Classical music Essay

It is Saturday March 1 2008 and I have woken with an excited feeling in my stomach. Today, I am being treated to something I have never experienced before and I am looking forward to what is in store. My father, is taking me to a classical concert. I am 18 years old and big band music is not really my style, I appreciate music but of the modern variety rather than the old school kind. My father loves classical music and plays it constantly in his study. His favourite composer is Leonard Bernstein so it is today, with great animation, he is taking me to encounter his love of this music. We are attending the Waukegan Concert Chorus which is at 624 Douglas Ave, Illinois, the concert is a tribute to Bernstein & Williams; namely, In Remembrance of Bernstein & Williams. My father assures me that although my liking of music may not be to his taste, I will go away from the concert feeling uplifted and appreciative of what I have heard. Our journey takes us to Waukegan during the early evening and as we approach the venue I can feel a buzz in the air. Other attendees are heading towards the seating area and as my father and I locate where we are sitting, I am somewhat satisfied that we have seats near to the front. My father explained in the car, on the way, even though it is the music you are listening to, it is also just as important to watch the performance. Before me is a huge orchestra; perhaps the biggest I have ever seen, not that I have seen many. There is a plethora of various noises coming from the ensemble and as each musician tunes in their instrument and plays small excerpts from their music stand, it is perhaps unbelievable that any kind of harmony will occur at all. However, the moment the conductor enters the room, there is an eerie silence, almost as if someone had turned the musicians off by a control button. The conductor is a gentleman who turns to his audience and bows his head, turning and repeating this gesture to his orchestra. As the first piece of music is played I feel myself vibrating with the enormity of the noise. For many years I have heard my father’s classical records being played from behind the study door but to be present at a live performance was truly exhilarating. One of my favourites in terms of familiarity was West Side Story. The introduction sounded amazing; upbeat and vibrant, the instruments seemed almost alive. Even closing my eyes, which I actually did, I could hear each piece of equipment as it was used. The brass and woodwind instrumentalists brought intrigue and manoeuvre to the story of the piece being played whilst the drums added the extra element of spirit in the arrangement. Despite the variety of instruments played and the different roles they played within the piece, the unity came together with such an intensity, I was taken aback by its impact. The formation and structure of the concert allowed me to lose myself within the music, it was almost as if I were watching the musical itself. This perhaps was the purpose of the concert itself, it worked with an effortless outcome. As the flutes and violins played ‘I Feel Pretty’, I felt almost compelled to stand up and sing as the notes poured through the air. The tempo was light in places and amplified in others; the exaggeration of drama was as apparent as the subtlety of tenderness applied to the nature of the story. Its volume was deafening yet tolerable as each instrument alerted itself naturally within the composition. On occasion I did look around at other spectators, like moths to a flame, transfixed faces and total satisfaction and appreciation of what was before and around them. I did relate to this. As the concert came to an end, I did feel somewhat saddened that it was all over. The climax of the music was a crescendo of brilliance and I am pleased to say, my father’s original prediction of how I would feel, was absolutely correct. I felt euphoric and inspired by such a performance. I had attended the concert with an open mind and allowed myself to absorb the instruments intentions; I felt all the raw emotions of West Side Story and even the pieces of music played I had heard for the first time, still brought me a sense of appreciation.

Why Do Countries Trade with Each Other

Why do countries trade with each other? Show, using examples, why this may be to do with principle of comparative advantage. Introduction In 1776 Adam Smith stated, â€Å"If a foreign country can supply us with a commodity cheaper than we ourselves can make it, better buy it of them with some part of the produce of our own industry, employed in a way in which we have some advantage. † This sentence shows basic principle on which the world trade is based. Countries buy and sell goods abroad to achieve the best possible cost-effectiveness.Long-distance trade dates back to the ancient times and today it is the heart of the world economy. It is a crucial factor in economic growth of every state. Source of prosperity and development in industrialized world. Statistically speaking, countries with high per capita values of export and import tend to have relatively rich and prosperous societies. International trade is a necessity deriving from the diversity of international community. Countries have different weather, natural resources, population, educational level of workforce, infrastructure.All these thing make cost of producing particular commodities different in each country. And that difference causes international trade to be reasonable. In my essay I’ll try to justify why countries trade with each other by pointing out and explaining particular aspects of foreign trade. Natural Resources and Factor of Endowment The most obvious and visible cause for international trade is a difference in location of natural resources and factor of endowment. Factor of endowment is amount  of  labor,  land,  money  and  entrepreneurship  that could be exploited for  manufacturing  within a country.Every country is unique, therefore they have different economic potentials. Some countries naturally have more natural resources, higher population, bigger territory than the others. Uneven location of resources causes limited possibilities of productio n within countries. For example France has basically no oil resources on its own yet it is the world 13th biggest consumer (CIA, 2010). That means that it has to import almost all it requires. They are importing it from countries that have oil surplus that they can exchange. Population is also a crucial factor.More populated nations are more likely to produce huge surplus of commodities that they can subsequently sell. Like China which huge industry sector produce number of goods big enough to sell all over the world. In order to cultivate the land, grow particular plants, practice animal husbandry very specific climate and soil fertility is needed. For instance citrus fruits can develop only in climates with a cool winter. Relatively few countries can claim to have weather like this, yet we can buy oranges and limes all over the world.These examples show that some countries do not have physical possibility to produce certain goods and have to import them. This is especially noticea ble in industrialized western societies which historically have very big demand on tropical goods such as spices, fabrics, fruits etc. Specialization Heckscher-Ohlin theory indicates that countries specializes in the production of goods that it is adopted to produce. It directly derives from differences in factor of endowment I described before.Countries have different production capacity some are rich in capital and poor in labour power, others have a lot of people but not much capital, some have a lot of raw materials, another have skilled man power. Principle of specialization is closely related to the division of labour. Whole country adopts a role of producer of certain good when the others do the same with different goods. Of course it is just a simplification because some commodities like for instance cars are produced in many different countries. One country can be specialized in production of many different goods.But in general every country produce a certain range of produ cts in high volume. That give them the opportunity to invest as much capital and labour as it is possible to develop the production and conduct research. That helps achieving higher efficiency of production and exploit economy of scale. Economy of scale is basically decreasing average cost of production per unit by expanding scale of output. By specialization economy is capable to produce high surplus and sell it abroad afterwards. Since when costs of production decreases, supply increases.To visualize the point I’ll present and theoretical example. Country â€Å"A† is very capital-abundant but is poor in labour and country â€Å"B† is poor in capital, but has a lot of labour force. Country â€Å"A† country can form capital-intensive industries that will have great efficiency thanks to scale of the production. It will produce surplus and then exchange it with country â€Å"B† which specialized itself in labour-intensive industries. By that means, p roduction of both capital and labour intensive goods will be higher and of better quality. Great real world example is Dutch agriculture.Holland is a medium populated country with only 61st place in the world in terms of population (CIA, 2012). Yet its agriculture which employs only 2% of the population provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and exports. After United states and France it is world third largest exporter of foodstuffs. That is thanks to huge investments in new technologies and mechanized agriculture. Comparative Advantage Both reasons for trading that I described in previous paragraphs boil down to one absolute cause for world trade to occur, comparative advantage.Country has a comparative advantage when it has an ability to produce particular good at lower marginal and opportunity cost. Because of limited production capacity no country is able to produce every needed product. To produce particular good or service, economy sometimes has to give up o n producing others. That means that a country has to specialize on producing goods that is has comparative advantage on. For instance let’s assume that Poland can produce both cars and grow carrots at relatively low cost but at the same time Ukraine can grow carrots with a bit higher cost than Poland, but can’t produce cars.That means that Poland has absolute advantage on both goods but opportunity cost of producing a car in Poland is significantly higher than in Ukraine. By investing work force and capital in cultivation of carrots Poland misses an opportunity to produce more cars which can bring higher revenue to the polish economy. In that way Ukraine has a comparative advantage on production of carrots because Ukrainian economy do not lose opportunity to produce anything, by investing in carrot agricultural production. This example explains why it is sometime worthwhile for countries to export goods that they are capable of producing.This can lead everyone to produ cing only those goods that one can produce most efficiently. Good example of comparative advantage in contemporary world is the fact that on span of last few India became a major supplier of phone answering services for USA. Even though obviously Americans have better skill in English language and are able to provide this service independently , relatively high skilled American labour force is needed in another efforts. Opportunity cost of having that service provided by Americans is to apparently to high. That’s why it is transferred to India. ConclusionConclusion that derives from previous points is that world trade is inevitable and necessary mean in contemporary world. Factor of Endowments paragraph clearly states that countries are endowed with resources extremely unevenly. 81% of Petroleum reserves which is currently one of the most desired and needed commodities is localized in only 12 countries(OPEC,2011). Concerning that most of the world countries do not have oil re sources big enough to satisfy domestic demand, they have to import it. This is not only oil supply problem, many goods are able to be produced, mined etc. only in certain areas.This is in my opinion the most visible and crucial reason why countries trade. Secondly over the years people understood that specialization and intensification of production can bring huge profit. Economy of scale make per unit production cheaper but involve bigger effort. That’s why it is easier to focus on big production of only some range of goods why importing others. And of course comparative advantage principle which in mathematical way, shows how by division of production between countries and a proper assessment of opportunity cost every country can trade with one another with profit.These three examples of reasons why do countries trade should explain concept of international trade clearly enough and show its benefits and inevitability in contemporary world. Bibliography Smith, A, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, (1776) Sokoloff, Engerman, History Lessons: Institutions, Factors Endowments, and Paths of Development in the New World, The Journal of Economic Perspectives, Available from: http://www. jstor. org/stable/2646928? seq=8 [Accessed 29th October 2012]McKenzie, Lionel, Specialization and Efficiency in World Production. , The Review of Economic Studies21 ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Smith, A. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. (1776), p. 364. [ 2 ]. Business Dictionary, Factor of Endowment Definition. Available from: http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/factor-endowment. html [Accessed 28 October 2012] [ 3 ]. The Economist, Economies of scale and scope. Available from: http://www. economist. com/node/12446567 [Accessed 29th October 2012]

Macbeth Theme

One of the most fascinating ways in which Shakespeare explores the theme of appearance and reality is through the characters of the witches. The witches bring with them confusion, which infects the natural order. Night becomes day. Duncan’s horses eat each other, Fair is foul, and foul is fair. This quote is fairly early in the text, and sets the tone for the rest of the play. It alludes to the deceptive nature of the play, referring to the idea that things are not always as they seem.The quote itself foreshadows the apparent sinister and deceitful nature of the play, in that it brings forth the idea that things that seem fair, good and true may well in fact be evil or foul. Likewise, things that appear evil may possess elements of good in them. This quote is a key component of the play, as the play itself centres around the idea of deception and that what appears on the outside is not always a true reflection of what lies beneath,. the course of the play, they lead to greater confusion in Macbeth’s mind.They seem to promise him good things, but his life subsequently begins to deteriorate. On the night of the murder, Macbeth sees a floating dagger, but can not decide if this â€Å"air-drawn dagger† is real or a figment of his imagination proceeding from his â€Å"heat-oppressed brain†. His confusion between what is real and what is not seems to increase as the witches’ influence over Macbeth grows. As Macbeth’s actions become more tyrannical and savage, the strain of hiding their (Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s) true nature surfaces. The pair quickly begins to lose their grip on reality.Following Banquo’s murder, Macbeth sees his ghost at the feast. Macbeth has lost the ability to differentiate between appearance and reality. The cause behind Macbeth’s murder of Banquo was his inability to accept anything at face-value. Macbeth turns to the witches when he begins to become â€Å"cribb’d and conf ined†. These are the very â€Å"hags† behind Macbeth’s original confusion. They very quickly bring Macbeth into a state of mind where he becomes totally disconnected from reality. He takes the witches apparitions and predictions literally, believing that he is safe from any harm.The prediction that Macbeth will be safe until â€Å"Birnam Wood reaches Dunsinane† appears to indicate that he will not be threatened any time in the near future. In reality, it is showing him his impending downfall. It is at this stage that the forces of good come together and travel to Scotland to overthrow Macbeth. As the tide turns on Macbeth, the king and queen become more disillusioned and reach the brink of insanity. Suffering from memories of the murder, Lady Macbeth is unable to make a distinction between reality and fantasy.In her panicked state, she takes her own life. Meanwhile, Macbeth is forced to acknowledge that the witches â€Å"lie like truth†. They have e quivocated. Macbeth is at this stage ready to see the world for what it is, not for what he wishes it to be. The play Macbeth is undoubtedly a very shocking and disturbing play. In the course of the play, the boundaries between reality and appearance are in a constant state of flux. As a result, very little is as it seems in the play. The characters are regularly concealing their true natures and their true ambitions and desires.

The Things They Carried Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Things They Carried - Essay Example The burdens that the characters carry manifest themselves even before they arrive in Vietnam. In the story â€Å"On a Rainy River,† the narrator O’Brien explains the events that led him to Vietnam in the first place: â€Å"In June of 1968, a month after graduating from Macalester College, I was drafted to fight a war I hated† (44). As a pacifist, he did not believe in going to war, so he contemplated running away to Canada. With his opposition to the war, O’Brien felt that he could not carry the burden of participating in Vietnam; however, these personal burdens were not the only ones that were weighing upon him. He felt that by becoming a deserter, he would become a burden upon his family: â€Å"They carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to. It was what had brought them to the war in the first place, nothing positive, no dreams of glory or honor, just to avoid t he blush of dishonor. They died so as not to die of embarrassment†(16). These motivations run contrary to the traditional motivations for going to war; he at no point considers going to war for patriotic reasons or for dedication to the ideals and causes of his country. Wanting to not disappoint his family, O’Brien decides that the burden of going to Vietnam contrary to his political beliefs was less of a burden than the ramifications of his draft dodging. Vietnam weighed heavily upon O’Brien, and he had not even been to the country yet. Among the necessities or near-necessities were P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wrist watches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, Military payment Certificates, C rations, and two or three canteens of water. Together, these items weighed

NHS Should Cover Lifestyle Diseases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

NHS Should Cover Lifestyle Diseases - Essay Example The National Health Service (NHS) is a UK government entity that provides health care to patients regardless of their ailments, social, political or religious inclinations as long as one is a UK citizen or has lived in the country for more than 12 months among other conditions. Funds to facilitate healthcare through this scheme are generated mainly from taxes collected from the public. It is estimated that every individual in the country contributes close to ?1000 every financial year totalling the collections to approximately ?100 billion as per 2008/9 budget (Hanson, 2010). This paper is a critical evaluation on whether the NHS should take care of illnesses that are as a result of dangerous habits such as smoking, alcohol abuse, poor dieting among others. Primary Healthcare Trusts (PCTs) in the UK are reportedly refusing to offer certain kinds of treatment to patients, who are considered as living unhealthy life thus barring them from benefiting from the NHS scheme. These patients are for example smokers, abusers of alcohol, and those who have body mass indexes (BMI) exceeding 30 or who are generally overweight and obese. According to Rojas (2012), â€Å"The NHS has been accused of blocking access to surgery for smokers and obese patients.† This has been attributed to the intent of the health sector to save money. Such restrictions are being observed in PCTs in places such as North Essex, Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire among others, which are numerous. To begin with, such kinds of restrictions are discriminatory based on the fact that all UK citizens are human beings, who are created equally and with equal rights and privileges, which cannot be denied on the basis of trying to economise on financial resources. The NHS is a scheme, which is there to take care of all citizens’ health needs irrespective of their personal habits especially with the consideration that these people pay taxes, which fund the operations of the scheme (Ham, 2008). Personal habits such as smoking and drinking of alcohol are every person’s right to choose whether to indulge or not. Otherwise, the government could have banned their use long time ago thereby making it illegal to possess or consume. Every citizen has an inalienable right to pursue happiness and if such reward can be found in the use of these legal substances, then, no institution or individual should try and force people to abandon them. The decision to quit smoking, drinking or to minimize intake of junk food is personal but this does not mean that those who choose not to should be condemned to torture, discrimination or death. Denying people of treatment on the basis of their personal habits is a measure that the government should not even contemplate as this does not help them in any way. In deed, it only complicates their health and this may result to deaths that are otherwise preventable. Apart from paying taxes, these people, whether obese or otherwise, contri bute to the country’s economic growth through their different economic activities and services, which they provide to the nation. It therefore goes without saying that if they

Classical Mythology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Classical Mythology - Essay Example Fans of a particular stable/faction identified themselves with their stable colors in those race competitions. The stables encouraged this loyalty by establishing an equivalence of â€Å"clubhouses† in Rome to entertain their fans. This trend later spread to other cities as chariot racing grew. Charioteers who rose to heroism and some to freedom after they died had their victories written on their gravestones. Charioteers with decorated careers had monuments erected with engravings of their victories and achievements either by themselves or by others (Roberts, p150). Historical evidence indicate that, almost all the charioteers came from a very low social class (slaves) with exception of a few. The charioteers started very young, rose to fame and eventually died while still young. From the evidence, Roman charioteers lead a similar life path. A majority rose from slavery, started racing very young, bought their freedom and finally died while still young (most died before attaining thirty years). From sources 2, 3, 4, and 7, the charioteers started their racing careers young and met their demise before their thirties. Source 2 describes the life and achievements of Fuscus. He was 24 years old and a driver for the Green Company. He won 53 times and was the first driver to win on the first day of racing. A pillar was erected in the consulate of Gaius and Marcus Servilius and curved with his achievements. Source 3 does not provide the name of the driver as his name was not engraved on his gravestone. He died at the age of 25 in the consulate of Appius Annius. He was a driver for the blue stables. Crescens was born in Mauritius (evidence suggests that, he was of an African origin). He started racing when he was 22 years in the consulate of Lucius Vipsanius. He was a driver for the blue faction. Just like the other drivers he died before reaching the age of 30 years. Finally, Marcus Aurelius. He died at the age of 29 years. His career

Finance Course work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Finance Course work - Essay Example In which, both targets and bidders were greatly influenced by the notion of greater efficiency especially this occurred in the first great merger wave period. In the following M&A history, various studies required the presence of legal and regulatory framework with an aim of solidifying the existence along with prolonging the success stories of M&A. Despite the implementation of regulatory-cum-legal framework, hostile takeovers did take place, leaving the negative impacts on the stock price of the targets. In the subsequent part of this paper, first, M&A definitions are accounted for, which is followed by motives and theories. Subsequent to that, Merger waves periods, legal-cum-regulatory framework are elaborated. Afterwards, strategies and tactics in takeovers, the effects of M&A on firm’s stock price and stock market are explained. Before conclusion, financial objectives and case study about Burlines Group’s acquisition of Telemetry business are incorporated. Numerous definitions for types of combinations of firms have been put forwarded (Frensch, 2007, p.23). Fundamentally, mergers and acquisitions take place when a firm seeking to expand its activities into new products (Boettke, 1994, p.394). Additionally, with the objective of pursuing common economic aims, the combinations of firms come out as a result of a union of legally and economically independent firms by serving the interests of both parties. Collectively, Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) take place when two or more organizations join together in toto or in part of their business operations. However, the difference between mergers and acquisitions are associated particularly with: the relative size of the individual firms in the business combination; management control of the joint business; ownership of the combined business (Coyle, 2000). Coyle (2000) further defines its broadest definition;

Social Context Account Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Social Context Account - Essay Example For one to look back at the past and analyse its effect in life today, the present has to be favourable according to the individual in question. This means that if the past influenced one’s life so badly that the present is damaged, only counselling or other forms of therapy can remedy the situation and enable one to look back at the events of their past.1 Depending on an individual, the social environment one grows in can make or break one’s character. For instance, some people are discouraged by discriminative backgrounds till they psychologically believe they are not worth better treatment. On the other hand, others consider maltreatment as a challenge which if overcome, one emerges not only a stronger, but also a better person. Due to the unpredictable nature of a child’s reaction to the social environment, there are many organizations committed to ensuring that children are protected from harsh social conditions. In addition, many governments have signed tre aties and passed laws to protect young citizens.2 _____________________________ 1 A James, and A Prout (eds), Constructing and Reconstructing childhood: contemporary issues in the sociological Study of Childhood, Falmer Press, London, 1997. 2 R Appignanesi, and O Zarate, Freud for Beginners, Icon Books, Cambridge, 1992. Background information My parents were born and brought up in Bangladesh after which they moved to London, UK. I was born on April 4, 1989 in London where I have lived ever since. The UK and Bangladesh are countries with many contrasting characteristics that are mainly due to their geographical locations, economic, political, and religious practises found in the two countries. Bangladesh is found in southern Asia while UK is situated in northern Europe. Bangladesh is mainly an Islamic country while the most dominant religion in the UK is Christianity. In society, religion plays an important role in how the society operates since it provides a basis for moral and ethi cal standards. In the UK, the church and government are separate entities and that is why the society in London is considered secular and has markedly different characteristics compared to that of Bangladesh where religion determines the kind of lifestyle people live. Comparison between UK and Bangladesh Christianity, mostly Anglican, is the dominant religion in the UK while Bangladesh is mostly Islamic. The cultures of the two countries are composite, having components derived from all over the world. Both countries are members of the UN and have signed the United Nations convention on the rights of the child (UNCRC) which seeks to ensure that minors enjoy basic rights and are protected from unfair treatment. However, the countries differ in the way they enforce these laws since in Bangladesh, children are still recruited into the armed forces among other forms of mistreatment. This means that a child growing up in Bangladesh is likely to be affected by these vices directly or indi rectly. On the other hand, the UK is strict in assuring her citizens of their rights and, therefore, children enjoy more rights and freedoms compared to their Bangladeshi counterparts. 99 percent of the population in the UK is literate as compared to a mere 43.1 percent in Bangladesh. Education has a huge impact on how people relate to each other and their interpretations of everyday phenomena. On the other hand, the educated population in UK is more corrupt at 7.7 perception index compared

Examining Insurance Policies Part 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Examining Insurance Policies Part 3 - Essay Example Airport premises liability coverage is an additional coverage to an aircraft liability insurance policy that covers for bodily injury or property damage that results from the use of airport premises for both the parking and storage of the aircraft. This basically implies that the policy coverage will apply only to your premises (Prather 17). This policy will include any if not all of the following coverage; personal injury, premises and operations liability insurance, contractual and premises medical payment insurance. However, the good thing about this policy is that the policy may be tailored to meet the particular requirements of the insured. Hull and liability coverage will mainly cover the aircraft with all its components which include the engine, the propeller and all the other systems and the permanently attached equipment to the aircraft in addition to the avionics (viation Cases 1945). Under the aircraft liability coverage, claims from risks that ay result to property damage and bodily injury or death by members of the public and passengers. Some of the endorsements that I would recommend is the CGL policy coverage which can be provided to premises liability, products and completed operations. Other additional coverage that will be covered against include personal injury liability, liability incurred in advertising the host liquor liability in addition to hanger keepers coverage in the case of FBO operations (Prather 21). This coverage I believe would suit you best as you have other services like the class room instructions while also conducting aerial tours in his aerial photography side job. Some of the exclusions you should look out for include the ground hanger keepers’ legal liability which will come into play especially when you hire out the aircraft. The cover will provide for liability of damage to the property when the damage occurs as a result of negligence when the property is under the control

In what way does the Aeneid fulfill its aim to provide the Romans with Essay

In what way does the Aeneid fulfill its aim to provide the Romans with a national epic - Essay Example It shall be argued that, far from being a strictly literary work, Aeneid was an integral part of Augustan project of rebuilding Roman national identity, with apparent focus going from Republican virtues to the notion of divine predestination of Romans to rule the world and to the idea of divine mission of Julian dynasty as heirs to Aeneas. In this work, I will use three main sources. The first one, Epic and empire: Politics and generic form from Virgil to Milton, is a book by Quint (1993) that examines the influences of epic poems on state ideologies. Focusing on Aeneid, in particular, Quint (1993) observes that it was used to enshrine the autocratic rule of Julio-Claudian emperors, starting from Caesar Augustus himself, and that the political character of Aeneid signified the final politicization of heroic epics that began with Alexander’s appropriation of image of Achilles (Quint, 1993, p. 8). The second source, Virgil's gaze: Nation and poetry in the Aeneid, authored by Ree d (2007), explores Aeneid from the standpoint of its character as a form of Roman foundational myth, itself appropriated from Hellenistic culture.

User Centered Design Essay Example for Free

User Centered Design Essay The Liveperson website communicate their purpose very well because the website shows important elements that a website needs to make the website efficient. There are five key elements in order to that may be identified: The Liveperson website shows their company brandmark on the upper-left corner of the website in a normal size very easy to see by the human eye. In the same way the website has in the middle of the page an explicit tagline that reads: â€Å" Liveperson creates meaningful, realtime customer connections that help businesses increase conversions and improve consumers experience,† which summarizes what the company does. Also, the website shows in the middle of the page a photo slider, with their news and more important services to offer. Then, the website shows at the top and at the bottom of the page the main navigation bar, which includes links to other information found on the website. To finalize this point, the home page is different from the other pages on the site but maintains the same font, color palette and design, making the website very consistent. Communicating Information about the company. The second point of this analysis talks about the communicating of information about the company. The website communicate very well their information too. As the first point, the website shows many of the important elements of this point, which makes a website efficient. Among this point we have: The website homepage has a link called â€Å"About Liveperson,† which includes information elements such as: â€Å"our culture, our partner, investor relations, careers and contacts us.† In the same way, at the end of the website we can see the same link with the same information elements. Then, the website has in their main navigation bar a press room link, used for press purposes, showing the most important company headlines. Also, the website, has a privacy policy link at the bottom of the homepage, which include the privacy policy of the company, but does not include internal company information. Content Writing. The writing content of the website is very effective and doesn’t use clever phrases and marketing lingo, making the writing content very readable and easy to understand. Also, all the writing content is written in sentence case and uses a consistent capitalization. Archives and Accessing Past Content. The website doesn’t have an access to past content. Links. The links work perfectly, are different one from each other, and are very scannable. Also the site doesn’t use the word â€Å"link† to indicate links on the page. Navigation. The primary navigation is located in a highly noticeable place, grouping items for the same category link, and doesn’t use made-up words for category navigation choices. Search. The website doesn’t have a search box. Tools and task shortcuts. The website offer direct access to high priority tasks. It includes a chat room, that offers the opportunity to chat with a company representative. Graphic and animations. The website shows the graphic elements in an appropriate way. For example, it shows graphics with real content and displays them ina good size, avoiding watermarks and animation of critical elements of the page such as logo or tag line. Graphic Design. In the graphic design part, the website is very consistent, using the same color palette and two different fonts which works very well. Additionally, the background color and the font color make a highly contrast, making the content very readable and not over loaded for the human eye. The most critical elements of the website are very visible, using their brandmark in a judicious way. The website is presented in vertical scrolling. UI Widgets. The website shows widgets for print and to connect to social network sites such as facebook, twitter, youtube, google, and linkedln. Window Titles. In the windows titles, the website includes a short description of the site, and the windows titles on the website are less than eight words. URLs. The URL is shown in a good way, showing as http://www.liveperson.com. News and Press releases. The News and Press releases section shows the headlines in a succinct and descriptive way. It includes a summary of the headline story, and at the bottom of the story shows a link that reads, â€Å"For more information visit www.websitename.com,† to show the complete story headline. Pop up windows and staging pages. The website only allows one pop up window for the chat room. The chat room pop up window appears once, then users have the opportunity to close or leave open. Advertising. The website only make advertises of their products, making the website more professional. Welcomes. The website doesn’t use welcome messages on the site. Credits. The website doesn’t have a credit link, which makes references to the designers of the website. It only shows the awards that the site has won in the Press releases link. Page Reload and Refresh. The website doesn’t refresh the pages automatically. Customization. The website doesn’t offer customizations. Gathering Customer Data. The website only gather customer data in the chat room section. Fostering community. The website offers a link called customer community, which allows users to post in a blog comments and questions. Dates and Times. The website doesn’t show date and time. Stock Quotes and Displaying Numbers. The website doesn’t show stock quotes and or display numbers. Align decimal points when showing columns of numbers. The website doesn’t show columns of numbers.

The Business Environment Essay Example for Free

The Business Environment Essay In this assignment, I am going to be exploring the purpose of Tesco and The British Heart Foundation. I will be looking into the influence of stakeholders and how the businesses organise themselves through strategic planning and organisational structures to achieve their purpose and aims. Tesco is an international Public Limited Company. Tesco has over 500,00 employees in 12 countries. Under the Tesco Group there are a number of sister companies such as Tesco Ireland, Tesco Poland and Tesco Lotus. In addition, Tesco offers other services such as Tesco Bank which is also a part of the organisation. [1] From my research, it states that Tesco is a part of the tertiary sector as it is retailing by selling a range of products from groceries to electronics. Tesco also offers services such as loans with Tesco Bank .In my opinion it’s also is a part of the secondary sector . For example, Tesco bakes fresh bread on site and then sells in its sorts so therefore it is a part of both of these sectors. Additionally Tesco has its own Mobile Network which offers Pay as you go and Pay Monthly options. You can also buy mobile devices such as the iPhone 5C. [2] The British Heart Foundation is a national Charity (Not-for-profit organisation) in the tertiary sector. TBHF has approximately 20,00 volunteers in its 765 stores in the UK. [3] Apart of these stores are volunteers but they also have paid managers and assistant managers. The stores rely on donations from the public to sell products in its shops. They have some specialised Furniture stores that solely sell furniture. They also sell a wide range of items in its standard stores for the home such as ornaments, kitchen goods and various other items. Tesco is a Public Limited Company. This means that the stakeholders will have limited liability to the company. Therefore this separates the stakeholder’s personal assets from Tesco. For example, if Tesco became into debt and was to close, the Chief Financial Officer Alan Stewards House and car wouldn’t be taken away to clear the debt as the company has limited liability. The success of Tesco depends on how much profit is made. This then reflects the dividends that the stakeholder receives. This would then affect the operations of the business. The British Heart Foundation is a Charity. This type of organisation has unlimited liability. As a trustee, director or officer, they are in a very vulnerable  position. These individuals are liable for the outcome of all decisions and actions of The British Heart Foundation. To protect these individuals there is an indemnity which insures them if they are deemed liable.[8] Even though it’s a not for profit organisation, if limited profit was made, it would affect their operations by the charity not being able to put money back into helping and researching for The British Heart Foundation. Tesco’s Aims and objectives; †¢Offering customers the best value for money and being competitive on prices †¢Meeting the needs of customers by constantly looking for, and acting on, their opinions regarding innovation, product quality, choice, store facilities and service †¢Providing shareholders with progressive returns on their investment improving profitability through investment in resourceful stores and distribution depots, in productivity improvements and in new technology †¢Developing the talents of its employees through sound management and training practices, while rewarding them fairly with equal opportunities for all †¢Working side by side with suppliers to build long term business relationships based on strict quality and price criteria †¢Participating in the national food industry policies on issues such as health, nutrition, hygiene, safety and animal welfare †¢Supporting the community and protecting the environment [4] The British Heart Foundations Aim Objectives; †¢To develop research into the causes of heart disease and improved methods of prevention, diagnosis and treatment. †¢To provide vital information to help people reduce their heart health risk. †¢To urge for government policies that minimise the risk of heart and circulatory disease. †¢To help achieve the highest possible standards of care and support for heart patients. †¢To reduce the inequalities in levels of heart disease across the UK. [5] Tesco has a number of stakeholders in the company. A stakeholder is someone that has an interest in the business. A stakeholder would be interested in how the business is run and the decisions the business makes. StakeholdersBritish Heart Foundation A customer would buy from The British Heart Foundation to buy goods at cheaper prices. Customers would also shop there to support The British Heart Foundation cause. Without customers going into the store to by the products, The British Heart Foundation would not be able to meet their main objectives of researching into the causes of heart disease and providing this vital information for people to reduce the risk of their heart health as they wouldn’t have the funds to meet these objectives. Tesco Customers An individual that buys goods or services from a business.A customer would shop at Tesco to seek products of a high standard for low , competitive prices. In addition, they would shop solely for the convenience of having all there buying needs in one place. Without customers , Tesco would not be able to sell their products or services so they would fail there objectives to offer a high quality service at competitive prices and offering their shareholders competitive returns. This would mean that without profit, they would fail to meet their objectives. Employees An individual that is employed by a business for a wage or salary to provide work in exchange.At The British Heart Foundation there are employees such as management that are paid for their work but also The British Heart Foundation have Volunteers that offer to work for free to help the cause. Normally volunteers are young people that are trying to gain work experience nevertheless there are people of various ages that work as volunteers to help the cause they are passionate about. These employees and volunteers are vital in the running The British Heart Foundation as without these people, they wouldn’t be able to run stores to retail in and therefore not be able to raise money to help the cause . So this would influence the completion of their aims and objectives of developing and researching.Tesco employees are vital to the company . They  help with Tesco’s high volume of customers and providing these customers with a quality service . Tesco values its employees and offers all kinds of benefits for working for the company such as a staff discount card, health care discounts and pension plans. [6]. Tesco would not be able to run without its employees as they wouldn’t to be able to sell or provide the services Tesco offers. In addition, without its employees , Tesco would fail to meets all of its aims and objectives as they wouldn’t be able to provide the service they do , they wouldn’t be able to offer value for money, Also they wouldn’t have any shareholders as without profit; nobody would invest and they wouldn’t be able to offer training to keep up these standards they wish to upkeep. Trade Union [7] A Trade Union is an organisation formed of workers in a trade or profession to help protect the rights of employees.A Trade Union can offer support to its members for employees and volunteers. It enables these individuals to be heard and not be treated unfairly within the work place. If there wasn’t access to trade unions then some people may be treated incorrectly in the work place so it would cause people to leave or may not even work or volunteer for The British Heart Foundation at all. Even though volunteers do not get paid, trade unions can make sure that volunteers are treated as any other member of staff so there is equality in the business working environment. By giving people that the safety net of a trade union, it encourages people to apart of the organisation because if there weren’t any employees then The British Heart Foundation would fail its aims and objectives. A Trade Union can offer support for Tesco’s employees .It enables these individuals to be heard and not be treated unfairly within the work place. If there wasn’t access to trade unions then some people may be treated incorrectly in the work place so it would cause people to leave or may not even work for Tesco. Tesco employees want a secure job with an opportunity for promotion. . By giving people that the safety net of a trade union, it encourages people to apart of the organisation because if there weren’t any employees then Tesco would fail its aims and objectives as they wouldn’t to be able to provide the services they do to make a profit. Suppliers A supplier is a party that supplies goods or servicesThe Items that are sold in The British Heart Foundation shops are supplied by the public through donations. People donate to the cause so The British Heart Foundation can re-sell those items to raise money for the cause. If people didn’t donate then The British Heart Foundation wouldn’t be able to raise money to fund to develop research on finding cures for heart related health issues and to inform people on these issues and prevent those individuals. Without the funding, they would fail their aims and objectives.Tesco has various supplies for its wide range of products and services. Generally Tesco has so many stores, it can buy products in bulk at very low prices per unit so they can sell to customers to make a profit. Without the suppliers of these products, they wouldn’t have a business platform or selling point. The suppliers have a somewhat control over Tesco as if they would to put their prices up then Tesco would have to reflect that in their final retail price but one of Tesco’s aims is to provide quality products at low prices. So Tesco has to closely negotiate and monitor its products to fulfil there aims and objectives. Owners An owners is an individual that owns a business. In a company it would be the shareholders. These are the people that have a financial interest in the company. Owners want to make as much profit as they can to increase the value of their business. Employer Associations An employer association is someone what a trade union to the employers. This association has the employer’s best interests at heart. Local And National Communities The Local and national communities have a big impact on organisations. The Local people will be the people who make or break a business as some of which will be their target market. Government The government wants businesses to be successful so they will be applicable to pay tax. They also want to create jobs so people don’t go into the benefit system. Evaluation I am going to evaluate the influence that stakeholders exert on Tesco. Customers Customers have a major influence on Tesco. Customers are the source of profit from buying products and services. Even though a customer may seem loyal to Tesco, they are seeking the best bargain in the market. For these customers to remain loyal, Tesco must monitor their prices constantly and be fully aware of their competition. For Tesco to survive in the market, they focus on loyalty and somewhat depend on loyal customers. Tesco offers customers various promotions like buy one get one free and other promotions. They also offer the club card which is a loyalty card which they can receive discounts and collect points to spend in store. Tesco is a great example of relationship marketing at its finest and have flourished unlike other companies which have failed. Due to people being tight on money, there is a huge demand for cheaper products so Tesco will try to be the cheapest in all of its stores and if it is cheaper than another competitor such as Sainsbury’s, then it will encourage customers to shop with them. [9] Employees [10} Employees are very important in the overall running of Tesco. They play a very important part of the company with having over half a million worldwide employees. The main thing employee’s seek are wages and job satisfaction. When recruiting, Tesco must be careful on who they employ as it could have a big impact on the company. They will be representing the company and if they are not enjoying the job and fulfilling their position, then things could start to go wrong. They also have a huge influence as if employees  were not happy with their wages or working conditions then that would reflect on their work due to lack of motivation. Tesco uses motivation as a method to improve employees working performance. For example, if people were to be treated bad by long hours and no pay, then they would leave the work place and find another job. This would also be bad publicity for the company and could build up a bad reputation. For example, in 2009 employees in Ireland threatened to strike because workers supposedly were working for twenty five to thirty hours and this was below the minimum hours in their contracts. This strike could have put a bad reputation on the company Suppliers Suppliers are also a vital stakeholder and have a big influence on any organisation. Suppliers are mainly interested in; †¢Constant Growth of purchasing †¢Long Term Contacts †¢Prompt Payment Suppliers can influence prices of the product, the quality of the product, and the product itself. This would mean that if the supplier suddenly put their prices up then Tesco would have to raise their prices in store to cover their costs. The suppliers can affect the availability of the product by the production time and delivery time. If suppliers could provide the numbers and time slots as stated on their contract, a company like Tesco couldn’t use them as have a high demand and they always must be fully in stock. As shown on Tesco’s corporate website it is clear that Tesco serve thousands of customers every minute. Each shopping trip is based on a foundation of trust placed by Tesco’s customers, who expect them to trade responsibly. Tesco know over the last year that this trust has been tested. Tesco also know that what they offer their customers depends on how they work with their suppliers. They are aware also that the industry is changing and, as Tesco continues to grow the business, they need a strong supply chain more than ever. They need partnerships with trusted suppliers who they can work with to innovate and to deliver high quality, safe products that are responsibly produced. Tesco believes better relationships deliver both a better shopping trip for customers and sustainable businesses throughout the supply chain. Tesco regularly ask their customers and stakeholders around  the world what they think about them and where they can improve. Customers tell them that food and product safety, pricing and protecting their data are their current priority concerns. Tesco’s customers want them to give them products that are safe and honestly labelled. They also want the pricing to be fair, accurate and honest. [11]

Mechanisms Of Conservative And Replicative Transposition Biology Essay

Mechanisms Of Conservative And Replicative Transposition Biology Essay Bacteriophage Mu is a temperate phage which adopts transposition pathway in its life cycle. Mu has the capability to integrate into numerous sites in host Escherichia coli genome and cause mutations due to its insertional activation. Mu transposes via two major pathways; conservative and replicative transposition though the molecular switch between the two mechanisms remain unknown. This review will focus on the comparisons between replicative and conservative transposition. The first part will discuss the similarities between the two mechanisms; donor DNA cleavage step and strand transfer step which involves nucleophilic attacks, generating single-strand nicks in Mu DNA and joining it to target DNA via one-step transesterification mechanism. The latter part will concentrate on the different characteristics in each transposition mechanism; in replicative transposition, the end product is duplication of transposon copy in both target and host DNA while in conservative transposition, a simple insertion of transposon is produced in the target DNA. 1. Characteristics of bacteriophage Mu Phage, derived from the Greek word phagein, literally means to eat. Bacteriophage Mu was named as such(find out who did) due its nature of infecting and inducing high levels of mutation in host bacteria Escherichia coli., hence the name Mu for mutator. The dual nature of Mu transposon and virus has made it as the archetypal model of studying phage genetics. Bacteriophage Mu is a temperate phage of E. coli which employs the transposition mechanism in its life cycle. Transposition can either be conservative (excising the transposon and inserting it into bacterial chromosome) or replicative (transposon copies are produced in both transposon and bacterial chromosome). Both mechanisms will be discussed extensively later in this article. Unlike the phage ÃŽÂ », insertion of Mu genome into the target site proceeds in a randomly manner which makes it an excellent mutator. Fig. 1: The life cycle of bacteriophage Mu(5). The life cycle of phage Mu is shown schematically in Fig. 1 above. Bacteriophage Mu infect susceptible host cell by adsorption and then, injects its linear viral genome. Once inside the host cell, the linear genome does not circularized(4,5,19), unlike in phage ÃŽÂ ». In either case of lytic or lysogenic phase, Mu integrates its DNA into the host genome via conservative transposition(16,19). This is observed differently in phage ÃŽÂ » where the infecting phage DNA will be integrated into host genome only during lysogenization(19). An enzyme called transposase, encoded by MuA gene in the phage genome, is absolutely crucial to carry out this conservative transposition step. Phage DNA is inserted at multiple sites in a bacterial genome which lead to the assumption that the insertion occur by a random manner(8). However, there are several factors that influence target site selection such as MuA protein efficiency and transposition immunity(15). After integration, Mu usually adopts a quiescent prophage lifestyle(lysogenic phase). The preference between lysogenic and lytic phase in Mu life cycle is dependent on its stability in the lysogen and lysogenic repressors. However, lysogens of Mu phage sometimes enter the lytic phase though this is a rare event. When induced, usually by using temperature-sensitive repressor mutants of phage Mu and subject it at 42ËÅ ¡C, the lysogen will enter lytic cycle. When the lysogenic repressor is inactivated, Mu transposes via replicative transposition, producing copies of phage genome which will be packaged into new virions. The virions then lyse the host cell and infect new hosts. Bacteriophage Mu virions comprised of icosahedral head(diameter 54nm), a baseplate, a contractile tail and six short tail fibres(5). Fig. 2: Simplified cartoon illustrating packaging of Mu genome. Typical length of phage Mu DNA is approximately 37kb long. Additional 2 kb of host DNA is incorporated during DNA packaging which is shown as flanking each end of the integrated Mu genome, with most of it at the right end. Unique sequences of host DNA and at the right end of the packaged DNA is dependent on initiation site of packaging in the host DNA(24). Fig. 3: Physical and genetic map of bacteriophage Mu. Solid black lines represent Mu DNA while the boxes at the two ends indicate flanking host DNA sequences. Mu genes (indicated in block letters) and their corresponding translational products are as indicated(19). A typical size of wild-type phage Mu DNA is about 37.5 kb, however each phage capsid can accommodate up to 39 kb long. Phage genome has a pac site which serves as the starting point in packaging of the phage DNA, located within attL(5). The initiation cleavage by phage enzyme terminase occurs upstream of the phage pac site, which includes host sequence of about 50-150bp flanking the left end. Second cleavage initiated when a complete filling of capsid is achieved, which includes 0.5 kb to 2 kb of host sequence flanking the right end(1). Genetic and physical map of phage Mu is illustrated in Fig. 3. Bacteriophage Mu utilizes headful mechanism strategy, which confer variable lengths of host DNA flanking the left ends of Mu DNA depending on the initiation site of genome packaging(Fig. 2). 2. Transposition mechanism (E) (D) (C) (B) (A) Fig. 4: Modes of bacteriophage Mu transposition. (A), (B) and (C) are the common steps in both conservative and replicative transposition of phage Mu. In conservative and replicative transposition, phage Mu will follow-up step (D) and (E) respectively. Curved arrows indicate nucleophile attack, transferring the 3-OH ends to the staggered 5-phosphate ends of target DNA. Dentate lines (XXXX) indicate target DNA sequences which are duplicated during transposition (16). Numerous in vitro studies have been conducted to study the mechanism of transposition, and usually mini-Mu elements are used. A minimal Mu element consists of a selectable gene, a plasmid replication origin and essential Mu ends(2). The mechanism of transposition is discussed in respect to an in vitro system from this point onwards unless stated otherwise. Following discussion on transposition mechanism are based on Shapiro model(22) as it has been widely accepted as the golden model in this field. The current known modes of transposition is divided into two: non-replicative (conservative) and replicative transposition. Both strategies utilize the same mechanism up to point (Fig. 4C) where each strategy employs different mechanism, producing different end products. A simple insertion of transposon is generated in target DNA by conservative transposition (Fig. 4D) while two copies of transposon formed in both donor and target DNA by replicative transposition (Fig. 4E). Point A to C are considered as the similar features in both conservative and replicative transposition while point D and E is the distinction between the two modes of transposition. Therefore, mechanisms involved in point A,B and C are discussed in context of both replicative and conservative transposition, which comprises of DNA cleavage step and strand transfer step. Sequential stages of both cleavage and strand transfer steps are illustrated in Fig. 4. 2.1 Donor DNA cleavage step Two critical chemical steps in both transposition pathways are donor DNA cleavage step and DNA strand transfer step(5,8). The donor DNA cleavage step is initiated when water molecules within an active site act as nucleophiles, and attack phosphodiester bond in DNA backbone at each of the transposon end(4,5). The cleavage step involves a direct hydrolysis of phosphodiester bond by water, and not by covalent enzyme-DNA intermediate(17). The phosphodiester bond is cleaved at the flanking host-transposon DNA boundary. 3-hydroxyl (OH) ends of the Mu DNA are exposed at the end of the cleavage step. Strand transfer results in fusion of target and donor DNA, which forms an intermediate molecule (8). The process (simplified in Fig. 4C) follows the Shapiro model(22). Bacteriophage-encoded proteins, MuA protein (transposase) and MuB protein (ATPase) are required for transposition. Other requirements to ensure efficiency of transposition are accessory proteins such as host-encoded DNA bending proteins called hydroxyurea (HU) and integration host factor (IHF)(8). The inverted repeats at the end of donor DNA, and target sequence on bacterial chromosome are also important in transposition mechanism. The assembly of higher order protein-DNA complexes called transposome has been identified by in vitro studies(6). A three-site synaptic complex called the LER complex comprising right and left ends of Mu and transpositional enhancer, was formed in the beginning of transposition in vitro(23). MuA protein binds to MuA binding site at the ends of Mu DNA as monomer, and subsequently function as tetramer of MuA (transposase). Host IHF and HU protein were found to aid in formation and stabilisation of LER complex. The LER complex is relatively unstable and so, is rapidly converted into stable synaptic complex (SSC), also known as type 0 complex(17). This is the critical checkpoint before any chemical reaction is carried out as it is the rate-limiting step of cleavage reaction(6). A stable synapse between tetramer of MuA and the two ends of Mu DNA is made but no cleavage is initiated yet at this point. Nonetheless, the active site is structurally occupied to the region around the scissile phosphate while the flanking DNA are destabilized upon formation of the SSC complex(6). In addition to formation of a stable synapse, the Mu ends needs to be properly-oriented, a super coiled DNA topology, and accessory DNA sites are also important to proceed to the next step. Formation of SSC usually is short-lived in presence of Mg2+ but can be accumulated in presence of suitable divalent cations such as Ca2+,which promotes the formation of SSC(8,17). Next, SSC is converted into a type 1 transposome complex, also called as cleaved donor complex(CDC)(9). The 3 ends of Mu DNA are nicked in presence of Mg2+. Two subunits of MuA tetramer, that are associated with the sites that undergo cleavage, assemble in trans arrangement which favours the strand transfer reaction(5). The formation of CDC can then be thought as the result of donor DNA cleavage step. Type 1 transposome complex exhibits greater stability than the type 0 complex though MuA forms structural and functional core in both transposome complexes(6). In addition of stably bound tetramer of MuA proteins, there are loosely associated MuA proteins present in the CDC as well. In absence of MuB protein, MuA tetramer is unable to promote strand transfer reaction unless these extra MuA proteins are present. MuB protein is an ATP-dependent DNA-binding protein, which also acts as an allosteric activator of Mu transposase (MuA proteins)(21). Transposition can still proceed in absence o f MuB proteins, but MuA protein by itself is only 1% efficient(3). 2.2 Strand transfer step A hallmark of this step is the formation of strand transfer complex (STC), also known as type 2 transposome complex. The end product of STC is formation of a branched molecule(Shapiro intermediate) which is characterized by a covalent interaction between donor DNA and target DNA via 5bp single-stranded gaps and its ÃŽÂ ¸ structure(22). MuB protein first captures a target molecule and bring it to the vicinity of the transposome complex, forming a TC complex(6). Formation of TC complexes rapidly undergo one-step transesterification reaction, which is the rate-limiting step in the strand transfer step. Interestingly, recruiting of target molecules by MuB proteins and formation of TC complexes can occur at several time point during the reaction pathway(6). This is a particularly efficient step to maximize transposition potential as it would speed up rate of strand transfers during transposition. The free 3-OH ends produced from the cleavage step act as nucleophile and attack phosphates of target DNA at the 5 ends. 5-nucleotides long offset nicks are made in the target DNA, generating a staggered arrangement(3). At this stage, the MuA proteins(transposase) are still tightly bound to the branched molecule with single stranded gaps. This pose an obstruction for the assembly of replication fork by host replication factors. The structure of the branched molecule is simplified in (C) of Fig. 4. The forming of this intermediate molecule serves as the critical point which distinguish between conservative and replicative transposition. A widely accepted model is that the resolving of this co-integrate molecule by a special resolvase complex leads to double copies of transposon being made in both donor and target site(REFerence). This is by definition, a replicative transposition pathway. Thus, the strand transfer complex is destabilized and disassembled by a system of eight E. coli host molecular proteins (DnaB helicase, DnaC protein, DnaG primase, DNA polymerase II, single-strand binding protein, DNA gyrase, DNA polymerase I and DNA ligase) and molecular chaperon called ClpX, producing cointegrates(13). This transition from transposome complex to a replisome results in duplication of 5-bp target DNA sequences flanking both ends of Mu DNA. Alternatively, if the bacteriophage Mu is to enter the conservative pathway, the co-integrate molecule is repaired or processed without performing Mu DNA replication. The end product of STC in a conservative transposition is a simple insertion of single mini-Mu element inserted into the target DNA(8). However, the mechanism of this model is poorly understood. Fig. 5: Transposome complexes involved during DNA cleavage complex and DNA strand transfer. (A) A plasmid (gray line) bearing donor mini-Mu element (black line) DNA in the in vitro system is negatively coiled. (B) In presence of host HU protein, Mu A protein bind to the two ends of Mu DNA forming a stable synaptic complex (not shown). Assembly of MuA tetramer produces a nick at each ends of Mu DNA, creating a cleaved donor complex (CDC). (C) Nicked 3 ends of Mu DNA are joined together to target DNA in presence of MuB protein forming a strand transfer complex (STC). MuA tetramer is still tightly bound to the Mu ends in the STC. (D) In replicative transposition, a cointegrate molecule is produced when replication of target DNA initiated from the 3 Mu ends by host replication machinery (13). 3. Replicative transposition Replicative transposition was first suggested by Ljungquist and Bukhari (1977) to occur in situ after induction of lysogens, which means that the Mu prophage was not excised from host chromosome during transposition(14). The lysogens were digested with restriction enzymes which cleaves both host and Mu DNA at specific restriction sites. Two of the fragments from the restriction digests contain both host and Mu DNA, which corresponds to junctions between host and prophage DNA, suggesting that prophage DNA is replicated in situ of host chromosome(19). Several genetic and biochemical predictions made in the Shapiro model have been demonstrated in both in vivo and in vitro studies, hence this model is accepted as a plausible mechanism to explain transposition in phage Mu. Numerous techniques have been done to study the direction of replication of Mu DNA during transposition. Results obtained by annealing of Okazaki fragments to separated strands of Mu DNA shows that more than 80% of Mu molecules replication proceed from left to right end(11,19). Electron microscopical observation of mini-Mu element shows that replicating molecules in vitro replicate from both ends in equal probability'(11,19). Replication of Mu DNA is accepted to be predominantly unidirectional, that is from left towards the right end(20). Intramolecular replication pathway can result in inversion, deletion, and simple insertion while intermolecular events can produce co-integrate molecules(19). In the case of Mu transposition, formation of co-integrate molecule needs to be resolved in order to produce two replicons; one molecule contains transposon and target DNA while another molecule contains transposon and donor DNA(10). 4. Conservative transposition The main characteristic of conservative transposition is that phage DNA is not replicated prior to integration. Upon infection of a susceptible host cell (usually E. coli), Mu employs conservative, or also called non-replicative transposition to transfer its genome to the target site. As discussed earlier, conservative transposition pathway follows single strand nicks at the 3 ends of Mu DNA, of which the exposed 3-OH ends join to the staggered cut target DNA at the 5ends forming a co-integrate molecule. The co-integrate or so-called Shapiro intermediate is repaired and generates a simple insertion in the target DNA though the mechanism is still poorly understood. Shapiro model emphasized on single-stranded nicks at Mu ends, joining of Mu to a staggered double-strand break in target DNA, formation of an intermediate molecule, and shedding of heterogeneous of previous host DNA sequences after ligation in conservative pathway(22). On the other hand, Morisato and Kleckner (1984) proposed a different mechanism based on results with Tn10 transposition. Their model is double-stranded cleavages at the transposon ends generating an excised transposon, which then circularizes via ligation on one of the strands(18). It predicts shedding of host sequences from the Mu DNA ends before ligation into the new target DNA. Study of Mu transposition using plasmid substrates in vitro produced results in favour of the Shapiro model, and hence this model has been widely accepted and used in studies. Fig. 6: A model of conservative transposition which utilizes double-strand cleavages during integration. (A) Transposase bind to the inverted repeats at Mu-host boundary sites and cleaves off the transposon away. (B) Transposase made a staggered cut at target sequence of which exposed 3-OH ends of transposon attacks 5-phosphate ends of the host (not shown). The transposon then joins to the host sequence. Duplicated target sequence of 5-bp are completed by host replication machinery (7). The debate on single-strand or double-strand cleavage however does not end there. If phage Mu were to utilize the Shapiro model of transposition during integration (the well-established cointegrate mechanism), the flanking host sequences would remain bound to Mu ends. This would clearly pose a problem as subsequent target-primed replication of the linear integrant would not work, or simply break the chromosome(1). Evidently, results from in vitro experiments are against this as the transposition end products contain transposon, suggesting a complete transposition process have been accomplished. So, does the infecting Mu DNA utilize the Shapiro model where the cointegrate molecule gets processed and repaired, prior to replication at the flanking sequence? Or does it follow a cut-and-paste mechanism where both strands of Mu DNA gets cleaved off from the flanking host DNA sequence (as illustrated in Fig. 6), where no cointegrate molecule is generated, which eventually means, there is no need for resolve by replication? An in vitro experiment was done by Au et al. (2006) to observe the fate of flanking host DNA sequences upon phage Mu infection. Specific markers specific to the infecting phage Mu DNA as well as the donor host (lacZ/proB) were used. These markers were acquired from the host in which the phage had been propagated but absent in the host being infected(1). Upon infection of plasmids by bacteriophage Mu, signal for flanking sequences and Mu DNA were detected in the chromosome at the same time point (approximately at minute 8), which correspond to the integration time point of Mu. Subsequent expression of lacZ and proB were detected maximally at minute 15, significantly reduced at minute 30 and by minute 50, expression were halted(1). Maximal expression at minute 15 most likely corresponds to climax of integration of the infecting phage population. These findings strongly suggest that flanking sequences get integrated together with Mu DNA into the new target site and are subsequently, rem oved by a special mechanism(which explained the undetectable expression at minute 50). This then proves that infecting phage Mu employs an alternate cointegrate mechanism (also called as nick-join-process mechanism) in conservative transposition pathway, where the Mu DNA undergo single-strand nicks, joins to the target DNA, and repaired before replication of the 5-bp gap left by the flanking sequence(1). The mechanism of removal and repair of host flanking sequence however, remains ambiguous. Conclusion Dual nature of bacteriophage Mu, a transposable element and a virus, is certainly interesting but what is more fascinating is that it utilizes both replicative and non-replicative transposition throughout its life cycle. The former mechanism produces a transposon copy in both donor and target DNA while the latter usually generates a simple insertion of transposon in the target DNA, leaving a gap in the host DNA which most likely will get degraded. In the early stages, both replicative and conservative transposition pathway share a similar mechanism. Regardless of the transposition pathway, infecting Mu DNA during the first round of infection will integrate its DNA into the target chromosome via two critical steps; donor DNA cleavage step and strand transfer step. Mu uses a phosphoryl transfer involving nucleophilic attacks of water on phosphodiester bonds of Mu DNA, producing single-strand nicks. A second nucleophilic attack by exposed 3-ends of Mu DNA on 5-ends of target phosphodiester bonds, which then joins the Mu DNA to target DNA via one-step transesterification mechanism. A series of transposome complexes are formed throughout these processes including Mu-encoded MuA proteins(transposase) and MuB proteins(ATPase). A cointegrate is produced in both pathways but in replicative transposition, this intermediate molecule is resolved producing two replicons with transposon copy in each molecule. In conservative transposition, the cointegrate is repaired generating a simple insertion in the target DNA. Hence, it is more accurate to name conservative transposition as nick-join-process rather than the conventional cut-and-paste mechanism as the latter suggest double-strand nicks at the transposon end, which has been proven inaccurate by in vitro experiments. Both transposition pathways have been compared extensively in this review but much of functional core of the mechanisms remain to be understood. (2944 words)

GOYA :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes was born on March 30, 1746, in Fuendetodos, a village in northern Spain. The family later moved to Saragossa, where Goya's father worked as a gilder. At fourteen years old, Goya was apprenticed to Jose Luzan, a local painter. Later he went to Italy to continue his study of art. On returning to Saragossa in 1771, he painted frescoes for the local cathedral. These works, done in the decorative rococo tradition, established Goya's artistic reputation. In 1773 he married Josefa Bayeu, sister of Saragossa artist Francisco Bayeu. The couple had many children, but only one--a son, Xavier--survived to adulthood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From 1775 to 1792 Goya painted cartoons (designs) for the royal tapestry factory in Madrid. This was the most important period in his artistic development. As a tapestry designer, Goya did his first genre paintings, or scenes from everyday life. The experience helped him become a keen observer of human behavior. He was also influenced by neoclassicism, which was gaining favor over the rococo style. Finally, his study of the works of Velazquez in the royal collection resulted in a looser, more spontaneous painting technique.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the same time, Goya achieved his first popular success. He became established as a portrait painter to the Spanish aristocracy. He was elected to the Royal Academy of San Fernando in 1780, named painter to the king in 1786, and made a court painter in 1789. A serious illness in 1792 left Goya permanently deaf. Isolated from others by his deafness, he became increasingly occupied with the fantasies and inventions of his imagination and with critical and satirical observations of mankind. He evolved a bold, free new style close to caricature. In 1799 he published the Caprichos, a series of etchings satirizing human folly and weakness. His portraits became penetrating characterizations, revealing their subjects as Goya saw them. In his religious frescoes he employed a broad, free style and an earthy realism unprecedented in religious art.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Goya served as director of painting at the Royal Academy from 1795 to 1797 and was appointed first Spanish court painter in 1799. During the Napoleonic invasion and the Spanish war of independence from 1808 to 1814, Goya served as court painter to the French. He expressed his horror of armed conflict in The Disasters of War, a series of starkly realistic etchings on the atrocities of war. They were not published until 1863, long after Goya's death.

Mentoring Nursing and Healthcare Students Essay examples -- Nursing Ed

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) defines the role of a mentor as a nurse with specific training who is able to facilitate learning, and supports and supervises students in a practice setting (NMC 2008). Mentorship plays an integral part in the next generation of practitioners and nursing professionals play a vital role in guiding a process that allows the transference of knowledge, skills and attributes from healthcare professionals to the students they are working with (English National Board and Department of Health 2001). This assignment will critically review the key issues for the preparation of an effective learning environment and appraise the opportunities and challenges experienced when facilitating learning in practice. It will analyse the mentors role and accountability within the assessment process, and the evaluation processes that develop student learning in practice. The environment in which this assignment is set is a thirty bedded Acute Medical Ward, within the Department of Medicine for older people in an NHS teaching hospital. A mentors role in this clinical setting involves providing both formal and informal learning opportunities in supporting students, newly qualified nurses and Healthcare support workers. A strengths weaknesses opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis of the clinical setting ( appendix1) highlights the complexities of this learning environment. In recent years a great deal of emphasis has been placed on the clinical environment and its importance in the facilitation of learning, where students are most likely to be receptive to learning and nurses are able to combine the theory taught at university, with the practical skills required to become a competent practitioner. Pell... ...oyal College of Nursing (RCN) (2007) Guidance for mentors of nursing students and midwives, London: Royal College of Nursing Shakespeare, P. and Webb, C. (2008) 'Professional identity as a resource for talk: exploring the mentor-student relationship', Nursing Inquiry, 15 (4), pp 270-279 Sharples, K., Kelly, D. and Elcock, K. (2007) 'Supporting mentors in practice', Nursing Standard, 21 (39), pp 44-47 Spouse, J. (2008) 'Learning through legitimate peripheral participation', Nurse Education Today, 18 (5), pp 345-351 Tetheridge, J. (2010) 'Interviewing student and qualified nurses to find out what makes an effective mentor', Nursing Times, 106 (48), pp 19 – 21 Timmins, F. and Kaliszer, M. (2002) 'Aspects of nurse education programmes that frequently cause stress to nursing students – fact finding sample survey', Nurse Education Today, 22, pp 203-211

Shuffling in the Age of Computers :: Technology Electronics Essays

Shuffling in the Age of Computers Whether learnt from a Hollywood movie or some crude rendition of â€Å"Dogs Playing Poker" everyone has some mental picture of the American card-playing experience: the hazy cloud of cigar smoke hovering just above the table; the half-empty bottle of whiskey lying conspicuously closest to the smallest stack of money; the grizzled middle-aged man struggling to intermix a deck of cards. And yet despite this universal imagery, nothing could be further from the truth. I recently spent a weekend at Canterbury Park in Minnesota, a card-club just south of the Twin Cities. Having arrived there at around three in the morning, I became aware that smoking was not allowed at the tables, that drinks were no longer being served, and that even the once immutable middle-aged man had been replaced by an electronic shuffling machine. Of course I realize the hazards of second-hand smoke; I can even find compromise with temperance; however, to replace the shuffle, the game's manifestation of trust and mistrust, was to me unacceptable. Realizing immediately that poker was forever ruined, I returned to Iowa distraught and inconsolable. Why would a card-room want to use a machine to sort cards in a deck? Could the benefits of such a machine really be worth the costs? Is it possible to find happiness in the sullen world of mechanized random? Presently there are three prevailing technologies for card-shuffling: the cutting-edge computerized shufflers used in casinos, the battery-operated home game models, and the archaic, yet ever popular, human hand. Shuffling, of course, is the process of randomizing a deck of cards so that order is unknown. This sounds pretty straight-forward, but considering there are over 8.06x10^67 permutations of a 52-card deck the task of finding a good method becomes slightly more daunting. For example, in hand shuffling, mathematicians question the reliability of common methods to produce all of these known combinations. Two of the most common hand shuffling techniques are the riffle shuffle (mixing two halves of a deck; the standard bridge shuffle) and Monge’s shuffle (moving cards from one half alternatively to the top and bottom of the other half; see picture above). Although superficially a deck may appear to be rearranged using these shuffles, close examination of the deck tends to show high serial correlation—simply a large probability that patterns exist and can be detected.

Why Communication Is Important in a School Setting

How communication supports positive relationships. Communication is the process of establishing meaningful relationships among human beings. Part of communication is used to share information, thoughts and feelings between each other. Effective communication ensures whether the transmitted contents are received and understood by someone in the way they were intended. Also the common goal of effective communication includes creating a general perception, changing behaviours and acquiring correct information. Many people think that communication is easy.It is not just about talking. There are many other things involved with effective communication such as gesture, proper body language, expressions and listening. Communication should not only be mistaken for information sharing only. Effective communication is important in developing positive relationships with children, young people and adults in all walks of life and at any age whether it be with relatives, friends, neighbours, collea gues, associates or even total strangers. Also, effective language skills are essential for children to access the curriculum.Effective communication in a school is capable to facilitate talent, creative thinking, a change in attitude etc. It is extremely important that pupils learn the value of team work and co-operation from the early stages of their lives. A school is a place where the pupils learn that they have to communicate with other fellow pupils to get work done. It is in the school that the students learn that their ideas, opinions and efforts are valued and that they are active members of the society. Effective communicators must be able to look at things from different perspectives.This enables you to see things from a different view point, helping to build trust and show respect for another person’s feelings on a situation. It also shows that you are interested in what someone has to say and will listen without judgement to both sides of a story. If someone feel s they can come and talk with ease and without barriers self-esteem is greatly improved and can lead to more positive relationships with children, staff and parents. Principles of relationship building. Maintaining a good line of communication in school is important for students, arents and the staff. There are several reasons why it is important for school staff to communicate well with each other Good lines of communication. In schools the Head-teachers , teachers, support staff and pupils must all be consistently involved in the process of effective communication. Effective communication has everything to do with constructing a positive school environment. The principles of relationship building with children, young people and adults can be put down to the dispositions and attitudes of the people that the relationship is between.Relationships of any kind are best built on a foundation of trust and mutual respect if it is to develop into a healthy one. A calm disposition is requir ed especially when dealing with behavioural issues conflicts or disagreements. It is important to be open and approachable so that whenever you interact with someone, they feel at ease, valued and secure. Teamwork plays a big part in showing that whatever the problem everyone understands that there are mutually agreed lines of communication whether it be with children, staff or parents. Positive relationships are built not made and everyone has something different they can contribute.A school is a learning-rich environment, and every member of the school is expected to communicate effectively and contribute to building relationships and show good interpersonal skills. Good communication is also important because it helps to build positive relationships. When clear expectations and boundaries are established and you make your point as plainly and as simply as possible then that leaves no room for interpretation and this creates a positive learning or working environment. In an enviro nment such as this, healthy relationships can be nurtured between anybody.

Chivalric Code in Beowulf

The Importance of the Retainer and King in the Heroic Code Members of the Anglo-Saxon warrior society subscribed to an ethos that celebrated the heroic code. In the passage from Beowulf, the poet’s interest in the duties of a loyal retainer and the duties of a great king are evident in the specific language he uses to describe Beowulf’s encounter with the dragon. In one specific passage of this poem, Beowulf is portrayed as an ideal retainer by the loyalty, courage and fealty to the king he possesses.At the beginning of this passage, Beowulf reflects on King Hygelac and the many sacrifices and deeds he provided to Beowulf during his youth. A sorrowful mood is brought upon this specific text, as Beowulf reminisces on the death of Hygelac, â€Å"I marched ahead of him, always there/ at the front of the line; and I shall fight like that/ for as long as I live†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Beowulf 2497-2499). Beowulf acknowledges how privileged he is to have a life of luxury and obtain s uch wisdom inherited by Hygelac.If it was not for Hygelac, Beowulf would not have survived such a long, prosperous life, mentoring Hygelac’s son and soon holding the throne himself. As Beowulf prepares to fight the dragon, he easily allows the warriors to stand their place and not go any further. Demonstrating his courage, Beowulf states: This fight is not yours, nor is it up to any man except me to measure his strength against the monster or to prove his worth.I shall win the gold by my courage, or else mortal combat, doom of battle, will bear your lord away. (2532-2535) He believes that terminating the dragon is the duty only he can accomplish as well as longing for a feeling of satisfaction as he seeks the glory of winning the battle and knowing he has demolished the risk of danger his people will have to face. Based on the duration of this poem, Beowulf is accustomed to the warrior duties and later on the lifestyle of a king. These two titles have very distinct roles in A nglo-Saxon society.Beowulf, as a young warrior need not much to worry about status and having the knowledge that his people are safe and satisfied. He then gains wisdom as he witnesses Hygelac’s form of generosity towards him and his people, â€Å"The treasures that Hygelac lavished on me†¦He gave me land/ and the security land brings, so he had no call/ to go looking for some lesser champion,† (2490-2494). Beowulf demonstrates Hygelac as a loyal lord, true to his people; in return Beowulf brings himself forward as a tribute to fight the dragon.As Beowulf earns the chance to hold the throne as king later on in the poem, it is evident that the responsibilities he held were much to his advantage when the time of battle arose against the dragon. His full awareness, â€Å"‘†¦as king of the people I shall pursue this fight/ for the glory of winning, if the evil one will only/ abandon his earth-fort and face me in the open. ’† (2513-2515) Beowul f, as king and warrior only interprets as a right-doing to go into battle with the dragon, knowing his life is at risk.Towards the conclusion of this passage, Beowulf falls and has no choice but, â€Å"to give ground like that and go/ unwillingly to inhabit another home/ in a place beyond;† (2588-2590). Beowulf is true to his fellow citizens and attempts to provide to their needs even if it means losing the battle and sacrificing his life, which was the case in this poem. From this passage, it is evidently shown that Beowulf can not only hold a title of a loyal retainer with his endless amount of courage but also a grand lord, with unlimited sacrifice to his citizens. Word Count: 578

Culturally diverse entity Essay

Listing down the sources of my cultural programming sure opened up my eyes to the realities that I am facing. As a person who is growing up and trying to come to terms with my identity as it interacts with the world, it is amazing to know that there are a lot of sources of my cultural programming. Although I consider my family as one of the main sources of my understanding of my own world, I realize that I am also bringing in cultural diversity to my family. As a part of the new generation of people in the world, we are different from our parents and much more from our grandparents. As such, through the technology I use and the ideas that I come across with, I am becoming more diverse in terms of culture. There are times that several sources of my cultural programming come into conflict. I can think of several ones. The church and the morality and faith it is teaching sometimes come into conflict with the kinds of movies and TV shows I watch. Quite honestly, there are times that I feel that church stuff is boring but when I also realize the wars, the way that people tend to forget courtesy and the sense of right and wrong, I feel that the church still has something to offer. Another source of conflict is perhaps the way that my family expects me to behave in a certain way and the way in which my friends treat each other and the way that media such as television shows and movies portray the life of a teenager. There are times that I get confused with the expectations of my parents and the way that I want to live. But I know that I have to respect them and listen to them. Culture is very broad and I think that as young people of today, we are exposed to more shapers of culture than did our parents and grandparents. That is why there are conflicts in these cultures as they are developed in me.

Resourcing and talent planning assessment Essay

This assignment will be investigating what constitutes â€Å"best practice† in recruitment and selection, and explain what strategies should be used to ensure the best qualified and most effective employees are selected. In particular this essay will focus on; The use of job descriptions, personal specifications and competence frameworks. Analysing the main recruitment and selection methods. Explaining the main legislation that impacts on recruitment and selection. Describing how contracts of employment are established.  At its core, recruitment and selection is about attracting and employing the most qualified and capable individual that will add value to the organisation. Marchington and Wilkinson (2008, 223) explain the importance of recruitment, â€Å"Staffing and resourcing, and in particular recruitment and selection, is a critical feature of HRM in all organisations, irrespective of their size, structure or sector.† Once an organisation has identified that a vacancy has arisen, it is best practice is to complete â€Å"job analysis† to identify the key duties and responsibilities of the role. This is used to create an up to date â€Å"job description† and â€Å"personal specification† for the new job role. It is important that these documents are reviewed, as the existing versions may not include key duties and skills that the role as evolved to demand. In some cases the job description and personal specification will not have been reviewed since the previous employee was appointed. Well written job descriptions should identify the duties and responsibilities candidates should expect to undertake if successful. They should also include a job title, location of post and reporting structure. Personal specifications should identify the key attributes required, such as qualifications, experience and attitude. They also often include any additional requirements such as a driving licence / requirement to travel etc. These attributes are often split into â€Å"essential† and â€Å"desirable† areas. Once these have been  finalised they can then be used to advertise and recruit a new employee, either by advertising directly (company intranet / website, local press etc) or used to give an employment agency / recruitment consultant a basis from which to work. These documents may also inform questions asked at interview. Leatherbarrow and Fletcher (2014, 76) discuss the varied use of job descriptions, â€Å"In addition to their use in recruitment, job descriptions have a key role in other activities, such as identifying training needs, and introducing or reviewing a job evaluation scheme and other systems of payment.† However, not all HR experts agree on the usefulness of job descriptions, as demonstrated by Marchington and Wilkinson (2008, 236), â€Å"Despite being widely used, job descriptions have been heavily criticised for being outmoded and increasingly irrelevant to modern conditions, symptomatic of what is seen as a collectivist, inflexible and more rules-orientated culture.† If an organisation chooses not to use a personal profile, they may instead use a â€Å"competency framework†. These often have a greater emphasis on the skills an individual has, such as communication skills, people management, customer service, problem solving etc, rather than the previous experience or qualifications. Leatherbarrow and Fletcher (2014, 179) explain competency frameworks, â€Å"Similar to personal specifications, competency frameworks outline a list of characteristics which are required by the post holder. These may be organisation-wide competencies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ or specific to the job such as attention to detail or numeracy perhaps for an accountant.† When recruiting for a vacancy there are various methods that can be used, depending on if the vacancy is to be advertised internally (to existing employees) or externally (to the general public). Sourcing candidates internally can ensure talented employees stay within the organisation; however it often does not negate the need to recruit externally, as another vacancy will invariably arise in the department the successful candidate originated from. Internal recruitment can be done relatively cheaply and quickly; the vacancy can be advertised through staff notice boards, company intranet or company-wide emails. If internal recruitment is not an option /  has been unsuccessful, companies will the need to advertise to a wider audience. An employer will need to decide which method of recruitment is most suitable for the role and organisation. Common recruitment methods include advertising on the company’s own corporate website, using internet based jobsites, recruitment agencies , local or national press, job centre plus or employee referral schemes. The CIPD resourcing and talent planning survey (2013) lists the top 5 methods of recruitment as, â€Å"1) Own corporate website 62% 2) Recruitment agencies 49% 3) Commercial job boards 38% 4) Employee referral schemes 33% 5) Professional networking (such as linkedin) 31%† The method used will depend on a number of factors, as Armstrong (2012, 22) discusses, â€Å"The criteria to use when making a choice are: 1) the likelihood that it will produce good candidates 2) the speed with which the choice enables recruitment to be completed 3) the costs involved, bearing in mind that there may be direct advertising costs or consultants’ fees.† Other factors that need to be taken into consideration include the job role / target audience, location of post and success of previous methods, for example, if the vacancy is for a highly experienced and qualified professional, the labour market is likely to be much tighter that if the vacancy is for an entry level administrator. Therefore it makes sense to advertise to a national market to generate a higher number of suitable applications. Upon placing the job advertisement, an employer also needs to decide on the initial selection method that will be used to enable them to create a shortlist. This could include requesting a CV and / or cover letter, application forms, online applications or email or telephone enquiries. Once the recruitment process has been completed and the applications have been received, shortlisting and selection can then begin. Applications should be shortlisted according to the same criteria, which should be  relevant and non-discriminatory. Personal specifications can also be used at this stage, and applications assessed to see if they meet the â€Å"essential† and â€Å"desirable† criteria described. Applications can then be sorted into three areas, as described by Armstrong (2012, 227), â€Å"Following the analysis, applicants can be sorted initially into three categories: possible, marginal and unsuitable†¦ When there is a large field of applicants with many ‘possibles’ sifting may have to be repeated against more stringent criteria until a shortlist for interview is identified.† Once a shortlist has been agreed, best practice is to notify the unsuccessful applicants by letter or email, as agreed by Leatherbarrow & Fletcher (2014, 1 92), â€Å"A courteously worded letter or email should then be sent to the rejected applicants†¦Ã¢â‚¬  At this stage the employer also needs to decide which further methods of selection they will use on the remaining applicants. The most common method of selection is known as the â€Å"classic trio†, of application form, interview and references. However, although the most common, this does not make it the most effective; this method is often highly criticised by experts. Other selection methods include group interviews, assessment centres, competency tests, work trials, psychometric testing and work samples. The most effective selection processes involve more than one method of selection, such as a structured interview alongside a work sample test. Marchington and Wilkinson (2008, 250) citing data from Robertson and Smith (2001) discuss selection techniques, â€Å"†¦most techniques have very low levels of accuracy in terms of producing effecting selection decisions. Of techniques used on their own, work sampling offers the highest likelihood of success, closely followed by intelligence tests and structured interviewing.† During the recruitment and selection process, organisations must be mindful that they are complying with all laws that impact the process. One of the major laws that effects the recruitment and selection of staff is the Equality Act 2010. This legislation simplifies and strengthens previously existing legislation. â€Å"The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act, making the law easier to understand and strengthening protection in some situations. It sets out the different ways in which it’s unlawful to treat someone.† Government  Equalities Office (2013). The Equality Act 2010 covers 9 â€Å"protected characteristics†, as follows; Age Sex Religion / Beliefs Disability Maternity / Paternity Race Gender reassignment / Transgender Sexual orientation Marital status These characteristics are protected against the 6 types of discrimination, which are direct, indirect, discrimination by association, victimisation, harassment and perceptive discrimination. Other legislation that impacts the recruitment process include the Working Time Regulations 1998, National Minimum Wage, the Data Protection Act 2007 and the Asylum and Immigration Act 2004. In addition to civil action, should an employer found to be in breach of the Asylum and Immigration act they can face criminal action, with penalties including large fines and possible prison sentences. Therefore it is vital that all candidates / employees are able to provide proof of their right to work in the UK. Upon completion of the recruitment and selection process, and the successful candidate has accepted, a contract of employment has been established. ACAS (2014) describes contracts of employment, â€Å"A contract of employment is an agreement between an employer and employee and is the basis of the employment relationship†. A contract of employment sets out the rights and duties of the employee, and does not necessarily need to be in writing, although it is best practice to be in writing, signed and dated. The contract of employment provides protection for both employer and employee, and provides clarity to the working relationship. The contract of employment is considered to have  commenced from the date the employee has verbally accepted the role. If the employee declines to sign the written contract, but starts / continues to work, legally it is considered that the employee has accepted the terms and conditions set out in the contract of employment. The contract of employment differs to the written statement of particulars as the contract of employment is more expansive, and generally encompasses the information required within the statement of particulars. It is a legal requirement that most employees receive a written statement of particulars within two months of commencing employment. Contracts of employment generally include the following information. Identity of parties, i.e. employer / employee Employment start date Salary / hourly rate, and the intervals at which the employee will be paid Hours of work and any terms and conditions related to this Holiday allowance and pay Sickness allowance and terms and conditions Job title Terms and conditions relating to pensions Information on contracting-out Notice period Employment type, i.e. temporary, fixed term, part time etc. If fixed term, the expected end date of contract. Location of work, and any expectancy for travel Grievance procedure Any collective agreements in place Length of probationary period Any other terms and conditions that are applicable to the employee and job role Often disciplinary procedures in in employment contracts, however it is best to omit this information and have it as a separate policy. If an employer chooses to include the disciplinary procedures within the contract but does not follow them, the employer can then be sued for breach of contract.  Employees and employers are also expected to adhere to the implied terms of contract. These are not written down but should naturally happen, such as the employer providing a safe workplace and paying the employee promptly etc. Lewis and Sargeant (2013) explain the use of implied terms in the event of a disagreement, â€Å"The party wishing to rely on an implied term must satisfy a court either that such a term was so obvious that the parties did not think it necessary to state it expressly (the officious bystander test) or that such a term was necessary to give ‘business efficacy’ to the relationship.† The recruitment and selection process can be considered one of the most important aspects of a HR professionals’ job. Recruitment can be costly, and staffing costs are one of an organisations biggest expenditure. An effective and thorough recruitment and selection process should limit the impact on the organisation and ensure a high calibre of candidates and employees. Following all applicable laws, and setting out a clear and concise contract of employment provides protection for both parties, and provides the foundation for a harmonious working relationship, in which booth employer and employee are aware of their rights, duties and obligations. Bibliography M. Marchington & A. Wilkinson, 2008, Human Resource Management at Work 4th Edition, London, CIPD M. Armstrong, 2012, Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice 12th Edition, London, Kogan Page C. Leatherbarrow & J. Fletcher, 2014, Introduction to Human Resource Management, guide to HR in practice, 3rd edition, London, CIPD Government Equalities Office, updated February 2013, accessed 04/12/2014, https://www.gov.uk/equality-act-2010-guidance CIPD, 02/12/2014, http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/survey-reports/resourcing-talent-planning-2013.aspx ACAS, 06/12/2014, http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1577 D. Lewis & M. Sargeant, 2013, Employment Law the essentials, 12th Edition, London, CIPD