasts are more than capable of acting as a model organism for eukaryotes (Botstein et al, 2011). For this experiment we are working with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The mitochondria is the powerhouse for cell, as it is the major production site of ATP for the cell. The inner mitochondrial space has an electrochemical gradient, from which ATP is generated by using 5 protein complexes create an electrochemical gradient to assist in ATP production (Alberts et al., 2015). The COX6 assembly accepts electrons from cytochrome c and uses oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor to make water (Alberts et al., 2015). ATP synthase then uses the resulting proton gradient made by those complexes to pump protons back into the mitochondria matrix and make ATP (Alberts et al., 2015). The objective of this experiment was to determine if a given yeast sample was a wild type or a mutant with no COX6 activity. One of the major techniques to be used in this lab is subcellular fractionation. This technique first lyses the cells and then uses centrifugal forces to separate particles by size (Alberts et al., 2015). The centrifugal forces results in the denser particles moving away from axis of rotation creating a pellet which contains the heavier particles and a supernatant which contains lighter particles (Alberts et al., 2015). Another major technique used was Gel electrophoresis. Gel electrophoresis is used so that a fraction with multiple proteins can be separated based on size and shape (Alberts et al., 2015). Protein fractions are loaded on to wells in the gel and an electrode is attached (Alberts et al., 2015). SDS page is popularly used because it can confer a negative charge and linearize proteins being run through the gel (Alberts et al., 2015). The proteins will run through the gel due to their negative charge (Alberts et al., 2015). A standard is used to provide a reference to determine the sizes of the sampl proteins (Alberts et al., 2015). One of the other major techniques used in this lab was western blotting. After proteins are run on electrophoresis a labelled antibody is exposed to the electrophoresed fractions in a process called immunoblotting in order to detect presence of a specific protein (Alberts et al., 2015). The gel is exposed to a membrane where a current is run to dive the proteins onto the membrane (Alberts et al., 2015). The membrane is then drenched in labelled antibodies to detect for a specific protein (Alberts et al., 2015). This process can detect very small amount of specific protein and is useful for detecting changes of concentration of a specific protein in a cell under various conditions (Alberts et al., 2015). To measure cytochrome oxidase activity in this lab, we looked towards Beers Law which states that the ability of a solution to absorb light at a single wavelength is proportional to the concentration of solute in solution (Lukofsky et al, 2009). This show that absorbance and concentration are linearly related. Therefore, this would allow us to determine the rate of cytochrome oxidase activity in a sample. Materials and Methods Experiment was performed according to protocols set by Department if Biology, Winter 2016, Biology 331 for Experiment 1: Subcellular fractionation of yeast cells, pg 2-8, Experiment 2: Yeast growth curve; light microscopy; protein determination, pg 1-4, Experiment 3: Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, pg 1-8, Experiment 4: Development of Western Blot; COX Activity Assay, pg 3-10, written by Dr. Dragana Miskovic where the experiment was performed with no deviations unless specifically noted (Miskovic, 2017) The only deviation occurred in experiment 2 where we had ran out of BSA STD and had to borrow from another group. The borrowed BSA STD was not tested to have exact concentration as specific in lab protocol and may have had different concentration. Results Experiment 1 Yeast Strain Sample: A2 Table 1. Masses recorded for Lysing Yeast Cells Section Items Mass (g) Mass of Centrifuge Bottle containing Yeast 159.2 Mass of Empty Centrifuge with Pellet 49.89 Mass of Pellet 3.23 Amount of STE solution needed to resuspend yeast pellet: 3.23g x 2= 6.46mL Table 2. Volumes recorded for the Aliquoting Yeast Subcellular Fractions Section Solutions Total Volume LPS 3mL + 3.7mL= 6.7mL HSS 3mL + 2.8mL= 5.8mL MITO 300ÃŽÂ ¼L + 300ÃŽÂ ¼L= 600ÃŽÂ ¼L It was also noted that after the MITO fraction was made the pellet was intact and not messy Figure 1: Drawings of 50/100/200 ÃŽÂ ¼L dye drops from pipetman and expected 1 mL dye drop Experiment 2 Part A Table 3. Concentration of Yeast Cell at Two Different Times Time OD600 Reading Concentration (cells/ mL) 2:47pm 0.021A 210,000 4:59pm 0.043 A 430,000 It has been determined that an OD600 value of 1.0 is thought to contain roughly 1 x 107 cells/ mL. An OD600 value of 0.021 A will contain a concentration of 210 000 cells/ mL. An OD600 value of 0.043 A will contain a concentration of 430 000 cells/ mL. Figure 2. This graph shows the change in absorbance of yeast culture at 0 and 120 minutes. Equation to represent growth is calculated and shown above. Calculating Doubling time Formula for growth of yeast is y=0.0002x + 0.021. given initial absorbance reading of 0.021, doubled concentration should give reading of 0.042. Therefore use y= 0.042, where x means time in minutes 0.042=0.0002x + 0.021 where x = 105. Therefore it was found that doubling time is 105 minutes. Part B Yeast cells dyed with methylene blue stain Figure 3. These are some of the cell types that were observed when the overnight culture was stained with methylene blue under 40x magnification. It was found that roughly a third had a stained positive for a nucleus. None of the cells appear to be multi-nucleate. No vacuoles were observe either Yeast cells dyed with neutral red Figure 4. These are some of the cell types that were observed when the overnight culture was stained with neutral red under 40x magnification It was found that over 90% of the cells stained positive for a nucleus. Many of the cells appeared to be multi-nucleate and budding as well. It appeared that 1 or 2 vacuoles appeared to be detected per cell. Part C Table 3. Absorbance Results for the BioRad Protein Determination Assay 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A 0.27 0.191 0.21 0.201 0.196 0.37 0.397 0.404 0.369 0.036 B 0.246 0.24 0.303 0.192 0.226 0.245 0.272 0.372 0.252 0.035 C 0.23 0.263 0.248 0.294 0.037 0.036 0.036 0.036 0.036 0.036 D 0.256 0.227 0.25 0.277 0.035 0.035 0.035 0.035 0.035 0.034 E 0.246 0.182 0.242 0.215 0.474 0.362 0.306 0.389 0.482 0.035 F 0.289 0.349 0.285 0.246 0.299 0.264 0.347 0.738 0.203 0.036 G 0.203 0.254 0.321 0.249 0.035 0.035 0.035 0.037 0.035 0.036 H 0.2 0.261 0.263 0.274 0.034 0.034 0.035 0.035 0.035 0.034 11 12 A 0.036 0.037 B 0.035 0.035 C 0.037 0.038 D 0.035 0.044 E 0.036 0.035 F 0.035 0.035 G 0.035 0.035 H 0.035 0.034 Figure 4. This graph shows absorbance readings of standard solution using BSA at different concentrations. Calculating concentrations of LSP, HSS, and Mito. Equation for concentration of solution based on absorbance reading was determined based on above graph. Equation yielded was y=0.1264x + 0.2159 Average absorbance readings: LSP was 0.245, HSS was 0.249, and MITO 0.289. Using found readings as y for above equation we calculated concentration of proteins in each sample. LSP: 0.245 = 0.1264x + 0.2159Therefore x = 0.230 mg/mL HSS: 0.249 = 0.1264x + 0.2159Therefore x = 0.262 mg/mL MITO: 0.289 = 0.1264x + 0.2159Therefore x = 0.551 mg/mL Dilution factor needed to get fraction to 2ÃŽÂ ¼g/mL LSP: (0.230 mg/mL)(0.1mL)=> (0.0230 mL)(1/x mL)(10 dilution factor) = 2mg/mLTherefore x= 0.115 mL HSS: (0.262 mg/mL)(0.1mL)=> (0.0262ÃŽÂ ¼g)(1/x mL) (10 dilution factor) = 2mg/ mL Therefore x= 0.131 mL MITO: (0.551 mg/mL)(0.1mL)=> (0.0551ÃŽÂ ¼g)(1/x mL) (10 dilution factor) = 2mg/ mLTherefore x = 0.2755 mL Experiment 3 Figure 5. PVDF Membrane after proteins are transferred over from gel after electrophoresis. Our group is left side (D.C, J.H) Experiment 4 Figure 6. Membrane after detecting solution had been added over 10 minutes ago. Bands on right hand side are the standard Figure 7. This graph shows the distance travelled by each protein in the standard mix against the Log(Mw) on semi log paper Table 4. Cytochrome c Oxidase (COX) Activity Assay Sample Absorbance At 0 sec (OD) Absorbance after 20 sec (OD) Change in absorbance Change in Concentration (ÃŽÂ ¼mol/mL) COX activity (ÃŽÂ ¼mol/ L/min) Blank 0.525 0.525 0 0 0 LSP (1) 1.259 1.253 0.006 0.2143 0.6429 LSP (2) 1.272 1.264 0.008 0.2857 0.8571 HSS (1) 0.493 0.491 0.002 0.0714 0.2143 HSS (2) 0.496 0.491 0.005 0.1786 0.5257 MITO (1) 0.553 0.557 -0.004 -0.1429 -0.4286 MITO (2) 0.537 0.535 0.002 0.0714 0.2143 Table 4. This shows the Sample calculation for COX activity Change in absorbance = Absorbance at 0 sec Absorbance after 20 sec 1.259-1.253 = 0.006 Change in concentration ΆA = ÃŽÂ µ x b x Άc 0.006 = 28mM-1-cm-1 x 1 cm x ΆcTherefore Άc = 0.0002143 mM => 0.2143 ÃŽÂ ¼molAssuming volume of assay is 1.0 mL, change in concentration is 0.2143 ÃŽÂ ¼mol/mL COX activity COX activity = change in concentration / time 0.2143 ÃŽÂ ¼mol/mL / (1/3 min) = 0.6429 ÃŽÂ ¼mol/mL/min Figure 8. Graphical representation of COX activity in LSP fractions Figure 9. Graphical representation of COX activity in HSS fractions Figure 10. Graphical representation of COX activity in MITO fractions Discussion Galactose was used over glucose as a carbon source for our yeast cells. This is because we wanted to determine if the mitochondria was functional in our yeast cells. Different yeast strains will use different metabolic pathways in presences of each. When glucose is used as a carbon source the yeast cells will generate ATP via fermentation, whereas when Galactose is used the cell will perform oxidation. This is important to observe as different yeast strains will have varying levels of cytochrome c usage based on that. To visually determine if cytochrome c will be utilized by the cell we can look at the fractionation experiment earlier. When separating for the MITO fraction if one had found a messy pellet it would have indicated that the mitochondria was not intact while solid pellets would indicate the mitochondria was intact. If one did find a messy pellet it could have been the result of differences in fractionation techniques, cells being lysed prior, or something had disturbed the cell in transport. For our experiment we had found the mitochondria to be intact, which is a strong indicator that the mitochondria for our sample was present. To reach cytochrome c oxidase (COX) we used diferential centrifugation which seperates objects based on size and density, where larger molecules such as the intact cells will settle at the bottom of a tube while mitochondria which is smaller would remain in supernatant. This is also why we had separate centrifugations, to get samples with intact cells and samples with intact mitochondria. Density gradient centrifugation is also a widley used technique that seperates based on density. In that case we would see multiple bands form in tubes with densest molecules gathering at the bottom and bands above it with less dense molecules. Experimentally we found yeast doubling time to be 105 minutes (1.75 hours) when inoculated in YPD (1% yeast extract, 1% peptone, 2% glucose). It has been determined in many other experiments that Saccharomyces cerivisiae has a doubling time of 1.69 hours (Deak, 2008). The difference could be attributed to many factors such as environment (amount of light, heat, and etc) and growth substrates used. But the difference is not very large and would still be considered to conform to literature results. During the methylene blue staining of yeast cells it was noted that roughly a third of yeast cells contained a nucleus but it did not seem to be multi nucleate. While the neutral red stains showed that many cells appeared to be budding with one or 2 vacuoles present per yeast cell. These findings fall in line with what is normally expected from yeast cells as they do have vacuoles in their cells (Armstrong, 2010). Furthermore results also fall in line with yeasts having nucleuses but not being multi nucleated (Roberts and Ganesan 1959) One thing that may have affected a major portion of the experiment was determining the concentration of each respective LSP, HSS, and MITO fraction and diluting it to 2mg/mL. it is important to note that during pipetting steps to get each sample that the suspensions be homogenous beforehand otherwise you may be taking up different components of the fraction and missing others depending on how deep the pipet was inserted. During the remainder of the experiment it was found that after gel transfer to PVDF membrane and during western blotting that very few to no proteins were showing up. If low concentration of protein was a factor then it would most likely be traced back to this step. Many reasons can be attributed to this for instance, poor pipetting technique, the fractions were not homogenized properly before pipetting or even the dilution factor could have been incorrect. As noted during the material and methods during the preparation of experimental samples which would to create o ur protein concentration standard curve we had run out of BSA STD and required taking some from another group. When we created our protein concentration standard curve it came out completely odd, having unexpected drops in absorbance readings. The expected result was a linear curve where a higher BSA STD concentration would have led to a higher absorbance readings. Due to the change in BSA STD this may have had a different concentration due to being taken from a different location in its container it could have had a different concentration. Thus causing inconsistencies for our standard curve. As the standard curve was deemed incorrect afterwards any protein concentration calculations based on it would have been flawed, leading to incorrect dilutions. If the dilutions been calculated incorrectly, as they most likely were, there is the chance that the protein fractions would have been over diluted leading to not enough protein to be present for visible bands for the gel electrophores is and western blotting. For the gel electrophoresis SDS was included in solubilisation buffer to give proteins inserted into the wells a negative charge so that when a charge was applied they would run to the other end of the gel and to help unfold the protein so that it would be able to go through the gel. For this experiment a 12% gel was used in the interest of saving time because a 15% gel would have caused the proteins to go through it slower leading to a lower resolution of identifiable protein bands. The purpose of transferring proteins from gel to PVDF membrane was to be able to visualize the movement of proteins on the gel after electrophoresis. To accomplish this we applied Ponceau stain to the membrane to increase the resolution of the bands and to ensure equal amounts of proteins are loaded onto the gel (Al-Amoudi et al., 2013). It was found that after proteins had been transferred to PVDF membrane that we had very few bands show up for the solubilizing buffer lane, both LSP sample lanes, and both HSS sample lanes. Bands did appear for both MITO samples, however, it appears that got smeared across the gel, bleeding over to other wells. This could have been the result of diluting samples in the wells for reasons noted above, the SDS gel would have been poorly constructed and contributed to the smearing, and poor electrode contact on the gel might have blocked the gel from having proper electrical charge. Issues could have also arisen during transfer of proteins from gel to me mbrane. Air bubbles could have been present during transfer which would have prevented any protein from being transferred as proteins cannot move through air. Additionally, poor folding between membrane and the gel could have attributed to smearing of MITO samples. The purpose of the western blotting was to be able specifically detect for the presence of biotinylated COX proteins. In order for a cell to express a biotinylated protein it needs to be able to take up foreign DNA, be able to properly fold COX-biotin fusion protein, the cell needs to be able to recognize the BSS signal fused to C terminus, and be able to translate COX and biotin together (moving stop codon so that it doesnt not stop halfway across the other.) It was found that after western blotting our membrane with protein fractions that no bands had appeared even after 10 minutes of membrane being in contact with detecting solution. This led to Figure 7. The chart showcasing the relative distances that proteins have travelled is blank as a result. This would imply that when the blocking solution was added that it managed to block the entire membrane (and any present proteins included) from interacting with the probe. However Tween-20 was used to wash excess reagent. So the milk most likely would not have been able to bind to any protein after introduction of Tween-20. Therefore the lack of data could be attributed to low concentrations of protein on membrane for reasons as noted above. Referring to Figure 5 the only proteins that were found on the membrane after were MITO which shows that there would have been no LSP or HSS for probe to bind to, whereas for present MITO sample the concentration may not have been high enough and as a re sult some of it could have been washed out by the methanol step causing concentration of MITO to be so low that it could have been blocked by the blocking solution. There is also a possibility that our yeast samples were not able to biotinylate the COX protein at all which could explain why there were no bands occurring Looking at COX activity graphs for LSP, HSS, and MITO they seem to follow what is expected except for HSS. COX was used as an identifying marker for identifying subcellular fractions containing COX because it is an integral membrane protein for the inner membrane space. If COX activity is present then that would indicate that the mitochondria is intact and functioning. These samples should have seen increased COX activity as cytochrome c was introduced into the fractions which provide electrons to the COX protein allowing it to pump proteins and reduce oxygen to water. Both MITO and LSP experienced increased COX activity as shown by figure 8 and 10 respectively. This falls in line with what was expected with the MITO fractions experiencing higher levels of COX activity then the rest as the cytochrome c had less of a distance to travel to reach inner mitochondrial membrane space than LSP. LSP should have a signal because it would contain intact yeast cells which have mitochondria Albe rts et al., 2015). Therefore LSPs rate of COX activity should be lower because the cytochrome c would have harder time reaching mitochondria. This is shown by Figure 10 having steeper reaction times than Figure 8 and 9. This reaction utilized Deoxycholate (DOC) to speed up the reaction which is why it was only done in 20 second intervals as DOC solubilizes with cytochrome c so that it can enter the mitochondria to interact with COX. If reactions were tested too long after DOC was added then the reaction would have finished before being able to measure absorbance. The one that did stand out was the HSS fraction which appeared to experience negative COX activity or none at all. This was expected as it should have all the remaining parts of the cell that werent the mitochondria, lysosomes and peroxisomes Alberts et al., 2015). This would indicate that these samples did not have an intact mitochondria with a COX protein to interact with cytochrome c. this could be explained by the In conclusion it was found that our yeast strain A2 is the wild type strain. This is because during initial centrifugation the resulting pellet was solid indicating intact mitochondria. Furthermore during COX assay the MITO strain indicated an active COX as shown by its increase in activity, proving that A2 was in fact a wild type strain with functioning mitochondria. References Al-Amoudi, M.S., Salman, M., Al-Majthoub, M.M., Adam,Abdel Majid A., Alshanbari, Naif A., Refat, Moamen S., (2013) Res Chem Intermed 41: 3089. doi:10.1007/s11164-013-1417-4 Alberts, B. et al. (2015). Molecular Biology of the Cell Sixth Edition. New York, NY: Garland  Science, Taylor Francis Group. Armstrong, John. Yeast vacuoles: more than a model lysosome. Trends in Cell Biology 20.10 (2010): 580-85. Web. 13 Mar. 2017. Botstein, D., Chervitz, S. A., Cherry, J. M. (1997, August 29). Yeast as a Model Organism. Retrieved March 12, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3039837/ Deak, Tibor. Handbook of Food Spoilage Yeasts, Second Edition. Contemporary Food Science (2007): 50-51. Web. 13 Mar. 2017. Glerum, Moira Miskovic, Dragana (2017). Biology 331 Advanced Cell Biology Laboratory Manual Winter 2016. Biology Department, University of Waterloo, Waterloo. Goffeau A, Barrell BG, Bussey H, Davis RW, Dujon B, Feldmann H, Galibert F, Hoheisel JD,  Jacq C, Johnston M, Louis EJ, Mewes HW, Murakami Y, Philippsen P, Tettelin H, Oliver SG  (1996) Life with 6000 genes. Science 274, 546 Lukofsky, David, Jonathan Bessette, Heejeong Jeong, Elsa Garmire, and Ulf ÃÆ'-sterberg. Can precursors improve the transmission of energy at optical frequencies? Journal of Modern Optics 56.9 (2009): 1083-090. Web. 13 Mar. 2017. Roberts, C., and A. T. Ganesan. The occurrence of multinucleate giant cells in yeasts. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 25.1 (1959): 97-107. Web. 13 Mar. 2017. Steensels, Jan, Tim Snoek, Esther Meersman, Martina Picca Nicolino, Karin Voordeckers, and Kevin J. Verstrepen. Improving industrial yeast strains: exploiting natural and artificial diversity. FEMS Microbiology Reviews 38.5 (2014): 947-95. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Incest in Greek Mythology Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Incest in Greek Mythology      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Incest in Greek mythology was a common occurrence. Part of the reason is that the gods themselves set the example, and since everything that happened in society was the result of the passion of the gods, this, of course, gave the characters in the Greek plays the opportunity to also lust after their children and relatives. While the story of Oedipus the King is the delineating play on the subject, Greek mythology is full of incestuous relationships.    The gods who inspired the love and hate relationships among families include Hermes, who used his magical use of language to lure the feelings of his brother Apollo away from jealousy to love. Hermes' reward was divination, and he became the god who protected travelers, symbolized by the crossroads-or the choices made. Sarah Harrell states that Hermes' crossroads includes the crossroads to sexuality, typified by the love the brothers developed for one another. Although this love is most often viewed as familial and positive, Harrell invokes the retelling of Homer's Hymn to Hermes in which the threats of domination can be viewed in terms of sexual innuendo (Harrell 309). In fact, Harrell compares the actions of Apollo and Hermes to those of Zeus and his brother Poseidon, the rulers-and progenitors-of the Earth. Therefore, these brotherly ties, based on the loving relationships between brothers, begin with Zeus and Poseidon, thus extending the same type of familiarity to all brothers o f the world.    As further proof of incest and Zeus's contribution to the image in Greek mythology is the story of Chiron, who was born of a union between Zeus and Ixion, the son of Ares (Sharman-Burke and Greene 33). Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera ... ... Penguin Books, 1975). Euripides. Three Great Plays of Euripides. Trans. By Rex Warner. (New York NY: Mentor Book, The New American Library, 1958). Green, Janet M.. "Sophocles' 'Oedipus Rex.'" The Explicator, vol. 52 no. 1. (1993): Fall, p. 2-3. Harrell, Sarah E. "Apollo's Fraternal Threats: Language of succession and domination in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes." Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies, vol. 32 no. 4. (1991): Winter, pp. 307(23). Luyster, Robert. "Dionysos: The masks of madness." Parabola, vol. 20 no. 4. (1995): Winter, pp. 43(6). Plato. Great Dialogues of Plato. Ed. by John Clive Graves Rouse. (New York NY: The New American Library, Inc., 1956). Sharman-Burke, Juliet, and Greene, Liz. The Mythic. (New York NY: Fireside Books, 1986). Watney, Simon. "Aphrodite of the Future." Artforum, vol. 32 no. 8. (1994): April, pp. 75(3).   

Thursday, October 24, 2019

China Rural Poverty

After Deng Xiaoping took over the power, he imposed a lot of policies to change the economic, social and political structure. The first thing that Deng insisted to do was to improve the economic growth. But the lack of concern with the rural area brings China the decline in output and income of the peasants which widened the gap between the coastal and interior areas. In the articles â€Å"Economic growth, income inequality and poverty in China under economic reforms†, the author described the improvement under Deng's policies. In â€Å"Reducing Absolute Poverty in China†, fundamental problems in education and health care aspects which remained unsolved were introduced. During these few years, the government put a great effort in minimizing the rural poverty situation and there was a significant change in the rural area. There was no doubt that China has improved from time to time, although rural poverty is always a problem for the government, they start to have better plans to implement compare to the Mao and Deng eras. Yao's article, â€Å"Economic growth, income inequality and poverty in China under economic reforms†, analyzed the failure of the Deng's policy. Because most poor people lived in the rural areas, Deng decided to reform agriculture first before reforming the urban and industrial sectors. The household production responsibility system was introduced. This system allowed farmers to keep a certain proportion of outputs after fulfilling a production quota set by the production team1. This method would be able to provide a better incentive for the peasants to work harder since now, they could get their own reward, the proportion of the production. Also, the government could still guarantee they would get the standard amount from the peasants, therefore, it seemed to be beneficial to both sides. Grain output increased from 305 to 407 million tons between 1978 and 1984. Real per capita income more than doubled, rising by 14. 9 per cent per year2. Since the reform seemed to be very successful, they began to reform the state-owned enterprises. Mao's doctrine had put a lot of ideological barriers on the economic policies and it was time to break all those. Major reform methods were introduced to raise enterprise accountability and autonomy with a flexible wage system to link work efforts with rewards more directly for individual workers3. Although existing state-own enterprises were not privatized and they would be benefited from state budgets, non-state enterprises such as private and collective sectors got a lot of advantages as well. In order to increase the agricultural output, the government encouraged the rural peasants to work hard by giving peasants more capital, establishing better incentive systems, allowing greater freedom of crop selection, changing the structure of the administration of agriculture4. The agricultural production seemed to be ameliorated during the early 1980s. In the rural areas, non-farm enterprises, particularly the township and village enterprises (TVEs) quickly developed to become a new economic force. In 1992, TVEs employed more than a quarter of the total rural labour force and contributed about 40 per cent of per capita rural income5. There was no doubt that these policies had contribution to a great amount for improving the poverty situation, it had not solve the fundamental problems for the poverty. In the article â€Å"Reducing Absolute Poverty in China†, the authors described poverty problem stepped backward after a short improve. During the second half of 1980, a few economic policies such as the increase in prices for grain and the rapid growth of the working-age population . The population exceeded the expansion of employment opportunities, created a worsening of rural underemployment from 1989 to 1990. Since the official government did not want to put as much subsidy on the farming projects, the costs for production increased quickly while the income from production remained the same. Officials tried to attract foreign investment but it was not successful because they knew the damages which had created in the countryside during the Mao era. Besides the decline in income, the township officials were exploiting peasants. They gave the peasants IOU's instead of cash so that they would have more cash to invest in new township enterprises6. Peasants did not get the â€Å"incentive† as what the government originally imposed anymore. They wanted to revolt but they found out it was useless because most of the officials were corrupted at that time. Most of the peasants commented, â€Å"Why risk so much to remove one corrupt cadre? 7 Except bearing all the exploitation, they had no other choices to choose. Although poverty had reduced from 1985 to 1990, agricultural growth and rural development did not increase a lot during the same period, therefore, only the urban areas had improved during the reform. While a lot of peasants wanted to get a chance to go to the South, most of the poor peasants were remained in the poor countryside. The author also explained the major causes of rural poverty the government did not solve. Although the overall status seemed to be improved, the government neglect about some basic aspects in the society which would affect the peasant's directly. The educational and health status of Chinese were still far way below the standard. Due to corruption the central government provided financial transfers to the poor areas of China but resources were not adequate to meet all primary education. The lack of financing, school facilities are often insufficient and ill equipped. Also, due to limited access, the teacher training programs did not work out efficiently. Although current training courses focus on content and pedagogical techniques appropriate for large urban schools, but few programs offer teachers instructional methods and skills needed for small and sometimes ethnically mixed rural schools8. At least half of the boys in the poorest villages, especially in some minority areas, and nearly all of the girls did not have a chance to receive education and achieve literacy9. The infant mortality rate in some very poor counties exceeded 10 percent which was greater than the national level by one fold. Diseases such as tuberculosis and iodine deficiency disorders concentrated in poor areas. Half of the children were malnutrition because they did not even have enough food to eat. In the health aspect, although China has reached a national health status comparable to many middle-income countries, people in the rural areas never had sufficient access to basic health service. During the 1980s, the government budgetary funding declined from 30 percent of total health expenditures to 19 percent. Although the number of health institution and doctors increased each year since 1980 in a national level, the statistics did not apply to the rural villages. The government support for rural doctors decreased by 45 percents in the same time period10. Due to the poor education and health systems, rural peasants were suffering from the poverty with no chance to make themselves better off. Since the government noticed the serious problem which remained in the countryside, they started to impose some poverty reduction program in late 1980s and early 1990s. The Agricultural Development Bank of China offered subsidized loans for poor-area development through provincial bank branches and county- and lower-level banks. The regional office of the State Planning Commission administers a food-for-work program assisted in building roads and other transportation systems, drinking water systems, irrigation works and other capital construction in poor areas. In addition, each of 27 central ministries and agencies has its own special poor-area project and every province has its own specially funded programs11. In 1986, the government found 331 poor counties which were eligible for development assistance. The program provided aid in providing labour for road construction and drinking water facilities. Living standard increased because of that. These programs contributed to the construction of 131,000 km. of roads, 7,900 bridges and 2,400 km. of inland river channels. Water supply conditions for 20 million people and 13 million animals were improved12. They also selected some provinces to get the provincial funding based on their situations. The poverty reduction strategy was announced in the eighth Five-Year Plan during 1991-1995. Once again, they put emphasis on supporting the poor-area agriculture and rural enterprise through subsidized loans. The government's poverty reduction strategy was further defined during the National Seven-Year Plan in 1994 to 2000. They had a few plans such the concentration of available funding in the poorest counties and the improvement in access of the poor to employment opportunities outside the poor areas, greater investment in the development of human capital, funding for health, education and relief services in the poorest areas and the continuing investment in poor-area agricultural, rural enterprise, road and other rural infrastructure development projects13. The Central Committee and the State Council issued a blueprint for solving the problem of inadequate food and clothing for China's rural poor in 1997. The government will allocate an additional $180 million to help build the agricultural and facilities and apply scientific and technological advances in rural areas. The better tools and equipment they have, the faster they can build up the economic system. $350 million will increase government loans for the poor annually. The priority of the use of funding is the irrigation, infrastructure and transport projects. The government would guarantee that households short of food and clothing would be exempt from state-fixed quotas on grain purchasing and some agricultural taxes. Industrial enterprises built in poor areas will be exempted from income tax for the first three years. Economically developed coastal regions and municipalities will be encouraged to establish ties with inland areas and assist with funds, technology transfer, information and technical personnel. The central government will offer training courses for officials and managerial personnel in poor areas. The government tries to use these methods and regulations to improve the rural development so that it can catch up with the urban areas as soon as possible. Since the Chinese government wanted to be competitive among the whole world, they now had the motivation to improve the poverty situation. According to China's State Statistical Bureau, 250 million people, 31 percent of the rural population, were living in poverty in 1978, all of them in the countryside. By 1985 this number was cut in half to 125 million14. At that point, the Chinese government started the first major rural development program assisting the rural poor. However, with implementation of a coastal development and financial decentralization, policies that would accelerate economic growth nationally but exacerbate the plight of significant sections of the rural poor and slow poverty reduction. The government started to concern about the rural poverty issue in 1990s, they applied a lot of financial aid programs and relief programs to deal with the problem. Premier Zhu Rongji delivered a speech in the Central Poverty Relief and Development Working Conference in May 2001. He concluded that China's rural poverty situation is improving during the last twenty years. Although there is still a long way to go in order to minimize the gap between the coastal and rural area, and to defeat the rural poverty, the government have the confidence that they will be able to improve themselves so that they will be able to compete with the foreign in all aspects.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

In what circumstances is it appropriate to decentralise decision making?

Decentralisation of decision making is the process of involving different people in an organization in making key changes whether these changes are policy based or otherwise, different levels of management are involved and their expertise and opinion is sought before any changes are enacted. There are 2 key decisions making methods in an organisation, namely centralized and decentralized, In the latter, only the top management is involved in making key changes and decisions which affect the whole organization. This system is advantageous in that, it is faster, reliable and less tasking. While it is still used in majority of organizaions, most organizations are shifting to the decentralised method and therefore are involving different levels of management in the decision making process. This system is ideal in a number of situations as explained below. Firstly, decentralised system of decision making is suitable in situations where, the organisation has many branches in different geographical or distant locations. This is usually necessitated by the fact that, there arise emergency situations whereby key and quick decisions have to be arrived at and therefore contacting the central decision making authority within a short period of time is out of question question. Secondly, decentralised decision making process is preferred when an organisation is experiencing major staff turnover and their fore lack of key management staff through sackings or retires or any other natural attrition method warrants decisions to be made irregardless. Thirdly, decentralised decision making process is ideal whereby, key decisions are being made at departmental levels such as in production department. Empowering departmental heads to make key decisions perhaps pertaining to the purchasing of crucial ingredients as well as other technical areas may require a decentralised decision making model. PAGE 2: Organisational culture can present difficulties for management initiated change programmes? Discuss Organisational culture refers to the employee – employer relations which shape how the two parties interact and intermingle at the work place. Also, organisational culture can be shaped by, employee backgrounds, external factors as well as the level of support accorded to the employees by the organization staff. Usually there are two common types of organisational cultures namely, positive and negative culture. The first one affects management initiated programmes in that, employees experiencing this kind of culture are more likely to accept any changes in the organisation as usually there is a good blood between the two parties which therefore translates into a strong trust, and mutual understanding. In such an environment, any changes coming from the management whether good or bad are welcomed without any queries and are looked at as being beneficial to the employees. This in turn leads to failure of pragrammes initiated by the management in that, as long as the staff who are tasked with project implementing do not question anything in terms of abnormalities and even if there are clearly missing facts, this is never realized until it is too late therefore causing programme failure. On the other hand an organization culture which is negative leads to customers shunning away so that, any well meant programmes will be fail to take off since, negative publicity which the employees can advance in the process of interacting with the different stake holders also does have a bearing on the outcome of the projects. Lastly, organizational culture determines output in workers in that, a negative attitude amongst employees is more likely to lead to low output in that, it is highly correlated with low morale and therefore productivity. PAGE 3: Discuss why managerial authority is so important to our understanding of organisations and how this power has to be legitimised not just by individual workers but by the organisations culture. Failure to appreciate managerial authority stems form a negative culture which in stead of pestering a mutual understanding between workers and employers causes tensions and misunderstandings in an organization. Usually, for the organisation to meet its goals and objectives the management has to execute its duties well just as stipulated in functions of management. This involves carrying out duties and responsibilities which must be commensurate with the corresponding authority. In situations whereby managers are allocated duties and responsibilities without proper and clear cut, authority to accompany it, the management becomes ineffective and this contributes to failure of many organizations. Therefore, there is a need for decision makers while allocating managers duties to weigh the responsibilities and duties assigned to employees versus the authority and power required to execute the roles and responsibilities effectively. To achieve the above, management should work towards having and inculcating in the organization, the right culture. This can be achieved (if it is lacking), through the launching of strategic plans which could incorporate vision and mission statements, core values of the organization as well as the social responsibility statement of the organization. All the above are necessary in ensuring that, the organization functions in the right environment whereby the needs of all members in the organization are taken care of and employees feel free and as a part of the organization. This in turn result into a culture of unity and strength.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Movies essays

Movies essays Sometimes Everyday life is just boring or confusing or frustrating. For this reason, we find the way to relax by having some entertainment such as games, music, books, movies etc. Movies are a kind of entertainment which is popular for people in many age because it is a way of escaping the realities of life. Its only for a short time. Movie allows us to experience undreamed of excitement, adventure, drama, comedy, and romance in our own view. Movie, after all, is not real. But they seem very real. Sometimes, especially if movies are well-done, we forget to distinguish between realities and fantasy while were watching. We can experience many of the same emotional feelings as were the characters in the movies. Movies are a part of our culture showing how we think and what we do. It implies that movies are a kind of education. We can learn something from any movie. Even movies made basically for entertainment teach us something. Many of them deal with social, psychological, or emotional problems. Some movie deals with seriously in the past and creatively. Not movies are education only, but they are also the world. William Shakespeare said, all the worlds stage, his words really came true. Movies transport us to any place on earth, or beyond, or underneath, or even out of the galaxy. When movies become the most popular, they can gross the most money. This is why the movie industry use various advertising techniques to get us to see particular movies, previews of coming attractions, TV spots, advertising in newspaper and on radio. All these help to sell the movies to the public. We can see that movies are the most popular entertainment because they seem to be happening right now and they are the activity that we can share our feeling with other people. And, of course, we see the movies simply because we like to see and enjoy them !!! ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Miranda v Arizona - Supreme Court Case

Miranda v Arizona - Supreme Court Case Miranda v. Arizona  was a significant Supreme Court case that ruled that a defendants statements to authorities are inadmissible in court unless the defendant has been informed of their right to have an attorney present during questioning and an understanding that anything they say will be held against them. In addition, for a statement to be admissible, the individual must understand their rights and waive them voluntarily. Fast Facts: Miranda v. Arizona Case Argued: Feb 28-March 2, 1966Decision Issued: Jun 13, 1966Petitioner: Ernesto Miranda, a suspect who was arrested and brought to the Phoenix, Ariz., police station for questioningRespondent: State of ArizonaKey Question: Does the Fifth Amendment’s protection against self-incrimination extend to the police interrogation of a suspect?Majority Decision: Justices Warren, Black, Douglas, Brennan, FortasDissenting: Justices Harlan, Stewart, White, ClarkRuling: The Supreme Court ruled that a defendants statements to authorities are inadmissible in court unless he has been informed of his right to have an attorney present during questioning and an understanding that anything he says will be held against him in a court of law. Facts of Miranda v. Arizona On March 2, 1963, Patricia McGee (not her real name) was kidnapped and raped while walking home after work in Phoenix, Arizona. She accused Ernesto Miranda of the crime after picking him out of a lineup. He was arrested and taken to an interrogation room where after three hours he signed a written confession to the crimes. The paper on which he wrote his confession stated that the information was given voluntarily and that he understood his rights. However, no specific rights were listed on the paper. Miranda was found guilty in an Arizona court based largely on the written confession. He was sentenced to 20 to 30 years for both crimes to be served concurrently. However, his attorney felt that his confession should not be admissible due to the fact that he was not warned of his right to have an attorney represent him or that his statement could be used against him. Therefore, he appealed the case for Miranda. The Arizona State Supreme Court did not agree that the confession had been coerced, and therefore upheld the conviction. From there, his attorneys, with the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union, appealed to the US Supreme Court. Supreme Court Decision The Supreme Court actually decided four different cases that all had similar circumstances when they ruled on Miranda. Under Chief Justice Earl Warren, the court ended up siding with Miranda with a 5-4 vote. At first, the attorneys for Miranda attempted to argue that his rights had been violated as he had not been given an attorney during the confession, citing the Sixth Amendment. However, the Court focused on the rights guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment including that of protection against self-incrimination. The Majority Opinion written by Warren stated that without proper safeguards, the process of in-custody interrogation of persons suspected or accused of crime contains inherently compelling pressures which work to undermine the individual’s will to resist and to compel him to speak where he would otherwise do so freely. Miranda was not released from prison, however, because he had also been convicted of robbery which was not affected by the decision. He was retried for the crimes of rape and kidnapping without the written evidence and found guilty a second time. The Significance of Miranda v. Arizona The Supreme Court decision in Mapp v. Ohio was quite controversial. Opponents argued that advising criminals of their rights would hamper police investigations and cause more criminals to walk free. In fact, Congress passed a law in 1968 that provided the ability for courts to examine confessions on a case-by-case basis to decide whether they should be allowed. The main result of Miranda v. Arizona was the creation of the Miranda Rights. These were listed in the Majority Opinion written by Chief Justice Earl Warren: [A suspect] must be warned prior to any questioning that he has the right to remain silent, that anything he says can be used against him in a court of law, that he has the right to the presence of an attorney, and that if he cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed for him prior to any questioning if he so desires. Interesting Facts Ernesto Miranda was released from prison after serving only eight years of his sentence.Miranda was convicted a second time based on the testimony of his common-law wife to whom he confessed the crimes. He had told her that he would be willing to marry Patricia McGee if she would drop the charges against him.Miranda would later sell autographed cards bearing the Miranda Rights for $1.50 each.Miranda was killed of a knife would after a bar fight. The person who was arrested for his murder was read the Miranda Rights. Sources: Miranda v. Arizona. 384 U.S. 436 (1966). Gribben, Mark. Miranda vs Arizona: The Crime That Changed American Justice. Crime Library. trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/not_guilty/miranda/1.html

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Law - Essay Example This paper highlights that   the Council will be liable in negligence for damages to the premises and repair costs. However, where the question of potential losses of profit of 50,000 pounds is concerned, it appears unlikely that the Courts will hold the Council responsible for compensation of such purely economic losses. According to Alderson B, negligence is defined as â€Å"the omission to so something which a reasonable man†¦.would do, or doing something, which a prudent and reasonable man would not do.†. Two kinds of omissions have been identified; a failure to take appropriate precautions and passive inaction, with the general rule being that there is no duty on a person to take action to prevent harm from befalling others. (Smith v Littlewoods organization Ltd.The Hanby Borough Council may be liable for the failure to take adequate precautions to ensure that flood protection was provided. The omission by passive inaction could also apply in the case of Hanby Council, however it is a public body and therefore has a duty of care to the public to safeguard the premises and prevent the occurrence of flooding. While the general rule of negligence by omission through passive inaction may not impute a duty to prevent harm from befalling others, some of the exceptions that have been identified are when there is an undertaking by the defendant. Ministry of Defence or when the defendant has control over the land or something which could be dangerous if interfered with. Hanby Council had control over the land which had flooded before and caused damages.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Media Technologies and convergence Raymond Williams Essay

Media Technologies and convergence Raymond Williams - Essay Example Raymond Williams is strongly opposed to Marshall McLuhan’s analysis that the world has been altered by television, which is intended to mean that watching television reduces one’s intelligence quotient (IQ). Although McLuhan’s line of thought is somehow consistent with experience in the media, Williams argues that it would be overly deterministic to believe in the precepts of this model. On this point, Williams’ line of thought makes quite a lot of sense because some television programs are greatly educative and laden with facts. The implication is that the society can learn a great deal from these facts and effectively develop their IQs. Technological determinism assumes that technological advancement is an accidental, self-driven process. It pre-supposes that the advancements are never pre-determined by external forces. However, most of the technological developments arise as a result of the needs (either real or perceived) of the society. This way, technology is the ultimate result of many years of carefully designed research. Put differently, the kind of technology that develops in a particular place is normally related to the challenges associated with the place. Technology is, therefore, aimed at providing definitive solutions to the needs and challenges of the society. Williams reinforces this point further by making reference to some television-related inventions such as the electric eye, the copying telegraph, the cathode-ray tube, and the scanning system. The details of these inventions show clearly that discovery of the modern television had been long foreseen, and it was in the process of being perfected. One of the challenges that had motivated the conception and subsequent realisation of these inventions is pressure that came with the expanding business and military operations; a situation that demanded a faster and robust broadcasting platform. Raymond Williams emphasises the value of technology in influencing the cultural perception of television. In doing this, he resists the assertions of McLuhan that the message lies in the medium. Williams reasons that if the medium is the message, then the human component would have been left out of the broadcasting system. Williams further argues that contrary to McLuhan’s beliefs, viewers have the will and ability to alter and or pre-determine the otherwise latent logic of technology and history. This is attributable to two factors: first is that television is part of human life, and second

Social Darwinism and Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Darwinism and Business Ethics - Essay Example Apart from the practical issues in business ethics like corporate social responsibility, corporate governance, stakeholder concept etc there area also philosophical issues conflicting with the nature of business. One of the most important issues among them is 'Social Darwinism'. The encyclopedia Britannica defines Social Darwinism as "the theory that persons, groups, and races are subject to the same laws of natural selection as Charles Darwin had perceived in plants and animals in nature". The essential similarity between Social Darwinism and the nature of business is the term 'competition'. It is competition that drives progress. The alleged propounder of Social Darwinism, the late Victorian English philosopher Herbert Spencer coined the term 'survival of the fittest' to society, inspired by the scientific support from Darwin's work. This led to the belief that the weak exist solely for exploitation by the strong. Critics think Social Darwinism is to be blamed for issues like the eugenic programs of nineteenth century, the Nazi holocaust, imperialism, racism etc. The eighteenth century philosopher Kant had a viewpoint quite similar to the social Darwinists, but much more superior. He argued that the theory of evolution was actually a step backwards in theoretical analysis of the species and illogical.

Law of Criminal Evidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Law of Criminal Evidence - Essay Example This right is based on the Latin maxim nemo tenetur se ipsum accusare (no man is bound to accuse himself’). This principle is found, explicitly or by convention, in many of the worlds legal systems including England and wales. (Murphy, P Murphy) Criminal justice and Public Order,1994, section 38, provides that no conviction shall be based wholly on silence of the accused. Furthermore, though not explicitly found in Europpean Convention of Human Rights, (Dennis, I H ,2002) still in the rulings of Europan Court of Human Right, right ot keep silence is maintained. ( Murray v. UK. 1996) It is therefore, found that Imtiaz’s silence during pre-trial period is based on his legal right and will not esteblish any offence against him. For this purpose, the prosecution can not equate his silence to his confession in a court of law. In order to esteblish any guilt, prosecution shall have to maintain his case beyond admission during custody and the case should be suported by the evi dence. To keep silence in pre-trail inquiry by police is an esteblished right of the accused. He may maintain his position even when there is no advice by his solisitor or his solicitor advices against silence. It is found in this case that the accused Imtiaz had kept silence on advice of his solisitor and he also mentioned the same in his statement. However, he did not mention any reason for the same. Now, would there be a change in situation and legal consequences on the ground that accused had given any reason for solicitor’s advice? To be very simple, it must be seen in view of accused’s right. Accused is not bound by the advice of his solicitor as in the case of co-accused, Shannan, who refused to have a solicitor altogather and gave her statement. Solicitor is supposed to guide you as per law and no advice against the law of the land is expected from a legal counsel. In this case, too, the advice by Imtiaz’s solicitor is based on

Thursday, October 17, 2019

CHA performance monitoring critical ssessment Essay

CHA performance monitoring critical ssessment - Essay Example Estate Management of CHA aims to provide the tenants with high quality services and facilities subject to consultations with the stakeholders, and in compliance with the Decent Homes Standards, the neighbourhood, and local authorities. It aims to satisfy different parties involved in the maintenance, development, and improvement of housing requirements. To be able to achieve satisfaction, a Market Analysis was done and CHA has been working in partnership with tenants, providers, and local authorities so that the desirable results can be realized to the satisfaction of all the parties involved. In the Market Analysis, high quality design has to be blended with costs, given the situation wherein only 12 % of residents are employed while 18 % lost their employment; 73 % of households receive housing benefits; 43 % receive income support. And the economy might not have affordable mortgage lending available for many. CHA therefore applies for, receives, and utilizes grants from the NHAP ( National Housing Affordable Programme). To the Self-Assessment Questionnaire provided for Estate Management by SHR, the answers to all the questions (appended) will be yes. However, Equality for a diverse set of tenants is one of the standards for Estate Management. In relation to the Equality and Diversity elements of Objective # 4 which states that CHA should â€Å" enhance the (CHA) association through a commitment to equality and diversity and value for money† ... Even on the overall, tenant satisfaction fell below the desired KPI in two consecutive quarters. KPI of 73 % was attained while the desired KPI was 86 %. Even after considering the views of the landlords, performance was only 60 % which was below the desired 79 %. One of the Self-Assessment Questions by the SHR was, â€Å"Have we published documents that clearly and specifically set out our commitment and approach to equalities issues?† The answer is not yet. CHA still has to inform residents about the way the association allocates and prioritizes expenditures for the services intended to meet national standards. CHA still has to communicate how the organization has added value for money and what benefits the residents can expect. The CHA Corporate Plan and Business Strategy disclosed that the organization has yet to â€Å"complete and maintain a 100 % tenant profile of the diversity needs of all residents†. In short, even the profiling should conform with the prescribe d performance standards by having some information about tenants. According to the KPI, CHA had already reached 80% to over 81% of the project to complete tenant profiling. Perhaps the survey to determine the extent of compliance with the SHR should tap the 81 % available tenant profiling so that there can be some identification of weaknesses and strengths in the matter of satisfying different tenants with diverse situations. This will allow CHA to arrange questionnaires by classification of respondents so that they can be tabulated accordingly. As it is, there was no such tabulation for the diverse groups. Shared owners were surveyed as a whole without categories as to employment, race, religious belief,

Information and Librarians in the Digitial Age Personal Statement

Information and Librarians in the Digitial Age - Personal Statement Example I have always had faith in myself and in God to do what is best for me throughout my life. I had worked for the library during my high school and college years, starting as a page. My interest in libraries began here that while I was shelving books and skimming through the pages, I discovered the love for books and reading. My longevity with one organization has taught me to work as a team player, to communicate constructively, exhibit flexibility, handle problems and show commitment. Some strength I possess is that I am an energetic, highly motivated person which I think can make me survive the rigors of graduate work. I am a self-starter, who is able to take on new challenges. In order to achieve common goals, I am able to work well with others. My short-term goal is providing the best care for my son, Nasir. My family is very supportive of my going to graduate school, especially since I will be the first female from either side to attain a master's degree. My long-term dream has been to pursue a Master's degree in the Library field. My goal has been to learn a lot from my supervisors and co-workers on how libraries work throughout the years. I have always felt I would be a good leader and teacher. I have worked in the library field for eights years. I have loved libraries since I was a little girl, always looking up information. This love continued in college, where I worked as a page at DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, Georgia. I wanted to be around books as much as possible. I enjoy library work because I have access to all the information in the world at my fingertips, in both print and electronic form. I learn something new every day, and Iinteract with people of all ages and from all walks of life. I use my interviewing and teaching skills, and I have learned indispensable computer skills as a bonus. Librarianship has been a good fit for me. What I like best about being a librarian is helping people use the library resources. I try to be outgoing by establishing eye contact with patrons and asking them if they need assistance. There is so much to teach the public about libraries, and there are so many resources available. From finding a book on the shelf to using the Internet, people need help, but they often don't ask for it. The librarian has to be outgoing. As I am a graduate of Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Information Systems, I discovered that working in a library is a lot of fun. My job gives me an opportunity to use my information seeking skills as well as to indulge my web publishing and instruction interests. I feel now is the right time to pursue my degree. I want to develop my educational background and continue working in the library field. In order to move ahead in my career, I would need to obtain a degree to reflect my skill in working in this field. If in order, the program at UNT will provide me with the comprehension I need to become a librarian. If admitted into the UNT program, I would like to pursue administration. The librarian of today is not like the librarian of yesterday due to the impact of technology that has transformed the profession. Where before there were just printed materials in the library, now information highways through the use largely of the Internet is largely what the student has to deal with. Public libraries are busy, vibrant community centers that are open days, nights, weekends and even some holidays.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Law of Criminal Evidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Law of Criminal Evidence - Essay Example This right is based on the Latin maxim nemo tenetur se ipsum accusare (no man is bound to accuse himself’). This principle is found, explicitly or by convention, in many of the worlds legal systems including England and wales. (Murphy, P Murphy) Criminal justice and Public Order,1994, section 38, provides that no conviction shall be based wholly on silence of the accused. Furthermore, though not explicitly found in Europpean Convention of Human Rights, (Dennis, I H ,2002) still in the rulings of Europan Court of Human Right, right ot keep silence is maintained. ( Murray v. UK. 1996) It is therefore, found that Imtiaz’s silence during pre-trial period is based on his legal right and will not esteblish any offence against him. For this purpose, the prosecution can not equate his silence to his confession in a court of law. In order to esteblish any guilt, prosecution shall have to maintain his case beyond admission during custody and the case should be suported by the evi dence. To keep silence in pre-trail inquiry by police is an esteblished right of the accused. He may maintain his position even when there is no advice by his solisitor or his solicitor advices against silence. It is found in this case that the accused Imtiaz had kept silence on advice of his solisitor and he also mentioned the same in his statement. However, he did not mention any reason for the same. Now, would there be a change in situation and legal consequences on the ground that accused had given any reason for solicitor’s advice? To be very simple, it must be seen in view of accused’s right. Accused is not bound by the advice of his solicitor as in the case of co-accused, Shannan, who refused to have a solicitor altogather and gave her statement. Solicitor is supposed to guide you as per law and no advice against the law of the land is expected from a legal counsel. In this case, too, the advice by Imtiaz’s solicitor is based on

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Information and Librarians in the Digitial Age Personal Statement

Information and Librarians in the Digitial Age - Personal Statement Example I have always had faith in myself and in God to do what is best for me throughout my life. I had worked for the library during my high school and college years, starting as a page. My interest in libraries began here that while I was shelving books and skimming through the pages, I discovered the love for books and reading. My longevity with one organization has taught me to work as a team player, to communicate constructively, exhibit flexibility, handle problems and show commitment. Some strength I possess is that I am an energetic, highly motivated person which I think can make me survive the rigors of graduate work. I am a self-starter, who is able to take on new challenges. In order to achieve common goals, I am able to work well with others. My short-term goal is providing the best care for my son, Nasir. My family is very supportive of my going to graduate school, especially since I will be the first female from either side to attain a master's degree. My long-term dream has been to pursue a Master's degree in the Library field. My goal has been to learn a lot from my supervisors and co-workers on how libraries work throughout the years. I have always felt I would be a good leader and teacher. I have worked in the library field for eights years. I have loved libraries since I was a little girl, always looking up information. This love continued in college, where I worked as a page at DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, Georgia. I wanted to be around books as much as possible. I enjoy library work because I have access to all the information in the world at my fingertips, in both print and electronic form. I learn something new every day, and Iinteract with people of all ages and from all walks of life. I use my interviewing and teaching skills, and I have learned indispensable computer skills as a bonus. Librarianship has been a good fit for me. What I like best about being a librarian is helping people use the library resources. I try to be outgoing by establishing eye contact with patrons and asking them if they need assistance. There is so much to teach the public about libraries, and there are so many resources available. From finding a book on the shelf to using the Internet, people need help, but they often don't ask for it. The librarian has to be outgoing. As I am a graduate of Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Information Systems, I discovered that working in a library is a lot of fun. My job gives me an opportunity to use my information seeking skills as well as to indulge my web publishing and instruction interests. I feel now is the right time to pursue my degree. I want to develop my educational background and continue working in the library field. In order to move ahead in my career, I would need to obtain a degree to reflect my skill in working in this field. If in order, the program at UNT will provide me with the comprehension I need to become a librarian. If admitted into the UNT program, I would like to pursue administration. The librarian of today is not like the librarian of yesterday due to the impact of technology that has transformed the profession. Where before there were just printed materials in the library, now information highways through the use largely of the Internet is largely what the student has to deal with. Public libraries are busy, vibrant community centers that are open days, nights, weekends and even some holidays.