Computation finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Computation finance - Essay Example Creation of these dark pools has been possible because of existence of electronic trading and the fragmentation of avenues of conducting financial trading. The participants access them directly amongst themselves or through crossing networks. Dark pools are made up of three types, including where the independent entities create a distinctive and differentiated means of trading, those that are owned by brokers allowing the clients of the broker to trade amongst themselves in anonymity, and those created by the public exchanges themselves, meant to give their customers a chance to enjoy trading in anonymity and hiding of orders while trading. Hidden liquidity allows traders to ‘hide’ all or a part of their orders, which results into a market with two components – a displayed component and a non-displayed component. Hiding of orders, however, makes market participants to access incomplete knowledge regarding the market’s general depth. This paper is going to look at how these dark pools of liquidity work, why they are needed and their impact on the visible market. Most of the electronic exchanges that are order-driven use specific order types to provide liquidity such as what is referred to as ‘Iceberg Order’. An Iceberg Order is a passive order that is split into small portions, with partly or none of which is visible to the public. By concealing the actual quantity of the order, it is possible to tame price movements and reduce leakage of information, as well as any other flows that culminate from significant adjustments in the supply of stocks – this is called market impact. Splitting of orders is automated through order management systems, and it is a standard strategy used by many institutional investors.1 2 Companies are allowed to choose from three types of dark pools. The first include those owned by broker

Changes in the Seasonal Influenza a (H3N2) Viruses NS Gene

Changes in the Seasonal Influenza a (H3N2) Viruses NS Gene Analysis of Amino Acid Sequence and Identifying of Changes in the Influenza  A/(H3N2) virus NS Gene in Isolates from Iran Lawal D. Rogo,  Farhad Rezaei,  Nazanin Z. Shafiei Jandaghi,  Nastaran Ghavami,  Ghazal-Sadat Fateminasab,  Talat Mokhtari-Azad Subject: Medical Sciences Keywords: Influenza A (H3N2) virus, Iran, Mutation, NS1 gene. Abstract The main functions of NS protein of influenza A virus is suppressing of type I IFN production by the host. Insight on the level of changes in the seasonal influenza A (H3N2) viruses NS gene in Iran is little. We sequence and analyzed amino acid of NS gene of 32 influenza A (H3N2) virus isolates for the purpose of getting detailed information about the genetic changes in this gene. Amino acid sequence revealed 5 different changes in NS1protein. Three of which are fixed amino acid changes E26K, D209N and K229E while 10 (31.3%) T58P and 5 (15.6%) A86S amino acid changes were also observed. There was no change observed in nuclear export protein (NEP). The study provides an insight on mutations in NS gene occurring in this viral gene in the country that has not been reported elsewhere. Keywords: Influenza A (H3N2) virus, Iran, Mutation, NS1 gene. Introduction: Influenza viruses have been widely studied due to their pandemic capability. This capabilities have resulted in more mortality and severe disease in the general population, the most notable being the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918 and 19191. Mechanism of virulence for these viruses is on their capacity to cause immunopathogenesis. Synthesis of two mRNAs from the eighth vRNA segment of the viral gene was known by Influenza A virus. The early encodes NS1 protein, and the later is produced by splicing of NS1 mRNA that is translated into a protein which localizes in the cell nucleus that was formally named NS2 but were now renamed the nuclear export protein (NEP) 2,3. NS1 protein is translated from the mRNA directly and consists of 124–237 amino acids (aa), depending on the virus strain 4- 6. The currently circulating Influenza A/H3N2 virus in Iranian population from this research is 230 aa-long. NS1 protein is made of two important domains: N-terminal RNA-binding domain (1–73) and C-terminal effector domain (73–237) residues 7. Though NS1 protein has different roles, one of its main actions is to alter type I IFN production by the host8, acts after transcription to prevent the 3 ´-end processing of host mRNA involving IFN mRNA by attaching to cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor 30 (CPSF30) and poly-A-binding protein nuclear I 9,10 . One hundred and twenty one amino acid-long proteins were translated from mRNA of NS2/NEP11. In the current study it is 120 aa-long. It may promote production of a stable export complex of new viral RNP. In alliance with matrix protein 1(M1), it interacts with cellular export factor (CEF1) and modulates nuclear export of viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) complexes by connecting cellular export machinery with vRNPs 14. NS gene implication in virulence and replication of the virus is well-documented. It has been shown that both NS1 F103L and M106I were adaptive changes that promoted replicative capacities in cells of different species and also virulence in the mouse lung15. NS1 is one of multifunctional protein determinant of virulence with several functions in different ways to counteract the cellular innate immune response 14. It has been reported that H5N1 virus was able to interfere with IFN-ÃŽ ² activation due to properties of its NS1 gene, inhabiting F103L and M106I changes and also nature of its NP and PA genes15. Avian influenza viruses sequence analysis shows that NS1 protein C-terminal four residues is a probable PDZ domain ligand (PL) of the X-S/T-X-V type 16. Protein–protein recognition modulation that organizes diverse cell signaling assemblies was shown to be function PDZ domains. It was known to plays important roles in the cell recognition process. Ninety percent of the human influenza viruses with RSKV or RSEV in NS1 protein were shown to have a C-terminal four-residue PL sequence. High mortality outbreaks of the recent time known to be of avian origin and therefore contain avian-like NS1 C-terminal PL residues of ESEV or EPEV which are incriminated to about 7% of Homo sapiens viruses consist of H5N1 isolates. It was reported that avian viruses NS1 proteins bind to ≈30 known human PDZ domain-containing proteins, and NS1 proteins for human attaching to PDZ domain-containing proteins was not noticed 14. It has been reported that C terminus of the NS1 substitution with KSEV from the 1918 H1N1 virus increased pathogenicity as observed by morphological changes of lung sections, though the virus was shown to causes less weight loss in mice in contrast with viruses harboring the H5N1 HPAI14. Previous studies have identified a change in NS1 gene (S42P, D92E and V149A) with regard to the involvement of NS1 protein in virulence that increased viral pathogenicity17-19. NS gene extent of variation in the influenza A (H3N2) viruses in Iran in recent years has not been described. Presently analysis of NS gene of 32 isolates where carried out from Iranian population in order to secure more detailed information about its phylogeny and genetic changes, and compare the changes found in these strains, the vaccine strain and other isolates from countries in northern hemisphere. The aim of the study is sequence analysis of amino acid and identification of changes in the NS gene of influenza A (H3N2) virus isolated in Iran that may affect the functions of this protein in pathogenesis. Methods: Two hundred and fourteen specimens of patients with respiratory illness were obtained from the National Influenza Centre at School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. It was cultured in MDCK cell line following WHO guide line for influenza A virus isolation. RNA extraction was carried out with High Pure Viral Nucleic acid extraction kit (Roche Diagnostic, Germany) according to manufacturer’s protocol. Real-Time RT-PCR was carried out for the detection of Influenza viruses. Ninety specimens were positive for influenza A/H3N2 virus. NS gene was amplified using one-step RT-PCR kit (Qiagen) and specific primers (NSH3N2-F:5 ´-AGCAAAAGCAGGGTGACAAAGA-3 ´ and NSH3N2-R:5 ´-GAGAAAGTTCTTATCTCCTGTTCCA-3 ´). The condition for the RT-PCR was as follows: Reverse transcription at 50 °C for 40 minutes, initial PCR activation at 95 °C for 10 minutes, Denaturation at 95 °C for 30 second, Annealing at 57 °C for 30 second, Extension at 72 °C for 1 minutes (for 40 cycles) and a final extension at 75 °C for 10 minutes. The PCR products were purified using Qiaquick gel purification kit (Qiagen) according to manufacturer’s instruction. Samples were sequenced using specific primers and Big Dye terminator v3.1 cycle sequencing kit with the genetic analyzer ABI 3130 in the National Influenza Laboratory. Sequence alignment was done using BIOEDIT and ClustalW program20. Sequence alignment revealed similarities amongst the isolates. NS gene sequences of 32 influenza A/H3N2 virus strains isolated in this study out of 90 sequenced were selected base on the site of sample collection, compared and analyzed with the vaccine strain and the sequences obtainable from other countries in the northern hemisphere already deposited in GenBank. Phylogenetic tree construction were performed using MEGA Software version 5.05 21. Result Isolates represent samples collected from June 2013 to March 2014. In the current study 230 aa were found in NS1 while the NS2/NEP had 120 amino acids. Analysis depicted relationship phylogenetically that shows there are exact clusters of the virus suggestive of co-circulation of multiple sub-lineages (Figure 1). In respect to genetic variation, H3 numbering system of amino acid was used in naming the detected amino acid changes 13, 14. Substitutions were found in 26, 58, 86, 209 and 229 aa positions in NS1 protein, respectively (Table 1). There was no amino substitution in regard to NS2/NEP found. NS1 proteins have fixed amino acid substitution at positions 26, 209 and 229 in the current study. At position 26, it occurs as a result of substitution at the 76-78 Codon from GAA to AAA causing a glutamate to lysine substitution. In position 209, substitution occurs at 625-627 Codon from GAT to AAT causing an aspartate to asparagine substitution. While in position 229, substitution occurs at 685 – 687 Codon from AAA to GAA causing a lysine to glutamate substitution. Another 10 (30.3%) NS1 proteins substitution occurs at (58 amino acid position) 172-174 Codon from ACC to CCC causing a threonine to proline substitution. Also 5 (15.2%) of the NS1 proteins substitution occurs at (amino acid po sition 86) 256-258 Codon from GCT to TCT causing an alanine to serine substitution. Figure 1 Relationship of the NS nucleotide coding region phylogenetically of influenza viruses used in this study. Neighbor-joining analysis with Tamura-Neibour model, using MEGA 5.05 was used to generate the tree. Circular black dot represent studied samples and triangular black dot represent vaccine strain. Table 1: Amino acid changes of NS1 protein of influenza A/H3N2 virus strains from Iranian Population compared with vaccine strain and other countries in northern hemisphere. Virus isolates Amino acid at indicated position in NS1 protein 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 5 8 8 8 1 2 3 3 4 6 0 0 2 6 8 0 5 6 1 9 5 9 0 4 4 9 9 NS2/NEP analysis does not reveal any amino acid change in the present study (Table 2). Nucleotide sequence data obtained has been deposited to GenBank database and can be retrieved under accession numbers KP162026- KP162056 and KP209320. Table 2: Amino acid changes of NS2/NEP protein of influenza A/H3N2 virus strains from Iranian Population compared with vaccine strain and other countries in northern hemisphere. Virus isolates Amino acid at indicated position in NS2 protein 47 88 A/Texas/50/2012 E R A/Tehran/77254/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Eslamshahr/73061/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Eslamshahr/73060/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran/74551/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran /44573/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran/69904/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Sanandaj/65990/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Ilam/55882/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran/77150/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran /78183/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran/60708/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran/57157/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran/69969/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran/69640/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Varamin/78055/2014 †¢ †¢

Genetic Engineering Essays -- Genetic Engineering

Just imagine the scene: and newlywed wife and husband are sitting down with a catalog, browsing joyously, pointing and awing at all the different options, fantasizing about all the possibilities that could become of their future. Is this a catalog for new furniture? No. This catalog for all features, phenotype and genotype, for the child they are planning to have. It is basically a database for parents to pick and choose all aspects of their children, from the sex of the child, to looks, and even to personality traits. Parents since the beginning of time have â€Å"planned† to have children, but never have they been able to legitimately â€Å"plan† out their child. This scene does not seem typical for our time and age, but truthfully it is what is becoming of our world. Through substantial research and experimentation that is taking place, scientists, specifically biologists, are becoming keener to the field of engineering. Genetic engineering that is. When one thinks of â€Å"genetic engineering,† the first thought is probably a perfect child, or paradoxically some inconceivable creature, forged under the microscope in a scientific laboratory. Though both of these are genetic engineering, many people do not consider other things, such as genetic engineering of agriculture and medicine, both of which are extremely useful. Through the genetic altering of plants and crops, scientists have been able to manipulate their genes to withstand lower temperatures, to resist herbicides and insects, and to even extending shelf life of some particular products (Gert 1). This technology has made farmers more prosperous, as well as given the population more food that will last longer. In medicine, â€Å"a patent has already been applied for to mix human embryo... ...engineering gone too far?† 1). The creation of â€Å"chimeras,† animals containing cells from another animal, has been one of the biggest controversial topics in genetic engineering (ibid). Researchers fret over creating new diseases by combining genes to make new ones (ibid). If this were to happen, political figures may step in and enforce strict guidelines and regulations for genetic engineering. In fact, in 2006, President George Bush asked to prohibit the creation of â€Å"human-animal hybrids† (ibid). Other scientists retaliate by claiming that these â€Å"chimeras† can help find cures to known diseases, and could become one of the most helpful tools in their arsenal of ideas for the future (ibid). Either way, whether or not the use of chimeras is acceptable is debatable. If used, they could bring up new problems as well as solve old ones that have riddled us for decades.

The Effects of Music on Laboring Moms

Coping with labor pain when you are a first time mom is usually an experience filled with great anxiety. The first stage of labor is called the latent phase, in which she may be excited and anxious for labor to be well established [ (Marcia L. London, 2011) ]. The laboring mom may be unable to cope with contractions because of fear, anxiety, or lack of information [ (Marcia L. London, 2011) ].The nurse’s response should be to be supportive and provide encouragement and to establish a trusting relationship [ (Marcia L. London, 2011) ]. The challenge for the labor nurse is to reduce the pain and anxiety and to help make the labor and delivery a positive experience. The application of music therapy may be an appropriate tool for reducing anxiety and pain [ (Marcia L. London, 2011) ]. Music therapy has become popular in medicine in the last two decades.Studies show that the impulses from the auditory stimulus override the pain signals carried by the smaller nerve fibers, and music perceived by the right brain may stimulate the pituitary gland to release endorphins for decreasing pain [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ]. Music may also alter pain perception by improving mood, increasing relaxation, and reducing anxiety. Music also increases control and distraction to pain perception. The purpose of the study I read was to undertake an evaluation of music therapy on labor pain and anxiety in Taiwanese primiparas.It was hypothesized that primipara women receiving music therapy would perceive less pain and anxiety and have higher fingertip temperatures, an indication of less pain, during labor than those participants who had not received music therapy but received standard routine care [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ]. This controlled study provided evidence that music therapy for women during the latent phase of labor provided psychological and physiological benefits from pain [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ].The participants in the study were primipara women giving birth with the fol lowing criteria; they had a normal pregnancy, their pregnancy had gone to term, they planned to undergo a vaginal delivery, they had a single, normal fetus to deliver, they did not intend to use pharmacological analgesics during labor, and they consented to the participate in the study [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ]. In this study pain and anxiety were the main outcome measurements. Ultimately 60 participants were included in the analysis, 30 women were entered in the experimental group and 30 women were entered into the control group.Participants were instructed to choose types of relaxing, anxiety-reducing music. In addition to receiving standard nursing care, the experimental participants listened to music for at least 30 minutes during the latent phase and active phase of labor. Measures for pain and anxiety scales were given before and after 30 minutes of music listening during the latent and active phases of labor. Participants in the control group were not aware that they had the opportunity to listen to music, but they received the standard routine care after admission.Both groups completed the same pretest and posttest measures at the same phases of labor as the music group. Twenty-four hours after childbirth, women in the experimental group were asked to complete an open-ended questionnaire to indicate their perceptions of the effectiveness of music therapy on pain and anxiety and a five-point scale to evaluate the helpfulness of music. All the outcome measures for latent and active phases were analyzed separately because of the different level of pain.The results indicated that women in the music-listening group had lower pain and anxiety and higher fingertip temperatures than their peers in the control group during the latent phase, but the outcome measures were not significant during the active phase. Music seems to have multiple functions in pain reduction, including focusing, distracting, and stimulating pleasure responses. The study provides evidenc e that preselected music that is slow, relaxing and calming in nature, with little variation in tempo or volume is helpful for laboring women in the early latent phase [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ].In the active phase of labor the slow music was not effective. This is when contractions are more intense and more painful and it is possible that the auditory cue did not synchronize with the women’s rhythmic short, rapid breathing [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ]. It could be that music with a more rapid tempo would be more helpful. Pain and anxiety can influence heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, peripheral blood flow and fingertip temperature (FT). Elevation of FT is a significant indicator of physical relaxation through the sympathetic response [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ].This study shows that music can promote relaxation and decrease muscle tension which can increase peripheral blood flow as well as skin temperature as evidenced by the increased FT [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ]. In conclusion, this controlled study provides evidence that music therapy for women during the latent phase of labor provides quantifiable psychological benefits. The findings of this study may provide an evidence-based music therapy protocol for women in labor.Clinical health care professionals such as nurses could consider providing music as part of their routine when working with women who face the first-time childbirth process. Nurses could apply music therapy in reducing the pain and anxiety for women who are at the early phase of labor. Music does not have harmful side-effects and is easy to administer, so if it is yet another way to ease the pain and anxiety of a laboring patient and could help make the childbirth experience a positive one, the nurse should consider offering the therapy to her patients.

Comparison of Editorials

Assignment 2:  Discussion—Comparison of Editorials In this assignment, you will identify and explore your intuitive critical thinking strategies. It is the starting point to developing the skills to analyze information critically. Research methods of identifying strong and weak arguments using your textbook and the Argosy University online library resources. Be sure to cover the following: * Identify premises and conclusions * Discuss whether or not an inference is warranted * Discuss matters of truth and consistencyFor this assignment, your facilitator will assign you one of the following debates: * Debate 1: Should the â€Å"Ashley X† treatments have been permitted? * Debate 2: Is Osama Bin Laden’s death a decisive blow to Al Qaeda or an unmitigated victory against terrorism? Each debate has two sets of articles for review. Your facilitator will assign you one of these sets. Each set has two articles with two varying, but important, perspectives on the same s ubject. Be sure to read both articles in the set. Debate 1:These pairs of articles focus on the subject of â€Å"Ashley X,† a child with static encephalopathy who underwent radical surgical procedures to facilitate her care and, thereby, ostensibly improve her quality of life. Set A * Lewis, J. (2007, January 6). The moral line in medicine shifts once again. The Independent, p. 37. (ProQuest Document ID 311096455). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/311096455/abstract? source=fedsrch&accountid=34899 * Singer, P. (2007, January 26). A convenient truth [Op-Ed]. The New York Times. (ProQuest Document ID: 433487228). ttp://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/433487228/abstract? source=fedsrch&accountid=34899 Set B * Lindemann, H. , Nelson, J. L. (2008). The romance of the family. The Hastings Center Report, 38(4), 19–21. (ProQuest Document ID 222368438). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/222368438? accountid=348 9 9 * Picard, A. (2007, January 11). It's wrong to keep disabled girl as an ‘angel’. The Globe and Mail, p. A. 17. (ProQuest Document ID 383481551). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/383481551/abstract? ource=fedsrch;accountid=34899 Debate 2 These pairs of articles focus on the subject of Osama Bin Laden’s death and the alleged implications his death are expected to have on matters of future Al Qaeda activity and international safety. Set A * Clarke, R. A. (2011, May 3). Bin Laden’s dead. Al Qaeda’s not [Op-Ed]. The New York Times, p. A. 23. (ProQuest Document ID 864311946). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/864311946/abstract? source=fedsrch;accountid=34899 * Soufan, A. H. (2011, May 3). The end of the Jihadist dream [Op-Ed]. The New York Times, p.A. 23. (ProQuest Document ID 864311556). Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/864540238/abstract? source=fedsrch;account id=34899 Set B * Clarke, R. A. (2011, May 3). Bin Laden’s dead. Al Qaeda’s not [Op-Ed]. The New York Times, p. A. 23. (ProQuest Document ID 864311946). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/864311946/abstract? source=fedsrch;accountid=34899 * Nocera, J. (2011, May 3). 4 questions he leaves behind [Op-Ed]. The New York Times, p. A. 23. (ProQuest Document ID 864311864). http://search. proquest. om. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/864311864/abstract? source=fedsrch;accountid=34899 Respond to the following: * Identify and explain the strongest argument in each article. Or * Identify and explain the weakest argument in each article. Give reasons and examples from your research in support of your response. Write your initial response in 1–2 paragraphs. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. By Saturday, April 13, 2013, post your response to the appropriate Discussion Area. Through Wednesday, April 17, 2013, review and comment on at least two peers ’ responses. Debate 1:These pairs of articles focus on the subject of â€Å"Ashley X,† a child with static encephalopathy who underwent radical surgical procedures to facilitate her care and, thereby, ostensibly improve her quality of life. Set A * Lewis, J. (2007, January 6). The moral line in medicine shifts once again. The Independent, p. 37. (ProQuest Document ID 311096455). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/311096455/abstract? source=fedsrch;accountid=34899 * Singer, P. (2007, January 26). A convenient truth [Op-Ed]. The New York Times. (ProQuest Document ID: 433487228). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. du/docview/433487228/abstract? source=fedsrch;accountid=34899 Set B * Lindemann, H. , Nelson, J. L. (2008). The romance of the family. The Hastings Center Report, 38(4), 19–21. (ProQuest Document ID 222368438). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/222368438? accountid=34899 * Picard, A. (2007, January 11). It's wrong to keep disabled girl as an ‘angel’. The Globe and Mail, p. A. 17. (ProQuest Document ID 383481551). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/383481551/abstract? source=fedsrch&accountid=34899 Identify premises and conclusions Discuss whether or not an inference is warrantedDiscuss matters of truth and consistency Debate 1: Should the â€Å"Ashley X† treatments have been permitted? After reading all the articles, I believe that the Ashley X treatments should have been permitted. All parents want what is in the best interest of their child, even though sometimes they can make mistakes like all people. I am a parent and I could not imagine going through what Ashley’s parents go through every single day. If my child was like that I guess that I would probably do the same thing because having a child have a full grown body but the mind of a 3 month old baby cannot be a good thing.As parents, you have to protect your children t he best way that you know how. â€Å"The parents say that what they have done to Ashley is not for their convenience but for the girl's comfort. They say the medical procedures are not cruel; rather, â€Å"what is grotesque is having a fully grown fertile woman endowed with the mind of a baby (Andre, 2007). † There are many different types of fallacies and they are the straw man, attacks on character, post hoc, begging the question, appeal to popular belief, hasty generalization, irrelevant appeal to authority, over simplification, appeal to tradition, and false dichotomy.When reading through these articles, I see hasty generalization. I know that everyone has their own opinions but there are also facts to this case. â€Å"Once you start tinkering with nature, where do you decide to draw the line – if at all? As Ash-ley's father points out, â€Å"All medicine is about interfering with nature. Why not let cancer spread and nature take its course? Why give antibiotics for infections? † Science has kept Ashley alive; why shouldn't it be used to make her more comfortable (Lewis, 2007)? † â€Å"Modern medicine may save us from immediate tragedy, but only at the cost of our ethical peace of mind.We react violently to stories such as Ashley's because we are afraid of the miracles we have wrought. Where once there was just God and fate, now we face an endless panorama of impossible life-and-death decisions (Lewis, 2007). † With this statement, â€Å"What matters in Ashley's life is that she should not suffer, and that she should be able to enjoy whatever she is capable of enjoying. Beyond that, she is precious not so much for what she is, but because her parents and siblings love her and care about her.Lofty talk about human dignity should not stand in the way of children like her getting the treatment that is best both for them and their families (Singer, 2007). †, I completely agree with what was said here. For any person i n this world, we should all be able to enjoy whatever we can no matter what the situation is. In Ashley’s case, being that she has the mindset of a 3 month old; it would be hard to enjoy the life of an adult. References: Lewis, J. (2007, Jan 06). The moral line in medicine shifts once again; EDITORIAL ; OPINION. The Independent. Retrieved from

Pronouncing Spanish Vowels

Pronouncing Spanish Vowels English speakers generally find the pronunciation of Spanish vowels fairly easy. Close approximations of all their sounds exist in English, and, with the exception of the E and the sometimes silent U, each of the vowels has basically one sound. The main thing to keep in mind is that in Spanish the vowels sounds are generally more distinct than they are in English. In English, any vowel can be represented by whats known as the schwa, an unstressed vowel sound such as the a in about, the ai in mountain, and the u in pablum. But in Spanish, such an indistinct sound isnt used. Although, as in most languages, the sounds of the vowels can vary slightly with the letters before and after them, in general the sound remains the same regardless of the word its in. Pronouncing the 5 Vowels First, the more or less invariable sounds: A is pronounced similarly to the a in father or the o in loft. Examples: madre, ambos, mapa. There are some speakers who sometimes pronounce the a something halfway between the a in father and the a in mat, but in most areas the first sound given is standard. See also the lesson on pronouncing the . I is pronounced similarly to the ee in feet and the e in me, although usually a little briefer. Examples: finca, timbre, mi. This letter is covered in more detail in the lesson on pronouncing the i. O is pronounced like the oa in boat or the o in bone, although usually a little briefer. Example: telà ©fono, amo, foco. See the lesson on pronouncing the o for more information. Now, the two vowels whose sound can change: E is generally pronounced like the e in met when it is at the beginning or within a word. It is pronounced similarly to the Canadian eh, kind of a shortened version of the à © in the English cafà ©, when it is at the end of the word. Sometimes it can be somewhere between those two sounds. Its not quite the sound of the English letter A, which if pronounced slowly often has an ee sound at the end, but closer to the e of met. Keep in mind that even when its at the end of the word, in a sentence it may sound more like the e of met. For example, in a phrase such as de vez en cuando, each e has approximately the same sound. Examples: cafà ©, compadre, embarcar, enero. See also the lesson on pronouncing the e. U is generally pronounced like the oo in boot or the u in tune. Do not pronounced it like the u in uniform. Examples: universo, reunià ³n, unidos. In the combinations gui and gue, as well as after q, the u is silent. Examples: guà ­a, guerra, quizs. If the u should be pronounce d between a g and i or e, an umlaut (also called a dieresis) is placed over it. Examples: vergà ¼enza, lingà ¼ista. This letter is covered in more detail in the lesson on pronouncing the u. Diphthongs and Triphthongs As in English, two or three vowels in Spanish can blend together to form a sound. The sound is basically the sound of the two or three vowels rapidly pronounced. For example, the u when followed by an a, e, i or o ends up sounding something like the w in water. Examples: cuaderno, cuerpo, cuota. The ai combination sounds something like the sound of eye. Examples: hay, airear. The i when followed by an a, e or u sounds kind of like the y in yellow.: hierba, bien, siete. And other combinations are possible as well: miau, Uruguay, caudillo. Pronouncing Y Generally, the y is pronounced the same as it would be if it were an i, as part of a diphthong. Examples: rey, soy, yacer. Some words that are derived from English and have a y at the end often retain the English pronunciation. For example, in popular songs you may hear words such as sexy and phrases such as oh baby. This letter is covered in more detail in the lesson on pronouncing the y.

Interest Rate Report

Interest Rate Report Free Online Research Papers Introduction Big Drive Auto is a multistate dealer of several manufacturer’s cars and trucks. Big Drive not only sells the cars but a large part of their business is servicing the autos. This paper will address the managerial decisions that are affected by increasing interest rates and how increasing interest rates affect the cost of operating a business. The current yield curve will be discussed and what this means for Big Drive Auto’s organizational decision making. This paper will analyze how the change in interest rates can change consumer demand. In closing, some other monetary variables, such as durability, government taxes, and capital goods on hand will be explored. Decisions Affected by Interest Rates Large decisions, such as long term investments in new dealership sites or new equipment, would be affected by interest rates. According to the Jednak (2005), â€Å"Interest rates certainly have an impact on how business owners make management and operational decisionsparticularly decisions about long-term investments in new plants and equipment† ( ¶ 1). Things such as new service equipment or new buildings are considered capital purchases. Capital purchases are those that add equity to Big Drive Auto’s assets. With increasing interest rates the actual price for such projects will be higher than the estimated costs because the higher interest rate will be applied. Introducing a new model to Big Drive’s line of autos is another decision that would be affected by interest rates. If interest rates are high, the demand for cars will decrease. A market of declining demand is not a good time to introduce a new model. In a market with a decreasing or low interest rate the demand for cars with increase. The dollar can buy more in such a market. This is the market in which consumers are willing to try new products. How Interest Rates Affect the Cost of Operating a Business Interest rates affect the cost of operating a business in many aspects. If the interest rates are rising, Big Drive Auto must have a higher gross margin to cover the increased fixed expense. Big Drive Auto will have to pass this increase to the consumer. If this was to happen in a market with a decrease in auto sales it could be fatal to Big Drive Auto. Interest rates have the biggest effect on capital projects. An example of a capital project would be if Big Drive Auto was contemplating the purchase of a new hydraulic lift for one of the service bays. This project would be financed and therefore, be affected by the interest rates. If the interest rates are increasing, Big Drive would pay more for the lift and thereby decrease the amount of equity the lift holds. According to McConnell Brue (2004), â€Å"Investment spending is guided by profit motive; businesses buy capital goods only when they think such purchases will be profitable† (p. 159). The Yield Curve and the effect of its Shape on the Decision Making in the Organization The Yield Curve is a graphical representation of the rates of return for short-term to long-term Treasuries. A normal yield curve rises from left to right; this illustrates that long-term bonds command higher interest rates than short-term bills and notes. According to Isidore (2009), â€Å"The 10-year yield dipped briefly below the fed funds rate Wednesday morning after a report showed a big drop in demand in April for cars, refrigerators and other big-ticket items known as durable goods† ( ¶ 6). This inverted yield curve would normally be indicative of an impending recession. In a recession Big Drive Auto needs to make decisions that will increase their net sales and decrease their overall operations costs; in doing this Big Drive will be able to sell cars at a lower price. According to the Newman (2009) â€Å"Most automakers are aggressively cutting production to halt chronic overbuilding†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( ¶ 5). Consumers cutback on spending in times of a recession. Being able to price the cars lower will increase Big Drive’s net sales. Changes in Interest Rates affect Customer Demand The auto industry relies on their consumers being able to finance the funds needed to purchase the automobile. When interest rates rise, the auto industry is greatly affected. A consumer will shy away from purchasing a new automobile because of the high interest rate that comes with the financing needed. In other words, a higher interest rate will decrease the customer demand. As interest rates increase so does the requirements for approval of the financing. Therefore, in addition to consumers not wanting to pay a higher interest rate, the consumers willing to pay the higher interest rate may be ineligible for financing. This lack of financing could lead to a decrease in auto sales for Big Drive Auto. Other Monetary Variables When making business investment decisions, variables other than interest rate should be considered. Durability of capital goods should be looked at when making decisions. Big Drive Auto needs to assess if they truly need a new hydraulic lift or will the better fiscal decision be getting the old one fixed. Business taxes also need to be considered when making business investment decisions. An increase in taxes lowers the expected profitability in investment. This shifts the investment demand curve to the left. This shift to the left means the Big Drive will have a decreased rate of return. Lastly, the amount of capital goods on hand should be considered when making investment decisions. If Big Drive is overstocked with inventory because the demand has decreased for autos, their expected rate of return on new investments will decline. Big Drive would have little incentive to invest in new capital. Therefore, less investment is realized at each real interest rate. Conclusion The key decision makers may have previously made decisions that will now be affected by the rising interest rates. The fact that the interest rates are rising means increased production cost for Big Drive Auto. They could pass this increase off to the customer or they can cut production volume. As the interest rates get higher the customer demand will drop. Big Drive Auto should not only use interest rates to base their business investment decisions. They should also use monetary variables, such as taxes, capital goods on hand, and durability, when making investment decisions. These are rough economic times for Big Drive Auto. Auto sales are down and banks are not lending money. Rising interest rates can spell big trouble for businesses that sell products in which their customers must finance. However, with some thought Big Drive Auto can watch for opportunities and avoid obvious pitfalls. Research Papers on Interest Rate ReportTwilight of the UAWIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalDefinition of Export QuotasAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductPETSTEL analysis of IndiaCapital PunishmentPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyOpen Architechture a white paper