Animal Use in Medical Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Animal Use in Medical Research - Essay Example However, the use of animals in medical research has long been a bitter debate. On one hand, use of animals is considered unethical for the benefit of the human. In contrast, if the use of animals is curbed altogether, it would lead to disruption of the understanding of health diseases, which would influence the newly developed medical treatments. This essay presents two different perspectives of medical researchers and ethics related to the use of animals on whether the animals should be used in the medical research or not. Finally, the essay ends with favoring the perspective which is most convincing. The perspective of Medical Researchers Use of animals in the medical research plays a vital role in the advancement of the medical sector. Since ages, man has been depending on animals for his survival. All over the world, people are leading a better quality of life due to the development of new medical treatments and medicines. This is made possible only by the research on animals. Me dical research includes acquirement of new knowledge and using animals for testing chemicals and compounds for ensuring safety and guarantee. According to them, no new medicine or drug can be introduced in the market or to the patients, until and unless it is tested on an animal. The new drug, medicine or treatment all over the world is confirmed effective on the basis of the tests done on animals. The techniques of transplantation of organ and open heart surgery are being supported by the surgery on animals.

Marijuana Should Not Be Outlawed Essay Example for Free

Marijuana Should Not Be Outlawed Essay Human laws are based on moral and ethical principles. This applies to almost all existing laws aside from the drug laws. Because of this aspect of the drug laws, much clamor is present as many groups are calling for the legalization of drugs like marijuana. Marijuana and other illegal drugs are not evil but it has gained a negative connotation because of numerous misinterpretations. The prohibition of drugs has also brought about negative effects instead of positive effects. In analysis, legalization may even prove to have more benefits. According to Benson Roe, the professor emeritus and chairman of the Cardiothoracic surgery at the University of California, there is no reason why marijuana, cocaine and heroine would be called poison as these substances have not been proven to have any ill effects on the health of a person. Roe narrated an incident when he was removing destroyed heart valves from a drug user and he got curious and consulted the San Francisco coroner to what extent do illegal drugs cause death. Roe was surprised to find out that the only causes of death coming from drugs come from the very rare cases of overdose and the use of infected intravenous injections. According to the coroner, â€Å"clean, reasonable dosages of heroin, cocaine and marijuana are pathologically harmless† (Roe). It is argued that marijuana causes psychological damage but the truth is no scientific evidence has traced mental illness or psychological damage to the use of marijuana. Marijuana users have been found to exhibit psychological distress after intake of the drug. However, it has been proven that these effects are temporary and will pass away after some time. It has also been argued that the harms brought about by marijuana have been scientifically proven but the Lancet, a British Medical Journal, concluded that based on 30 years worth of research, smoking marijuana is not harmful to health even if it is used in the long-term. Likewise, marijuana use has also been related to brain damage. This was thought to be proven in an earlier study when rhesus monkeys were exposed to marijuana smoke, however, a more reliable study wherein monkeys who were forced to inhale a significant amount of marijuana smoke manifested no brain damage. Anti-drug advocates also argue that marijuana has addictive properties even as evidence points to the direction that marijuana is not addictive. Less than one percent of marijuana smokers smoke marijuana on a daily basis. Majority of the people who smoke marijuana only smoke it occasionally. Some people who wish to stop smoking marijuana have no trouble breaking the habit. Even if a person experiences symptoms from marijuana withdrawal, these are usually mild symptoms (Drug Policy). There is also no reason to classify marijuana as illegal when other substances that have proven to be more addictive and harmful to the health, such as tobacco and alcohol, remain legal. In 2005, the number of deaths that has been associated with marijuana in England and in Wales only totals 19 while tobacco has been associated with 86,500 deaths and alcohol with 6,627 deaths. The number of deaths caused by alcohol and tobacco do not compare to the number of deaths caused by marijuana. Even other drugs which have more notoriety still fall short as heroine and morphine account for only 842 deaths, while cocaine (including crack cocaine) is associated with only 176 deaths (Transform). The use of drugs like marijuana does not affect other people aside from the person ingesting the drug. Technically, a person who uses drugs does not violate the rights of any other person. If a person under the influence of drugs violates the rights of another person or commits a crime, this is the time when he/she should be prosecuted by law. Alcohol remains legal even as drunk people commit heinous and even brutal crimes. The substance is not an excuse for committing a crime and drinking alcohol is not a crime in itself but when a person commits a crime under the influence of alcohol, this is when he/she is prosecuted. The same should apply for the use of drugs (Cussen Block, p. 532). Drugs are not evil per se but it has gained a negative image because of negative propaganda. The media always make use of the phrase â€Å"drug-related† in the presence of a drug in a crime even as the drug has not been indicated as a direct cause of the crime. Usually, the crime is not motivated by the drug. It is usually motivated by another external factor. The media has inadvertently played a role in giving drugs a negative image. This practice has been so common that no one even looks to identify if a crime really is related to drugs (Jackson). The anti-drug lobby also makes use of vague and emotive statements to persuade the people to support their cause (Russell). Even politicians make use of these statements and call for tougher drug laws simply to forward their political careers (Jackson). People interpret these vague and emotive statements differently and this may be identified as a basic element of a black propaganda. In a book entitled Hugs not Drugs: A Drug Abuse Prevention Manual published in the Philippines, the author starts by narrating a story of a studious young girl who got mixed with the wrong set of friends who influenced her to use marijuana. As a result, the young girl dropped out from school and had relationships with men that took advantage of her low self-esteem. After realizing what had happened to her, she decided to undergo rehabilitation. And after a tearful reunion with her parents, she vowed to stay away from drugs. This story is very common and immediately suggests that marijuana caused all the negative things failing to look at other factors which might have caused the girl to behave the way that she did. Additionally, the book indicated that drug use has been directly related with juvenile and even violent crime. However, the book does not cite where the information was taken or what study linked drugs with crime. The book also does not have a clear reference page evidencing that it is not a reliable source. Many critics of drug also make use of violent and obscene images in an attempt to prove that drugs are harmful. Drug prohibition results in too many expenses for the government as the drug laws leads to the incarceration of many non-violent offenders. In 2002, it is estimated that prohibition expenses amounted to $18. 22 billion indicating that â€Å"incarceration is an expensive policy option† (Taylor, Trace Stevens, p. 3-4). Prohibition is not good, in fact, it is even the greatest ally of the drug dealers as drugs are priced very high because they are illegal and not regulated (Jackson, 1998). Legalization will even benefit the general public. Marijuana has been related to crime rate by anti-drug groups but all unbiased studies have pointed to the direction that marijuana does not cause people to do criminal acts. The only crime that marijuana users commit is that they possess the drug (Drug Policy). Additionally, legalization will come with regulation which will eliminate the already minimal number of deaths as a result of drug use. Also, crime rate will decrease because drug prices will be regulated and people would no longer need to resort to crime to be able to buy the drugs. It will also be another source of income for the government as the drug trade will be taxed and the costs of prohibition would be avoided (Roe). No scientific evidence has proven that marijuana is harmful to the health and it also has not been identified as a cause of crime. Because of this information, there is no reason to outlaw marijuana. Legalizing marijuana may even be the better option as it will be a source of income for the government, all the while avoiding the high costs of prohibition. It will also reduce crime rate as well as prevent the incarceration of people that are merely caught possessing drugs. The negative image that drugs have gained is mainly because of negative propaganda.

Chistopher Reeves Essay -- essays research papers

What it means to be a Superman Born on September 25, 1952, native New Yorker Christopher Reeve has lead a life of stardom, coupled with a life of tragedy. Leading a very successful film career, Reeves was on top of the world, until the fifth day of May of nineteen ninety-five. On this day, Reeves life would change forever. However, no tragedy could stop a true Superman. Attending Princeton day academy Reeves was a success from the beginning. His natural talent and charisma made him a shoe-in for the lead in many school plays. Says Reeves "I never once asked my self, who am I, or what am I doing here...right from the beginning the theater was like a home to me." At the age of 16, Reeves already had an agent. While touring the country, Chris decided to pursue a college education. And, thanks to an understanding agent was able to continue his work as a professional actor. "Scheduling gigs around my classes." By nineteen-seventy-six he was starring with Katherine Hepurn on Broadway, and had become in such demand that he gave up his last year at Julliard. After screen testing for the nineteen seventy-eight movie Superman, he was given the lead role as Clark Kent/Superman. Reeve was an outstanding Superman both on and off the screen. He made Clark Kent/Superman a believable character, says Reeves "somebody you can take home and introduce to your parents". This part was just like Reeve, A d...

Michael E. Porters Five Forces In Pepsi :: Business Strategy

  Ã‚  Ã‚   Introduction The model of the Five Competitive Forces was developed by Michael E. Porter in his book "Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors" in 1980. Since that time it has become an important tool for analyzing an organizations industry structure in strategic processes.    Porters model is based on the insight that a corporate strategy should meet the opportunities and threats in the organizations external environment. Especially, competitive strategy should base on and understanding of industry structures and the way they change. Porter has identified five competitive forces that shape every industry and every market. These forces determine the intensity of competition and hence the profitability and attractiveness of an industry. The objective of corporate strategy should be to modify these competitive forces in a way that improves the position of the organization. Porters model supports analysis of the driving forces in an industry. Based on the information derived from the Five Forces Analysis, management can decide how to influence or to exploit particular characteristics of their industry.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Five Competitive Forces The Five Competitive Forces are typically described as follows: 1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bargaining Power of Suppliers The term 'suppliers' comprises all sources for inputs that are needed in order to provide goods or services. Supplier bargaining power is likely to be high when:    ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The market is dominated by a few large suppliers rather than a fragmented source of supply,  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are no substitutes for the particular input,  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The suppliers customers are fragmented, so their bargaining power is low,  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The switching costs from one supplier to another are high,  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is the possibility of the supplier integrating forwards in order to obtain higher prices and margins. This threat is especially high when  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The buying industry has a higher profitability than the supplying industry,  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Forward integration provides economies of scale for the supplier,  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The buying industry hinders the supplying industry in their development (e.g. reluctance to accept new releases of products),  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The buying industry has low barriers to entry. In such situations, the buying industry often faces a high pressure on margins from their suppliers. The relationship to powerful suppliers can potentially reduce strategic options for the organization.   2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bargaining Power of Customers Similarly, the bargaining power of customers determines how much customers can impose pressure on margins and volumes. Customers bargaining power is likely to be high when  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They buy large volumes, there is a concentration of buyers,  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The supplying industry comprises a large number of small operators

Early Childhood Curriculum Essay

While being in this course I have learned about the different curriculums, philosophies and theories. In this paper I will be discussing how to develop an appropriate curriculum for preschool children. This paper will include the following topics: the theories and/or philosophies of Montessori; concepts learned throughout this course, how to apply them into an early childhood classroom focusing on the understanding components to design a curriculum for a preschool classroom based on ages 3 to 5 year old children. First let’s discuss the philosophies of  both Maria Montessori and Jean Piaget. Maria Montessori ideas and beliefs are embedded throughout every early childhood program and her influence on our thinking about curriculum has been profound. She was a tireless child advocate and believed that all children deserve a proper education. Montessori insisted that through proper early education, underprivileged and cognitively impaired children could be successful if they were given a chance to learn. She was one of the first to establish a preschool for poor and mentally retarded children in Rome; these preschools were called â€Å"Casa  dei Bambini†, which translated in English as â€Å"Children’s House. † Dr. Montessori proposed that children that are at risk and the notion that society had a moral responsibility to devote resources to early child intervention. Our textbook states that. â€Å"Montessori embraced and expanded Froebel’s kindergarten concept; she felt that children were natural learners and should drive much of their own learning. She asserted that children should be grouped in multiage (2 ? to 5 years) classes to allow flexibility and opportunities for peer mentoring. Montessori developed an  extensive set of â€Å"didactic† materials and lessons designed to be attractive to children and used by teachers to teach specific concepts and skills. She adapted furniture to child size as a gesture of respect for the unique needs of early learners† (Jaruszewicz, 2012). I agree with her philosophy and theory, because children do need the freedom to learn at their own pace and not to be pressured to do what they see other children do. It is also important the classroom learning environment to be attractive so that it will draw the children to be there and learn new and exciting things. In order to use the teaching method, the teachers must be trained to work with all children and understand that no one child develops the same as another. The other philosopher that I will discuss is Jean Piaget. A contemporary of both Montessori and Dewey, Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget proposed a theory of cognitive development that initiated a constructivist view of curriculum (Jaruszewicz, 2012). Piaget conducted several experiments with young children that proved that their mental concepts are learned through trial and error experiences. Young children will continue to do  things that they have been told not to do, until the consequence of their actions has been reached. For example, when a parent tells their child not to stack the building blocks up too high or they will fall on them which could lead to them being hurt; the child continues to do that the same thing over and over again to see if what their parent said is true. Once the child has seen the building blocks fall over on them is when they have learned that they don’t need to do that. His work confirmed early learning as distinct from other developmental periods, implying, therefore,  that materials and activities for young children should reflect the idiosyncratic way in which they think and process stimuli (Jaruszewicz, 2012). Piaget proposed that cognitive development occurs in four different stages, three of which occur during early childhood. In the sensorimotor stage, infants and toddlers process experience and begin to coordinate movement through sensory exploration. Preoperational thinking of preschoolers emerges spontaneously, as they are internally motivated to make sense of their environment by testing ideas and theories in play and  exploration with materials (Jaruszewicz, 2012). Piaget and Montessori are the main philosophies that stood out to me in this course the most. Next I will discuss the Core knowledge preschool sequence curriculum and the areas inside it. With strong focus on challenging, but appropriate content, the Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence and Teacher Handbook is unique among early childhood programs. It outlines a cumulative and coherent progression of knowledge and skills in all developmental areas and integrates developmentally appropriate practices for both content and instruction. Using the core knowledge curriculum helps with creating appropriate activities that prepare the preschool age children to learn. Children are always ready to learn; as long as the teacher understands that, each child will be eager to learn in new and exciting ways. It is important for teachers to make sure that the information that they wish to teach the children in the classroom is appropriate and fun. The Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence Curriculum focuses on five different areas: Social Skills, Early Literacy skills in reading and writing, Mathematics, Science and Visual Arts. It is important for children to learn how to interact with other children their age early in their lives to develop their social skills. One of the many things I love about Montessori is that Montessori teachers see the ‘whole’ child-developmentally, academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. There is a myth out there that says simply placing children in the same room and having them do activities helps them develop social skills. I disagree. Developing social skills needs to be a value in the classroom as well as modeled by the teachers/adults who are around  the children. Using manners, demonstrating what Montessori called ‘Grace and Courtesy’ and always being respectful of the child are key ingredients to helping a child develop social skills. There are several ways to help expand children’s social skills. The activity that would be used to develop social skills would be to have the children sit in a circle on the floor, pass an object around each child to take turns telling the class something about them. Whether it is there name, favorite color, parents name, how many sibling they may have, etc. When are playing together in  the classroom they learn to take turns, shared things and playing with others in general helps them develop social skills. The development of language in early childhood classrooms is an umbrella for the Montessori curriculum. The teachers and parents consider activities on the shelves of the Language area as the heart of actual language learning. The techniques used in a Montessori classroom are different when it comes to teaching language and literacy. Teachers, parents, and administrators need to recognize communication as the foundation for the meaningful  development of language concepts and skills. Effective communication depends on authentic relationships between communicative partners. Teachers have the responsibility (actually, the opportunity) to develop and expand learning relationships with young children. This is truly the ultimate opportunity to make a difference. Seen in this light, conversations with young children on the playground, during field trips, on the way to the bathroom, in the midst of conflict resolution, during lessons, and countless other times create the context for the development of language skills. Relationships of trust are built between children and teachers and among peers. Classroom work further contributes to language concept and skill development within this context of meaningful communication. It is important to talk children especially infants constantly, so they can develop a strong sense of vocabulary. Children catch on to everything that they may hear. So it is definitely important to be cautious what language you use around children. Printed materials and images are strongly important in an early childhood classroom. These materials make the classroom attractive to  children as well as make them want to learn about what those images and books mean. Phonemic awareness is part of a balanced literacy program, and can be developed in several ways during shared reading and shared writing. Shared reading and shared writing typically occur during the language arts time block, but may also occur during content-area learning. On to my favorite subject any grade level or age is mathematics. In an early childhood classroom, teaching young children mathematics somewhat easy and in some cases not so much. Getting children ages three to four year olds to learn their numbers and one to one  correspondence can be a challenge, but it requires patience to teach the children the meaning of number awareness. Provide children with authentic, hands-on learning experiences-DO NOT USE WORKSHEETS. In preschool you should play to the children’s natural curiosities and look to your student’s interest to guide lesson planning. You are setting up children for a lifetime of learning and you should create excitement around what you. Also, the more hands on the activity is, the more learning styles you are engaging, and the more the child enjoys it the more they will  learn and retain! Create activities that children are actively involved in learning something new, such as how to count and recognize numbers. Numbers are not the only thing that children can learn that is related to mathematics. Shapes are how to perceive and recognize them are important as well. Teaching children about shapes and how many sides each one has involves numbers as well. Mathematics and Language go together because you are using vocabulary words to decide the shapes, numbers, etc. In conclusion, this paper touched on some important factors to help develop a  developmentally appropriate curriculum for preschool/pre-K age children. It is important to provide activities for young children and make sure the environment is a positive, warm and inviting one that children will want to come to school and learn new things. In this paper I discussed the standards for each core knowledge area to develop an appropriate curriculum for young children. References Jaruszewicz, C. (2012). Curriculum and Methods for Early Childhood Educators. In C. Jaruszewicz, Curriculum and Methods for Early Childhood Educators. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education.

Lean Operations Design Homework

Lean Operations Design Homework Introduction Lean operation refers to practices that are aimed at achieving manufacturing processes with minimum waste. This paper seeks to discuss aspects of manufacturing processes. The paper will explore definitions of terms that are used in manufacturing processes. It will also explain lean wastes in a manufacturing set up.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Lean Operations Design Homework specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Definitions Cycle time Cycle time is the duration of time needed to complete a production process. Raw materials are processed into finished products within the period. Cycle time begins when production process starts with raw materials until the time when the necessary production activities are completed (Curry and Feldman, 2010). Throughput Throughput is the measure of the rate of production of a process. It measures the quantity of raw materials that are utilized in a production process per unit duration of time. Denis and Shock define throughput as the mean rate of outcome from a process (Denis and Shock, 2007). Throughput time Throughput time is a total time that is taken to complete a production process. The period begins from the first step of a production process up to the process’ last step. Throughput time in a manufacturing industry is, for instance, defined as the duration of time that starts at the beginning of a production process until the time that the desired finished product is obtained (Reijers, 2003). Work in progress Work in progress refers to the value of raw materials that have been put in a production process but have not yet been completed. Example of work in progress in a manufacturing industry is the set of materials that are meant to be used in the production of commodities, but which are still under the manufacturing process (Dudbridge, 2011). Job shop A job shop is a production facility or a set of machines, which can only execute one activity at a time, but can be reused after every single operation. It defines a collection of facilities which functionalities are renewable (Lee and Choi, 2010). Possible seven lean wastes in Kentucky Fried Chicken domain The main aim of lean production processes is to minimize wastes that could be incurred during production processes. Possible lean wastes in a manufacturing industry include â€Å"overproduction, inventory, transport, processing, idle time, operation motion, and bad quality† (Dudbridge, 2011, n.p.).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Overproduction, which is defined as excess output of finished products, is a waste because it induces turbulence in a supply chain’s production flow. Further, overproduction means that resources that could have been used in other activities are tied up in stock that is not immediately useful to an or ganization. Transportation, which is defined as the process of moving inventory from one location to another, is also a waste because it causes expenditure, but does not add value to the production process. Operator motion, a process that involves movement of personnel from one manufacturing location to another, in cases where processes are executed at different locations, is also a significant waste. This is because the time and resources that are used in operator motions could be utilized in adding value to the production process (Dudbridge, 2011). Inventory, which is a derivative of overproduction, is another waste in production processes. Like overproduction, inventory holds up resources and disrupts flow of production processes. While bad quality leads to poor sales, costly processing methods reduce availability of resources and idle time delays production processes (Dudbridge, 2011). One of the possible lean wastes that Kentucky could face is overproduction. This could lead to held up resources and losses due to expired stock. The organization can avoid the waste through market research on demand trends. Transportation of resources such as raw materials is another possible waste for the company. This can be avoided by establishing the company’s own poultry firm within or around its premises. Large inventory due to over production can also be avoided by monitoring market trends together with application of sales promotions. Idle time and poor quality are other wastes that the company could face and can be avoided by ensuring proper operations management (Dudbridge, 2011). References Curry, G., and Feldman, R. (2010). Manufacturing Systems Modeling and Analysis. New York, NY: SpringerAdvertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Lean Operations Design Homework specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Denis, P., and Shock, J. (2007). Lean production simplified: a plain language guide to the worlds m ost powerful production system. New York, NY: Productivity Press Dudbridge, M. (2011). Handbook of Lean Manufacturing in the Food Industry. Oxford, UK: John Wiley Sons Lee, S., and Choi, B. (2010). Frontiers of Assembly and Manufacturing: Selected Papers from ISAM09. Barcelona, Spain: Springer Reijers, H. (2003). Design and control of workflow processes: business process management for the service industry. New York, NY: Springer

Free Essays on Superconductivity

Superconductivity INTRODUCTION We've all heard about superconductivity. But, do we all know what it is? How it works and what are its uses? To start talking about superconductivity, we must try to understand the how "normal" conductivity works. This will make it much easier to understand how the "super" part functions. In the following paragraphs, I will explain how superconductivity works, some of the current problems and some examples of its uses. CONDUCTIVITY Conductivity is the ability of a substance to carry electricity. Some substances like copper, aluminium, silver and gold do it very well. They are called conductors. Others conduct electricity partially and they are called semi-conductors. The concept of electric transmission is very simple to understand. The wire that conducts the electric current is made of atoms which have equal numbers of protons and electrons making the atoms electrically neutral. If this balance is disturbed by gain or loss of electrons, the atoms will become electrically charged and are called ions. Electrons occupy energy states. Each level requires a certain amount of energy. For an electron to move to a higher level, it will require the right amount of energy. Electrons can move between different levels and between different materials but to do that, they require the right amount of energy and an "empty" slot in the band they enter. The metallic conductors have a lot of these slots and this is where the free electrons will head when voltage (energy) is applied. A simpler way to look at this is to think of atoms aligned in a straight line (wire). if we add an electron to the first atom of the line, that atom would have an excess of electrons so it releases an other electron which will go to the second atom and the process repeats again and again until an electron pops out from the end of the wire. We can then say that conduction of an electrical current is simp... Free Essays on Superconductivity Free Essays on Superconductivity Superconductivity INTRODUCTION We've all heard about superconductivity. But, do we all know what it is? How it works and what are its uses? To start talking about superconductivity, we must try to understand the how "normal" conductivity works. This will make it much easier to understand how the "super" part functions. In the following paragraphs, I will explain how superconductivity works, some of the current problems and some examples of its uses. CONDUCTIVITY Conductivity is the ability of a substance to carry electricity. Some substances like copper, aluminium, silver and gold do it very well. They are called conductors. Others conduct electricity partially and they are called semi-conductors. The concept of electric transmission is very simple to understand. The wire that conducts the electric current is made of atoms which have equal numbers of protons and electrons making the atoms electrically neutral. If this balance is disturbed by gain or loss of electrons, the atoms will become electrically charged and are called ions. Electrons occupy energy states. Each level requires a certain amount of energy. For an electron to move to a higher level, it will require the right amount of energy. Electrons can move between different levels and between different materials but to do that, they require the right amount of energy and an "empty" slot in the band they enter. The metallic conductors have a lot of these slots and this is where the free electrons will head when voltage (energy) is applied. A simpler way to look at this is to think of atoms aligned in a straight line (wire). if we add an electron to the first atom of the line, that atom would have an excess of electrons so it releases an other electron which will go to the second atom and the process repeats again and again until an electron pops out from the end of the wire. We can then say that conduction of an electrical current is simp...

The Ultimate AP Psychology Review Guide 5-Step Prep Plan

The Ultimate AP Psychology Review Guide 5-Step Prep Plan SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Preparing for the AP Psychology exam shouldn't cause you to lose your sanity (pun intended). Some of the material is challenging, but overall it's not that scary compared to other AP tests. If you stay focused during your studying and are familiar with the format of the test, you'll have a good chance of acing it! In this article, I'll provide specific details on the structure and content of the exam and tell you how you can make the best use your AP Psychology review time to end up with a great score. What’s the AP Psychology Exam Like? The AP Psychology exam is one of the shorter AP tests, clocking in at just two hours total. You’ll have an hour and ten minutes to complete 100 multiple-choice questions and the remaining 50 minutes to complete two open response questions. Overall, I’d say it’s one of the easiest AP tests based on its length and the complexity of its content. Since you only have 70 minutes for 100 multiple choice questions, you’ll need to make sure you’re keeping track of time. It’s important to move relatively quickly because you have less than a minute for each question! Try not to spend more than 30 seconds on a question; you can always come back to the question later. There is no guessing penalty on multiple choice (as for all AP exams now) so incorrect answers won’t hurt you any more than leaving questions blank. The open response questions shouldn’t give you much trouble in terms of time. There are only two of them (much fewer than most other AP tests), and they’re usually very straightforward. In many cases, they will just ask you to explain how terms you’ve learned in AP Psychology relate to a specific situation. You’ll also need some knowledge of the scientific method for certain open response questions that ask about the methodology of a psychological study. I'll give you examples of AP Psychology multiple-choice and free response questions in the next section. No penalties for incorrect answers! Finally, the College Board can lay off all those referees and free up some room in the budget. What’s on the AP Psychology Exam? Here’s an example of a multiple choice question you might see on the test: This question is kind of wordy, and it may seem like you need to know a lot to figure it out, but you could actually get the answer without much psychology knowledge at all (though it’s less confusing with some background information). The baby monkeys preferred the soft cloth surrogate mother over the wire surrogate with food, indicating that the comfort of the cloth was more important to them than the food when they were scared. The answer is B! Most multiple choice questions will involve either simple logic, like this one, or basic memorization of the content in the course. Here’s an example of an open response question that was on the 2015 exam: Here, it’s easy to see how the points for the question are earned. The seven bullet points correspond to the seven possible points you can get from answering the question. This question is dependent on a comprehensive knowledge of specific terms and concepts from the AP Psychology curriculum. The College Board provides a breakdown of the different topics on the AP Psychology exam by percentage of questions. Here are the topics you’ll see on the exam (from most to least common): Topic Percentage of Questions Research Methods 8-10 Biological Bases of Behavior 8-10 Social Psychology 8-10 Cognition 8-10 Learning 7-9 Developmental Psychology 7-9 Abnormal Psychology 7-9 Sensation and Perception 6-8 Motivation and Emotion 6-8 Personality 5-7 Testing and Individual Differences 5-7 Treatment of Psychological Disorders 5-7 States of Consciousness 2-4 History and Approaches 2-4 This might inform how much of your AP Psychology review time you spend studying each topic, but it’s probably more important to pay attention to where you struggle the most on an individual level. For example, if you know all there is to know about Research Methods but don’t remember much about Treatment of Psychological Disorders, you should spend more time reviewing the second topic even though it relates to fewer questions. In the next section, I’ll give more specific guidance on how to review for the exam. Preliminary AP Psychology Study Tips Here are some tips to keep in mind before you start your AP Psychology exam review! They'll help you stay on the right track and make the most of your time. Tip 1: Plan Out Your Time How much time do you have before the test? You'll need to take this into account when formulating your study plan. Think about how much time you can afford to spend studying for AP Psychology while considering the amount of other schoolwork you have. For example, if you think you have about 10 hours to study, your plan might look something like this: Take and score a practice test (2.5 hours) Go over your mistakes (1 hour) Review weak content areas and update test-taking strategies (2 hours) Take and score another practice test (2.5 hours) Final review (2 hours) If you have longer, you might be able to go more in-depth with your mistakes on the second practice test and even take a third or fourth test. Overall, your time should be split relatively evenly between taking practice tests and reviewing the material. Your plan could change depending on your initial scores and how much you’re looking to improve. I would say that you don't need to spend more than 20 hours total studying for AP Psychology. The amount of material isn't overwhelming, and it's not an especially difficult test. I’ll get more specific on how to use practice tests effectively in the next section. Tip 2: Choose Review Materials Wisely You’ll need reliable review materials to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your study sessions. I’d recommend buying a review book (5 Steps to a 5 and Cracking the AP Psychology Exam are the ones I like best). Review books cover just the information that you’ll need for the exam, so they’re going to be less overwhelming to study than your textbook or notes from class. That being said, don’t totally ignore the resources you’ve accumulated in your AP Psychology class. Your notes might include unique methods for remembering concepts and terms which can be useful as an alternative to the information in a review book. Your textbook could be useful as well because it might have diagrams that are better than the ones in review books. I think it’s just nice to have a review book as a backup so that you stay focused on your studying and don’t spend time on topics that are less relevant for the exam. This wise owl says "hoo hooo hoooooo," which translates to "Choose your review materials wisely like I would!" Either that or "They're coming. Tonight." Tip 3: Focus on Memorizing Terms The AP Psychology exam is centered around psychological terms and theories. Some of these can be confusing and hard to tell apart (or not what they sound like intuitively). It's really important to have a solid grasp on all the terms that you learned in the course for both multiple choice and free response questions. Free response questions will often ask you to relate an obscure psychology term to a certain hypothetical scenario, and it's impossible to get points if you aren't completely confident about the meaning of the term. Flashcards are helpful for this type of memorization. If you have time, you can make flashcards for all the important terms in the class or even just a few terms that always trip you up. These can be physical flashcards, or if that's too old-fashioned, you can use Quizlet to study virtual flashcards (in this case you won't even need to make your own; there are already a ton of user-created study sets). I find that writing down the definitions of terms yourself will drill their meanings into your brain more effectively, so I prefer making my own cards, but you can do whatever works best for your schedule and learning style. To put a fun spin on studying and ensure that you never forget terms, you can send flashcards that describe psychological disorders to people who seem to have them based on your expert diagnosis. They'll be sure to thank you later (disclaimer: if you do this you are probably a sociopath). Tip 4: Go Over Testing Strategies Before you take a practice test, you should be aware of the testing pitfalls that may impact your score. Don't sacrifice points on practice tests (or the real test!) due to factors unrelated to your knowledge of the material. Here are some strategies for different types of test questions: Multiple Choice Questions As I mentioned earlier in this article, the exam doesn’t give you a ton of time for each multiple choice question. If you have a tendency to get stuck on difficult questions, you’ll need to keep this in mind during the AP Psychology test. Try to avoid spending more than 30 seconds on each question, and don't worry too much about skipping a few. It's possible to get a 5 on the test even if you miss 20-30 multiple choice questions. I'm not advocating skipping questions at random, but you should know that it's not the end of the world if you can't answer every single one. It’s also important not to overthink multiple choice questions. The questions can sound and look complex, but most of the time they’re not overly difficult if you know the material. Underline the parts of the question that are most important so that you don’t get distracted or start to second-guess yourself. If one of the answers seems like it doesn’t make sense, eliminate it. Free Response Questions On free response questions, remember that this isn’t an English test! There’s no need to write an introduction and conclusion; go straight for the answer to the question. That being said, you should still write in complete sentences with correct grammar. Make it as easy as possible for the graders to find your answers and give you points. Underline verbs like â€Å"describe† or â€Å"define† in the question to keep yourself focused on the task at hand. If the free response question is something like the example I provided in the previous section, it can be easier to work backward by putting yourself in the position of one of the people in the hypothetical scenario. You might say, "if I was looking to purchase a new house, what thoughts would cross my mind and why?" After thinking this through a little bit, you could look at the first term and make a connection. The prefrontal cortex is involved in planning and decision-making, so it would be used extensively in the process of committing to the purchase of a new house. This is the only house that would be in my price range right now. Jim doesn't know how good he has it. Your AP Psychology Review Plan in Action Here’s a basic outline of the steps you should take once you’ve prepared your materials and made a rough study plan for AP Psychology. Step 1: Take and Score a Practice Test The first thing you should do is take an initial practice test to see how high you’re currently scoring. You can find practice tests for AP Psychology in review books and online. If you don’t have a review book, Googling â€Å"AP Psychology practice exam pdf† will yield many results. Use tests that were created as recently as possible (ideally within the last 5 years) to ensure that they are relatively similar to the test you’ll be taking. Here’s a conversion table that shows you how raw composite scores from practice tests translate to the AP scale: Composite Score AP Score 113-150 5 93-112 4 77-92 3 65-76 2 0-64 1 To calculate your composite score, add up the number of multiple choice questions you answered correctly. Then, consult the scoring rubric for the free response questions to calculate the number of points you would earn on each question. Convert the number of points you earned on the free response questions to a value out of 50 (for example, if you got 8 out of 15 points on the two free response questions, you would convert that to about 27 out of 50). Then, add the raw score numbers from the multiple choice and free response sections together. If you earned 75 points (75 questions correct) on the multiple choice section and 27 points on the free response section, your composite score would be a 102, making your official AP Score a 4. See this article for more information on calculating your score. Once you’ve scored your practice test, you can set a future score goal. This is pretty simple for AP tests because the score range is just 1-5. There’s no reason not to aim for a 5 on the test, especially in the case of the AP Psychology exam. Since it’s one of the less difficult AP tests, a 5 should be achievable for you if you put some effort into studying. If you’re scoring very low right now, you could think about aiming for a 3 or 4 and increasing your goal if you reach it before the test. Even if you’re already in the 5 range, you should still consider doing a bit of studying if you have time. It's important to feel as comfortable as possible on the real test! You want the AP Psychology test to be like an old friend that you still pretend to like out of pity. Step 2: Analyze Your Mistakes Look at the questions you got wrong or had to guess on, and try to figure out why you struggled. Did you forget a term or concept? Were you not sure what the question was asking? Did you make a careless error? Did you run out of time? Which of these issues was most prevalent? Did you notice a certain type of question that you tended to get wrong? Record your findings on the nature of your mistakes so that you can correct them in your studying. This guide will help you with reviewing your mistakes (I know it’s for SAT/ACT practice tests, but the same principles apply here). Step 3: Review Weak Content Areas If you made a lot of mistakes related to content or question misunderstandings, you should try to figure out which areas caused you the most trouble. Then, you can consult your notes or a review book to brush up on terms and concepts that you’ve forgotten. AP Psychology involves quite a bit of memorization, so there’s bound to be at least a few areas where you weren’t sure of the meaning of a term or couldn’t remember what a specific psychologist did. Stay focused on your weak areas, and pay special attention to weak areas that are also big parts of the exam. For example, if questions about cognition give you trouble, but you also struggle with the history and approaches category, put more effort into studying cognition. A knowledge deficit in this area will cost you more points in the end. Make sure you fix any weak links in your psychology knowledge chain before the exam. Step 4: Revise Your Test-Taking Strategies If your mistakes fell heavily on the side of time issues and careless errors, you should think more about how you can change your approach to the test. Remember to avoid getting stuck on difficult questions if you’re running out of time. Consider slowing down a bit and reading questions more carefully if you suffer from careless errors. Step 5: Rinse and Repeat! After you’ve revised your strategies and brushed up on your content knowledge, you should take another practice test to assess your progress. Then, you can go through the review process again and take steps to improve further. You can do this as many times as it takes for you to feel comfortable with the test and reach your score goal. Conclusion When reviewing for the AP Psychology exam, it's important to pay attention to the format of the test so that you know what to expect. You should also devote special attention to topic areas that are the most difficult for you. Both strong content knowledge and smart testing strategies are important if you want to earn a high score. Practice tests are the most valuable tools in your arsenal for checking on your progress as you review the material. Keep revising your strategies and closing any gaps in your content knowledge until you get to a score that makes you happy! What's Next? Want to learn more about specific AP Psychology topics? Start with our discussion of Stockholm Syndrome here. What does a good score on the AP Psychology mean for you in college? Learn more about how AP credit works at colleges. AP tests and SAT subject tests can both be important components of your college application. Find out the difference between the two and which type of test is more important. Are you taking AP US History along with AP Psychology? Read this article for some helpful AP US History study resources. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Linking up with Talent at Osram Sylvania Case Study

Linking up with Talent at Osram Sylvania - Case Study Example 2. Social Networking Sites for Recruitment Recruitment by means of social networking sites is the latest trend in the professional employment procedure. There are many advantages related to this approach, especially in the instances when the employment has to be done from abroad. Rather than contacting the recruitment companies in those far-off regions, the online communities of interest that have a majority of members from the respective region can be joined and observed silently, for example, supply chain management communities can be joined that have been founded by Indians and have most members belonging to the South Asian land. Sial (2009) stated that the employers can act as silent observers in the prevailing discussions on the platform and identify the individuals that seem to have good experience in the field. Blogging also gives the employer an opportunity to evaluate the individual’s caliber. However, it is advisable to stick to the professional social networking sit es like LinkedIn that are focused on the professional aspects of the individuals. It proves to be a good medium for hiring competent professionals since some are not proactive in the job market and hence do not post their CVs at the job hunting sites.

Organizational Change, Values and Leadership Research Paper

Organizational Change, Values and Leadership - Research Paper Example Organizational change is often necessary to improve the performance of an organization or part of the organization (McNamara, n.d). Organizational values are acceptable beliefs, principles, and practices that govern behavior and actions of employees in an organization (The Teal Trust, n.d; Sources of Insight, 2007). On the hand, leadership is a scenario in which one individual exercises influence over the roles and operations of other individuals with the aim of achieving a common goal (Northouse, 2009). A strong connection exists between organizational change, values, and leadership. Vision and leadership are essential for successful change while change should be considered a core organizational value (Durant, 1999). Current Organizational Issues Organizations face certain issues that may pose challenges to their operations. Change is one of the current issues encountered in organizations. In the event that these organizational changes are encountered, there is need for the companie s to strive to adapt their employees to the new organizational requirements. A change in the organization’s policy, vision, or mission may cause certain challenges to the employees, who in turn must be ready to execute the changes. An organizational change may often lead to a difference in opinions among the employees of the organization. ... Similarly, effective leadership is an essential management tool in enhancing organizational effectiveness. The managers mobilize others to get things done in an organization. They need to acquire skills for peoples’ management through effective training. Literature Review The management of organizations is charged with the responsibility of detecting and responding to these changes accordingly and in good time. The changes affect the organizational objectives as well as the way employees deal with each other (Mowat, 2002). Addressing the issue of change is one of the difficult and yet most important tasks of the managers of an organization (Stichler, 2011). Management of change requires an earlier mitigation of the possible change patterns that are likely to be encountered. These changes can be caused by company growth, diversification leading to introduction of new products, acquisition of modern technology, or entry into new market (Sadler, 1998). It has also been noted that the real task in the management of change is not developing a new idea; the task lies in the implementation of change (Fishman, 1997). The managers have to ensure that the employees adapt to the observed changes and the new strategies to be adopted. Stichler (2011) further asserts that the greatest failure in the management of an organization is to avoid addressing the issues of organizational change with the assumptions that the employees will adapt willingly to the changes. The people constitute the organization and thus change often begins among the people (Brown & Gray, 1995). Values are fundamental beliefs upon which the strength of an organization is built (Business Improvement Architects, 2012). Individuals in

Hegelian Idealism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hegelian Idealism - Essay Example "the atoms that make a man are just atoms by themselves, with no inherent value. It is the whole that must be evaluated. 'Isolated moments' may be recorded accurately but these moments mean nothing without context." "This is the meaning of reality for Hegel that reality is the whole truth, grasped by our rational concepts. Reality is the absolute truth, it is the totality and synthesis of all partial and limited truth. Reality properly understood is the totality of truth of absolute mind. This breathtaking vision of absolute total reality is linked to the method by which it is known. This is the famous method of dialectic" So the 'whole' is sovereign over the 'parts'. Through some self-reflection and through living socially we find that views are one-sided, slanted and so on capable of improvement. This produces an opposite. This is similar to Jungian Psychology which emphasizes the overcoming of opposites with a 'transcendent third'.1 In Hegelian terms Note that in Jungian Psychology there is also similarity with Hegelian philosophy in that Jungian Psychology emphasizes the evolution of consciousness, whereby the individual desires conscious growth and unconscious participation but that the slant is towards the former in general. (see for example, the Jungian thinker, Eric Neumann's 'The origins and History of Consciousness' (1954) this is usually phrased thesis-antithesis-synthesis. The new point (the transcendent third) is the one which synthesizes "the two opposing philosophies into a more complete truth." (Lavine, 1985, p214) Note that Lavine said 'opposing philosophies'. Hegel emphasizes the collective over the individual. Indeed the individual needs a contributing idea to give his or her life meaning through contributing to the whole. It is a very history based system in that it assumes that each historical generation learns from and improves the previous generations philosophy hence is coming closer to absolute truth.2 EXISTENTIALISM Existentialism was around before the post-world war 2 period but it was in this aftermath of devastation that it reached its height in influence. This is mainly true when we look at French existentialism. Paul Sartre was the first to use the term 'existentialism'3 and other French philosophers such as Gabriel Marcel, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Simone de Beauvoir, and Albert Camus have all also been regarded as existentialists.4 Existentialists are critical about scientism which they see as the dominant hegemonic culture that is indifferent or hostile to healthier and more meaningful worldviews. Existentialists tend to think that scientism creates a culture slanted towards meaninglessness and whereby therefore a whole host of negative substitutes to meaning will be lived-out instead such as addictions and obsessions

Foreign Investment in Farmland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Foreign Investment in Farmland - Essay Example The interrelated problems of over-industrialization, decades of poor land use policies, a rising population, scarcity of resources like water, and the skyrocketing prices of food have made governments in the developed parts of the world realise that they cannot feed their peoples with oil and asphalt, and therefore should seek out alternatives. Experts agree that something big is taking place and that there are risks involved to small-holder farmers. These fears revolved mainly but not exclusively around the themes of food insecurity and peasant dispossession. The disagreement is how to read the issue and what solutions are necessary in order to address the dangers. For organizations such as the World Bank, these are birth pains of a new but promising phenomenon, and whatever risks are taking place can be solved by corporate responsibility and efficient governance of land. This means making sure that there is no corruption, that small-holder farmers get to see the contracts to lease their land, that farmers are given titles so that they can transact freely and equally. The World Bank’s opinion on this matter is laid down in its recent publication, Rising Global Interest in Farmland: Can It Yield Sustainable and Equitable Benefits by the World Bank (2010). For another group of experts, however, the phenomenon is something that must be resisted and that it indicates a new form of colonialism. They think that because the corporation wanting to take lands from the developing world are only after profit, it will result in farmers being displaced and dispossessed, and no more lands in the developing world to produce food. The World Bank report, dotted with case studies demonstrating the difficulties of rural peoples as a result of the rising phenomenon of transnational corporations and rich countries taking over their lands, states that the risks attaching to land grabbing actually â€Å"correspond to equally large opportunities† (page xxi) as long as a ccess to technology, capital markets, infrastructure and information are granted. It contends that foreign investments have the potential to make positive contributions to rural livelihood and can support small-holder farmers.. It is supported by experts such as Liversage, who contends that â€Å"mutually beneficial partnerships between small-holder farmers and private sector investors† (2010: 2) give benefits to both. On the other hand, critics of land grabbing have also stated their case. We turn to an article entitled From Threat to Opportunity: Problems with the Idea of a â€Å"Code of Conduct† for Land Grabbing by Saturnino Borras and Jennifer Franco (2010: 1). Borras and Franco argue that global land grabbing is a threat in and of itself, and the institutionalization of corporate responsibility mechanisms only serves to legitimize existing capitalist interests at the expense of the rural poor in the global south. They make the call for a human rights-framed, cate gorically pro-poor land policy framework that questions current production and consumption patterns. This is similar to the Accumulation by Dispossession that David Harvey (2006: 112) speaks of – â€Å"the perpetual search for natural resources of high quality that can be pillaged for surplus and surplus value production has therefore been a key aspct to the historical geography of capitalism.†

2006 New York Housing Market Bubble Research Paper

2006 New York Housing Market Bubble - Research Paper Example Subsequently, the rapid increases lead to decreases in home values and mortgage debt charge that exceeds worth of property. Housing bubbles are usually identified after a market correction since house bubbles do not burst the way stock markets do. A housing bubble can occur when there is excess demand in housing with the supply that does not increase. There was a housing market bubble in New York that reached its climax in 2006. The housing bubble was attributed to rise in subprime lending, poor policies, poor taxation, emergence of new lenders, underwriters and mortgage brokers and credit raters. The housing bubble in New York took a period of ten years before it was realized. Because of the housing bubble in New York, the consumers, lenders and the entire economy were affected. The bubble was identified in New York by housing prices rising faster than the consumer prices, which was attributed to the increased demand for houses and a non-increasing supply side in housing (Frank, 200 9). Housing Market Bubble and New York City economy in 2006 During a housing boom, there is a substantial rise in real output as investment in houses and their related investments increases. There tends to be more jobs in the housing sector, and the investment gives out more economic output. Of course, the assets for extra housing activity have to be generated from somewhere, which means less activity for the other sectors of economy than it could have otherwise occurred. On bursting of a housing boom, new housing begins to fall, and the process is reversed. Another aspect of house pricing that affect the economy is that of household wealth effect and the related consumption. In times when house price increases, owners of houses for investments become wealthier and in the end increase their consumption spending since consumption is dependent on a person’s wealth. The wealthier an individual becomes, the more he has the willing power to consume and thus, the more he will consu me (Frank, 2009). The New York economy experienced changes due to the housing bubble. Before the market bubble came to be realized in the year 2006, the revenues related to real estates had increased tremendously, but with the housing market bubble, the revenues collected in the form of taxes from the real estates decreased drastically. The decrease in tax revenues could be attributed to the weaknesses in carrying out the housing transactions. There was a decrease in the growth of GDP since it grew at a lower level from the previous years. Private investments fell to 3.3% with a considerable increase in all sectors of private investments, but investments in inventories decreased significantly (Wiedemer, 2006). Consumer spending was highly affected by the housing bubble. As the mortgage interest rates rose, the consumption spending was decreased. However, since the interest rates rose slowly and the corresponding wealth effect was not random, the overall effect on the economy was not immediate, but took time before it could be noticed. An attempt to determine the value of houses rated NYC housing value as being 25% above the sustainable level. Usually, the reduced consumer spending may be because of the consumers not having trust in the housing investments, where they experienced a mix up of prices; price increases and price reductions. The consumers felt less wealthy after the bubble burst and they responded by cutting back spending (Wiedemer, 2006). During times of house bubbling, there were an increased number of brokers and underwriters, these made the real estate trade become easier with their role in shortening the transactions between purchasers and sellers of real

Foreign Investment in Farmland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Foreign Investment in Farmland - Essay Example The interrelated problems of over-industrialization, decades of poor land use policies, a rising population, scarcity of resources like water, and the skyrocketing prices of food have made governments in the developed parts of the world realise that they cannot feed their peoples with oil and asphalt, and therefore should seek out alternatives. Experts agree that something big is taking place and that there are risks involved to small-holder farmers. These fears revolved mainly but not exclusively around the themes of food insecurity and peasant dispossession. The disagreement is how to read the issue and what solutions are necessary in order to address the dangers. For organizations such as the World Bank, these are birth pains of a new but promising phenomenon, and whatever risks are taking place can be solved by corporate responsibility and efficient governance of land. This means making sure that there is no corruption, that small-holder farmers get to see the contracts to lease their land, that farmers are given titles so that they can transact freely and equally. The World Bank’s opinion on this matter is laid down in its recent publication, Rising Global Interest in Farmland: Can It Yield Sustainable and Equitable Benefits by the World Bank (2010). For another group of experts, however, the phenomenon is something that must be resisted and that it indicates a new form of colonialism. They think that because the corporation wanting to take lands from the developing world are only after profit, it will result in farmers being displaced and dispossessed, and no more lands in the developing world to produce food. The World Bank report, dotted with case studies demonstrating the difficulties of rural peoples as a result of the rising phenomenon of transnational corporations and rich countries taking over their lands, states that the risks attaching to land grabbing actually â€Å"correspond to equally large opportunities† (page xxi) as long as a ccess to technology, capital markets, infrastructure and information are granted. It contends that foreign investments have the potential to make positive contributions to rural livelihood and can support small-holder farmers.. It is supported by experts such as Liversage, who contends that â€Å"mutually beneficial partnerships between small-holder farmers and private sector investors† (2010: 2) give benefits to both. On the other hand, critics of land grabbing have also stated their case. We turn to an article entitled From Threat to Opportunity: Problems with the Idea of a â€Å"Code of Conduct† for Land Grabbing by Saturnino Borras and Jennifer Franco (2010: 1). Borras and Franco argue that global land grabbing is a threat in and of itself, and the institutionalization of corporate responsibility mechanisms only serves to legitimize existing capitalist interests at the expense of the rural poor in the global south. They make the call for a human rights-framed, cate gorically pro-poor land policy framework that questions current production and consumption patterns. This is similar to the Accumulation by Dispossession that David Harvey (2006: 112) speaks of – â€Å"the perpetual search for natural resources of high quality that can be pillaged for surplus and surplus value production has therefore been a key aspct to the historical geography of capitalism.†

The Balanced Scorecard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

The Balanced Scorecard - Essay Example This direction is centrally provided in four dimensions which include financial, customer, internal process and learning and growth perspectives. SASA is an International Holdings Limited retailing group providing cosmetics. It is incorporated in Hong Kong, now enjoys the position of leading cosmetic provider from Asia. The success of SASA like any other business is the reflection of the effective strategic management. For continuing the practice of effective strategic management, the underlying report develops the Balance Score Card for the SASA Company for the further organized and effective strategic management. Hence, the accounting manager of SASA presents BSC plan to the strategic management of the company. COMPANY REVIEW Established in 1978 in Hong Kong, SASA now owns over 600 brands with 17,000 products to fulfill the customer’s cosmetics needs. SASA now successfully serves customers on more than 270 counters including stores and other options. In additional, service t o customers is also provided on online platform. Euromonitor 2013 rated SASA the largest cosmetic chain among the top 500 retailers of Asia and among the top ten Hong Kong’s retailer groups (SASA, 2013a). ... Under this domain, Sa Sa has around 260 multi brand store and seven specific specialty store in addition to the online service. The brand Management section encompasses nearly 100 brands exclusive and is only brand manager in Hong Kong (SASA, 2013a). EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT Cosmetic industry in Hong Kong is dominated by the imports from foreign market including France (US $1.7 Bn 2012) and USA (US$ 425 Bn in 2012). Hence, market is dominated by the foreign market; therefore, offers attractive potential for growth for the brand management section of the Sa Sa. The forecasted growth for future of the mentioned import is 13 percent and 15 percent in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Nearly, 35 million tourists from China in 2012 landed and offered potential to the Hong Kong market of Cosmetics and offers wide expansion opportunity to the locals businesses and foreign brands. It is important to mention, that though the potential to growth is extensive as no import duties are charged; however, the market is very competitive and top ten cosmetic provided hold 70 percent of the market (Export. gov, 2013). MISSION The mission statement of SASA clearly identifies its way of doing business. Mission identifies clearly that business concerned to work in four dimensions that include customers, employees, suppliers and overall society (SASA, 2013b). Every strategy of SASA is directed by leveraging expertise and benefits to and from these four pillars of SASA. VISSION The vision of SASA is to develop expanded foot prints with retail value added cosmetics and professional beauty expert service provider in the global market with central focus in mainland in China (SASA, 2013b). INTERNAL STRENGTHS ASSESSMENT (SWOT) Sa Sa is well reputed brand of Hong Kong in cosmetics industry.

History of Cricket Essay Example for Free

History of Cricket Essay Origin No one knows when or where cricket began but there is a body of evidence, much of it circumstantial, that strongly suggests the game was devised during Saxon or Norman times by children living in the Weald. It is generally believed that cricket survived as a childrens game. Adult participation is unknown before the early 17th century. Possibly cricket was derived from bowls Derivation of the name of cricket A number of words are thought to be possible sources for the term cricket. In the earliest known reference to the sport in 1598 (see below), it is called creckett. The name may have been derived from the Middle Dutch krick(-e), meaning a stick; or the Old English cricc or cryce meaning a crutch or staff.[2] Another possible source is the Middle Dutch word krickstoel, meaning a long low stool used for kneeling in church and which resembled the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket. Early 17th century Gambling and press coverage Cricket certainly thrived after the Restoration in 1660 and is believed to have first attracted gamblers making large bets at this time. In 1664, the Cavalier Parliament passed the Gaming Act 1664 which limited stakes to  £100.With freedom of the press having been granted in 1696, cricket for the first time could be reported in the newspapers. During the first half of the 18th century, press reports tended to focus on the betting rather than on the play 18th-century cricket Patronage and players Gambling introduced the first patrons because some of the gamblers decided to strengthen their bets by forming their own teams and it is believed the first county teams were formed in the aftermath of the Restoration in 1660, especially as members of the nobility were employing local experts from village cricket as the earliest professionals.[5] Cricket moves out of England Cricket was introduced to North America via the English colonies in the 17th century,[4] probably before it had even reached the north of England. In the 18th century it arrived in other parts of the globe. It was introduced to the West Indies by colonists[4] and to India by British East India Company mariners in the first half of the century. It arrived in Australia almost as soon as colonization began in 1788. New Zealand and South Africa followed in the early years of the 19th century.[5] Development of the Laws In 1744, the Laws of Cricket were codified for the first time and then amended in 1774, when innovations such as lbw, middle stump and maximum bat width were added. These laws stated that the principals shall choose from amongst the gentlemen present two umpires who shall absolutely decide all disputes. Cricket and crisis Cricket faced its first real crisis during the 18th century when major matches virtually ceased during the Seven Years War. This was largely due to shortage of players and lack of investment. But the game survived.Cricket faced another major crisis at the beginning of the 19th century when a cessation of major matches occurred during the culminating period of the Napoleonic Wars. Again, the causes were shortage of players and lack of investment. But, as in the 1760s, the game survived and a slow recovery began in 1815. In the 1820s, cricket faced a major crisis of its own making as the campaign to allow roundarm bowling gathered pace. 19th-century cricket International cricket begins The first ever international cricket game was between the USA and Canada in 1844. In 1859, a team of leading English professionals set off to North America on the first-ever overseas tourIn 1877, an England touring team in Australia played two matches against full Australian XIs that are now regarded as the inaugural Test matches. South Africa became the third Test nation in 1889 20th-century cricket When the Imperial Cricket Conference (as it was originally called) was founded in 1909, only England, Australia and South Africa were members. India, West Indies and New Zealand became Test nations before the Second World War and Pakistan soon afterwards in the closing years of the 20th century, three affiliate nations became Test nations also: Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Limited-overs cricket In the 1960s, English county teams began playing a version of cricket with games of only one innings each and a maximum number of overs per innings. Starting in 1963 as a knockout competition only, limited overs grew in popularity and in 1969 a national league was created which consequently caused a reduction in the number of matches in the County Championship. The first limited overs international match took place at Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1971. It was tried simply as an experiment and to give the players some exercise, but turned out to be immensely popular. Limited overs internationals (LOIs or ODIs, after one-day Internationals) have since grown to become a massively popular form of the game The International Cricket Council reacted to this development by organising the first Cricket World Cup in England in 1975, with all the Test playing nations taking part. Increasing use of technology Innovative techniques that were originally introduced for coverage of LOI matches were soon adopted for Test coverage. The innovations included presentation of in-depth statistics and graphical analysis, placing miniature cameras in the stumps, multiple usage of cameras to provide shots from several locations around the ground, high speed photography and computer graphics technology enabling television viewers to study the course of a delivery and help them understand an umpires decision. In 1992, the use of a third umpire to adjudicate runout appeals with television replays was introduced in the Test series between South Africa and India. The third umpires duties have subsequently expanded to include decisions on other aspects of play such as stumpings, catches and boundaries 21st-century cricket Cricket remains a major world sport in terms of participants, spectators and media interest. The ICC has expanded its development programme with the goal of producing more national teams capable of competing at Test level. Development efforts are focused on African and Asian nations; and on the United States. In 2004, the ICC Intercontinental Cup brought first-class cricket to 12 nations, mostly for the first time. In June 2001, the ICC introduced a Test Championship Table and, in October 2002, a One-day International Championship Table. Australia has consistently topped both these tables in the 2000s. Crickets newest innovation is Twenty20, essentially an evening entertainment. It has so far enjoyed enormous popularity and has attracted large attendances at matches as well as good TV audience ratings. The inaugural ICC Twenty20 World Cup tournament was held in 2007 with a follow-up event in 2009. The formation of Twenty20 leagues in India – the unofficial Indian Cricket League, which started in 2007, and the official Indian Premier League, starting in 2008 – raised much speculation in the cricketing press about their effect on the future of cricket.[15][16][17][18] LAWS OF CRICKET Law 1: A cricket team consists of eleven players, including a captain. Law 2: a substitute may be brought on for an injured fielder but he can’t bat , bowl , act as captain or keep wicket Law 3: There are two umpires, who apply the Laws, make all necessary decisions, and relay the decisions to the scorers. In higher level cricket there is a third umpire Law 4:. There are two scorers who respond to the umpires signals and keep the score. Law 5: A cricket ball is between 8 13/16 and 9 inches (22.4 cm and 22.9 cm) in circumference, and weighs between 5.5 and 5.75 ouncesOnly one ball is used at a time, unless it is lost, when it is replaced with a ball of similar wear. Law 6: The bat. The bat is no more than 38 inches (97 cm) in length, and no more than 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) wide. The hand or glove holding the bat is considered part of the bat. the blade of the bat must be made of wood Law 7: . The pitch is a rectangular area of the ground 22 yards (20 m) long and 10 ft (3.0 m) wide. Law 8: . The wicket consists of three wooden stumps that are 28 inches (71 cm) tall. The stumps are placed along the batting crease with equal distances between each stump. They are positioned so they are 9 inches (23 cm) wide. Two wooden bails are placed on top of the stumps. The bails must not project more than 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) above the stumps, and must, for mens cricket, be 45⠁„16 inches (10.95 cm) long.. Law 9: Each bowling crease should be 8 feet 8 inches (2.64 m) in length, centred on the middle stump at each end. The popping crease, which determines whether a batsman is in his ground or not, and which is used in determining front-foot no balls (see law 24), is drawn at each end of the pitch in front of each of the two sets of stumps. The popping crease must be 4 feet (1.2 m) in front of and parallel to the bowling crease The return creases lie perpendicular to the popping crease and the bowling crease, 4 feet 4 inches. Law 10: the rules governing how pitches should be prepared, mown, rolled, and maintained. Law 11: The pitch must be covered before play to protect it from due and rain. Law 12: Before the game, the teams agree whether it is to be over one or two innings, and whether either or both innings are to be limited by time or by overs. Law 13: In a two innings match, if the side batting second scores substantially fewer runs than the side batting first, the side that batted first can force their opponents to bat again immediately. Law 14: The batting captain can declare an innings closed at any time when the ball is dead. He may also forfeit his innings before it has started. Law 15: There are intervals between each days play, a ten-minute interval between innings, and lunch, tea and drinks intervals. There are also provisions for moving the intervals and interval lengths in certain situations. Law 16: Play after an interval commences with the umpires call of Play, and at the end of a session by Time. Law 17: There may be no batting or bowling practice on the pitch except before the days play starts and after the days play has ended. Law 18:. Runs are scored when the two batsmen run to each others end of the pitch. Law 19:. If the ball is hit into or past this boundary, four runs are scored, or six runs if the ball didnt hit the ground before crossing the boundary. Law 20: If a ball in play is lost or cannot be recovered, the fielding side can call lost ball. The batting side keeps any penalty runs. Law 21: The side which scores the most runs wins the match. Law 22:. An over consists of six balls bowled, excluding wides and no balls. A bowler may not bowl two consecutive overs. Law 23:. The ball comes into play when the bowler begins his run up, and becomes dead when all the action from that ball is over. Once the ball is dead, no runs can be scored and no batsmen can be dismissed. Law 24: if the bowler bowls from the wrong place; or if he straightens his elbow during the delivery; or if the bowling is dangerous; or if the ball bounces more than twice or rolls along the ground before reaching the batsman; or if the fielders are standing in illegal places, a ball can be called no ball.. Law 25:. An umpire calls a ball wide if, in his or her opinion, the batsman did not have a reasonable opportunity to score off the ball. A ball is called wide when the bowler bowls a bouncer that goes over the head of the batsman Law 26:. If a ball passes the striker and runs are scored, they are called byes. If a ball that is not a no ball hits the strike r but not the bat and runs are scored, they are called leg-byes. Law 27: If the fielders believe a batsman is out, they may ask the umpire Hows That?, commonly shouted emphatically with arms raised, before the next ball is bowled. The fielding side must appeal for all dismissals. Law 28: Several methods of being out occur when the wicket is put down. Law 29: The batsmen can be run out or stumped if they are out of their ground. Law 30: A batsman is out if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler. Law 31: An incoming batsman must be ready to face a ball within 3 minutes of the outgoing batsman being dismissed, otherwise the incoming batsman will be out. Law 32: If a ball hits the bat or the and is then caught by the opposition within the field of play before the ball bounces, then the batsman is out. Law 33: If a batsman willfully handles the ball with a hand that is not touching the bat without the consent of the opposition, he is out. Law 34: If a batsman hits the ball twice, other than for the sole purpose of protecting his wicket or with the consent of the opposition, he is out. Law 35: If, after the bowler has entered his delivery stride and while the ball is in play, a Law 36: If the ball hits the batsman without first hitting the bat, but would have hit the wicket if the batsman was not there, and the ball does not pitch on the leg side of the wicket, the batsman will be out. Law 37: If a batsman willfully obstructs the opposition by word or action, he is out. Law 38: A batsman is out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing side. Law 39: A batsman is out when the wicket-keeper puts down the wicket, while the batsman is out of his crease and not attempting a run. Law 40: The keeper is a designated man from the bowling side allowed to stand behind the stumps of the batsman. He is the only player from his side allowed to wear gloves and external leg guards. Law 41: A fielder is any of the eleven cricketers from the bowling side.

The Hardy Weinberg Theorem In Genetics Biology Essay

The Hardy Weinberg Theorem In Genetics Biology Essay Introduction The Hardy Weinberg Theorem is a mathematical formula that allows allele and genotype frequencies in a population of diploid or polypoid individuals to be interrelated, where the frequency of one allele is represented as p, and the frequency of the other is represented as q (the sum of which = 1.0). The sum of the different genotype frequencies (homozygotes and heterozygotes) also equates to 1.0. Where p and q are the frequencies of the alleles for a particular gene in a population, the genotype frequency can be expressed as: p ² + 2pq + q ² = 1 Where p ² = frequency of organisms that are homozygous for the first allele q ² = frequency of organisms that are homozygous for the second allele 2pq = frequency of heterozygous organisms The Hardy Weinberg equilibrium stays constant as long as there is random mating, no migration, no natural selection, no mutation and no genetic drift (N=infinite), (Fig. 1). N = infinite Figure 1. A graph to show the Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium. Put together using data from: Lori Lawsons lecture 15, Neutral Evolution and Genetic Drift, 2010 Therefore the population does not evolve. If an allele or genotype frequency is seen to change from one generation to the next then it is clear that one or more of the micro-evolutionary forces (mutation, migration etc) are acting on those traits in the population. Without mutation there are no new alleles or genes and so no evolution. Mutation must occur in the germ line to be significant in evolutionary terms. J. B. S. Haldane (1892-1964) stated that the number of germ cell divisions per generation is higher in males; therefore the mutation rate will be higher in males. Gene flow (also called migration) brings new genotypes into populations and is critical for the long term survival of a population, especially if it is a small population. For migration to be Catherine Carrick 200884273 effective in respect to evolution there must be successful reproduction among migrating populations. It is the movement of alleles between populations, not individuals. Wrights Island model of migration (Fig. 2) shows that migration homogenizes populations (where they consist of similar elements uniform throughout). Genetic drift is another form of micro-evolution and leads to random changes in allele frequencies. It is fundamentally a result of finite population size and has the most rapid and dramatic effect on small populations who show reduced variability. Drift increases divergence between populations so genetic variation must be replenished. Mutation replenishes variation and at equilibrium there is a balance between the rate of mutation and the rate of drift. Figure 2.Wrights island model. Put together using data from: Lori Lawsons lecture 15, Neutral Evolution and Genetic Drift, 2010 Charles Darwin (1859) defined natural selection (another micro-evolutionary force) with his four postulates; 1) individuals within populations are variable, 2) there is heritability (variation among individuals partly passed on from parents), 3) that in every generation there are some individuals that are fitter (survival/reproductive success) than others and 4) fitness is not random. Natural selection is the equivalent of differential reproduction as a result of an organisms interaction with the environment and the populations inherent variation. It acts on heritable (not acquired) characteristics at an individual level and not for the good of the species. However, the consequences occur in populations. This is demonstrated by melanism in the peppered moth (Biston betularia). The causes of melanism in the peppered moth have been well studied since the 1950s and show natural selection at work. Camouflage is key to predator avoidance in the peppered moth and there are two distinct mor phs. One being white with black or brown specks (typica) and the other predominantly black (carbonaria). The former is well camouflaged on trees with lichen on their bark and the later; better suited to dark or blackened bark. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century, an increase of soot and industrial pollution coincided with the appearance of the carbonaria form. Original studies on the relation between B. betularias crypsis and lichens failed to consider two important details; firstly, that the natural resting place of the moths is high in the canopy during the day and not on the trunk as previously thought, and secondly, human vision was used to simulate a birds view of the moths originally, but avian species are sensitive to different wavelengths of light and so will have a different view of the moths and their respective camouflage to that of humans. Taking this into consideration, Majerus, Brunton and Stalker (2000) devised a more systematic experiment to examine the UV characteristics of Catherine Carrick 200884273 both moth morphs and some of the lichens they rested on as demonstrated by the images in Fig. 3. Figure 3. The typica and carbonaria forms of the peppered moth as they appear in normal visible light (a), and as they appear under UV light (b). Image taken from MAJERUS, BRUNTON STALKER, 2000 It was their conclusion that moth colour provides sufficient camouflage both in human-visible and UV- spectra to crutose lichens (as appose to different lichen flora originally hypothesised to be rested upon by black and peppered morphs). Ultimately, strong selection pressures gave way to relatively rapid the evolution of the carbonaria form in industrialised areas due to the advantages of its dark colour (predator avoidance etc). Methods and Results Assignment 1: Testing the Hardy-Weinberg Principle: Method Using PopGenLab, we are able to set up hypothetical experiments to observe the factors that influence the Hardy Weinberg equilibrium in a population. We can do this by manipulating different input parameters (genotype frequency, tree type, number of stands (groups of trees), stand size (number of trees within a group), migration rate, mating pattern and disaster frequency). For this assignment the input parameters are as follows: Number of stands = 1 All other input parameters are left at default values (equal allele frequencies; genotype frequencies of 50% brown, 25% white, 25% black; equal proportions of each tree type; stand size of 4000; no migration; random mating; disaster frequency set at Never. Results Q 1.1) When looking at the allele and genotype frequencies, there is a change in both over time. All populations behave differently to one another. This is because the only active evolutionary force is genetic drift. Fig. 4 shows that allele frequencies change Catherine Carrick 200884273 over time due to genetic drift, but as all the conditions of the Hardy Weinberg equilibrium are fixed the allele frequencies must equal 1 and so the variation in allele frequency of A becomes the negative of the frequency of a. (Fig. 4). Figure 4. Showing allele frequencies changing over time due to genetic drift. Blue line = Allele A, Red line = Allele a, Green line = average over all stands for allele A Q 1.2) When the initial allele frequencies are changed to A=80% (p), a = 20% (q) (p ² = 0.8 x 0.8 = 0.64); AA = 64% (equilibrium reached after one generation) (Fig 6). If all the Hardy Weinberg conditions are all fixed, the equilibrium will always be reduced in the next generation (Fig.5 and 6). Fig. 5. shows the initial genotype frequency compared with Fig. 6. which shows the genotype frequency after one generation. The actual genotype frequencies (worked out with average stand number) match the Hardy Weinberg predictions as they stay within 1% of the previous generations genotype frequency, across every generation thereafter. However, the percentage may change by 1% due to genetic drift. Figure 5. Display of the initial genotype frequency. Catherine Carrick 200884273 Figure 6. Shows the Hardy Weinberg equilibrium is reached after one generation where 0.64=64% homozygous AA individuals. Assignment 2: Genetic Drift Method Q 2.1) Firstly we ran an experiment with default values for all the Hardy Weinberg conditions and 100 populations. We then ran a series of experiments with 100 populations and default parameters for all conditions except tree stand size which was systematically reduced for each experiment. We recorded the effects on allele and genotype frequency (below). Fig. 7 shows that stand size 10 produced the largest fluctuations of allele frequencies, and displayed the most cases of allele fixing. Results Stand size = 4000 (carrying capacity) Allele frequency- the average remains constant for A and a Genotype frequency stays relatively constant throughout. Stand size = 2000 Allele frequency the average show slight variation Genotype frequency stays relatively constant. Stand size = 1000 Allele frequency the average starts to diverge more with each generation from F45 (generation 45) onwards showing a lot more variation than in larger stand sizes Genotype frequency the average frequency stays constant although there is some variation compared with larger stand sizes Catherine Carrick 200884273 Stand size = 500 Allele frequency The average shows variation in the later generations Genotype frequency the average stays relatively constant but still with more variation than in any other larger stand thus far Stand size = 250 Allele frequency the average shows some variation in the mid-generations, but this returns to a 50:50 frequency in the later generations Genotype frequency on average, the frequency of both white and black variations of moth increases and shows a large variation between stands. Heterozygosity the brown variation decreases by 9% over 100 generations Stand size = 100 Allele frequency the average shows more variation, but to the point where in some stands alleles within individual populations become fixed Genotype frequency the frequency of homozygotes increases. In some stands the homozygosity (black) becomes fixed, phasing out the other tow variations (white and brown) Heterozygosity drops by 22% Stand size = 50 Allele frequency frequencies become fixed for a single allele quickly (by F23) Genotype frequency Many stands become fixed for one variation within a few generations Heterozygosity drops by 33% after 100 generations Stand size = 10 Allele frequency becomes fixed within a population after two generations, and continues to become fixed in other populations. By F77, all are fixed Genotype frequency every single genotype becomes homozygous or extinct Heterozygosity by F77 all heterozygosity is lost and by F100 there are only homozygous populations, with the other (70%) becoming extinct There are many variations in allele and genotype frequency between different stands because as the stand number decreases, the chance of genetic drift increases. Figure 7 shows that at stand size 10, heterozygosity was lost completely by F77. Catherine Carrick 200884273 Figure 7. (stand size 10): this produced the largest fluctuations of allele frequencies, and displayed the most cases of allele fixing. (Blue = A, Red = a, Green = average) Q 2.2) As the stand size decreased, so did the heterozygosity. Populations began fixation in stand size 100 to stand size 50. As the stand size decreased, the number of fixed alleles increased. When the carrying capacity became too small, there was not enough variation to prevent fixation. Random mating account for the variation between fixed and non-fixed alleles in stand size 100 and stand size 50. Fig. 8. shows that with a stand size of 10, heterozygosity diminished completely by F77. Therefore, the smaller the population, the quicker heterozygosity is lost. Figure 8. Question 2:2 (stand size 10): This shows the heterozygosity diminished completely by F77. The green line (average) tends to diminishing heterozygosity. Catherine Carrick 200884273 Figure 9. Question 2:3 (stand size 10): Shows population of stand number 15 and how it fluctuates around the average value, it also shows that when the population dwindled to a certain point, it wasnt able to re-establish the numbers enough to prevent extinction. Q 2.3) Yes populations from stand size 10 became extinct (70% of them) therefore, as the carrying capacity decreases, the risk of extinction increases. There is variation within generations due to factors like predation or whether the offspring are male biased for example. There may be a lower population size in the next generation depending on mating strategies (random mating) and occasionally, the parameters reach a point of no return and the population can not recover and so becomes extinct. Others avoid extinction because the experiment is random. Fig. 9. (where stand size = 10) shows population of stand number 15 and how it fluctuates around the average value, it also shows that when the population dwindled to a certain point, it wasnt able to re-establish the numbers enough to prevent extinction. Assignment 3: The Influence of Mating Patterns on Population Genetics Method In this experiment we set all default parameters except for the number of tree stands which was set to 100. The first experiment was carried out with random mating, and the subsequent experiments with non-random mating. We then varied the population size as before, this time to compare the effects of assertive mating with genetic drift. Results Q 3.1) The effects of 25% assortative mating: Genotype frequency 25% assortative mating causes an increase in homozygotes, and heterozygosity is lost by F80 Allele frequency (produces a sigmoidal shaped graph). All become fixed for a single allele. Heterozygosity the average heterozygosity is lost at F80 Catherine Carrick 200884273 50% assortative mating: Genotype frequency all homozygotes with an almost 1:1 ratio aa being slightly more dominant Allele frequency (sigmoidal graph) all fixed by F50 Heterozygosity lost by F33 (average heterozygosity) 100% assortative mating Genotype frequency quickly becomes homozygote dominated Allele frequency All fixed fro a single allele by F15 Heterozygosity Average lost by F4 Heterozygosity is lost under assortative mating. This is because heterozygotes are at a reproductive disadvantage as homozygotes will mate with like genotypes. Heterozygotes will not be produced by these matings either. Q 3.2) Results Population size 2000 (stand size), 100% assortative mating: Genotype frequency all homozygous by F4 Allele f fixed by F14 Heterozygosity average lost by F4 Population size 2000, 50% assortative mating Genotype f all homozygous by F25 Allele f all fixed by F29 Heterozygosity average lost by F25 Population size 250, 100% assortative mating Genotype f all homozygous by F4 Allele f all fixed by F12 Heterozygosity lost at F4 Population size 250, 50% assortative mating Genotype f all homozygous by F25 Allele f all fixed by F28 Heterozygosity lost at F25 Assortative mating dominates control of allele frequencies and the speed that alleles become fixed within a population compared with the effects of genetic drift (because the homozygotes are all mating with the same genotype and not with heterozygotes). Assortative mating is not dependant on carrying capacity. The size of the population is irrelevant when assortative mating is occurring. The results are similar for a high or a low population size. Catherine Carrick 200884273 Q 3.3) Method We conducted a series of experiments using disassortative mating and selected different levels of mating between 0% (random mating) and 100% (only unlike phenotypes mate). We then changed the population size from 2000 to 250 to see the effects of disassortative mating on genetic drift. Results Dissasortative mating shows that AA and aa will mate which increases heterozygosity and stabilises the population as shown in the results below: Population size 2000, 100% disassortative mating Geno (genotype frequency) heterozygote is predominant Allele (allele frequency) none become fixed. There is variation but it stays within 31% 68% variation Hetero (heterozygosity) increases in the first generation then remains constant Pop size 2000, 50% disassortative mating Geno predominantly heterozygote Allele none become fixed. There is less variation than with 100% disassortative mating. Variation is between 43% and 57% Hetero Increases in 1st generation and remains constant Pop size 250, 100% disassortative mating Geno -slight heterozygote increase Allele No fixed alleles. There is much greater variation than seen previously with a larger population size, between 21% and 79% Hetero increases in 1st generation then remains steady and begins to decrease. Remains above the initial percentage Pop size 250, 50% disassortative mating Geno heterozygosity increases steadily Allele No fixed alleles. Variation is less than with 100% disassortative mating and population size of 250. Variation levels out between 33% and 67% Hetero increases in the 1st generation and remains constant with a few small fluctuations which level back out Q 3.4) There would be more heterozygosity in the next generation when disassortative mating occurs and if this kind of mating is maintained, the effects of genetic drift occur much slower because the populations are prevented from diverging. Fig. 10 shows the comparison between disassortative mating and random mating where random mating allows genetic drift. Drift can still occur during dissasortative mating when the carrying capacity is very low. Catherine Carrick 200884273 Figure 10. (picture on left): Random mating, pop size 250 showing genetic drift acting to diverge allele frequencies. (picture on right): 50% dissassortative mating, population size 250 shows that dissasortative mating acts to counter genetic drift. Q 3.5) Method For this experiment we varied the initial genotype frequency for assortative and disassortative mating. We tried experiments where the initial allele frequency favoured one or the other allele. Fig. 11 show starting frequencies of 50/50% assortative mating. A small deviation in starting frequencies affects the final fixation percentages (Fig. 11). We did not include the brown allele in this experiment as the extra variable is not needed. Figure 11) Shows starting frequencies of 50/50% (50%-white allele, 50% black allele) with assortative mating = 100%. Small deviation in starting freq effects final fixation percentages. Catherine Carrick 200884273 Results Under dissassortative mating the time taken for equilibrium to establish is negatively correlated with the degree of deviation from a 1:1 starting allele ratio. Under assortative mating, fixation or loss of alleles is negatively correlated with the degree of deviation from a 1:1 starting allele ratio. Assignment 4: Modes of Natural Selection Q 4.1) Method In this experiment we investigated how fitness affects changes in allele frequency in the population. We began with default parameters except tree stand number (set at 100) and genotype frequencies. We changed the tree frequency to set up several experiments under conditions of directional selection for dark moths, directional selection for light moths, balancing selection favouring the brown moth, and diversifying selection favouring the dark and light moths. We tried experiments with the different conditions of selection and initial allele frequencies near zero and one. Results Directional selection for black moths where they tree frequencies are 50% black, 25% white and 25% brown trees gave the following results: Allele frequency becomes fixed rapidly by F10 (on average by F9) Genotype frequencies at F10 genotype becomes fixed for black allele In a small population, alleles become fixed more quickly but in larger populations allele frequencies are not affected as much. We kept the population size high so we would not see genetic drift in the experiment (4000 carrying capacity) with tree frequencies of 35%, 32% and 33%. Even the small amount of selection (35% black trees) shows fixation of alleles for the black morph of moth (Fig. 12). Selection for light moths gives the same results as selection for black moths. Figure 12. shows allele becoming fixed rapidly, due to a tiny increase in black trees on left, white trees on right (35 %) Catherine Carrick 200884273 Q 4.2) Starting figures are as follows: Black tree 25% Allele black 25% Brown tree 50% Allele brown 50% White tree 25% Allele white 25% After one generation, allele frequency remains stable (between 48% and 52%) and the genotype frequency becomes predominantly brown. This is because there is always the presence of black and white genotypes which cause slight variation. If you change the selection of trees to black 10%, white 10%, brown 80%, almost identical results occur (between 49% and 51% variation in allele frequency = stabilized). Q 4.3) To show diversifying selection we set the tree types to 45% black, 45% white and 10% brown. Genotype frequency by the 1st generation, there was a large decrease in brown morphs of moth and the equivalent increase in black and white morphs. This continues till F5 when the black morph became slightly more dominant (on average) due to random mating. The brown morph was phased out by F18 (on average) on most of the 100 tree stands. All alleles become fixed for either black or white by F23 (49% white, 51% black) (Fig 13). Figure 13. Shows 50% black and 50% white showing a 1:1 ratio Q 4.4) Small differences in fitness are effective in changing allele frequencies. Small differences in fitness have proportionally slower rates of allele frequency change compared with large differences in fitness. We conducted additional experiments with varying proportions of tree types. The results are as follows: (Where stand size = 4000, number of stands = 100, allele frequencies = white 20%, brown 60%, black 20%, tree frequencies = white 32%, brown 32%, black 36%). Even though there are a lower proportion of black alleles (A) to begin with, those alleles will have a higher fitness than white or brown as there is a higher percentage of black tree types. Over time this will equate to an increase in black morphs. There is, however, a Catherine Carrick 200884273 point where even if the black allele is fittest but there isnt a high enough population in the first place, it will crash and not recover. Q 4.5) Genetic variation is maintained under balancing selection because the allele frequencies remain stable. There is no fixation (presuming the all mating is random). The heterozygote allele is favoured and thus balances the homozygous allele. Assignment 5: Migration Q 5.1) Migration counteracts the effects of genetic drift. (Fig 14 and 15) Figure 14. Stand size of 500 and no migration shows heterozygosity varying over all populations. Green line = average heterozygosity over all populations. Figure 15. Shows stand size 500, and 8% migration. Shows migration maintains heterozygosity and there is less deviation from the average (green line) Catherine Carrick 200884273 Assignment 6: Population Bottlenecks Q 6.1) Disaster led to the loss of alleles and reduced heterozygosity. The more disasters there where, the more decreased the diversity became. (Fig 16, 17, 18) Figure 16. Control condition Shows low drift conferred by high population sizes (4000), all other variables adjusted to give Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Figure 17. Disaster parameters set to sometimes as opposed to never. Individual populations prone to fixation and loss of alleles. Catherine Carrick 200884273 Figure 18. Disaster frequency set to often rather than sometimes. Loss of diversity occurs faster than in figure 13 with most populations losing one or the other allele by generation 80. Q 6.2) Disaster increased the rate of extinction. The more regular the disaster, the more extinctions. Q 6.3) Migration moderated the effect that disasters had on the population. Discussion The results of our experiments clearly show that genetic drift effects smaller populations where heterozygoisity is lost rapidly and as the carrying capacity decreases, the risk of extinction increases. The is because the proportion of individuals with a certain phenotype within a small population are largely influenced by random variation in survival, and over time, the change in proportion of genotypes in subsequent generations leads to genetic drift. If one was to aim to conserve a hypothetical species, one would expect that because it is endangered, it would be a small population. To maintain genetic diversity among this species, one would need a large enough breeding population to begin with. Unfortunately, as is the case with most endangered species, populations become geographically isolated, mainly due to human disruption of habitat. Migration between breeding populations decreases and they become fragmented. Conservation efforts may be due to natural disasters such as tsunam is, fires etc, but are mainly to prevent the constant onslaught of human activities such as illegal logging in conservation areas. Figure 17 illustrates the effects of a bottleneck following a disaster, showing reduced variability (and a small population) leading to loss and/or fixation of alleles. As with genetic drift, the way to prevent population crashes, or rather soften the effects of bottlenecks, is to encourage migration among populations. This can be achieved by implementing the protection of corridors between known endangered populations. In theory, the populations can migrate between areas, maintaining a high enough level of breeding and genetic variation, to counter the effects of inbreeding depression or genetic drift (Fig 14 and 15). An example of how corridors may re-connect fragmented populations can be seen in Bhutans Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park (www.panthera.org). Catherine Carrick 200884273 Figure 19. Map of known tiger populations (red) and proposed tiger corridors (orange). Data taken from www.panthera.org The proposed Eastern Himalayan corridor may help towards connecting isolated populations of tigers, and thus increasing genetic diversity (if these populations successfully reproduce with one another) (Fig 19). Random mating, as apposed to assortative mating, will increase heterozygosity and stabilise a population (Fig 10). This acts against genetic drift and stops the population form diverging as quickly. In a hypothetical situation then, you would preferably allow mating to occur naturally and at random. However, some conservation efforts include that of translocation of individuals or cross breeding certain individuals from separate populations. For this to be advantageous to the species, one must consider maintaining genetic diversity by genotyping the individuals before translocation. It would be senseless to swap or breed an AA individual with another AA individual from a separate population as this would lead to loss or fixation and not increase diversity. Our studies with B. betularia in question 4 to 4.5 show that intermediates are favoured over extreme phenotypes and that genetic variation is maintained under balancing (stabilizing) selection because the allele frequencies remain stable. There is no fixation (presuming the all mating is random). The heterozygote allele is favoured and thus balances the homozygous allele. As well as considering the genetic diversity of a species and its genealogy, one must understand the species by means of observations in the field including its behaviour. Later studies of B. betularia reinforced the need for such observations as it was found to rest high in the branches rather than on the trunks of trees as previously calculated. Also, modern science allowed for the study of its UV qualities which had otherwise been unaccounted for when considering levels of predation by birds. A close study of mating patterns should ideally be assessed to ensure the outcome of migration; corridors, translocation etc will be advantageous in terms of fitness. Catherine Carrick 200884273