Bloodlines Chapter One

I couldn't breathe. There was a hand covering my mouth and another shaking my shoulder, startling me out of a heavy sleep. A thousand frantic thoughts dashed through my mind in the space of a single heartbeat. It was happening. My worst nightmare was coming true. They're here! They've come for me! My eyes blinked, staring wildly around the dark room until my father's face came into focus. I stilled my thrashing, thoroughly confused. He let go and stepped back to regard me coldly. I sat up in the bed, my heart still pounding. ‘Dad?' ‘Sydney. You wouldn't wake up.' Naturally, that was his only apology for scaring me to death. ‘You need to get dressed and make yourself presentable,' he continued. ‘Quickly and quietly. Meet me downstairs in the study.' I felt my eyes widen but didn't hesitate with a response. There was only one acceptable answer. ‘Yes, sir. Of course.' ‘I'll go wake your sister.' He turned for the door, and I leapt out of bed. ‘Zoe?' I exclaimed. ‘What do you need her for?' ‘Shh,' he chastised. ‘Hurry up and get ready. And remember – be quiet. Don't wake your mother.' He shut the door without another word, leaving me staring. The panic that had only just subsided began to surge within me again. What did he need Zoe for? A late-night wake-up meant Alchemist business, and she had nothing to do with that. Technically, neither did I anymore, not since I'd been put on indefinite suspension for bad behavior this summer. What if that's what this was about? What if I was finally being taken to a re-education center and Zoe was replacing me? For a moment, the world swam around me, and I caught hold of my bed to steady myself. Re-education centers. They were the stuff of nightmares for young Alchemists like me, mysterious places where those who grew too close to vampires were dragged off to learn the errors of their ways. What exactly went on there was a secret, one I never wanted to find out. I was pretty sure ‘re-education' was a nice way of saying ‘brainwashing.' I'd only ever seen one person who had come back, and honestly, he'd seemed like half a person after that. There'd been an almost zombielike quality to him, and I didn't even want to think about what they might have done to make him that way. My father's urging to hurry up echoed back through my mind, and I tried to shake off my fears. Remembering his other warning, I also made sure I moved silently. My mother was a light sleeper. Normally, it wouldn't matter if she caught us going off on Alchemist errands, but lately, she hadn't been feeling so kindly toward her husband's (and daughter's) employers. Ever since angry Alchemists had deposited me on my parents' doorstep last month, this household had held all the warmth of a prison camp. Terrible arguments had gone down between my parents, and my sister Zoe and I often found ourselves tiptoeing around. Zoe. Why does he need Zoe? The question burned through me as I scurried to get ready. I knew what ‘presentable' meant. Throwing on jeans and a T-shirt was out of the question. Instead, I tugged on gray slacks and a crisp, white button-down shirt. A darker, charcoal gray cardigan went over it, which I cinched neatly at my waist with a black belt. A small gold cross – the one I always wore around my neck – was the only ornamentation I ever bothered with. My hair was a slightly bigger problem. Even after only two hours of sleep, it was already going in every direction. I smoothed it down as best I could and then coated it with a thick layer of hair spray in the hopes that it would get me through whatever was to come. A light dusting of powder was the only makeup I put on. I had no time for anything more. The entire process took me all of six minutes, which might have been a new record for me. I sprinted down the stairs in perfect silence, careful, again, to avoid waking my mother. The living room was dark, but light spilled out past the not-quite-shut door of my father's study. Taking that as an invitation, I pushed the door open and slipped inside. A hushed conversation stopped at my entrance. My father eyed me from head to toe and showed his approval at my appearance in the way he knew best: by simply withholding criticism. ‘Sydney,' he said brusquely. ‘I believe you know Donna Stanton.' The formidable Alchemist stood near the window, arms crossed, looking as tough and lean as I remembered. I'd spent a lot of time with Stanton recently, though I would hardly say we were friends – especially since certain actions of mine had ended up putting the two of us under a sort of ‘vampire house arrest.' If she harbored any resentment toward me, she didn't show it, though. She nodded to me in polite greeting, her face all business. Three other Alchemists were there as well, all men. They were introduced to me as Barnes, Michaelson, and Horowitz. Barnes and Michaelson were my father and Stanton's age. Horowitz was younger, mid-twenties, and was setting up a tattooist's tools. All of them were dressed like me, wearing business casual clothing in nondescript colors. Our goal was always to look nice but not attract notice. The Alchemists had been playing Men in Black for centuries, long before humans dreamed of life on other worlds. When the light hit their faces the right way, each Alchemist displayed a lily tattoo identical to mine. Again, my unease grew. Was this some kind of interrogation? An assessment to see if my decision to help a renegade half-vampire girl meant my loyalties had changed? I crossed my arms over my chest and schooled my face to neutrality, hoping I looked cool and confident. If I still had a chance to plead my case, I intended to present a solid one. Before anyone could utter another word, Zoe entered. She shut the door behind her and peered around in terror, her eyes wide. Our father's study was huge – he'd built an addition on to our house for it – and it easily held all the occupants. But as I watched my sister take in the scene, I knew she felt stifled and trapped. I met her eyes and tried to send a silent message of sympathy. It must have worked because she scurried to my side, looking only fractionally less afraid. ‘Zoe,' said my father. He let her name hang in the air in this way he had, making it clear to both of us that he was disappointed. I could immediately guess why. She wore jeans and an old sweatshirt and had her brown hair in two cute but sloppy braids. By any other person's standards, she would have been ‘presentable' – but not by his. I felt her cower against me, and I tried to make myself taller and more protective. After making sure his condemnation was felt, our father introduced Zoe to the others. Stanton gave her the same polite nod she'd given me and then turned toward my father. ‘I don't understand, Jared,' said Stanton. ‘Which one of them are you going to use?' ‘Well, that's the problem,' my father said. ‘Zoe was requested . . . but I'm not sure she's ready. In fact, I know she isn't. She's only had the most basic of training. But in light of Sydney's recent . . . experiences . . .' My mind immediately began to pull the pieces together. First, and most importantly, it seemed I wasn't going to be sent to a re-education center. Not yet, at least. This was about something else. My earlier suspicion was correct. There was some mission or task afoot, and someone wanted to sub in Zoe because she, unlike certain other members of her family, had no history of betraying the Alchemists. My father was right that she'd only received basic instruction. Our jobs were hereditary, and I had been chosen years ago as the next Alchemist in the Sage family. My older sister, Carly, had been passed over and was now away at college and too old. He'd taught Zoe as backup instead, in the event something happened to me, like a car accident or vampire mauling. I stepped forward, not knowing what I was going to say until I spoke. The only thing I knew for sure was that I could not let Zoe get sucked into the Alchemists' schemes. I feared for her safety more than I did going to a re-education center – and I was pretty afraid of that. ‘I spoke to a committee about my actions after they happened,' I said. ‘I was under the impression that they understood why I did the things I did. I'm fully qualified to serve in whatever way you need – much more so than my sister. I have real-world experience. I know this job inside and out.' ‘A little too much real-world experience, if memory serves,' said Stanton dryly. ‘I for one would like to hear these ‘reasons' again,' said Barnes, using his fingers to make air quotes. ‘I'm not thrilled about tossing a half-trained girl out there, but I also find it hard to believe someone who aided a vampire criminal is ‘fully qualified to serve.† More pretentious air quotes. I smiled back pleasantly, masking my anger. If I showed my true emotions, it wouldn't help my case. ‘I understand, sir. But Rose Hathaway was eventually proven innocent of the crime she'd been accused of. So, I wasn't technically aiding a criminal. My actions eventually helped find the real murderer.' ‘Be that as it may, we – and you – didn't know she was ‘innocent' at the time,' he said. ‘I know,' I said. ‘But I believed she was.' Barnes snorted. ‘And there's the problem. You should've believed what the Alchemists told you, not run off with your own far-fetched theories. At the very least, you should've taken what evidence you'd gathered to your superiors.' Evidence? How could I explain that it wasn't evidence that had driven me to help Rose so much as a feeling in my gut that she was telling the truth? But that was something I knew they'd never understand. All of us were trained to believe the worst of her kind. Telling them that I had seen truth and honesty in her wouldn't help my cause here. Telling them that I'd been blackmailed into helping her by another vampire was an even worse explanation. There was only one argument that the Alchemists might possibly be able to comprehend. ‘I . . . I didn't tell anyone because I wanted to get all the credit for it. I was hoping that if I uncovered it, I could get a promotion and a better assignment.' It took every ounce of self-control I had to say that lie straight-faced. I felt humiliated at making such an admission. As though ambition would really drive me to such extreme behaviors! It made me feel slimy and shallow. But, as I'd suspected, this was something the other Alchemists could understand. Michaelson snorted. ‘Misguided, but not entirely unexpected for her age.' The other men shared equally condescending looks, even my father. Only Stanton looked doubtful, but then, she'd witnessed more of the fiasco than they had. My father glanced among the others, waiting for further comment. When none came, he shrugged. ‘If no one has any objections, then, I'd rather we use Sydney. Not that I even entirely understand what you need her for.' There was a slightly accusing tone in his voice over not having been filled in yet. Jared Sage didn't like to be left out of the loop. ‘I have no problem with using the older girl,' said Barnes. ‘But keep the younger one around until the others get here, in case they have any objections.' I wondered how many ‘others' would be joining us. My father's study was no stadium. Also, the more people who came, the more important this case probably was. My skin grew cold as I wondered what the assignment could possibly be. I'd seen the Alchemists cover up major disasters with only one or two people. How colossal would something have to be to require this much help? Horowitz spoke up for the first time. ‘What do you want me to do?' ‘Re-ink Sydney,' said Stanton decisively. ‘Even if she doesn't go, it won't hurt to have the spells reinforced. No point in inking Zoe until we know what we're doing with her.' My eyes flicked to my sister's noticeably bare – and pale – cheeks. Yes. As long as there was no lily there, she was free. Once the tattoo was emblazoned on your skin, there was no going back. You belonged to the Alchemists. The reality of that had only hit me in the last year or so. I'd certainly never realized it while growing up. My father had dazzled me from a very young age about the rightness of our duty. I still believed in that rightness but wished he'd also mentioned just how much of my life it would consume. Horowitz had set up a folding table on the far side of my father's study. He patted it and gave me a friendly smile. ‘Step right up,' he told me. ‘Get your ticket.' Barnes shot him a disapproving look. ‘Please. You could show a little respect for this ritual, David.' Horowitz merely shrugged. He helped me lie down, and though I was too afraid of the others to openly smile back, I hoped my gratitude showed in my eyes. Another smile from him told me he understood. Turning my head, I watched as Barnes reverently set a black briefcase on a side table. The other Alchemists gathered around and clasped their hands together in front of them. He must be the hierophant, I realized. Most of what the Alchemists did was rooted in science, but a few tasks required divine assistance. After all, our core mission to protect humanity was rooted in the belief that vampires were unnatural and went against God's plan. That's why hierophants – our priests – worked side by side with our scientists. ‘Oh Lord,' he intoned, closing his eyes. ‘Bless these elixirs. Remove the taint of the evil they carry so that their life-giving power shines through purely to us, your servants.' He opened the briefcase and removed four small vials, each filled with dark red liquid. Labels that I couldn't read marked each one. With a steady hand and practiced eye, Barnes poured precise amounts from each vial into a larger bottle. When he'd used all four, he produced a tiny packet of powder that he emptied into the rest of the mix. I felt a tingle in the air, and the bottle's contents turned to gold. He handed the bottle to Horowitz, who stood ready with a needle. Everyone relaxed, the ceremonial part complete. I obediently turned away, exposing my cheek. A moment later, Horowitz's shadow fell over me. ‘This will sting a little, but nothing like when you originally got it. It's just a touch-up,' he explained kindly. ‘I know,' I said. I'd been re-inked before. ‘Thanks.' The needle pricked my skin, and I tried not to wince. It did sting, but like he'd said, Horowitz wasn't creating a new tattoo. He was simply injecting small amounts of the ink into my existing tattoo, recharging its power. I took this as a good sign. Zoe might not be out of danger yet, but surely they wouldn't go to the trouble of re-inking me if they were just going to send me to a re-education center. ‘Can you brief us on what's happening while we're waiting?' asked my father. ‘All I was told was that you needed a teen girl.' The way he said ‘teen girl' made it sound like a disposable role. I fought back a wave of anger at my father. That's all we were to him. ‘We have a situation,' I heard Stanton say. Finally, I'd get some answers. ‘With the Moroi.' I breathed a small sigh of relief. Better them than the Strigoi. Any ‘situation' the Alchemists faced always involved one of the vampire races, and I'd take the living, non-killing ones any day. They almost seemed human at times (though I'd never tell anyone here that) and lived and died like we did. Strigoi, however, were twisted freaks of nature. They were undead, murderous vampires created either when a Strigoi forcibly made a victim drink its blood or when a Moroi purposely took the life of another through blood drinking. A situation with the Strigoi usually ended with someone dead. All sorts of possible scenarios played through my mind as I considered what issue had prompted action from the Alchemists tonight: a human who had noticed someone with fangs, a feeder who had escaped and gone public, a Moroi treated by human doctors. . . . Those were the kinds of problems we Alchemists faced the most, ones I had been trained to handle and cover up with ease. Why they would need ‘a teenage girl' for any of those, however, was a mystery. ‘You know that they elected their girl queen last month,' said Barnes. I could practically see him rolling his eyes. Everyone in the room murmured affirmatively. Of course they knew about that. The Alchemists paid careful attention to the political goings-on of the Moroi. Knowing what vampires were doing was crucial to keeping them secret from the rest of humanity – and keeping the rest of humanity safe from them. That was our purpose, to protect our brethren. Know thy enemy was taken very seriously with us. The girl the Moroi had elected queen, Vasilisa Dragomir, was eighteen, just like me. ‘Don't tense,' said Horowitz gently. I hadn't realized I had been. I tried to relax, but thinking of Vasilisa Dragomir made me think of Rose Hathaway. Uneasily, I wondered if maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to assume I was out of trouble here. Mercifully, Barnes simply kept going with the story, not mentioning my indirect connection to the girl queen and her associates. ‘Well, as shocking as that is to us, it's been just as shocking to some of their own people. There's been a lot of protests and dissidence. No one's tried to attack the Dragomir girl, but that's probably because she's so well guarded. Her enemies, it seems, have therefore found a work-around: her sister.' ‘Jill,' I said, speaking before I could stop myself. Horowitz tsked me for moving, and I immediately regretted drawing attention to myself and my knowledge of the Moroi. Nevertheless, an image of Jillian Mastrano flashed into my mind, tall and annoyingly slim like all Moroi, with big, pale green eyes that always seemed nervous. And she had good reason to be. At fifteen, Jill had discovered she was Vasilisa's illegitimate sister, making her the only other member of their royal family's line. She too was tied to the mess I'd gotten myself into this summer. ‘You know their laws,' continued Stanton, after a moment of awkward silence. Her tone conveyed what we all thought of Moroi laws. An elected monarch? It made no sense, but what else could one expect from unnatural beings like vampires? ‘And Vasilisa must have one family member in order to hold her throne. Therefore, her enemies have decided if they can't directly remove her, they'll remove her family.' A chill ran down my spine at the unspoken meaning, and I again commented without thinking. ‘Did something happen to Jill?' This time, I'd at least chosen a moment when Horowitz was refilling his needle, so there was no danger of messing up the tattoo. I bit my lip to prevent myself from saying anything else, imagining the chastisement in my father's eyes. Showing concern for a Moroi was the last thing I wanted to do, considering my uncertain status. I didn't have any strong attachment to Jill, but the thought of someone trying to kill a fifteen-year-old girl – the same age as Zoe – was appalling, no matter what race she belonged to. ‘That's what's unclear,' Stanton mused. ‘She was attacked, we know that much, but we can't tell if she received any real injury. Regardless, she's fine now, but the attempt happened at their own Court, indicating they have traitors at high levels.' Barnes snorted in disgust. ‘What can you expect? How their ridiculous race has managed to survive as long as they have without turning on each other is beyond me.' There were mutters of agreement. ‘Ridiculous or not, though, we cannot have them in civil war,' said Stanton. ‘Some Moroi have acted out in protest, enough that they've caught the attention of human media. We can't allow that. We need their government stable, and that means ensuring this girl's safety. Maybe they can't trust themselves, but they can trust us.' There was no use in my pointing out that the Moroi didn't really trust the Alchemists. But, since we had no interest in killing off the Moroi monarch or her family, I supposed that made us more trustworthy than some. ‘We need to make the girl disappear,' said Michaelson. ‘At least until the Moroi can undo the law that makes Vasilisa's throne so precarious. Hiding Mastrano with her own people isn't safe at the moment, so we need to conceal her among humans.' Disdain dripped from his words. ‘But it's imperative she also remains concealed from humans. Our race cannot know theirs exists.' ‘After consultation with the guardians, we've chosen a location we all believe will be safe for her – both from Moroi and Strigoi,' said Stanton. ‘However, to make sure she – and those with her – remain undetected, we're going to need Alchemists on hand, dedicated solely to her needs in case any complications come up.' My father scoffed. ‘That's a waste of our resources. Not to mention unbearable for whoever has to stay with her.' I had a bad feeling about what was coming. ‘This is where Sydney comes in,' said Stanton. ‘We'd like her to be one of the Alchemists that accompanies Jillian into hiding.' ‘What?' exclaimed my father. ‘You can't be serious.' ‘Why not?' Stanton's tone was calm and level. ‘They're close in age, so being together won't raise suspicion. And Sydney already knows the girl. Surely spending time with her won't be as ‘unbearable' as it might be for other Alchemists.' The subtext was loud and clear. I wasn't free of my past, not yet. Horowitz paused and lifted the needle, allowing me the chance to speak. My mind raced. Some response was expected. I didn't want to sound too upset by the plan. I needed to restore my good name among the Alchemists and show my willingness to follow orders. That being said, I also didn't want to sound as though I were too comfortable with vampires or their half-human counterparts, the dhampirs. ‘Spending time with any of them is never fun,' I said carefully, keeping my voice cool and haughty. ‘Doesn't matter how much you do it. But I'll do whatever's necessary to keep us – and everyone else – safe.' I didn't need to explain that ‘everyone' meant humans. ‘There, you see, Jared?' Barnes sounded pleased with the answer. ‘The girl knows her duty. We've made a number of arrangements already that should make things run smoothly, and we certainly wouldn't send her there alone – especially since the Moroi girl won't be alone either.' ‘What do you mean?' My father still didn't sound happy about any of this, and I wondered what was upsetting him the most. Did he truly think I might be in danger? Or was he simply worried that spending more time with the Moroi would turn my loyalties even more? ‘How many of them are coming?' ‘They're sending a dhampir,' said Michaelson. ‘One of their guardians, which I really don't have a problem with. The location we've chosen should be Strigoi free, but if it's not, better they fight those monsters than us.' The guardians were specially trained dhampirs who served as bodyguards. ‘There you are,' Horowitz told me, stepping back. ‘You can sit up.' I obeyed and resisted the urge to touch my cheek. The only thing I felt from his work was the needle's sting, but I knew powerful magic was working its way through me, magic that would give me a superhuman immune system and prevent me from speaking about vampire affairs to ordinary humans. I tried not to think about the other part, about where that magic came from. The tattoos were a necessary evil. The others were still standing, not paying attention to me – well, except for Zoe. She still looked confused and afraid and kept glancing anxiously my way. ‘There also may be another Moroi coming along,' continued Stanton. ‘Honestly, I'm not sure why, but they were very insistent he be with Mastrano. We told them the fewer of them we had to hide, the better, but . . . well, they seemed to think it was necessary and said they'd make arrangements for him there. I think he's some Ivashkov. Irrelevant.' ‘Where is there?' asked my father. ‘Where do you want to send her?' Excellent question. I'd been wondering the same thing. My first full-time job with the Alchemists had sent me halfway around the world, to Russia. If the Alchemists were intent on hiding Jill, there was no telling what remote location they'd send her to. For a moment, I dared to hope we might end up in my dream city: Rome. Legendary works of art and Italian food seemed like a good way to offset paperwork and vampires. ‘Palm Springs,' said Barnes. ‘Palm Springs?' I echoed. That was not what I'd been expecting. When I thought of Palm Springs, I thought of movie stars and golf courses. Not exactly a Roman holiday, but not the Arctic either. A small, wry smile tugged at Stanton's lips. ‘It's in the desert and receives a lot of sunlight. Completely undesirable for Strigoi.' ‘Wouldn't it be undesirable for Moroi too?' I asked, thinking ahead. Moroi didn't incinerate in the sun like Strigoi, but excessive exposure to it still made Moroi weak and sick. ‘Well, yes,' admitted Stanton. ‘But a little discomfort is worth the safety it provides. So long as the Moroi spend most of their time inside, it won't be a problem. Plus, it'll discourage other Moroi from coming and – ‘ The sound of a car door opening and slamming outside the window caught everyone's attention. ‘Ah,' said Michaelson. ‘There are the others. I'll let them in.' He slipped out of the study and presumably headed toward the front door to admit whoever had arrived. Moments later, I heard a new voice speaking as Michaelson returned to us. ‘Well, Dad couldn't make it, so he just sent me,' the new voice was saying. The study door opened, and my heart stopped. No, I thought. Anyone but him. ‘Jared,' said the newcomer, catching sight of my father. ‘Great to see you again.' My father, who had barely spared me a glance all night, actually smiled. ‘Keith! I'd been wondering how you've been.' The two of them shook hands, and a wave of disgust rolled through me. ‘This is Keith Darnell,' said Michaelson, introducing him to the others. ‘Tom Darnell's son?' asked Barnes, impressed. Tom Darnell was a legendary leader among the Alchemists. ‘The same,' said Keith cheerfully. He was about five years older than me, with blond hair a shade lighter than mine. I knew a lot of girls thought he was attractive. Me? I found him vile. He was pretty much the last person I'd expected to see here. ‘And I believe you know the Sage sisters,' added Michaelson. Keith turned his blue eyes first to Zoe, eyes that were just fractionally different from each other in color. One eye, made of glass, stared blankly ahead and didn't move at all. The other one winked at her as his grin widened. He can still wink, I thought furiously. That annoying, stupid, condescending wink! But then, why wouldn't he? We'd all heard about the accident he'd had this year, an accident that had cost him an eye. He'd still survived with one good one, but somehow, in my mind, I'd thought the loss of an eye would stop that infuriating winking. ‘Little Zoe! Look at you, all grown up,' he said fondly. I'm not a violent person, not by any means, but I suddenly wanted to hit him for looking at my sister that way. She managed a smile for him, clearly relieved to see a familiar face here. When Keith turned toward me, however, all that charm and friendliness vanished. The feeling was mutual. The burning, black hatred building up inside of me was so overwhelming that it took me a moment to formulate any sort of response. ‘Hello, Keith,' I said stiffly. Keith didn't even attempt to match my forced civility. He immediately turned toward the senior Alchemists. ‘What is she doing here?' ‘We know you requested Zoe,' said Stanton levelly, ‘but after consideration, we decided it would be best if Sydney fulfill this role. Her experience dwarfs any concerns about her past actions.' ‘No,' said Keith swiftly, turning that steely blue gaze back on me. ‘There is no way she can come, no way I'm trusting some twisted vamp lover to screw this up for all of us. We're taking her sister.'

Role of MIS: Employee Privacy Rights in the Workplace

The Information Age came upon us. As a concept, or stage of human history, it suggests a number of propositions. It implies that there is more information now than ever before an indisputable claim. The concept also implies that more people spend more time producing and using more information than ever before another indisputable assertion. In recent years and for the foreseeable future, organizations have been facing rapidly changing business environments which have challenged their executives (both Management Information Systems (MIS) and non-MIS) to handle issues such as downsizing, outsourcing, leveraged buyouts, strategic alliances, flexible manufacturing, just-in-time scheduling, globalization, business process re-engineering and total quality management. These environmental changes have placed demands on there MIS departments to support product innovation, new production techniques and changing organizational designs and to provide timely, high-quality information. The introduction of the Internet, e-mail, and other forms of electronic communication has revolutionized the workplace and given rise to new and improved business practices, including widespread access to information and instant communication among suppliers, customers, and employees. Management encourages employees to make full use of these new electronic tools to further the company's business objectives and that is where Management Information Systems are employed. However, increasing use of electronic communication has spawned new forms of employee misconduct. As management responds to employee abuse of electronic communications, the tension between management fights and employee privacy fights is heightened. Management wants to be free to fully monitor electronic communications to ensure that they are used for legitimate business purposes in the company's best interests. Employees seek to safeguard their privacy and want the freedom to use these new electronic tools for personal and business purposes. This ongoing struggle – between privacy and management fights – underlies the legal issues arising from employee e-mail and Internet use around the world. Data Analysis The extended theory founded on this core belief divides U.S. economic history into different eras, depending on the primary economic activity during the period (Duncan 1994). From colonial times until late in the 19th century, the American economy was agrarian. Then, roughly from the dawn of the 20th century through the end of the Second World War, it was preeminently a manufacturing economy. Industry especially heavy industry was the motor that drove the entire economic engine. After World War II, the American economy increasingly came to be dominated by its service sector. By the mid-1950s, more than one-half of all U.S. employment was devoted to providing services rather than to fabricating goods (Duncan 1994). The Pre-Information Age business office was supported by the hierarchical managerial system to keep track of employees and the work they produced (Dmytrenko 1992). Office equipment included information producing tools, such as typewriters and adding machines. Most of the equipment was simple, manual in operation, bulky, and noisy. Clerical staff primarily used this equipment, as they were the appointed information processors of the time. Early efforts to improve office efficiency used industrial engineering techniques, employing time and motion studies to standardize the work tasks of office support staff, and maximize the workflow through effective office design. Information management was categorized as an intensely manual recordkeeping process (Dmytrenko 1992). Filing systems (alpha and/or numeric), and cross-referenced indexes were the prevailing records management techniques employed, and to be on the safe side, offices maintained multiple copies of the same document for back-up purposes. These practices resulted in increasing demands for office space dedicated to files. The Information Age is reshaping the office of the 2000s. One source of confusion is the fact that the movements from manufacturing to services, and then to information, were of a different character than in earlier transitions. In the first place, while the transition from an agricultural to a manufacturing-based economy was marked by a decline in the number of jobs in agriculture, there has been no such diminution in the number of manufacturing jobs after the shift to a service economy. Moreover, American manufacturing currently accounts for roughly the same percentage of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as three decades ago (Duncan 1994). Changes are taking place in the organizational structure and operations of businesses. Identifying and handling key issues in the MIS is essential for executives to support and run their organizations efficiently and effectively. The investigation of the key issues by researchers serves to enhance the understanding of the concerns of executives and suggest relevant areas of investigation by management researchers. Employers are concerned that their employees are spending a considerable amount of time on the Internet, browsing and sending e-mails regarding subjects that are totally unrelated to their job duties during work hours. In addition to harming productivity, employee access to the Internet creates more opportunities for employees to engage in virtually unprotected speech that could create liability for the employees and their employers. Most worrisome is the possibility that computers are used to download pornography or materials offensive to minorities which may then be distributed around the office in electronic attachments or printed and viewed by groups of employees. Such conduct could in turn lead to harassment complaints by employees. The widespread and rapid distribution of offensive or discriminatory material can poison a work environment and may also give rise to criminal charges. The ability of employees to transfer company information via e-mail that does not have sufficient confidentiality protection, such as a nondisclosure agreement, to outsiders puts that information at risk of losing its status as a trade secret and puts the employer at a distinct disadvantage with the loss of information. Employers might wish to discipline or discharge employees who jeopardize company proprietary information. The Internet also contains content protected by copyright or other proprietary fights, opening up the potential for direct, vicarious, or contributory copyright infringement liability claims against employers should the information be downloaded and utilized without the proper authority. At common law, the employer is vicariously liable for torts committed by an employee in the course of his or her employment. Therefore, the doctrine attaches to the employer's responsibility for the tortuous conduct of the employee without the existence of fault on the part of the employer. However, this doctrine does not absolve the employee from liability for tortuous conduct, and the employer may, in fact, claim an indemnification against the employee for moneys paid to a third party due to vicarious responsibility. For these reasons, many employers have begun monitoring employees' use of e-mall and the Internet which raises issues related to the employee's fight to privacy and about the new privacy legislation. It is becoming more commonplace for inappropriate and illegal Internet usage to be the determining factor in employee discipline and dismissals in unionized settings. The only question to be determined now is whether the inappropriate e-mails and Internet usage are just cause for dismissal. Arbitrators weigh each fact situation to determine the extent of the disciplinary offense and the appropriateness of management responses in the context of the collective agreement. Although e-mail is likely included in the definition of â€Å"telecommunication,† the real issue lies in whether or not e-mail monitoring on a computer desktop or server falls within the definition of â€Å"intercept.† Due to the way that e-mail is transmitted, it is unlikely that it could be intercepted as defined in the Criminal Code. â€Å"Intercept† means interference between the place of origin and the place of destination of the communication (Rasky, 1998). E-mail is transmitted from one computer through (usually) two Internet Service Providers onto a network server, and once that is complete so is the transmission. Consequently, the e-mail is simply just waiting to be retrieved by the recipient from the network. As a result, an employer that views a message which has been sent and saved onto a company's server is not really intercepting the message within the meaning of the Criminal Code (Coon and Cocker, 2001). There is no definitive ruling on who owns the e-mail in the issue of e-mail sent or received by an employee via his or her employer's computer system. This could be argued in two ways. One view is that e-mail sent or received in this context is property of the employer, to which an employee maintains no reasonable expectation of privacy. Thus, a search of e-mail in the workplace is really nothing more than a search of an employer's property (Rasky, 1998, p. 221). A second perspective is to view sent or received e-mail as the property of the employee. Employers assign employees e-mail addresses and allow employees to have e-mail passwords. Thus, this approach suggests that employees have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their workplace e-mail (Mclsaac, 2000, p. 2-86). The courts to date have not specifically addressed the issue of e-mail privacy within the workplace, although it was held in R. v. Weir (1998) that an individual's home e-mail via the Internet â€Å"ought to carry a reasonable expectation of privacy.† Therefore, as Internet and e-mail monitoring becomes more commonplace in the workplace, the only deterrent to employers may be couched in terms of the new privacy legislation and the required consent that will be required of an employee when an employer wishes to monitor. The focus would then be shifted to one of the reasonableness of the substance of implementation of the consent and monitoring policy along with the various factors inherent in that implementation such as the notice given to the employee of the search policy, the clarity of the policy, and the fairness of the administration of the policy (McIsaac, 2000, p. 2-87). Conclusion The Information Age suggests that the role of information is more important in the economy than ever before, and that information is replacing some earlier â€Å"fuel† of the American economy (Duncan 1994). These days the primary problem for most organizations and their employees is not the shortage of data but being able to evaluate what is useful and what is not, where to find the good stuff, and then how to use it effectively. The rapidly increasing use of Internet and e-mail in the workplace has introduced complicated issues related to the areas of potential liability of employers arising from the improper use of the Internet and e-mail by employees, as well as creating numerous privacy issues which must soon be addressed by all employers – union and nonunion. If employers specify and disseminate clear and concise e-mail and Internet use policies, they will be able to significantly reduce the risk associated with employee misconduct in this area. Not only should the policies be clear and concise, but they should also be communicated to the employees in such a fashion that all employees understand the policy and the consequences of breaching that policy. Employers can be concerned that their investments and MIS tools are being misused by employees, but at the same time clear communication and respect for the fights of employees and their privacy will encourage a positive, healthy work environment along with a decreased risk for potential liability for all parties involved. We agree that the Canadian Courts and arbitrators will need to make a concerted effort to understand the new technology and the various problems that arise as a result of that technology and then strike a balance between employee fights to engage in concerted activities vs. employer property and entrepreneurial fights. References Coon, Kevin & Jonathan Cocker. (2001) Legal Issues of E-mail and Internet Access in the Workplace. Internet and E-Commerce Law in Canada 1. January 2001: 81-87 Duncan, Joseph W., (1994) The Information Age on Shaky Foundations, Challenge, 05775132, Jan/Feb94, Vol. 37, Issue 1 Mclsaac, Barbara. (2000). Law of Privacy in Canada. Scarborough: Carswell. Rasky, Holly L. (1998). Can an Employer Search the Contents of Its Employees' E-mail? 220 Advocates Quarterly 20: 221-28 Dmytrenko, April, L., (1992) The information age has arrived or `much ado about everything', Records Management Quarterly, 10502343, Oct92, Vol. 26, Issue 4          Case: R. v. Weir (1998) 213 A.R. 285 (Q.B.)      

Living Together or Getting Married Research Paper

Living Together or Getting Married - Research Paper Example People have been cohabiting for different reasons. Many young adults are adopting this phenomenon because the rate of divorce has increased considerably and this has been cited as the major factor encouraging staying together rather than marrying (Barlow et al 2001). It's quite obvious that young people in the current generation see this as a way of achieving the benefits of marriage while at the same time evading the risk of divorce. Finances are the main cause of fights in married couples as cited by many researchers. When couples live together as in cohabiting, they get a chance to learn more about the spending habits of their partners as they share expenses and meet other obligations together. In this way, they can assess if their partner is really the type of a person who can handle marriage issues plus when people cohabit and things do not work out their way, they are not legally obliged to each other and do not have to seek religious authorization to break up their relationshi p (Hamilton 2005). Young people see this as a simple way for testing out whether a relationship would work or not. Just like the way it happens in colleges when you stay with your roommates and get to know their true character, living together allows the couple to get well acquainted with each others habits and behaviors and observe the way they operate in their daily life (Barlow et al 2001). Living together gives people who love each other more opportunities to experience and share their intimacy in terms of sex and emotional relationship without necessarily being married. Cohabiting is basically a trial to marriage and it's less complicated when dissolving it after failing as the couple does not incur unnecessary loss of finances like welfare, alimony or pension making the break less messy on the other hand if it works, the two can get married (Leadership U1999). Cohabiting before Marriage is Beneficial Most of the people in intimate relationships are using this method as the best measure to find out the character of their partners. Definitely in people from the past generations were to be asked, they would disregard of this as "shacking up" (Hamilton 2005). When dating, the other partner can display very decent character traits because the courtship may be defined by short visits now and then and this cannot bring out the true self of a person as incase they become angry every person goes his/her way to cool off and may apologizes later then fall back together. This is no big deal compared to living together, people tend to uncover their true being when staying together and you can be able to understand how they handle conflicts and most likely this may not be pretty. If one cannot handle this, what can happen when married Cohabiting exposes such habits and one may be able to find a way to make it work or walk away (Barlow et al 2001). Apart from anger management, another issue is cleanliness and individual hygiene; some people can appear to be very clean and smart but their houses looks like garbage dump. There are other things that one finds out from living together though some may be considered petty for instance snoring very loudly at night or talking in their sleep even sleep walking. Some people usually don't change their habits and this will start revealing

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Psychology - Essay Example The second theory deals with the ideal that successful relationships must be grown and developed. Through various surveys, including those done in past experiments, Knee reveals that the most successful relationships come from those where the belief of destiny is present. Belief in destiny also includes believing that there is only one person for everyone and that love can be at first sight. When individuals act on this, they are doing so out of intuition, or destiny. Numerous surveys were implemented that measured destiny and growth beliefs. These surveys looked into aspects that varied from dating behavior to whether or not a person can change themselves or their relationship. Another important characteristic that was measured was how individuals coped to stressful events in the relationship. The surveys were used to measure beliefs in both destiny and growth. After the results had been gathered and analyzed, it was determined that more successful relationships come from beliefs of destiny because these individuals believe that they have no control in the course of the relationship. They do not try to make a relationship work, which can cause further stress.

Christianity and Non-Christian Religions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Christianity and Non-Christian Religions - Essay Example The group is known for executing anybody who does not ascribe to the teachings of Christianity. Some constitutions of the world, do not respect this concept of religious tolerance and they have formed the Islamic states. An example is Saudi-Arabia and Sudan, which recognize Sharia law, as their supreme law (Mearsheimer and Stephen, 153). However, it is important to denote that Islam tolerates other religions. In fact, Prophet Mohammed was able to provide security to people of other religions, and this is mainly Christians. According to the principles of Christianity, there is a need of promoting unity amongst the mankind. Mankind has very many issues in common. One area of commonality is their same origin. People were created by God, and hence it is important to respect each other despite the religions that they are coming from. In fact, the Muslims believe that the same God that Christians worship is the same as the one they worship. The only difference emanates from the belief in t he Son-ship of Jesus Christ. In Western European countries such as United Kingdom, France, etc, there is freedom of worship and religion (Mearsheimer and Stephen, 135). These countries do not prevent anyone from worshipping their God, as long as their practice does not breach on the rights of others. United States is also another country that believes in the freedom of religion. This is because tolerating the religious views of others is a sure way of living in harmony and peace. Â   Â   Â   Â  

John bull's other island Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

John bull's other island - Essay Example al observer of ‘Irishness’ and his love-hate relationship with the English middle-class are played out by his two principal characters, Broadbent, a middle-class Englishman with a ‘colonial’ mind-set and the expatriate Irishman Doyle, who has no illusions about the Ireland of the early 20th century. A foil for the protagonists is added with the one-time priest Keagan, who is appalled by the impending land re-possessions. Regardless, Shaw has him acknowledge that maybe British efficiency may be better than ‘patriotic fools’. Shaw was somewhat dismayed by his critics failure to understand the character of Keegan, when he said â€Å"I shown the Irish saint shuddering at the humor of the Irish blackguard--only to find †¦ the average critic thought the blackguard very funny and the saint very impractical† (Shorter qtd. in Henderson 619). When the play was first performed, praise was copious - Edward VI was said to have laughed so much, his chair broke – but so was criticism, with Chesterton accusing Shaw of ‘being liable to fits of admiration for the British’, although condemning them elsewhere (Auden in Kronenberger 619) There had been other criticism and in response, Shaw allowed himself to be interviewed by The Tatler, stating that far from being frivolous, he had been deadly serious, showing †¦the Englishman to the Irishman and the Irishman to the Englishman, the Protestant to the Catholic and the Catholic to the Protestant†¦ taken that panacea for all the misery and unrest of Ireland (the Land Purchase Bill) †¦ and †¦ shown at one stroke its idiocy, its shallowness, its cowardice, its utter and foredoomed futility. (Shorter in Henderson 619). The reception of the treatment of the latter was even more mixed, which can only makes sense in the light of British ignorance of the Ireland of the early 20th century, with its large families, ‘progressively pauperized by primogeniture’, and its absentee landlords

U.S. Adopting the International Financial Reporting Standards Research Paper

U.S. Adopting the International Financial Reporting Standards - Research Paper Example Both US GAAP and the IFRS serve the same purpose of providing relevant financial information to the users of it, the only difference being in the objectives for which they operate. The US GAAP has separate sets of objectives for business firms and non business users while the IFRS has the same sole objective for all of it users. The following paper examines the pros and cons of the IFRS standards which is about to be implemented in the United States and tries to establish which one of the two is better from the overall perspective (IFRSUSA, 2011). The US GAAP based accounting system is based on a rule based method of accounting which might have both advantages as well as disadvantages. However, when compared to the IFRS method of accounting practice, the GAAP principle is more of a strictly controlled approach which requires that each transaction is recorded as per the rule stated for its accounting even if such maintenance might be misleading and does not allow for comparison between various industries even if the type of transactions are similar. GAAP accounting also increases the risk of non compliance of the stated rules of accounting because it is extremely difficult to defend your position whenever a GAAP rule is not followed. IFRS might be based on principles of accounting rather than stated rules mandated to be followed. This format certainly has more advantages associated with accounting practices more because principles provide a base for a basis of accounting allowing the freedom to companies to choose from among the best way of accounts maintenance possible. Defined and clarified principles allow for a more clear way of accounting and reporting transactions such that making comparisons between companies and similar transactions is facilitated. Such principle basis does not differentiate based on industries and also allows companies to defend their accounting reporting

Police administration 2 questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Police administration 2 questions - Coursework Example This essay compares the duties of a police chief with the duties of patrol sergeant, mayor, judge, prison warden, high school principal, and university president in terms of sources of influence. A police chief is expected to be a manger besides other policing qualifications and requirements. Firstly, he is expected to oversee a police department through the perspective of a manger. Under this mandate, a police chief is to oversee totality of operations by ensuring that other officers complete their duties effectively and timely. Moreover, he is expected to manage the affairs of a police department by ensuring availability of resources for relevant duties. As the chief of police, he is expected to undertake certain disciplinary actions on officers who do not comply with rules and regulations of a police department (Siegel, 2011). Sometimes he required to arbitrate dismissal and sanction on officers. These duties are similar to those of a high school principal, prison warden, and mayo r. This is because they are too required to make critical decisions on their respective institutions. Furthermore, the officers/leaders listed above are in charge of discipline in their respective institutions. For instance, a high school principal has the power to punish or reward a student according to their deeds. Consequently, a mayor has disciplinary obligations besides their management duties. Similarly, leaders in the private sectors such as company president, or senior-level manager have managerial as well as disciplinary obligations. The police chief is also required to mediate a police department with the public and other sectors of the society. Under this mandate, he is expected to attend community events and meetings on behalf of the department. In addition the police chief is expected to represent a police department in the, municipality’s board of directors. In such events, the chief is supposed to represent the public and duty officers on issues related to oper ations and security. Similarly, a high school principal acts as a representative of his school in social, legal and government related meetings. A university president also represents the students in high-ranking events and meeting. A prison warden represents the interests of prisoners and the prison in relevant board meetings so does company president and senior-level manager (Shaw, 2004). On the contrary, a judge does not represent the court or defendant in any forum. Leaders discussed above derive their influence from different sources. Indeed, a police chief draws his influence from legal obligations bestowed on him by the state. Consequently, the officer is in charge of other officers who always look upon him for counsel. Similarly, a school principal, senior level manger, university president, and company presidents are driven by the need to achieve success. On the other hand, a patrol sergeant, a mayor, and a judge are influenced by the need for outside and order within a soc iety. Question 2 Police officers are often accused of working off "quotas" for traffic citations and arrests. This is because policing cannot be compared to other trades or activities that rely on competition. Policing is a noble task and therefore officers are expected to observe their pledges of service to the public. Under this mandate, an officer cannot create a crime in order to make an arrest. However, not all police officers are true to their calling and this

Financial Analysis of Ted Baker & Burberry Essay Example for Free

Financial Analysis of Ted Baker Burberry Essay INTRODUCTION Burberry is a global luxury brand offering menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, coats, dresses, shoes, accessories, bags, scarves, beauty and fragrance. The quintessentially British brand was first founded as an outerwear brand, well known for its iconic Burberry trench coat and distinct tartan print. The brand has over 497 directly operated stores and concessions operating in 32 countries; and via a third-party distribution network- 70 franchise stores in an additional 28 countries and approximately 1,400 wholesale department and specialty store doors in over 80 countries (as at 31 March 2014). The brand continues to develop its presence in existing and  under-penetrated markets. THE BASICS Burberry was founded by Thomas Burberry in 1855 in Hamphire England and remained an independent company until 1955, when it was taken over by Great Universal Studios (GUS). In 2005, GUS divested its remaining interest in Burberry. Burberry Group PLC was initially floated on the London Stock Exchange in July 2002. In 2013/2014, Burberry had a turnover of  £2,330 million (up 16.5% from the previous year), recording a profit before tax of  £461 million (up 7.7% from the previous year). The company employs 9698 employees across 34 countries and is headquartered in London. The accounts are presented in GBP, which is Burberrys functional currency. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker BRBY with a market capitalization of GBP6822.43 Million. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU. The accounts have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP with no reservations. MANAGEMENT CHANGES On the management side, the most significant change is the departure CEO Angela Ahrendt in April 2014 who left Burberry (to join Apple). Ahrendt the CEO since 2006 has lead the successful transformation of the company, tripling revenue three-fold during her tenure. Ahrendt was succeeded by Christopher Bailey, Chief Creative Officer (CCO) who has been with Burberry since 2001. Bailey holds the roles of CEO and CCO and his appointment as CEO is considered a natural progression. Other important changes include, the changes of the CFO and COO, and the appointment of three new non-executive directors. The new board appointments focus on evolving the Boards relevant skills and competencies for the future under its succession plan. THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT After three years of double digit growth, analyst estimated that the luxury sector growth slowed to 2% in 2013. This was in part due to a slowdown in China (the worlds 4th largest luxury market), in light of government policy changes on gift giving and the Chinese consumer increasingly shifting luxury consumption abroad (which has in turn help drive luxury sales in the rest of Asia and Europe). Whilst Burberry is a luxury brand, note that its growing beauty and fragrance lines are attainable luxury and has the capacity for resilience in unfavourable economic conditions. Burberrys five strategic themes which have sustained its growth during the period include:[1: Claudia DArpizio, Bain Report: Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study Spring 2014 ]

Buddhist schools Essay Example for Free

Buddhist schools Essay The earliest and the most basic form of schools were Theravada and Mahayana which have been derived from the basic teachings of Buddha. These are actually same teachings but with different interpretations. Both of them have Dharma which is the basic teaching of Buddha. Both of these schools have some animosity between them. All the southern Asian countries and Vietnam have accepted the principles of Theravada. Any differences between the schools are minor matters are do not hinder in one basic belief of Buddha’s teachings. It is one of the earliest forms of teaching found in the history of Buddhism and is one of the most orthodox also . Theravada school emphasizes on meditation and helps in understanding the psychological nature of a human being. According to Mahayana school of teachings, salvation can only be achieved if we trust Amitabha. Such person longs to be born in the paradise, because he has done good deeds and followed the teachings of Buddha. The philosophy of this school is very unique. According to them in order to gain enlightenment a person should inward and not outward. Intuition is one thing this school emphasizes upon, as intuition is purely inward. Mahayana was previously known as Mahasanghikas and after a few decades of its formation it became so popular that it revolutionized the Buddhist teachings. Sutra and Vinaya were translated according to them, and in the due process they also had to reject some texts. The Mahayana philosophy grew more with the concept that Buddhas are lokottara. This means that they are connected to the world only by some external force and it has no impact internally . Why did Mahayana become more accepted? It is because the Mahayana ritual and imagery attracted the Vietnamese. Its ceremonies were in conformity with original Vietnamese beliefs and rituals. This school of Buddhism also combined folklore with Taoist teachings. The enlightened ones in Buddhism were respected as animist spirits. In 7th century C. E, Mahayana school became a little more developed. It was then called Vajrayana. This had an influence of Hinduism also but had similar teachings as of Mahayana. The aim of Vajrayana is the same as that in Mahayana, that is to attain Buddhahood, but the tantric practices showed a quick way to achieve this end . CONCLUSION From very early period Buddhists are concerned about education. In third century almost 9 Dhamma missionaries were sent to different areas of south East Asia in order to teach people about Buddhism . This is the oldest example telling Buddhists concern about Buddhist studies. These 9 Dhamma missionaries started a wave of missionaries. These were sent to Sri Lanka, Thailand and china etc. Today, due to these missionaries and Buddhist schools, Buddhists are present in very corner of the world. Vietnamese Buddhist education leaders are very much concerned about the global demands and needs of Buddhist education. In 1975, when the country got united, there already was a higher education institution in South; it was named Van Hanh University. This university was popular internationally and had close interaction with many other universities of the world. After 1980s two advanced schools were established in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City. These schools trained monks and nuns at B. A level. Due to growing demand these two higher education schools were later turned in to universities. These now trained monks and nuns at not only undergraduate level but also postgraduate level. In 1997, one more Buddhist university was formed, this time in Hue city. Today, there are almost 40, 000 monks and nuns. There are almost six colleges and 31 high schools teaching Buddhism . Buddhism has made great progress in Vietnam. A national calligraphic system which replaced Chinese was also introduced. This helped everybody get on the same platform and understand each other well. Before that it was difficult to have the entire nation on the same page, as the Vietnamese language lacked its own script. People, who did not understand Chinese, could not read books, as all the books were in Chinese. In Vietnam, the Buddhist studies do not influence just art, philosophy or painting. Theatre also serves as a conveyer of the legends, stories and facts about Buddhism. Buddhism is not only a source which quenches the thirst of the intellectuals. It quenches the thirst of the spirit also. Buddhist studies have changed the past and present of Vietnam. The Vietnamese Buddhists go far and wide in order to give a vent to the knowledge and impart it to the others. Buddhism has prospered leaps and bounds in the country. Though there are many rival religions in the country, Buddhism is by far the most popular one. As mentioned earlier, almost two thirds of the population practices Buddhism. During 968 it was made the state religion. Buddhism in Vietnam is no wonder superior than any other religion there, as it is not only accepted publicly but also helped in the moral and spiritual training of the general public. People believe it and accept it by heart. They call it the religion of compassion. The imprint of Buddhism can be seen in art and literature as well. Music has also been inspired from it. Today there are almost 15,000 worship places in Vietnam as compared to none in the beginning. There are almost ten million Buddhists all over the world. Vietnam alone has some 40,000 nuns. It was only 20,000 twenty years back. The development Buddhist studies have done can be clearly understood from the fact that today there are almost four Buddhist universities as compared to only one in 1981. Van Hanh was the first Buddhist school. Today there are schools all over Hanoi, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho. There are almost six colleges and 31 high schools for Buddhists. There are uncountable numbers of grassroots schools in many other provinces. This clearly shows that Buddhism has made a lot of progress since Buddhism first entered Vietnam . Buddhist monks are now not only studyin Buddhism in monasteries and colleges but are getting higher education all over the world. They are studying various subjects and religion in order to increase their knowledge. Not only have they had attained worldly knowledge, but spiritual knowledge which will lead them to enlightenment. References Anson, Binh. (n. d). Theravada Buddhism in Vietnam. Retrieved January 31, 2008 from: http://www. budsas. org/ebud/vn_thera. htm Brough, John. (n. d). Gandhari Dharmapada. India (n. p). Clark, Laura and Brown, Suzanne. (n. d). Buddhism in Vietnam. Retrieved January 31, 2008 from: http://journals. iranscience. net:800/mcel. pacificu. edu/mcel. pacificu. edu/as/students/vb/INDEX. HTM.

Statistics and Overview of Phishing Attacks

Statistics and Overview of Phishing Attacks Mansour Aljedani Is a form of criminal conduct which constitutes a growing threat to users financial institutions, and businesses, internet users and social media. Because it does not appear that the risks and damage to phishing in decline in but on the contrary it is becoming increasingly complex, the implementation of the law and government agencies and the private sector at the global level it has to cooperate in their efforts to combat phishing. Where the advent of the Internet and expansion in the computer-based technology in the modern days the number of Internet users has increased in the past few years and this means the threats we are going to face them they grown. Development of means of computer hackers day after day, to deceive others in order to obtain their password or any sensitive information one of the most important of these tricks is spread recently across social media sites and e-mail known as (Phishing Attack). Phishing also it called electronic fraud, it means the person or spoofing, cheating the company by sending an e-mail message claiming to be from the regular company liked to the recipients of the message to the company, and asks him to get some personal information such as bank account details, Passwords, credit card details [1].These are some of the institutions and companies that are struggling trolling all over the world, Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC),Anti-Phishing Alliance of China (APAC) and private sources across the world. My opinion, Is a person or deception, cheating the company by sending an e-mail message claiming that it is a regular company linked to the recipients of the letter to the company, and asks him to get some personal information such as bank account details, passwords and credit card detailsetc. This is done in several ways, most notably: the demand to respond to the message, or put a link in the message to page a fake, and then uses the information to access to bank accounts over the Internet, or access to corporate sites that request personal data to allow access to the site. Anti-Phishing system issued a number of times about the attack on the computers of users of Kaspersky Lab program has been a number of attacks in 2016 32,363,492 times, which is 2.6 million less than the previous quarter. Overall 8.7% of the attacked Kaspersky Lab users by phishers in 2016 [2]. 2.1. Geography OF attacks Most of the country that may be affected by the attacks on users in 2016 are China and the percentage of those who attacked by (20.22%) [2]. Figure 1Geography of phishing attacks The number of users that have been employed on the anti-phishing system and the photo shows the total number of users of Kaspersky Lab in the country. The proportion of the attack in Brazil told by a 2.87 18.63% supplied to Brazil in second place in the standings. And it finished third in the State of Algeria (14.3%) after a 2.92 increase in their share from the previous quarter. The number of attacks in Russia to 7.74% in the third quarter and 7.16%, followed by Canada, the United States 6.56% and the United Kingdom 6.42%ÂÂ   [2]. 2.2. TOP 3 attacked organizations The fraudsters focus on the most popular sites, to increase their chances of a successful phishing attack. Many of half of all undiscovered element Kaspersky Lab heuristic anti-phishing is a phishing pages hiding behind less than 15 company names [2]. 2.3. Proportion of spam in email traffic in 2015 In 2015, the proportion of spam in e-mail traffic 55.28%, which is 11.48Lower than a year earlier percentage points [3]. Figure 2 the proportion of spam in email traffic, 2015 In the first months of the beginning of the 2015 drop was recorded, 61.68% in January to 53.63% in April. 2.4. Sources of spam by country in 2015 There was a slight change to the top three spam sources, in 2015: China has been low since the issuance of the decision of non-spam messages in which the proportion of the country published by 0.59 percentage points China dropped to fourth place at the rate of (6.12%). Vietnam ranked third by (6.13%), and got a 1.92 percentage points. Russia remained in second place by (6.15%) and an increase of 0.22 percentage points. The United States got in the first place, and maintained by arrangement (15.16%), despite a decline of 1.5 percentage points [3]. Figure 3 Sources of spam by country 2.5. The size of spam emails in 2015 Figure 4 The size of spam emails in 2015 In 2015 e-mail messages is desired proportion (less than 2 kilobytes), and averaged 77.26%, while the e-mail messages to the size 2-5 KB decreased to 9.08% [3]. It supports the use of phishing e-mails containing false links to websites aim to get internet user information, but in the recent years, phishing process has evolved to include new techniques to gain access to victims, these are some of them:- 3.1. Clone Phishing In this genre, the scammer constructing electronic mail or reproduced link from email legitimate, and within the email are replaced by the link with malicious copy and then send it via e-mail spoofed so that it appears its coming from the same transmitter, it does so to get the personal information from the victim. It may claim to be a re-send of the original or an updated version to the original [4]. 3.2. Spear Phishing It is a type phishing is it carefully and determine prior these people. Usually the victim is a company or group of dignitaries. Worksite looked like 100% commercial site and be content page request information or enter data update or add a credit card, and sends the message exactly similar to the messages the company or organization and be content in the request on the link to update the data [4]. Figure 5 Clone Phishing The image that is shown above is explaining for Prankster fraud link. 4.1. Email Spoofing It is that the scammer claims to be a legitimate sender, sends a message makes victims believed in the instructions for taking the style used deceptively sends e-mail message fake with a simple change of legitimate e-mail in order to trick recipients. Where fraud Email Sender because it did not contain because of Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) [4]. 4.2. Web Spoofing Can prankster set up a Web site that looks similar to a legitimate site, and also makes the victim believe this is the site and this makes the victim enter passwords and personal information the goes into the prankster [4]. 4.2.1. How attack works The attacker failed continent goes process, be between the Web and the victim and had the nickname of this type (man in the middle attack) in information security. However, the victim requested access to the site through a browser on the Internet, such as Google Chrome‎ or Firefox etc. by typing the address URL, for example, (www.yahoo.com) the firstÂÂ   part of a www and Part II DNS (yahoo.com). Also in addition to that when he enters the victim to the site asks your browser commonly used DNS to determine IP address of the host (www) in the field (yahoo.com). The first trick is do it scammer instead of the real Web server, for example, the title of real URL is http://www.yahoo.com and the scammer rewrites address URL to add http://www.Phisheing.com to the front part URL http://www.Phisheing.com http://www.yahoo.com and the victim will think that the browser (Phisheing.com) is a web server and then will ask for it [5]. See fig 6 for more details. Figure 6 Web Spoofing 4.3. DNS Cache Poisoning DNS cache poisoning is a way to feed the local DNS cache of replacement of the incorrect records works DNS through UDP and easy to spoof the source address of the UDP packet [6]. The hacker change the real IP for the IP address it on its own DNS address [6]. 4.3.1. How attack works The hacker amendment cache server DNS to IP address fake. When catching the victim wants to get to (www.bing.com), the browser will ask DNS cache to providing IP address. Here it will be IP address leads to the victim the fake website that is provided by the hacker to steal information from the victim. This type is usually when hacker attacks DNS server and modify IP address. More is known about these cause problems and called the attack (Pharming). Figure 7 DNS Cache Poisoning The hacker attacks the DNS server for modification the ligament IP address to his IP address, which gives him to steal information from the victims. 5.1. Phishing Attack on Facebook Has been detected by some information security experts say there are attacks in the name of cyber-attack are spread too quickly reduce that there is a victim every 20 seconds. It was found that up messages to Facebook users from people who have jobs on the social network, that this letter to steal user accounts will be published infection for a way to send the message to the victim and his friends. Between the 24th and 27th June, things were going well and suddenly received thousands of Facebook users a message from a friend mentioned in the comments, explains the cyber security company. It was, in fact, the start of the message from the attackers to attack the two phases the first phase downloading by the victim of the virus Trojan on your computer. The second phase steals account when you log on again to Facebook. The injured nearly 10,000 Facebook account in Europe, Tunisia, and South America, often occurring in Brazil, does not show that the incident had reached the United Kingdo m [7]. 5.2. Attack on the site Natfilex Some security experts discovered FireEye that have been targeted users Netflix by pranksters in the deception campaign, The plan was a steal credit cards to subscribers in the Netflix and other personal information using modern techniques with a strong attack. The beginning of the attack is to send a message via e-mail require users Netflix entry on the link that leads to the registration page like the truth, Then ask users to update their personal information such as invoice numbers and payment and Date of Birth etc., before being transferred to a site Netflix Forensic [8]. Figure 8 Attack on the site Natfilex An example of a spoofed page that appears from Netflix, which asks the user to enter Username and Password. 5.3. Phishing Attack on Dropbox The use of Dropbox file storage to a phishing attack via e-mail message and a fake page, but this attack was quickly closed according to Symantec. Said security vendor that discovered a set of mail to electronic fake and the message contains a large file and a link to a page Dropbox, the message claims that a document can be viewed them by clicking on the runway link in the message and the link is logged on a fake page on Dropbox itself [9]. 5.4. Phishing Attack on Twitter Said in a statement by the information security manager Twitter was hacked about 250.000 uses. E-mail messages and other information He said the attack, which happened last similar attack that took place on two newspapers Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Some US newspapers reported that the attack was carried out by Chinese hackers. Also the root of the expert in information security Professor Alan Woodward from University of surrey that users be careful of the messages sent to them by phishers with Twitter itself [10]. The growing use of digital technology as the communication medium of entertainment, a tool for the completion of various transactions increased the risks and problems of the diversity may result from this use, and most importantly what is known as phishing email, which can be defined as a fraudulent process in which access to personal information by giving the impression that he trusted entity that in the digital space. There are dozens of smart ideas that help you to protect your personal credit and your identity online, in order to protect yourself Follow these are advices. 6.1. Phishing through scare tactics Usually, the fraudster sends via e-mail that the prosecutor mail from a businessman or an organization is likely that you are dealing with it like a bank, or the Internet service provider you have, or online payment service, or a travel agency, or even a government agency. And he asks you to update or validate, or confirm your account information. Some fraud messages threatening dire consequences if you do not respond. Mail will send you to a site look just like the organizations website or the original side. Such mail is a phishing scam [11]. 6.2. Messages avoid phishing is when people assume personal bank sends you an prompts you for the information about your bank account or credit card under the pretext of making sure of the numbers, relying on the banks logo and other graphics and images to make you think that the message sent by the bank itself. You should not respond to such messages and make sure that the bank and banking institutions do not need to communicate with you to make sure your banking information [11]. 6.3. Do not click on the link Easy enticing you to provide a link attractively Instead of clicking on the link provided, use your browser to go to a known and trusted site by typing the address in your web browser. For example, take this link: https://www.google.com If you click this, it will not take you to Google, and it will take you to a completely different place. The scammers use this trick all the time to cheat you to go to malicious sites. As you can know where the link will take you provided you go through your mouse over the link without clicking on it, if you do it on the link above you will see infosec.kku.edu.sa at the bottom of your browser. If you are using a smart phone, click and hold on the link provided so that shows you the fund shows you the true destination of the link. 6.4. Avoid suspicious responses on online advertising You may need days to publish an online ad for sale for what purpose, then you will receive inevitably letters from interested Among them may be fraudulent messages to send you a buyer crook imminent in another currency worth more than the amount requested by arguing that it was unable to currency conversion and then prompts you to send the rest. When send him a rest you will discover that you check who sent fake. 6.5. E-mail contain misspellings Be wary of e-mail messages that claim to be from organizations or official bodies however contain grammatical errors or mistakes in the use of words, spelling or punctuation. Most official bodies reviewing what is transmitted several times before sending it to the public, is usually crisp, debugging and removed during this process. 7.1. Survey results The majority from ICT, because I went to the department ICT and published them my questions and has the discussion with them after they finish Questions. The majority from trimester 5, because I went to them and explain the my objective (phishing) and give them my questions. The majority chose NO in the rate of (56.25%), this indicates a lack of studies (phishing) in the previous semesters or not to search for it in books or on the Internet, unlike those who chose (YES) by (43.75%), and this shows that they have been search for it on the Internet or books. The majority chose NO in the rate of (68.75%), this shows that students are eager to use their information protection programs (phishing) this is a good indicator of students (ICT). The majority in the rate of (62.5%) chose YES, This is a good rate for students ICT also indicates that their thinking to protect their information and keeping it from phishing by attackers. The majority in the rate of (58.82%) chose NO, This indicates a lack of study material for protection by. Now, at the present time there are digital worldÂÂ   That made peoples lives is simple and easy to make to find the information and communication between the people and the majority of devices used by people, such as computers and smartphones, we use the internet for information and technical information and the curriculum and learning and creation of scientific research or academic and communicate with our friends and our families, such as Google scholar, Google books, YouTube, Skype, WhatsApp, Facebook and Snapchat. However, most hackers had started to develop piracy methods that can be used to steal information from computer users. Phishing is a way of attacking people on their own specific information such as username, password, and credit card. Phishing is also the most widely used method that has been found in the early discovery of computers. Additionally, it has this trick has increased in the past years, using several methods including fake page and a Man in the middle which made this trick to succeed and be used in most is ignorance of computer users. Phishing exploits points weaken people like to deal with them through any kind of kinds to get their own information. Besides, it is known there are a lot sites on the internet, making it difficult to find and prevent phishing sites or blocked, however, it applied most of the host site technical solutions that can mask the phishing sites. In addition, computer users should teach about how to detect phantom site and use the correct web sites. [1]Phishing Attack Victims Likely Targets for Identity Theft. [Online]. Available: https://www.gartner.com/doc/431660/phishing-attack-victims-likely-targets. [Accessed: 15-Jan-2017]. [2]D. Gudkova, M. Vergelis, N. Demidova, and T. Shcherbakova, Spam and phishing in Q1 2016, AO Kapersky Lab, 2016. [3]M. Vergelis, D. Gudkova, N. Demidova, and T. Shcherbakova, SPAM AND PHISHING IN 2015, AO Kapersky Lab, p. 25, 2015. [4]A. A. Khan, Preventing phishing attacks using one time password and user machine identification, ArXiv Prepr. ArXiv13052704, 2013. [5]P. Kalola, S. Patel, and C. Jagani, Web Spoofing For User Security Awareness. [6]M. N. Banu and S. M. Banu, A comprehensive study of phishing attacks, Int. J. Comput. Sci. Inf. Technol., vol. 4, no. 6, pp. 783-786, 2013. [7]Facebook fake friend phishing attack uncovered heres how to spot it. [Online]. Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/07/06/facebook-fake-friend-phishing-attack-uncoveredheres-how-to-sp/. [Accessed: 21-Jan-2017]. [8]Netflix phishing scam goes after credit card data, personal info, WGAL, 12-Jan-2017. [Online]. Available: http://www.wgal.com/article/netflix-phishing-scam-goes-after-credit-card-data-personal-info/8591111. [Accessed: 22-Jan-2017]. [9]One of the most convincing phishing attacks yet tricks you with Dropbox sharing, PCWorld, 20-Oct-2014. [Online]. Available: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2835892/dropbox-used-for-convincing-phishing-attack.html. [Accessed: 25-Jan-2017]. [10]D. Lee, Twitter: Hackers target 250,000 users, BBC News, 02-Feb-2013. [11]7 Tips To Protect Against Phishing | Norton. [Online]. Available: https://us.norton.com/7-tips-to-protect-against-phishing/article. [Accessed: 04-Feb-2017].

A Character Analysis of Sir Lancelot Essay -- Sir Lancelot Essays

A Character Analysis of Sir Lancelot  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Sir Lancelot, from the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, has become by far the most popular and well-remembered knight. Through Malory's rendition of traditional materials, we have inherited a character that has become the image of the quintessential knight. How is it that "the outsider, the foreigner, the 'upstart' who wins Arthur's heart and Guinevere's body and soul" (Walters xiv) has taken the place that, prior to Malory, was reserved for Sir Gawain? Malory has made this character larger than life. Of the grandeur of Lancelot, Derek Brewer says, "In the portrayal of Lancelot we generally recognize a vein of extravagance. He is the most obsessive of lovers, as he is the most beloved of ladies, and the greatest of fighters" (8). To achieve this feat, Malory has molded Lancelot to fit the idea of the perfect knight and the perfect lover. The perfect knight is defined by the Chivalric Code set out in Le Morte D'Arthur as "only to fight in just causes, at all times to be merciful, and at all times to put the service of ladies foremost" (Malory 69). In this code, Lancelot is to be found exemplary. To prove himself worthy as a knight of the Round Table, Lancelot must embark on a quest, and it is while on this quest that "A seemingly never-ending series of victories wins him the title of 'the best knight in the world' dedicated to defending the rights of the weak and the oppressed" (Walters xxi). The perfect lover is a bit easier for the modern reader to understand, as it is much the same as today. To prove himself the perfect lover, Lancelot defends the honor of his Lady above all, denies himself the pleasure of all other ladies, and accepts whatever might... ... of all Christian knights: none could match you! You were the most formidable in battle and the most courteous in manners; in the company of warriors the most courageous, and in the company of ladies the gentlest of men, and in a righteous cause implacable. And of great lovers surely you were the truest. So it is you shall be remembered" (Malory 507). Works Cited App, August J..   Lancelot in English Literature, His Role and Character.   New York:   Haskell House,   1965 Brewer, Derek.   The Presentation of the Character of Lancelot.   Lancelot and Guinevere, A Casebook.   Ed. Lori J. Walters.   New York:   Garland,   1996.   3-27 Malory, Thomas.   Le Morte D'Arthur.   Trans. Keith Malory.   New York:   Mentor,   1962 Walters, Lori J..   Introduction.   Lancelot and Guinevere, A Casebook.   Ed. Lori J. Walters.   New York:   Garland,   1996.   xiii-lxxx          A Character Analysis of Sir Lancelot Essay -- Sir Lancelot Essays A Character Analysis of Sir Lancelot  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Sir Lancelot, from the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, has become by far the most popular and well-remembered knight. Through Malory's rendition of traditional materials, we have inherited a character that has become the image of the quintessential knight. How is it that "the outsider, the foreigner, the 'upstart' who wins Arthur's heart and Guinevere's body and soul" (Walters xiv) has taken the place that, prior to Malory, was reserved for Sir Gawain? Malory has made this character larger than life. Of the grandeur of Lancelot, Derek Brewer says, "In the portrayal of Lancelot we generally recognize a vein of extravagance. He is the most obsessive of lovers, as he is the most beloved of ladies, and the greatest of fighters" (8). To achieve this feat, Malory has molded Lancelot to fit the idea of the perfect knight and the perfect lover. The perfect knight is defined by the Chivalric Code set out in Le Morte D'Arthur as "only to fight in just causes, at all times to be merciful, and at all times to put the service of ladies foremost" (Malory 69). In this code, Lancelot is to be found exemplary. To prove himself worthy as a knight of the Round Table, Lancelot must embark on a quest, and it is while on this quest that "A seemingly never-ending series of victories wins him the title of 'the best knight in the world' dedicated to defending the rights of the weak and the oppressed" (Walters xxi). The perfect lover is a bit easier for the modern reader to understand, as it is much the same as today. To prove himself the perfect lover, Lancelot defends the honor of his Lady above all, denies himself the pleasure of all other ladies, and accepts whatever might... ... of all Christian knights: none could match you! You were the most formidable in battle and the most courteous in manners; in the company of warriors the most courageous, and in the company of ladies the gentlest of men, and in a righteous cause implacable. And of great lovers surely you were the truest. So it is you shall be remembered" (Malory 507). Works Cited App, August J..   Lancelot in English Literature, His Role and Character.   New York:   Haskell House,   1965 Brewer, Derek.   The Presentation of the Character of Lancelot.   Lancelot and Guinevere, A Casebook.   Ed. Lori J. Walters.   New York:   Garland,   1996.   3-27 Malory, Thomas.   Le Morte D'Arthur.   Trans. Keith Malory.   New York:   Mentor,   1962 Walters, Lori J..   Introduction.   Lancelot and Guinevere, A Casebook.   Ed. Lori J. Walters.   New York:   Garland,   1996.   xiii-lxxx         

Star Trek :: Television TV Show Star Trek Essays

Star Trek While Cold War tensions were growing in Europe and civil rights were causing upheaval in the United States, a new show was first airing on American televisions. The series took place in space, onboard a starship. Its creator, a World War II veteran and ex-policeman named Gene Roddenberry, had imagined a show that would go on capture the imagination of the world. Often describing his show as a â€Å"wagon train to the stars,† Roddenberry named his new creation â€Å"Star Trek.† From its humble beginnings in 1966, Star Trek continues to push the limits of visual technology as it creates stunningly impressive and often beautifully breathtaking artistic imagery. Star Trek is enjoyed by many people for many reasons. Without a doubt, the sheer visual masterpieces created by the show offer a large incentive for watching. Taking place in the future, the show must always portray futuristic devices and techniques that push the limit of visual and computer technology. Perhaps the most notable of such devices is the transporter. Lawrence M. Krause, author of The Physics of Star Trek, writes that â€Å"it was really the transporter that seduced me† (xv). Krause is not alone in his judgment. In 2003, Howard A. Anderson Jr. was awarded the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers President’s Award in part for his contributions to the development of the transporter effect (â€Å"Creator†), a fact which illustrates the impact the transporter has had on the world. But the transporter effect has indeed evolved greatly over the years from its humble genesis under Roddenberry and Anderson. Beginning as â€Å"aluminum ‘flitters’ shot through a 5000-watt light and a column of smoke† (â€Å"Report†), it was this simple visual effect that spawned the interest of thousands. The transport effect has recently become digitally rendered, using computer technology to achieve stunning results. People have even been inspired to create tutorials for generating the transporter effect using the popular vector graphics program, Macromedia Flash (Rossi). Considering the impact that Rodenberry’s dream technology has had, it becomes clear that transporter effects have become synonymous with impressive visual art. Other visual techniques continued to improve in subsequent series. Fire-like and other organic-looking elements were created using the newly available medium of liquid nitrogen. The impressive temporal anomaly from The Next Generation episode â€Å"All Good Things†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1994) was created by utilizing liquid nitrogen (Stipes 89-92). In the days when motion control was the norm and computers were still not viable for television effects, Star Trek’s visual effects team reached out for the next generation of science-fiction imagery.

Development of T-DNA Essay

Question: Describe the development of T-DNA-based vector systems from the Ti plasmid and the mechanisms of their delivery into plant cells. Answer:   Tumor-inducing plasmids (Ti plasmids) are used extensively in the construction of vectors and transgenic plants (Binns and Thomashow, 1988).   Ti plasmids are ~200-kb in size, derived from Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Gram-negative phytopathogenic soil bacteria that deliver DNA and proteins to plant cells at wound sites, resulting in crown gall tumorigenesis (Chilton et al., 1977). The generation of tumors depends on the induction of a set of Ti plasmid-encoded virulence (vir) genes acting through a virA/virG regulatory system, which primarily responds to monosaccharide and phenolic levels released by wounded plants.   The transferred DNA (T-DNA) of Ti plasmids is randomly integrated into the plant nuclear genome through a process known as non-homologous recombination (NHR) (Offringa et al., 1990). T-DNA is a single-stranded DNA molecule produced by a virDl/D2-encoded site-specific endonuclease that nicks within two border sequences of 24-bp in length, flanking the T-DNA   (van Haaren et al., 1987).   After cleavage and excision, the T-DNA binds with the DNA-binding protein VirE2 and the resulting complex is transferred to the plant cell via type IV-type secretion (Zupan and Zambryski, 1995). For genetic engineering purposes, the T-DNA region is modified into a non-tumor generating DNA segment by removal of genes that encode enzymes controlling auxin and cytokinin synthesis.   Cloned genes may be inserted into the T-DNA of a Ti plasmid that will eventually be introduced into cultured plant cells, leaf discs or root slices by infection.    Genes for antibiotic resistance are also incorporated into the T-DNA to facilitate selection of transformed cells.   Transformed cells are cultured in media containing auxins and cytokinins for growth and a specific antibiotic to aid identification of transformed clones.   There are reports of successful introduction of foreign genes for disease resistance, herbicide resistance and salt tolerance into commercially important plants.   Another way of transforming plants is by immersion of whole plants in a solution containing engineered-Ti Agrobacterium (Bechtold et al. 1993). Transformation may also be performed by exposing whole plants to a solution containing Agrobacterium that is carrying engineered or wild-type Ti plasmids. The plants must be treated in such a way to allow the Agrobacterium to enter tissue, either by applying a vacuum or by treating with detergents. The Agrobacterium penetrates the floral tissue and transforms the developing ovules. Isolation of seeds from these Agrobacterium-exposed plants yields up to 2% of the seeds that are transformed with the T-DNA. This approach is very useful for molecular genetic studies, such as for characterizing DNA sequences involved in the control of gene expression, or constructing large libraries of insertional mutants. Question:   Explain why transformation of certain species has been problematical and to what extent this has been overcome. Answer:   Ti plasmids encounter compatibility problems wherein closely related plasmids exclude each other.   The repABC genes have been identified to play a major role in this incompatibility.   This problem has been overcome by a curing method (Uragi et al., 2002) which is based on three steps.   Firstly, a curing plasmid is introduced, followed by a screening for Ti-less clones by either opine utilization or hybridization by using a highly conserved region of the virulence cluster as probe, and lastly, detection and deletion of the curing plasmid. Question:   What improvements can be made to the expression systems to overcome some of the objectives of the GM technology? The transformation mechanism of Ti plasmids is so powerful that it becomes a concern on whether other crops might be accidentally modified and propagated.   Termed as â€Å"xenogenic† plants, these plants result from the insertion of laboratory-designed DNA for which no naturally evolved genetic counterpart can be found.   Such DNA segments may integrate into the plant genome causing rearrangements in the nuclear material which may later result in species differentiation.   A silencing mechanism should be constructed to the expression systems of Ti plasmids to overcome such freak accident in GM technology. References Bechtold, N., Ellis, J. and Pelletier, G. (1993):   Agrobacterium mediated gene transfer by infiltration of adult Arabidopsis thaliana plants. C. R. Acad. Sci., 316: 1194–1199. Binns, A.N. and Thomashow, M.F.,   (1988):   Cell biology of Agrobacterium infection and transformation of plants.   Annu. Rev. Microbiol.,   42:575-606. Chilton, M.D., Drummond, M.H., Merio, D.J., Sciaky, D., Montoya, A.L., Gordon, M.P. and Nester, M.P.   (1977):   Stable incorporation of plasmid DNA into higher plant cells: The molecular basis of crown gall tumorigenesis.   Cell,   11:263-271. Matzke, A. J. M. and Chilton, M-D. (1981) Site-specific insertion of gene into T-DNA of the Agrobacterium tumor-inducing plasmid: An approach to genetic engineering of higher plant cells. J. Mol. Appl. Genet. 1: 39–49. Offringa, R., De Groot, M.J.A., Haagsman, H.J., Does, M.P., van den Elzen, P.J.M. and Hooykaas, P.J.J.   (1990):   Extrachromosomal homologous recombination and gene targeting in plant cells after Agrobacterium mediated transformation.   EMBO J., 9:3077-3084. Uragi, M., Suzuki, K. and Yoshida, K.   (2002):   A novel plasmid curing method using incompatibility of plant pathogenic Ti plasmids in Agrobacterium tumefaciens.   Genes Genet. Syst.   77:1-9. van Haaren, M.J., Sedee, N.J., Schilperoort, R.A. and Hooykaas, P.J. (1987): Overdrive is a T-region transfer enhancer which stimulates T-strand production in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Nucl. Acids Res., 15: 8983–8997. Zupan, J., Muth, T., Draper, O. and Zambryski, P. (2000). The transfer of DNA from Agrobacterium tumefaciens into plants: a feast of fundamental insights. Plant J.,   23: 11–28. Zupan, J.R. and Zambryski, P. (1995): Transfer of T-DNA from Agrobacterium to the plant cell. Plant Physiol., 107: 1041–1047.

Positive Effects On Social Media Essay

I believe that their is a postitive affect in social media because it builds up confidence and allows people to stay organized and in the loop. It has been around since the 80’s. In an interesting DM article apparently 30 million of us who use the internet visit social networking websites such as Myspace, Facebook, and Bebo. Social media can also help find a missing person. The first reason social media has helped is because it lets you stay in touch with friends and family. You can get to know other students at your school or stay connected with other people who share a common interest. It also helps strengthen long distance relationships. For example, I have a friend whose parents got divorced and his dad lives far away from him. He said, â€Å"The only way we can communicate is through facebook†. I personally think facebook is a neat website that can help with communication. In the article â€Å"Teens in Survey Paint Positive Picture of Effect of Social Media on Their lives† I read that â€Å"Half of teens said social networks have helped their friendship† and I also agree with this. The second reason that it has helped is that it keeps us up to date with what’s going on. A reporter from a social media article stated that â€Å"Many teens express an almost-like wearness with the pressures of constant texting and posting involved in their lives†. People post and text online to express themselves. I talked to my sister this morning, and asked her how social media has helped her in life and she said â€Å"It provides me reminders for meets or practices for cross country†. I thought that was really intersting and I also believe it helps teachers with things like that too. Since theyre always busy and forget things I think they need some kind of reminder to remind them. see more:cause and effect of social media Finally, the third reason that social media has helped is that it makes you feel less lonely or if you’re not having a good day talking to your friends online can change your mood for the day. In the same social media article it said, â€Å"Many teenagers say that using social networking sites makes them feel more confident, popular, out going, and sympathetic to others†. So this is why social media is helpful for your life and others. Most parents I know and some teachers think social media has a negative perspective on it thinking it’s just a waste of time. But in cases like having communication with far away relatives, getting reminders or just by expressing yourself can bring a postive effort in your life style.