DQ Questions 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DQ Questions 4 - Essay Example My focus would be on common stock (Bragg, 2011). Weighted average cost of capital is the cost based on relative significance of each source of capital. It is the product of the percentage contribution of each source of capital and percentage cost of each source. It therefore consists of debt, preferred stock, common stock, and their percentage contribution, and costs. It is more appropriate in capital budgeting because it gives accurate average values for each unit capital that it derives from the different sources. WACC informs organizations towards optimal cost of long-term capital through identifying unit costs (Bragg, 2011). Initial Public Offer defines an initial launch of a company’s shares, in the stock market, to the public. The offering company avails its share for purchase in return for cost of the stock. This allows an organization to grow financially because it creates cash inflow without material cash outflow from the offering company. Merger and acquisition is a more appropriate way to grow when growth prospects extend beyond finances to include expertise, market control, and property, among other resources (Bragg,

Muscles Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Muscles - Research Paper Example When the muscle needs to relax, an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase breaks down the existing acetylcholine that is in the synapse which terminates contraction. The sarcoplasmic reticulum ceases production of calcium II ions and immediately begins reuptake of the pre-existing ions. The muscle is then returned to its original shape via movement of muscle fibers. (2)Both systems are vital to our structure and our movement. The skeletal system is the support frame for our entire body. In some cases it encases vital organs (ie skull is to brain as rib cage is to intestines). However, the musculature in our body allows for vital functions to be carried out such as heart rate for blood pressure, movement of food for digestion as well as serving an important motor function as well. Muscles are attached to almost every part of the skeletal system. Without the skeletal system, our bodies would collapse under the weight of the muscles and without the musculature, we would not be able to carry out vital functions in our bodies as well as have locomotion. (3)The extensor carpi radialis was what allowed Ann to reach for the box on top of the refrigerator. This happens through muscle passively lengthening.

Landslide and Debris Flow Essay Example for Free

Landslide and Debris Flow Essay A. A landslide is when a mass of soil, rocks and other debris moves down a slope, powered by the force of gravity. Sometimes, this movement is so sudden and rapid that it causes devastating loss of life and structural damage. (http://www.health24.com/medical/Condition_centres/777-792-1461-2097,34702.asp) B. A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rock falls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments. Although the action of gravity is the primary driving force for a landslide to occur, there are other contributing factors affecting the original slope stability. Typically, pre-conditional factors build up specific sub-surface conditions that make the area/slope prone to failure, whereas the actual landslide often requires a trigger before being released. (http://www.americansnetworkingtosurvive.org/Landslide.html) C. Landslides occur in all U.S. states and territories. In a landslide, masses of rock, earth, or debris move down a slope. Landslides may be small or large, slow or rapid. They are activated by storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, fires, and human modification of land. Landslide problems can be caused by land mismanagement, particularly in mountain, canyon, and coastal regions. Land-use zoning, professional inspections, and proper design can minimize many landslide, mudflow, and debris flow problems. (http://www.wilderness-survival.net/natural-hazards/landslides-mudslides/) D. Landslides are a serious geologic hazard that occurs in almost all 50 states. Every year in the United States, they cause significant damages and 25 to 50 deaths. Globally, landslides cause billions of dollars in damages and thousands of deaths and injuries each year. The term â€Å"landslide† describes many types of downhill earth movements ranging from rapidly moving catastrophic rock avalanches and debris flows in mountainous regions to more slowly moving earth slides. Some landslides move slowly and cause damage gradually, whereas others move so rapidly that they can destroy property and take lives suddenly and unexpectedly. Gravity is generally the force driving landslide movement. Landslides cause property damage, injury, and death and adversely affect a variety of resources. For example, water supplies, fisheries, sewage disposal systems, forests, dams, and roadways can be affected for years after a slide event. Landslides generally happen where they have occurred in the past, and in identifiable hazard locations. Areas that are prone to landslides include existing old landslides, the bases of steep slopes, the bases of drainage channels, and developed hillsides where leach-field septic systems are used. (http://www.survivalkitsonline.com/landslidepreparedness.html) E. Landslides occur when masses of rock, earth, or debris move down a slope. (http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/landslides.asp) Risks or Dangers from landslides A. The immediate risk to human life from a landslide or mudslide is being caught in its path: sand, and thick mud especially, can cause suffocation, and people can be trapped or crushed by boulders or other debris, or by buildings collapsing under the weight of the flow. (http://www.health24.com/medical/Condition_centres/777-792-1461-2097,34702.asp) B. Landslides can also disrupt power lines and water and sewerage pipes, potentially leading to electric shock and contaminated drinking-water. Roads and other transportation arteries may be blocked by debris, raising the risk for accidents and hampering access by rescue and medical services. (http://www.health24.com/medical/Condition_centres/777-792-1461-2097,34702.asp) C. Landslides, mudflows and debris avalanches frequently accompany other natural hazards such as floods and earthquakes. The October 17, 1989 earthquake resulted in many areas of unstable land throughout the County which will be further impacted by winter storm conditions . (http://sccounty01.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/oes/landslide%20and%20mudflow.htm) D. Areas are at Risk: 1. Areas where wildfires or human modification of the land have destroyed vegetation; 2. Areas where landslides have occurred before; 3. Steep slopes and areas at the bottom of slopes or canyons; 4. Slopes that have been altered for construction of buildings and roads; 5. Channels along a stream or river; and 6. Areas where surface runoff is directed. (http://www.americansnetworkingtosurvive.org/Landslide.html) Tips on Surviving landslides A. How to avoid them:1. Be in tune with your surroundings. If you’re travelling to a new area, swot up on it and find out about the potential risks (landslides or otherwise). Check out the topography: are there dodgy-looking slopes (steep or eroded) in the area? And especially: what is the weather doing? Intense rainstorms can be dangerous, especially if there’s been a preceding period of wet weather. 2. If you decide not to leave the area, then at least stay awake if you think there’s a chance of a landslide: many such disasters have occurred while their victims were asleep. Keep a portable, battery-powered radio with you to stay in touch with any safety announcements. Move up to a second story if possible, which might help to keep you above the level of the debris. 3. Listen for unusual sounds that might indicate moving debris, such as tree branches breaking, boulders knocking, or a faint rumbling that increases in volume. 4. A trickle of mud or soil may precede the main landslide. If you are near a stream or channel, beware of a sudden increase or decrease in water flow, or a change from clear to muddy water: this could mean landslide activity upstream. If you’re driving, remember that road embankments are prone to landslides. Also watch out for fallen rocks and mud. 5. Any of the above signs mean you may have only a few minutes (or even seconds) to get out of the path of the landslide. 6. Also, beware if the following occur for the first time: a. Cracks in walls or the ground. b. Doors or windows stick. c. Outside walls or stairs lean away from the main building. d. Underground utility lines break. e. The ground bulges at the base of a slope. f. Water breaks through the ground surface. g. Fences, walls, utility poles or trees tilt. (http://www.health24.com/medical/Condition_centres/777-792-1461-2097,34702.asp) B. Preparedness 1. Reinforce the foundation and walls of your home. Identify vulnerable areas of your home and add temporary shoring, bracing or shear wall supports where necessary. 2. Install flexible rather than stiff pipe fitting to avoid gas or water leaks in the event of a landslide or mudflow. 3. Mudflow is covered by flood insurance policies from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). You can buy flood insurance even if you do not live in the flood plain. Keep your insurance coverage up to date. 4. Stockpile emergency building supplies such as ropes, buckets, large plastic bags, plywood, sandbags, plastic sheeting and lumber. 5. Maintain emergency supplies such as water, foods that require little cooking, a first aid kit, portable radio and flashlights. 6. In high risk areas, construct channels to direct the mudflows around your home or buildings. 7. If you are inside during a landslide and the building is not in peril of sliding down a hill, stay inside and get under a desk, table or other sturdy furniture. 8. If you are outside and cannot get into a sturdy building while rocks and debris tumble toward you, curl into a tight ball and protect your head. 9. Usually, you can survive a mudflow or debris avalanche only by avoiding it. If you are in a valley, get out as soon as possible once you hear rumbling from upstream or feel the ground tremble. These are signs that a mudflow may be coming your way. 10. If caught in a mudflow, try grabbing onto a large rock, tree or anything being carried along. (http://sccounty01.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/oes/landslide%20and%20mudflow.htm) What you should do? A. Before the landslide 1. Contact your local fire, police, or public works department. Local officials are the people best able to assess the potential danger. 2. Inform affected neighbors. Your neighbors may not be aware of the potential hazard. Advising them of a threat may help save lives. Help neighbors who may need assistance to evacuate. 3. Leave. Getting out of the path of a landslide or debris flow is your best protection. Take your pets with you when you leave, provided you can do so without endangering yourself. (http://www.survivalkitsonline.com/landslidepreparedness.html) 4. Assume that steep slopes and areas burned by wildfires are vulnerable to landslides and debris flows. 5. Learn whether landslides or debris flows have occurred previously in your area by contacting local authorities, a county geologist or the county planning department, state geological surveys or departments of natural resources, or university departments of geology. 6. Contact local authorities about emergency and evacuation plans. 7. Develop emergency and evacuation plans for your family and business. 8. Develop an emergency communication plan in case family members are separated. 9. If you live in an area vulnerable to landslides, consider leaving it. (http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/landslides.asp) 10. Contact your local emergency management office or American Red Cross chapter for information on local landslide and debris flow hazards. 11. Get a ground assessment of your property. 12. County or state geological experts, local planning department or departments of natural resources may have specific information on areas vulnerable to landslides. Consult an appropriate professional expert for advice on corrective measures you can take. 13. Minimize home hazards. 14. Plant ground cover on slopes and build retaining walls. 15. In mudflow areas, build channels or deflection walls to direct the flow around buildings. 16. Remember: If you build walls to divert debris flows and the flow lands on a neighbors property, you may be liable for damages. Explore a neighborhood or special district project. 17. Install flexible pipe fittings to avoid gas or water leaks. Flexible fittings are more resistant to breakage. 18. Familiarize yourself with your surrounding area. 19. Small changes in your local landscape could alert you to the potential of greater future threat. 20. Observe the patterns of storm-water drainage on slopes and especially the places where runoff water converge 21. Watch for any sign of land movement, such as small slides, flows, or progressively leaning trees, on the hillsides near your home. 22. Be particularly observant of your surrounding area before and during intense storms that could heighten the possibility of landslide or debris flow from heavy rains. Many debris flow fatalities occur when people are sleeping. 23. Talk to your insurance agent. Debris flow may be covered by flood insurance policies from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). 24. Learn to recognize landslide warning signs.

Genetic transformation and competence in e. coli when exposed to the green fluorescent protein

Genetic transformation and competence in e. coli when exposed to the green fluorescent protein INTRODUCTION: The goal of this experiment was to successfully insert the plasmid pGLO, which carries genes for resistance to ampicilin and for green fluorescent protein (GFP), into competent E. coli cells thereby genetically transforming E. coli to have those specific traits. Green Fluorescent Protein comes from the jellyfish Aequorea Victoria and it emits green light when excited by blue light and when in the presence of the sugar arabinose. This protein has proven significant as a gene marker as well as other forth coming uses in biochemistry, cell and microbiology (Allison, Sattenstall, 2007). In a study done by Allison and Sattenstall (2007), it was found that introducing GFP into a cell causes changes in the cell physiology that might lead to antimicrobial susceptibility of the cell. This could be of concern because of its widespread use and Allison and Sattenstall urge caution when interpreting data from studies that used GFP (Allison, Sattenstall, 2007). According to Tsen et al., the E. c oli bacteria can naturally transform with inserted plasmids and integrate them without special treatments. As long as the DNA in the plasmids is Concatemeric linear, monomeric circular or supercoiled forms of plasmid, they can transform the E. coli, whereas linear monomer cannot transform it (Tsen, et al., 2002). The uses of green fluorescent protein in competent cells such as E. coli as mentioned before are very useful in gene markers and other studies in biochemistry, cell and microbiology, however, there are still being advances made for GFP. In a study done by Torrado, Iglesias and Mikhailov, techniques were improved in how well cells expressed the GFP gene based on the growing environments (Torrado, Iglesias, Mikhailov, 2008). In our experiment, we postulate that the E. coli will be competent for the pGLO plasmid carrying GFP and resistance to ampicilin. METHODS AND MATERIALS: In this experiment we will be using the plasmid pGLO which has genes for GFP and resistance to ampicilin. In order to force the plasmids into the E. coli cells, we will be using a heat shock treatment. This heat shock treatment causes the pores in the E. coli cell membrane to open, which allows the plasmid pGLO to enter the cell. We will test an E. coli centrifuge tube that has been exposed to pGLO and a centrifuge tube that has not been exposed to pGLO as our control. We labeled two centrifuge tubes with +pGLO and -pGLO to represent which tube carried the plasmid and which was our control, respectively. We first pipette 250 microliters of transformation solution into the tubes and added approximately 2 pen tip sized E. coli colonies. We then added the pGLO plasmids to the tube labeled +pGLO and rested both tubes on ice. The ice will make it so that the heat shock will have a greater affect on the E. coli, thereby increasing our chances of successful entrance of the plasmid. We then applied the heat shock treatment to the two centrifuge tubes by putting them in a 42ÂÂ °C water bath for 50 seconds. Afterward we put them back into the ice bath and prepared to put them into the four prepared agar plates. The four agar plates were split into two sets, two help +pGLO and two held our control -pGLO. The first plate contained just Luria Broth (LB) and 250 microliters of the -pGLO substance. The second control plate was LB with a mix of ampicilin (amp) and -pGLO E. coli solution which will ideally not grow any E. coli because E. coli by itself is not resistant to ampicilin. The third plate is used with +pGLO solution and is another LB/amp plate. The fourth and final plate is another +pGLO plate and contains LB and ampicilin but also arabinose, which is needed for the expression of the GFP. RESULTS: In this experiment, we used heat shock treatment in order to insert the pGLO plasmid into E. coli cells because the plasmid carries the genes that code for green fluorescent protein and ampicilin resistance. After a week of incubation in the refrigerator, we analyzed our four Petri dishes. All plates came out as predicted. Our first control plate (-pGLO E. coli cells) contained Luria Broth and ampicilin and it sustained 0% E. coli cell growth. The second control plate (-pGLO E. coli cells) contained only Luria Broth and there was 100% coverage of the agar plates. The lawn made by the E. coli cells was a whitish clear color in normal light and were not fluorescent green when exposed to UV light. In the two transformation plates, we received positive results matching our predictions. In the first transformation plate (+pGLO E. coli cells) there was a presence of Luria Broth and ampicilin. There were roughly 140 colonies of E. coli cells which was about 60% coverage of the Petri dish. Each of the colonies was an off whitish color under normal light but were not fluorescent green under UV light. The second transformation plate (+pGLO E. coli cells) contained a mixture of Luria Broth, ampicilin and arabinose. This plate had E. coli colony growth but there were only roughly 40 E. coli colonies, making about a 25% coverage of the plate. Again these colonies were whitish in color when exposed to normal light however, they did turn fluorescent green under the UV light. TABLE OF RESULTS: TYPE OF PLATE CONTENTS SKETCH OF PLATE OBSERVATIONS Transformation +pGLO/LB/amp/ara -Growth of Colonies (40 count; 25% coverage) -Whitish color in normal light -Fluorescent green under UV Transformation +pGLO/LB/amp -Growth in Colonies (140 count; 60% coverage) -Whitish color in normal light -No fluorescent green color under UV Control -pGLO/LB/amp -No E. coli growth, E. coli not transformed (0% coverage) Control -pGLO/LB -E. coli growth present (100% coverage) -Whitish color in normal light -No fluorescent color in UV light DISCUSSION: The hypothesis is the following: After heat shock treatment, the competent E. coli cells will receive the plasmid pGLO, and the E. coli cells will be transformed. We predicted that the E. coli cells would take in the plasmid and transform in our two transformation plates. In the -pGLO/LB control plate we predicted that significant growth would happen because there is no antibiotics and only an optimal growing environment. In the -pGLO/LB/amp control plate we predicted that there would be no growth of E. coli because ampicilin is present, an antibiotic that E. coli is not naturally resistant to. In the transformation plate +pGLO/LB/amp we predicted that there would be E. coli growth considering we hypothesized that the plasmid would be accepted by the E. coli cell, thereby giving it ampicilin resistance. In our last transformation plate +pGLO/LB/amp/ara we again expected growth of E. coli since we hypothesized the E. coli cell would be competent for the plasmid. We also expected that this would be the plate to glow fluorescent green since arabinose, the sugar that allows for the glowing, was present in the agar plate. In order for this experiment to show true results, we added the two control plates with different purposes. The first plate contained only Luria Broth, the ideal growing environment for E. coli. This plate was used to make sure that our E. coli cells were healthy and able to grow consistently. If they were unable to grow, that would mean that our cells were unhealthy or contaminated, which would in turn affect the results of our transformation plates. Our results for this plate were that we had healthy E. coli cells since they produced a full lawn. Our second plate was the one with both Luria Broth and ampicilin for the growing environment. We did not have any growth of E. coli on this plate, just as we predicted. This is good because the plasmid we were using to transform the E. coli cells have the gene that causes ampicilin resistance. If our E. coli had been contaminated or already transformed from its non-resistance state, we would see it in this control plate. If we had seen gro wth, we would know that our results for the transformation plates were faulty because our normal E. coli was already resistant. Next we examined our transformation plates. These plates were the ones that we exposed to the pGLO plasmid. Our first plate had Luria Broth and ampicilin, just like our control; however, since we treated this batch with the pGLO plasmid followed by heat shock treatment, we expected to see growth. Our results from this plate did show that the E. coli grew in the ampicilin agar plate, thereby showing how many of the E. coli cells received the plasmid and were able to be genetically transformed. However, under the UV light, the colonies did not glow fluorescent green because of the absence of arabinose. Our second transformation plate had Luria Broth, ampicilin and arabinose. Our results followed our predictions that we would see growth and have the colonies glow under the UV light. This is because the E. coli that took the plasmids were transformed so they showed their new resistance to ampicilin and they showed that when grown in an environment where arabinose is present, the green fl uorescent protein will be expressed. Our results did indeed support our hypothesis because the E. coli were transformed in our transformation plates because we saw that colonies were able to grow in an environment where ampicilin was present and also the green fluorescent protein was expressed in arabinose rich environments. There was an area of weakness in our experiment. The crucial part, the heat shock that opens the cellular membrane pores, could have gone a bit smoother. Our times were not exact due to many groups trying to do this part all at once. Secondly, there is room for error in the consistency of our experiment plates since each member of the group took turns at each stage of the process. In conclusion, the results of our experiment proved our hypothesis that the E. coli cells were competent for the pGLO plasmid. Our results were consistent with our predictions. We found that the E. coli cells can be transformed by the plasmid after our heat shock treatment. Our control plates can out controlled and our transformation plates produced colonies that expressed the GFP gene. SOURCES: Allison, D.G., Sattenstall, M.A. (2007). The Influence of green fluorescent protein incorporation on bacterial physiology: a note of caution. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 103(2), 318-324 Suh-Der Tsen, S., Suh-Sen Fang, S., Mei-Jye Chen, S., Jun-Yi Chien, S., Chih-Chun Lee, S., Han-Lin Tsen, D. (2002). Natural Plasmid Transformation in Escherichia coli. Journal of Biomedical Science, 9(3), 246-252. doi:10.1159/000059425. Torrado, M., Iglesias, R., Mikhailov, A.T. (2008). Detection of protein interactions based on gfp fragment complementation by fluorescence microscopy and spectrofluorometry. BioTechniques, 44(1), 70-74.

The Catcher In The Rye :: Salinger, Literary Analysis

Although The Catcher in the Rye caused considerable controversy when it was first published in 1951, the book—the account of three disoriented days in the life of a troubled sixteen-year-old boy—was an instant hit. Within two weeks after its release, it was listed number one on The New York Times best-seller list, and it stayed there for thirty weeks. It remained immensely popular for many years, especially among teenagers and young adults, largely because of its fresh, brash style and anti-establishment attitudes—typical attributes of many people emerging from the physical and psychological turmoil of adolescence. It also was the bane of many parents, who objected to the main character's obscene language, erratic behavior, and antisocial attitudes. Responding to the irate protests, numerous school and public libraries and bookstores removed the book from their shelves. Holden simply was not a good role model for the youth of the 1950s, in the view of many conservative adults. Said J. D. Salinger himself, in a rare published comment, "I'm aware that many of my friends will be saddened and shocked, or shock-saddened, over some of the chapters in The Catcher in the Rye. Some of my best friends are children. In fact, all my best friends are children. It's almost unbearable for me to realize that my book will be kept on a shelf out of their reach." The clamor over the book undoubtedly contributed to its popularity among the young: It became the forbidden fruit in the garden of literature. For some reason—perhaps because of the swirling controversies over his written works—Sa linger retreated from the New York literary scene in the 1960s to a bucolic

WAL-MART Essay -- essays research papers

Wal-Mart Is Wal-Mart good for communities, or is Wal-Mart a wolf in sheep's clothing? With a gross annual sales of over $67 billion and more than 2,000 stores, Wal-Mart is one of the biggest corporations in the United States. Wal-Mart opens a new store once every two days in small communities and cities across the United States, however, are these stores good for these communities, or are they wrecking havok? When you look down at the fine print Wal-Mart doesn't earn it's money it steals it money from other businesses. Choking other smaller businesses by offering wider varity of products at a more competitive price. This is actually a very simple business tactic if you want to sell a lot of something cut your profit margin to beat the other competitors and you will sell more. Wal-Mart stole an average of over $10 million in an average sized Iowan Town. You want to beat Wal-Mart keep by keeping it from invading you town and making it a ghost land? Here are some steps that have been victorious in the past as how to keep Wal-Mart out. Quote Wal-Marts officers, they have been known to say very contradictory things for instance: Wal-Mart's founder Sam Walton once said "If some community, for whatever reason, doesn't want us in there, we aren't interested in going in and creating a fuss." or is the VP of Wal-Mart once stated, "'We have so many opportunities for building in communities that want Wal-Marts, it would be foolish of us to pursue construction ...

Personal Ethics Essay

Personal ethics comes from inside and are influenced by our everyday life and people around us. The directions we obtain as a child helps to form and begin our awareness of ethics. My upbringing memoirs and experiences instilled a well-built belief in family structure and significance of family in general. I was fortunate to be born and brought up in India in a traditional Roman Catholic family. My father was a doctor and he died of heart attack when I was ten years old. My mother was a registered nurse and I have three older brothers and one younger sister. My mother went to the Middle East to work as a nurse and had to leave us in a boarding school. I missed my mother a lot while I was in the boarding school. That was when I decided what I wanted to do. My only ambition was to become a nurse to be with my mother. I always used to watch my parents caring sick people. My parents constantly reminded me to live in Christian faith. They led us by example all the time, providing precious lessons vital to my development. My parents taught me to treat others as we would want them to treat us. I also learned from my parents that every person is important and we should love and respect them. I strive to live by those set of laws, though it is not always easy. My faith also influences my philosophy. I believe in God and God has a plan and purpose for every one of us. This is the basis of my ethical practices. Each individual cultivates different cultural, spiritual and personal values from their own life experiences which add to their worldview and philosophy of nursing in their practice. To me ethics is my own personal belief structure. Knowing our own personal values is critical to every person. My moral compass in nursing offers highest priority for the wellbeing of patients. My moral courage helps me to speak up, stand up for my personal belief and moral values and bring about change in my work place. The persona l and professional values, my relationship and behaviors to others and my morals help me succeed in my personal and professional life. Our conscience acts as a judge for each one of us. We are responsible for our actions. I believe that God is using me as a tool to care for the needy by providing me the knowledge and ability to promote healing. I also believe in the power of prayer. My patients used to tell me I am always smiling. I believe that it is the gift of God and being a nurse is, a calling not just a career. World view is a personal insight about meaning and reality. It helps the person to interprets, through his or her own eyes, a personal belief about the world. My personal worldview is shaped by my Christian religion, origin as an Indian, circumstances, experiences, and education and philosophy. I accept God as the center of the universe. I believe that I am a good mother for my three kids, faithful wife to my husband and an excellent nurse. I also believe in afterlife. I take pride in my profession. My nursing philosophy comes from my desire to care for others. I consider that nursing care is based on c oncrete evidence that is provided within a respectful framework. I always treat my patients the way I wanted to be treated if I am in that situation. Nurses are honored to interact with patients and families at some of the most vulnerable points in their lives. Being considerate of that vulnerability is important. Being respectful of my health care team is also important, as I consider that each of us play a fundamental role in the care of patients and families that we provide. I believe that God is using me as a tool to care for the needy by providing me the knowledge and ability to promote healing. It is essential for the nurses to understand their own selves so that they are able to take care of their patients better. I believe that spirituality plays an important role in the nursing profession. I think that the care of the soul is the beauty of the art of caring in nursing. The values such as integrity, responsibility, trust, reliability, and honesty are some of the personal values, which will determine how we face the world. Reliability and responsibility are very important to one’s professional and personal life. Culture is something that a person learns from his family and surroundings, and is not inbuilt in him from birth. My upbringing as a Christian in Southern part of India, active participation in church activities and catholic schooling have helped me to value human dignity and assist me to take right decision in my personal and professional life. Awareness of different rules about how their members coexist with each other and interact with each other. Some cultures believe that discussing death, making a living will can invite death to the person who is ill. Looking at the life in different ways should be respected always (Runzheimer & Larsen, 2011). Cultural diversity and differences in personal values can direct our relations with patients, family, and co-workers. Cultural competence is the ability to provide effective care for patients and families and our co- workers who come from different cultures. To understand different cultural beliefs and practices requires flexibility and a respect for others viewpoints . Ethical issues occur in everyday practices. An ethical dilemma is described as a type of situation that involves being in between two correct courses of action that leads the person to choose the right move and still be wrong at the same time (Purtillo, 2011). This can cause a lot of distress as it encompasses both ethical conflict and conduct. The ethical decision what we make should respect the patient and family desires, physician’s belief and concepts on life and death in our own view. Many situations arise in the critical care where nurses and doctors are obligated to make ethical decisions in a short period of time. Few years back I came across a situation in our ICU. A 90 year old woman from nursing home got admitted with history of multiple strokes with weakness on her right side, emphysema and difficulty in swallowing. She was demented also. Her admission diagnosis was aspiration pneumonia. She had two children and her son was the health care proxy who was living in C alifornia and he couldn’t come to visit her mother because of some personal situation. Patient’s daughter who was living locally was taking care of her. The daughter wanted to place the feeding tube and treat for every problem. We respected the daughter’s decision. We started her on antibiotics. We placed the feeding tube and and started feeding her. Day by day her respiratory status started deteriorating. The attending physician contacted the patient’s son over the phone and explained the patient’s condition in detail. Apparently, we found out from him that the patient had a living will that stated she did not want any feeding tube or even antibiotics in a situation where her quality of life was poor. Fortunately patient’s son came with her living will and our hospital ethics committee had a talk with her family especially the daughter. Because the patient’s wishes were clearly stated in the living will, she was made comfortable and transferred her to a private room to allow the family to be with her all the time and she died peacefully after one day. In this situation, the daughter wanted to treat her mother even though she knew about her wishes and she did not tell us anything about the patient’s living will. She was acting unrealistic in this situation. The decision was tough for the daughter in this situation. In my view the physician made the right choice to contact her son that put an end to her sufferings. Nurses can make satisfactory solutions to the different ethical problems through creative and knowledge based approach. Each nurse has the responsibility to optimize the caring response and reduce damage to the patient. .â€Å" Nurses are leaders and vigilant advocates for the delivery of dignified and humane care. Nurses actively participate in assessing and assuring the responsible and appropriate use of intervention in order to minimize unwarranted or unwanted treatment and patient suffering† (American Nurses Association, 2001). The significant impact we make in the lives of our patients and their families in their vulnerable situations and the positive encouragement I get from my nurse manager, co-workers, patients and families keeps me moving in my profession. References American Nurses Association (2001). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.sfcc.edu/files/SFCC NursingStudentHandbook Purtilo, R., & Doherty, R. (2011). Ethical dimensions in the health professions. (5th ed.). P (5-10) St.Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Saunders. Role of the Registered professional nurse. June 8, 2005. Retrieved on June 6, 2012 from http://www.nysna.org/practice/positions/position6.htm Runzheimer, J., & Larsen, L. (2011). Medical ethics for dummies. (p. 113). NJ: WileyPublishing.