Differences between Saudi and U.S. Students in Reaction to Same

Introduction The title of the journal article of discussion is â€Å"Differences between Saudi and U.S. Students in Reaction to Same- and Mixed-Sex Intimacy Shown by Others.† It is an article written by Hewitt, Jay and Alqahtani A. Mushbab of the department of Psychology University of Missouri in Kansa City.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Differences between Saudi and U.S. Students in Reaction to Same- and Mixed-Sex Intimacy Shown by Others specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The article is in the Journal of Social Psychology and the citation is as follows: Hewitt Jay and Alqahtani A. Mushbab. Differences between Saudi and U.S. Students in Reaction to Same- and Mixed-Sex Intimacy Shown by Others, The Journal of Social Psychology, 2003, 143(2), 233-242. Every research is usually undertaken to solve a certain problem. This is done through giving all possible insights in regard to the topic of discussi on, analyzing the information got and making informed conclusions based on what has been found out. In this article, the research problem entails same and mixed sex intimacy as depicted by others. Much focus is however given to the differences in reaction upon the issue as shown by Saudi and United States students. Intimacy is a critical aspect that is viewed differently by different people and cultures and the article seeks to clarify some of the issues involved taking the United States and Saudi Arabian students as research elements. To gather enough information in the research, three photos of two women sitting at a close, intermediate and far distance from each other were shown to United States and Saudi Arabian students after which there reactions were observed. Discussion There are various concepts that have been discussed in the article, each contributing a certain degree to our understanding of the topic of discussion. The theory of symbolic interaction is being tested by th e author of this article. The main concepts that can be depicted from this article include the fact that different issues are responsible in shaping peoples’ behaviour and attitude towards different life aspects for instance on the intimacy between people of the same sex and those of mixed sex as perceived by the United States and the Saudi students.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More People tend to act differently towards different things according to the meaning and value they attach to the things. The meanings are usually derived from social interaction among human beings and further modified through the process of interpretation. It is also clear that individuals are best understood when looked at in relation to the environment around them. This is clearly shown in the different behaviours exhibited by the United States students and those in Saudi, they are completel y opposite due to the environments they are exposed to and what is considered to be either wrong or right in each environment (Hewitt and Alqahtani 240). There are various theoretical perspectives in the field of social psychology each being associated with certain benefits and drawbacks in regard to how well they are able to bring out certain issues. The theoretical perspectives are based on different premises, all aimed at bringing out various aspects of a given study. After reading the article, I think that interactionism perspective of social psychology have been used by the author. This perspective focuses on the issue of small level social interaction. The core principles that underlie this perspective include meaning which is an aspect that is assigned, language a concept that is constructed through human beings social interactions as well as thought which influences individuals’ interpretations. From the article, we find the different groups of students coming up with different reactions based on the meanings they attach to the photos shown in regard to intimacy. From the study, people in the United States of America seem to be more comfortable with public displays of male to female intimacy than with public displays of male to male intimacy. On the other hand, the most Muslim related nations such as Saudi Arabia seem to have completely different views where they react positively to intimacy between the same sexes as opposed to that expressed between individuals of the opposite sex. In the process of carrying out a research, a researcher is out to come up with an appropriate research design and sample in order to get effective results. The study involved 82 participants including 20 Saudi Arabian men, 20 United States men, 18 Saudi Arabian women and 24 United States women. This is a representative sample that would help in obtaining effective results.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Differences between Saudi and U .S. Students in Reaction to Same- and Mixed-Sex Intimacy Shown by Others specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Due to the differences in culture among the participants, different approaches were used for instance, the fact that Saudi men and women did not mix led to use of two people to gather information from them. Questionnaires were used in which three photos were used and the participants asked to imagine nine scenes after which they would indicate how comfortable or uncomfortable they were with each scene: â€Å"Two brothers, two sisters, and a brother-sister pair sitting at each of the three distances. For each scene, participants rated their degree of comfort on a Likert-type scale, ranging from 7 (extremely comfortable) to 1 (extremely uncomfortable) with 4 being the neutral point (neither comfortable nor uncomfortable)† (Hewitt and Alqahtani 237). Hypothesis is an incredibly critical element in carrying out research. It hel ps in gathering all relevant information that entails to a certain statement. In this case, the hypothesis being tested is the relationship between distance and comfort between people of the same sex and those of the opposite sex as depicted by students from the United States and those for Saudi Arabia. There exist independent and dependent variables which help in coming up with comparisons that in turn allow for making of informed conclusions. The variables entail distance and nationality and comfort respectively. For instance, â€Å"Hypothesis la: In imagining an interaction between two brothers, the U.S. participants feel more comfortable as distance increases, whereas Hypothesis lb: the Saudi participants feel more comfortable as distance decreases† (Hewitt and Alqahtani 237). There exists various research findings that could be depicted from the research carried out in this article. The findings include; Saudi students were more comfortable with decreasing distance in br other to brother interactions and less comfortable with decreasing distance between brother to sister interactions. The United States students showed an opposite reaction. Another crucial finding is that women are more comfortable with the intimacy of sisterhood as opposed to what is observed among men, generally irrespective of culture. The research findings are extremely important in evaluating the hypothesis in question.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ethical issues in research are very crucial. In every research, it is important to keep the confidentiality of the data retrieved. In order to maximize the privacy of the respondents in this study, the names of the respondents were not necessary. The respondents were also free to participate in the research voluntarily. This increased the level of comfortability making it easy to gather adequate information from the participants. Despite having carried out the research on intimacy among individuals of the same sex as well as those of mixed sexes, the author still feels that there are some gaps left and some questions ought to be answered to make the whole project a success. For this reason, some further research was suggested. This entails utilization of different research methodology in an aim of coming up with an objective way of gauging the interaction distance and its effects. This will in a way improve the research results through avoiding the need to use subjective ratings in regard to either comfort or discomfort as depicted by the participants. According to the author of the article, it would be of essence for future researchers engaged in this topic to ask people in the United States and Saudi Arabia among other countries to give an insight into the aspect of emotional closeness to various targets. This will enhance understanding of the issue of discussion (Hewitt and Alqahtani 241). Different research works produce different results. The quality of the research could differ based on what is achieved and the effectiveness in which the research problem is tackled for instance through provision of answers to the research questions raised. I consider the research report to be of high quality. This is because the data that was collected from the research study seem adequate in regard to providing answers to the raised research questions. The data also gave enough insight that helped in the verification of the formulated hypothesis. From the discussion par t of this article, it is evident that the authors really tried to report theoretical findings through appropriate interpretation of the collected data. Here, the authors first gave the prediction, and then the findings got from the study and later a combination of the two to make the right judgment. Previous research findings were also considered. There are various research methods that could be used in carrying out a certain study. The choice depends on the researcher and how best he or she perceives each method to be effective in bringing out the desired result. For instance, the author in this article used qualitative research method, using questionnaires in a case study, to carry out the study. Given a chance to replicate, extend or even improve the study, I would consider using participatory research method. This is because it is associated with a lot of benefits for instance taking specific details that would otherwise not be possible and also manipulating the research environ ment to avoid affecting the respondents in a negative manner that would hinder obtaining good results. The aspect of social psychology of human actions is interesting but complex. It requires a lot of efforts to understand. This could be achieved through carrying out research and using appropriate research methods and designs. In this case, I consider taking participatory research method to be helpful in my understanding of the social psychology of human actions. Interviews (face to face) would also work better in giving first hand information. This is because one is able to be part of the research fully and understand the influence of the environment. As stated earlier, different people attach different meaning to different things and interact differently. There exist a variety of social psychological perspectives each differing from the other depending on the premises that form it or rather what it is based upon. As mentioned earlier, the author of the article in question used the interactionist social psychological perspective under the symbolic interaction theory to carry out the study and analyze the results. This does not however mean that other social psychological perspectives could not be used in this research. For instance, the following perspectives would be applied; social structural perspective, social learning perspective, social cultural perspective and social cognitive perspective. The fact that the social psychological perspectives are unique in their ways dictates that although there could be no major differences in the results attained in using different perspectives, there ought to be some insights that would be revealed through one perspective and not in the other. Social Structural Perspective deals with structural functionalism where the society is viewed in terms of role of the constituent elements; the traditions, institutions, norms and customs. Social learning perspective emphasizes on the significance of unique experiences and the f act that we learn behaviours through observation and imitation. Social cultural perspective on the other hand emphasizes the importance of culture and social norms and how they shape behaviour. Lastly, social cognitive perspective states that we observe, interpret and critic other peoples’ behaviour and that patterns of thought influence behaviour (Cherry par. 3). The use of different social psychological perspectives will definitely enhance the understanding of social psychology of human actions and more so the topic of discussion in this article, that is, Differences between Saudi and U.S. Students in Reaction to Same- and Mixed-Sex Intimacy Shown by Others. It will for instance show how ones role in the society affects behaviour and perception, how observation and imitation forms behaviour and generally, what causes different views in different people concerning a certain issue for instance intimacy. Conclusion The aspect of social psychology of human actions is interestin g but complex. It requires a lot of efforts to understand. This could be achieved through carrying out research and using appropriate research methods and designs. The author of the article has however tried to bring out various insights that enhance our understanding of social psychology of human actions. Works Cited Cherry, Kendra. â€Å"What Are the Major Perspectives in Social Psychology?† About.com. 2011. 8 October 2011. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-the-major-perspectives-in-social-psychology-2795909 Hewitt Jay and Alqahtani Mushbab. Differences between Saudi and U.S. Students in Reaction to Same- and Mixed-Sex Intimacy Shown by Others, The Journal of Social Psychology, 2003, 143(2), 233-242. This research paper on Differences between Saudi and U.S. Students in Reaction to Same- and Mixed-Sex Intimacy Shown by Others was written and submitted by user Bennett Odom to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Environmental Impact of Nuclear Energy.

The Environmental Impact of Nuclear Energy. Current Status and Potential Electricity production in the US consumes over 40% of the total energy produced within the continent. Electricity is the second source of energy that the United States generates from primary forms of energy such as nuclear and coal. Given the high rate of dependency on electricity, environmentalists are concerned the production of electricity from various primary energy sources could lead to acute pollution and degradation of the environment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Environmental Impact of Nuclear Energy. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Environmental Impact Assessment, in 2011, coal contributed 42.3% and natural gas 24.7% of the US total electricity generation. In addition, in the same year, 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity came from coal, and 42% of the US population consumed this portion (Batagol). The United States also produced 1,094.3 million short t ons of coal from the 25- coalmine states. Wyoming, which is in the Western Coal Region, produces the largest amount of coal in the US followed by West Virginia. Comparatively, electricity production and consumption in the US using steam engines has been on the rising trend given that the 3,856 billion Kilowatt-hours in 2011 is 13 times higher than the consumption in 1950. Major mining zones in the US include the Western Coal Region, the Appalachian Coal Region, and the Interior Coal Region, where production and conversion of coal to useful energy is relatively cheaper than other forms of energy. Nuclear energy has also dominated electricity generation with 19.3%. Uranium ores are available in different regions of the US, such as the mines of western United States. There are 65 power- plants in the US; they are located in 31 states. The three populous states of New York, Texas and California have been using more of the one-fifth US electricity that Nuclear Plants have been producing yearly since 1990. The country has the opportunity to enhance its capacity to generate electricity from nuclear following the approval of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build and operate between three to four units of the Vogtle plant, which may start operating in 2016. In 2002, US commercial reactor sites stored 51,002 short tons, and an estimate value reported 12.2 billion kilowatt-hours as the amount of electricity that a single power plant generated. Explanation and Evaluation of Effects In terms of production, nuclear reactors do not emit harmful products like CO2 and SO2, and it is, therefore, relatively eco-friendly; however, the process of manufacturing large amounts of metals and concrete as well as mining and refining uranium ore requires large amount of energy, which is expensive (Batagol). Since radioactive materials are harmful to human health, those handling uranium are prone to severer hazards.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Le t's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Miners, companies, and governments have to adhere strictly to disposal regulations given that the elements always remain active for several years. Further, authorities should put in place apt safety measures to control nuclear reaction to avert incidences like the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine and the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan. The Chernobyl incident left 31 people dead due to acute radiation poisoning that occurred when 5% of the radioactive reactor core escaped into the air (Rosenberg). Countries are turning to using eco-friendly forms of energy to avert the impact of the climate change menace. The changing climate implies that most countries will divert to eco-friendly and cost-effective sources of energy to produce electricity. Nuclear energy is not only relatively eco-friendly, but it is also capable of producing large quantity of electricity more conveniently. Envi ronmental agencies criticize the use of coal given its negative impact on the state of the environment and human health. Emissions from burning coal such as CO2, SO2, and mercury cause acidic rain and smog, which are harmful to the environment and cause respiratory complications (Davis and Keegan). However, nuclear energy also has acute negative impact. Construction of nuclear power plants can have temporary or permanent effects on the environment. For instance, the construction equipment emits pollutants into air, land, and water. With the constructions occupying spaces, it does away with any future use of the land for production purposes. Apart from construction effects, license renewal for nuclear plants may necessitate use of extra pieces of land for removing old components and staging new components. Such operations may expose workers to radiation, which are hazardous health effects. Fukushima disaster demonstrates that nuclear plants expose lives to incredible danger. Therefor e, plants must adhere to the allowable radioactive exposure so that the source does not become harmful to the human health and the environment. Uranium being a radioactive element can increase cancer incidences, if limits of radon-226RN and 222Rn- concentration surpass the permissible limit (El-Hinnawi par 6). Additionally, during mining, exposure to dust and radiation can result in respiratory diseases, cancerous growths in the body, and deaths. Wind erosion can blow piles of mills into rivers, thus causing leaching.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Environmental Impact of Nuclear Energy. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The toxic nature of fluorine and hydrogen fluoride that produces uranium hexafluoride poses serious health threats. Workers should protect themselves from the highly corrosive UF6 in order to avoid dangerous exposures. In operating nuclear plants, the fuel element retains most of the radioactive products, and the liquid and gas waste-processing system removes the radioactive releases. Comparison Gaseous emissions from nuclear reactors are negligible to fossil fuel-operated plants. However, the reactors release a lot of heat during operation, and direct them to the cooling water. Accidents are possible with the operation of nuclear reactors; however, necessary safety practices and devices have been integrated into the reactor to protect workers and the public in case of malfunctions (Davis and Keegan). Credible reports indicate that from1996 to 2000; those who encountered severer accidents due to nuclear accidents were 48 and 597 due to coal accidents (Roberts). In case of chemical leakage to the environment, radioactive elements can cause adverse effects on fauna and flora. For instance, in the Fukushima disaster, radioactive elements caused mass water and soil pollution to the extent that the locals had to stop using water from taps and certain products (Sugihara, Genichi , and Shiro 89). A nuclear plant requires stringent procedures and monitoring during construction and operation since it uses extremely harmful chemicals that can stay long in a human’s body and the environment. Radioactive elements reduce soil fertility thereby killing plants growth. Nuclear energy is an extremely delicate source of energy, as it requires a complex safety system and highly skilled personnel in order to operate at cost-effective terms. The high demand for electricity world over and constant advocating for a clean environment by many organizations make nuclear energy to be a preferred choice to coal. The Clean Energy Standard Act of 2012 advocates the use of energy sources that do not produce greenhouse gases (El-Hinnawi par. 4). Clearly, this makes coal lose preference to nuclear energy, as it limits global warming. The nuclear energy industry has been able to account for its wastes. Nuclear, therefore, remains as the best energy option for the current world, which struggles to prevent adverse effects to the environment. Despite nuclear energy having harmful health and environmental effects, it is highly likely that the US continue using it as the main source of energy given its relatively eco-friendly nature. Batagol, Cheryl. Clean Energy | US EPA. US Environmental Protection Agency. N.p., n.d. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Davis, Dave, and Michael J Keegan. Nonrenewable Energy Sources. U.S. Energy  Information Administration (EIA). N.p., n.d. Web. El-Hinnawi, Essam E. Review of the Environmental Impact of Nuclear Energy. International Atomic Energy Agency. N.p., n.d. Web. Roberts, Ball. Safety of Nuclear Power Reactors. Safety of Nuclear Reactors. N.p., n.d. Web. Rosenberg, Jennifer . Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster. About.com 20th Century History. N.p., n.d. Web. Sugihara, Genichi, and Shiro Suda. Need For Close Watch On Childrens Health After Fukushima Disaster. The Lancet 378.9790 (2011): 485-486. Print.

Individualized Education Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individualized Education Program - Essay Example From the report it is clear that  the program depicts and portrays the aims and objectives along with the exceptional assistance that a child may need during the school curriculum. When a child necessitates with special care as he faces complexity and trouble in learning, implementing and executing task or activity, he is likely to fall under the category where a child needs IE program.As the discussion highlights  when the child’s unique and distinctive needs come under inimitable observation by the parents, teachers, school team and even the child himself, the productive and persuasive IE program is probable to develop that plays a great deal of assistance for the student to progress rapidly. The plan and the structure of the program entail deep awareness and understanding, practice and familiarity, and dedication from the declared people that will make the student engage, engross, improve and grow from the designed course of action. The goal setting come under preparati on as a foundation stone of IE program and has an aim to have targets that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time restricted.  The reflection and the picture that a person views, is created by the lens on the retina that gathers, assemble, concentrates, examine, consign and disseminate the light into the lens of the human eyes.  In other words, eyesight or the vision is one of the unique and beautiful gifts from God that a person has. The retina transforms the light that enters into the eyes of the humans into signals that travels to the brain via the optic nerve. When the signals do not reach up to the brains to communicate with the eye or a part of them come under damage, the person falls in the visual impairment disease. With the advancement of technologies, several medical treatments and surgeries come under performance to repair or bring back the vision of a person. The severe congenital visual impairment refers to the loss of eyesight that is present from birth; however, there can be various reasons that can cause this disease that may include inheritance or may have originated via some infection that the fetus catches during the mother’s pregnancy (Moore &  Graves & Patterson, 1997). The visual impairment transports few disabilities as well. Inadequate and narrow leaning skill or the incapability of learning from the surroundings is one of the side  effects and distinctive attribute that the children with visual impairment administer and experience. According to the studies, the evidence has come under the fact that much of the learning of students come under occurrence through their vision and the students who are disable with this gift gain knowledge through the signals of image (Roman-Lantzy, 2007). However, this impairment encompasses several complications to the children as an outcome of the injury. Students may have hindrance and interruptions in their growth and progress due to the reason that their brain may have had some injury. They may demonstrate signs of lacking in their concentrations to sight stimulus. These students when examine, search and seek for any material entity or things, their top priority changes to the sense of touch and feel over their sight. The consequence of the congenital visual impairment may have oscillation to the general health of the child, and may experience and may affect by the diseases

Public Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Public Law - Essay Example Conversely, the 1688 settlement between the incoming king and Parliament enshrined the independence of the judiciary under the Bill of Rights, however required them to implement the will of the Sovereign Parliament. However, the supremacy of Parliament itself has been attacked on limits of judicial review4. The 1688 settlement introduced checks and balances in restraint of autocratic power. Theoretically, the Crown, House of Commons and the House of Lords could not pass any legislation to support a course of action unless they were accepted by the other bodies involved. However, the gradual erosion of the power of the House of Lords means that there is effectively no check on the House of Commons5. For example, the executive clearly carries out legislative functions and a prime example is the Law Commission. Additionally, the judiciary obtain their power from the Crown and there is a distinct overlap of functions between the powers, which should be separated for the effective application of the separation of powers and the efficacy of Parliament as check on the executive6. This is further compounded by the fact that the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers are Parliament members and part of the legislature and the Prime Minister is head of the executive. This obfuscation of the theoretical separation of powers has ramifications for the procedure of passing Acts of Parliament. Parliament is essentially the legislative section of the British political system. As such, through the executive Prime Minister and the Cabinet, Parliament sanctions executive sovereignty in a party governmental system. Theoretically Parliament is a policy influencing body, relying on the executive to formulate policy and reacts to it and therefore the party machine reinforces power of the executive to initiate policy. Parliament is not therefore involved in the policy making process and has minor powers of initiation. Whilst government controls Parliament the passing of an

Crime in International Context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Crime in International Context - Essay Example The researcher states that application of the state-territorial principle is argued to give rise to a dualistic approach towards a particular crime because of the significant amount of differences between countries’ stance and legislation to tackle to various offenses. The exact nature and limitation of this principle will be discussed through the example of Raymond Davis and Aafia Siddiqui in later parts of the prose to help further understanding of the state-territorial principle and why criminologists need to look beyond it. The substance of this prose will systematically assess all aspects of transnational crimes and demonstrate both national and international contexts in which the crime is prosecuted and demonstrate it primarily through the scourge of human trafficking in the United States. The prose will also assess the strategies adopted by countries to help curb the problem. II. State-Territorial Principle The state-territorial principle dictates that sovereign states are able to prosecute crimes that are committed within their borders and hence, triggers a number of complications when it comes to dealing with crimes that require legislation beyond the country’s borders. The principle bars the country from exercising control and prosecuting the perpetrator outside its border. However, the principle stands null and void for those countries that possess universal jurisdiction or those who have been granted to exercise their control by other principles such as the â€Å"Principle of nationality†, â€Å"the passive personality principle† or the ‘protective principle†. The territorial principle is based on the premise that criminal jurisdiction is based on the place where the crime was perpetrated. Having defined the state territorial principle and the dynamics involved in its application on the prosecution and tackling of crimes, criminologists have often argued that criminology needs to move beyond the state-territor ial principle. It is a logical approach to decide the course of jurisdiction; however, there are several arguments for and against it. As the state-territorial principle bars research analysts from establishing theories to study international and transnational crimes. It is an undeniable fact that every country establishes legislation to tackle crimes according to the perception and gravity of the crime that depends upon the cultural stance of the country. Therefore, in order to pave way for the researcher and establish a more uniform approach to these crimes, it is important to move beyond the state –territorial principle. Furthermore, sometimes people may feel that the culprit of a transnational crime has not received a punishment that is proportional or equal to his or her offence; however, it is the country’s law and regulation that allow that punishment for the crime as a result in order to draw a verdict that is acceptable to the legal system of both countries. S tate territorial principle has been met with a highly dual approach by researchers and critics. Some critics have argued, â€Å"As a matter of convenience crimes should be dealt with by those states whose social order is most closely affected, and in general this will be the state on whose territories the crime are committed†¦

Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes (BACs) Features

Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes (BACs) Features Definition: Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes or BACs are plasmids (circular DNA molecules) constructed with the replication origin of E.coli F’ Factor. F’ is an incompatibility group involved in E. coli conjugative ability and chromosomal transfer, which can exist as an extra-chromosomal element. 1st developed as a large insert cloning system to facilitate the construction of DNA libraries to analyze genomic structure. Technology was developed to carry out genetic and functional studies of viruses (herpes virus especially). Since then BACs application have grown intensely and have benefited the research community in many fields, such as in genomic fingerprinting, sequencing of the human genome, in vaccine development and in vitro transgenesis,. Characteristic features of BAC vectors The original BAC vector, pBAC108L, is based on a mini-F plasmid, pMBO131 (Figure 1) which encodes genes essential for self-repli ­cation and regulates its copy number inside a cell. The unidirectional self-replicating genes are oriS and repE while parA and parB maintain copy number to one or two for each E. coli genome. Multiple cloning sites is present, flanked by â€Å"universal promot ­ers† T7 and SP6, all flanked by GC-rich restriction enzyme sites for insert excision.   Presence of cosN and loxP sites(cloned in by bacteriophage l terminase and P1 Cre recombinase, respectively) permits linearization of the plasmid for convenient restriction mapping. There is a chloramphenicol resistance gene for negative selection of non-transformed bacteria. Vector is 6900 bp in length and is capable of maintaining insert DNA in excess of 300 kilobases (kb). Other BAC Vectors There have been many modifications done to increase the ease-of-use as well as for use in specific systems and situations.   pBeloBAC11 2 and pBACe3.6 are modified BAC vectors based on pBAC108L and are commonly used as a basis for further modification. pBeloBAC11 The primary characteristic of this vector is the addition of a lacZ gene into the multiple cloning site 2 of pBAC108L. Plates supplemented with X-gal/IPTG, an intact lacZ gene encodes b-galactosidase which catalyses the supplemented substrate into a blue substance. Successful ligation of insert DNA into the vector inactivates lacZ, generating white colonies, indicating the presence of a successful vector-insert ligation. It is still a low-copy number plasmid due to presence of parA and parB. Size of vector is 7507 bp in length. pBACe3.6 This vector is based on pBAC108L but is more highly modified than pBeloBAC11. In order to overcome the issue of low plasmid copy numbers, the P1 replicon in F’ was deleted and a removable high copy number replicon originating from an inserted pUC19 was introduced.   This vector contains 2.7 kb pUClink stuffer fragment which is flanked by two sets of six restriction sites within a sacB region. Levansucrase, a product of sacB gene, which converts sucrose (sup ­plemented in the media) to levan, which is toxic to E. coli host cells. Hence, if the vector is re-ligated without an insert, the functional sacB produces levansucrase and the cells die before forming colonies. Successful ligation of an insert into the vector increases the dis ­tance from the promoter to the coding region of sacB, disrupting toxic gene expression in the presence of sucrose. In addition to this vectors, there are many specialized BAC vectors carrying a variety of different combinations of drug resistance genes. Besides, many different selection mechanisms and markers are available. Modifications of cloning sites (unique restriction endonuclease sites) are also common as per the addition of genes and promoters specific to different strains of bacteria. Development of BAC vector Advantages of BAC Vectors The large size of BACs help to minimize site of integration effects, a phenomenon which has been defined as endogenous sequences (such as gene coding regions and distal regulatory elements) to be disrupted, and to produce potentially undesirable phenotypes in gene cloning technology. Endogenous gene expression more accurately than other cloning systems. The human genome BACs consist of the full gene structure(which play very important role in gene regulation). Therefore the human genome BACs will ensure full mRNA processing and splicing when genes are transcribed, and produce the full complement of protein isoforms once mRNAs are translated. It can be transfected and expressed in mammalian cell lines even if transfection efficiency and copy numbers are low. Disadvantages of BAC vectors A construct containing a large genomic fragment is likely to contain non-related genes which may lead to indirect, non-specific gene expression and unanticipated changes in the cell phenotype. Recombinant BAC constructs can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. The large size BAC DNA constructs are more easily degraded and sheard during manipulation before transfection. Applications of BAC vectors BACs are useful for the construction of genomic libraries but their range of use is vast. It spans from basic science to economically rewarding industrial research, and fields as prosaic as animal husbandry. In genomic analyses, it helps in determining phylogenetic lineage det between species. Helps in study of horizontal gene transfer and since bacterial genes are usually clustered, the ability of BAC vectors to accommodate large inserts has allowed the study of entire bacterial pathways. By isolating DNA directly from soil or from marine environments, the â€Å"metagenomes† of those organisms which are either uncultureable or are termed viable but uncultureable can be cloned into BAC vectors and indirectly studied. In industrial research fields where BAC vectors are invaluable tools in cataloguing novel genomes is in the discovery of novel enzymes. Work has been done on identifying enzymes that are involved in biopolymer hydrolysis or even radioactive waste management. BAC vectors have been instrumen ­tal in studying large double stranded DNA viruses both from an academic point of view and as a tool to develop improved vaccines. In genomic research, high throughput determination of gains and losses of genetic material using high resolution BAC arrays and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) have been developed into the new tools for translational research in solid tumors and neurodegenerative disorders. BAC technology is becoming the most upcoming method for genome sequencing. The technique uses an overlapping tailing part of large genomic fragments (150-200 kb) maintained within BACs. Every individual BAC is shotgun sequenced, where these large overlapping sequences of the BACs are assembled to produce the whole genome sequence. BACs have also been used in mammalian genome mapping, genomic imprinting, vaccine development, gene therapy and studies of the evolutionary history and functional dynamics of sex chromosomes have recently been possible using BAC libraries. YAC (yeast artificial chromosome) vectors Definition: Yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) are plasmid shuttle vectors capable of replicating and being selected in common bacterial hosts such as Escherichia coli, as well as in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. They are of relatively small size (approximately 12 kb) and of circular form when they are amplified or manipulated in E. coli, but are rendered linear and of very large size(several hundreds of kilobases), when introduced as cloning vectors in yeast. Many different yeast artificial chromosomes exist as ongoing refinements of the initial pYAC3 and pYAC4 plasmids (Figure 1) constructed by Burke et al. (1987). Basic structural features of YACs were developed from the yeast centromere shuttle-plasmids (YCp) series. These are composed of double-stranded circular DNA sequences carrying the b-lactamase gene (bla) and the bacterial pMB1 origin of replication, thus conferring resistance to ampicillin and the ability to replicate in bacteria, respectively. YACs also contain the cloning site in the middle of the SUP4 suppressor of an ochre allele of a tyrosine transfer RNA gene; this enables restoration of the normal white color phenotype in otherwise red ade1 and/or ade2 nonsense mutants. Accordingly, in the insertional inactivation cloning process, the SUP4 gene is disrupted by the DNA insert, thus removing the suppression of the ade mutations and allowing their phenotypic expression as red color. They also include yeast ARS1 with its associated CEN4 DNAsequence, as well as the URA3 selectable marker. Biological Features of YACs The stability of YAC vectors in yeast per se is similar to that of natural chromosomes provided that all three structural elements (ARS, CEN and TEL) are present and functional, in addition, that the minimal required size is reached by the insertion of enough exogenous DNA. Indeed, several mutations are known to affect YAC stability and segregation together with natural chromosomes. Another important consideration is that faithful duplication of YACs is guaranteed only if other DNA sequences incompatible with ARS do not exist on the construct, particularly relevant when unknown DNA inserts are cloned in the YAC vector, as in the case for genomic libraries, in which there could be cryptic or otherwise unknown ARS-like sequences able to interfere with the ARS function. Construction of YACs Steps: Initially, purification of plasmid DNA is carried out. Two distinct digestions are performed: the first with BamHI that cuts twice adjacent to the two telomeric DNA sequences flanking the HIS3 gene, which therefore is excised from the plasmid and lost (Figure 2a). This first digestion generates a long linear fragment carrying telomeric sequences at each end. The second digestion consists of the opening of the cloning site within the SUP4 gene (Figure 2a). As a result of this second digestion, two linear fragments are produced as left and right arms of the future linear YAC (Figure 2b). Large DNA fragments with ends compatible to the cloning site, obtained from the desired genome source by digestion with an appropriate restriction endonuclease, are ligated with phosphatase treated YAC arms, to create a single yeast-transforming DNA molecule (Figure 2c). Primary transformants can be selected for complementation of the ura3 mutation in the host, and successively for complementation of the host trp1 mutation, thereby ensuring thepresence of both chromosomal arms. Transformant colonies containing the exogenous DNA insert within the SUP4 gene are detected by their red colour, due to the inactivation of the suppressor activity and the consequent accumulation of a red metabolic precursor in ade host cells. Applications of YACs Applications of YACs range from generating whole DNA libraries of the genomes of higher organisms to identifying essential mammalian chromosomal sequences necessary for the future construction of specialized mammalian artificial chromosomes (MACs). Helps in the study of regulation of gene expression by cis-acting, controlling DNA elements, that are present either upstream or downstream of large eukaryotic genes, after the transfer of these YACs from yeast to mammalian cells. YAC libraries has greatly advanced the analysis of genomes previously cloned in cosmid vectors. For example, YAC clones have been used as hybridization probes for the screening of cDNA libraries, thus simplifying the characterization of unidentified genes. Recent technological developments allow the transfer of YACs into mouse embryonal stem (ES) cells and the subsequent generation of transgenic mice. Investigators have begun to employ these artificial chromosomes for the in vivo study of multigenic loci in mammalian cells. Two process can be used to obtain a sequenced genome, or region of interest: 1. Physical Mapping. 2. Chromosome Walking. It allows for the detailed mapping of specific regions of the genome. With the help of this, whole human chromosomes have been examined, such as the X chromosome,generating the location of genetic markers for numerous genetic disorders and traits. Bibliography Smith, GA. Enquist, LW. 1999 A self-recombining bacterial artificial chromosome and its application for analysis of herpesvirus pathogenesis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 97; 4873-4878 Shizuya, H., Birren, B., Kim, UJ., Valeria, M., Slepak, T., Tachiiri, Y., Simon, M. 1992 Cloning and stable maintenance of 300-kilobase-pair fragments of human DNA in Escherichia coli using an F-factor-based vector. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 89; 879-8797 Fu, H., Dooner, HK. 2000 A gene-enriched BAC library for cloning large allele-specific fragments from Maize: Isolation of a 240-kb contig of the bronze region. Genome Res. 10; 866-873 Kim, UJ., Birren, BW., Slepak, T., Mancino, V., Boysen, C., Kang, HL., Simon, MI., Shizuya, H. 1996 Construction and characterization of a human bacterial artificial chromosome library. Genomics 34;213-218 Frengen, E., Weichenhan, D., Zhao, B., Osoegawa, K., van Geel, M., Jong, PJ. 1999 A modular, positive selection bacterial artificial chromosome vector with multiple cloning sites. Genomics 58; 250-253 Flotte, TR. 2000 Size does matter: overcoming the adeno-associated virus packaging limit. Respir. Res. 1; 16-18 Whitman, WB., Coleman, DC., Wiebe, WJ. 1998 Prokaryotes: the unseen majority. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 95; 6578-6583 Anderson, SI., Lopez-Corrales, NL., Gorick, B., Archibald, AL. 2000 A large-fragment porcine genomic library resource as a BAC vector. Mamm. Genome 11; 811-814 Heintz, N. 2001 BAC to the future: The use of BAC transgenic mice for neuroscience research. Nature Rev. Neur. 2; 861-870 Adler, H., Messerle, M., Koszinowski, UH. 2001 Virus reconstituted from infectious bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-cloned murine gammaerpesvirus 68 acquires wild-type properties in vivo only after excision of BAC vector sequences. J. Vir. 75; 5692-5696 Fischer CR (1969) Enzymology of the pigmented adenine requiring mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces. Biochemical Biophysical Research Communication 34: 306–310. Cross SH, Allshire RC, McKay SJ, McGill NI and Cooke HJ (1989) Cloning of human telomeres by complementation in yeast. Nature 338:771–774. Jakobovits A, Moore AL, Green LL et al. (1993) Germ-line transmission and expression of a human-derived yeast artificial chromosome. Nature 362: 255–258.

Catherine Lucille Moores Shambleu and Greek Mythology :: Science Fiction Greece Myth Essays

Catherine Lucille Moore's Shambleu and Greek Mythology Throughout history, humans have had legends, myths and folk tales. Many of these dealt with monsters that cannot be found on the planet Earth, at least any more, especially the myths of ancient Greece. In such cases, there can be a fine line between where myth ends and science fiction starts. In Catherine Lucille Moore’s short story "Shambleau," one such myth crosses that line. That myth is the ancient Greek myth of the Gorgons. Gorgons had snakes for hair and could turn anyone into stone by looking at them in the eyes. "Shambleau" tells the tail of something very much like a Gorgon with snakes as its hair. This creature, called a "Shambleau," comes to and terrorizes a town. In the American Heritage College Dictionary, myth is defined as: "A traditional story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that informs or shapes the world view of a people" (903). The same dictionary has science fiction defined as: "A literary genre in which the plot is typically based on†¦space travel, or life on other planets" (1221). Both definitions deal with life that is not natural to Earth. While the origins of such creatures may be different, they both deal with non-human sentient beings. Several science fiction stories deal with extraterrestrials visiting Earth in what humans would call the "Ancient" era and becoming part of a culture’s mythology. Then they might come back in the "Modern" era. One such story is Moore’s "Shambleau." Gorgons from ancient Greek mythology are creatures who look human but have snakes for hair and can make anyone or anything that looks them in the eye turn into stone. In "Shambleau," a female extraterrestrial, resembling a Gorgon but with subtle differences, terrorizes a town. A man, not knowing what she is or what she does, tries to protect her from an angry mob until he finds out her true intentions. The story ends with him promising to go off and kill her. However, it is said that she does something to humans which is like an addictive drug. Unlike a Gorgon, however, she had feline qualities such as "three fingers and a thumb, and her feet had four digits apiece too, and all sixteen of them were tipped with round claws that sheathed back into the flesh" (528). Yet, like a Gorgon, she had hair that "squirmed of itself against her cheek" (531).

Lack of Education Essay

Student life is full of charm and enjoy and everyone who is in practical life always seem to miss his/her student life. But the student life also has challenges and problems of its own. The students of developing countries like Pakistan have lots of problems, such as financial problems, poor transportation system, language barrier, incompetent teachers and many more. One of the problems faced by students is that usually they are not free to choose study programmes of their own choice. Parents normally impose upon them a field of study which may not be suitable for the child or which he doesn’t feel comfortable with to study. This is a very common problem of our society. A student may want to be a journalist or a photographer but his parents may select engineering for him. So when he gets admission to the engineering college, he does not perform well. He then starts to feel that he is not fit for the field. Parents should think about it and stop imposing study programmes on their children. They should only inform them about the scope and problems of every field, and let them choose a study programme. Students, after passing their matriculation examination, face too much confusion about the selection of their further studies. They don’t know which study area is best for them. Most of the students don’t even know different fields of studies other than engineering and medical due to lack of study and career counselling. They get admission to these programmes and then don’t get good marks. That’s when they can’t get admission to medical or engineering colleges, and become upset thinking about their career. We don’t have career counsellors in Pakistan other than a few institutions which hire career counsellors to guide their students. Students should have some basic knowledge about any profession before deciding to take it as their future profession. Students should be able to consult their teachers, parents and friends in this regard, particularly the persons that are already attached with the profession they are interested in.

Stand By Your Ad Disclaimers on Political Ads

Stand By Your Ad Disclaimers on Political Ads If youve watched television or paid attention to your mail in an election year, chances are youve seen or heard one of those political ad disclaimers. They come in many different varieties, but the most common is a straightforward declaration by the candidate who sponsored the ad: I approve this message. So why do candidates for Congress and president say those words, which mostly state the obvious? Theyre required to. Federal campaign finance rules require political candidates and special-interest groups to disclose who paid  for the political advertisement.  So when Barack Obama appeared in a campaign commercial during the 2012 presidential election, he was required to state: Im Barack Obama and I approve this message. The political ad disclaimers have done little to bring transparency to many of the most negative political ads, though - those launched by super PACs and other shadowy special interest who specialize using dark money to influence voters. The rules also dont apply to political ads on social media. Studies have shown the disclaimers have done little to make campaigns more positive because candidates are increasingly brazen, coarse and unafraid to throw mud on their opponents, even if the claims are dubious and unsubstantiated. Origins of Stand By Your Ad Law The law that requires candidates to state I approve this message is commonly referred to as Stand By Your Ad. It is an important component of the  Bipartisan  Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002, a sweeping statutory effort to regulate the financing of federal political campaigns. The first ads to contain the Stand By Your Ad disclaimers appeared in the 2004 congressional and presidential elections. The phrase I approve this message has been in use ever since. The Stand By Your Ad rule was designed to cut down on the number of negative and misleading advertisements by forcing political candidates to own up to the claims they make on television, radio and in print. Lawmakers believed many political candidates would not want to be associated with mudslinging for fear of alienating voters. I will bet this: there will be moments in the studios when the candidates say to the producers of the ads, Ill be damned if Im going to put my face on that, said Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who was instrumental in getting the provision signed into law. Examples of Political Ad Disclaimers The Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act requires political candidates to use the following statements to comply with the Stand By Your Ad provision: I am [Candidate Name], a candidate for [office sought], and I approved this advertisement. Or:   My name is [Candidate Name]. I am running for [office sought], and I approved this message. The Federal Election Commission also requires television ads to include a view or image of the candidate and a written statement at the end of the communication. Political campaigns have gotten creative about circumventing the regulations, though. Some candidates now go well beyond the standard I approve this message disclaimer to attack their opponents. For example, in the 2006 congressional race between Republican U.S.  Rep. Marilyn Musgrave and Democratic challenger  Angie Paccione,  Paccione used the required disclaimer to go negative on the incumbent: Im Angie Paccione,  and I approve this message because if Marilyn keeps lying about my record, Ill keep telling the truth about hers. In a New Jersey Senate race that year, Republican Tom Kean inferred that his Republican opponent was corrupt by  using  this line to fulfill the disclosure requirement: Im Tom Kean Jr. Together, we can break the back of corruption. Thats why I approved this message. Stand By Your Ad Doesnt Really Work In a 2005 study, the  Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress found that the  Stand By Your Ad rule had no effect on respondents levels of trust in candidates or the ads themselves.   Bradley A. Smith, a professor at  Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, and chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics, wrote in National Affairs that Stand By Your Ad was having negative effects on the political process: The provision has failed miserably to curb negative campaigning. In 2008, for example, researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that more than 60% of Barack Obamas ads, and more than 70% of ads for John McCain - that great crusader for restoring integrity to our politics - were negative. Meanwhile, the required statement takes up almost 10% of every costly 30-second ad - reducing a candidates ability to say anything of substance to voters. Research has also found that Stand By Your Ad has boosted the credibility of attack ads, having the opposite effect intended under the law. Researchers at the University of California-Berkeley’s Haas School of Business found that â€Å"the tagline, far from disincentivizing negativity in advertising, has actually made it surprisingly effective,† according to study co-author Clayton Critcher.

Digital TV essays

Digital TV essays Broadcasting, the transmission of information by radio or television, is a major factor affecting the television industry today. Broadcasting is currently achieved through analogue, a system that has existed since television began in the 1940s and 50s. "Analogue converts sound and pictures into waves, which are then transmitted through the air and picked up by our rooftops or indoor aerials." But, because of rapid technological advances in the modern era, analogue will soon be obsolete, and is presently in the process of being replaced by digital broadcasting, the new form of broadcasting that "turns pictures and sound into computer language, which changes ones television into a form of computer, so that it can connect to the Internet, take interactive programs, and carry many more channels," all of which cannot be accomplished through analogue. As modern technology grows, the television industry is introduced to major issues, such as low consumer confidence, a! nalogue switch-off difficulties, and the lack of technical skills. And unless these problems are resolved soon, they will lead to the collapse of the television industry. Concerns associated with employee technical skills is becoming very common in the digital TV industry. The industry fears that its employees may lack the advanced technical knowledge required for the future. Its major concern right now is to find the right people with the right skills to effectively implement future strategies. Digital TV companies must become much more competent, innovative and creative, which means that its employees must be willing to develop themselves and their company in order to sustain the industry. As many are aware, IT skills will be very essential to the well-being of the industry. Because a number of shoppers today are already purchasing products online and Internet access via digital TV exists, advanced IT skills are definitel...

What strategies are effective in prolonging breastfeeding Essay

What strategies are effective in prolonging breastfeeding - Essay Example Also, breast milk is economical, readily available (NHS, 2007), and could positively affect the child’s IQ level. (Angelsen et al., 2001) For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) strongly recommends mothers to breastfeed their baby up to the first 6th month of age (WHO, 2007) while others recommend that breastfeeding should last up to the 12th month of age (National Health and Medical Research Council, 2003). Considering the benefits of breastfeeding, it is necessary to determine several strategies that could prolong the breastfeeding between the nursing mother and a new born infant. In the process, the research study will contribute a lot to the â€Å"Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative† (BFHI) project that was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) back in 1992 in order to promote a global breast-feeding practice. (Unicef, 2007) A lot of mothers are experiencing difficulties related to breastfeeding during the early part of postpartum period. There are quite a number of factors such as the type of labour and birth (Jordan et al., 2005; Henderson et al., 2003; Rowe-Murray & Fisher, 2002; Sinusas & Gagliardi, 2001) as well as nutritional intake the expectant mother (McCrory et al., 1999) has been exposed with may affect the production of breast milk among the newly mothers. A good example related to the type of labour is the research study conducted by Torvaldsen et al. (2006), Baumgarder et al. (2003, and Henderson et al. (2003) showing the use of epidurals or adding fentanyl (an opoid) to epidurals analgesia during the time the expectant mother is in labour blocks the opportunity for mothers to fully breastfed their infants few days after the delivery. Eventually, the drug ceases breast milk production during or right after the first 24 weeks. Although it has been noted that the use of epidurals could result to difficulty in breastfeeding, the impact of

Ethical Issues when Marketing with Children Essay

Ethical Issues when Marketing with Children - Essay Example It was also revealed that children greatly affect the commodities their parents buy. Estimates done in this field show that projects tailored for children in the year 2006 totalled fifty two billion dollars. (McGee and Heubusch, 1997) Regardless of all this potential returns that children can give manufacturers and their marketers, there are key ethical issues that arise in the discussion. For example, do children have the capability of understanding some of the intricate marketing tactics Do children posses the final buying power Do marketers need to get permission from their parents And do children understand the negative effects of some of the products advertised to them These key questions will be analysed in relation to business pressures then recommendations will be made. Some companies have become notorious for the utilisation of psychologists in their advertising and marketing campaigns. Normally what such companies do is that when trying to create marketing strategy, they will involve psychologist to tell them about tactics that they can use to influence children. Since psychologists understand the way child's mind works, they can help marketers create campaigns that will be directly aimed at them and those ones that can easily influence their choices. This trend has becoming so alarming that the American Psychological Association has raised an alarm about it. They have set up a committee to estimate the effect that the involvement of psychologists in the marketing process of children's products has on them. The group has asserted that no psychological principles should be used when marketing to children. They are also recommending that there should be some sort of strategy to protect the young ones from exploitation though the use of psychologica l ploys. (Beder, 1998) The basic framework which steers marketing ethics revolves around three main issues. These are; values stakeholders processes Marketing ethics that are done on a value inclined framework are those one that involve the analysis of the kind of value that the marketing idea creates. So advertisements may instil in their target audiences positive or negative attributes. This all depends on their implementation. For example, an advertising targeting a child may become a problem if it violates the right to privacy, transparency, honesty or autonomy. By using psychologists in the process of creating advertisements for children, marketers are imposing upon children's right to autonomy and transparency. They try studying children's behavioural trends and then use this to exploit those children. This is quite unethical. The process oriented framework in marketing ethics is founded on the basis of analysing marketing ethics through the categories that marketers use. For example research, promotion and placement must be done in an ethical manner. This is something that marketers have chosen to ignore because their research is not done in an ethical manner. Their research involves using psychological experts who may use their knowledge to take advantage of children who belong to vulnerable groups (Lizabeth, 2001) Targeting children alone Marketers who create marketing campaigns that are just directed towards children only are engaging in unethical marketing practices. This is because children are naive. They are at a stage of development