Thursday, October 31, 2019
History ( global civilization ) Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
History ( global civilization ) - Term Paper Example Spanish trader in the 1503 also took many Africans as slaves. Bartering of goods produced outside Africa with slaves further increased the trade. The trader used to sell the slave for profits to Americas. Until the 18th century millions Africans were slaved while more than a million died along journey to coast. The removal of Africans made the population of the country decline also the continent face huge poverty issues. On the other hand, European countries wealth resulted from slavery. One of the biggest effects of slavery was rise to racism and differentiation in color. In the 18th century, movement against the slave trade began when Thomas Clarkson took steps to create awareness regarding the cruel act, and subsequently, the House of Lords enacted an Act for the abolition of The Slave Trade (Newman, pp. 23). Lastly, President Thomas Jefferson also signed a bill approved by Congress to prohibit the import of slaves in the United
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Predicate Devices for Medical Stent Essay Example for Free
Predicate Devices for Medical Stent Essay Ostial Pro Stent Positioning System PREDICATE DEVICES:  ·Ã‚        Cordis ® Corporation, ATWTM Marker Wire Steerable Guidewire, K994358  ·Ã‚        Lake Region Manufacturing, Inc., Coronary, Peripheral and Renal Steerable Hydrophilic Guidewire, K042338  ·Ã‚        EV3 ® Inc., Nitrex ® Guidewire, K031864  ·Ã‚        BioSphere Medical, Inc., Sequitor TM Steerable Guidewire, K061171 PORGESâ„ ¢ Silicone double loop ureteral stent PREDICATE DEVICES:  ·Ã‚        PORGES ureteral stent from BIVONA  ·Ã‚        VORTEKâ„ ¢ and BIOSOFTâ„ ¢ ureteral double loop stents Description of Device The Ostial Pro Stent Positioning System is a medical grade, disposable guidewire system. The product will be used in coronary and renal stenting procedures. The product is provided sterile and intended for single use. This finished product will be compatible with 6, 7 and 8 French catheters. The PORGESâ„ ¢ Silicone double loop ureteral stents are supplied in kits containing the following: 1. A double loop ureteral stent and an obturator; 2. A guide-wire, where applicable; Predicate Devices    3 3. A pusher (where applicable supplied with a clamp) The ureteral stent kits are supplied sterile and for single use only. Functional Components Medical grade, disposable guidewire system. The product is provided sterile and intended for single use. This finished product will be compatible with 6, 7 and 8 French catheters. A double loop ureteral stent and an obturator; A guide-wire, where applicable; and, A pusher (where applicable supplied with a clamp) Principle of Operation The Ostial Pro Stent Positioning System will be used by interventional cardiologists and interventional radiologists to ensure precise stent implantation in aorta-ostial procedures. This is a double loop ureteral stent for use in the drainage of the upper urinary tract over fistulas or ureteral obstructions (e.g. periureteral tumour; cicatrisation stent; management of ureteral stenoses; partial enlargement of the diameter: localized stenoses connected with ureteropelvic junction; and, total enlargement of the diameter: stenoses over all or part of the ureter. Predicate Devices    4 Properties of Device Relevant to Diagnosis/Treatment/ Prevention/ Cure/ Mitigation of Condition The device is a medical grade, disposable guidewire system This finished product will be compatible with 6, 7 and 8 French catheters. The product will be used in coronary and renal stenting procedures. The catheter is manufactured entirely from silicone elastomer. The ureteral stents are made of the same yellow silicone tubing as the predicate silicone ureteral stent. They are steerable or non-steerable, and radiopaque. Renal and vesical loops may be either closed or open. The straight section may be totally or partially reinforced. The eyes are lateral and staggered and are situated every 2 cm along the entire length of the stent (except for the no eye on the straight section version). The ureteral stents have either a fixed core guide-wire, a movable core guide-wire or no guide-wire,depending upon the method of use. The steerable ureteral stents have connectable pushers, and non-steerable stents have simple pushers. All these properties are relevant for its intended use as specified below. Definition of Intended Use The Ostial Pro Stent Positioning System is intended for use in aorta-ostial procedures to introduce and position catheters, stents and other interventional devices within the coronary and peripheral vasculature. In addition, the Ostial Pro Stent Positioning System is intended to facilitate the alignment of interventional devices and function as an alignment tool. Predicate Devices    5 The PORGESâ„ ¢ Silicone double loop ureteral stent is intended for the exact same use as the current PORGES ureteral stent (K881744) and VORTEKâ„ ¢ and BIOSOFTâ„ ¢ ureteral double loop stents (K981591). The PORGESâ„ ¢ Silicone double loop ureteral stent is used for: A. Standard versions: 1. Drainage of the upper urinary tract over fistulas or ureteral obstructions (e.g. periureteral tumour 2. Cicatrisation stent B. Reinforced versions: 1. Management of ureteral stenoses 2. Partial enlargement of the diameter: localized stenoses connected with ureteropelvic junction 3. Total enlargement of the diameter; stenoses over all or part of the ureter. Comparison to â€Å"Substantially Equivalent†Device The indications for use for the predicate devices are substantially equivalent to the proposed indications for use for the Ostial Pro Stent Positioning System. The technological characteristics for the Ostial Pro Stent Positioning System are also substantially equivalent to the predicate devices. Any differences in the technological characteristics between the devices do not raise any new issues of safety or efficacy. Thus, the Ostial Pro Stent Positioning System is substantially equivalent to the predicate devices. Predicate Devices    6 Predicate Devices    6 The PORGESâ„ ¢ Silicone double loop ureteral stent has similar technological and performance characteristics to the predicate devices. The catheter is manufactured entirely from silicone elastomer as for the predicate devices. The ureteral stents are made of the same yellow silicone tubing as the predicate silicone ureteral stent. They are steerable or non-steerable, and radiopaque. Safety and Effectiveness Summary The safety of the Ostial Pro Stent Positioning System was evaluated through design verification testing, biocompatibility testing and preclinical animal testing. The collective results have demonstrated that the Ostial Pro Stent Positioning System is safe and is substantially equivalent to the respective predicate devices with regard to safety and efficacy. Any differences in technological characteristics between the Ostial Pro Stent Positioning System and the predicate devices do not raise any new issues of safety or efficacy. The PORGESâ„ ¢ Silicone double loop ureteral stent is held to the same design, manufacture, and performance specifications as the predicate devices. Substantial equivalence of the devices with the VORTEKâ„ ¢ and BIOSOFTâ„ ¢ ureteral double loop stents (K981591) with respect to functional performance has been demonstrated in conformity with the FDA Guidance for the content of premarket notifications for ureteral stents dated February 10th, 1993. Where available, standard specifications are used Predicate Devices    7 to establish test methods. Tests are conducted in conditions similar to most unfavorable conditions of       Predicate Devices    7 medical/surgical practice. The following tests have been performed : 1. Flow rate through the stent; 2. Elongation and tensile strength of the stent after a 18 month soaking period in different buffer solutions; 3. Loop strength The PORGESâ„ ¢ Silicone double loop ureteral stent passes biocompatibilityt esting per IS0 10993-1. The data currently available for the silicone stents enables them to be validated for an implantation period of up to 12 Predicate Devices    8 months. The decision to leave the withdrawal wire in place on the stent must be taken in relation to the planned implantation period. Periodic examinations via radiographic and/or cystoscopic means are recommended to evaluate stent efficiency and to observe for possible complications. The stent must be replaced if encrustation hampers drainage, if there is indication of infection in the area of the stentor in case of migration or rupture. Predicate Devices    9 References 510(k) Summary. 510(k) Notification K062192. 510(k) Premarket Notification. (2007).  Retrieved March 23, 2008, from Ostial Solutions, LLC.            http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf6/K062192.pdf Section J: 51O(k) Summary. PORGESâ„ ¢ Silicone double loop ureteral stent 510(k)       submission. (2002). Retrieved March 23, 2008.            http://69.20.19.211/cdrh/pdf/k013921.pdf
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Speed Cameras
Speed Cameras Speed Cameras Is it another con? Or is it another excuse? Or just another reason to exploit the most law abiding majority of drivers amongst us, where it was reported at the time, that we were already one of the safest countries, in the world, to drive in. This great governments novel idea to introduce a speed camera; ‘a roadside speed camera designed to catch speeding vehicles by taking video footage or a photograph Wordpower Dictionary; Was it another illustrious plan to gain public trust? What trust? Apply greater pressure on to our police to enforce this ridiculous money making scheme, and basically thats all it is, its a way of squeezing more money out of the innocent motorist, when they should be out there catching real criminals; like our corrupt politicians as a classic example. The Independent has indicated the countrys biggest force; The Metropolitan Police has refused to put up more speed cameras, despite government support to do so. It argues that the increase of cameras would fuel public bitterness towards the police, in what could be seen as a getting even more money out of the motorist. Speed cameras are to be seen as nice little earners. In Northamptonshire, the cash for cameras scheme where the local police allowed allowed to keep the money from speeding fines; brought about a major increase in convictions. In Essex alone, a single camera on the M11 raised just short of a million in a single week. Chief constables were undecided as to how the cameras should be displayed, a highly ranking officer of Norfolk police, wanted them to be bright and visible. That avoided the perception that they are cunningly hidden away to increase police profits. However, it also had a flaw, because serial offenders will simply brake as they approached the camera, and then speed up once past detection. Richard Alleyne of the Guardian reported in the last year alone, the number of speeding tickets has exceeded 1.5m for the first time, twice the number issued back in 1997 when New Labour first came to power. They accumulated  £88m from motorists in one year alone and have since raked in  £1 billion over the past decade. Average speed cameras have proved effective at persuading people to keep within the limits though. Nearly 100 cameras were installed at road works mostly on motorways and accident black spots, and according to data collected from five active camera sites, 99.4 per cent of drivers obey the speed limits. The numbers of motorists killed and seriously injured after the cameras had been installed has fallen considerably. There are new cameras now and how they work are; they link wirelessly to each other, are capable of tracking vehicles for up to 15 miles whichever route they decide take over a vast area. The cameras, which are named ‘Specs3 are to be fitted at entry and exit points in built-up areas and on our busy roads. They are capable of reading number plates which record the time as each car passes. Critics point out that even these new cameras will not deter motorists from indulging in short bursts of speed, because they will still average less than 20mph either when they stop at junctions, traffic lights or stuck in traffic. On main roads, the average speed cameras issue fewer tickets than conventional Gatso cameras, which measure speed over only a few yards, according to the manufacturers. Richard Alleyne also states that a representative for the Home Office confirmed that these new first average speed cameras are to be placed in 20mph zones and that they have also passed laboratory tests for effectiveness, but they have yet to be officially given the green light, which could be as early as 2010. The new time over distance devices are also seen as a way of dealing with the problem of motorists braking when they see a camera then accelerating once past it. They have already been used on our motorways where despite catching far fewer speeders than traditional speed cameras, they have dramatically reduced casualties. These new cameras would be far more expensive, compared to the ‘Gatso which are getting pushed out at  £50k a device, in an area of London is one of the most profitable cameras which is located at the bottom of M11 motorway near Woodford, Essex which is alleged in raking in over  £840k a week, creating extra revenue for the government, the one good thing that it has in its favour is that it has created more jobs as the demand for cameras have increase year-on year since the turn of the millennium. Speed Cameras are a really splendid idea when are strategically placed in build up areas; around our schools and are placed within our hospitals areas, they are an ubiquitous sight on our motorways and our ‘B roads, where the majority of cameras are not needed, they are situated there because they are ‘areas that encourage us to speed if you dont keep up with the traffic; it is also deemed a criminal offense. How easy is it to creep over the speed limit accidentally? Research from the Think Campaign indicates that a cut in speed to 20mph has a dramatic impact in making areas friendlier to cyclists and pedestrians. One in 40 pedestrians struck by a car at 20mph dies, compared with one in five at 30mph. Traffic managers throughout the country see them as a way of restoring calm to Britains neighbourhoods without resorting to intrusive calming devices such as those ridiculous road humps and chicanes; which cause unnecessary damage to vehicles no matter what speed you go over them, even the slightest bump knocks out the tracking and the wheel balance; which can cost a small fortune on realignment and tyres. A huge decline in the number of road deaths was achieved between the years of 1983 and 1993, and they have been largely associated when they introduced front seatbelt wearing law mandatory back in 1983, along with making better-designed cars and having major reductions in drink driving fatalities. Factors likely to be responsible for the slowing rate of reduction between 1993 and 2003 include continued increases in traffic (up from 583 billion passenger kilometres 1993 to 634 billion passenger kilometres in 2002(2); sharp increases in motorcycle casualties (up from 427 in 1993(3) to 609 in 2002(4); a levelling-off of drink drive fatality numbers (up from 520 in 1993 to 560 in 2002(5); a decline in seatbelt-wearing and the increased use of mobile phones while driving. Another point in the decrease of deaths and accidents not attributed by speed was the introduction of the hazard and perception test back in 2003 (6) (Think) along with the theory questions prior to gaining your licence, making people more aware out on the roads. 1. (2001). Readers Digest Word Power Dictionary. London: Readers Digest. 942. 2. DfT. 2003b. Transport statistics for Great Britain 2002. DfT: London. 3. DoT. 1994. Road Accidents Great Britain 1993. HMSO: London. 4. National Statistics /DfT. 2003. Road Casualties Great Britain 2002: Annual Report. TSO: London. 5. Ibid. 6. dft.gov.uk/think Another interesting factor that contributed to these figures was the inexperience of drivers in the 17-25 year old bracket; showing no respect to our authorities and the people around them; thinking that the world owes them something; driving like lunatics to impress their friends and the opposite sex that are travelling with them in the car, break neck speeds which would even have the grim reaper laughing on their shoulders, crashing and causing deaths, resulting in mayhem on our roads and creating distress for the families of the victims. I know this because I used to be one of them, fortunately for me I grew out of this wild, childlike behaviour before I got caught, even worse killed. Many outsiders that are flooding this nation; bringing their bad driving habits with them, unleashing their inexperience on to our roads. A sound solution to this would be to increase the age limit to apply for your provisional to 21, (which I believe is under review); where we can only hope that they are all that little bit more mature and realise how dangerous a vehicle can be. To do this would mean that the government would miss the extra revenue that is collected in taxes from the extortionate prices the insurance companies charge these youngsters. Conclusion Speed cameras, are similar to speed limits, they play a useful role. The United Kingdom has fewer deaths on the road than most other countries in the world its because of tightly monitored limits. Especially at accident black spots, speed cameras can significantly reduce the number of road deaths. An argument can be raised for increasing the 70mph speed limit (and then strictly police the higher limit). In built-up areas, however, limits could be lower than they are now. Finally, we must remember that the importance of speed limits and cameras alike are to save peoples lives, and are not to be abused as a government made up tax. Speed limits exist to encourage people to drive sensibly; speed cameras exist in order to remind drivers that they cannot break those limit. Success, however, is not when the police funds are significantly increased because so many people drive dangerously over the speed limit, but a speed-camera job is if more drivers can (at last) persuade to drive at safer speeds. Bibliography DoT. 1994. Road Accidents Great Britain 1993. HMSO: London. (2001). Readers Digest Word Power Dictionary. London: Readers Digest. 942. (2001). Speed cameras are for saving lives, not raising cash. Available: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/speed-cameras-are-for-saving-lives- not-raising-cash-664735.html. Last accessed 14 December 2009. DfT. 2003b. Transport statistics for Great Britain 2002. DfT: London. (2003). The slower speeds Inititive. Available: http://www.slower-speeds.org.uk/files/10myths031220.pdf. Last accessed 14 December 2009. National Statistics /DfT. 2003. Road Casualties Great Britain 2002: Annual Report. TSO: London. Ibid. Richard Alleyne. (2009). Average speed cameras installed in neighbourhoods for the first time. Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/6743003/Average-speed-cameras-installed-in-neighbourhoods-for-the-first-time.html. Last accessed 10 December 2009. (2009). Speed Urban. Available: http://www.dft.gov.uk/think/focusareas/driving/speedurban?page=FAQwhoareyou_id=. Last accessed 14 December 2009 Paul Maloy Argumentative Essay 1st draft
Friday, October 25, 2019
Probability and Genetics Essay -- Mathmatics Math Papers
Probability and Genetics Probability theory is the study of the likelihood of an occurrence of random events in order to predict future behaviors of a system (2). The principles of probability are widely used. In genetics, for example, probability is used to estimate the likelihood of gene distribution from one generation to the next. In business, insurance companies use the principles of probability to determine risk groups. Probability is closely related to statistics since uncertainty always exists when statistical predictions are being made. A number between 0 and 1 represents the probability of an outcome (1). The probability of an impossible event is 0. Where as the probability of something that is certain to occur is 1. The theory of probability is recognized as being developed by Blaise Pascal with help from his friend Pierre de Fermat. Blaise Pascal was born at Clermont, France on June 19, in 1623. He was the third child of Etienne Pascal, and his only son. Blaise was only 3 when his mother died (3). In 1631, his family moved to Paris to carry on the education of Blaise, who had already displayed exceptional ability. Pascal was home taught, and to ensure that he was not overworked, his father decided that his studies would only involve the languages, and should not include any mathematics. At the age of twelve, Pascal demonstrated to his tutor an interest in geometry. He was stimulated by the subject, and gave up his playtime and chose to study geometry instead. In a few weeks, he discovered the many properties of geometric figures, in particular, that the sum of the angels of a triangle equals180 degrees. Impressed by Pascal’s display, his father gave him a copy of Euclid's Elements, which Pascal read and soon ma... ...volve money. By playing the odds right, someone could win big, either at a card table or on Wall Street. Probability makes random events look like very predictable ones. Work Cited 1. Campbell, Neil, Jane Reece, Lawerence Mitchell. Biology fifth edition. Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1999 2.Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles, Probability. http://www.cut-the-knot.com/probability.html.( 12/5/99) 3. Pascal. http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Pascal.html. (12/5/99) 4. A Short History of Probability. From Calculus, Volume II by Tom M. Apostol (2nd edition, John Wiley & Sons, 1969 ) On line: http://www.cc.gatech.edu/classes/cs6751_97_winter/Topics/stat-meas/probHist.html. (12/5/99) 5.Wilkins, D. R. Blaise Pascal (1623 – 1662) http://www.maths.tcd.ie/pub/HistMath/People/Pascal/RouseBall/RB_Pascal.html. (12/5/99)
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Marketing funtions
Principles of Marketing Seaworthy College In any type of organization, the internal marketing strategy and end result can greatly affect the outcome of any measured external results. Internal marketing is created and carried out In order to align, motivate and empower all employees on all levels of the business. When employees feel motivated and empowered, what follows is typically positive customer experiences that are truly aligned with the firms' organizational goals. Success in any business starts with the many roles that employees will play, in which each roll affects all others.One role the employee will play is the worker that they are in the environment they are provided. An employer or internal marketer needs to provide a work environment that enables the employee to feel excited and rewarded by their everyday duties. If the employee feels motivated by the excitement or reward, they will strive to Increase their performance. Increased performance, In turn, Increases customer satisfaction. With both employees and customers satisfied, all levels of the organization will then be satisfied. If satisfied, the employees and customers will remain loyal to the organization.Employees will also be more apt to remain loyal if they are aware of any possible challenges and given direction. All of these roles will help evolve and preserve the compass culture, with little culture or low productivity could greatly benefit from internal marketing. Internal marketing is also achieved through quality management training. This is a form of training that will enable the staff to see the cycle between employee relations and producing quality products or services. Communication with employees will increase heir knowledge, which in turn creates greater awareness and allows for the expression of opinion.Along with communication and awareness, incentives can greatly affect attitude, knowledge, and the willingness to offer an opinion. Some incentives available are positive worki ng conditions, salary recognition, and personal growth. Positive internal marketing looks to adjoin departments which will increase harmony and further improve communication. Overall, the main objectives of internal marketing are to keep the internal stakeholders satisfied and motivated. In turn, as an end result, it will keep the external customers satisfied. It will also improve employee relations and core competencies.Core competencies are defined as the strengths and advantages of a business. These competencies allow a company to expand, but should be unique enough where they cannot be replicated. All internal marketing will affect the external outcomes of each business. When the internal strengths are matched with external opportunities, all needs of customers will be met. Therefore, organizations should convert any internal weakness to strengths and all external threats into opportunities. Internal strengths ND weaknesses should be analyzed for insight on accomplishing any int ernal goals.It will also open awareness for advantages in achieving external goals. A review of employees and production will allow someone to spot possible advantages or impediments. A review of the financial ratios should be conducted to compare with other competitors. Possible external opportunities would be gaps in the market where no company is actually serving. This will allow for a new market or growth opportunity. Possible threats would be any competitors or new products. Most successful businesses not only consistently analyze their marketing, but also look to create a customer centered business.This is done by starting with the customers instead of starting with the product. Starting with the customer is creating a business' actions to support sales and staff to meet the specific clients' needs. More simply put, it's putting the customer first. Same positive result. The strategies are based around creating a quality product and correctly responding to complaints and inquir ies. This is achieved through seven steps that are completed at the business level. The first step is to communicate your central philosophy simply but meaningfully. A few short words shouldn't be hard to remember but mean the business.The second step is to elaborate the company's core values. This is a definition of how the customers, employees, and vendors should be treated at all times. The third step is to reinforce your commitment continually. The more often it is stated, the better it will stick. The fourth step is to make it visual. If an employee sees the philosophy and commitment in every day surroundings, it will become second nature. If the customer sees the same, they will begin to realize what the company strives on. The fifth step is to make it a focus during orientation.Orientation is the time where new hires take the key elements of the business away from the table. If it is mentioned in orientation, they will know the importance. The sixth step is to train, support, hire, and enforce. Some employees need to be taught and encouraged to follow new ways of thinking and acting. This will, in turn, generate loyalty and enthusiasm amongst customers. This is typically done through training, learning, coaching, observation, and feedback. The final step is to instill the idea of including the world. It creates the actions of going above and ended. Customer's decisions are based on a five step process.This process consists of problem recognition, information search, alternative evaluation, purchase decision, and post purchase behavior. Interactions with a company can be placed anywhere in steps two through four due to impact factors. These impact factors consist of past experiences, cognitive bias, individual differences, personal relevance, and escalation of commitment. Past results of a product will determine if the product will continue to be purchased. If the result was positive, then the action will be repeated. If the result was negative, then the action will be avoided in the future.Cognitive bias consists of many factors. Belief bias is the overconfidence on prior knowledge. Hindsight bias is when one is ready to explain the inevitable. Omission bias is omitting any info that may be perceived as risky. Confirmation bias is that the customer observes what they expected. Individual differences are based on socioeconomic status, age, and cognitive abilities. The older generation may be more confident in decision making because they have more ability to apply strategy. The socioeconomic status is meaning that some may eve less access to education and resources so they are not informed enough to make a decision.Personal relevance comes from a person feeling that their decision matters. When they feel this way, they are more likely to decide. They want to see the importance of their actions. Escalation of commitment is simply continued loyalty. Decisions, it's time to investigate the effectiveness of the marketing. This is done by various investigation techniques. One way is through search engine optimization. This is the ability to gauge the company's popularity as compared to other companies. It tracks how many times internet users have clicked on the links for the particular site.Another option is through quarterly revenue. This compares revenue against marketing campaigns. This will inform you of what actually makes the product sell. Surveys are a basic way of questioning how people feel. Surveys are done in a variety of ways, but if sent via email, there are certain services that are able to track how many of the sent emails were opened. From that number, they can they track how many went into the website. All of the options for data collection are sent through a marketing decision purport system. This is a system that is used to interpret and evaluate data.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Ethics and Euthanasia Essay Example
Ethics and Euthanasia Essay Example Ethics and Euthanasia Paper Ethics and Euthanasia Paper Euthanasia or mercy killing has long been a debated topic. The question is whether it is humane for a person to choose his own death when it is inevitable and prolonging his/her life would only lengthen his/her suffering. It may be so when the patient still has the capacity to acknowledge the act but in some cases, the patient can no longer respond to any given stimuli. In these special cases, close relatives are given the right to decide for the patient but this should still be subject to some regulation as giving the such decision-making power to another person may lead to abuse. It is important to know the facts behind euthanasia and how it is classified before discussing the moral and ethical issues associated with it. It is classified into four types which are passive and active euthanasia and voluntary and involuntary euthanasia. Passive and active euthanasia are different that passive euthanasia involves â€Å"withdrawing medical treatment†and active euthanasia â€Å"is taking steps to cause the patients death†. They are both classified as a form of euthanasia but the first one is more accepted in an ethical perspective (Pregnant Pause, 2001). An example of passive euthanasia is when a patient is already fully dependent on a life support mechanism to sustain life such as a respirator. In such a case, the patient may choose to disconnect the respirator to die a painless death when he/she wishes to do so. A more classical example of passive euthanasia is a â€Å"do not resuscitate order†. In standard medical practice, when there is a threat to a patient’s life, the medical staff will try to resuscitate him/her but when the medical staff chooses not to do so, this is considered as passive euthanasia. On the other hand, active euthanasia which is the more controversial form of mercy killing involves ingesting into the patient poison which usually is an overdose of painkillers and sleeping pills such as morphine. In comparison, active euthanasia is subject to a lot of debate thus legalizing it would result in much clamor for the religious sector whereas there is not much moral and ethical arguments against passive euthanasia (Pregnant Pause, 2001). Euthanasia is also categorized as voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia means that the patient has consented in the termination of life-support or medical treatment while involuntary euthanasia is euthanasia in the absence of a consensus from the patient. This may be due to the inability of the patient to make decisions for himself in whom close relatives are given the right to decide for them (Pregnant Pause, 2001). Assisted suicide is another form of killing although it is difficult to determine whether it classifies as a form of euthanasia or not. In this method, the doctor gives the patient access to ways to end his/her life. The doctor has no direct involvement because he will not administer the drug to the patient. The patient then has to make the decision if he/she would use the provided means to end his/her life. This is assisted suicide (Pregnant Pause, 2001). Now, looking at the moral and ethical aspects, euthanasia, depending on how it is performed and the circumstances when it is performed determines whether is right or wrong. If the euthanasia is passive or voluntary, then, there is not much issue because the patient is aware of the consequences and he has consented but when euthanasia is active or involuntary, many ethical issues may be encountered such as the value of life which troubles many religious groups. For involuntary euthanasia, the patient has not consented and the relatives are the ones that made the decision for them. The fear here is that the relatives might make the decision that the patient would not naturally want. This is a highly controversial topic also considering the financial implications of the death of the patient (Pregnant Pause, 2001). The use of morphine drips has always been associated with mercy killing. Morphine is particularly used as a pain reliever and its side effects include respiratory depression. Many believe that the use of morphine shortens the life of a person and many also fear its addictive properties. It is also perceived as a normal instrument for inducing euthanasia. A proper dose of morphine is not a big deal but in bigger doses, its medical components are being used to peacefully kill someone (Esolen, 2006). There are many possible scenarios wherein morphine drips can be used to help people who are in great pain. Technically, instantly increasing the dosage to potentially fatal levels, morphine drips may be considered as active euthanasia for those who have not developed a tolerance for the drug. However, on one aspect, this is better than passive euthanasia wherein you just let the patient writhe in pain as the medical staff do nothing to help. The use of morphine drips may be recognized as a humane way of mercy killing because morphine eliminates pain and ensures that the patient dies a painless death (Esolen, 2006) According to Dr. Thomas Preston,the use of morphine drips â€Å"is undeniably euthanasia, hidden by the cosmetics of professional tradition and language†. Continuous injection of morphine into the bloodstream will eventually lead to death due to cessation of the breathing function. Preston also indicated that the use of morphine drips is the â€Å"societys wink to euthanasia†. He also attested that euthanasia is now a widespread practice in spite of the existence of laws that prohibit such (When Death is Sought, 1997). If done intentionally, significantly increasing the dosage of morphine will undeniably cause death but characterizing morphine drips as a â€Å"covert form of euthanasia†is inaccurate. The relation of morphine drips and patient deaths has no clear relationship. Due to the fact they people rapidly develop a tolerance to the drug, doses may be increases and as long as the drug is properly administered, there seems to be no tolerance limit. The claim that morphine drips hastens the death of the patient who have not developed tolerance bears no ground (When Death is Sought, 1997). Euthanasia should not be much of a moral issue; instead it should be regarded as an opportunity to be able to help people. Sometimes, it is much better to die in comfort than to live in pain. Patients should be given the opportunity to choose between the two available options. If morphine drip is a viable and effective way to attain such, then, it should in no manner be banned from use. It is true that life is of utmost importance but when there is extreme pain and suffering, plus the fact that the patient would not be living long enough because of a terminal disease, ending life to end suffering is never a bad alternative. Euthanasia should be done when the patient requests it. It should also be recommended in medical practice whenever viable instead of providing false hopes. Some argue that as humans have a right to life but they also have a right to death. References Pregnant Pause. 20 November 2001. Types of Euthanasia. Retrieved April 14, 2008, from pregnantpause. org/euth/types. htm Anthony, Esolen. 18 January 2006. Lethal Drips. Retrieved April 14, 2008, from http://merecomments. typepad. com/merecomments/2006/01/_in_the_matter_. html The New York State Task Force on Life and the Law. 1997 April. When Death is Sought. Retrieved April 14, 2008, from http://wings. buffalo. edu/faculty/research/bioethics/suppl. html
Monday, October 21, 2019
Impromptu Speech Activities for Elementary Students
Impromptu Speech Activities for Elementary Students Learning how to deliver an impromptu speech is part of meeting the oral communications standards. Use the following activities to help students practice their presentation skills. Activity 1: Speech Fluency The purpose of this exercise is for students to practice speaking clearly and fluently. To begin the activity, pair students together and have them choose a topic from the list below. Next, give students about thirty to sixty seconds to think about what they are going to say in their speech. Once they have gathered their thoughts, have students take turns presenting their speech to one another. Tip - To keep students on track, give each group a timer and have them set it for one minute for each presentation. Also, create a handout that students must fill out after their speech to give their partner feedback on the positives and negatives of their presentation. Possible Questions to Include in the Handout Was the message clear?Were the ideas organized?Did they speak fluently?Was their audience engaged?What can they do better next time? Topics to Choose From Favorite bookFavorite foodFavorite animalFavorite sportFavorite school subjectFavorite vacationFavorite holiday Activity 2: Impromptu Practice The purpose of this activity is for students to gain experience delivering one to two-minute impromptu speech presentations. For this activity, you can put students into groups of two or three. Once the group is chosen, have each group select a topic from the list below. Then allow each group five minutes to prepare for their task. After the five minutes is up, each individual from the group takes turns delivering their speech to the group. Tip- A fun way for students to get feedback is to have them record their presentation and watch (or hear) themselves on tape. The iPad is an excellent tool to use, or any video or audio recorder will work just fine. Topics to Choose From Any of the aboveGood newsExplain the rules of your favorite gameExplain how to make your favorite mealExplain your daily routine Activity 3: Persuasive Speech The purpose of this activity is for students to gain knowledge on how to give a persuasive speech. First, use the list of persuasive language techniques to give students examples of what should be included in their speech. Then, group students into pairs and have them each choose a topic from the list below. Give students five minutes to brainstorm a sixty-second speech that will persuade their partner to their point of view. Have students take turns delivering their speeches and then fill out the feedback form from Activity 1. Tip- Allow students to jot down notes or key words on an index card. Topics to Choose From Any current eventConvince listeners why you should be the presidentTry to sell the listeners the clothes you are wearingConvince the teacher to not give homework for a weekTry to convince the school board why they should have better food in the cafeteria Persuasive Language Techniques Emotional appeal: The speaker plays on peoples emotions, can manipulate the reader by triggering an emotional response.Descriptive language: The speaker uses words that are lively and vivid and engages the reader by inducing an emotion or producing a picture for them.Emotive language: The speaker uses language that plays on peoples feelings. There is a deliberate use of words to provoke an emotional response.Inclusive Language: The speaker uses language that engages the audience and sounds friendly.Alliteration: The speaker uses the same letter in two or more words to persuade by adding emphasis and reinforcing the meaning. (ex. cruel, calculating, and crooked)
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Adventist Music Guidelines Essays
Adventist Music Guidelines Essays Adventist Music Guidelines Essay Adventist Music Guidelines Essay however, implies that the dead go through that bright shining celestial door to Heaven. Therefore, that song is theologically unsound in the context of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, no matter how poetic the text, or how lovely the melody. As mentioned earlier, the text is indeed more equal than the musical element. However, without the tune, the text could never have the impact that comes from being coupled with good music that adds a new dimension.25 Even though the musical part plays an important role in church music as a whole, the message of the text which should not be overpowered by accompanying elements must take precedence.26 This means that when the congregation sings they should not be excessively caught up with that catchy melody and/or rhythm; the singers should strive to sing out as clearly as possible, so that the text of the hymns or songs is very audible. Therefore, the hymns and songs should be sung in a clear, natural voice. It is not loud singing that is needed, but clear intonation, correct pronunciation, and distinct utterance, so that Gods praise can be sung in clear, soft tones, not with harshness and shrillness that offend the ear.27 Mrs. White mentions that The long drawn-out notes and peculiar soundsare not pleasing to the angel.The songs in which every word is uttered clearly, in a musical tone are the songs that [the angels] join us in singing.28 Singing clearly is not enough, though. The singing should also be done with conviction and understandingthe singers should know and believe what they are singing. God is glorified by songs of praise from a pure heart filled with love and devotion to Him.29 In other words, the singers must not sing for the sake of singing, but they should sing from the heart. Only then will the hymns and songs become worthy of glorifying God. And the nearer the people of God can approach to correct, harmonious singing, the more He is glorified.30 The vocal treatment of the songs and hymns is just as important as the performance of the music. This applies mostly to the special music part of the worship service, when the congregation listens to the music being performed up front. The music itself might glorify God, but so must the singers and/or instrumentalists in their performance. In fact, The nuance which the performer brings to the presentation of a particular piece is a most important contributor to its power as a communicative medium.31 The performers of music in the worship music must be careful not to let themselves be the stars, or get all the limelight. They should keep one thing straight: they are singing (or playing whatever instruments) for the Lord, not performing just to get the attention, praise, and admiration of the congregation. Therefore, they must bring across the right message that they are praising God in their music. It is very important that the right Person is exalted in the church: God, not man himse lf. Since God is the One being glorified, He deserves the attention. Therefore, anything which calls for undue attention to the performer(s) such as excessive, affected bodily movement or inappropriate dress, should find no place in witnessing.32 Also, there should be no theatricality and prideful display when the singers and/or instrumentalists perform. If they perform with the objective of impressing the congregation with their refined abilities, then they are in the wrong place33they should not be playing music in church. Most, if not all, the music guidelines in worship service also apply towards music in evangelism. The songs should contain texts which are compatible with the Biblical teachings and beliefs of the church; the songs should be sung clearly. One point has to be stressed in this context: the performersthe music evangelistsshould bear witness for Christ, not bring glory to themselves. However, one aspect unique to evangelism is the audience. In evangelism, the audience can be considered as the target group; after all, the audience in this case are the people to whom the gospel message is directed. Therefore, it is vitally important to consider the audience as a whole in the choice of music. Factors like the general age-groups and religious backgrounds should be examined. The point is to identify the audience. Evangelism is like a bridge in some ways. The Christians are reaching out to the believers with the gospel message. Therefore, in evangelism the appropriate music is like an effective bridge, because the music then becomes a proper evangelistic tool. However, no matter who the audience is, the music must be honest and sincere. It must bemusic which rings true to itself. There must be no falseness and pretense about it.34 Simply said, the music must tell of the gospel message in a clear, unambiguous way. In this section about evangelism, the focus will be on youth as the audience. In youth evangelism, evangelists have chosen certain musical idioms which the youth can relate to. One of these musical idioms is rhythm, or better known as the beat. Most musical scholars agree that music is a combination of three things: melody, harmony, and rhythm. To be complete, the music needs to keep in equilibrium all the three components; for example, the beat should not dominate to the extent of overpowering the tune and the lyrics of the song.35 Therefore, in the use of youth-related musical idioms like the strong sense of beat, there must be a balance between the main tune of the song and its other componentsrhythm and harmony. It is not wrong to use carefully selected contemporary music in evangelism, agrees Mr. Staples, a missionary, as long as the music does not bear too much resemblance to secular musiccomplete with the overtones of violence, drugs, and sex.36 However, whatever the music chosen for evangelism, the guidelines must still apply, because The desire to reachyouth where they are with the gospel of Christ leads to the use of certain questionable musical idioms.37 These questionable musical idioms should be carefully examined with the music guidelines to church music as the standards. As a matter of fact, Mrs. White had something prophetic to say back in l900 when she heard certain kinds of music to which she was against. She wrote: Every uncouth thing will be demonstrated. There will be shouting, with drums, music, and dancing. The sense of rational beings will become so confused that they cannot be trusted to make right decisions. And this is called the moving of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit never reveals itself in such methods, in such a bedlam of noise.38 Even though it is fine to use selected contemporary music elements, the music evangelists must be careful not be overly occupied in the music as to the extent of breaking the rules (i.e. guidelines) in the effort to evangelize. In youth evangelism, there should be no compromise of standards, in particular, the standards of church music. Never compromise high principles of dignity and excellence in efforts to reach people where they are.39 In their evangelistic efforts the evangelists are not follow the ways of the world.40 Mrs. White said that instead of bringing the truth to a low level in order to obtain converts, they should seek to bring the sinful corrupted up to the high standard of the law of God.41 Music has been around for ages. It has also been used in the church for a good period of time; and in more ways than one, it has been (and no doubt will be) an important part of the church. However, times have been (and still are) changing, therefore the context and circumstances of church music have not remained stagnant. But the important thing to remember is that the guidelines must be kept in sight so that the ultimate goal of the Christian of glorifying and praising God is not blurred through the years. Since music is a medium in which the blending of the best and the worst can be done more subtly than through any other media form,42 the christians will have to be extra careful in the selection of music for church use. In conclusion, Dr. Lickey, a church musician, has this to say about judging the music for church use: Responsible Christians would not seek to see how close to the edge of purity they could get but would rather turn their backs to the world.43
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Pay them by their performance and everyone benefits As a statement of Essay - 1
Pay them by their performance and everyone benefits As a statement of management - Essay Example Quite understandably, these people were in search for a formula or the prominent factors, which can affect these above mentioned variables. This search led these experts to many new concepts and approaches and out of them â€Å"pay for performance†is one of the most debated, and discussed ones. This paper, therefore, focuses on the same concept and is an attempt to analyze and explore different dimensions to this concept. It is important to understand that this system cannot come under study in isolation with the other systems of fixed pay systems. This is because that actually shortcomings and problems within the existing systems led to the discovery and creation of pay for performance. In fact, pay for performance was an attempt by organizational experts to rectify the problems with the fixed pay plans. One of the biggest problems with fixed pay plans was their inability to motivate employees to put in the extra effort. Employees were asking themselves that why should they put in extra effort into their jobs when they are not getting any rewards for the same. Tangible or intangible rewards are quite understandably the biggest motivational factors of the employees most of the times, and without their presence, life became miserable for the mangers who want extra quality work from their employees. Moreover, this was the time in the history when the market was increasingly becoming a ruthless and aggr essive place, when their bosses asked managers and company heads to continue a two-fold goal of cutting the costs and increasing the productivity of the organization and both at the same time. This eventually meant that the managers would have to motivate the employees to put in more effort with the same rewards, pay, or remuneration. As mentioned above, this was certainly not possible. This situation was problematic from two sides of the picture. The first side of
Friday, October 18, 2019
Diagnosis of the Situation of Google Research Paper
Diagnosis of the Situation of Google - Research Paper Example According to the research in this era of globalization and industrialization, introduction of information technology (IT) has changed the entire scenario of business world. IT is the technique which is mainly concerned with the technology in order to deal with varied types of information. It mainly deals with attainment, processing, storage and distribution of verbal, graphic, textual and numerical facts with the help of microelectronic techniques such as computers. IT mainly includes wide ranges of computer software, programming language and hardware, which transmit information into visual design with the help of multimedia. Thus, it can be depicted that introduction of internet services enabled the connection of several worldwide users into a single framework with the help of ‘internet protocol suites’ (IPS). IT or more specifically, internet service acted as a revolution, which changed the entire global economy. IT is one of the most successful strategies whose implem entation enhanced the market share and the brand recognition of many search engines namely Google, MSN, AOL, Yahoo and Ask Jeeves among others. Besides, Google is the most reputed player in this context. IT has created high impact on the global environment, which eased both individual and business activities thereby augmenting the pace of growth of varied search engines. Google Inc. is a reputed multinational corporation of the United States of America specializing in software and internet based services. It has gained worldwide prominence due to it service of online search engine, which is utilized by varied users all around the world in order to accumulate various information and facts. It mainly operates through online websites and file transfer protocol (FTP) servers, which are vital for the transmission of varied facts and figures from one place to the other. Google web exploration engine is primly owned by Google Inc. The prime objective of Google web exploration engine is to investigate several information and data in numerous online web pages. Moreover, it also helps in interconnecting individuals located far apart. Prior to the implementation of IT, the business scenario of Google was entirely different as compared to recent times. Prior to ‘dot.com bubble’, in the year 2000, the market share of Google was lower than one percent (The Center for Research on Information Technology and Organizations, 2007). Google Inc. gained momentum after the introduction of IT techniques as one of its corporate strategies. After implementation of IT, the brand image and recognition of Google enhanced to a larger extent, which proved rather beneficial for the organization. It helped to improve the profitability of Google by US$100 billion, thereby positioning itself as the market leader among others. The market share also increased by 57.81 percent by 2004 and it increased to about 66.63 percent by the year 2006, which is quite noteworthy (The Center for R esearch on Information Technology and Organizations, 2007). Hence, it can be depicted that the identity and uniqueness of Google altered due to the adaptation of IT tactics. Problems/Issues That Need To Be Addressed Although Google is a reputed and renowned organization in the world, it is facing quite a few problems,
Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 7
Research - Essay Example The increase in crime is brought about by the creation of more hardened, violent criminals who are more likely to break the law and end up back in a prison. The number of prisoners currently is six times more than they were during the 1980’s. The rate of imprisonment is currently increasing along with the number of prisoners. The chart below shows the increase of number of incarcerated citizens from 1920-2006. Prison overcrowding is an issue that needs to be addressed by the General Assembly, so as to authorize the expansion of the correctional institutions. This study will focus also on programs and or activities that address the needs of inmates in a crowded prison. Inmate program or activities keep them productive and provides a powerful incentive for positive behavior maintenance, and has proved to be an effective management plan in prisons. This means that programs bring something constructive that inmates can do and learn; thus, creating less time for negative behaviors, meets inmates basic needs, assigns inmates to housing, define and convey expectations of inmate behavior, and supervise inmates. This makes the staff work environment safer with reduced violence and hostility threats. Effective jail program planning assimilates an assessment of jail and inmate needs with evidence-based programs. These programs are aimed to assess the needs of inmates in an overcrowded prison. These programs are divided into three types mainly: activity-focused, reformative, and reintegration. Activity-focused programs aim at keeping inmates busy w hile they are still in custody. Reformative programs offer inmates with knowledge and skills; this is vital as it addresses their personal needs. Reintegration programs concoct inmates for their reappearance to the community as productive citizens. Assessment of these programs will be done to demonstrate that even in situations where correctional facilities have minimal resources; the correctional professionals can plan,
For two companies with which you are familiar, compare and contrast Essay - 1
For two companies with which you are familiar, compare and contrast the main operations processes in terms of their volume, vari - Essay Example It began its operations back in 1962, and has been aggressively expanding in U.S. The company was able to introduce its full line grocery in 1988 (Varley, 2005). The company has through many struggles emerged as the largest grocery retailer in U.S. Currently, it is reported that the company sales are even higher than the combined total sales of its three competitors in U.S. i.e. Kroger, Safweway, and Supervalu. Volume Wal-mart produces tones of various products yearly. The company has diversified sources and centres where its carries its production. Yearly, it is estimated that the company spends $335 billion buying and transporting its merchandise globally (Pride, Hughes & Kapoor, 2011). This ability to produce in large volumes has allowed this company to lower its cost of production thus enabling it to sell at a lower price than its competitors’. Tesco too is widely known for its bulk production system. The company engages itself in what appear to be a multinational grocery and general merchandise retail (Keupp, 2007). This clearly shows the large number of goods the company produces. The company produces large volume of goods which has led it to open thousands of stores in over 14 countries all over the world. Variety In order to increase their competitive advantages, both Wal-mart and Tesco have hugely diversified their products. For instance, Wal-mart offers variety of services including retail goods, pharmacy, financial services, wireless, and also photo lab services. The company offers retail goods in various categories, for example, customers can purchase electronic products like digital cameras, laptops and computers in Wal-Mart stores (Mullins & Walker, 2013). In addition to home furnishing, the company also offers baby products, sporting goods, and grocery items. Wal-mart, offers to its customers financial services like credit card, debit cards, bill payment and also money transfer. Customers can also purchase money orders, gift cards and also cash cheques at various Wal-mart stores. This strategy adopted by Wal-Mart to offer a variety of goods to customers has enabled it to attract a large pool of customers not only in its home market in U.S. but also in the overseas markets. On the other hand, Tesco Company unlike its rival Wal-Mart has slightly taken a different line of specialization. The company started as a simple grocer, but with time it has been engaging in clothing sector, finance, insurance services, software business, internet shopping business, sale of DVDs, and mobile phone sales (Mullins & Walker, 2013). Its specialization in all these products has given it a higher competitive strength in UK compared to other rivals who usually specializes mainly on grocery. Variation in Demand variation Variation in demand has numerous implications that can be seen in the company’s characteristics. Wal-mart has constantly maintained low levels of demand variation. It has successfully maintained a variation of as lo w as 5% in its demand for a very long period (Varley, 2005). This has been possible for the company due to its effective strategy of focusing on how to lower prices of its products. This has given it a relief to maintain a very stable demand either during peak seasons or off peak periods. On the other hand, Tesco mainly records a medium level of demand variation with a range of between 10 to 20 % variation in its demand. This is brought about by the changing capacity, anticipation of what the customers might demand,
Thursday, October 17, 2019
How Schools Mirrior the Dominate Culture Assignment
How Schools Mirrior the Dominate Culture - Assignment Example It is considered to be part of effective classroom management by teachers for a few reasons. First, it is assumed that being immersed in a language makes on be fluent. Secondly, it is believed that it is destructive for every one to speak in a different language while in class especially in ELL classroom (Beare par. 1-3). Characteristics of wealthy white children have been incorporated into school systems as the only authentic standards of behavior. Other cultural expressions which may be adequate in acquiring skills from have been seen as inadequate and, therefore, rejected. This results in inadequate communication and assessment, leading children from poor minority cultures being deemed slow or poor learners. These children end up making the most representation in the special education program as they are assessed according the standards set for middle-class white students. In these tests it is assumed that failure to meet standards mean developmental delay even if the child has knowledge in other developmental areas. Wealthy and middle class white schools often have better performances than others because they pay better hence attracting better teachers (Goldy par. 1). This is at the expense of poor schools for the minority groups as they do not get the best teachers. As stated by the London School of Economics, there is a direct relationship between teachers pay and student performance. If a teacher is paid well, the student tends to perform well and when payment is poor as is the case of minority schools for the poor, their performance tends to be poor. Yet at the time of assessment the standards used do not put into consideration this fact, but judge by the standards of the dominant group (Goldy par. 1). The dominant culture of the white people is mirrored in many ways in schools; these are just a few examples. English language is used extensively in
TeliaSon Era and Google (Competition Law) Dissertation
TeliaSon Era and Google (Competition Law) - Dissertation Example However, it can be agreed that attaining this desirable status, in which all stakeholders benefit optimally, is relatively challenging. Coupled with increased pressure from the market to make profits, most business persons have opted for satisfying their needs at the expense of the consumer. Furthermore, individual business entities have gone to great lengths to attain and maintain a competitive edge in the markets that they explore. In essence, they take measures that are geared towards enhancing their performance and outperforming their counterparts. They have adopted malpractices such as collusive price fixing, predatory pricing, tie-up sale, discriminatory pricing and creating barriers to market entry amongst others. These trends have had adverse effects on both the consumers and other business persons in the market. To address these, regulatory policies have been put in place. Perhaps one that has been more effective in addressing the preceding concern is competition policy. Com petition policy constitutes a set of measures adopted by the government which direct the behavior of the businesses as well as the structure of the entire business industry. Their main aim is to maximize the welfare of the affected stakeholders and promote effective and efficient performance. They provide useful insights regarding how business entities and individuals can explore the market and enhance healthy competition. Further, they offer guidelines regarding how to prevent anti competitive practices that hurt the industry and undermine sustainable growth and development. At this point, it cannot be disputed that unfair competitive practices promote aggression that has detrimental effects on the performance of businesses. In... As globalization trends continue to grow complex and intricate, firms are increasingly being compelled to adopt approaches and practices that can enable them to attain and maintain a competitive edge in the market. This has prompted them to in some instances adopt practices that have harmful effects on their competitors as well to the consumer base. Monopolistic firms have particularly been affected the most because of their influence in the market. Coupled with their ability to make critical decisions regarding the products and services that they provide, the inherent power has made them to make decisions that have negative effects on their respective industries. Legal provisions have been established on a national, regional and international scale to guide their behavior in this regard. This ensures that the decisions that they make do not affect the functioning of the market and the general wellbeing of the market. Competition law has particularly been imperative in ensuring that this behavior or that their practices are economically viable. One of the tendencies that have been noted in the market pertains to violation of the competition law through margin squeeze.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
For two companies with which you are familiar, compare and contrast Essay - 1
For two companies with which you are familiar, compare and contrast the main operations processes in terms of their volume, vari - Essay Example It began its operations back in 1962, and has been aggressively expanding in U.S. The company was able to introduce its full line grocery in 1988 (Varley, 2005). The company has through many struggles emerged as the largest grocery retailer in U.S. Currently, it is reported that the company sales are even higher than the combined total sales of its three competitors in U.S. i.e. Kroger, Safweway, and Supervalu. Volume Wal-mart produces tones of various products yearly. The company has diversified sources and centres where its carries its production. Yearly, it is estimated that the company spends $335 billion buying and transporting its merchandise globally (Pride, Hughes & Kapoor, 2011). This ability to produce in large volumes has allowed this company to lower its cost of production thus enabling it to sell at a lower price than its competitors’. Tesco too is widely known for its bulk production system. The company engages itself in what appear to be a multinational grocery and general merchandise retail (Keupp, 2007). This clearly shows the large number of goods the company produces. The company produces large volume of goods which has led it to open thousands of stores in over 14 countries all over the world. Variety In order to increase their competitive advantages, both Wal-mart and Tesco have hugely diversified their products. For instance, Wal-mart offers variety of services including retail goods, pharmacy, financial services, wireless, and also photo lab services. The company offers retail goods in various categories, for example, customers can purchase electronic products like digital cameras, laptops and computers in Wal-Mart stores (Mullins & Walker, 2013). In addition to home furnishing, the company also offers baby products, sporting goods, and grocery items. Wal-mart, offers to its customers financial services like credit card, debit cards, bill payment and also money transfer. Customers can also purchase money orders, gift cards and also cash cheques at various Wal-mart stores. This strategy adopted by Wal-Mart to offer a variety of goods to customers has enabled it to attract a large pool of customers not only in its home market in U.S. but also in the overseas markets. On the other hand, Tesco Company unlike its rival Wal-Mart has slightly taken a different line of specialization. The company started as a simple grocer, but with time it has been engaging in clothing sector, finance, insurance services, software business, internet shopping business, sale of DVDs, and mobile phone sales (Mullins & Walker, 2013). Its specialization in all these products has given it a higher competitive strength in UK compared to other rivals who usually specializes mainly on grocery. Variation in Demand variation Variation in demand has numerous implications that can be seen in the company’s characteristics. Wal-mart has constantly maintained low levels of demand variation. It has successfully maintained a variation of as lo w as 5% in its demand for a very long period (Varley, 2005). This has been possible for the company due to its effective strategy of focusing on how to lower prices of its products. This has given it a relief to maintain a very stable demand either during peak seasons or off peak periods. On the other hand, Tesco mainly records a medium level of demand variation with a range of between 10 to 20 % variation in its demand. This is brought about by the changing capacity, anticipation of what the customers might demand,
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
TeliaSon Era and Google (Competition Law) Dissertation
TeliaSon Era and Google (Competition Law) - Dissertation Example However, it can be agreed that attaining this desirable status, in which all stakeholders benefit optimally, is relatively challenging. Coupled with increased pressure from the market to make profits, most business persons have opted for satisfying their needs at the expense of the consumer. Furthermore, individual business entities have gone to great lengths to attain and maintain a competitive edge in the markets that they explore. In essence, they take measures that are geared towards enhancing their performance and outperforming their counterparts. They have adopted malpractices such as collusive price fixing, predatory pricing, tie-up sale, discriminatory pricing and creating barriers to market entry amongst others. These trends have had adverse effects on both the consumers and other business persons in the market. To address these, regulatory policies have been put in place. Perhaps one that has been more effective in addressing the preceding concern is competition policy. Com petition policy constitutes a set of measures adopted by the government which direct the behavior of the businesses as well as the structure of the entire business industry. Their main aim is to maximize the welfare of the affected stakeholders and promote effective and efficient performance. They provide useful insights regarding how business entities and individuals can explore the market and enhance healthy competition. Further, they offer guidelines regarding how to prevent anti competitive practices that hurt the industry and undermine sustainable growth and development. At this point, it cannot be disputed that unfair competitive practices promote aggression that has detrimental effects on the performance of businesses. In... As globalization trends continue to grow complex and intricate, firms are increasingly being compelled to adopt approaches and practices that can enable them to attain and maintain a competitive edge in the market. This has prompted them to in some instances adopt practices that have harmful effects on their competitors as well to the consumer base. Monopolistic firms have particularly been affected the most because of their influence in the market. Coupled with their ability to make critical decisions regarding the products and services that they provide, the inherent power has made them to make decisions that have negative effects on their respective industries. Legal provisions have been established on a national, regional and international scale to guide their behavior in this regard. This ensures that the decisions that they make do not affect the functioning of the market and the general wellbeing of the market. Competition law has particularly been imperative in ensuring that this behavior or that their practices are economically viable. One of the tendencies that have been noted in the market pertains to violation of the competition law through margin squeeze.
How Has Huck Changed Essay Example for Free
How Has Huck Changed Essay In the beginning novel, Huck struggles against society and its attempts to civilize himself, which was represented by the Widow Douglas, Miss Watson, and other adults. Later, this conflict gains more focus in Huck’s dealings with Jim, as Huck must decide whether to turn Jim in, as society demands, or to protect and help his friend instead. The most significant way in which Huck changes his attitude is with Jim, by excepting him as a person. Towards the end of chapter 15, Huck plays a trick on Jim when they got separated in the fog. Huck tries to convince Jim that hes been drinking because when they found each other, Huck explains hes never gone anywhere, hes been by his side the whole time. Then Huck goes off saying, â€Å"Well, this is too many for me, Jim. I haint see fog, nor no islands nor no troubles You couldnt a got drunk in that time, so of course youve been dreaming.†(84) Jim at this point is confused because how can he dream all that in ten minutes. Later on, as Huck realizes that lying to Jim about that whole incident was wrong of him, he apologizes to him. It was quite a thing for a white person to apologize to a black person in that time so it show that he is growing emotions towards Jim. He realizes why lie to him if colored people get taken advantage of all the time, Huck didn’t want to be one of those white people who did. More important, he eventually takes charge and tells the truth no matter what the outcome is, and has changed from a juvenile boy who doesnt care if others are tricked, to a more civilized boy who protects innocent people.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Thomas Edison (1847-1931)
Thomas Edison (1847-1931) Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration. Every phase of human life uses at least one of Edisons inventions. Edisons determination was important in his success as an inventor. His determination includes his work time, not giving up after so many failures, and setting goals, including keeping his word and having his mind set. There are seven main points about Edisons determination in which I wish to focus on. One of the most important points was his strong commitment and not giving up. Another important point was that he stuck to his plan, had his mind set on what he wanted to achieve and didnt let other things bother him. Edisons determination was so strong that he never let failures distract him or stop him. Unlike other people, his determination was so powerful that he focused solely on what he set out to do, which was to invent. Edison never let money get in his way. He invented whether he was penniless or had tons of money. Edisons determination also affected another reason of why he succeeded; reading. Edisons determination was the main reason of why he pulled through the days when he was a telegraph operator. He never let being fired so many times because of his experiments discourage him. Inventing was his true desire and he never let it go even if it meant not having a job. The most important and the base of all the other points is his time commitment. If he didnt push himself to commit all that time into his work, he never would have been able to be as successful. Now I will describe each point in more detail. Thomas Edison is known for coming up with lots of inventions that changed our lives. The light bulb and phonograph are among the most famous. But if he had given up after he couldnt find the solution from a few tries, he probably wouldnt have invented anything. For example, in December 1914 there was a huge fire at Edisons factory buildings in West Orange, New Jersey. Tanks of chemicals and almost everything else was burnt up. At the time, he was 67 and could have easily given up and retired. But he said I am sixty-seven, but Im not too old to make a fresh start. The next day, he was a bundle of energy. He directed more than one thousand men to clear away the debris. That showed something about the mans determination and his passion for inventing. He stayed positive throughout this event. He got everybody to come see the fire because they will not see a fire this big again in their lives. Another event also showed his determination and not giving up. When Edison worked on the Grand Trunk Railway, he sold papers and snacks to the passengers and eventually set up a chemical lab and his own printing press in a baggage car. But one day, a dangerous poison fell from a shelf and when exposed to air, it started a fire in the baggage car. The baggage-master rushed to the scene and became so angry with Tom that he picked up all his stuff and threw it out the door including young Tom. But Tom didnt give up. He soon became very close with the baggage master and was working again. Another example showed Edisons determination. Once, he was really into using magnetic separators to extract low-grade iron ores. He even founded a mining town named Edison but it soon had to be shut down because of debts. Edison lost over one million dollars in this project but he stayed positive and said that he had a good time spending it. The biggest example of Edison not giving up would be when he invented the light bulb. He began with studying gas lighting and filled out two hundred notebooks containing over forty-thousand pages. He then filled Menlo Park from floor to ceiling with battery cells, chemicals, and instruments. Along with that he had fifty men at work with no sleeping and food brought to them. He tried for months with thousands of different filaments until he found that thread burned for about forty five hours. He then was determined to make it one hundred hours. In the end, his carbon filament burned for one hundred seventy hours. Without doubt, Edisons determination of not giving up had definitely been important in his success. As one of his famous quotes say, Many of lifes failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. Edison was very focused and had his mind set to what he wanted to achieve. He always kept his word and stuck to his plan. He set goals for himself and achieved these goals. An event which showed Tom concentrating and not letting other things bother him would be his hearing loss. Many experiences in his early life worsened his hearing. These include Tom suffering from scarlet fever when he was a boy, the baggage master boxing his ears when he started that fire on the baggage car, and a conductor lifting him by his ears to try to help him get on the train one day because he was late. Tom became about eighty percent deaf in the end. But he stayed positive and said that this contributed to his success because he could concentrate better when not hearing any noises. An example of his goal setting would be when he bought an invention factory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. When he bought that land and built his invention factory on it, he set a goal to himself that he would bring out a minor invention every ten days and a big thing every six months or so. And he achieved that by improving the telephone, inventing the phonograph and inventing the light bulb there. One of the examples of how Edison set his mind to things was his schooling. He never did well in school. At that time, schools taught by having students memorize things. But Thomas mind was too imaginative to memorize things and liked to find out things for himself. One day, Tom happened to hear the school master call him addled. Tom knew the definition of that word and became furious. So he ran home and told his mother. At that time, he promised to himself that he would never step foot in a classroom again. His mother decided to home school Thomas and it was a good decision. Tom vowed that he would not let his mother down and he became a rapid reader. He read Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, and Victor Hugo. But his favorite was a science text book titled Natural Philosophy, which he read at the age of nine. He quickly tried all the experiments in the book and was fascinated by chemistry and physics. Making goals and setting his mind on things had surely aided Edison in his success. Edison never saw his failures as failures. He saw them as learning opportunities and discovering another way that something wont work. He had tried thousands of ways and used numerous materials to make workable filament. Edison was once asked why he kept trying if he failed so many times. His response was I have not failed but I have successfully discovered six thousand ways that wont work. Tom didnt give up when his first patented invention failed. When he invented the vote-recorder, it was his first patented invention. He hoped that the lawmakers would use his invention. But it never got further than the patent office because it put an end to old delaying tactics. He was crushed when he learned the news but he didnt give up. He learned an important lesson here: only invent products in which there was a demand for. After this incident, he went on to improve the stock ticker, which was successful. Edison believed that failures were very important. Failures were what led him to succes s. Normally, money was one of the most important parts of peoples lives but it wasnt really a big part of Edisons life. He had a money will take care of itself attitude. He focused only on inventing and not on wealth. When he found out he needed money to buy chemicals when he was young, he was determined to get a job on the train selling papers despite his mother telling him of the dangers. Thomas used it all on equipment for his experiments. He didnt spend any on leisure. He also found out that whenever he got the money, the next moment it would be all spent on equipment. He once got one hundred thousand dollars for a transmitter he improved but he knew that he would have this problem so he asked that he got six thousand a year for seventeen years. When he went to England to show his telegraphy system, England adapted his system but he got no money for it. He didnt complain. During the period when he was roaming the states looking for jobs as a telegrapher, he had a number of pretty go od pay jobs. But he always left to grow and get somewhere in the world. He wanted experience, not wealth. However, even though he didnt put much emphasis on money, his patents had a total value of $25,000,000,000 by death. By putting money aside and focusing on inventing probably saved Edison a lot of time and worries. Reading had definitely helped Edison succeed and was probably his favorite hobby. Edison was reading classics such as Dickens and Shakespeare by the age of nine. His determination came in when he worked on the railway. Because he worked on the morning train to Detroit and evening train back, he had six hours of time to spend in Detroit. He spent the time at none other than the Detroit Public Library. With the combined force of determination, curiosity and interest, he read the whole library. He started with the first book on the bottom shelf and one by one, he finished the top shelf. The knowledge in that library was a lot and Edison pretty much devoured it whole. Later in his life, reading became very important. He always had a book in his pocket. He read two or three lines at a time and read three books a day by habit. In total, he had read more than ten thousand books, that all started when he was determined not to let his mother down upon deciding to home school him. During the days when Edison was a telegraph operator looking for jobs around the states, one of the big reasons why he had to change jobs was because he got fired a lot. He got fired a lot mainly because of his experiments, either blowing things up or not staying on task. When he was the night telegrapher in Stratford, Ontario, there was a rule that every half hour operators had to send the signal six to the control room so as to not be sleeping. Tom, however, didnt give up because he didnt like this rule but he outsmarted it. He invented a mechanism that sent the appropriate signal at the appropriate time so he could nap or read as he wished. When his boss found out about this, Tom was fired. There were many other times Tom was fired because of reasons similar to this but he never gave up. He always went in search of a new job and grew from his experiences. Edison could have easily returned home but he never did except for brief visits. That was a big reason why he grew into such an unbelievable inventor. The most important part of Thomas Edisons determination was his time commitment. It was all those hard working hours that allowed him to create his inventions. He had been very committed and spent long hours ever since he decided to become a telegrapher. An example of his earliest time commitment would be when he first connected his friends house to his with wires. At that time, Edison became very interested with telegraphy and knew that he needed lots of practice at it. So when he got home from his train job at around ten in the evening, he had already spent fourteen hours outside. But he still practiced telegraphy with his friend until around midnight. This was when he was twelve. When he was training to become a top flight operator, he spent eighteen hour days to practice. He worked very hard at what he wanted to master and spent lots of time on it. This showed commitment and determination. His hardest working days would be when he ran those invention factories. This was what a typical day looks like for Edison when he was in his invention factory at Newark: After breakfast, he would read several newspapers, science magazines and the mail. He then was at his Newark workshop by the afternoon and started working by late-afternoon. Around midnight, he had a small meal. The midnight meal would usually just be a glass of milk and a piece of cake or pie. Then he would continue working for several more hours. Edison liked to tell people that he didnt sleep but he often lay down on a workbench, fully clothed and took long naps. He would go to sleep anywhere, anytime, and on anything. He was not an easy person to work for. He always wanted his employees to work as hard as he worked, which usually meant working weekends and long weekdays. But he also would never let his employees do something that he wouldnt do. When he was on to something big, like finding filament for the light bulb, he would not sleep for days and would have food brought to him. Such as when the thread filament burnt for forty-five hours, he just stared at it the whole time. When he was drafting his cement mine, he drew for twenty four hours straight. Later the mine became a success. Once, he had forty-five inventions going and two hundred fifty men working for him at the same time. In fact, he took his first real vacation at the age of thirty-one but even that was a trip to test his tasimeter. Edison wouldnt have been such a special inventor had he not committed so many hard working hours. Edison had never led any armies into battle and had not conquered any new lands yet he had contributed to mankind more than any warrior can. Edisons determination was made up of many parts. Edison does not give up, no matter how hard the task. Edison always set goals and set his mind to his goals. He never let other things distract him once he had his mind set. Edison never treated his failures as failures and never let his failures discourage him. Edison set his mind to one goal, which was to invent. He didnt let financial problems bother him and felt that money would resolve itself. Edisons determination made him read the complete Detroit Public Library, which greatly helped him invent. Tom was never let down when he was fired from a job and went looking for a new job which was a new opportunity to grow. Edison spent eighteen long hours every day inventing which showed his amazing determination and huge time commitment towards his inventions. It was all of these determination parts which put together the great, determined Thomas Edison. If everyone had even half the determination and work ethic of Edison, then there wouldnt be any homeless people or anyone who doesnt do their part in society, which would make the ninety percent of us not have to take care of the ten percent who slack off. This man had experimented for seventy-two years and was granted 1093 patents for his inventions. All of this was done through sheer determination, which was why he is known as the Benefactor of Mankind.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
American Authors: Building Character One Sentence at a Time Essay
Most of today's writers get their inspiration from other writers, whether it be present day authors or primitive. All of them have their own style of writing for their stories. Today we mostly see books about sparkling vampires and paranormal stories involving teenagers who investigate the issue. Back then, the stories had more of a meaning. Some of the stories were about the government, society, or their own personal life. Most of today's stories do not have a real meaning behind their stories, unlike the stories Olaudah Equiano, Anne Bradstreet, Jonathon Edwards, Patrick Henry, and William Bryant wrote. Each of these writers had their own writing approach and plot. However, there are writers who still write like Equiano, Bradstreet, Edwards, Henry, and Bryant. They were influenced by the famous authors I listed beforehand. These new authors have paved the way for present and future writers. Olaudah Equiano was an African American who wrote about the hardships he endured as a slave. Equiano was kidnapped and sold into slavery when he was eleven years old. He was very intelligent for a slave with no education. Olaudah encountered other hardships, like losing touch with his family and home life. He lost his sister quite a few times during his term as a slave, also. He saved up his money during his time of being a slave and eventually bought his own slaveryBefore Equiano bought his freedom, he acquired a skill for seamanship and traveled long distances. He was trained by his slave owner who was a captain at sea. Equiano documented his life by a journal. In his journal, titled â€Å"The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa,†he had daily entries that described what was happening during his time ... ...ar would have never happened, we would not have liberty or a fully functioning government. We would also be void of free trade. Patrick Henry helped form the basis for today's society. All of these people have been extremely important to today's character. Each person has played a role in government and writing. They have all formed a basis for whatever they were working on. Without the ideas of government from Henry, we would have a different political system all together. Anne Bradstreet and William Cullen Bryant have helped piece together poetry. Anne and Jonathon catapulted religious views. Bradstreet and Equiano helped people understand that not everyone leads a perfectly happy life and many were mistreated. Olaudah Equiano was vastly important to the abolition of slavery. We have all of them to thank for the society, government, and literature we have today.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Reflections of the Past Essay -- French Revolution, French Politics, B
Edmund Burke is considered one of the most influential intellectuals, best known for criticising the French revolution in his 1790 publication, â€Å"Reflections on the Revolution in France.†It is a book that has been the topic of a variety of debates and disagreements, but has always had the distinction of being able to influence a number of different groups, including the classic liberal. The text criticizes the French revolution on a number of different principles. One of Burkes main problems with the revolution is that the revolutionary leaders attempted to change the entirety of Frances political system overnight rather than take it gradually and change things one by one. He claims that the New France has little chance of succeeding (230) because of what he sees as impulsive. He also states that, innovation is not reform, which also requires reflection (119). He compares this to the view the philosophers, where the approach lacked realism during a time when abstractness could be fatal. The complete abolition of the entire political system in 1789 ended with an immense amount of confusion during transformation. The prior political system, Feudalism, was declared void and so the entirety of the governmental institutions was dissolved. This includes the army, the local government, the judicial system and the clergy. This all relates to the political ideology of the philosophers, which held that a revolution was good at destruction, but not so good at the rebuilding process. Though it is debateable if Burkes critique of the revolution was right or wrong, the even did stimulate him to devise his political ideology. His ability to insinuate logical points of politics makes this a rather important book. The main idea behind this ... ...ore spectacle rather then substance (283), which isn’t what France needs. Instead there is a national assembly that Burke states isn’t qualified to form a government and which will eventually become more extreme (374). In Burkes opinion, France made a lot of mistakes when they revolted against their king and country. For society to be liberty it requires wisdom, which then requires virtue (373), both which Burke believes the France are missing. He ends his book commending Britian â€Å"on the basis of longstanding existence and reforms†(375) or the ability to gradually change the country for the better, much more so because many of the past reforms were an attempt to recover past privileges and traditions, which are positive. Regardless of how one feels about the French Revolution, â€Å"Reflections on the Revolution in France†is a book that is still an important read.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Experiment to Investigate Osmosis in Potatoes Essay
The aim of this experiment is to investigate the movement of water in and out of plant cells. The cells chosen for study will be taken from potato tubers. Firstly I will explain what osmosis is. Osmosis is the passage of water from a region of high water concentration through a semi permeable membrane to a region of low water concentration. This definition contains three important statements: a) It is the passage of water through a semi permeable membrane b) It is the passage of water from a region of high water concentration c) It is the passage of water to a region of low water concentration. All the above statements are included in the definition, but define certain aspects of it. Semi-permeable membranes are very thin layers of material which allow some things to pass through, but prevent others. A cell membrane is semi permeable. They allow small molecules like oxygen, water, amino acids etc. to pass through but will not allow larger molecules like sucrose, starch, protein etc. through. A region of high concentration of water is either a very dilute solution of something like sucrose or pure water. In each case there is a lot of water: a high concentration of water. A region of low water concentration is the opposite of the above, i.e. a very high concentration of sucrose solution: a low water concentration. The water content of plants varies depending on environmental conditions. In Land plants this water plays a vital role in the support of tissues and the transport of materials around the organism. Lack of water leads to wilting and eventually death. Water is mainly absorbed through the roots, which are covered in specially adapted root hair cells, with large surface areas and thin cell walls to aid absorption. It is drawn up the plant through xylem vessels by a pull resulting from the evaporation of water through the stomata on the leaves. This evaporation is called transpiration and the xylem flow resulting is called the transpiration stream. Soluble food substances formed during photosynthesis are transported around the plant in the phloem tubes. This movement of water through the plant in the xylem vessels or phloem tubes is similar to the flow of blood in humans as it transports soluble mineral salts, nutrients and auxins, (plant hormones), from place to place. The evaporation of water from the leaves also removes heat energy from the plant and helps to prevent overheating. Transpiration pulls water up the plant stem but osmosis is the process whereby water is drawn into or out of cells and tissues. Osmosis is the flow of water by diffusion through a differentially permeable membrane from areas of high water concentration to regions of low water concentration. The diagram below illustrates this: Water can freely penetrate all membrane. The cellulose cell wall does not act as a semi permeable membrane and will allow most substances that are dissolved in water to freely pass through it. Whether water enters the cell by osmosis or not will depend on the balance between external and internal solute concentrations and the state of the cell. If the solutions on each side of the differentially permeable membrane are equally concentrated then there will be no net movement of water across the membrane. This is called an equilibrium state and the solutions are referred to as being isotonic. A solution that contains more solute particles than another, and is hence more concentrated, is referred to as being hypertonic. The less concentrated solution is hypotonic. This concentration of solute particles is usually described as a molarity. Even if the solute concentration external to the cell is hypotonic to the vacuole contents the cell will not continue to take in water by osmosis for ever. The cellulose cell wall provides a rigid barrier to uncontrolled expansion. A cell that is full of water is called turgid and cannot expand further as the outward pressure on the cell wall is balanced by the inward force of the stretched wall. This wall pressure is called turgor pressure and the internal outward force on the wall is called osmotic pressure. At the other extreme, a cell placed in a solution that is hypertonic to its contents will lose water by osmosis. The cytoplasm will cease to exert a pressure on the cellulose cell wall and the cell, described as flaccid, will lack support. Water loss can continue to such an extent that the cytoplasm, and attached cell membrane, contracts and detaches from the cell wall. A cell in this condition is said to have undergone plasmolysis. This very rarely, if ever happens in nature. As osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules and as diffusion is the random movement of particles from areas of high concentration to low concentration it might be expected that any factors that speed up or slow down the movement of these particles would affect the rate of osmosis. Using knowledge of the process of osmosis and with a good understanding of molarity I should be able to determine the solute concentration of the vacuoles in potato tuber cells. As it would be impossible to measure with any degree of accuracy the expansion or contraction of cells on an individual basis I have decided to look at gain or loss of water in terms of increase or decrease in mass. Mass, I feel, will be a more accurate way of recording the change of the potatoes as when measuring length, it does not take into account the change in diameter of the chip. I will also look at the increase or decrease in length to verify the accuracy of my results and compare the two readings. A cell placed in an isotonic solution should show no change whereas one placed in a hypertonic solution will lose mass. For this experiment, I will have to choose a factor to vary. These factors are: Æ’Ã ¡ Molarity of the sucrose solution Æ’Ã ¡ Surface area of the potato Æ’Ã ¡ Type of potato used Æ’Ã ¡ Age of the potato Æ’Ã ¡ pH of the sucrose solution Æ’Ã ¡ Temperature The factor I have chosen to vary is the molarity of sugar solution as I believe this will be easy to regulate as the concentration can be easily altered using distilled water. I will use 1 molar solution and alter the concentrations as shown below: Molarity of sugar solutionAmount of waterAmount of sucrose solution 0.050 0.241 0.432 0.623 0.814 1.005 For this experiment I will need: Æ’Ã ¡ 1 large potato to produce 18 potato tubers Æ’Ã ¡ cork borer Æ’Ã ¡ distilled water Æ’Ã ¡ 1 molar sugar solution Æ’Ã ¡ pipettes Æ’Ã ¡ 18 test tubes Æ’Ã ¡ ruler to measure length of potato tubers Æ’Ã ¡ electric balance to measure the mass I have selected the above equipment because I feel it will help me to ensure accurate results. To ensure a fair test I will take all my potato samples from the same potato using the same cork borer and keep all of my apparatus the same. I will try and treat each potato tube the same. I will measure each potato tube separately to ensure accurate measurements and carry out the procedure 3 times for each molarity tested. This will mean that I will need to measure 18 potato tubers. Three results will enable me to take an average result, making the results, hopefully, more precise and reliable. If one of the results seems very different to the others, I shall identify it as an anomalous result and retake the reading. When I carry out this experiment, I will get a potato and take some tubes from it using a cork borer I will then cut these tubes into shorter lengths and measure the length and mass of each of the 18 lengths. All the lengths will be cut to 25mm. The solutions will be altered according to the molarity required and cm3 of each solution placed in each test tube. Each molarity will occupy three test tubes. The chips will then be put into each test tube and left over night. They will then be taken out of their test tubes, dried lightly with a paper towel and the new mass and lengths recorded. Once the results have been collected, they will be tabulated and analysed. A graph will be drawn and any trends noticed explained. Prior to the experiment we carried out a short pilot test, using potato chips and solutions of strength 0.0, 1.0 and 2.0 molar solutions. The chips were 25mm in length each, and each chip was placed in 5 cm3 of either distilled water/1.0 molar / 2.0 molar sugar solutions and left for 30 minutes. The potato chips were then measured and the results recorded. They are shown below: ChipSolution 1Water 21.0 molar 32.0 molar Chip numberOriginal lengthResultant length 125mm29mm 225mm24mm 325mm20mm These results show that a potato chip placed in water will gain in length, a weak sugar solution will lose length and a strong sugar solution will lose length also. The results from this test will allow me to choose an appropriate range of moralities in order to find out what the concentration is inside the cell vacuole. I am going to investigate 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 molar sugar solutions. I have chosen these concentrations to try and accurately find when there is no net movement of water, hence the concentration of the cell vacuole. From previous work done on osmosis, I predict that molarity and average change in mass/ length will be indirectly proportional. I think there will be a negative correlation between the two. I think that there will be both loss and gain in mass discovered. I think the graph will look like this but there will be no plasmolysed on my graph, as I do no expect my measurements to go that far. I hope to be able to identify the point when there is no net movement of water. Analysis of Results The Consequences of Osmosis in plant cells: Plant cells always have a strong cell wall surrounding them. When the take up water by osmosis they start to swell, but the cell wall prevents them from bursting. Plant cells become â€Å"turgid†when they are put in dilute solutions. Turgid means swollen and hard. The pressure inside the cell rises, eventually the internal pressure of the cell is so high that no more water can enter the cell. This liquid or hydrostatic pressure works against osmosis. Turgidity is very important to plants because this is what makes the green parts of the plant â€Å"stand up†into the sunlight. When plant cells are placed in concentrated sugar solutions they lose water by osmosis and they become â€Å"flaccid†; this is the exact opposite of â€Å"turgid†. If you put plant cells into concentrated sugar solutions and look at them under a microscope you would see that the contents of the cells have shrunk and pulled away from the cell wall: they are said to be plasmolysed. When plant cells are placed in a solution which has exactly the same osmotic strength as the cells they are in a state between turgidity and flaccidity. We call this incipient plasmolysis. â€Å"Incipient†means â€Å"about to be†. When I forget to water the potted plants in my study you will see their leaves droop. Although their cells are not plasmolysed, they are not turgid and so they do not hold the leaves up into the sunlight. Graph [1] shows the average percentage change in length of the potato tubers. It shows that as molarity increases the average change in length decreases. The graph drawn looks accurate as the curve did not have to be one of best fit, but went through all of the points plotted showing that all the readings were accurate. The potato tubers gained/ loss length, the molarity increases the sugar solution becomes more concentrated, and more concentrated than inside the cell. At 0.2M solution there is no net movement of water. As the strength of the concentration increases the cells shrink and become flaccid. Graph [2] shows the average percentage change in mass of the potato tubers. It shows that as molarity increases the average change in length decreases. This graph is very similar to the graph showing the length loss or gain, but appears less accurate as there is an anomalous result. This is at 0.4 molar, it lies off the best-fit curve drawn by 9.2%. The curve is one of best fit and follows the same trends as graph [1]. My results seem fairly accurate and although the graph showing length seems to be more accurate as it is a curve that goes through all of the points, it only shows the change in length, and not in mass. The graph showing mass change [2] gives a more accurate view of what happened as it takes into account the expansion of the potato both ways and has a broader percentage change range. This means that instead of just spanning 30% in total (as does graph [1]) it spans 80% (as does graph [2]). This gives a broader field of results and is therefore more accurate, as the mass is a more accurate result than length as the potato chip will get wider as well as longer. My results do seem to be reliable, as the graphs drawn support my prediction and seem accurate as they all lie on a smooth curve. Conclusion: From the results obtained, I can conclude that the average gain or loss in mass of the potato chip is indirectly proportional to molarity. I can also say that average gain or loss in length of the potato chip is indirectly proportional to molarity. Both of the results show a negative correlation. I can now say that the more concentrated the solution, the more mass/length is lost. This is because the water inside the cell moves out, causing the cell to shrink. When the cells are in a less concentrated solution they gain in length and mass as water is taken into the cell and the cell swells. The results gave enough information to support my original prediction. Both of the graphs cut the x-axis at 0.2, showing that the molarity of the internal solute of a cell is 0.2m. This also shows that my results were very alike and reliable. Evaluation: My results seem to be very accurate. I can tell this because when the points were plotted they all lay on the curve, apart from one anomalous result, 0.4Mon the graph showing mass. There was however only one anomalous result and the others were all very reliable. This may have been because the results had an average taken so it may not have been accurate. I could increase the accuracy by taking more repetitions which should make the average more accurate. As the potatoes were left over night, the temperature changed which may have affected the results, but it should not have made a drastic difference to the graphs as all of the potatoes were subjected to exactly the same temperature changes. This could be improved by placing the test tubes into a water bath so they were kept at a constant temperature. The same potato was used in each of the experiments, which may also have contributed to the reliability of my results. The mass was more accurate to measure for many different reasons. Length does not take into account the change in diameter of the chips, and you can not measure fractions of millimetres on a ruler, but the electric balance will record change from 2 decimal places, e.g. mass: 1?43 â€Å"†1?34length: 25 â€Å"†23 whilst length can only be measured to the nearest millimetre. For the mass, we had to be careful that all the potato chips were dried in the same way as this may have altered the reading. This may have been what caused the anomalous results, as it was lighter that the best fit line i.e. some water may have been lost through harder drying, or squeezing during the drying process. If some of the water evaporated overnight, it would have incresed the molarity of the solutions, thus making the results innaccurate. This could be combatted by putting a bung in the top of the test tubes to stop the evaporation and keeping the sugar slution concentrations the same. To improve the accuracy of the results I would include more concentrations to find the point of plasmolysis as in my experiment, I did not get to the point of plasmolysis in my experiment, so if I was to extend this experiment, I would investigte a wider rage of concentrations to investigate furthur and increase accuracy. I would also increase the repetitions to 5 per molarity and increase the molarity to try and find the point of plasmolysis. I could also decrease the range between each molarity (every 0.05 for example) to try and find the exact concentration of the potato cells where there is not net gain. This investigation was succesful but could still be made more accurate by some of the above ways.
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