Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Construction Industry Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Construction Industry Report - Essay Example In contemporary Western cultures it is possible for individuals to work in 5-10 different occupations before retirement. However, current thinking on careers tends to be conditioned by older and sometimes outmoded concepts of what a career ought to be. The relatively stable patterns that many in New Zealand enjoyed from 1945 - 1985 represents a past of relational contracts, steady advancement and mutual loyalty which is difficult to replicate in today's society (Elkin, Jackson & Inkson, 2004). A study conducted by Michael Arthur and his colleagues at the University of Auckland looked in depth at the careers of 75 representative New Zealanders from 1985 to 1995 (Arthur, Inkson & Pringle, 1999). Arthur's study found that individuals moved between employers and between jobs with relative ease. Very few of these moves were upward, career building moves such as promotion. For example, Arthur found that more than 60% of the people in the sample changed occupations in the 10 years covered by the study. Eighty five percent moved between organisations. The Centre for Research on Work, Education and Research Limited conducted case studies of four industries including the construction industry. ... (Centre for Research on Work, Education and Research Limited, 2004). Some skilled tradesmen in construction who had become independent contractors in the past when made redundant or by choice were reported as being worse off financially than previously. These men were a supply of labour because their alternative was to work as a sub-contractor on private building sites where they might, for example, work for 60-70 hours a week but earn only an effective $7-$8 an hour. Researchers claim that people employed in the construction industry are classified as realistic. They have mechanical abilities, like working outdoors with tools and objects and they prefer dealing with things rather than people. Construction workers tend to like practical and physical activities and they are task orientated. The construction sector is highly labour intensive. Whereas other industries can increase production by using a mix of more people and more machinery, construction is much more reliant on people. Work Environment The construction industry is seen by some people as hazardous or dangerous. The injury rate per thousand workers for the Total Construction Industry calculated from ACC Entitlement Claims Data as a whole for the 2004 year was approximately 30 injuries per thousand workers. The rate of injury was relatively stable over the 2001-2004 period even though New Zealand experienced somewhat of a 'boom' period for the industry, with many new and inexperienced workers entering the industry. (New Zealand Construction Industry Council, 2005). On the other hand, injury costs for the industry over the period 2001 to 2004 show a downward trend. As

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Ampicillin and Kanamycin Resistant Bacteria Comparison

Ampicillin and Kanamycin Resistant Bacteria Comparison Antibiotic use throughout the world has increased tremendously over the decades. In the past, antibiotic resistance was most prevalent in areas of frequent antibiotic use, such as in medical or laboratory settings. However, the increasing use of antibiotics and antibacterial products outside of hospitals, such as in homes and schools, echoes the expansion of antibiotic resistant bacteria (LBC Biology Staff, 2010). One major source of the growing problem is that antibiotics are being over prescribed by doctors to millions of people around the world. It is currently believed that about only half of the antibiotics prescribed to patients are administered properly (Levy, 1998). In addition to over prescription by doctors, many patients misuse the antibiotics and further increase the spread of resistance. For example, some patients discontinue use of antibiotics upon feeling symptom relief, not at the end of their antibiotic schedule prescribed by the doctor. In actuality, patients are ki lling off the weakest bacteria, causing temporary relief, and allowing the stronger and more resistant bacteria to multiply at a faster rate (Levy, 1998). This and other types of antibiotic misuse have promoted the growth of strains of bacteria with resistance to antibiotic attack. This can be seen through studies that have shown Tetracycline resistance by normal human intestinal flora that exploded from 2% in the 1950s to 80% in the 1990s (Criswell, 2004). Other studies have shown Kanamycin, an antibiotic from the 1950s, has become clinically useless as a result of the prevalence of Kanamycin-resistant bacteria (Criswell, 2004). It has become visible that the development of resistance to any antibiotic, new or old, will happen in a matter of time (LBC Biology Staff, 2010). Due to the inevitability of mutation, natural selection, time and environmental conditions, resistance will be seen in more common areas like work and home. As a consequence of the every growing expansion of antiobiotic resistance, places previously thought to be uncontaminated like schools and homes have become overwhelmed with antibiotic resistant bacteria. In one household study, it was discovered that kitchen sinks contained many different types of resistant bacteria, primarily from food waste and human hands (Rusin et al., 1998). Only the application of strong bleaches and specific cleaning products on a regimented cleaning schedule led to a decreased amount of bacteria in kitchen sinks (Rusin et al., 1998). The cleaning products used in this study did not contain antibacterial ingredients, which helped reduce the spread of resistance by killing all bacteria instead of the most susceptible strains. Antibacterial products and cleaning supplies are less effective and in turn can lead to reproduction of stronger antibiotic resistant bacteria. The large amount of antibacterial cleaning products, food and waste combined with the constant water supply in sink drains allows for a greater chance of survival of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (Levy, 1998). Optimal conditions for bacterial growth with a wet environment cause a higher frequency of bacterial transmission of resistance (Perryman and Flournoy, 1980). In scientific laboratories, regulations are in place to monitor the disposal of solid and liquid wastes. Some regulations include specific waste baskets for toxic or contaminated substances and use of certain sinks only when dealing with harmful liquids in laboratory settings. This ensures that unnecessary amounts of harmful substances that could lead to resistance are not continually poured down laboratory sink drains. However, no such regulations are in effect in household environments. In a study performed in Oklahoma City the extent of growing antibiotic resistance was seen in multiple environments. Bacterial samples were gathered from sink drains in the Veterans Administration Medical Center, libraries, private homes, shopping centers, and other similar environments for comparison (Perryman and Flournoy, 1980). The goal of the experiment was to determine the types of resistant bacteria that were most prevalent in sink drains, the abundance of bacteria in sink drains, and the life span of bacteria in dry and wet environments (Perryman and Flournoy, 1980). Through testing, bacteria were found to have longer life spans in wet environments than in dry environments, and many bacteria survived for over 180 days in wet environments (Perryman and Flournoy, 1980). The high survival rate of bacteria in areas with constant water supply, such as in laboratory and kitchen sinks, supports the prediction that sinks are ideal environments for ample bacterial growth. In the afore mentioned study, bacterial growth occurred on plates containing the antibiotics gentamicin and amikacin, and it was determined that the sink drains from the medical hospital contained the highest amount of antibiotic resistant organisms. Overall, 88% of the sink drains sampled from the Veterans Administration Medical Center contained some type of antibiotic resistant bacteria (Perryman and Flournoy, 1980). While bacteria could come from other sources such as the patients and tap water, the great quantity of antibiotic resistant bacteria in all environments illustrates the need for a reduction in the overuse of antibiotics and the essential awareness of the consequences. Places with high levels of exposure to antibiotics and antibacterial products provide ideal environments for bacteria to develop resistance through replicated mutations or transmissions between bacteria. Some factors that severely add to the growing problem of antibiotic resistant bacteria include increased applications of antibacterial soaps and cleaning products, over prescription of antibiotics by doctors, misuse of antibiotics by patients, and improper care of waste products (Levy, 1998). Bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics through genetic mutation, transfer of the mutation between bacteria, or transmission of the mutated DNA on a plasmid between bacteria when the resistant gene is carried on the plasmid DNA. A plasmid is a relatively small piece of circular DNA that is self replicating and independent of the chromosomal DNA of the cell. Resistant chromosomal DNA and plasmid DNA can be transmitted to the next generation through cell replication. Plasmids can be passed th rough bacterial conjugation, which involves a bacterium copying the plasmid with resistant DNA and inserting the copied plasmid into a second bacterium. Plasmid DNA can also be transferred through bacterial transformation when plasmid DNA invades another bacterium and is incorporated into the bacteriums DNA (Cognato, 2010). Understanding these problems and the mechanisms of resistance transmission is the first step in preventing further development of resistant strains of bacteria. The focus of the experiment at hand is to determine whether the bacteria located in a laboratory sink or in an apartment garbage disposal contains more antibiotic resistant strains. It was hypothesized that the apartment garbage disposal would contain more antibiotic resistant bacteria than the laboratory sink. This is due to the abundance of contaminated materials that pass through garbage disposals in comparison to the regulated materials that pass through laboratory sinks. The null hypothesis is that the amounts of antibiotic resistant bacteria that exist in the garbage disposal sink and laboratory sink will be equal. Many steps were needed to accomplish this research and obtain the sample bacteria to determine the resistance. Samples from the laboratory sink and the apartment garbage disposal were swabbed on agar plates to obtain a culture of bacteria. Colonies were selected based on growth and seclusion from the bacterial lawn. Individual bacteria were then streaked on master patch plates for each environment. After the bacteria had grown, individual colonies were selected to be streaked on antibiotic plates containing Ampicillin, Kanamycin, and Tetracycline. Antibiotic resistant bacteria were chosen from the antibiotic plates, separated and characterized. Next, plasmids from the antibiotic resistant bacteria were isolated and spliced using restriction endonucleases to determine band length of resistant plasmid DNA to help identify the type of bacteria. Competent E. coli cells were transformed with the control plasmid DNA to convey antibiotic resistance and support bacteria identification. Final ly, the bacterial DNA was replicated by polymerase chain reaction to amplify the 16S rRNA gene in hopes to obtain sequencing information of a known bacterium. It was predicted that resistant bacteria, for all antibiotics, will be Gram negative due to easier entry of resistant plasmid DNA into the cell. Bacteria with a thin cell wall layer and an outer membrane surrounding the peptidoglycan layer are Gram negative. Bacteria with a thick wall layer that do not have the peptidoglycan layer surrounding are Gram positive. Gram identity was verified through Gram staining, a KOH test, and observing growth on a MacConkey agar and Eosin Methylene Blue Agar plate. Methods Swab Plates A sterile cotton swab saturated in sterile phosphate-buffered saline was used to gather samples from the laboratory sink and an apartment garbage disposal. Bacterial samples from the disposal and lab sinks were collected from the underside of the drain. Bacteria were then swabbed onto Lysogeny broth agar plates (three per environment). Plates were placed into an incubator for 24 hours at 37Â °C. Following the incubation period, plates were removed, parafilmed, and refrigerated at 4Â °C until needed. Master Patch Plates Master plates were made by placing sixteen individual colonies onto a 44 grid on Lysogeny broth (LB) only plates. An inoculation loop was used to transfer the 16 individual colonies from the sample plate onto a grid of the master plate. Plates were labeled with D for the apartment garbage disposal and L for the laboratory sink along with a number (1, 2, or 3) to distinguish between swabbed samples. Plates were incubated at 37Â °C for 24 hours, removed, sealed with parafilm, and refrigerated at 4Â °C until needed. Antibiotic Patch Plates Antibiotic agar plates were made by mixing 8.4g agar with 12g LB powder and 600mL of distilled water (dH2O), and then autoclaved. After cooling, 2.4Â µL of Ampicillin, 1.2Â µL of Kanamycin, or 2.4Â µL of Tetracycline were added appropriately and plates were poured. One colony per grid of the master patch plate was obtained with an inoculation loop, and the bacteria were transferred in a line onto a corresponding grid on the antibiotic plates. The number of squares that contained bacterial growth was observed and recorded. One colony of the bacteria grown on the antibiotic patch plates was then streaked onto a new antibiotic plate to obtain individual colonies of bacteria for further study. Miniprep A liquid culture was performed in preparation for the Promega Wizard Plus SV Miniprep DNA Purification System, which was used to isolate plasmid DNA from antibiotic resistant bacteria. First, 5Â µL of antibiotic was added to a 5mL tube filled with a liquid medium made of LB. A single colony of bacteria was added to the medium and placed in a shaker at 37Â °C for 24 hours. The liquid culture was then transferred into an Eppendorf tube and centrifuged for 5 minutes at 4,400rpm. Liquid media waste was disposed of and the pellet was thoroughly re-suspended in 250Â µL of Cell Resuspension Solution. If the bacteria were Gram positive, 63Â µL of lysozyme would be added to the solution. Since the bacteria studied was Gram negative, the process continued with the addition of 250Â µL of Cell Lysis Solution was added to the Eppendorf tube containing the resuspended bacterial solution and the sample was mixed. Subsequently, 10Â µL Alkaline Protease Solution was added, mixed, and incubated for 5 minutes at room temperature. Then, 350Â µL Neutralization Solution was added, mixed, and centrifuged for 10 minutes at 13,500rpm. A Spin Column was inserted in a Collection Tube and the clear lysate was decanted into the Spin Column. This was centrifuged for 1 minute at 13,500rpm and the flowthrough was discarded. The Spin Column was replaced, 750Â µL of wash solution was added, and the solution was centrifuged for 1 minute at 13,500rpm. The flowthrough was discarded, and this process was repeated with a 250Â µL wash. The solution was centrifuged for 2 minutes at 13,500rpm. The Spin Column was transferred to a 1.5mL Eppendorf tube. Finally, 50Â µL of Nuclease-Free Water was added and then the solution was centrifuged for 1 minute at 13,500rpm. The column was discarded and the DNA was stored at -20ËÅ ¡C. Gel Electrophoresis DNA electrophoresis was used to determine the length of the plasmid DNA of the environmental samples and Blue plasmid control (pKAN). First, 0.7g of agarose powder was added to 70mL of 1X TBE. The solution was heated in a microwave for 1 minute so the agarose powder was completely dissolved. After the mixture cooled, 3Â µL of Ethidium bromide was added and the gel was taken out of the mold and put on the rig. The gel was submerged in a 1X TBE buffer. The wells of the gel were filled with 10Â µL of a mixture containing 8Â µL of plasmid DNA and 2Â µL of plasmid dye, and the gel ran for 60 minutes on 80 volts. The 1% agarose gel was viewed under an ultraviolet light to compare lengths of DNA with the 1KB ladder. Gram Staining Gram staining was used to determine the Gram identity of bacteria. Bacteria that are Gram negative stained red and bacteria that are Gram positive stained violet. A colony of bacteria was added to an Eppendorf tube with 400Â µL of dH2O. After vortexing, 5Â µL of the solution was pipetted onto a slide. Once dry, the slide was passed over a flame to affix the bacteria to the glass, preventing the removal of bacteria. The slide was flooded drop-wise with crystal violet and iodine, and rinsed with dH2O for 5 seconds after the addition of each reactant. Ethanol was added until the color was no longer emitted, then rinsed with dH2O for 5 seconds. Safranin was added drop-wise for 1 minute and then rinsed with dH2O for 5 seconds. The slide was observed under a microscope to determine Gram identity. KOH Test The KOH test for Gram positive and negative bacteria was begun by pipetting 20Â µL of 3% KOH on a slide. After adding one clump of bacteria to the KOH, the consistency of the solution was observed. If the solution was thick, viscous and adhered to the inoculation loop, the bacteria were Gram negative. If the solution was thin and not viscous, the bacteria were Gram positive. MacConkey Agar Plate A MacConkey agar plate was streaked with antibiotic resistant bacteria from the garbage disposal and laboratory sink. After incubation at 37ËÅ ¡C for 24 hours, the plates were observed for growth to indicate Gram negative bacteria. The MacConkey agar plate also signaled lactose fermentation with the appearance of pink colonies. Eosin Methylene Blue Agar Plate (EMB) An EMB plate was streaked with antibiotic resistant bacteria from the apartment garbage disposal and the laboratory sink as well as a positive E.coli control. After incubation at 37ËÅ ¡C for 24 hours, the plates were observed for growth to indicate Gram negative bacteria. The EMB agar plate indicated strong lactose fermentation through the appearance of dark green metallic colonies and a lesser degree of lactose fermentation through the appearance of purple or pink colonies. Restriction Digest Restriction enzymes cut the control pKAN DNA at specific restriction sites identified by the NEBcutter V2.0. The enzymes used in restriction digest were BamHI and EcoRI in Buffer II, and PvuI and PstI in Buffer III. The reaction solution used in restriction digest consists of 10Â µL of DNA, 1Â µL of each enzyme, 2Â µL of NEBuffer, and 7Â µL of de-ionized distilled water (ddH2O) added together in an Eppendorf tube. The solution was centrifuged at 14,500rpm for 30 seconds and then incubated for 24 hours at 37ËÅ ¡C. A plasmid map created from the NEBcutter V2.0 was compared to a gel electrophoresis run on a 1% aragose gel with plasmid DNA. The gel electrophoresis compared Blue plasmid (pKAN) DNA that was uncut with the Blue control plasmid (pKAN) that was cut with restriction enzymes. Transformation After plasmid DNA preparation, 22Â µL of E. coli competent cells were added to three separate Eppendorf tubes. In one tube, 5Â µL of control DNA, pKAN, was added and stirred with the pipette tip. In the second tube, a negative control was made with the addition of 5Â µL of dH2O that was then stirred with a pipette tip. In the third tube, a positive control was made with the addition of 1Â µL of known pKAN, and the solution was stirred with a pipette tip. The tubes were then incubated in ice 30 minutes. The cells were heat shocked for 45 seconds at 42ËÅ ¡C and then placed on ice for 2 minutes. 250Â µL of pre-warmed (37ËÅ ¡C) SOC medium was added to all three of the Eppendorf tubes, and the tubes were then incubated in a shaker at 37ËÅ ¡C for 1 hour at 2,250rpm. Upon removal from the incubator, 75Â µL of each transformation were spread onto plates with a sterilized hockey stick. The transformed control DNA, pKAN, cells and the negative control dH2O transformed cell s were spread onto LB only plates, ampicillin antibiotic plates, and kanamycin antibiotic plates to determine if resistance to antibiotics was transferred in the transformation. The transformed positive control, known pKAN, cells was spread onto a LB only plate and a kanamycin plate since pKAN is known to be resistant to kanamycin. Plates were incubated for 24 hours at 37ËÅ ¡C and numbers of resistant bacterial colonies were observed. Bacterial growth on the control DNA, pKAN, transformation antibiotic plates would signal resistance to the antibiotic in the plate, and growth on the LB only plate would signal the existence of bacterial cells from the transformation. No growth on the dH2O negative control plates containing ampicillin and kanamycin antibiotics would signal a correct transformation as long as there was bacterial growth on the LB only plate. Growth on the positive control, known pKAN, transformation plate signaled the correct transfer of kanamycin resistant plasmid DNA into the competent E.coli cells. Polymerase Chain Reaction The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) involved mixing a reaction cocktail that included 80Â µL of Nuclease-free water, 10Â µL of 10X Thermopol buffer, 3Â µL of 10mM dNTPs, 2Â µL of 11F @ 10Â µM, 2Â µL of 1492R @ 10Â µM, and 1Â µL of Taq polymerase @ 5000U/mL. The solution was then mixed through vortexing. Subsequently, 22Â µL of the cocktail was transferred to each of the 4 PCR tubes. A small portion of each bacterial colony was added to SOC medium and mixed. Then 5Â µL of SOC medium with bacteria was added to each tube. Tube 1 had environmental bacteria, tube 2 had different environmental bacteria, tube 3 had the control E.coli and 5Â µL of H2O was added to tube 4. The reactions were placed in the thermocycler in C4. The PCR cycling program consists of five steps. The first step is pre-denaturation in which the PCR mixing reaction cocktail is heated at 95Â °C for 5 minutes. The second step is denaturation, which involves heating the reaction cocktail at 95Â °C for 30 seco nds to unwind and separate the DNA. The third step is annealing, which is run at 50Â °C for 30 seconds to allow the 11F and 1492R primers to attach to the DNA template strands. The fourth step is elongation, which is run at 72Â °C for 45 seconds to allow the DNA polymerase (Taq polymerase) to add dNTPs and replicate the 16S gene. The fifth step is the final elongation, which is run at 72Â °C for 7 minutes. The hold between cycles is run at 4Â °C, and the PCR is run for 35 cycles. Gel electrophoresis was run to determine if a successful PCR reaction took place. 10Â µL of the PCR solution from each tube was mixed with 2Â µL of plasmid dye, and 10Â µL of the mixtures were loaded into the wells of the 1% agarose gel. Chi Squared Test of Independence A Chi Squared Test of Independence was run to determine if a statistically significant difference exists between the numbers of antibiotic resistant bacteria from the two environments. The number of grids on the antibiotic plates was recorded only if the bacteria grew on both the antibiotic plate and the LB only plate. The test was run on Vassar Stats and gave a p-value to correspond to the data and indicate if there was a significant difference. Results Swab and Master Patch Plates After the incubation period of 24 hours at 37 C, the swab plates, labeled L for laboratory sink samples (L1-L3) and D for garbage disposal sink samples (D1-D3), were observed and found that 100% of the environmental bacteria grew (Figure 1). Bacteria growth in both environments was indicated by white colored spots or streaks within the plates grid. Master plates were observed from both experimental environments and found to have growth on all of the 16 grids on each plate (Figure 2). Antibiotic Patch Plates From the garbage disposal sink, the three samples all had some level of growth (Figure 3). The following percentages were calculated by dividing the number of grids with bacterial development on the antibiotic plates by the number of grids with growth from the LB plates (Table 1). Plate D1 showed 100%, 62.5%, 0%, and 100% growth on the Ampicillin, Kanamycin, Tetracycline, and LB only plates respectively. Plate D2 demonstrated 93.75%, 93.75%, 0%, and 100% growth on the Ampicillin, Kanamycin, Tetracycline, and LB only plates respectively. Plate D3 showed 93.75%, 75%, 0%, and 100% growth on the Ampicillin, Kanamycin, Tetracycline, and LB only plates respectively. From the laboratory sink, all samples had bacteria development (Figure 4). Plate L1 demonstrated 100%, 93.75%, 12.5%, and 100% growth on the Ampicillin, Kanamycin, Tetracycline, and LB only plates respectively. Plate L2 showed 100%, 73.33%, 6.67%, and 93.75% growth on the Ampicillin, Kanamycin, Tetracycline, and LB only plates respectively. Plate L3 demonstrated 57.14%, 42.86%, 7.14%, and 87.5% growth on the Ampicillin, Kanamycin, Tetracycline, and LB only plates respectively. Chi Squared Test of Independence Data obtained from the number of antibiotic resistant colonies on the antibiotic patch plates was used to run the Chi-squared Test of Independence for Ampicillin and Kanamycin resistant bacteria. For Ampicillin resistant bacteria, the p-value obtained was 0.74. With one degree of freedom, the Chi-squared critical value of 3.84 obtained from a Chi-squared Distribution Table in comparison to the Chi-squared statistical value denoted no statistically significant difference. For Kanamycin resistant bacteris, the calculated p-value was 0.81. With one degree of freedom, comparison of the Chi-squared critical value of 3.84 found in a Chi-squared Distribution Table and the Chi-squared statistical value demonstrated no statistically significant difference (Table 1). Gram Staining, KOH, MacConkey Agar and Eosin Methylene Blue Agar Plates Four tests were used to determine the gram identity of bacteria from the experimental environments. The results showed that the three environmental bacteria slides were stained pink indicating gram negative bacteria (Figure 5, Table 2). For the KOH test, all three samples from both environments appeared viscous and thick, indicating gram negative bacteria (Table 2). The MacConkey Agar Plate was divided into three sections for the different antibiotic resistant bacteria. The environmental bacterial sample in Section 1 was obtained from the Ampicillin antibiotic plate L2 grid #3. The bacterial sample in Section 2 was obtained from the Kanamycin antibiotic plate L2 grid #14. The bacterial sample in Section 3 was obtained from the Kanamycin antibiotic plate D2 grid #16. All three samples in the three sections grew bacteria that were stained pink, indicating Gram negative bacteria that ferment lactose (Figure 6, Table 2). The Eosin Methylene Blue Agar Plate was sectioned off into four par ts and bacteria from three environmental samples and one E.coli positive control were plated. The bacterial sample in Section 1 was taken from the Ampicillin antibiotic plate L2 grid #3. The bacterial sample in Section 2 was obtained from the Kanamycin antibiotic plate L2 grid #14. The bacterial sample in Section 3 was gathered from the Kanamycin antibiotic plate D2 grid #16. The bacterial sample in Section 4 was obtained from an E. coli plate that was known to be Gram negative. Pink colonies formed in all four sections, signaling Gram negative identity of the bacteria and lactose fermentation (Figure 6, Table 2). Mini Prep and Gel Electrophoresis Promega Wizard Plus SV Miniprep DNA Purification System was run to isolate plasmid DNA. This plasmid DNA was run on a 1% agarose gel. The lengths of bands in Trial A could not be determined because the DNA in the wells did not run with the ladder. The Blue control plasmid, which was pKAN, was located in lane 3 in Trial A and Trial B and was used to indicate a successful Miniprep. The band length of the pKAN control DNA in Trial B was about 4,200 base pairs. An environmental plasmid found on Ampicillin streak plate L2, grid #3 was used in lane 7 in Trial A and lane 5 in Trial B. In Trial B, the base pair length of the environmental bacteria plasmid used in lane 5 could not be determined due to the appearance of many bands of varying length. An environmental plasmid from Kanamycin streak plate L2, grid #14 was used in lane 5 in Trial A and lane 7 in Trial B. The band length of this environmental plasmid in Trial B could not be determined due to the faint appearance of a band greater th an 10,000bp. Another environmental plasmid from Kanamycin streak plate D2, grid#16 was used in lane 6 in both Trial A and Trial B. The band length of this environmental plasmid in Trial B also could not be determined from the faint appearance of a band greater than 10,000bp (Figure 7). Restriction Digest In Trial A, restriction digest was used to cut the Blue control pKAN DNA with the enzymes BamHI, EcoRI, PstI, and PvuI. Lane 3 displays pKAN cut with PstI and PvuI. Lane 4 displays pKAN cut with BamHI and EcoRI. The lengths of the bands shown are about 4,000bp, 3,000bp, 2,500bp, 1,500bp, and 1,200bp.The lengths of the bands shown are about 1,700bp, 1,100bp, 750bp, 600bp, and 500bp. Lanes 5-8 contained environmental bacterial DNA that was cut with BamHI, EcoRI, PstI, and PvuI as well, but no bands were observed (Figure 8). In Trial B, restriction digest was used to cut pKAN DNA with only the enzymes BamHI and EcoRI. Lane 3 displays pKAN that was cut with BamHI, showing a band length that is about 4,200bp. Lane 4 shows pKAN that was cut with EcoRI, and the band lengths shown are about 8,000bp, 5,000bp, and 4,000bp. Lane 5 displays pKAN that was cut with BamHI and EcoRI, and the band lengths shown are about 4,100bp, 3,100bp, and 2,000bp. Lane 6 shows pKAN that remained uncut with a band length of about 4,200bp (Figure 9). Transformation Transformation was performed to convey resistance carried on plasmid DNA into competent E. coli cells. Blue plasmid control DNA (pKAN) was used for the transformation, which was successful. This was indicated by the growth of transformed bacteria on Kanamycin antibacterial plates (Figure 10). Polymerase Chain Reaction A Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used to amplify and prepare the 16S gene of rRNA. Gel electrophoresis was run on the PCR product to determine if a successful PCR reaction had taken place. Lane 3 contains PCR product from the Kanamycin plate L1 grid #14 and lane 4 contains PCR product from the master patch plate D3 grid #16. Bands were not seen in these lanes containing environmental bacteria, signaling an unsuccessful PCR. Lane 5 displays the negative water control without bands. Lane 6 shows the positive E. coli control PCR product with a band length of about 2,000bp (Figure 11). Discussion The study showed that no statistically significant difference existed between the amount of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the garbage disposal and laboratory sink and it also characterized all of the environmental bacteria as Gram negative. To determine the amount of bacteria located in the experimental areas, many tests were utilized to analyze the bacterium. Patch plates containing Tetracycline, Ampicillin, Kanamycin and LB were made in order to verify antibiotic resistant bacteria and growth. The plates with bacterial growth that was resistant to Ampicillin and Kanamycin were used in a statistical analysis to determine a correlation between the amounts of growth and the two environments. Our prediction that the amount of bacterial growth from the garbage disposal sink in Capitol Villa would be greater than the Lyman Briggs lab sink in C5 was refuted due to the Chi-squared Test for Independence that showed no statistically significant difference. We failed to reject the null hyp othesis that no difference existed between the amounts of antibiotic resistant bacteria found in each environment. A Chi-squared Test for Independence was run to compare the amounts of antibiotic resistant bacteria on the Ampicillin and Kanamycin plates. Tetracycline was not used because no data indicated resistance. The existence of Ampicillin and Kanamycin resistant bacteria in both the garbage disposal and the laboratory sink is unsurprising due to the widespread clinical use of both antibiotics over the past decades (Criswell, 2004). For Ampicillin, a total of 178 bacterial streaks grew between the two environments and a p-value of 0.74 was calculated. With one degree of freedom, the Chi-squared critical value of 3.84 obtained from a Chi-squared Distribution Table in comparison to the Chi-squared statistical value denoted no statistically significant difference. For Kanamycin, 162 streaks grew between the two environments and a p-value of 0.81 was calculated. With one degree of freedom, the a comparison of the Chi-squared critical value of 3.84 found from a Chi-squared Distribution Table to t he Chi-squared statistical value denoted no statistically significant difference as well. Therefore, the prediction that the garbage disposal sink would contain more antibiotic resistant bacteria than the laboratory sink was rejected. To further understand why bacteria were resistant, four tests were run to categorize the Gram identity of the environmental samples. The structure of the bacteria plays a large role in determining resistance. Importantly, it is easier for the plasmid DNA to penetrate a Gram negative bacterium due to the lack of an outer membrane around the peptidoglycan layer. The Gram staining process showed pink rod shaped bacterium, demonstrating that the bacteria was Gram negative. The KOH tests resulted in a viscous substance, indicating that all the environmental bacteria obtained from the garbage disposal and the laboratory sink were Gram negative. The MacConkey agar plates identified the bacteria to be Gram negative through growth on the plate. The growth on the plate was a pink color, signifying lactose fermentation from the bacteria. The environmental bacteria developed pink colonies on the EMB agar plates, further supporting the Gram negative identity and a low production of lactose fermen tation of the environmental bacteria gathered from the garbage disposal and laboratory sink. Gel electrophoresis was used in determining the existence and length of environmental plasmid DNA. The Miniprep isolated the plasmid DNA from the bacteria, but upon running the gel, it was discovered that no environmental plasmid DNA was present. The absence of bands

Friday, October 25, 2019

Teaching Philosophy Statement :: Teachers Education Learning School Essays

Teaching Philosophy Statement I have a dream and that dream is to one day become a teacher. I have had this since I was a small child and I would play school with all my friends and my sister. I will always remember on the last day of school asking my teacher for any old teachers manuals or worksheets that she was going to discard so that I could pretend to play school all summer. I also remember as a child that I always preferred to go to the stationary department of a store to select to play school with over buying something from the toy department. There are many reasons why I dream of being a teacher. Of course, I think it would be great to not have to work nights, weekends, holidays, snow days, or summers, but now there is a greater reason and that reason is to touch the lives of students like some of my teachers have touched my life. As a teacher you have the ability to not only affect the student's present life, but also their future and the future of our country. It will also allow me to have th e best of both worlds: to have a rewarding career as well as be home with my children when they are not in school. As a teacher I plan to incorporate the essentialist and behaviorist philosophies into my future classroom. I feel that it will be important to incorporate the essentialist educational philosophy into my classroom because I believe that it is important to instill in our youth not only academic knowledge, but also character development. I feel that if they receive these two things they will be more prepared to face the real world. It is important to teach them respect for authority and consideration for others because unfortunately in this day and time so many people lack things. It is important to teach them perseverance so that they will be willing to work hard and never stop until they have reached their goals. It is also important to teach them practicality because we live in a very unpractical world. I believe the core courses, that include: reading, writing, computing, history, geography, natural sciences, foreign languages, social studies, and government are essential to a student's future in college and beyond. Teaching Philosophy Statement :: Teachers Education Learning School Essays Teaching Philosophy Statement I have a dream and that dream is to one day become a teacher. I have had this since I was a small child and I would play school with all my friends and my sister. I will always remember on the last day of school asking my teacher for any old teachers manuals or worksheets that she was going to discard so that I could pretend to play school all summer. I also remember as a child that I always preferred to go to the stationary department of a store to select to play school with over buying something from the toy department. There are many reasons why I dream of being a teacher. Of course, I think it would be great to not have to work nights, weekends, holidays, snow days, or summers, but now there is a greater reason and that reason is to touch the lives of students like some of my teachers have touched my life. As a teacher you have the ability to not only affect the student's present life, but also their future and the future of our country. It will also allow me to have th e best of both worlds: to have a rewarding career as well as be home with my children when they are not in school. As a teacher I plan to incorporate the essentialist and behaviorist philosophies into my future classroom. I feel that it will be important to incorporate the essentialist educational philosophy into my classroom because I believe that it is important to instill in our youth not only academic knowledge, but also character development. I feel that if they receive these two things they will be more prepared to face the real world. It is important to teach them respect for authority and consideration for others because unfortunately in this day and time so many people lack things. It is important to teach them perseverance so that they will be willing to work hard and never stop until they have reached their goals. It is also important to teach them practicality because we live in a very unpractical world. I believe the core courses, that include: reading, writing, computing, history, geography, natural sciences, foreign languages, social studies, and government are essential to a student's future in college and beyond.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Choosing Freedom Over Limitation Essay

Each and everyday, what I can watch from the news reports nowadays are all about crime, crime and all crime. Our society is already filled with human being’s dark sides and that is what is continuously being unleashed. What I wanted to say is that we need to have effective ways to help our world to leave its bad ways. The role of the government in the society is to enforce what is right and limit the wrong doings. But as what I can observe, the more the government limits its people, the more the people do terrible things. An example of that I have read that shows this example is the Martial Law brought down onto the Philippines in the early 1970s. Yes, at the beginning, the people follows the government because of the forced limitation but after years had passed, people revolted because they cannot take any longer what the government is doing to the people. It is not always that forced limitation becomes effective to ruling people everytime. There will be a point in time, when someone limits another person and doesn’t give him his freedom it will show its annoyance about that because what was taken away from him is his freedom. We must let the people do what they wanted to do. But we can let them as long as they don’t do anything that will go against the rules. It is like when you are holding a handful of sand. When you just hold it with your palm up, nothing happens. But at the time when you squeeze your palms against the sand, the sand breaks off your hand, violently, like it’s trying to get away. And also just what Saint Augustine has said, evil only exists on something good. There is not really an opposing force to everything good done of every people. So we must leave the responsibility of being good to the people and limitation might do just less. Although we know that there is a big and bad possibility that we choose freedom rather than limitation for people, that people will just abuse it, it is still the people’s responsibility of what they are doing. When they do bad things, then, punish them. It doesn’t mean that when there is freedom, it’s only freedom ruling over the people. Of course there must be someone or some group that looks over people’s safety because what will be the use of freedom if all the people are just killing each other or stealing things? But of course it is also up to the people what they wanted and what they think that is better for them. Freedom or limitation? That is why there different forms of government all over different countries in the world. Some countries prefer a democratic form of government because they wanted freedom of speech. Others wanted communism because they feel safer through the government’s protection. And there are many other forms of government that people together take as a choice. The government has the full responsibility of its own peoples’ sake. It must provide them enough protection that can ensure that the people will not be harmed and perhaps will not harm. That is why, law enforcement was developed. It is being continuously improved to watch out everything regarding the society’s peace and order. And also, this provides an invisible shield that also helps protect without taking away freedom. A very powerful tool that human kind created that manages civilizations. The question that I have answered is that whether or not I think freedom is better than forced limitation. For me, the question should not be limited in the choice between freedom and limitation. Yes, we can choose freedom, and also, we can choose limitation. But we must remember that anytime the two can exist together at the same time, just with the right amount of both things.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Case Study †An Ethical Dilemma Essay

Jackie, a young star with a prominent voice who gets picked up by a professional recording label after performing at a national talent competition. Overwhelmed with excitement, thinks it is a dream come true to start a career with a lucrative contract. Meets and has an intimate encounter with her soon to be manager, Kevin. Months go by as their relationship begins to flourish but soon she starts to hear rumors that Kevin has helped a new girl in the legal department get her position threw their own personal relations. Jackie has suspicions that Kevin may be having other deeper interactions with this new girl. Jackie’s suspicions turn out to be true and she is devastated. She obviously breaks off the relationship with Kevin but cannot afford to lose him as her manager. Time goes by with awkward silence between the two but eventually Jackie decides to be professional with her career and continues to keep Kevin on as her manager. This lasts awhile until Kevin starts to make inappropriate sexual advances towards her. She tries to laugh it off but as he continues she threatens to make a formal complaint to legal. He does eventually stop but has stopped all efforts to promote her music thus making it very difficult for her to continue on with her success. She eventually does decide to make a complaint with legal, there is where she runs into Leslie, the girl that Kevin had got the position for in legal. She tells her, â€Å"even I believed you, you didn’t report this relationship which goes against our superior-employee ethics code†. So either she had the choice to let the matter go or to make a complaint which would in turn have her also reprimanded. She is forced with  an ultimate decision and eventually decides to do nothing. Summarized Ethical Issue at Heart The unethical issue at heart is the manager, Kevin, making inappropriate gestures towards Jackie after they had broken up. Doing so with Jackie’s vulnerable position of whether or not to report the issue which would do more harm than good. Or to leave the matter alone and just hope that Kevin would leave her alone. Neither option are better suited for Jackie who in this case is the victim, which leads to the question of appropriate ethical responsibility of the company. Details that are missing in the case A 3rd party perspective on the details of both parties. More detail as to what accusations were being made towards Kevin and Jackie. Whether Kevin had proper ethical training. List of all stakeholders who would be involved with this ethical dilemma. Employees Other artists Board of Trustees Investors Legal Department Customers Community Media Three stakeholders and the concerns they may have. Employees Don’t like how they are working for an unethically sound company. Thinking how it could happen to them if they were put in the same situation If the  problem was ever made public how would my job security look? Would this company’s name stain my resume? Investors How will my portfolio look if this artist is to become successful with another producer? Will this story become public? Will my shares plummet from this company’s bad publicity? What would happen to the company outlook if the entire company was to go thru proper corporate ethical training? Could it be a success? Board of Trustees This will look bad if the story was to made public How must will it cost to perform proper corporate training on proper ethical behavior? Do the managerial levels need to be reevaluated? Could the company be looking at a lawsuit? Five solutions. Perform corporate training at all levels reviewing proper ethical conduct Fire the manager Workout an undisclosed settlement See if another manager is available to take her on Leave and try to find successes elsewhere Top three solutions with possible consequences. 1. Perform corporate training at all levels, monitor it and have employees sign off on regulating polices that are being implemented regarding superior-employee relations as well as all other common ethical practices. Doesn’t really solve the problem at hand, may be good for the future but doesn’t help Jackie Company sets public perception that their ethical standards are in question Very timely and costly Risk of employees losing interest/possible turnover of employees 2. Fire and Replace the Manager May get sued by Kevin for wrongful termination Jackie’s verbal threats may continue Incident is likely to be made public Board of Trustees would have to look over all management positions Loss of all positive profits that Kevin may have acquired 3. Workout an undisclosed settlement Costly Sets a standard for future wrong doings May not stay quiet Fellow employees and/or artist may exercise more scrutiny as they mature on with their job Three Stakeholders and Top Three Solutions with two pros and two cons effects on the Stakeholder. Make company employees take corporate training on proper ethical behavior Will benefit the company’s overall performance Give the media something different to talk about with regards to the company Very costly Employees may decline to take it/possible employee turnover Fire and Replace the Manager Jackie would be satisfied The company would have a bad employee released Fellow artists may lose that label Manager could sue for wrongful termination Workout an undisclosed amount Jackie would be happy and the problem would be resolved Stays quiet Costly Solves no future problems Two ethical principles upheld or violated by the top three solutions. Make company employees take corporate training on proper ethical behavior Provides positive integrity to the company As long as the training provided was paid hours it shouldn’t be seen in any way of being unethical Trust and Communication Fire and Replace the Manager Fails to meet ethical standards simply because not enough information is known Unethical towards the employees as some could suddenly be put into a disadvantage Work out an undisclosed amount Completely unethical from the rest of the company’s standpoint as this option would be odd and serve no purpose towards the rest of the company Financially unethical to use funds to serve as a settlement rather than other purposes of the company Performing corporate training at all levels, monitoring it and have employees sign off on regulating polices that are being implemented regarding superior-employee relations as well as all other common ethical practices will provide positive integrity to the company. If the training hours were paid and it didn’t have an effect on daily routine then it doesn’t seem to be unethical to request training hours. Firing the manager Kevin would solve Jackie’s problem but only hers alone. To be fair which is a principle of  ethics would be to implement a code that would benefit the company as a whole. Although what Kevin is accused of doing is warranted of being fired there just isn’t enough information for the company to let him go. Her words against his wouldn’t be enough to fire him. This is why a revamp of full corporate training probably stands to be the best possible solution for this situation. Decision and Implementation Identify the best solution. Implementing corporate training throughout the entire staff of the company maybe specializing in specific areas would be most likely to be the best possible solution. There are a lot more benefits to educating employees on proper ethics. A workplace in which an ethics code has been instilled is a naturally pleasant place. Employee morale rises in an atmosphere that promotes good behavior and honest interactions. Reasons why this is the best solution. It creates a better atmosphere in the workplace, teaches an office how to work as a team, promotes personal responsibility, and has always shown to boost staff morale. A work ethics training program promotes teamwork by instilling trust in co-workers. People are more likely to be amenable to working together when they appreciate and respect one another. Why the other solutions were rejected Firing the manager Kevin as well as making an undisclosed settlement were found to be unethical towards other members of the company. It would not be a good example to set if the company were to single out an incident and act in an irregular way towards that issue. There also wasn’t enough facts to the case to make the decision to fire the manager, Kevin. Especially doing so knowing full well it would affect other stakeholders. Possible objections to the solution The company may find that employee may complain that they do not need to take part in training. A mandatory requirement may need to be implemented for all employees. A turnover rate within the employees may be seen. Investors or Board of Trustees will look at all avenues of the cheapest method of implementing training. How would you overcome these objections? Make it a requirement to attain a certain number of ethics training hours. Find other avenues of funding that can contribute to the program to make sure that employees are receiving the best training. Self-inflicted training from the managerial level is a cheaper method to instruct employees. References Ethical Dilemma. (n.d.). Forbes. Retrieved , from http://www.forbes.com/2004/06/23/cx_da_0623topnews.html Advantages of Training Employees About Work Ethics. (n.d.). Small Business. Retrieved , from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-training-employees-work-ethics-44472.html Ethics Training in the Workplace. (n.d.). Ethics Training. Retrieved , from http://www.rctm.com/ethics.htm Institute For Ethical Awareness. (n.d.). Institute For Ethical Awareness. Retrieved , from http://www.instituteforethicalawareness.org The Online Business Ethics Training Program | Ethics Training Guide. (n.d.). Ethics Training Guide. Retrieved , from http://ethicstrainingguide.org/