Using language translation services and patient outcomes Essay

Using language translation services and patient outcomes - Essay Example Language translation service is the mechanism that most organizations use to translate information from one language to another. However, most organizations have different perception relating to the language translation service. For instance, health centers are the likely places that can employ this service because it serves individuals from every corner of the world, and these people speak different languages. However, not all health centers use this mechanism in their workplaces. There is those that find the mechanism challenging and not reliable means of communication between the patient and the nurses or doctors (Anderman & Rogers, 2003). On the other hand, there are hospitals that are providing this technique of language translation service in their organizations. With the difference from language translation service, the two types of health centers are currently operating differently in terms of service provision to their clients. For the case of the of the health centers that are using the language translation service, they are attending to patients from across the world who speak different languages. It is because of the aid of the language translation mechanism. On the other hand, the health centers that are not using the service are mostly treating the local patients. That is, the patients who use English as their first language (Schaffner, 2000). However, the use or misuse of the service between the two kinds of health centers has its own merits and demerits. However, the research shows that, the health center that uses the language translation services have more advantages as compared to the one that does not use the language translation service. The research explains this through analyzing the flow of patients to the two kinds of health centers within a particular period. Service translation is the process of translating a message from one language to the other. Health centers are social places that all are

Topic Paper # 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Topic Paper # 1 - Essay Example A Cochlear Implant is an electronic device which is implanted in the cochlea of the ear and is connected to a microphone on the outside through a speech processor and a transmitter. It works by converting sound vibrations into electrical stimuli, which provides a sensation of sound. Cochlear Implants are primarily recommended for those with a severe to profound hearing disorder. Among children and infants, a Cochlear Implant can help develop speech and communication skills. However, due to the long period of therapy required, its candidacy has to be determined on an individual basis and there is disagreement over its suitability for autistic children. Most cases of hearing impairment are due to loss of hair cell receptors in the inner ear, which limits the cochlea’s ability to transduce sound information from the environment to neural transmissions that can be interpreted by the central nervous system as auditory sensations (Copeland & Pillsbury, 2004). Since in such cases the nervous elements that transmit information from the cochlea to the brain remain intact, a Cochlear Implant is a viable option. The actual surgery to implant a cochlear implant is performed on an outpatient basis and requires about two to three hours of general anesthesia. However, once the prosthesis is implanted in the cochlea, there is an extensive process requiring aural habilitation with inputs from experienced audiologists and speech and language experts. Also, since the entire circuitry remains permanently attached to the patients, patients are required to take a number of precautions to avoid damage to the delicate device. The FDA-approved minimum age of implantation is one year. It is difficult to implant the device in younger children due to difficulty in properly testing the hearing in such young patients. Another concern is with patients suffering from multiple

Raising Individual Financial Awareness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Raising Individual Financial Awareness - Essay Example One type of personal pension is a defined contribution pension, also known as money purchase scheme, which is bought by contributions made by the employer and the employee. Defined benefit pension, also known as final salary schemes, is another type of pension scheme wherein the benefits are paid based on the scheme rules such as time and changing salary levels and mortality rates, etc. The best way to differentiate between the above mentioned 2 schemes is by identifying the riskholder. Employer is the risk holder as he underwrites the vast majority of costs attached with defined benefit schemes. Employee or the scheme member is the risk holder as contributions are paid back at fixed levels, therefore if the contribution rates are not increased when the returns are poor, the retirement benefits will also be lower than they had planned for (TSSA). Bill Murray, in case of , defined contribution scheme, can increase his contribution if he feels it is necessary to increase his pension. T herefore in case he wants to have ?18,000 as his annual retirement he needs to increase his pension pot to ?284,000, assuming ?100,000 pension pot fetches on average ?6341 to a healthy 65 year old male (Annuity). In case of, defined benefit pension he will know roughly how much he will get, as the amount will depend on the length of time he has worked and his final salary. Therefore, if the scheme is based on 60ths i.e. Bill will get 1/60th of his final salary for his pension each year, and assuming he has been working for 42 years, his final salary should be ?25,714. This should be easily achievable because the average salary in 2010 for marketing was ?37500 (ITJobsWatch). Bill Murray should choose the defined benefit scheme because it gives him certain amount irrespective of the state of the economy. The scheme will also pay him more if his salary is anywhere close to the average salary if not more. Government has proposed to s include an option for a flat rate State Pension of ar ound ?140 a week for a single person and change in the limit of state pension age (DirectGov, State pension Reforms). The reason behind is the need to meet the needs of future pensioners, who are saving lesser, and with people living longer, the burden of pension also increases on the Government. Part B Houses bought to be rented out should have a buy to let mortgage, which is often interest only. The full amount that was borrowed is repaid at the end of the mortgage. Buy to let mortgages often require the rental for the property to be a set percentage above the mortgage repayment (Mortgages). HSBC’s tracker rate mortgage is suitable for Annie. It has a repayment rate of 3.99% plus base rate and costs ?1499 to set up (HSBC). Table 1 below estimates if buying a flat and renting out is a worthwhile investment. The below estimates are based on an assumption the flat is occupied by tenants for all 12 months. Table 1: Estimates of renting the flat (all figures in ?) Rental Income (?1500*12) 18000 Commission (15% of ?18000) (2700) Insurance (assumed) (1000) Interest (based on HSBC rate) (5850) Maintenance (assumed) (1500) Other costs (assumed) (500) Profit/(Loss) 10550 As per the estimates above, Annie would make about ?10,550 annually. Interest payments are low merely because the deposit of ?70,000 which Annie has provided. When Annie intends to sell

IT System Analysis and Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

IT System Analysis and Design - Essay Example The company is also serving the printing needs of some big companies that form the major chunk of its customers. The core product of the company is the security seal printing that it does for various companies. Historically, the company was using manual system for maintaining all sorts of records, finances, and performing day-to-day operations. However, with the expansion of the company as well as prospective benefits, the company has realized the need of having an automated Information System that would function within the whole enterprise, maintaining records of the employees, customers, carry out financial reporting and all sorts of other support. The Information system software would consist of three basic modules: Human resource management Customer management Financial Modules The organization has decided to move towards the most basic form of the Information System to make the transition as swift and easy as possible. They want that the system installed in the organization is e asy and consist of the most basic modules so that it is cost saving as well. The logic that comes to one’s mind is that ERP are very easily available and they just need to be deployed. However, the argument here is that they have too many functions that the business does not plan on using right now so the investment in the software would not be worthwile, moreover, the software available are generic whereas the company needs a customized software. Later on when they have fully evaluated the benefits of investing in an Information System, the do plan to keep on adding more improvements and updates as they come with time. The Company Coatings & Others Numerous U.V. Printing with Security Technology, UltraCoat Inc. was established in 1990, and it is now one of the leading Brand Protection Company catering to the needs of leading manufacturers of consumer products, institutions and organizations to safeguard their Brands against counterfeiting. The company has a wealth of informa tion, know-ledge, wide experience, sound understanding and in depth know-how to offer from the widest choice of highly efficient and cost effective intelligent solutions for every product. The core service or product that the company provides is brand protection and safety solutions using various methodologies to protect brands and their products from piracy, counterfeiting, especially for products such as life-saving drugs, edible items, etc. System Development Life cycle The system development life cycle provides a structure that the designers and developers of the system can follow. The cycle involves a sequence of activities that build upon on the results and outcomes of the previous activity. We can divide the activities of the system development life cycle into four major phases: planning, analysis, design, and implementation. A number of models of SDLC exist; some of the most popular ones are: the waterfall model, spiral model, prototype, incremental, fountain model. Each of these models have certain advantages and disadvantages and it depends on the type of the project, its requirements and the development team (Kay, 2002). The model that would be used to develop

Fluctuating Present Value Of A Cash Flow Finance Essay

Fluctuating Present Value Of A Cash Flow Finance Essay Answer: A cash flow stream is a series of cash receipt and payments over the life of an investment. It is the inflow and outflow of cash, which matters in practice. It is the cash, which a firm can invest, or pay to creditors to discharge its obligations, or distribute to shareholders as dividends. The assets are the items which are owned by the business. The level of interest rates arising in the capital market is associated with the cash flows `and the assets , when the rates increases , the availability of the funds decreases. As a result when the interest rates increase in the capital market, the obligation increases which leads to decrease in the availability of funds to invest in the investments. The present value of cash flow is equal to the sum of the present value of individual cash flows. The equation for present value of cash flow stream is as follows- PV= Where, PV=present value r= rate of interest t= the year n= the last year, where the cash flow occurs Interest rate is the rate at the interest is paid by the lender to the borrower for use of money by the borrowers from the lenders. So, the rise in the interest rates , the availability of cash flows streams due to higher rate of interest , the present value of cash flow streams will decline. 2. List and explain the points of financial impact on a company if it raises the credit standards required of its customers who utilized trade credit offered by the company. Answer: Credit standards are the criteria to decide the types of customers to whom goods could be sold on credit. If the firm has more slow-paying customers, its investments in accounts receivable will increase. Trade credit refers to the credit that a customer gets from providers of goods in the normal flow of business. In practice, the buying firms do not have to pay cash immediately for the purchase made .This deferral of payments is a short term financing called trade firms. The credit standard policy has significant impact on the financial condition of a company-The following are the financial impact on a company due to rise in credit standard . Decrease in credit sales- A rise in credit standards will have a limit on the buyers who will borrow from the company and as a result the sales will decrease as most of the buying firms do not pay cash immediately. This will lower the sales of the company leading to less in revenue generation. Decrease the demand-The rise in credit standards will lower the demand by the buyers which will lead to decrease in demand and decrease in revenue earning. Relatively faster average collection period- A rise in credit standards will make the average collection period relatively faster for the new customers leading to better collection process and increase in volume of cash in inflow. Prompt in collection by existing customers- The rise in standard will pull the collection by the existing customers and make the payments from them prompt and on time. Better return on investment- The rise in credit standards will lead to better return on investments made and credit allowed will be selected as the customers will be prompt in payments and the selection of the customers will be limited. 3. Define Weighted Average Cost of Capital and explain why a company must earn at least its Weighted Average Cost of Capital on new investments. What are the financial implications if it does not? Answer:- Weighted average cost of capital is organisations the calculation of cost of capital where each category of capital is proportionally weighted .A firm obtains capital from various sources due to the risk differences and contractual agreements between the firms and the investors, the cost of capital of each source of capital differs The cost of capital of each source of capital is component source of capital. The component costs are combined according to the weight of each component capital to obtain average cost of capital. The combined cost of all source of capital is called overall cost which also known as weighted average cost of capital. Thus, it is the overall return that firm must earn on its existing business operation in order to maintain or increase the current value of current stock. A company must earn at least weighted average cost of capital in new investments. By taking weighted average, the interest to be paid by the company for a investment is calculated. Wei ghted average cost of capital is the expected rate of return, weighted by proportion each to the overall financial structure. The minimum rate of return on the new investments must be earned so as not to reduce the shareholders. A firm should earn at least its average weighted rate on capital investment in its assets the weighted average cost of capital is used a discount rate to calculate the present value of the of a specific investment. If the firm does not earn the least average weighted cost of capital in its new investments, the firm will incur loss in that new investment, and so it should discontinue or should not invest further. The average weighted cost of capital is the minimum expected rate of return from an investment, so it should be calculated first and then the decision for the investment should be made. 4.As a corporation what are the benefits and ramifications of using convertible debt to finance a publicly traded company? As an investor what are the benefits and ramifications of purchasing convertible debt in a publicly traded company? Are there any conflicts between the goals of the investor and the goals of the corporation? Answer:- Convertible debt are the debts like bonds and debentures with an option to convert it into common stock in future date. The following are the benefits and ramifications of using convertible debt to finance a publicly traded company:- Attractions for the investors:-convertible debts will attract investors by providing safety of debt along with the option to convert it into common stock in future. The investors will lend money to the company with the view that the company will make regular interest payments and the return of capital. If the company achieves growth in future and the stock value increases, the investors has the option to convert it into common stock. Lesser fixed-rate borrowing cost-Convertible debt will allow the issuers to issue the debts at lower cost. Increase in total debt gearing -The convertible debt will increase the total amount of debt level in the company .It will provide additional funding to the company which will be beneficial to the issuers. Financing option- The convertible debts are good financing option for start up companies as equity shares pose a challenge for them. As the convertible debts carry low interest payments by the company, while remaining competitive. Fixed limited income- The convertible debt holders obtains fixed limited income until its conversion and it will benefit the company because more of operating income is available for the common stock holders. Voting solution is deferred- With the convertible debts, the voting rights of existing shareholders happens only on eventual conversion of debts. Ramifications of convertible debts to company- There are some complications for issuers as well .First one , is that financing with convertible debts draws the risk of debasing not only the EPS of its common stock, but also the control of the organisation. If a heavy part of the issue is purchased by one buyer, like investment banking company or insurance company, conversion will change over or take over the voting control from original owners of the company and toward the converters. This issue may not be a significant matter for bigger companies with millions of stock holders, but for the small company, it will be a real and important consideration. Due prominent use of debt will adversely affect a companys capability to finance operations in clips of economic downturn. If the company faces any downfall, it will experience great trouble in raising capital further. The following are the advantages and ramifications to the investors.- Safer investment -The convertible debts are the safer investment compared to buying common stock with returns They are less explosive than stocks and their value can only come down to a price where the yield would be equal to a non-convertible bond of the same terms. Strong protection- The convertible debts provide strong protection to the investors in the times of market fluctuations and at the same time providing periodic returns. Interest payments-The convertible debt holders have a right on the receiving of interest and periodic returns in spite of any downturn in the market. Larger claim on companys assets Convertible bond holders have a larger claim on the assets of the company as compared to the shareholders in case of collapse. More protection from economic downtrend- The convertible debt holder will have a gain during the economic downtrend due the option of conversion into equity shares. As a result, the market stock of share stocks will increase with market prices dissimilar for the debts where the interest rates are fixed. This means that bond holders will gain as during inflation because his money looses value more. Ramification to the investors- Convertible debts could have complication in the view that the debt holder will be obtaining considerably lower yield to maturity in comparison to the non-convertibles. But it is only a worry when the issuers equity does not gain the upward price predictions that would make taking the lower grant speculation worthy. Finally, the ability for predictions are reduced to a great extend when a call provision is bonded to the convertible bond. This will limits the upside and will let the debt holder to declare their debt at a discount to market. The goals of an investors towards the convertible debts is to invest in debts at lower cost and gain fixed returns whereas the goal of a issuing company is to achieve higher operating income with lower borrowing cost. 5) Which two of the six methods used to evaluate projects, and to decide whether or not they should be accepted, do you prefer as a financial manager?   Explain why you decided on these two and not the other four. List the perceived deficiencies of the four not selected. The six methods which are used to evaluate projects, and to decide whether or not they should be accepted are as follows:- Investment decisions for a project evaluation postulate special aide due to the following reasons The projects influence the long term growth of the firm. The decision for a project will affect the risk factor of the firm Evaluation of the project is an important tool as it involves commitment of large amount of finances or stocks They are one of the most difficult conclusions to arrive at. The six methods are as follows:- Accounting rate of return (ARR) Internal rate of return (IRR) Net Present Value (NPV) Payback Period Profitability index Modified Internal rate of return Accounting rate of return ARR is also referred as Return on investment (ROI), as it uses the information of accounting revealed by the financial statements, to measure the gainfulness of an investment. The calculation of ARR involves the ratio of the average tax after profit divided by the average investment done Disadvantages: it can be calculated in a lot of ways profit is not a good alternate option for cash flow adjustment is not considered to calculate the time value of money Impulsive break-off date Contrary decisions can be made. Net Present Value NPV is the method of measuring the investment proposals. It is the discounted cash flow technique that explicitly acknowledges the time value for money. It rightly takes that cash flow coming up from various time periods differ in values and are comparable only when their corresponding present values are taken out. Advantages Says if the finances invested will increase the firms value Takes into account all the cash flows Takes into account the time value of money Takes the risk of future cash flows. Profitability Index The profitability Index is the ratio of present value of cash influxes to the initial of cash outlay of investment at a required rate of return Advantages Says if the finances invested can increase the firms value Takes into account all cash flows of the project Takes the time value of money Takes the risk of future cash flows Provide ranking and selection of projects when capital is rationed out. Internal Rate of Return (IRR) IRR is the way of DCF(Discounted Cash Flow), which takes into consideration the intensity and timing of cash inflows and outflows. The concept of IRR is quite simple to understand in the case of a one-period project. Disadvantages It needs to have a projection of the COC (Cost of Capital) to make a decision The given value-maximizing decision when used to compare mutually exclusive projects may not give the proper decision The given value-maximizing decision when used to choose any projects when there is capital rationing may not give the proper decisions Its not useful in the situations in which sign of cash flows for a project changes more than once during the life of the project. Payback Payback is the number of years needed to retrieve the original cash expenditure invested in a project. If the project yields constant annual cash influxes, the computation of payback period is carried out by dividing cash outlays by the annual cash influxes. Disadvantages 1) the decision criteria is not that concrete to show if an investment increases the firms value 2) Refuses the cash flows beyond the payback period 3) Refuses the time value of money 4) Refuses the risk of future cash flows I will take into consideration the Net present value and the profitability index for the consideration of two of the techniques for the project which will be undertaken due to the advantages which has been described above. I dint find much disadvantages in those methods and so I have given the advantages of those two methods which will be taken under consideration by me, the other methods I dint find of much worth in respect to evaluation for the concerned project as they have less advantages and more disadvantages and so I have written the same above for them. 6.What are the benefits and costs of placing a financially troubled company into a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy proceeding? Is this a legitimate and ethical vehicle for management to use for the benefit of the companys stakeholders? A)   Bankruptcy is a legal process for financial debtors who seek to eliminate their debts. Bankruptcys governs the federal statutory law which is there in the Title 11 of the U.S. Code. It provides for federal procedures of statutes and courts which objects the debtors to put their financial matters under the hold of the bankruptcy court. Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Chapter 11 bankruptcy says to restructure a business under some kind of supervision, rather getting liquidated because the business will still be functioning, but in case of a whole new different circumstances, the benefits of the retirement may or may not be ceased. Protection Benefits Federal law entitles a person to get pensions with some protection. When an employee announces himself to be bankrupt, finances for pensions are not to be utilized for the repayment to creditors. Also, all the retirement benefits you have earned being an employee will not be enforced to him. Federal Insurance The federal government assures standard and effective retirement plans. Any employer who cannot fund Federal government will fund temporarily. This type of insurance is not eligible for 401(k) plans. Chapter 11 Bankruptcy is the most costly anatomy of Bankruptcy in respect to average cost front. It is the most expensive form of bankruptcy and the small businesses should also take this into consideration before filling the bankruptcy. It is expensive as it involves two separate elements which are debt repayment plan and reorganization plan a. The reorganization plan means the person has to convince the court and the debtors that you can put in profit very soon which should be detailed and supported by proper research wherein you have to show a budget through which you need to assess how you are going to pay your creditors in the next several years. Its a process wherein you have to negotiate the same with the creditors and the court. A minimum of $15,000 have to be paid if there is no disputes and expensive attorneys over your reorganization plan but for Chapter 11 bankruptcy it will exceed to $ 100,000 and also this amount can vary depending upon the attorneys and disputes filed by the creditors. I understand that its not an ethical and legitimate step for the stakeholders but when there is no words to express the matter in concern and already the things have gone wrong and worse there can be few things which, if kept in mind can at least fetch some benefits for the stakeholders Filling in Court This is the first way when you can file in the court for a recovery notice wherein you owe the creditors and attorneys that you will come up with the company in a stipulated years of time and also by paying a fees for the time being just to show a courtesy to the creditors and the attorneys. Cost Minimization In this approach, an effort to minimize the cost of Chapter 11 Bankruptcy can be exercised while it may not work in most cases. The matters can be sorted out with the help of an attorney a fee agreement which would imply that most of the paper work preparation planning and filling must be carried out by the concerned person and he would simply pay his attorney to act as a legal coach in case of any need or questions. Most of the attorneys may not accept this type of payment agreement due to the complexity of plan of Chapter 11. Warning The rate of success in Chapter 11 bankruptcies is exceedingly low, which means that a very small percentage of reorganization plans will actually obtain approval from the court. As without the approval the plan will be worthless. There will be higher chance of spending lot of money and putting together a plan along with creditors negotiation and attending to win approval from the court, but this could be a failure too.

Free Essays - Hunting Scenes in Sir Gawain and Green Knight :: Sir Gawain Green Knight Essays

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – The Hunting Scenes Often when a story or lesson is to be relayed, the teller will describe the story or lesson by using an example that parallels the lesson. This can be an effective method of portraying a story. in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the hunting scenes of Bertilak parallel the tests given to Gawain during his stay at Hautdesert Castle. Bertilak's first hunting scene was of a deer hunt. Bertilak knew when he first started his hunt that he would have to use similar skills against this animal of great speed and nimbleness. Bertilak knew he would have to display patience and stealth to hunt this animal- Back at the castle, Gawain also had to use similar skills to resist Bertilak's wife's advances. When first approached by Bertilak's wife, Gawain reacted by lying still as if he were asleep, and then using his alertness and stealth to evade Bertilak's wife's temptations. This was portrayed when the author writes, "Lay hidden till the light of day gleamed on the walls,/Covered with fair canopy/" (1181-1182). Sir Gawain evaded Bertilak's wife's advances using skills of patience and stealth, which paralleled the skills that would similarly be used when hunting deer. Bertilak then hunts a viscous boar- In this hunt, people and animals were severely injured. Different from hunting a deer, Bertilak must use different skills to hunt the boar. Similarly, Gawain must use a different approach when he is again visited by the lady. Like the boar, the lady's approach to Gawain is more forward. Both Bertilak and Gawain must each use strength, aggressiveness and stamina in their battles. Sir Gawain shows this strength when he says, 'Tor I dared not do that lest I be denied./ If I were forward and refused, the fault would be mine./" (1494-1495). In the third and final hunting scene, Bertilak hunts a cunning fox. In this instance, the hunter must use his own wit to outsmart the fox. Bertilak knows this. He uses his intelligence and quick wit to outsmart the fox. Sir Gawain also experienced a cunning test. Gawain used his sly wit against the lady's third visit by cunningly resisting her offers because of his vows and the fact that he is a guest in Bertilak's home. Sir Gawain resists the lady's advances, as well as her offer of an expensive gift, The lady then offered Sir Gawain a green sash. Free Essays - Hunting Scenes in Sir Gawain and Green Knight :: Sir Gawain Green Knight Essays Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – The Hunting Scenes Often when a story or lesson is to be relayed, the teller will describe the story or lesson by using an example that parallels the lesson. This can be an effective method of portraying a story. in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the hunting scenes of Bertilak parallel the tests given to Gawain during his stay at Hautdesert Castle. Bertilak's first hunting scene was of a deer hunt. Bertilak knew when he first started his hunt that he would have to use similar skills against this animal of great speed and nimbleness. Bertilak knew he would have to display patience and stealth to hunt this animal- Back at the castle, Gawain also had to use similar skills to resist Bertilak's wife's advances. When first approached by Bertilak's wife, Gawain reacted by lying still as if he were asleep, and then using his alertness and stealth to evade Bertilak's wife's temptations. This was portrayed when the author writes, "Lay hidden till the light of day gleamed on the walls,/Covered with fair canopy/" (1181-1182). Sir Gawain evaded Bertilak's wife's advances using skills of patience and stealth, which paralleled the skills that would similarly be used when hunting deer. Bertilak then hunts a viscous boar- In this hunt, people and animals were severely injured. Different from hunting a deer, Bertilak must use different skills to hunt the boar. Similarly, Gawain must use a different approach when he is again visited by the lady. Like the boar, the lady's approach to Gawain is more forward. Both Bertilak and Gawain must each use strength, aggressiveness and stamina in their battles. Sir Gawain shows this strength when he says, 'Tor I dared not do that lest I be denied./ If I were forward and refused, the fault would be mine./" (1494-1495). In the third and final hunting scene, Bertilak hunts a cunning fox. In this instance, the hunter must use his own wit to outsmart the fox. Bertilak knows this. He uses his intelligence and quick wit to outsmart the fox. Sir Gawain also experienced a cunning test. Gawain used his sly wit against the lady's third visit by cunningly resisting her offers because of his vows and the fact that he is a guest in Bertilak's home. Sir Gawain resists the lady's advances, as well as her offer of an expensive gift, The lady then offered Sir Gawain a green sash.

International Multimedia Conference Essay

Camuri, A. , Mazzarino, B. , Ricchetti, M. , Timmers, R. , and Volpe, G. (2004). Multimodal analysis of expressive gesture in music and dance performances. In Gesture-Based Communication in Human-Computer Interaction, 2915, 357-358. The article focuses on research concerning the analysis of expressive gesture from the perspective of multimodal interaction and the development of systems of multimodal interaction by considering the role that non-verbal expressive gesture would play in the communication process. The multimodal analysis focuses mainly on dance and music because they provide a comprehensive emotional and expressive content. The authors explained the involvement of auditory and visual gestures in demonstrating the expressive purpose of the performers. They tested the model of auditory and visual gestures by making a comparison of the performances with the ratings of audiences of the same dance and music performances. Other topics that students can get from the article include the definition of the expressive gesture, framework for multimodal analysis of expressive gesture in terms of the ability of performers to relay their emotions to the audience, and automated extraction of auditory and visual cues. Dowling, R. G. , Dowling, R. , Reinke, D. , & National Cooperative Highway Research Program (2008). Multimodal level of service analysis for urban streets. Washington, D. C. : Transportation Research Board. The authors highlighted the findings of a study on how the public can interpret the quality of multimodal service offered by urban streets. The study focuses mainly on various factors that influence or affect the perception of various travelers when it comes to the level of service of urban streets, particularly the perceptions of automotive drivers, bicycle riders, bus riders, and pedestrians. The authors stressed the importance of using models of level of service in analyzing the benefits that urban travelers can get from context-focus street designs. The book will help widen the knowledge of students in applying multimodal analysis to urban streets. It provides students with insights into the definition of urban streets and transits, techniques of analyzing the level of service for urban streets, and economic and safety aspects of level of service. Other topics covered in the book include the integration of four models of level of service in order to have the same level of service rating system and suggested level of service for bicycle riders, transit passengers, and pedestrians. Foote, J. , Boreczky, J. , Girgensohn, A. , & Wilcox, L. (1998). An intelligent media browser using automatic multimodal analysis. International Multimedia Conference. Proceedings of the Sixth ACM International Conference on Multimedia, 375-380. The article provides a way to automatically analyze multimedia using an intelligent browser. The automatic multimodal analysis allows users to have informed decisions on various interests in the field of media in order to avoid searching areas outside the scope their interest. The article provides explanation on two types of automatic multimodal analysis, the audio similarity to identify the speaker and the frame differences to detect shot. Recognition of gesture, motion, and face in the browsing scheme and the combination of audio and video analysis are integrated in the automatic multimodal analysis. The article can enhance the knowledge of students on automatic analysis of multimedia resources by providing various ways to make noisy and erroneous automatic estimates more applicable to the user. Some examples of multimedia resources include digital ink, closed captions, audio, video, and text annotations. Kress, G. & Van Leeuwen, T. (2001). Multimodal discourse: the modes and media of contemporary communication. Arnold, New York: Oxford University Press. The authors provided insights into the role that the communication theory will play in the era of interactive multimedia. They compared how the design thinking and production thinking will interact during the design and development of communicative messages. They explained that design thinking and production thinking are two important types of thinking processes that take place during an individual’s interaction with resources and media he or she utilized. The book is very relevant to the research concerning multimodal analysis because it helps widen the knowledge of students and readers in the field of communication, language, and media. Moreover, students will learn to take the challenge brought by the emergence of multimedia, multimodality, and multi-skiing. The book will supplement students’ understanding of designing multimedia that was learned in school. It is not only catered to students but all types of professionals who are interested in multimodal design such as journalists, designers, photographers, and other people who are connected to the of science and mathematics. O’Halloran, K. L. (2006). Multimodal discourse analysis: systematic-functional perspectives. London, England: Continuum International Publishing. The book discusses important research in the field of multimodal texts and multimodal discourses. It focuses mainly on the development of the theory and the methodology of analyzing discourses by utilizing various semiotic resources like visual images, architecture, language, and space. The book provides an explanation on how the multimodal discourses are produced through the interaction of different semiotic modes of communication. Different modes of communication may include static and dynamic visual images, language, electronic media, architecture, electronic print, or electronic film. The book provides explanation on phase and transition, interaction of body movement and camera, use of color, typography, and layout. Other topics covered in the book include the development of multiple integrated semiotic model, visual semiosis in electronic films, application of system-functional theory in various semiotic resources, and analysis of three-dimensional space such as the Sydney Opera House. Ventola, E. , Charles, C. , & Kaltenbacher, M. (2004). Perspectives on multimodality. Amsterdam, Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing Co. The authors provided a background on various perspectives about multimodal discourse by focusing on methodological and theoretical issues such as multiple semiotic systems, mode hierarchies, and multimodal corpus annotation. The advent of computer and the growing use of the Internet allow scholars to be particularly interested on the characteristics of different modes of communication and the way these modes of communication can function semiotically and integrate in the emerging discourse analyses around the world. The book can help widen the understanding of students on the similarity between language and non-linguistic semiotic mode of communication, different signs of nature within the multimodality perspective, role of text imaging in providing positive outcomes for the learners, and the influence of semiotic transformation in the formal language of mathematics on the effectiveness of science to provide description of the physical world. Moreover, students can learn how to apply multimodal analysis in various fields such as entertainment, medicine, mathematics, design of buildings, and translation. References Camuri, A. , Mazzarino, B. , Ricchetti, M. , Timmers, R. , and Volpe, G. (2004). Multimodal analysis of expressive gesture in music and dance performances. In Gesture-Based Communication in Human-Computer Interaction, 2915, 357-358. Dowling, R. G. , Dowling, R. , Reinke, D. , & National Cooperative Highway Research Program (2008). Multimodal level of service analysis for urban streets. Washington, D. C. : Transportation Research Board. Foote, J. , Boreczky, J. , Girgensohn, A. , & Wilcox, L. (1998). An intelligent media browser using automatic multimodal analysis. International Multimedia Conference. Proceedings of the Sixth ACM International Conference on Multimedia, 375-380. Kress, G. & Van Leeuwen, T. (2001). Multimodal discourse: the modes and media of contemporary communication. Arnold, New York: Oxford University Press. O’Halloran, K. L. (2006). Multimodal discourse analysis: systematic-functional perspectives. London, England: Continuum International Publishing. Ventola, E. , Charles, C. , & Kaltenbacher, M. (2004). Perspectives on multimodality. Amsterdam, Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing Co.