Endoplasmic Reticulum

Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum The smooth endoplasmic reticulum functions as a packaging system, and unlike its counter part, the rough endoplasmic reticulum, it does not have ribosomes attached to it. The endoplasmic reticulum works closely with the Golgi apparatus, ribosomes, RNA, mRNA, and tRNA. It creates a network of membranes found through the whole cell. The endoplasmic reticulum may also look different from cell to cell, depending on the cell's function.Smooth endoplasmic reticulums are shaped more like tubes. The endoplasmic reticulum is important because it plays a big part in a cell because it acts like a storage organelle. It helps create steroids and proteins then stores them. In muscle cells, it stores calcium. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum is also used to synthesise lipids. This synthesis creates lipoproteins which is found in the liver. The endoplasmic reticulum also stores glycogen.The endoplasmic reticulum consists of tubules and vesicles that branch forming a network. In some cells there are dilated areas like the sacs of rough endoplasmic reticulum. The endoplasmic reticulum is folded and stacked layer upon layer within the cell and is connected to the cell's nuclear membrane Another function of the endoplasmic reticulum is to control the movement of newly synthesized proteins to their proper locations in the cell or to the membrane to be sent outside the cell.This is done by a process called budding, where small vesicles of smooth endoplasmic reticulum are cut off to carry the proteins to their new spots in the cell. It also stores ions in solution that the cell may need at a later time. The endoplasmic reticulum allows molecules to be moved between the lumen and the cytoplasm, and since it is connected to the double-layered nuclear envelope, it gives a route between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. In muscle cells the endoplasmic reticulum releases calcium to trigger muscle contractions.The endoplasmic reticulum also has a role in drug toleranc e. The smooth endoplasmic reticulum functions to get rid of poisons, and drugs are considered a poison to the cell, if you consume more drugs, your cells will make more endoplasmic reticulum to get rid of the poisons. The cycle will the continue, the more drugs you take, the more smooth endoplasmic reticulum your cells will make. Your body builds up a tolerance for drugs because it will have a lot of smooth endoplasmic reticulum to discard the drugs, and Endoplasmic Reticulum The primary purpose of this research paper is to find out whether the endoplasmic reticulum in the eggs of animals undergoes any structural or morphological changes during fertilization. The experiment studies this phenomenon by microinjecting a dye in unfertilized egg and then visualized using a confocal microscope to detect any alterations in structure. Eventually, this paper tries to explain the role played by the endoplasmic reticulum in fertilization. The research question that is being tested in this paper was about the Endoplasmic reticulum and how it plays a role in the fertilization which can be evidenced by structural changes that taking place during the fertilization process. The most important aspect of this experiment in the paper is the microinjection of eggs with soya beans oil saturated with DiI solution which enables visualization of the endoplasmic reticulum using the confocal microscope. The dye then spreads through the ER only in 30 minutes during which the cisternae and tubules of the ER can be identified. This method of staining is also utilized to stain the plasma membrane which is also a bilayer membrane. This experiment, therefore, teaches that the ER is a complex organelle, bilayer membrane with lipophilic layers.The weakness of this paper shows the changes in calcium levels in the fertilized eggs of Sea Urchin during the first few minutes when ER structural changes are thought to take place. The ER has an internal compartment that is involved in regulation of calcium. There is evidence that calcium is produced during fertilization. Is this calcium from the ER? Does calcium generation cause the structural changes in ER? These questions have not been answered by this research paper. Also, the control experiment for this would include a repeat of the tests under similar temperature conditions as previously conducted research experiments to compare the calcium levels. If this was my experiment, I would conduct similar research (ER changes) on large mammal animal models using unfertilized eggs incubated and fertilized at room and atmospheric temperature (conditions).

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar Essay

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar – the blessed month of fasting. It is the month that Allah (swt) (God) revealed the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad (saw). It is also one of the five sacred pillars of Islam which help Muslims lead a religious life. The five pillars, including Ramadan are compulsory. The Arabic term for fasting is Sawm. It is a very special time for Muslims and its completion is celebrated by the wonderful day of Eid al-Fitr where gifts are exchanged between friends, relatives, families and neighbours. The basic aim of Ramadan is for Muslims to establish control during the month and be better Muslims, also, to remind Muslims of the less fortunate among us. The nights leading up to Ramadan are very exciting for everyone. This is when Muslims anxiously await the news if the new moon has been sighted by any Muslim in the world which signifies the beginning of the Ramadan. Upon hearing the news the Muslims will immediately email, phone and text message this good news to people they know. In the Islamic world this is announced on the radio or television, or the local town crier (muezzin) will inform everyone from the loudspeakers of the mosque. It is common to find people will gather at each others houses and the mosques will be full as the news breaks, congratulating each other that Allah (swt) has allowed them to witness another Ramadan and to gain its reward. Fasting is compulsory once a child reaches puberty. Those who are ill or on a journey are excused, as are women during their monthly period or if they are pregnant or nursing because they are very weak and need the food and energy more than most; missed days are made up for later in the year when one is more able. Muslims fast from daybreak to sunset. For example in Luton in late October this will be from 6.00am to around 5:45pm. That’s nearly 12 hours. This means no eating or drinking during these hours. Although each nation will have its own way of going about fasting during Ramadan, it is common that a light meal is eaten at dusk to break the fast (Iftar), followed by a slightly heavier meal, and finally a light breakfast just before dawn (Suhur). At Suhur, I will have a large bowl of breakfast cereal, a glass of orange juice or water (as one can get very thirsty during the day) and perhaps a few slices of toast in order to prepare myself for the long day ahead. When Iftar arrives I would start with a supplication to Allah (swt) (Dua) then eat a date and drink some milk or water. I would then perform my evening prayers before sitting with my family and have my dinner after which I will attend the local mosque for some evening prayers. Every night in Ramadan there are special, extra prayers called Salatul Taraweeh. These are performed in congregation at the mosque or at home. This schedule is taken from the example of our Prophet, Muhammad (saw). A typical day of fasting during Ramadan at about Christmas time in the UK is summarised below: 05:30am Suhur (light breakfast) 06:00am Fajr Salah (morning prayer) Qur’an recitation 01:30pm Dhuhr Salah (midday prayer) 02:45pm ‘Asr Salah (afternoon prayer) 05:50pm Iftar (break of fast) and Maghrib Salah (evening prayer) Dinner 08:00pm ‘Isha Salah (night prayer) and Taraweeh (extra prayers) Supper and an early night PART TWO (500 words) Fasting in Ramadan is the fourth ‘pillar’ of Islam, an act of worship of great importance. During this month Muslims should be more spiritual, more caring and considerate; they should control their temper and refrain from using bad language. This is to help them become a better Muslim. One can find that during this month people become more patient, polite to others as well as extremely generous with the wealth that they possess. A poor Muslim who donates his last penny will get as much reward as the wealthy businessman who donates thousands. This is called Zakat where 2.5% of the annual family income is donated to the poor. This is compulsory because the money that we have today is not actually ours it is a loan from Allah and a blessing, which we should repay to him through the poor. Ramadan is a sacred month wherein Allah (swt) is constantly testing people and giving people the opportunity to achieve huge rewards for the hereafter. It is a time of purification, reflection, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and striving hard with one’s life and wealth. It is a time for charity, to give to those less fortunate then yourselves and it’s a time when most people pay their annual alms to the poor (above). It was in the month of Ramadan that many of the battles took place such as the famous Islamic battles took place such as the Battle of Badr. Amongst what Muslims should abstain from are smoking, and sexual intercourse. People should focus on Allah and religion as opposed to other things. What the prayers seek to serve five times a day, fasting in the month of Ramadan does once a year. During this period from dawn to dusk we eat not a grain of food nor drink a drop of water, no matter how delicious the dish or how thirsty we feel. This month helps us strengthen our faith. Discipline during this month bring us face to face with the realities of life and help us make our life, during the rest of the year, a life of true subservience to Allah (swt). From another point of view fasting has an immense impact on our communities, for all the Muslims irrespective of their status must observe fast during the same month. This brings to prominence the essential equality of people and thus goes a long way towards creating in them sentiments of love and brotherhood. The unity that is created covers the whole planet where Muslims reside whether in Indonesia or Denmark. Each Muslim connects with his brother. This is called the Ummah (community) During Ramadan goodness comes to the forefront and the whole atmosphere is filled with piety and purity. It is narrated that Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, â€Å"When the month of Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.† Thus, the month of Ramadan is a special month unlike others. As an act of mercy by Allah (swt), the blessings that one can attain during this Holy Month have been increased many fold. Another point of significance is that the Qur’an was revealed during one of the last ten odd numbered nights of this blessed month. That night is known as Lailatul Qadr or the Night of Power. It is during this night that Allah (swt) has promised us great reward for our time spent in prayer and worship. Clearly there is a lesson in this for people. Ramadan indeed is a great incentive for all Muslims to increase their god consciousness (Taqwa) and to strengthen their faith. However, this effort should not be limited to the month of Ramadan but should extend for the rest of our lives. PART THREE (500 words) First and foremost fasting is an act of worship and Allah (swt) does not give a reason as why we fast in the Qur’an. However, we can observe the reality of fasting during the month of Ramadan and can conclude that many benefits are created for the one who fasts. I agree with part of the statement that fasting indeed has many advantages. As for these benefits, when one is in the state of fasting during the month of Ramadan he is constantly thinking of those things which please his creator, Allah (swt). That is to say he is in a constant state of god consciousness or what is referred to in the Arabic language as Taqwa. During this time he becomes a better person, he does not lie or cheat, he does not involve himself in arguments or name calling as one would find in the school playground. He is continuously contemplating and reflecting on the words of Allah (swt) which he would read in the Qur’an or he would hear at the local mosque. As a result one becomes a lot more patient, extremely disciplined and a lot more productive to himself and his environment. During this month the community spirit is ignited and the mosques are full. The economy is boosted as it is recommended to spend the wealth Allah (swt) has provided you within this month as much as possible to gain the rewards for the hereafter. Community Iftar’s are hosted in community centres within the local community creating an atmosphere of brotherhood and closeness as well as money sent off to the poor and destitute so they may also enjoy the blessings of this month. As for the disadvantages, I believe the benefits far outweigh the harms of fasting. A few points to I would like to mention however are is that when early on during the month when one is fasting during a long day, one tends to become very tired towards the end of the day due to the fact that normal regular meals have been missed, however as the month progresses the body adapts very quickly to this new regime softening these hardships. In addition, during the day, especially during the summer when the days are long and the heat is intense the lack of water consumption can make one extremely thirsty and somewhat dehydrated which can lead to a stale breath. However, the remedy to this is the saying of the Prophet who said â€Å"The smell of the mouth of a fasting person is to sweeter to Allah (swt) than the smell of musk†. Another potential problem is tendency to eat too much in the evenings and at the end of the month to pile on a few unwanted pounds. This is easily resolved by making sure you eat moderately and exercise to burn off excess calories. Also, there is the ounce of temptation present brough to us by Shaytan (Devil) and this makes it hard for us. Finally, one sad thing about Ramadan is that it only comes round once a year and lasts for around thirty days. If only we could have longer as there are not enough hours in the day. NOTE: (saw) – peace be upon him (swt) – praise be to Him, The Almighty Bibliography I obtained all the information for this essay from my own knowledge

Humans and Nature

How Religious Belief Connects with Humans And Nature Humans’ relationship towards nature is complicated. Phyllis Trible, a well known scholar, mentions in her paper A Tempest in a Text : Ecological Soundings in the Book of Jonah that â€Å"Theological language is ecological language† (Trible 189). It suggests that widespread religion has a reflection on the relationship between humans’ belief and nature. Besides, the two main characters, Arab and Jonah, from the movie Moby Dick and the religious book The book of Jonah, their different views of God are shown in their opposite actions towards nature. ? In the movie Moby Dick, Ahab, the captain, is the emblem of the pioneers leading in the exploration of the great nature. He challenges the mysterious nature fearlessly. Rather than praying to God for help when he encounters confronted and unexpected difficulties, he believes that he can overcome all those difficulties by himself and never ceases his expedition. In t he movie, Pequod, the whaling ship, is caught in a terrible storm. The sails should be put down for slowing ship’s speed in a storm. Starbuck, one of crew member, wants to furl a sail, but Ahab refuses.Ahab asks all of his sailors to hold sails tightly. When Starbucks tries to furl down sails, Arab threats Starbuck to stop by using an arrow. Ahab steadfastly continues battling with the nature to the end until finally his ship survives in bad weather. â€Å"Ahab called that Typhoon’s bluff; stood toe to toe with it and punched away till it hollared ‘quits’! † (Bradbury 158). Through the whole battle with the storm, Ahab even mocks at what he encounters. â€Å"Oh, how the gods enjoy playing with us. What’s the point of the game, I wonder?Sometimes I’m on the very edge of knowing-and then they toss me back in the box† (Bradbury 158). In Ahab’s mind, he is fighting against God, and choosing to put his own will above faith. Ah ab believes himself above the natural world, and almost a god. This belief lends him power and majesty that make him battle with nature. In the movie, Ahab’s persistence on chasing the white whale makes him act like a hero, however, his vengeance of whale also makes him overstep on the boundary of nature which leads him to the death.To Captain Ahab, the whale symbolizes the evil in the universe: â€Å"He is part of this wicked game that runs man from the cradle and bullies him into the grave, Moby Dick is evil ten times over, in a world where evil is common as sea-water† (Bradbury 90). So it is Ahab’s destiny to get rid of it. In the last part of scenes, Ahab has no chance of killing Moby Dick, yet he engages in his suicide plan to stab at the whale: â€Å"To the last I grapple with thee! from hell’s heart I stab at thee! ; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee, though damned whale! Thus! I give up my spear! (BRADBURY 174). His plan to ki ll Moby Dick seals the tragic fate for himself and the crew of the Pequod. In the end the whale represents both noble peace and terrifying death. Besides, in the book, Ahab sees the graves of other sailors died in killing whales, and he gets predictions about his death from Fedallah. Those things not just happen accidentally to Ahab. In fact, it’s the fate already made by God try to stop Ahab’s actions of killing the whale. The whale is the combination of contradictions, a symbol of the universe's wide and mystery of God's boundless divine power, fate. ? God controls what we would consider â€Å"fate† in the casting of the fortune. In The Book of Jonah, Jonah opposes to God’s will and flees away which results in a storm created by the God in his journey. Jonah gets on a ship to Tarshish, and he encounters the storm: â€Å"The Lord, however, hurled such furious winds toward the sea that a powerful storm raged upon it; the ship expected itself to crack upà ¢â‚¬  (1:4). The storm is so powerful that all the sailors start to pray to the God for help. and the Lord, God of Heaven, I worship-he who made the sea, and the dry land as well† (1†10). Even though Jonah runs away from the Lord and has no thought for the spiritual condition of his shipmates; his life still brought them closer to God. However, the storm just gets worse. Jonah tells sailors in order to worship God, they can calm the sea by throwing him into the sea. â€Å"If you lift me and cast me overboard, the sea will calm its raging against you, for I personally acknowledge that this massive tempest raging against you is on my own account† (1:12).Jonah has no doubt that his rebellion against God is the cause of the storm that threatened to sink the ship they are sailing upon. Hence, humans fear of unexpected natural power and then pray to God for help. Contrary to how the white whale drives Ahab crazy which result in Ahab’s death with the whale, the whale in The Book of Jonah changes Jonah’s attitudes toward God and saves him from his sin. God does not put Jonah into death immediately, instead, he sends out a fish. â€Å"The Lord directed a large fish to swallow Jonah.Jonah remained in the belly of the fish three days and three nights† (2:1). Jonah is helpless in the fish’s belly and starts to repent and pray to God :â€Å" In my trouble, I appeal to the Lord; he answers me†¦ as for me, voicing gratitude, I shall offer you sacrifices; I shall fulfill all that I vow† (2: 10). By singing the thanksgiving song, Jonah starts to be thankful to God and he realizes that he is still connecting with God. God as a merciful and generous figure in The Book of Jonah, he saves Jonah from the fish. The Lord spoke to the fish and made it vomit Jonah upon dry land† (2:11). From an ecological point of view, Phyllis Trible clams in her book â€Å" If the verb ‘swallow’ suggest that fish is a ho stile environment for Jonah, the verb ‘vomit’suggests that the fish is a hostile environment for the fish†¦ In a bulimic exercise the animal of the sea rejects human fodder† (Trible 190). This ecological danger recalls Jonah’s inner instincts to God: â€Å"Yet God brought up his life from the Pit, and to this God he rendered thanks† (Trible 190).In other words, The whale as well as considered to be â€Å"hostile environment†, represents the nature power that given by God. It suggests that humans should always keep their faith to the God, thus, God can rescue humans from the danger and forgive their sins. When humans are building the relationship with nature, if they are going against nature they cannot get the results they want, instead, if they working along with nature which can actually leads to peace. In the movies, even if Ahab orders his crew to chase Moby Dick again and again, the white whale does not surrender but appears to coun terattack.It attacks the boats, wrecks the whaling ship and brings much pain to human beings. God’s power and embodiment of justice are shown through nature. God warns human beings that if they still destroy nature unshakably, they will be buried by divine nature eventually. It is difficult for human beings relying on our own insufficient power to win the battle between nature and them. In contrast, Jonah suppose to preach God’s will to Nineveh, however, he is from the country which is defeated by Nieveh, thus he is reluctant to deliver God’s message.God puts Jonah into hostile environment and wants Jonah to learn about tolerance through Jonah’s repent. Jonah realizes his sin and start to believe God again which results in later God saves his life. His confession to God adequately proves that his humans’ tolerance has persuaded him to give up his enmity. Human beings can get along well with nature and they can keep a harmonious relationship with na ture. However, keeping the harmonious relationship must be based on human beings’tolerance to nature.

Learning organization and human motivation Essay - 2

Learning organization and human motivation - Essay Example of Excellence, Tom Peters speaks of eight themes which the successful companies adopts and two of them focus on the optimisation of human capital – Autonomy & entrepreneurship through fostering innovation and nurturing champions and secondly productivity through people (Peters & Waterman 1982). Achieving innovation and continuous development through workforce involvement and commitment has become a challenge, which organizations seeking to excel, has to address as a top priority. Employee commitment is the most potent competitive driver an organisation can develop for pursuing its objectives and harnessing employee commitment involves creating an environment, which allows for autonomy and achievement. Flexibility among the workforce is critical for developing lean and effective organisational structures which is critical for organisational excellence (Peters & Waterman 1982) High performance work teams are the norm of today’s successful companies where the team members perform multitasks on highly flexible work agendas. Employee creativity is developed and nurtured by those organisations that recognise the potential for breakthrough products and process innovations. Such companies as 3M which is placed at the forefront of innovation, capitalises on its employee creativity and promotes it through policies as the â€Å"15% rule† allowing time for pursuing personal projects. The manager who wants commitment, flexibility and creativity from employe es is therefore advised to provide them with lots of learning opportunities. As per the management guru, Peter Senge, â€Å"If a seedling has no room to grow, it will never become a tree.† (Senge 1990) Providing a workplace environment, that promotes learning opportunities through innovation, creativity, participation and autonomy addresses the motivational needs of the employees. Motivational theories as Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs as well as Alderfer’s ERG Theory both identify people’s desire for growth and self

MANAGING DIVERSITY( analysis of a newspaper article ) Essay

MANAGING DIVERSITY( analysis of a newspaper article ) - Essay Example re words shared by the Richard, an Establishment Services Manager at BA: â€Å"Working and traveling with BA as a disabled traveler (paraplegic in a wheelchair) I get to see at first hand the service offered to additional needs customer and staff, good and bad. In most instances the service levels are of high standard but if things have not been right on the day, feedback had been acted upon. I would urge all disabled travelers to tell us about their travel experience in order that we can offer the highest level of service† (British Airways’ diversity strategy, online). The company also espouses a strong culture of respect, for which it has deployed an employee questionnaire. Through responses to the survey, it has crafted the following objectives towards building a culture of equality: Still towards this thrust, BA has joined Stonewall champions scheme last year (2005). It is a venue that advocates diversity within work settings. The emphasis placed on the management of harassment and bullying is captured by BA Chief Executive Rod Eddington, as follows: â€Å"Dignity and respect for other people are basic values we must all adopt.   We should all be aware of the impact of our behaviour on others and be tolerant of people who have different values, religions and beliefs to our own.   This applies to our peers, colleagues and customers.†   On age, the company has already proposed flexible retirement and is watching out for the new government regulations on the matter (British Airways’ diversity strategy, online). Thus, the article on BA which presents that it discriminates against a religious practice – the wearing of a cross of a Catholic – seems contradictory to all of these publicity regarding diversity. This shall surely have an impact on their image as a fair employer and they must thoroughly ensure that they exercise fair practice and do not ostracize employees on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, or religion. At first glance, the

Women, the Hammurabi Code Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Women, the Hammurabi Code - Essay Example he following rules might broadly be challenged these days but their legitimacy in the distant past was considered as obvious (The Code of Hammurabi, 2010): (1) the sexuality of women should be given up to guarantee legality; (2) the assets of the family should be managed by the male members; and (3) women, particularly divorcees and widows needed the help of society (http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/CODE.HTM). Most women were supposed to marry and raise a family. A reasonable set of love poems would indicate that women did enjoy some authority, but marriage, theoretically, was fixed by their brothers or fathers. As stated in the Hammurabi Code, an agreement was required to perform a marriage. According to the few that exist, the agreements stated primarily what would occur if the matrimony ended through abandonment or divorce, or death, but other passages might let off each from the prenuptial obligations of the other or even oblige the bride to work as a slave to her husband’s mother (Meyers, 1991). The major article to be discussed was the amount of the bride price: If a woman who lived in a man’s house made an agreement with her husband, that no creditor can arrest her, and has given a document therefore: if that man, before he married that woman, has a debt, the creditor cannot hold the woman for it. But if the woman, before she entered the man’s house, had contracted a debt, her creditor cannot arrest her husband therefore (151). It is well-known that unsophisticated societies made use of bride price to pay off the family of the bride for labor loss and Israelite culture limited it to a symbolic amount as a sign of engagement. The bride price in Babylonia constantly became piece of the dowry (Meyer, 1991). The bride price, depending on socioeconomic standing, could embody a considerable wealth transfer, possibly several hectares of land and house—however, at the lower socioeconomic hierarchy it might have been little more than a piece of home decoration

How does Interferon work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How does Interferon work - Essay Example This paper aims to present the function and mechanism of Interferon Interferon, based on common definition is a family of cytokines or cell-signaling protein that is produced in the immune system. It functions as a natural protection of the human body which regulate anti-tumor, antiviral, and immune responses. Its function also includes cell differentiation (Ogbru par.1, 2). As stated in the article, Interferon is a drug resulting from biotechnology that is based from the protein found in our body. It is used as a drug against HIV/AIDS because it helps fight the symptoms of the disease. The mechanism of this drug was not understood before, therefore leaving it untouched and overlapped by modern treatments for HIV/AIDS that are available today. However, it was continuously used with other drugs in the treatment of hepatitis C which paved way to a better understanding of how interferon works (Bardi par.2-6). The explanation of how the interferon functions goes back to how the immune sy stem battles viruses. One way of how the immune system fights is by directly attacking or devouring the pathogens that are invading our body. Another way is with the use of the so-called restriction factors. The actions of the restriction factors are focused inside the infected cell in which they inhibit the spread or reproduction of the infected cells (Bardi par.1-3). APOBEC3, which is one example of these restriction factors, is also a family of proteins that thwarts the production of infected cells. It is indicated that APOBEC3 have eight genes that are present in humans and other primates. APOBEC3 is another family of protein that is connected to the protein named Activation Induced Deaminase (AID). AID is required in somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination. These processes are required to perform its function in DNA mutations on bacteria. APOBEC3 uses the same concept in disabling HIV infected cells. They attach themselves to the infected producer cells mutating it . This mutation affects the infected cell by packaging APOBEC3 into virions of flawed virus. The budding virus that would be produced will make them unable to infect new cells (Bardi par. 4; Doehle 14 & 16). Although APOBEC3 disables the production of infected cells, the HIV has developed its own defenses that would retaliate against APOBEC3. These things are called viral infectivity factor or Vif. Vif destroys APOBEC3 by taking over parts of the cellular ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. After seizing the cellular degradation pathway, the Vif targets the APOBEC3. Dilapidation happens after the polyubiquitination of APOBEC3 molecules. This would then disable the job of the APOBEC3 to be packaged in budding viruses, making them target and infect new cells (Bardi par. 11; Spearman 1, 2 & 11). Tetherin, another member of the restriction factors also help in the prevention of infected cells and HIV. Tetherin is also identified as HM 1.24, CD317 and bone marrow stromal antigen or BST-2. It i s a type 2 transmembrane protein and consists of a cytoplasmic N-terminal region, a transmembrane domain, a flexible coiled-coil extracellular domain and a C-terminal glycophospatidyl-inositol anchor. The discoverers of tetherin also described it as a membrane spanning protein. Tetherin, which is derived from the word tether literally tethers, or secures the virions on the cell membrane of the infected c

Men in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Men in Nursing - Essay Example Men, have mostly, been curiously invisible, in the history of nursing. General nursing may be viewed as a feminine role also, because specific job tasks involve washing and close physical contact with the patient. Mental health nursing could be viewed, as being more masculine, and therefore the role of the majority of male nurses, as they sometimes have to deal with physical aggression, so have to be physically stronger and remedy disturbances of the patients mind. As nursing is also perceived, as too poorly a paid profession, It could also be a strong likelihood, of why the majority of men are "put off" from pursuing it as a career, especially as society appears to focus on men as the main family wage earners. To encourage people into non-stereotypical employment or training especially in nursing, the environment needs to be one that welcomes the individual and which is readily accessible. The conditions need to be right for that person to feel valued, in an environment where they m ay be in the minority. In order to make this happen, the place of work should be neutralized, in this case new nursing practices could be introduced, changing the image of nursing, firstly the job title of nurse could be changed, to one more suitable to both genders, to perhaps "medics" as known in the states. Developing strategy, focused on members of the multidisciplinary team, in the process of questioning their own attitudes, beliefs and values, aimed at implementing cultural and structural changes. The government, could implement new pay scales inviting more applicants, an attractive salary will certainly steer more people towards nursing as a career. (Meldrum, 2000) In new age men seem to resume their historical role as carers and nurses, like women are now resuming their role as physicians. In twentieth century nursing as a predominately female profession is changing again. American Assembly for Men in Nursing is working to support and promote men in American nursing; this

Is regionalism the future of emergency management Essay

Is regionalism the future of emergency management - Essay Example Thus, the group of emergency management practitioners worked on eight principles to guide the development of the emergency management and to help on basing its future1. Today, the future of the emergency management is very essential to the public and to the private sector. The demand for emergency managers has been increasing sufficiently due to certain events like the September 11 era. The disaster response systems have increasingly been federalized to deal in the internal and external threats that have been initiated and to be able to provide insight into the issues of what can be done in order to prevent the emergency events from happening in the future. The distribution of these disaster response systems and their resources between the rural and urban communities has become a problem in the near future, as the geographic conditions are to be considered greatly. Regionalism is a political ideology that indicates the need of protection of the interests of a particular region by specifically hired political groups or regionalists. The main aims of these regionalists are to increase their region’s political power and influence either from limited forms of autonomy or by stronger measures of autonomy. The concept of regionalism strengthens the region’s government bodies and their political parties, and also promotes fiscal responsibility, benefit the local population with a more rational allocation of the region’s resources, improve the efficiency in carrying out the local plans and overall increase the efficiency levels. Regionalism is closely related to the future of emergency management. Since the field of emergency management is always evolving, it makes it impossible for the roles and responsibilities of the emergency managers to be consistent. Thus, there are several key needs that are applied to the emergency

Electronic health record Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Electronic health record - Essay Example Although transfer of records into electronic forms began in 1960s, however, since last few years, governments and healthcare organizations are putting efforts to ensure a standardized implementation of electronic health records that has resulted in debates and discussions regarding their benefits and possibilities. In this regard, this paper is an attempt to contribute in the same stream that will include discussion on electronic health records. Specifically, analysis (Green & Bowie, pp. 107-116) has indicated that a number of healthcare organizations have records of their patients in electronic form; however, experts have identified that few specific components should be present, in order to provide a legal status to the EHR, and thus, absence of any essential component may result in its illegality. In this regard, experts believe that it calls for an initiative on national or state level to promote such practice of maintaining electronic health records that although will be a chall enging process but will result in long-term benefits. However, studies (Green & Bowie, pp. ... Thus, it is imperative that authorities should take steps to provide awareness to stakeholders regarding the importance of EHR in research, legal, and financial matters besides its significance in patient care. In other words, there is a need for healthcare organizations to acquire an understanding of EHR as an opportunity rather than a requisite to enhance quality of care. In particular, provision of inclusive, consistent, important, and reachable information is one of the major factors of success in healthcare industry, and EHR can play a pivotal role in allowing the organizations to fulfill this requisite in their capacities (Busch, pp. 23-46). In addition, it is observation that EHR indicates huge potential for organizational savings and experts have already indicated its potential for reducing or even eliminating inefficiency on the workplace level, as studies have indicated a huge number of issues due to dependence of clinicians on paper-based health records. However, as paper- based health record maintenance has benefits and loopholes, it is the same in case of EHR. The major issue in transitioning from manual to electronic is lack of awareness, especially technological awareness that is the foremost requisite for EHR that has been the major barrier in successful transition to EHR automated environment. Reports have pointed out that electronic health record systems require continued updating in terms of its technology, as well as in terms of its users’ awareness. However, besides this barrier, EHR has a number of different benefits that dominate it over manual health records. In case of ‘manual health record’, healthcare organizations and providers

Junk Van Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Junk Van - Case Study Example This study highlights that Kingo is worried about the fact that he is not able to feel the pulse of business. Indeed, the original idea was to create a company that would not have a physical office. At first, this seemed to be as a great way to save money that otherwise would have been used for rent. In addition to that, this kind of organization allowed great flexibility of the staff. In other words, having a virtual office was regarded as a positive aspect of the firm. However, later Kingo notices that he cannot keep track of all the actions happening in the company. In addition to that, he could not see the processes in the real time. All this significantly decreased effectiveness of his managerial influence on the company.From this paper it is clear that if a customer paid in cash or using a cheque, the drivers would have to return to the customer in order to bring one the necessary documentation and receive the money. It is obvious that while doing so, they drivers wasted their time that they could have used to visit a different customer and increase the volume of waste that they processed during the way. In other words, the drivers did almost twice as much job that they had to. One would make no mistake suggesting that it would not be effective to make all the customers to pay using their debit cards since that would scare off some part of the potential clients. On the other hand, if this pattern is not changed, the drivers will continue wasting their valuable time.

A Streetcar Named Desire-A Tragic Hero Essay Example for Free

A Streetcar Named Desire-A Tragic Hero Essay There are nine types of heroes in this world, each of them with their own unique stories, plots, cliches etc. Among those is the classic tragic hero, one who is destined to fail no matter what. In a Streetcar Named Desire, the tragic hero is Blanche Dubois, an aging Southern Belle living in a state of perpetual panic about her fading beauty. In this essay it will be discussed what makes Blanche a tragic hero and how she compares to a typical tragic hero. A typical tragic hero is first and foremost, born of noble stature. This gives the hero something to fall from, so they can fall from grace (Avril Lavigne, Nobodys Home). Blanche Dubois born in Laurel, Mississippi, to a wealthy family. She is a former schoolteacher who had been evicted from Belle Reve (a family home) after being declared a woman of loose morals. This was because years earlier, Blanches husband committed suicide after she expressed her distaste on his sexuality. She later had many affairs trying to numb her grief on the death of her husband. The second condition for a tragic hero is what is called Hamartia, a tragic flaw that auses the downfall of the hero. Blanches tragic flaw is that she is dependant on men, so much so that she makes choices and does things that are morally questionable. She manipulates and lies to potential suitors to make herself seem more attractive and younger-which in her mind is the only way a man will love her. She does this with Harold Mitch Mitchell and it seems to be working until Mitch is informed of all the lies hes been fed, at which point Mitch breaks up with Blanche and leaves her vulnerable for Stanley to rape. The reversal of fortune, peripeteia, is when the fortunate hero is down on his luck. In Blanches case, she loses Belle Reve, her husband is a homosexual and dead, she is evicted from her own town and is losing her beauty. She used to be a wealthy and beautiful Southern belle with a loving family and kind husband but her luck changed directions and she lost everything she held dear. One of the most obvious conditions of a tragic hero is nemesis, the fate that cannot be reversed. In other words, no matter what the hero tries or does their fate is ealed. Blanches fate is inevitable, all people can do is watch as she falls deeper and deeper into her delusions and misconceptions of reality. In the end of the tragedy, the audience should be left feeling pity or fear after witnessing the downfall of the tragic hero, catharsis. This is because the punishment dealt to the hero is not wholly deserved, the punishment far exceeds the crime. Blanche was a sad and confused woman who was looking for comfort and someone to take care of her. She lied and manipulated people to try and get the happy life she anted but that did not mean she deserved to be raped, abandoned by her own sister and publicly humiliated. Blanche herself said It [deliberate cruelty] is the one untorgivable thing in my opinion and it is the one thing I nave never, never been guilty of. (Williams, Scene 10 Pg 126) Anagnoririsis is the recognition or discovery made by the tragic hero, the point in time when the hero realizes what went wrong and why. Most other tragedies like Hamlet and Mcbeth feature this but this does not happen to Blanche. In the end Blanche was sent to a mental institution, she never gained any knowledge of what truly happened and why. In this way, it could be said that Blanche is not your typical tragic hero because she does not meet this point but that is not a bad thing. Blanche is a unique tragic hero who will never know what went wrong as she has submerged herself in her own little world. A typical, yet unique, tragic hero, Blanche did her best to be happy, her only goal. Unfortunately for her, she did not go about the right way of doing it. The wrong eople were angered and others tried to force Blanche to face reality. Blanche was unable to let go of the walls that protected her from the harsh truth, and so she fell from grace. The final scene in which Blanche utters her most famous line l have always depended on the kindness of strangers. , is the sad culmination of Blanches vanity and total dependence on men for happiness. sealed. Blanches tate is inevi table, all people can do is watch as sne talls deeper and unforgivable thing in my opinion and it is the one thing I have never, never been

UV Visible Spectrophotometry and Solution Absorption

UV Visible Spectrophotometry and Solution Absorption All molecules absorb light at certain wavelengths.   The absorption of light by a solution may be used to determine the concentration of a solute or a mixture of solutes in solution. The Beer-Lambert law refers to the linear relationship between absorbance (A), and concentration (C) of an absorbing species. According to the two fundamental principals that govern the absorption of light by a solution, the absorption of light passing through a solution is exponentially related to the number of molecules of the absorbing solute, and thus the solute concentration, and the length of the absorbing solution. These principals are combined, and when working in concentration units of molarity, the Beer-Lambert law is as follows: For part A of this experiment the ÃŽÂ µ value at the à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬max for Vitamin B12 was determined by measuring the absorbance of a known concentration of Vitamin B12 and by using the above Beer-Lambert formula. Vitamin B12 is a compound of significant nutritional and clinical importance. Assaying and understanding absorption of vitamin B12 helps with diagnosis of defects in humans that can lead to hematological and neurological complications. For part B of this experiment chlorophyll concentration of a leaf extract was calculated. In context to the experiment, eukaryotic green plants and algae, and prokaryotic cyanobacteria contain chloroplasts which have several pigment types, the most abundant of these being chlorophyll a. Green and blue-green coloured chlorophyll a absorbs maximum light energy at the photosynthetic reaction centre (during the light reaction of photosynthesis) at wavelengths in the blue (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬max 420 nm) and red (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬max 663 nm ) regions of the visible spectrum. The green-yellow coloured chlorophyll b is also present in all green plants and has an absorption spectrum (red à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬max 645 nm and blue à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬max 435 nm) slightly different from chlorophyll a. Normally the ratio of chlorophyll a:b is 3:1. As with most biological molecules chlorophyll is synthesised by biochemical pathways, and one intermediate molecule in the synthesis pathway is protochlorophyllide (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬max 626 nm) which is eventually converted into chlorophylls a and b. The amounts of chlorophyll and other pigments in plants can be determined using a spectrophotometer following extraction with various organic solvents. Based on the Beer-Lambert Law and a knowledge of absorption coefficients of pigments dissolved in particular solvents, equations have been derived to directly determine the concentrations of common pigments following extraction by measurement of the absorbance (A) of the solution at a given wavelength (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬max) in a cuvette.   For part 3 of the experiment, protein concentration was determined by use of UV and Visible spectrophotometry, and Construction of a Standard Graph.   The estimation of protein concentration is an important measurement in biological sciences. For pure samples of proteins absorbance measurements at 280 nm can be used to directly determine protein concentration; all proteins absorb in this region of the spectrum due to their aromatic amino acid residues (tyrosine, tryptophan and phenylalanine).   For protein mixtures, very dilute solutions, or for proteins with interfering chromophores, colourimetric methods must be used. These involve subjecting a pure protein standard of known concentration to a colourimetric reaction, and measuring the absorbance of the coloured end product. The sample protein of unknown concentration is subject to the same colourimetric reaction. The concentration of the sample protein can be read directly from a standard curve.   The Lowry assay involves the production of a blue (phosphomolybdate-tungstate) chromophore, from a copper-protein complex.   In this part of the practical, Lowry and direct absorbance methods were compared for the determination of the concentration of lysozyme in solution. The first of the methods makes use of a ÃŽÂ »max in the UV part of the spectrum and the other in the visible part of the spectrum.   Aims   To competently use a spectrophotometer and accociated cuvettes (cells) To relate absorbance of a solution to concentration using the Beer-Lambert law To determine the molar absorption (extinction) coefficient of vitamin B12 and compare its value with that from a standard reference table. To calculate the chlorophyll concentration in a leaf extract using absorbance values at defined wavelengths and a formula applicable to the solvent extraction medium. To measure protein concentration using direct absorbance and, following construction of a calibration curve, by a colourimetric method. Methods Part A To begin the experiment, the spectrophotomer was calibrated in accordance to the information given in the instrumentation booklet (p. 35, viii). Using distilled water in a plastic cuvette at a wavelength of 550 nm the spectrometer was then placed on zero. Using the provided Aqueous Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) solution at a stock concentration of 0.15 g dm-3 (relative molecular mass = 1.355 x 103 i.e. 1,355 Daltons ), The A value was measured and recorded at ÃŽÂ »max at 550 nm. The A value was Placed on the results sheet. The vitamin B12 solution concentration was converted from g dm -3 to mol dm-3 and then using this data the ÃŽÂ µ value for Vitamin B12 was calculated (see calculations). Part B For the second part of the experiment a sample of pigments extracted from dandelion leaves homogenized in an aqueous acetone extraction medium (80%) was provided. A clear pigment solution was needed for the test and so a check was carried out to ensure that there was no plant debris that may have interfered with light passage before the absorbance of the sample was measured. Using a Pasteur pipette, the clear extract was transferred into a clean quartz cuvette. The spectrophotometer was placed on zero using a quartz cuvette filled with an aqueous acetone mixture (80%) set at a à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬max wavelength of 663 nm and the absorbance of the pigment solution was measured at 663 nm. The spectrophotometer was again placed on zero using the acetone solution (80%), however it was set at a à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬max wavelength of 645 nm before the absorbance of the pigment solution was measured. The spectrometer was placed on zero for a third time and set at à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬max wavelength of 626 nm. The absorbance of the pigment solution was again measured and all three sets of data were recorded. Part C (a) Direct absorbance A quartz cuvette was filled to the level with H20 and used as a standard to set the spectrophotometer at zero. Using another quartz cuvette the A value of the lysozyme solution of unknown concentration was measured at a ÃŽÂ »max of 280 nm. The value obtained was recorded. Having measured the A280 value of the unknown lysozyme sample, the concentration of lysozyme was calculated taking into consideration that ÃŽÂ µ280 of lysozyme = 3.65 x 104 dm3 mol-1 cm-1 and using the Beer-Lambert Law. The concentration of the lysozyme sample was then changed from mol dm-3 to à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­gcm-3. (b) Colourimetric Lowry Assay (Preparation and Use of a Standard Curve) Using a stock reference standard BSA solution containing 250 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­g cm-3 protein, a series of dilutions of the stock were prepared accurately, as per the table below: Tube No: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 BSA stock (cm3) 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 5.0 H2O (cm3) 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.0 Note that the dilution factors for each tube were used to enable calculations for final concentrations of BSA in tubes 1- 8 inclusive (see calculations). These values are then used to plot a standard curve. Standard solution (1.0 cm3) prepared in the above table was placed in 8 clean, dry test tubes. unknown lysozome sample (1cm3) was placed into test tube 9, and H2O (1.0 cm3) was placed in test tube 10 as a water/reagent blank control. A solution of Lowry C (alkaline copper reagent) was made up by mixing Lowry B1 (0.5 cm3) with Lowry B2 (0.5 cm3) and lowry A (50 cm3). A solution of lowry D (Folin Ciocalteus phenol reagent) was then made up by diluting Folin reagent (5 cm3) with distilled H2O (10 cm3). Lowry C reagent (5.0 cm3) was added to all ten test tubes. The solution was mixed and left for 10 minutes. Lowry D reagent (1.0 cm3 ) was then added to each test tube and mixed well. All tubes were left for 30 minutes at standard temperature (37oc) for reaction and colour development to occur, after which time the test tube contents were thoroughly mixed. For test tubes 1-9, the A value at à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬max 750 nm was measured. Test tube 10 was not measured as it was used as a H2O/reagent blank to zero the spectrophotometer. Calculations Part A Due to the fact that a known amount of solute has to be dissolved in a given volume of solvent to obtain a solution of the required concentration, the number of moles of the solid can be calculated from the following equation: n = Mass of solute Relative molecular mass To convert the Aqueous Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) solution from g dm -3 to mol dm-3 one must consider that the stock concentration is 0.15 g dm-3, and the relative molecular mass of Vitamin B12 is 1.355 x 103 . 0.15 / 1.355 x 103 = 0.11 x 103 To find the ÃŽÂ µ value (wavelength absorption coefficient) of vitamin B12 the Beer-Lambert law must be applied: A= 0.827 L= 1cm C= 0.11 x 103 dm3 mol-1 cm-1 at ÃŽÂ »max of 550 nm ÃŽÂ µ = unknown As A= ÃŽÂ µLC, the equation can be rearranged as follows to make ÃŽÂ µ the subject: ÃŽÂ µ = A/C Therefore: ÃŽÂ µ = 0.827/0.11 x 103 = 7.51 x 103 Part B Chlorophyll Concentration determination The following formula was used to calculate the concentration of pigment in the extract. Chlorophyll a = 12.67A663 2.65A645 0.29A626 Chlorophyll b = 23.6A645 4.23A663 0.33A626 Protochlorophyllide = 29.6A626 3.99A663 6.76A645 The absorbance (A) is the respective wavelengths obtained directly from the spectrophotometer with the use of a 1cm light path length cuvette. Chlorophyll a = (12.67 x 0.934) (2.65 x 0.390) (0.29 x 0.321) = 10.71 ug cm-3. Chlorophyll b = (23.6 x 0.934) (4.23 x 0.390) (0.33 x 0.321) = 20.29 ug cm-3. Protochlorophyllide = (29.6 x 0.934) (3.99 x 0.390) (6.76 x 0.321) = 23.92 ug cm-3. Part C (a) Direct absorbance Concentration of lysozyme was calculated using the Beer-Lambert law as follows: A = 0.177 ÃŽÂ µ = 3.65 x 104 dm3 mol-1 cm -1 L = 1cm C = Unknown The Beer-Lambert law can be rearranged, making C the subject of the equation. Therefore the value of C can be calculated as: C = A / ÃŽÂ µ C = 0.177 / 3.65 x 104 = 4.84 x 10-6 mol dm-3   The concentration of the lysozyme sample was then changed from mol dm-3 to à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­gcm-3 Using the following formula: n= M / RMM 14.31 x 103 x 4.84 x 10-6 = 0.069g To change this from g to à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­g it must be multiplied by 1000,000 as follows: 0.069 x 1000,000 = 69000 To then change this calculation from dm-3 to cm-3 it must be divided by 1000 as follows: 69000 / 1000 = 69 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­g cm-3 (b). Preparation and Use of a Standard Curve for Lowry Assay: Concentration (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­g cm-3) was calculated using the below figures: Tube No: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 BSA stock (cm3) 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 5.0 H2O (cm3) 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.0 Test tube 1. BSA stock (cm3) = 1.0 H2O (cm3) = 4.0 1.0 + 4.0 = 5 1.0 / 5 = 0.2 0.2 x 250 = 50 Test tube 2. BSA stock (cm3) = 1.5 H2O (cm3) = 3.5 1.5 + 3.5 = 5 1.5/5 = 0.3 0.3 x 250 = 75 Test tube 3. BSA stock (cm3) = 2.0 H2O (cm3) = 3.0 2.0 + 3.0 = 5 2.0 / 5 = 0.4 0.4 x 250 = 100 Test tube 4. BSA stock (cm3) = 2.5 H2O (cm3) = 2.5 2.5 + 2.5 = 5 2.5 / 5 = 0.5 0.5 x 250 = 125 Test tube 5. BSA stock (cm3) = 3.0 H2O (cm3) = 2.0 3.0 + 2.0 = 5 4.0 / 5 = 0.6 0.6 x 250 = 150 Test tube 6. BSA stock (cm3) = 3.5 H2O (cm3) = 1.5 3.5 + 1.5 = 5 3.5 / 5 = 0.7 0.7 x 250 = 175 Test tube 7. BSA stock (cm3) = 4.0 H2O (cm3) = 1.0 4.0 + 1.0 = 5 5.0 / 5 = 0.8 0.8 x 250 = 200 Test tube 8. BSA stock (cm3) = 5.0 H2O (cm3) = 0.0 5.0 + 0.0 = 5 5.0 / 5 = 1 1 x 250 = 250 Results 1. Molar absorption coefficient of vitamin B12: Absorbance reading at ÃŽÂ »max of 550nm (A550nm) 0.827 2. Absorption Pigment type A Value Absorption Concentration Chlorophyll a A663nm 0.934 10.71 Chlorophyll b A645nm 0.390 20.29 Protochlorophyllide A626nm 0.321 23.92 Fig. 1. a table showing the A value of three different pigment types found in a leaf extraction, and the measured absorbance and calculated concentration of each. 3. Lysozyme Concentration Determination: (a) Direct absorbance reading at ÃŽÂ »max of 280 nm (A280nm) 0.177 (b). Preparation and Use of a Standard Curve for Lowry Assay: Discussion Part A A). Using the data collected, the experimental the ÃŽÂ µ value (dm3 mol-1 cm-1) calculated during this experiment was compared to that of an ÃŽÂ µ value obtained from  commercial standard references data. ÃŽÂ »(nm) ÃŽÂ µ(dm3 mol-1 cm-1) Standard ÃŽÂ µ value 550nm 8.55 x 103 Experimental ÃŽÂ µ value 550nm 7.51 x 103 Fig. 4. a table to show a comparison between standard and experimental ÃŽÂ µ values. As the above data indicates, the experimental ÃŽÂ µ value obtained during this experiment differs from that of the standard ÃŽÂ µ value. B). Other than human and experimental errors, one possibility that could explain the differences in the ÃŽÂ µ values is that to a certain degree different spectrophotometers in the laboratory give different readings. If the standard ÃŽÂ µ value was recorded using a different spectrophotometer this could cause anomalies within the results. A second possibility is that the solution used to find the experimental ÃŽÂ µ value was not at a stock concentration of exactly 0.15 g. This would affect the calculations and hence a different result would be obtained to that of the standard ÃŽÂ µ value. Part B 1(a).The % of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and protochlorophyllide in the leaf extract can be calculated in the following way: chlorophyll a concentration = 10.71 ug cm-3 chlorophyll b concentration = 20.29 ug cm-3 protochlorophyllide concentration = 23.92 ug cm-3 10.71 + 20.29 + 23.92 = 54.92 Percentage of chlorophyll a = 10.71/54.92 x 100 = 19.5% Percentage of chlorophyll b = 20.29/54.92 x 100 = 36.9% Percentage of protochlorophyllide = 23.92/54.92 x100 = 43.6% 1(b).It can be seen from the above percentages that 43.6% of the leaf extract is composed of protochlorophyllide. This is the largest percentage present within the leaf extract and therefore it can be considered as the predominant pigment type. 2(a). The percentages obtained can also be used to calculate the ratio of chlorophyll a:b in the leaf extract. In the case of this experiment the ratio of chlorophyll a:b in the leaf extract was 2:1. 2(b). The determined value to be expected when calculating the ratio of chlorophyll a:b in the leaf extract was 3:1. One would expect this as there are three pigments in the leaf extract, that ideally should contribute evenly. However, The results from this experiment vary from the standard data as they show a ratio of 2:1 between chlorophyll a and b. The most probable reason for this variation is not due to anomalies in results or calculations, but the fact that not all leaf extracts will contain the standard amount of pigments. In some cases pigments may be present in a higher percentage of one than the other, as is this experiment where protochlorophyllide was the predominant pigment type. 3). Although the above ratio is only dealing with percentages of chlorophyll a and b present in the leaf extract, one must consider that the presence of protochlorophyllide must be allowed for in the formulae and hence in the calculations. This is because there are three pigment types involved in the leaf extract and so one must consider that the ratio of the whole leaf extract is actually 3:2:1 where the ratio of chlorophyll a:b is 2:1. 4). The use of a formula related to a given extraction solvent is a convenient method for determining the concentration of chlorophyll. However, making use of the Beer-Lambert Law the concentration of chlorophyll could also be found by preparation and use of a standard curve. Part C Determination of Protein Concentration by UV and Visible Spectrophotometry, Construction of a Standard Graph Proteins have aromatic side chains such as tryptophan tyrosine and phenylalanine which absorb light at 280nm. The Lowry method is based upon a combination of the biuret method and the oxidation of tyrosine and tryptophan residues. The biuret reaction involves the binding of Cu2+ under alkaline conditions to nitrogen found in the peptide bonds of proteins. This reaction gives off a deep blue colour. The folin reagent contains phosphomolybdotungstate acids which are reduced to tyrosine, tryptophan and polar amino acids. This creates an intense blue-green colour. (a). The data collected was used to create a graph, plotting a standard curve of A (Y axis) against BSA concentration (X axis) in à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­g cm-3 (See fig.3). This graph, shown in fig.3., was effectively constructed assuming that the relationship between absorbance (A) and concentration (C) must be linear to satisfy the Beer-Lambert law. However, the Beer-Lambert relationship between absorption and concentration deviates from lineariy in the case of more concentrated solutions. Linear BSA standard curves are only obtained at low protein concentration and so therefore to decrease possible anomilies in the results, timing of both residue addition and mixing were crucial. Using the A value from test tube 9, it was possible to use the graph to determine the concentration of the unknown lysozyme sample in à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­g cm-3. Results from the graph show that. (b) By examining the lysozyme concentration results obtained (in à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­g cm-3), it is possible to make a comparison between the results for the colourimetric assay and the direct absorption technique. Results show that Lysozyme concentration for colormetric assay were (m/rmm thing) Lysozyme concentration results for direct absorbance technique were..(graph) These results are same/different. Due to the fact that different proteins have widely varying characteristics, there may be considerable errors within the data. With the colormetric assay any non-protein component of the solution that absorbs UV light could interfere with the assay, resulting in the production of colour by substances other than the analyte of interest. This would cause the results to vary from that of the direct absorbance technique. (c). For this experiment three different methods were used for concentration determination, each of which had different strengths and weaknesses with respect to their sensitivity, accuracy and convenience. The first of these methods was the use of a formula, to determine chlorophyll concentration. Using a formula gives a very accurate theoretical result but it is not particularly convenient as for calculations to be correct it can take a great deal of time and effort. Obviously with such calculations, they are not sensitive as there is no outside interference to affect results. Direct absorbance is not as sensitive as the colormetric method, but as it requires the use of a spectrophotometer, it is an accurate assay method. This also makes the method relatively convenient for determining the concentration of lysozyme present in a given solution as changes in absorbance of the lysozyme could be clearly seen and recorded using the spectrophotometer at a particular wavelength. The colourimetric method was also used to determine the concentration of lysozyme during this experiment. One benefit of using the Colormetric method is that it is extremely sensitive (down to a protein content of 20ug ml-1) and it is also moderately constant from one protein to another. However, with respect to accuracy, this method is subject to interference from a wide range of non-protein substances including many organic buffers. The choice of an appropriate standard is important as the intesnsity of colour produced for a particular protein is dependant on the number of aromatic proteins. As different proteins have a different number of aromatic residues, the Lowry assay is considered more of a qualitative measure of protein content more than quantitative method of determining protein concentraion. This method is not as convenient as the direct absorbance method in that it takes a lot longer to perform and there is a higher frequency of anomalies that must be accounted for. (d). The measurement of protein levels is of significant diagnostic importance in both clinical and veterinary medicine. In clinical medicine there are a wide variety of biomedical tests involving the measurement of protein levels, such as the detection of abnormal protein levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), suggesting that there is an abnormal process occurring in the central nervous system. Protein levels in urine samples are tested to monitor and evaluate kidney function, and essentially to detect and diagnose kidney damage and disease at and early stage. Serum protein tests are also important as they concern measurement of protein levels of albumin and globulin in the blood. Such tests are also important in veterinary medicine. According to reports from Cornell universities college of veterinary medicine, protein tests have been developed to accurately indicate canine liver failure caused by the toxin aflatoxin. (e). Another way in which protein concentration can be measured, other than by the use of a formula or a spectrophotometer is gel electrophoreses. This technique uses charged protein molecules to separate physical properties, as they are forced through a gel by an electrical current.

Analysis Of The Financial Report Of Burberry Finance Essay

Analysis Of The Financial Report Of Burberry Finance Essay In this section we are considering the Annual Report 2009-10 of Burberry and will compare Burberrys performance in this year with the previous years. When financial year 2009-10 started i.e. April 2009, Burberrys main issues of concerns were weak and highly uncertain consumer spending environment (because of prevalent recession). Following which groups main goals were established: Expense Reduction Working Capital Management Indeed, they succeeded up to a remarkable level under most strategic, operational and financial measures. Performance of Burberry was among the best relative to its peers either public or private. Highlights of Burberrys important strategic and operational decision in 2009-10:  £50 M cost efficiency program-helped in reduction of Cost of Sales Upgrading wholesale distribution and restructuring the operations in Spain To maximize Gross Margin, continued to reduce assortment size across categories-resulting in increased Gross Margin from 52.1 % to 59.7% Improved inventory management- inventory reduced 36% over year Added 21 stores with 9% space extension These mentioned decisions helped Burberry perform strongly in 2009-10 and resulted in improved financial strength. Key financial strengths during the period are: Total revenue growth 7%- Revenue  £1.3bn Adjusted operating profit increased 22%  £220M increase Diluted adjusted EPS increased 16% to 35.1p Financial Ratios: Financial ratios are widely used be managers, shareholders, creditors and analysts for all kind of purposes. Firth (1975) proclaimed that these can be used for two purposes. These are: To compare companys latest performance with its performance in earlier periods To make comparisons with corresponding ratios of other firms Following is an analysis of the companys financial ratios and a comparison with the preceding year and its peers: Profitability Ratios: Return on Capital Employed (ROCE): Formula: Net profit before tax/ (All shareholders fund + long term debt) Significance: Profits earned from the two major sources of finance for the company viz. investment by shareholders- shareholders fund and financial institutions mostly- long term debt. The effectiveness of the management in utilising the funds is indicated by ROCE. The return for the FY 2009-10 is 26.03%. It shows a significant change when compared to the previous years return of NEGATIVE 2.78%. A quick glance at the operating profit for the last two years reveals the reason behind such a big leap forward. The company has performed tremendously in the last financial year. From an operating LOSS of  £9.9M for the year ended 31 March 2009 to a significant operating PROFIT of  £171.1M for the year ended 31 March 2010, shows the efficient and effective measures the company had adopted over the year. Even if the comparison is made between adjusted operating profits (after considering the exceptional items) for the last two years, we can see a significant difference of  £39.1M (219.9-180.8). All of this shows that the business is effectively earning on shareholders fund and long term debt generated. Ratio Formula Significance Net margin Net profit before tax/ Total revenue The net profit percentage on the entire revenue earned for the financial year Gross margin Gross profit/ Total revenue The gross margin percentage on the revenue earned for the financial year It is the one of the most commonly used profitability ratio. It shows the net margin with respect to the amount of sales. In 2010 it got increased from -1.34% (2009) to almost 13%. In 2009, Burberry reported negative profit i.e. loss. Main reasons behind this were: High Cost of Sales in 2009 (12.5 % higher than 2010) Higher operating cost (6.71%)in 2008-09 which was mainly because of Goodwill impairment in global market(mainly Spain)  £116.2 million Relocation of headquarters Store impairment and onerous lease provisions Increase in NPM shows that Burberry has controlled its costs effectively in 2009-10. It demonstrates effectiveness of Burberry at converting sales into actual profit. Gross Margin: There is an increase from 55.41% (2009) to 62.82%. It shows that Burberry has increased its gross profit by 7.4 p per  £1 of turnover. It is because of higher sales and low cost of sales in 2010. Sales Growth: Formula: (Present sales- Previous sales) / Previous sales Sales increased from  £1200M (2009) to  £1280M (2010) i.e. an increase by almost 7%. Adapted: Burberry Annual Report 2009-10 Sales growth is one of the KPIs. The above graph shows the revenue earned by Burberry in the last five years. The overall growth shows the increasing trend followed by the company in spite of its macro-economic conditions. This proves the companys ability to capture the market being a luxury brand. Liquidity Ratios: They show the companys ability and the ease with which it can lay its hands on liquid cash. In other words, these ratios signify the liquidity position of the company. The main components of these ratios are the current assets and current liabilities which are also the factors that determine the working capital of the company. Current Ratio: Formula: Total Current Assets/ Total Current Liabilities This is the one of the best known measures that indicates the liquidity position of the company. There is an increase in Current Ratio in 2010 as compared to 2009 which indicates that Burberry has improved its ability to meet the payment schedule of its current debts. The change from 1.36:1 in 2009 to 1.53:1 in 2010 shows the efficiency in working capital requirements. Having current assets equivalent to 1.53 times of current liabilities shows a moderate approach from the management not being too aggressive by holding less current assets nor too conservative by holding more current assets leading to high opportunity cost. Quick Ratio/Acid Test: Formula: (Total current assets-stock)/total current liabilities It measures companys ability to meet short-term obligations with its most liquid assets. An acceptable ratio should be at least 1:1. However in 2009 it was .87 which is not sufficient. An increase from .87 to 1.2 over a period of one year demonstrates that Burberry has stronger liquidity position than it had before. Shareholders POV: Collier (2009) state that Dividends are a decision made by directors on the basis of the proportion of profits they want to distribute and capital needed to be retained in the business to fund growth. (p.114) Shareholders invest in a companys stock with the motive of higher returns through dividends or capital gains. The idea of investing in the shares of a company may give higher returns compared to the other secure investments like bank. However, the risk is also more. The investors measure the prospects of a stock under various scales. Few of them are as follows: Dividend per share (DPS): Formula: Dividends paid/ number of shares Often DPS is the measure of a companys performance because it indicates how profitable a company is over a period of time. In Burberrys case, its excellent performance is reflected through the increase in the dividend per share paid to shareholders. As at 31st march 2010, Burberry had 435,024,782 ordinary shares, of which 77,215 were held as treasury shares, shares that have been bought back by the issuing corporation and is available for retirement or resale; it is issued but not outstanding; it cannot vote and pays no dividends. (http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=treasury%20shares) As per annual report, Burberry has proposed dividend of  £45.7M, which is 20% higher than last year ( £37.7M). This increases its dividend per share to 10.5p from 8.65p. It also increased interim dividend, which is declared and distributed before the calculations of companys annual earnings, per share slightly from 3.35p to 3.50p during year. So, the total dividend per share is 14p for the year ending 2010 giving a 17% increase from 12p in 2009. Dividend Yield: Formula: Dividend per share/ market value per share It shows the relationship between dividends and market share by expressing a companys dividend as a percentage of its share price. However, dividend yield fluctuates with share price. Burberrys shares price was 276.25 on 27 March 2009 and 725.00 on 1 April 2010. (http://www.google.co.uk/finance?client=obq=LON:BRBY) Using its share price value at financial year end, dividend yield is 1.93% in 2010 and 4.3% in 2009. This need not represent that Burberry has decreased its value in investors eye. This fall is because of 163% increase in share price of Burberry, which made increase in dividend less significant. Dividend Payout Ratio: Formula: Dividend paid / (profit after tax i.e. net income) or the ratio of dividend per share and earnings per share. It helps in predicting how well earnings support the dividend payments. Investors seeking high current income and limited capital growth prefer companies with high Dividend payout ratio. However investors seeking capital growth may prefer lower payout ratio because capital gains are taxed at a lower rate. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dividend_payout_ratio) For 2010: it is 14/36 = 38.88 % 2009: 12/31= 39.2% It is almost similar in both years, which shows that Burberry is maintaining the balance between interest of shareholders and expansion of business. Earnings per share (EPS): Formula: profit after tax or net earnings/ number of shares Burberry calculates EPS on the basis of both diluted and basic. When all convertible securities such as convertible preference shares, convertible debts, convertible debentures and warrants exercised; number of outstanding shares increases. This is called Diluted weighted average number of shares, the basis of Diluted EPS. As number of outstanding shares increases, Diluted EPS is always lower than Basic EPS. It is more accurate to use a  Diluted EPS over the reporting term; because the  number of shares outstanding can change over time (We can observe this in annual report that Burberry has always mentioned diluted EPS). In 2010, Diluted weighted average number of shares was about 442 million with dilution effect of 9.3 million. In 2009, it was 438.1 million with dilution effect of 6.8 million. Earnings were  £81.4 million in 2010 as compared to loss of 6 million in 2009, because of reasons mentioned before. This leads Basic EPS to 18.8p (-1.4% in 2009) and Diluted EPS to 18.4p (-1.4% in 2009). Using details of exceptional items in note 4 of annual report 2009-10, adjusted earnings are  £155.2million and  £132.1 million for 2010 and 2009 respectively. This leads to Adjusted Basic EPS to 35.9p (30.6p in 2009) and Adjusted Diluted EPS to 35.1 (30.2 in 2009). Increase in Adjusted Diluted EPS by 17 % is mainly because of 17 % increase in adjusted profit as weighted number of shares is almost same. This increase represents better performance of Burberry in 2009-10. Price-Earnings (P/E) Ratio: Formula: Market value per share/ EPS It is the valuation of companys current share price compared to the per share earnings. This ratio reveals the popularity of a stock because it reflects how much people are willing to pay for it (http://library.thinkquest.org/3298/NoFrames/help/glossary.html). The P/E ratio can be interpreted as number of years of earnings to pay back purchase price, ignoring the time value of money (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P/E_ratio). For 2010 P/E ratio is 725/35.9= 20 and for 2009 it is 276/30.1= 9.2 There is almost two times increase in P/E ratio. This is because of increase in share price by 163%. This increase makes Burberrys stock more attractive than previous year. Bottom line: The above analysis from a shareholders POV leaves an overall positive impact on the investors or the potential investors. Considering the shareholders return, profitability, growth rate the company has been maintaining and the increasing trend in the share value, it would be more than likely a wise decision to invest in the Burberrys stock. Gearing effect: Tools used: Gearing ratio: long-term debt/ (shareholders funds + long-term debt) This ratio gives the proportion of funds which is borrowed from outside in the entire capital employed, than from the shareholders (through issue of shares). This is also called the leverage ratio. The method of introducing debts in place of equity is referred to as trading on equity leverage Collier (2009) states that Higher the gearing, higher is the burden on repaying the debts and the associated interest. Also, if profits turn down, there are substantially more risks carried by the highly geared business. (p.108) However, there is a relationship between risk and return which is to be analysed. Higher proportion of long term debt signifies two issues: Higher return for shareholders Less tax burden Burberry in 2009 has a gearing of 52.72%. For the year ending 2010, it is 43.06% i.e. 56.94% of equity. This shows that their almost half of the sources of finance is through long term borrowings. The effect of generating finance through debts than through equity is shown on the return the shareholders are enjoying. It also shows the company has been closely monitoring tax burden. This is because the provision made for the interest obligation/payment is reflected in reducing the profits, thereby a lower tax on lower profits. However, the debts carry with them the interest obligation and repayment commitments. This way the company has been trying to balance between debt and equity. In the financial year 2009-10, the company has reduced its debt content trying to be a little conservative. The capital structure can be considered to be moderate. Interest cover: Profit before interest tax/ interest payable This represents the profit available, to meet the interest obligation, in terms of the interest payable (number of times). Higher interest cover leaves less strain on the profits and giving a cushion with profit AFTER interest and before tax. Profit before interest and tax: Interest payable: For 2010:  £171.1M  £6.2M For 2009:  £ (9.9) M Loss  £13.4M Interest cover for the year 2009-10 is 27.6 times. This is a highly impressive cover leaving a comfortable position. Considering the loss in the previous year and still maintaining this is very efficient. The decrease in interest commitment this year can be related to the reduction in the debt content of the capital structure (gearing ratio). Financial Risk Management Overview: Burberry deals with variety of financial instruments viz. derivatives, short term and long term borrowings, trade receivables/payables etc. It also combines with variety of financial risks. However, the risk management is carried out by a dedicated Group Treasury under the approval of Board of Directors. Guidelines/ Tools: To reduce the financial risk and ensure sufficient (OPTIMAL) liquidity position Work closely with the business requirements Uses derivative instruments to hedge certain risk exposures Market Risk: Foreign Exchange Risk: Risk: Multiple foreign currency transactions because of international operations Tools/Policies: Entering into forward foreign exchange contracts Hedge anticipated cash flows in each major foreign currency Monitor the desirability of hedging the net assets of the overseas subsidiaries when translated into Sterling for reporting purposes. At 31 March 2010, the Group has performed sensitivity analysis to determine the effect of non-Sterling currencies strengthening/weakening. Price Risk: Risk: Fluctuations in employers national insurance liability due to movements in the share price. Tools/Policies: Entering into equity swaps at the time of granting share options. Monitor the fluctuations in the liability on a continuous basis. Cash flow interest rate risk: Risk: Fluctuations in the interest rates. Tools/Policies: Use interest rate swap derivatives to manage fixed and floating rate borrowings within limits. Credit Risk: Risk: Possible bad debts. Tools/Policies: Wholesale sales only with appropriate credit history/check. Retail sales only through cash or major credit cards. Maximum credit risk exposure is classified separately and attended. Liquidity Risk: Risk: Maintaining sufficient cash balance. Tools/Policies: Maturity profile is established All short term creditors, accruals, bank overdrafts and borrowings within one year. Compliance with all the committed banks credit guidelines. Capital Risk: Risk: Returns to shareholders and other stakeholders; Maintain Going concern. Tools/Policies: Maintain strong credit rating. Appropriate capital structure mix debt and equity. Adjustments according to the economic changes and its strategic objectives. Analysis of the above: All of the above represents the measures adopted by Burberry to meet the Financial Risks. The company having a dedicated risk management team in order to face the risks gives a confidence in the minds. However, they should be continuously aware of the fact that a large corporate like Burberry will have to attend to growing/new risks by anticipating well in advance. They may include a deeper analysis in the following areas: Working capital cycle: Inventory management, EOQ/JIT methods, optimum cash model. Financing needs. Other sources of finance can be analyzed like debt factoring. Capital budgeting decisions before expanding or investing on a project. WACC Weighted average cost of capital is to be considered before deciding the capital structure. Comparisons with the market rate and interest rates prevailing. The overall financial risk management shows the companys ability to address almost all the possible risks efficiently and effectively. Conclusion: With comparison to most of the essential parameters, it can be concluded that Burberry plc showed a promising performance in the last completed financial year 2009-10. Not just with regard to the financial performance, but also in satisfying the shareholders with competent returns. A birds eye view shows the company has made a great comeback this year with a significant profit. However, a deeper penetration/analysis into the last year financials reveals that the loss made in 2008-09 is because of high cost of sales with a difference of  £59.8M compared to the recent year, goodwill impairment charge to the extent of  £116.2M, relocation of HQ costing around  £7.9M and other expansion charges. Also, the above report shows the companys transparency in complying with the Corporate Governance and commitment in attending to its Corporate Social Responsibility, employees welfare etc. Burberry showed continuous interest in brand integrity, being a true leader in luxury brands, and market growth through expansion. Indeed, highly motivated. All this leads to only reaffirm the companys continued efforts in excelling beyond horizons among its peers financially, ethically, and morally!

Fever: 1793 Coming of Age Book Report Essay example -- Laurie Halse An

At some point in a person's life, they must make the transition from childhood to adulthood. Many of a persons early life experiences can contribute to this transition, even if it is the simplest of things. Yellow Fever hit Philadelphia hard in 1793. It also hit hard in the book Fever: 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. In this book, fourteen year-old Mattie Cook?s life gets turned upside-down when Yellow Fever strikes Philadelphia. In her adventure, Mattie must show responsibility, and experience the pain of death before she matures into an adult. In the book, Mattie starts out as a lazy teenager who needs to be told what to do by her over controlling mother, but throughout the story, she becomes more responsible and adult-like. For example, at the start of their adventure, Mattie leaves P...

Divorce Law :: essays research papers

Divorce is a growing epidemic in Canada and the United States. It affects both parties involved, being the spouses, and also has a profound affect on children of the marriage. Recently our government has been revising the old divorce act. It was apparent that it was time to revise the act because it did not properly protect the children from being caught in the middle of things. Divorce is defined as follows: to dissolve legally a marriage between; separate (one of a married couple) from the other by divorce . The Canadian constitution allows only the federal government to set divorce law. The government of Canada has a divorce act, and because it is a federal law, it applies fully and equally in all parts of Canada and to all Canadian citizens. Divorces begin with an application to the court asking it to declare that there has been a breakdown of the marriage. This application must include paragraphs which refer to where and when the marriage took place, who the children were, who should have custody and why, if there is to be support for one of the spouses paid for by the other, and what is to become of the family property. Certified copies of the marriage certificate and any birth certificates are attached. The claim for support is known as "Corollary relief" and may be for the spouses and/or the children (claims for custody also fall under corollary relief claims). When corollary relief is requested, a financial statement which sets out your families monthly expenses in detail is required. The divorce act requires the court to verify weather there seems to be any chance of reconciliation between the parties. The court may even ask for a marriage councilor to attempt a reconciliation. The divorce act demands the sole grounds for divorce as breakdown of marriage, and provides for three basic ways of proving it:  You and your spouse have been separated for one year.  Your spouse has committed adultery.  Your spouse has treated you with intolerable mental or physical cruelty. The most common grounds for divorce is certainly a one year separation for it is the easiest to prove. There is no such thing as a "legal separation" however while living apart you should be protected by a separation agreement. A separation agreement is a domestic agreement between a separated couple outlining the distribution of the property and other obligations to each other .

Jill Bolte Taylor’s Stroke of Insight

Report I Title: Jill Bolte Taylor's stroke of insight Link: http://www. ted. com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight. html Speaker: Jill Bolte Taylor Affiliation: http://www. drjilltaylor. com Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained and published neuroanatomist who dedicated her career to research into the severe mental illnesses. She had a stroke while she was researching about biological differences between healthy brains and brains of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective or bipolar disorder at1996.One of her blood vessel exploded on the left side of her brain and it caused the stroke. In the seminar, she explains her observations about the 4 hour after the stroke as a neuroanatomist. According to her experience she could not able to walk, talk read, write or recall any of her life. In this talk, initially she explains the major functions of the brain with a real human brain. Then she clarifies her stroke according to these functions. She tells the results of her bleeding step by step with examples and helps us to imagine a stroke.After all she finishes her speech with explaining her feelings after she survived and recovered. Beside Jill Bolte Taylor’s stroke of insight video, I watched videos about being happy â€Å"Dan Gilbert asks, Why are we happy? †, about intelligence of plants â€Å"Stefano Mancuso: The roots of plant intelligence† and about brain damages â€Å"VS Ramachandran on your mind†. I generally watched the videos about brain and intelligence because I interested in the human intelligence and brain functions. Mr.Gilbert’s talk showed me the effects of our psychological immune system to be happy, Mr. Mancuso’s talk represented me the intelligence of plants which is similar to animals’ and Mr. Ramachandran’s talk helped me to illustrate the brain functions of human while he was talking about the brain damages. All of these topics were interesting but I mo stly interested in Taylor’s topic because she had a disease which is about her researches and she survived from it without any permanent damage. I liked to hear this neuroanatomy specialist’s own life experiments about brain disease.Favorite quotes and sentences: â€Å"I essentially became an infant in a woman’s body. † â€Å"For those of you who understand computers, our right hemisphere functions like a parallel processor, while our left hemisphere functions like a serial processor. † About Jill Bolte Taylor’s stroke of insight video, I did not understand why and how she felt that she is in nirvana after she woke up after the surgery. I strongly recommend this video to the other students because it is one of the most interesting speech I have ever heard.

The psychology of color

See it or non, bearing certain colourss can assist us promote, do caput manner statement or promote friends to portion the latest chitchat. Colorss in our milieus have the ability to maintain us cool, motivate or de-motivate the conversation. The chromaticities on packaging give some imperceptible messages that the enclosed merchandise is healthy, pricy or insecure. Why? Because of the psychological science of colour, which refers to the strong emo ­tional reactions that we all have towards colourss? Research surveies show that our reaction is partially physiological based on the effects of the colourss that have on our eyes and nervous system. It is besides influ ­enced by our environment and life experiences. Get downing with the engineering at its sim ­plest, the retina focuses on colourss as beams of visible radiation which have changing lengths and grades of refraction, contemplation, soaking up depending on the chromaticity. The oculus ‘s detection of each colour induces fast reactions in the encephalon and autonomic nervous system. For illustration: Warm colourss like reds, orange, yellows have the longest wavelengths, necessitating energy to see them, that ‘s why those colourss seem to start out at us. They stimu ­late the encephalon, raise pulsation and respira ­tion rates. In contrast, cool colourss like blues and viridities have the shortest wavelengths and can easy come in the oculus. This produces a appeasement and relieves us while decelerating the metamorphosis. In add-on to the nonvoluntary reac ­tions we have learned response that is every bit of import to colour. We ‘re taught that pink is for babe misss and blue is for male childs, white espousal gowns represents pureness and naturalness, ruddy for traffic signals which means to halt or danger in front. The colour of our apparels besides speaks volumes. Would you be more related with a customer-service rep ­resentative who is dressed in white or black? Would you experience safer with a physician have oning a navy tie or a bright orange one? Who would you take as a finan ­cial adviser, a adult female in a bluish suit or one in hot pink? The colourss we wear can be calming, enervate or stimulating. While there are no â€Å" good † or â€Å" bad † colourss, we can do exact choice to assist us convey more efficaciously. This is true non merely in manner but besides in place ornament, advertizement, artworks, merchandise designs, and retail environments. For illustration: If invitees yawning at our dinner parties? It may non be the company if your dining room walls are painted lavender, a colour that encourages woolgathering and sleepiness. Looking for more than a cost-of-liv ­ing rise at work? As the most unforgettable and eye-catching of all colourss, red will acquire you noticed and your foreman will be much more likely to remember your thoughts. Since colour unconsciously determines people every twenty-four hours, there ‘s a great van ­tage to understanding how and why these reactions occur. What follows is a elaborate account of the physical responses we have towards each colour, along with the most common psychological associations. Besides sugges ­tions are included on how best is it to utilize this information in a assortment of artistic, concern, and lifestyle applications.RedWhen a bullfighter waves a ruddy ness in the ring, he is playing to the crowd every bit much as the bull. Bulls are really color ­blind and respond merely to the motion of the ness ; the audience, nevertheless, to the full advise the energy of vivacious ruddy. The colour says danger, ardor, heat, strength, ill will, and success. That ‘s non merely an emotional reaction, but a physiological 1 every bit good. Red is a existent daze to the system, takes grab of our attending and requires an attempt to see. Looking at ruddy will increase our blood force per unit area and do our pulse tally. Did you of all time thought why so many fast nutrient eating houses are painted ruddy? This is because ruddy colour sparks our salivary secretory organs, doing us hungry and besides palling our eyes, which boost us to eat, allot and leave faster. Gambling casinos found that people place larger and hazardous stakes under ruddy visible radiations, so they ‘re frequently used in high-stakes countries. At the same clip, the colour provokes people to do speedy determinations, which is why it ‘s a popular pick for â€Å" Buy Now † buttons on retail web sites.RedRed besides transmits energy and bravery, giving one a feel of power to acquire the things done. That ‘s why you would hold seen politicians frequently have oning ruddy ties. As a fillip, ruddy is the most unforgettable of all colourss as you can see gifts given in ruddy gift wrapper, ruddy Black Marias, ruddy cards etc are memorized easy. Red kindles intense, strong emotion, passion among people. As already I have discussed above approximately fillip to ruddy colour, it ‘s the favourite colour for valentines and suitably named â€Å" ruddy visible radiation † zone. Womans in ruddy are frequently seen as flirty, forthcoming, and playful. In China, ruddy represents good fortune and is worn by brides and used in â€Å" ruddy egg † ceremonials to bless newborn babes. Feng Shui practicians suggest utilizing the power of ruddy to kick out bad qi, or energy, from the house. But in deco ­rating, ruddy comes with a caring. Red is used merely in suites where we want to hike activity and lively conversa ­tions, such as a life or dining room. It is besides a great pick for â€Å" pass ­ing through † infinites where we do n't pass a batch of clip, such as hallways, lob ­bies, or guest bathrooms. In a kid ‘s room, the colour causes insomnia. Due to high visibleness it makes ideal for catching audience oculus in advertizements and safe ­ty merchandises like Campbell soup tins to fire asphyxiators and issue marks. The dynamism of ruddy besides makes it the most normally used colour in national flags.COLOR PSYCHThe ruddy colour gives the feeling of velocity, power, joy, danger, and fury. True ruddy is the most vibrant colour. It is the driving colour in the spectrum, express ­ing exhilaration. It attracts attending instantly and its separate the object and image from background. Red colour makes people to experience warm. E.g. Coffee will look hotter in a ruddy cup than in a bluish one. It is the first colour we lose sight of, at twilight and is non good seen at a great distance. Barn, claret, and ruby reds are considered royal, individual, strong and ever great appeal for work forces.YellowThere is a good ground for smiley face is xanthous. The colour of the Sun, xanthous gives a sense of lives. Psychologically it is the happiest colour in the spectrum, steering feelings of hope, joy, and spontaneousness. Think of the term â€Å" cheery disposal. † When associated with the Sun, xanthous gives us an educated ambiance that stands for wisdom, head and vision. This feeling is supported by scientific discipline, as xanthous rapidly reads with the encephalon, stimulat ­ing the nervous system. It is said to be the favourite colour of Chinese philosopher Confucius. It is a colour we ca n't pretermit. It visually pops out. You surely ca n't lose xanthous taxis or car in traffic. Its high visibleness promotes speedy, clear thought. Harmonizing to leg ­endary colour theoretician Faber Birren, who focused on the functional usage of chromaticities in mundane life, Birren was responsible for the creative activity of the Yellow Pages in the 1950s to alleviate the on-the-job humdrum for telephone operators. Research from Pantone subsequently con ­firmed Birren ‘s theory, turn outing that a yel ­low background with black type is the most clear combination for printed stuff and the most conducive to memory keeping. No admiration it ‘s used on legal tablets and traffic cautiousness marks. It besides adds animateness to other col ­ors, doing hot chromaticities seem even more superb and conveying cool colourss to life. It ‘s hence a consistent favourite in the place, make fulling any room with heat, good cheer, and visible radiation. Most popular in kitchens and dining suites, yellow besides provides an appetizing background for nutrient. However, a small goes a long manner. In little measures it encourages lively conversa ­tion and cheerful times, but drawn-out exposure to bright lemon can elicit excessively much mental stimulation and create anxiety. It has been reported that twosomes have more wrangles in xanthous kitchens and the colour can do babes call. Pale but ­tercup is a safer pick in the place. Yellow sends out other assorted mes ­sages every bit good. Mentions to a coward being â€Å" xanthous † started in tenth-century.Color PsychYellow is the happiest colour in the spectrum harmonizing to psychological science, related with heat, optimism, and joy. Yellow visually appears at you, it the really apparent colour. It is good for marks and merchandise bundles. Yellow suggest clear thought. Black type on a xanthous land is the most clear colour combination and helps in memory storage. Yellow combines with other colour cause verve. Overexposure to bright yellow can be unsettling. Paler chromaticities are better for socialising, whereas gold tones mean wealth.OrangeAs human being, sometime we feel decrease aspiration, thought these instant marked by low energy degree. The orange colour boosts O aspiration to the encephalon. And since orange besides increase appetency and helps dyspepsia. Red and Yellow combination makes orange, taking over from both colourss. It has the energy and verve of ruddy and the happy, friendly qualities of yellow. It makes orange bold, stimulating and showing naturalness and merriment. Bright orange is a greater attending and used efficaciously by building workers and traversing guards as a warning. It represents good value every bit good and doing good usage for sale marks in shop Windowss. Furthermore it is quiet tones like colourss of Cucurbita pepos and turning foliages. Orange is a reminder of fall and crop with their warm pleasing groups. Eyess gimmicks burnt orangish really easy and have a sophisticated entreaty that can be both elegant and alien. Orange besides says fresh, healthy, and juicy, doing it a favourite for table scenes and kitchen accoutrements. It is used in meagerly in place ornament. Many expensive eating houses paint their walls and because the colour is welcoming and appetizing.Color PsychOrange is a stimulating, stimulating colour that appears friendly, surpassing, cheerful, and adventuresome. Bright orange has really high visibleness, doing it ideal for warning signals or catching attending, even when used in little sums. Easier on the oculus, autumnal and spicy oranges are warm, alien, and appetiz ­ing, while Prunus persica tones are most flat ­tering to the tegument. Peoples who wear orange are thought to be originative, enthusiastic, and merriment to be with, but perchance besides a spot irresponsible. Because of its playful, active qualities, orange is a favourite of kids, teens, and jocks.GreenGreen non merely represents life and growing. It is the most restful, soothing colour in the spectrum. The ground is physiological. Unlike other chromaticities, green focuses straight on the retina without being refracted, doing it particularly easy on the eyes. It is besides thought to hold great mending powers and the ability to alleviate and review. Harmonizing to colour adviser, . L. Morton ‘s Color Matters web site, people who work in green environments have fewer stomach aches. The igniter viridity is more calming. That is one of the grounds infirmary walls are frequently painted sea froth, to literally affects worried patients and visitants. Then there ‘s the usage of green suites wing at theatres and telecasting shows to cut down tenseness to public presentations. The calming quality of viridity has made the official colour of safety worldwide as in safe to travel traffic signals. Officials in London found another safety usage for the colour Painting the dismaying Black mendicants Bridge a more calming green greatly reduced the rate of self-destruction jumpers. Greenss send a assortment of messages, depending on the shadiness. Kelly greens bring to mind spring and the out-of-doorss, conveying happy, vernal feelings. But that can besides propose immatureness and rawness, such as a fledgling being excessively green to win. Forest viridity is the colour of mature trees stand foring stableness and growing. Amazingly, green colour is used in jurisprudence offices and fiscal establishments. Green is the colour of money excessively. Olive has the most power associated with it because it reminds people of the military, while grass viridity ‘s connexion to new life and growing has come to sym ­bolize birthrate. That made it the favourite colour for marrying gowns during the Renaissance.Color PsychLight viridity is physically is the most relax ­ing and quieting colour in the spectrum. As the easiest colour on the oculus and it is besides improve vision. Vibrant leafy vegetables remind people of the spring, life, nature, and vernal energy. Darker leafy vegetables are doing a logical think of stableness and growing, demoing high economic position and success. Green is the world-wide symbol for safety. Green besides means go. Those people wears green are thought, reliable, and generous. Green has some negative associations besides, when person is ill, they suggested to look around the green things. Similarly, Paris viridity is systematically rated as the most unwholesome of all colourss. In adorning many sunglassess of green show harmonious through of house. Bright greens conveying the feeling of nature inside and can make a smooth ocular flow between the indoors and outside architectural decoration. This chromaticity has a refreshing, nurtur ­ing quality, doing them peculiarly appealing in kitchens and dining suites. Because light green makes pleasant feelings of peace, it is ideal for place sanctuaries, like bathrooms or peace ­ful sleeping rooms. Greenss give a sense of pureness and freshness in packaging that is why it is popular on decorative containers. Merchandises in green negligees are besides thought to be healthful, natural, and environmentally friendly.BlueMost of the people like bluish and their favourite colour besides. Blue is the best liked of all colourss. If person likes bluish colour that means he is in good company. Light to medium scope blues are particularly delighting and reposeful. Gazing at bluish really reduces your pulsation and respiration rate and temporarily low ­ers your blood force per unit area. Blue are positive in sense practically all our associations. When we see cool or ocean blues, many of us think of the sky and quieting Waterss and a holiday on an alien island. In many civilizations blue is believed the most protective of all colourss. In the Middle East, for illustration bluish doors are thought to guard against evil liquors and people in the American Southwest frequently paint their porch ceilings blue to guard off shades. Before the coming of infrigidation, Co blue was used in kitchens and larders because insects, unlike worlds, are pushed back by this colour. Blue kitchens continue to be popular to this twenty-four hours. Navy blue in peculiar represents trueness and trustiness. Blue is ever ideal for showing earnestness and dependability. Men peculiarly like blue. Navy blue besides commands regard, like constabulary and military uniforms while bluish created to implement moral criterions. Brighter blues are perfect have oning for parties and societal assemblages because blue is ever friendly and sympathetic. Darker blues means good genteelness, high societal position, stableness, and self-respect.Color PsychParticularly it is ever favourite of work forces. Blue is the best liked of all colourss Practically all our relationships with blue are positive and ever lifting and peaceable colour. Navy bluish bids respect, stand foring trueness, trustiness, fidelity, and unity. Deep blue is associated with luxury in many civilizations. Blue has been a symbol of fidelity, hope, and religion since antediluvian times. That ‘s where the tradition of the bride have oning something blue originated. Blue is associated with a sweet gustatory sensation, which is why it is systematically used on sugar pack ­aging and related merchandises. Luxury autos frequently come in an elegant midnight or Ag blue that symbolizes power and success, while sportier autos, such as the Volkswagen Beetle, come in a brighter shadiness to propose merriment.PurplePurple could be called the psychology ­ of elegance colour. Historically, The individual who is most outstanding or first-class and person who tops all others that sort of people merely used purple because it is so hard and expensive to bring forth. Harmonizing to Simon Garfield ‘s fasci ­nating book Mauve, 1000s of molluscs needed to be crushed, salted for three yearss, and so boiled for 10 † merely to do adequate dye for a individual frock It is most hard to depict this colour in ancient Rome it is reserve for Caesar. So it is no admiration that purple is associ ­ated with wealth, royalty, and extravagance. But there is a religious side besides since purple subsequently became the colour of associated with church fabric and it became a ornament of supplication shawls in Judaism. Interestingly, the once-exclusive purple is now more popular with adult females than work forces. As a affair of fact many adult females means violet colour as their favourite colour. Possibly purple ‘s colour composing of exhilaration of ruddy with the order of blue. It ‘s hence considered the colour of via media, or striking a happy medium. Peoples who wear purple are thought to be nurturing, passionate, and tidal bore to delight qualities more frequently justice to adult females than work forces. Purple conveys really different emotions depending on its shadiness. The darkest plum has funereal overtones and can be depress ­ing and solemn. In many states it replaces black as the official colour of mourning. Royal purple, with its baronial heritage, besides suggests richness and position Because of the measure of ruddy in their composing, bright colour carry the most energy. Those are happier and exciting colourss, violets and laven ­ders have a romantic, nostalgic quality. The quality of assorted messages of purple, the violet colour seldom used in nutrient packaging at the supermarket and in high-ticket purchases such as autos or contraptions. In bundles and publicizing the colour is most frequently used to denote merchandises or services aimed at adult females For adorning the purples can be really dramatic and animal.COLOR PSYCHRoyal purple exudes category, power, passion, sensualness, and luxury. Deep plum is religious and cryptic, with a serious, dignified quality. Lavenders and violets have a Sweet, romantic, and nostalgic entreaty. Peoples tend to acquire less work done in purple suites because the colour encourages woolgathering. Womans frequently cite purple as their favourite colour.TapPink non merely promotes friendliness, but really discourages aggres ­sion and ailment will. Peachy pinks ever used on the packaging of cosmetics because the colour is really feminine and besides praising to one ‘s skin color. Mass-market lines such as Maybelline, nevertheless, prefer eye- catching hot pinks to catch attending in crowded pharmaceutics shows. In chromatherapy, a pink room is recommended for people who have trou ­ble quieting down and letting things go. No affair how bad your twenty-four hours is, it is difficult to keep onto aggression in the presence of pink.Color PsychPink is the most inactive of all colourss, advancing friendliness while discourag ­ing aggression against oneself every bit good as others. Considered the most feminine colour, pink is associated with nurturing and compassion. Pink composures and alleviations, and is thought to help in digestion. Shocking pink has a much higher concentration of ruddy, doing it appear energetic, merriment, and trendy. Work force prefer bang-up pinks to show love.BrownBrown colour as the colour of Earth and protective trees, it pro ­vides comfort while reminding us of fireplace and place. The brown colour household becomes particularly popular during dying times of societal or economic disturbance. Warm neutrals are perceived as holding enduring value and can do people experience like everything is traveling to be all right. Those people who wear brown is really reliable, sincere, and hardworking. That belief goes back to historic times when bright colourss were reserved for roy ­alty and the wealthy, delegating browns to the provincials. Feel and a sense of humbleness ever denoted by brown, Brown is ever wardrobe pick. It will do you look acceptive, dependable, and trustworthy. However, brown can miss authorization in a middle-class work environment. In interior design, brown is consid ­ered the great leveller, anchoring all the other colourss. In a exuberant garden, crude brown is the perfect background for nature full pallet, whether warm or cool. Although it is the colour of wood, brown is portion of practically every room scene. Muted neutrals are frequently favourites in life suites, surveies, and household suites because they appear simpleness and peace while making familiarity. A rich mix of textures keeps the naturals from being deadening and can offer a relieving sensualness. Pale neutrals make a room feel big and less littered, while darker browns create a sense of cosiness and security. Chocolate brown walls can be peculiar rich and sophisticated. Work forces are peculiarly fond of brown. The colour is shown as rough and outdoorsy, doing it present in featuring goods, insouciant apparels, and all-terrain vehicles. The masculine combination of blues and browns is besides systematically popular with work forces in both vesture and place design. Paper-bag brown is used to propose the freshness of nutrient, a reminder of the wrapper used in out-of-door green goods mar ­kets.Color PsychBrown is a warm, soothing colour associated with the Earth, trees, fireplace, and place. Peoples tend to purchase high-ticket merchandises in impersonal colourss, particularly in an unsure economic system. Browns both put consumers at easiness and are considered timeless. Brown has a common feel in vesture, doing one expression accessible, reli ­able, and sincere. Brown has a masculine, rugged quality that peculiarly entreaties to work forces. Paper-bag brown is used in packaging to denote a natural merchandise.GrayOther definition of Gray is impersonal. It is the colour that people seldom love or hate. Gray is noncommittal, formal, and dignified. Gray is suggest adulthood and wisdom. A individual with grey hair means lifetime and increasing cognition and experience. Grey deficiencies warmth, distant and serious which it can do appear. For illustration rock churches, grave ­yards, and skyscrapers. In packaging greies have a rich, pres ­tigious entreaty? Luxury cars are most popular in Ag tones, as are plat ­inum charge cards with their heavy fees. As usual high-end dress shops ever wrap goods in grey boxes means that there is a cherished gift indoors. Metallic grey associated with scien ­tific and technological progresss is used efficaciously when presenting province of the art merchandises. That is why grey colour is largely used in car. In interior design, dark grey is dignified and formal, while a lighter grey is more reposeful, nei ­ther shadiness will promote lively conversa ­tion. Graies are better suited to suites where the occupants are looking for peace of head.Color PsychGrey represents noninvolvement, demoing formal, dignified, and conservative authorization. Grey represents noninvolvement, demoing formal, dignified, and conservative authorization. Unlike impersonal brown, grey deficiencies heat, which can do it appear distant, grave, and a spot glooming when used entirely. Gray is associated with wisdom and adulthood, adding to its monied entreaty. Metallic grays offer the promise of scientific and technological progresss, every bit good as a sense of velocity and competency. Graies are cool and reposeful in place decor, but besides deter lively con ­versation and offer an unattractive background for nutrient.WhiteWhite represents pureness, artlessness, virtuousness, and fidelity. That is why it is the most popular colour for marrying frocks. In vesture, white is frequently compared with important wealth its wearer has a high societal position. It is consider that white is absence of colour, more sunglassess of white are available commercially than of any other colour. White besides stands for truth and good ­ness. Safety and medical merchandises are frequently white to propose antiseptic cleanliness. Think of cotton patchs, cotton balls, and physicians ‘ lab coats. White ‘s associate with Eden and angels. And it is Symbolizes decease in India, China and JapanColor PsychWhite symbolizes pureness, artlessness, goodness, and truth. Although white is impersonal, it is considered a cool colour because of its association with snow and ice. White is frequently used to propose sim ­plicity, asepsis, and safety. Beckoning a white flag is the international symbol of a call for a armistice. White is popular on the packaging of dairy merchandises, low-fat points, and refined ingredients such as sugar and flour.BlackWithout any inquiry the black is most authoritative and overmastering colour. It is related with decease and darkness ; it gives wary feeling of the unknown. It is besides cryptic. And good fortune if a black cat crosses your way. Black ‘s sensed premonition gives it an air of danger as good, and it is used to great consequence for the vesture of escorts, chucker-outs, and FBI forces to intimidate possible trouble makers. Black is besides the most popular colour for limousines, Lincoln Town Cars, and the official vehicles that conveyance very important persons, because the colour implies that the individual interior is of import and worthy of regard. Research surveies of American football statistics found that squads have oning black uniforms had more disputed dramas called against them, seemingly because referees subconsciously considered them the aggres ­sors. And why do you believe referees ‘ uni ­forms are dominated by important black? In the manner universe, black is truly present. The all purpose â€Å" small black frock, † foremost designed by Coco Chanel, comes up once more and once more as the tallness of sophis ­tication. ( It ‘s besides slimming and does non demo soil, two major manner assets. )