Measuring Binding Constant of Ethidium Bromide (EtBr) to DNA

Measuring Binding Constant of Ethidium Bromide (EtBr) to DNA ABSTRACT: The principle behind this lab experiment was to determine the binding constant of ethidium bromide to DNA using the known concentrations and the calculated value of X obtained from the equation. Ethidium bromide is said to have a high affinity to DNA, therefore, the expected value for the binding constant should be large. Two method were implemented in determining the binding constant of EtBr to DNA. The first method was by inputting the absorbance data using a fixed excel worksheet. The main goal was to manipulate the value in cell I24 to be as low as possible. After several trails and error, the final value of cell I24 was 0.00011316 and logK was 3.99. The second method was by simple manual calculation. The two methods yielded two very different results. By manual calculation the obtained value for K was 37,108.63 M-1, which was indicative that the final EB complex of DNA was larger than that of unbound DNA and unbound EB. The high value of the binding constant (K), demonstrates th at there is a high affinity of ethidium bromide to DNA. This correlates to the expected values of EtBr, which are reported to be in between 104 M to 106 M. INTRODUCTION: DNA plays an important role in biological systems being that it contains hereditary materials that is passed on to generations after generations. DNA contains sequences of specific bases within the DNA strands where it stores genetic information that can be readily replicated (Jeremy M. Berg, 2015). It is this sequence that determines the sequence of RNA and other protein molecules and it also transports most of the activities within the cells. RNA synthesis is a key step in the expression of genetic information (Jeremy M. Berg, 2015, p. 859). DNA is more than just a source of sequence information, but it is also the platform where binding proteins collate. This is an important factor for the development of many clinical drugs. The structure and function of drug targets are the basis for designs of effective and specific inhibitors. Though to be considered effective, the target drugs must bind to the enzymes or receptors with great affinity and specificity. Ethidium bromide, (EtBr), is widely used in many scientific laboratories to study the binding properties of DNA. Ethidium bromide is an aromatic dye that slips in between the base pairs of DNA. This binding of ethidium bromide to DNA is a process called intercalation. During this process, the structure of the DNA is changed and the distance among the base pairs in which it directly binds to increases. Resultant in the overall expansion of the dimension of DNA. Ethidium bromide exhibits diminutive base pair partiality containing moderate binding affinity depending on its ionic strength. The intercalation specificity depends greatly on electrostatic interactions and the formation of Van der Waals interactions between base pairs. It has the capability to bind itself to the hydrophobic interior in the stacked base pairs of DNA. However, Ethidium bromide is known to be a very potent mutagen, which is a chemical agent that can cause mutation in DNA cells and other certain diseases such as cancer. It is called an intercalating agent due to its ability to inhibit cell growth, DNA replication and transcription. In this experiment, we will be measuring the binding constant of the dye, ethidium bromide, using herring testes by method of absorption spectroscopy. Herring testes DNA (htDNA) is a natural DNA used in studies of DNA binding agents that modulate DNA structure and function (Sigma-Aldrich, Inc). This method involves titrating a series of solutions varying in DNA concentrations but with a constant concentration of the intercalating agent, ethidium bromide. By implementing this order of magnitude, it is likely to obtain samples with entirely unbound DNA and DNA that is saturated with ethidium. The solutions will run through the absorbance spectrometer at a wavelength of 480 nm. The absorbance measured will be used to calculate the bound ethidium. To determine the amount of bound ethidium the following expressions below is used, given that the information of DÕ†¢ and EÕ†¢ are known; where EÕ†¢ is the total ethidium bromide concentration and DÕ†¢ is the total DNA concentration. This information will allow us to calculate the binding constant of ethidium toward DNA. The equilibrium: D + E à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ C D = DNA E = Ethidium Bromide C = Complex K = [C] / [D][E](1) Solve for K: K = x/[EÕ†¢ x][DÕ†¢ x](2) Kx2 x(K[DÕ†¢] + K[EÕ†¢] + 1) +K[DÕ†¢][EÕ†¢] = 0 (3) Determination of the amount of bound ethidium (amount of complex, C): Aobs = ÃŽÂ µb x + ÃŽÂ µf [EÕ†¢ x](4) ÃŽÂ µb (480 nm) = 2,497 M-1 cm-1 ÃŽÂ µf (480 nm) = 5,600 M-1 cm-1 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES: MATERIALS: 2 mM DNA (bp) stock solution with BPES buffer 2  µM DNA (bp) stock solution with BPES buffer 10  µM stock solution of Ethidium Bromide Micropipettes Microcentrifuge tubes Absorbance spectrometer PROCEDURES: Determine the volume of stock DNA solution and the amount of buffer needed for each of the nineteen samples before proceeding. *Refer to data tables* In the microcentrifuge tubes, make nineteen 1 mL DNA solutions by diluting from the 2 mM, and the 2  µM DNA stock solutions with BPES buffer. Then add 10  µL of ethidium bromide to the nineteen prepared solutions. Mix well and measure the absorbance at 480 nm. Record the absorbance for each of the nineteen solutions and use the information to calculate the binding constant K. RESULTS: DATA TABLE: Absorbance at 480 nm -Log[bp] [DNA(bp)] Volume 2 mM DNA Solution (in  µL) Volume 2  µM DNA Solution (in  µL) Volume of BPES buffer (in  µL) 0.018 3.0 0.001 500.0 XXXXXX 500.0 0.023 3.3 5.01187ÃÆ'-10-4 251.0 XXXXXX 749.0 0.024 3.7 1.99526ÃÆ'-10-4 100.0 XXXXXX 900.0 0.032 4.0 0.0001 50.0 XXXXXX 950.0 0.032 4.3 5.01187ÃÆ'-10-5 25.0 XXXXXX 975.0 0.029 4.7 1.99526ÃÆ'-10-5 10.0 XXXXXX 990.0 0.032 5.0 0.00001 5.0 XXXXXX 995.0 0.031 5.3 5.01187 ÃÆ'-10-6 3.0 XXXXXX 997.0 0.030 5.7 1.99526ÃÆ'-10-6 1.0 XXXXXX 999.0 0.032 6.0 0.000001 XXXXXX 500.0 500.0 0.033 6.3 5.01187ÃÆ'-10-7 XXXXXX 251.0 749.0 0.033 6.7 2.51189ÃÆ'-10-7 XXXXXX 100.0 900.0 0.032 7.0 0.0000001 XXXXXX 50.0 950.0 0.032 7.3 5.01187ÃÆ'-10-8 XXXXXX 25.0 975.0 0.034 7.7 1.99526ÃÆ'-10-8 XXXXXX 10.0 990.0 0.035 8.0 0.00000001 XXXXXX 5.0 995.0 0.035 8.3 5.01187ÃÆ'-10-9 XXXXXX 2.5 997.5 0.033 8.7 2.51189ÃÆ'-10-9 XXXXXX 1.0 999.0 0.030 9.0 0.000000001 XXXXXX 0.5 999.5 DATA GRAPH: CALCULATIONS: Sample Calculation for K: Using sample #4 Known Information: Aobs = ÃŽÂ µb x + ÃŽÂ µf [EÕ†¢ x] Aobs = 0.032 ÃŽÂ µb (480 nm) = 2,497 M-1 cm-1 [E]initial = 10  µM = 1.0 ÃÆ'-10-5 M ÃŽÂ µf (480 nm) = 5,600 M-1 cm-1 [DNA(bp)]initial = log(bp) = -4.0 = 1.0 ÃÆ'-10-4 M Solve for X: Aobs = ÃŽÂ µb x + ÃŽÂ µf [EÕ†¢ x] 0.032 = (2497 M-1cm-1)x + (5600 M-1cm-1)[(1.0 ÃÆ'-10-5 M) x] x = 7.73943 ÃÆ'-10-6 M Plug in value of x to solve for K: K = x/[EÕ†¢ x][DÕ†¢ x] K = (7.739 ÃÆ'-10-6 M)à ·[( 1.0 ÃÆ'-10-5 M) (7.739 ÃÆ'-10-6 M)][( 1.0 ÃÆ'-10-4 M) (7.739 ÃÆ'-10-6 M)] K = (7.73943 ÃÆ'-10-6 M) à · [2.26057 ÃÆ'-10-6 M][9.22606 ÃÆ'-10-5 M] K = (7.73943 ÃÆ'-10-6 M) à · (2.0856148 ÃÆ'-10-10 M2) K = 37108.63 M-1 K = 3.71 ÃÆ'-104 M-1 FINAL EXCEL WORKSHEET: After refinement DISCUSSION: The principle behind this lab experiment was to determine the binding constant of ethidium bromide to DNA using the known concentrations and the calculated value of X obtained from the equation. Ethidium bromide is said to have a high affinity to DNA, therefore, the expected value for the binding constant should be large. However, two methods were used to obtain the value K (binding constant). The first method was by using excel worksheet and inputting our data. The main goal was to manipulate the value in cell I24 to be as low as possible. After several trails and error, the final value of cell I24 was 0.00011316 and logK was 3.99, if you take the antilog of that value K would equal to approx. 9772.37, which is low in comparison to method two which was done by manual calculation. By manual calculation the obtained value for K was 37,108.63 M-1 which indicates that the final EB complex of DNA was larger than that of unbound DNA and unbound EB. The high value of the binding constant ( K), demonstrates that there is a high affinity of ethidium bromide to DNA. This correlates to the expected values of EtBr, which are reported to be in between 104 M to 106 M. Using a buffer that does not contain added NaCl, such as BPE, will have different results than that of a buffer with NaCl, such as BPES. The BPE buffer will yield a lower binding constant than that measured in BPES buffer. It is well known that the interaction within the process of intercalation is driven by electrostatic factors and à Ã¢â€š ¬-stacking with the bases (lab manual). The electrostatic binding of ethidium bromide to DNA has a preference to binding to the phosphate backbone the DNA strand. The DNA-ligand binding is salt-dependent due to the counter-ion release thats carried out during binding. This is indicative that the salt component in the buffer demonstrates a relatively greater stability in DNA due to its preference to the binding site within the GC-rich DNA region. With that said, it is apparent that an outlying positive charge is essential for intercalation. The positive charge on the intercalation diminishes as the aromatic system increases. Like ethidium bromide, Actinomycin D is another known intercalator with a high affinity to DNA. Though the two differ by means of binding sites. Actinomycin D intercalates at GC sites, which indicates that the two intercalators would not compete with one another at the exact binding sites. Therefore, by adding Actinomycin to a solution of herring testes DNA Ethidium bromide, resulting in two different results. An example of the plot is shown below: The plot is simply an example of what it might look like. There are a lot of variables that must be considered in choosing the proper intercalator. Factors to consider are concentrations of solutions and DNA, buffers, whether its a low salt concentration or high salt concentration buffer. The difference in buffers could possibly yield two very different results. Another factor to consider is the magnitude of the absorbance. All these factors combined could hinder the final outcome, so it is hard to conclude exactly how the actinomycin D would react in combination with ethidium bromide to DNA within this experiment. REFERENCES: Jeremy M. Berg, J. L. (2015). Biochemistry 8th ed. Kate Ahr Parker. Eva M. Talavera, Pablo Guerrero, Francisco Ocana, and Jose M. Alvarez-Pez, Photophysical and Direct Determination of Binding Constants of Ethidium Bromide Complexed to E. coli DNA, Appl. Spectrosc. 56, 362-369 (2002) Fuller, W., and M. J. Waring. 1964. A Molecular model for the interaction of ethidium bromide with deoxyribonucleic acid. Ber. Bunsen Ges. Phys. Chem. 68:805-808. Qiao C, Bi S, Sun Y, Song D, Zhang H, Zhou W (2008) Study of interactions of anthraquinones with DNA using ethidium bromide as a fluorescence probe. Spectrochim Acta A 70: 136-143 Graves, D. E., C. L. Watkins, and L. W. Yielding. 1981. Ethidium bromide and its photoreactive analogues: spectroscopic analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid binding properties. Biochemistry. 20:1887-1892. [PubMed] Suh D, Chaires J B (1995) Criteria for the mode of binding of DNA binding agents. Bioorg Mediclin Chem 3(6): 723-728

The Life and Work of Edgar Allan Poe Essay -- essays research papers

Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to parents who were traveling actors. His father David Poe Jr. died probably in 1810. Elizabeth Hopkins Poe died in 1811, leaving three children. Edgar was taken into the home of a merchant from Richmond named John Allan. The remaining children were cared for by others. Poe's brother William died young and sister Rosalie later became insane. At the age of five Poe could recite passages of English poetry. Later one of his teachers in Richmond said: "While the other boys wrote mere mechanical verses, Poe wrote genuine poetry; the boy was a born poet." Poe was brought up partly in England (1815-20), where he attended Manor School at Stoke Newington. Later it became the setting for his story 'William Wilson'. Since Poe was never legally adopted, he took Allan's name for his middle name. Poe attended the University of Virginia (1826-27), but was expelled for not paying his gambling debts. His expulsion led to a quarrel with All an, who refused to pay the debts. Allan later disowned him. In 1826 Poe became engaged to Elmira Royster, but her parents broke off the engagement. During his stay at the university, Poe wrote some stories, but not much is known of his beginning works. In 1827 Poe joined the U.S. Army as a common soldier under an assumed name, Edgar A. Perry. He was sent to Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, which provided settings for his tales 'The Gold Bug' (1843) and 'The Balloon Hoax' (1844). Tamerlane and O... The Life and Work of Edgar Allan Poe Essay -- essays research papers Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to parents who were traveling actors. His father David Poe Jr. died probably in 1810. Elizabeth Hopkins Poe died in 1811, leaving three children. Edgar was taken into the home of a merchant from Richmond named John Allan. The remaining children were cared for by others. Poe's brother William died young and sister Rosalie later became insane. At the age of five Poe could recite passages of English poetry. Later one of his teachers in Richmond said: "While the other boys wrote mere mechanical verses, Poe wrote genuine poetry; the boy was a born poet." Poe was brought up partly in England (1815-20), where he attended Manor School at Stoke Newington. Later it became the setting for his story 'William Wilson'. Since Poe was never legally adopted, he took Allan's name for his middle name. Poe attended the University of Virginia (1826-27), but was expelled for not paying his gambling debts. His expulsion led to a quarrel with All an, who refused to pay the debts. Allan later disowned him. In 1826 Poe became engaged to Elmira Royster, but her parents broke off the engagement. During his stay at the university, Poe wrote some stories, but not much is known of his beginning works. In 1827 Poe joined the U.S. Army as a common soldier under an assumed name, Edgar A. Perry. He was sent to Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, which provided settings for his tales 'The Gold Bug' (1843) and 'The Balloon Hoax' (1844). Tamerlane and O...

Change and Culture Essay

To adjust to greater competition and pressures of obtaining increased organizational efficiency and cost containment, many organizations have begun to examine strategies related to restructuring and downsizing to maintain organizational viability. These processes have included mergers and acquisitions, and redefining occupational roles of workers within the organization. Consequently, successful management of the structural change process can be daunting and overwhelming if not handled in an organized and thoughtful process. Those who are responsible for the process must recognize the barrier that may be hindrances to conception and implementation of the change process These barriers include: (a) lack of concise and coordinated planning/goals, (b) resistance to change within the organizational workforce, (c) failure to consistently evaluate the progress of the proposed change within context of the entire system, and adjust methodology as necessary. Thus, in order to achieve a balance between achieving organizational goals and addressing the uncertainty that may occur in the workforce, organizational leaders are tasked with the responsibilities of finding creative means to facilitate the mandated objectives while at the same time finding vehicles to maintain adequate levels of employee satisfaction and productivity in order to facilitate the ability to service their respective consumer base. It is the purpose of this paper to re-examine the fictional organization created in the week number four Culture Case Study I, and determine the means to facilitate a redesign in workforce brought on by a mandated reduction in work force. This paper will examine the concept of the universal worker as part of the proposed redesign, with further evaluation of the communications and organizational process that will have to be implemented in order to facilitate successful achievement of administrative goals and employee adoption of their new roles. Case Study In an attempt to achieve increased cost containment, six months after the merger of Charles Drew and Florence Nightingale Hospitals, the managerial hierarchy has proposed a significant reduction in workforce. Subsequently, a decision was made that the best way to facilitate continued safe patient care was to redesign the patient care delivery workforce. As recommended by the administration, the initial proposal for redesign was that of the universal worker. As understood, the paradigm of the universal worker would allow remaining employees to be cross trained in different job duties; thus, allowing more flexibility in staffing and personnel assignments (web. Answers. com, 2011). Through examination and implementation of the concepts of the universal worker, along with consideration of other strategies, the thought is that assigning additional duties to remaining personnel would allow continued adequate delivery of many support services. Past experiences in attempt to implement this type of change has proven to be met with resistance by personnel, and difficult to implement when introduced at other organizations; nevertheless, the administration has charged the mid-level management team with successful achievement of the proposed redesign in order to meet organizational objectives. The Change Process When beginning the process of job redesign within this organization, it will be important for those who are responsible for implementation of the change to understand the overall mission and goals of the organization and the global ramification of the change within the institution. It will be important to understand that a change in one area can have either a positive or negative impact on other areas within the organization (Leadership and Motivational Training, 2012). Thus, in viewing the potential upheaval that a reduction in workforce can create, and the subsequent potential for feelings of job insecurity that may be experienced by the remaining workforce, it will be important to allay these fears and allow enhanced empowerment of employees being affected by this process. This can be facilitated through inclusion of employees in the redesign process (i. e. implementation of work teams) and establishment of clear channels of communication within the system. Managing this process of job redesign and change can be successfully implemented through the initiation of a defined process to guide the change and an assigned change leadership team (Resnick, 2012). Through this process not only will the affected employees be allowed to have input to the process that will affect the their individual stake in the organization, they will also have the opportunity to implement substantial and lasting change for the overall system and the culture of then organization. As described by Peter Senge in his postulates regarding organizational culture, this inclusion, empowerment and open communication among those in leadership and front-line employees will work to facilitate what he described as the learning organization and systems thinking (Smith, 2001). Inclusion of work teams into the change process, and the subsequent implementation of the cross training of employees into various departmental roles, the concept of the universal worker among the care provision staff will allow the reshaping of the organization into one that has the flexibility to adapt to the rapid change that may be incurred, and foster an atmosphere of collegiality – where people are continually learning to see the whole together (Smith, 2001). Measuring Processes and Expectations Post Redesign  Once the redesign process has been completed it will be very important to implement measures to review the process of performance and if the predetermined goals of the change are being met. Since employees will potentially be relied on to increase performance and acquire additional employment duties, it will be important to examine how the implementation of change will impact employee satisfaction. It can be said that if an organization can meet the need for a satisfying work environment, then the employee will have a greater propensity to be more motivated and productive. As a consequence the satisfaction will have a greater correlation to improved outcomes and patient satisfaction. Examination of outcomes can be achieved through the â€Å"utilization of the creation of a balanced scoreboard-or dashboard- of the key internal and external measures that provide a comprehensive view of the organizations performance, with as much insight as possible regarding the implication of the change for the future† (Resnick, 2012). Examples of these tools could include utilization of employee satisfaction surveys, provision of strategically placed employee eedback boxes to solicit employee input to parameters for ongoing improvement, and implementation of employee councils to examine how to best meet the needs for improving overall workplace satisfaction and employee morale. With completion of the tools for review of performance, the organization will have a balanced understanding as to how the implementation of the job redesign has impacted organizational goals and desired outcomes -i. e. decreased attrition rates of employees, decreased sick leave utilized, increased patient safety and patient satisfaction scores – (Ugboro, 2006) . Creation of a Learning Organization As the paradigm begins to change in the organization, and implementation of change becomes manifest within the organization, it will be important to foster structures that will provide for a cohesive and well-rounded workforce. As a result, it will be important that all employees have a thorough understanding of what is meant by a learning organization, and how this concept will be imperative e to the ongoing success of current and future change. As described by Peter Senge, the learning organization can be viewed as a structural environment in which the employee is empowered to create the outcomes that they truly desire. In this type of environment, the employee is allowed the room of creativity to redefine not only themselves within their organizational role, but also the organization itself. This paradigm shift differs from the previous downstream constricted organizational structures in that it moves the process for acquiring new organizational traits and skills from learning a means of survival to one that embraces learning that enhances the capacity to create and innovate (Smith, 2001). As such, this paradigm allows progress of the employee to have a greater role in obtaining self-actualization through growth of objectively understanding how change and the end-results of proposed change will affect the organization and the system as a whole. Additionally, it changes the view of management from one of overseer, to one of fostering learning opportunities and helping employees develop systemic understanding (Smith, 2001). In relation to the mandated job restructuring that will take place within this merged organization this change will be facilitated through the creation of interdisciplinary teams of care providers that will comprise the teams that will be responsible for the redesign of the care delivery model. In context of the proposed reduction of staff, it can be assumed that the employees affected by the ensuing change will be instrumental in facilitating this change if allowed to be part of the redesign of priorities and duties. Consequently, with each group bringing their individual and collective spheres of knowledge, there will facilitation of the exchange of ideas, expansion of personal mastery, enhancement of mental models, and a building of a shared vision. All of which are characteristic of the described learning organization. In this case, enactment of the concept to the universal worker will require cross training of employees into potentially new areas of responsibility, or areas in which personal mastery has not been achieved. As such, training can be perceived by employees as a measure of the organizations commitment to them. Subsequently, training is one of the most powerful vehicles for an organization to create change. As stated by Resnick (2012), â€Å"First, it builds alignment to the desired change. Second, it provides individuals with the knowledge and skills to implement the change. Third, it creates the opportunity for cross-functional communication in the implementation of company-wide initiatives†. As this process evolves, management can ensure that continual educational opportunities exist for employees to grow technically and professionally in their respective duties. As these opportunities are allowed, evaluation of individual mastery should be evaluated and opportunities for individual employees to become mentors or resources for fellow employees should be encouraged. By facilitation of this process of collaborative self-management, satisfaction within the process will be enhanced and peer-to-peer sharing can take place. This will allow greater cohesiveness among the teams and a greater sense of inclusion among all team members. As stated by Smith (2001), â€Å"when teams learn together, not only can there be good results for the organization, members will grow more rapidly than could have occurred otherwise†. Measurement of Individual Satisfaction Measurement of individual employee satisfaction can be facilitated through many means. Standard traditional measurement tools could include employee surveys, employee feedback solicitation, and input gained during annual performance reviews. Although these means may allow the management team to gain greater insight to employee satisfaction with change, they are primarily founded in anecdotal response, and may be difficult of quantify. Thus, alternative measurements of satisfaction can be employed. These include monitoring of employee retention rates, review of utilization unscheduled employee leave, and patient provided satisfaction surveys. As indicated by Plowman (2009), â€Å"many studies suggest that the cost of turnover is on-and-a-half times an employee’s salary, when considering recruitment, selection, and training costs. Therefore, to monetarily measure the impacts of reduced turnover, one can calculate the expected cost of replacing employees who chose not to leave as a result of increased employee satisfaction†. Furthermore, enhanced patient satisfaction and outcomes may have a direct correlation to enhanced satisfaction in that increased individual productivity may be a sign of an employee who has taken ownership of his or her role in relation to change. Conclusion In today’s environment of organizational change, and redefining of traditional job functions and roles, it is imperative to create new paradigms within the organizational structure. Along with the changing responsibilities for employees, management must provide the means to promote atmospheres of renewed learning and assist the empowerment of employees in actualizing the larger systemic needs of the organization, and their role in the facilitation of making lasting change. Successful implementation of these concepts, along with meeting the needs for maintaining employee fulfillment and satisfaction will be essential for the economic longevity of all business organizations that provide essential services to the public. Change and Culture Essay When two companies merge, upper management has many decisions to make about the organization, from what the mission statement will be, to what type of goals they have in mind to how many employees will be necessary to accomplish the goals. In the beginning, it is important to blend the two cultures and create the new organization. Six months after the merger of Cypress Creek Hospital and Clovis Community hospital, it was important to determine if the goals are met or if changes need to be made. In the instance of the organization from the first case study, it was decided that further change had to be made. To make the desired changes, administration has decided to reduce the current workforce significantly and to change how patients are tended to. Because the change is so detailed, the administration has recommended that a new position of a universal worker be created. The term â€Å"universal worker† generally refers to a person who is trained in multiple positions in the workplace and therefore has a little more assignments flexibility. Universal workers are often used in call centers and hospitals to alleviate staff shortages and provide better service without the difficulties of processing so many referrals or dealing with call transfers (webAnswers. com2013). It is imperative that in the role of universal worker, ways are found to redesign the current set up of the organization and make the necessary changes within the organization to meet the needs of the administration. Historically, organizations were set up where each person had a set task. When an organization incorporates universal workers in the workplace, it creates an environment in which few do a variety of tasks. In health care, this means that patients deal with fewer faces, and get used to their caregivers. For the organization, it means that a staff that can perform different roles and are even more valuable than they would be in traditional roles. Process of Redesigning Because the organization has decided that patients care delivery needs to be redesigned, it must be determined how to begin that process. The first thing that must be taken into account is that change in an organization often disrupts operation. In the instance were significant changes will be made in the size of the staff, adding more change typically will not be received well in the beginning. It is very important to plan accordingly so that productivity is not affected for a long time. One way to accomplish this is to make changes with staff involvement. If staff is allowed to give ideas and be part of the changes, it will fill their needs for learning, change, and variety. One way to do this is create different committees so that staff could be part of an even smaller team and be able to express their ideas and contribute to the change. Encouraging staff participation in planning how change is to take place, and the timing of that change appeals to the need for control that people innately have. â€Å"Organizations that regularly assess the person-job fit of their employees may in turn, experience important benefits from these healthy, thriving and motivated employees who individually redesign their own jobs if necessary† (Tims, 2010). Redesigning in this way, by allowing staff to assist in it, allows the organization to go from being a series of smaller fragmented parts to being a group of fewer parts that function well together. In creating universal workers, the new management needs to go among the staff and see what each employee excels in and in what areas need further training if necessary. Management needs to get an idea of what the pulse is within the organization, have an idea of who is good at what, what jobs are not as necessary, what can be consolidated, what new positions need to be added and feel confident in his or her decisions so that the job redesign can be put into place. Work Processes and Performance Expectations When redesigning is done, the organization can expect to have their employees more satisfied in their work. People are more satisfied internally with their new responsibilities and are more satisfied in general. However, it sometimes makes people more dissatisfied with their current pay and benefits because they believe that they are doing more and that their pay and benefits should reflect those changes. Also the negative is that because people are given so much say in what they are doing when redesigning the workplace, they often become dissatisfied with their direct supervisors and management if something is not done to continue the autonomy that employees achieved with assisting in the redesigning. Job productivity goes up and goods produced tend to be better quality the pride that staff has in what they do. To ensure a more satisfied staff after redesign is complete, it is important not only to change the jobs of subordinates but even those in middle management so that everyone feels more satisfied and angry feelings do not develop among staff. If change happen were people are more satisfied, the organization will better for it. Further, change cannot happen and just come to a halt. Change is never constant; it has to continue to keep a learning organization on track. Steps and Structure to Change a Learning Organization Peter Senge, (1990), a learning organization is organization â€Å"where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expensive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspirations is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together† (Senge,P. , 1990). According to Senge (1990), a learning organization excels in five different disciplines. A learning organization looks at long-term solutions, not necessarily the first solution that comes to their head. This is important because often organizations think of short-term benefits, and do not consider what changes will do to the organization long term. Because of this, a universal worker would do best to keep from making hasty decisions, and rather would create groups where people gather and look at things more on a long-term direction and see how the organization could be affected. Another thing that can assist in change would be encourage workers to continue learning, whether it be a seminar held for staff or encouraging people to continue with their education on their own time. In workplace today teamwork is encouraged in the workplace. People are no longer given tasks, and expected to do them on their own. Rather, working together, sharing ideas and being a team help an organization to grow. Another step that needs to occur is that leadership roles need to be looked at differently. Instead of leaders being seen in the traditional role of being â€Å"better than† their subordinates or thinking for the staff, upper management roles need to changed to suit the changes in staff. Management needs to encourage learning, share the vision that leaders of the organization have. Management also needs to â€Å"create and manage creative tension especially around the gap between vision and reality. Mastery or such tension allows for a fundamental shift. It enables the leader to see the truth in changing situations† (Smith, 2001). To create change, the entire organization needs to change, not just the subordinates. Change takes time but the benefits long-term are well worth the efforts. Satisfaction for Universal Worker The universal worker approach seems to enhance job satisfaction. Feedback from the staff indicates that they enjoy being responsible for the patients as whole rather than one aspect of care. It is a feeling that undoubtedly enhances the caregiver’s sense of job importance (Widdes, 1996). Training staff to assume responsibilities across departments and even more challenging, reshaping their attitudes and approach to care is an undertaking that requires a commitment to training, retaining and diligent follow up. To keep a universal worker happy would require giving such staff opportunities to continue growing. In healthcare, allowing staff to be responsible for different aspects of patient care, rather than doing just one simple, respective role brings satisfaction. People get bored doing the same thing day in day out. Allowing staff to do different things, creates an excitement for the job that they are doing and creates a feeling of responsibility, and pride in their job. However, because a universal worker does so many different tasks, the staff should be given incentives be it through raise or benefits or other methods, it is imperative that management be very much in tune with this philosophy. Otherwise, staff will begin to feel overworked, and underappreciated. Conclusion In conclusion, merging of two organizations into one organization can be a very difficult undertaking. If not done correctly, it can fail completely. Even if a merger is successful, it does not mean that changes will not have to be made to operations to bring further success down the line. Sometimes, staff needs to be cut, and new positions be created. This can create some turmoil within the organization if not handled right. It is important to communicate with everyone throughout, and allow staff to assist in building ideas, and making the changes, allowing them to share in some of the responsibilities that the organization will undertake. Creating autonomy, particularly when creating universal workers, is important to keep staff satisfied. Along with bonus, raise, benefits, or other incentives would be wise. If staff is satisfied, the organization runs smoother and is more profitable. Satisfaction from employees radiates onto the customers and creates the type of environment that one would prefer to do business with. Change can work correctly if the needs of staff throughout the change are kept in mind.

Sompetition play in people’s daily life Essay

What part does competition play in people’s daily life? Do we put too much emphasis on competition? Are we more affected by its positive models or its less-desirable attributes? Does our economic system rely too heavily on winners and losers, or does the competitive marketplace spur new ideas and efficiencies? Now, I have a challenge for you. Think of one aspect of life that does not include competition. Do you find it hard to complete this task? If yes, why? This is because each day, in any number of ways, we are engaged in competition. Competition exists when there is a scarcity of a desired outcome. Thus, you may wonder, what part does competition play in our daily’s life? Competition makes people to improve themselves every day. Without competition, a lot of people will consider themselves the best in their majors. Though such feeling of confidence is important, it inevitably limits their intentions to develop the knowledge and technique. The appearance of another s pecialist will challenge the importance of the colleague in the same group and encourage him to learn more and do more. A good example is in an orchestra, if there is only one person who is good at playing violin, he may think himself the best and seldom consider improving his skill. Now a new player who is more talented and had achieved higher grade in violin comes into the same orchestra. The former player must face the fact that he is not the best there and needs to learn more and work more to keep up with new skill while the later one will keep practising so that he will always be better than the first musician. This in turn, motivates other players and thus higher the standard of the orchestra. Besides that, competition helps people to learn. It makes us strive for better. When there is a competition, we tend to give our best in urge to win. Even if we lose, we have learnt something.  We learnt from our failure and mistakes For example, in school, students work hard to overcome other people to be the top scholar in the school. If they did not do well in their tests, they will know what are their weaknesses and thus learn more so that they cam improve that. Without competition, students would be lazy and become incompetent. This is because competition is a motivational factor for a person to excel in any field. If there is no competition, students may not study to score good marks since there is no ranking. Moreover, competition builds teamwork. By working as a group to achieve something, we need to work effectively with other people. This in turn, improves our communication skills, socialising  skills and all round ability to work with other people. Therefore, competition makes us learn new things constantly. Furthermore, competition makes the manufactures invent better products which benefit the country and people. With the development of communication and transportation, merchandize can be easily tr ansported from one country to another country, as well as new technique can be easily learned from one region to another region. International competitions in a lot of fields appear. With a lot of brands of the same kind of commodity, customers always prefer the brand with better quality and cheap price. Therefore international competition makes the manufactures develop this kind of merchandize with the good quality and appropriate price using the better technique. As a result, the newest product with better quality and reasonable price improves the quality of people’s daily life and increase the popularity of the country as many people will know the newest product which can improve the quality of their lives is made by this country. If the country has high popularity, the people living in that country will have a better life. This is because more tourists will know and want to visit that country and thus generates income of the country. The country will then develop infrastr uctures which benefit its people. In conclusion, competition makes people to learn and improve and improve their standard of lives.

The Pact Book Review Essay Example

The Pact Book Review Essay Example The Pact Book Review Paper The Pact Book Review Paper Name: Instructor: Course: Date: The Pact Book Review Plot Summary The Pact is the story of three young men who made a promise to each other that they would go to college and succeed in life. This seemed impossible considering where they lived. They did not have anyone in their lives that they could look up to and consider role models. They encountered many challenges in their lives before they realized their goals. They lived in a dangerous neighborhood, where they had to contend with violence, drug dealers and drug addicts. One of the men had a childhood dream of becoming a dentist, and he convinced the others to study hard for the scholarship Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Plus Program offered at Seton Hall and become doctors. The book reveals how the young men continued facing challenges in school, how they almost gave up their dreams, and how they finally managed to overcome those challenges and realize their dream, thus fulfilling their pact. It is a story of friendship, and it shows the importance of having role models and good social support systems so that one can realize his or her dreams in life. Opinion I was inspired and impressed by the friendship and determination of the three young men. I believe that this kept them focused and it gave them the strength they needed to overcome obstacles. It is often rare to read of young men who influence each other positively. In many cases, people in similar situations often end up falling to negative peer influences. The three decided to support and encourage each other, and this made them realize their goals. I was emotionally moved by the people who decided to make positive changes in the men’s lives and encourage each other. George talks of his friend’s father who treated him like one of his sons. He believed in George’s dreams and he never discouraged him from achieving his goals. Some of the teachers and counselors acted as role models for the boys. They encouraged them in pursuing their goals and they gave them the morale and inspiration they needed in life. It was interesting to read that the men made bad decisions in their lives but they did not let that determine their future. Two of them had already faced the criminal justice system even before they were eighteen years. They committed some offences, which could have destroyed their future. The men had friends who were not positive influences in their lives. However, the pact that they had made and the fact that they continued making their friendship stronger, made it possible for them to get on the right path. They admit that it was not easy for them to go to college and become doctors. They faced hard situations, which almost made them give up in life and forget their dreams. I was angered by the social and economic systems in our country, which force some people to live in abject poverty as others live in extreme wealth. The families living in the projects were poor. Most of the people involved in dealing drugs did not do so out of choice but they were forced by their circumstances. Poverty has led to many social ills and disadvantages in the country. Many children are forced to live without their fathers around because they are serving time in prison, while others have decided to abandon their families. I was also angered by the fact that some children are exposed to so much violence when they are young. The men had grown up in tough and rough neighborhoods. They committed crimes and offences such as stealing and beating other people. However, they managed to change their negative ways and they became positive influences and role models to other people in their community. Another thing that made me angry was the discrimination that continues to plague t he society. People continue to be defined by the color of their skin and not by their abilities. This has often discouraged many from achieving their dreams. Had it not been for the support that the young men received from few individuals, then they would not have reached where they are today. Although I liked all the characters because of their determination, my favorite was George. I think that it would not have been possible for the three to become doctors had he not held the dream he had of becoming a dentist. His fascination in dentistry made him have a dream. Not many people enjoy dentist visits, but George seemed to enjoy them when he was young. He urged the others to join medical school and this contributed to positive changes in their lives. Although George’s mother, Ella Jenkins Mack, is not one of the prominent characters in the book, I admire her persistence and courage in bringing up her children. She was resilient and she managed to discipline and provide for her children. It was not easy bringing up two boys with no other source of support. She ensured that she got her family out of the projects. She did not let the fact that she was a single mother discourage her from hoping for a better life. Overall Evaluation I would recommend this book to a friend and to people who have to face challenges in their lives. The book remains relevant because many people continue experiencing the same situations that the young men went through in their lives. Many people still live in the ghetto, and they continue to experience hardships and challenges in life. They continue living in violent environments and they have to deal with many social ills. This is an inspirational book and it shows that one does not have to conform to his or her environment. The three young men could have decided to become part of the statistics, as is often the case with many African American men and other people living in the ghetto. They could have felt sorry for themselves and given up on their aspirations just because they did not have role models around. However, they made a different decision. The book is written in such a simple and engaging way. The book also describes the events that happened plainly. The authors do not tr y to hide some of the information or exaggerate other details. This book is both engaging and entertaining, and it promotes the values of true friendship, hard work, discipline, and positive influences in life.

Abortion law and policy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Abortion law and policy - Term Paper Example The issue of abortion has been one of the most controversial topics of all times in the American history.Abortion is a global issue that has attracted diversified opinion across people based on culture and political affiliationsVarious states have developed different legislations on abortion; this has created lack of uniformity in handling of abortion cases. Most of the legislations have focused on reducing induced abortion, its advocates have had two lines of thoughts which have kept on changing with time. There are those who have stood by the ‘pro-life’ concept while others ‘pro-choice’. In addition, states have also begun to consider the issue of spontaneous abortion. Despite the anti-abortion laws, there several cases of abortion that continues to be experienced across the country. American laws on abortion have a long history, dating back in 19th Century. Individual states in America started making legislation about abortion, as incidences of abortion w ere becoming noticeable (Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada 2). . The states of Connecticut was one of the pioneers in legislating on abortion related issue where they made a law that was to prosecute apothecaries who were selling poison to women, a situation that led to abortion. Other states followed suit including the New York City. It is notable that the laws adopted by the United States at independence were based on the British Common Law, it was clear from the law that life began at conception and all should protect its dignity. At the beginning of the 20th Century, abortion was considered a felony across all the states. It was a criminal offense punishable in a court of law. A landmark ruling in a case by the Supreme Court allowing the use of contraceptives changed the view of abortion. They had declared that life began at conception that takes place after implantation and not after fertilization, as was the original view. This led to the era of use of contraceptives as a bi rth control method. The debate continued with various groups in support of legalization of abortion in some circumstances while, there are those who thought it should be completely legalized. One famous notorious group called Jane initiated an abortion program that facilitated those who wanted to have abortion around 1960s. The states began slowly changing the legislations, becoming soft on the issue of abortion. The first state to legalize abortion was the state of Colorado; however, it was not permitted under all circumstances, but in the cases on incest, rape, or situations where the pregnancy would subject the woman to a chronic condition. Following the regulations pressure from the activists made other states to begin embracing abortion. Other states that followed include North Carolina, Oregon, New York City, Alaska, Washington and California. The legislations went further to include the request of the mother to have abortion legalized, this first began in Alaska around 1970. The Supreme Court was again called to intervene in a case United States versus Vuitch, they established that when the law talks about health it includes psychological as well as physical well being (Gruskin 1). This created an avenue for abortion to be adopted. Several states upheld abortion as illegal while there are those who set conditions for the legalization of abortion. The states of Alabama and Massachusetts allowed abortion under all conditions of the safety of mother and her health while Mississippi only allowed under the circumstances of incest and rape. In the recent past abortion has been at the centre of legislations in some of the American states. An attempt to ban abortion in Mississippi flouted after there was disagreements between the Senate and the House, the bill had initially been given a go ahead by the House Public Health committee, this demonstrates the path that the states are taking in reversing the abortion issues. In another case, a pro-life statute was si gned into law by the South Dakota governor and was

The Third Way Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Third Way - Essay Example And so governments have to decide which programs will best reward the investment of tax dollars (Merkhofer 1987). One of the most controversial areas of public policy involves health care for that part of the population least able to pay for their own care. Socioeconomic status has been identified as a powerful factor in one's health (Bloomberg, Meyers and Braverman 1994). The more health problems that those citizens at the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum have, the greater the tax burden will be on the rest of the citizenry. However, while the politics of money should play a significant part in the development of social policy, there is also the idea of social justice to consider. Social justice takes on many definitions, depending on the political leanings of the definer, but the general idea involves the creation of a sense of fairness or equality of opportunity to members at all socioeconomic levels of a society (Jordan 1998; Marshal, Swift, and Roberts 2002). Under the Thatcher administration, inequalities in access to quality health care began to widen in British society (Wagstaff, Paci, and van Doorslaer 1991). When Prime Minister Blair took office, one of his first moves was to establish improved access to health care as a top priority. There are at least three schools of thought as to how to engineer social change. The "laissez-faire" line of thinking - which basically involves allowing society to shake itself into the desired state - might argue that education alone would awaken the British public to the plight of the poor, particularly with regard to health care. The transition in the health habits of the Indian state of Kerala, between 1961 and 1974, could serve as a strong example for the laissez-faire viewpoint. Over that period of time, the birth rate fell from 39 to 26.5, while levels of literacy, life expectancy, female education, and age of marriage became the highest in all of India (Ratcliffe 1978). The cause of this change is not massive social expenditure for contraceptives, not an infrastructure of free clinics, but simply public education about the benefits of family planning, and about the importance of equitable distribution of opportunities (Ratcliffe 1978). Near the other end of the spectrum stand the Social Democrats, who believe that social justice can be achieved, if government planners can only find the right level of taxation to put into place sufficient programs and infrastructure. The natural sympathy that rightly extends to those who need medical treatment that goes beyond what they can afford has made social justice one of the central ethical principles of public health nursing. Programs that do not ultimately result in a change of behavior, however, are only short-term solutions that will not change societal patterns over time (Drevdahl, Kneipp, Canales, and Dorcy 2001). Also, programs that do not accurately address the factors that connect socioeconomic status and health will, ultimately, waste taxpayers' money and will solve nothing (Marmot and Feeney, 1997). The New Labour way of thinking sits somewhere, at least in its own mind, between the