Tuesday, August 25, 2020

An essay on hr problem in cognizant technology solutions, yyderabad, india The WritePass Journal

An exposition on hr issue in perceptive innovation arrangements, yyderabad, india Presentation An exposition on hr issue in perceptive innovation arrangements, yyderabad, india IntroductionBackgroundInterventionsConclusionBibliographyRelated Presentation This exposition portrays the ongoing HR issue looked by Cognizant Technology Solutions, Hyderabad, India one of the quickest developing IT Service Providing Companies, an auxiliary of Cognizant Head Quarters, New Jersey as got notification from one of the partners inside the organization. The Organization confronted the issue of holding their accomplished partners during the monetary down-turn time frame or supposed Recession period when the other contending organizations terminated a considerable lot of their representatives who have worked for the greater part 10 years as a result of presenting money related issues on the organization as to wages and support during that period. Begun with around 264 partners to 10,000+ individuals (till date), they have contributed a great deal to the Organization’s striking development over a brief time of 8 years at Hyderabad Off-shore Development Center. [ By Geeta Ramachandran, Sr. Official †HR, Global Workforce Management (GWFM), CTS(H), Feb, 2006-(till date). ] Catchphrases: Associates, Resources, Off-shore Development Center, Business Continuity Plan, Work Force Management, Incentive Approach, Two-in-a-Box Module. Foundation Discerning Technology Solutions, one of the main Multi-National Companies began its Off-shore Development Center (ODC) at Hyderabad, India in 2002 as a piece of Global Expansion. It serves in excess of 500 customers having a place with different fields, for example, Banking Financial Services, Health Care Insurance, Communications, Consumer Goods, Energy Utilities, Information, Media Entertainment, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Retail, Technology, Transportation Logistics, and Travel Hospitality. The Company has recorded its most elevated development in the fourth quarter of 2010. What's more, reported 200% climb for their top entertainers during this quarter recuperating from the downturn blows. They have crossed the 10M quality in a similar quarter all around. [cognizant.com/aboutus/in news ] Intercessions Downturn is all the more regularly can be named as one of the stages for rearrangement in disequilibrium of capital administration. At whatever point an asset is discharged inside an association from the declining exercises, they will be quickly moving to the extending ventures. Downturn or recuperation is the main period of rearrangement process in this universe of non-uniform capital and rigidities in change forms begins with the acknowledgment of blunders conveyed under the bogus impression anticipated by simple credit. Downturn period in the worldwide markets is considered as terrible by concerning the nominative decisions about the various periods of the cycle. [ â€Å"Capital in Disequilibrium: An Austrian Approach to Recession and Recovery† by Noah Yetter and John P. Cochran. ] Global organizations are centered around getting the accomplished staff which would permit them to have the attainability of not spending extra speculations on some other diverse preparing programs. Little scope associations are increasingly centered around fresher as they can't hold up under tremendous compensation to the accomplished recruits. By giving the settled condition to the representatives so the representatives can work openly and can apply all point of view into the real world. Along these lines, there is a redirection among the chiefs whom to consider with high need when monetary issues are engaged with the asset the executives strategies. [ Resourcing in Business Logistics: The Art of Systematic Combining, by M. Jahre, L.E. Gadde H. Hã ¥kansson, D. Harrison, G. Persson, and G. Liber, Torkel Strã ¶msten, Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm, Sweden, Book Review, Page No. 411-414.] As there are money related possibilities included, it is in every case better to enlist new alumni and train them dependent on the prerequisites of business with the use of legitimate determining methods. In the event that the assets having a place with an association are homogenous in all angles and all costs, wages, and loan fees are entirely adaptable in as indicated by the hierarchical approaches, at that point the downturn or recuperation procedure would be a solitary procedure which would be fast and basically painless.An experienced worker compensation equivalent the 3-4 new alumni compensation whose cost to organization would be low when contrasted with previous. It is consistently desirable over have those youthful personalities which are imaginative and inventive now and again and works brilliant in arriving at the convenient objectives instead of being difficult for fulfillment of undertakings. What's more, if the Organization imagines that an accomplished worker should be held with the association, firm ought to allocate them the different assignments up to the conceivable degree however not over-burdening them. By making the accomplished assets capable in some administrative positions and offering them the arrangement of steady help and means for oversight from the top-level administration to manage the new applicants in accomplishing administration and conveyance objectives a lot to the fulfillment and joy of the clients. [ â€Å"Estimating the effect of big business asset arranging, venture the board choices on post-execution support costs† by Meg Fryling, University at Albany, USA.] So as to hold the accomplished representatives from the association, one needs to fabricate the solid conviction about the future possibilities of the worker guaranteeing about their job in the association and all the more critically work security. Discerning has utilized a similar methodology during that unrest and with a similar system they accomplished the tag of quickest developing IT Services Provider around the world. Aware prepared the individuals regardless of experienced or a new applicant in the part during the period to get the open doors in future. By ensuring that the representatives would fit into the prerequisites likewise, and giving them the various choices such as self-learning, e-learning courses to learn and comprehend the new advances instead of adhering to the current innovation which they have as of now mastered during their graduation and the equivalent has applied throughout the years for the standard expectations in this way not permitting themselves to arri ve at the further levels in adding to the achievement of the association. [ â€Å"Leadership in the period of Economic Un-Certainty† by Charan. R, McGrawhill, 2009.] [ â€Å"Managing a hazard contention: The Canadian Salmon Aquaculture industry’s reactions to sorted out and neighborhood opposition† by Nathan Young; Mary Liston.] Preparing and permitting them to comprehend, execute the new advances may take some time at first however it makes the representative knowledgeable with the equivalent. With a similar technique we can manufacture the trust in the individuals by spending entire total sum for preparing reason as it helps in holding the certainty of the worker on the administration. In the wake of confronting the underlying period of financial un-sureness, each Organization focused on cost-cuttings along these lines empowering the customers to confide in the administration concerning the ROI and estimation of ventures. This would decrease the income and benefits to the organization during that period and on a drawn out premise, this outcome in keeping up the solid relationship with the customers. [â€Å"Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior to Explain Marketing Managers’ Perspectives on Sustainable Marketing† by Ahmed Shahriar Ferdous.] Reallocation of the assets is another significant factor which would make some separation between the workers and their families. Reallocation should be done relying upon the necessity and practicality of the organization. Contingent upon the assignment, work-understanding of a specific representative, he/she would be given the need to serve the association concurring not influencing the business progression plan and meeting the expectations in time. Customary Audits will be held at those which were appeared to the customers toward the beginning up. Meeting the desires for the client in time is a strategy which is conceivable just through committed assets for the association. With a similar methodology, associations assemble the notoriety among the customers. [ Estimating the effect of big business asset arranging, venture the board choices on post-execution upkeep costs by Meg Fryling, University at Albany, USA.] [Collaborative Behavior and the exhibition of the associations by Andrew B. Whitford, Soo-youthful Lee, Taesik Yun, Chan Ju Sung.] Asset Management inside the association ought to be considered as a high-need issue which requires appropriate consideration. Asset Planning and Resource Management as per the business should be booked. As Cognizant applies Two-In-A-Box Module, on hand/Offshore Delivery module, they will in general have more asset quality at seaward than on location as the CTC would be expanding if the on-boarded individuals are in huge number. They do follow an approach of 1:3 proportions Onsite Offshore asset quality as a result of which Cognizant assets might want to remain with the association as opposed to deciding on different associations. What's more, another approach to take a gander at it, the organization offers colossal motivating forces and different exercises close by the customary work. Perceptive enlisted graduates during downturn period from colleges who will be finishing their graduation in another 6-8 months of time and apparatus up to confront the worldwide condition as opposed to terminating the accomplished recruits. In the mean time the association can benefit an opportunity to design as needs be and train them the various advances to meet the desires from the clients and serve them with high productivity. [By Rohit Eustachius, Executive †HR, Campus Talent Manager, CTS(H), Aug, 2006-(till date).] In light of the above intercessions for the issue, we can express that a blend of new and experienced individuals is required in each industry and the equivalent appl

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Little Miss Sunshine Essay

In the piece the crowd is first acquainted with Richard in front of an audience giving his ‘9 step’ discourse. The chiefs utilize a low edge shot recommending that he is an unrivaled and legitimate character. Richards ground-breaking voice blasts through the room when he says the exchange â€Å"there are two kinds of individuals in this world champs and losers†, the way Richard talks causes him to seem, by all accounts, to be a ‘winner’ and that he really trusts in the ‘9 step’ program he is attempting to sell. Dayton and Farris make a bogus impression of Richard, causing the crowd to accept that he is a â€Å"winner†. Incidentally once Richard completes his discourse, the camera skillet to his crowd, which is as a matter of fact a study hall of ten individuals hesintly applauding, this reduces his situation of influence in a split second. This shows the immortal thought that ‘winning isn't everything’ on the grounds t hat that when an individual who’s just objective is winning are in certainty ‘losers’ in light of the fact that they are not learning the significant exercises in life that accompany this excursion so they don’t completely succussed. At the point when individuals spotlight to hard on winning they pass up the more significant exercises that accompany this experience. The possibility that triumphant is everything for Richard makes a bogus world for him. Richard as far as he could tell believes that he is a victor however it is obvious to the crowd that he isn't. Richard is to devoured in winning which drives him into unexpectedly being mean to Olive. The discourse â€Å"Don’t apologize Olive, it’s an indication of weakness† shows how Richard is attempting to drive his convictions onto Olive. The nearby of Olive (that follows) looking nerves and pitiful that her dad thinks she’s frail shows the crowd that Richard is excessively focussed on winning which drives him to harming guiltless Olive . This shows the ageless thought that ‘winning isn't everything’ supposing that we spotlights to much on winning that it can lead us to overlooking our ethics and harming our loved ones, making us ‘losers’ in the genuine articles that issue like family and love. Dayton and Farris utilize the character Richard to show the crowd that triumphant isn't all that matters. Out and about excursion Richard additionally takes an enthusiastic excursion and finds that life isn't tied in with winning. Richard gradually changes all through the film into a genuine victor since he begins thinking about others and begins to utilize his ‘9 steps’ instead of vacantly talking about them. Nsdghjgtsjdgh The primary indication of this positive change is when. The executives utilize a two man shot of Richard and the expo facilitator to show how Richard has improved. The exchange â€Å"what is your little girl doing?† Richard answers â€Å" she’s kicking ass† shows how Richard has changed and now comprehends that ‘winning isn't everything’. In this two man shot Richard gives off an impression of being the genuine champ on the grounds that has now come to understand the one of the genuine implications of winning which is having a caring family, while the exhibition organizer is as yet focussed on the possibility that triumphant is everything, this shows how Richard was and how he has improved. This shows the ageless thought that triumphant isn't everything since when he understands that it’s not tied in with winning , he turns into a victor since now he esteems his qualities his family and now isn’t focussed on simply winning. Dayton and Farris help us to comprehend that we shouldn’t put all our exertion into â€Å"stupid pointless competitions† yet rather center around the genuinely significant things throughout everyday life. Through Richards change the crowd took in the immortal thought that ‘winning isn't everything . Dayton and Farris demonstrate that however somebody may seem, by all accounts, to be a ‘winner’ and fruitful throughout everyday life, this isn't in every case valid and what is within and how you treat individuals is progressively si gnificant. By Richard understanding that the genuine qualities in life are love and connections not achievement we are demonstrated that we should concentrate on the genuine qualities in life for us.

Sunday, August 2, 2020

Should You Get a Post-Graduate Degree in Psychology

Should You Get a Post-Graduate Degree in Psychology Student Resources Print Getting an Advanced Degree in Psychology Questions to Ask Yourself Before Signing up for Graduate School By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Updated on December 10, 2018 Thomas Barwick/Digital Vision/Getty Images More in Student Resources APA Style and Writing Study Guides and Tips Careers Congratulations: Youve earned your  bachelors degree in psychology. Your four years of undergraduate study has paid off. Now the question may be, should you go on to graduate school? An advanced degree in psychology (or in most any field) opens up more career options and makes it easier to advance professionally. However, graduate study is intensive, time-consuming, and expensive, so dont jump into a commitment without weighing your options. Questions to Consider Regarding an Advanced Degree in Psychology To help you home in on the path thats right for you based on what aspects of psychology you want to focus on, what you hope to achieve in your career, and so forth, ask yourself these key questions. Are You Clear About Your Professional Goals? If youre truly passionate about the subject matter and are certain you want to pursue a career in psychology that requires an advanced degree, then grad school is for you. You can move on to considering the pros and cons of pursuing  a  masters degree, a  Ph.D.  (which stands for doctor of philosophy),  or a  Psy.D  (doctor of psychology), and exploring specific graduate school programs. But if youre not really sure what you want to do in the field of psychology, or even if you want to pursue a career in this area, take time to establish some clear goals before you commit to grad school. Talk to your adviser, professors, and, if you can, people who are already working in the field, such as therapists, researchers, social workers for guidance. Do You Have Time for Graduate School? Earning an advanced degree in psychology requires a serious commitment of timeâ€"two to eight years in graduate school. Most graduate programs follow a traditional schedule, so if you cant go to school full-time, your options may be limited. That said, some graduate programs offer part-time, evening, or weekend options. If you have your eye on a specific school, look carefully at the requirements to make sure you can manage the course load and study obligations. Do You Have the Skills Needed to Succeed? Motivation and commitment are just two of the characteristics that are essential for successful grad students. Strong academic abilities and great study skills are also necessary. The majority of graduate programs require at least a 3.0 GPA, but some programs have even higher standards. Be realistic about your abilities and your desire to succeed before you take this major step. Have You Considered All of Your Options? Once you decide to go for an advanced degree in psychology, youll need to figure out which type of degree to pursue. For example, you might start out with a general goal of becoming a mental health therapist, but there are lots of options here. You could study to become a clinical psychologist, a counseling psychologist, a social worker, or a psychiatrist, for example. Each of these has different educational requirements that will determine the type of advanced psychology degree you go for. Its a huge decision, but by putting in the effort to weigh all pros and cons you can be certain youve made the right one for you.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

If You Tour The Marin County Civic Center, They Will Tell

If you tour the Marin County Civic Center, they will tell you stories of architecture and Wright, of county supervisors and fairgrounds, of famed locals and proud histories; they will not, however, offer you the story of the revolutionary moment that called the Civic Center its beginning. On August 7, 1970, 17-year-old Jonathan Jackson launched an armed attack at the courthouse to demand the release of his brother George – a political activist who violently fought the white supremacist structures of the penal system – from San Quentin, the high-security prison on the San Francisco Bay. That mission failed, losing Jonathan his life, and leaving behind lengthy consequences for his alleged accomplice, the radical former UCLA professor Angela†¦show more content†¦In one such sentence, explaining the importance of dangers of Blackness in America, he says, â€Å"There is always, of course, more to any picture than can speedily be perceived and in all of this— groaning and moaning, watching, calculating, clowning, surviving, and outwitting, some tremendous strength was nevertheless being forged, which is part of our legacy today.† This level of writing, with its elements of poesy and intellectualism, seems to be an appeal to educated audiences, particularly white moderates, who might have read this letter because of Baldwin’s fame as an author. But Baldwin addresses, just as clearly, the dissatisfied-yet-complacent Black people who disavowed the stigmatized violence of Black radicalism, and rhetorically places them in agreement with him, explaining, â€Å"We know that we, the Blacks, and not only we, the blacks, have been, and are, the victims of a system whose only fuel is greed, whose only god is profit.† This sentence reads, to a white audience, as a representation of Baldwin and Davis, but to a Black audience as a statement that includes the reader, thus manipulating the open letter format to bring that reader into radicalism through a fear of and discomfort with systemic injustice. In case that fear of the present would not suffice, Baldwin references pertinent historical

Monday, May 11, 2020

The Enron and Worldcom Scandals - 875 Words

E. Boos – Week 2 – Assignment February 17, 2013 The Enron and WoldCom Scandals ENRON 1. The segment of Enron’s operations that got them into difficulties had several parts. They published misleading financial reports. They could not meet their bridge financing commitment with Barclay Bank because outside investors were not found. Because of this, they restated activities of JEDI and Chewco SPEs so they could be retroactively consolidated into Enron’s accounts. The SPEs helped to hide the inaccurate accounting records. Enron’s legal department wrote contracts that helped provide a cover for misuse of funds regarding the SPEs. Future revenue was reported as current revenue. Stocks were paid with promissory†¦show more content†¦5. Ken Lay was chairperson of the board. He reassumed the position of CEO after Skilling resigned. As CEO he oversaw all of Enron’s activities. Lay and Whaley directed Causey to sell the Raptor SPEs. The sale price of was privately negotiated between Fastor, on behal f of Enron, and Kopper on behalf of LJM2. Lay did not interfere when Arthur Andersen directed Enron to record the buyout excess money as income. He knowingly allowed fraudulent activities and false information to be included in the financial reports. This was unethical. The Powers Report identifies seven questionable accounting issues concerning the sale of the Raptors (Brooks, 2007). 6. The board of directors did not insist that full disclosure of Enron’s earning be made available to the public and the shareholders. They allowed inaccurate reports to be published. Since they did not challenge management involvement in fraudulent activities, this meant the shareholders interests were not protected (Brooks, 2007). 9. Conflict of interest concerning SPE activities occurred because Enron employees were active in managing certain SPEs. Losses were not reported in end of year reports to offset other nonprofitable dealings. Arthur Andersen did not report all of the earnings and helped Enron cover up losses. When Andrew Fastow, wanted to manageShow MoreRelatedThe Enron and Worldcom Scandals1009 Words   |  5 PagesThe Enron and WorldCom scandals Enron #1. The segment that put Enron in difficulties was the LJM1. That SPE was the worst of all four SPE’s. This one had no independant investor that could put up the 3% that they needed for the controlling investor, where CHEWCO would work as a counterparty accounting to the Ugt;Sgt; guidelines. Enron already owned 97% of CHEWCO, where if they had a controlling investor, the profits from CHEWCO would go directly to Enron’s assets. Later, they did not findRead MoreAccounting Scandals. ENRON, WORLDCOM1894 Words   |  8 PagesENRON Enron shocked the world from being â€Å"America’s most innovative company† to America s biggest corporate bankruptcy at its time. At its peak, Enron was America s seventh largest corporation. Enron gave the illusion that it was a steady company with good revenue but that was not the case, a large part of Enron’s profits were made of paper. This was made possible by masterfully designed accounting and morally questionable acts by traders and executives. Deep debt and surfacing information aboutRead MoreFinancial Scandals Of Enron, Worldcom, And Tyco Occurred Risk Management1671 Words   |  7 PagesRisk Management After the major financial scandals of Enron, WorldCom, and Tyco occurred risk management became a high priority for companies. According to Brown, Steen, and Foreman (2009) risk management can be defined as the culture, processes, and structures that are directed towards taking advantage of potential opportunities while managing potential adverse effects† (p.547). To assist companies in the risk management process, companies are incorporating a risk management system, this helpsRead MoreEnron and Worldcom Case Study1225 Words   |  5 PagesEnron and WorldCom Case Study This report is based on the demise of Enron Corporation and WorldCom. Both the firms are demised due to the ethical lapses. These ethical lapses come into existence when managements of the firm, uses unethical practices to accomplish the goals of the firm. Maintaining financial and accounting standards in the business practices are necessary. The profession of accounting has become a mockery due to the accounting scandals that took place all over the world in theRead MoreEssay on The Consequences of Bad Business Decisions1304 Words   |  6 PagesIn todays world business is very competitive. To compete with other companys executives have turned to corrupt practices. Once respected businesses like Enron, WorldCom, and Arthur Anderson have been found deceiving there customers, stockholders, and employees. C.E.O.s try to achieve the American dream and pursue capitalism to its fullest potential. In doing so, business leaders have lost their values and ethics, and make bad business decis ions. The downfalls of a company are the consequence ofRead MoreCorporate Scandals And The Implact Of The Sarbanes Oxley Act1472 Words   |  6 PagesA LOOK AT CORPORATE SCANDALS AND THE IMPLACT OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002 I. INTRODUCTION An economic boom filled with fraud, collapsed in the early 2000s with the unravelling of Enron in October 2001 followed by the implosion of WorldCom and many others big corporations. The downfall of these major companies led to a wide spread crisis of confidence in the financial markets. A crisis caused by executive greed was able to be magnified when the gatekeepers, the auditors, lawyers and analystsRead MoreThe Sarbanes Oxley Act Of 20021133 Words   |  5 Pagesdirectly affected by these scandals, many were indirectly affected as well due to the externalities caused by these greedy firms. The industry, for example, was to be untrusted. To try and instill trust back into customers, the Securities and Exchange Committee proposed and implemented a new law. This policy was put in place to regulate the accounting practices and to make them more honest. Titled the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (enacted just after the WorldCom scandal), basically set rules and regulationsRead MoreCorpora te Scandals And Allegations Of Fraud1111 Words   |  5 PagesCorporate scandals and accusations of fraud have amplified intensely over the last decade. The cost of fraud has reached over $400 billion dollars a year, not to mention the loss of investments and jobs. Corporation fraud involves creative, complex methods in which to overstate revenues, understate expenses, over value assets, and underreport liabilities. To hide financial problems, management will manipulate stock prices, minimize taxable income, and maximize compensation. â€Å"It s been my experience†¦Read MoreThe Sarbanes Oxley Act Summary And Introduction1714 Words   |  7 PagesReforms have been created to close the gap of corporate governance and financial reporting in order to prevent the reoccurrence of corporate scandals. Congress created a federal bill named the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act in July 2002 in response to the Enron and WorldCom scandals that introduced major changes to the regulation of corporate governance and financial practice in order to protect the interest of investors and the public (â€Å"Sarbanes-Oxley Act Summary and Introduction,† 2003). The Act is extensiveRead MoreEthics : Ethical And Ethical Considerations1741 Words   |  7 Pagescompany. For small business investors, creditors and managers being ethical is a simple way of staying out of trouble, and is easier to distinguish between right and wrong. WorldCom was one of the biggest telecommunication company that our world h as seen and also had one of the largest accounting frauds in history. WorldCom was a company that did not stay ethical in their ways of doing business. In accounting, the ethical consideration is honesty. You want to help your client to pay as little

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Acs Assignment 2, University of Winnipeg Free Essays

ACS 1803 – ASSIGNMENT 2 Due: February 11, 2013 To be done individually. 1) a) 8 A hospital ward wants to computerize its data about patients and medications / dosages prescribed for the patients. {In your mind, compare this situation with the in-class example about students, courses and grades: student is like patient, course is like medication and grade is dosage}. We will write a custom essay sample on Acs Assignment 2, University of Winnipeg or any similar topic only for you Order Now Then, use the following fields of hospital data that are put into one file (table): patient No. , patient name, patient address, patient birth date; medication name, medication dosage (this means how many tablets or teaspoons of that medication the patient must take each day). Use the following data: ? John Smith Date of Birth: Oct. 10. 1969 Address:123 Dialysis Way. Prescription: Prilosec. Three tablets daily Adavart . Three tablets daily Patient ID: 1849 ? Marla Johnson Date of Birth: Jan. 31. 1955 Address:842 Blossom St. Prescription: Oxycontin Two teaspoons daily Neulasta. Four tablets daily Lamictal Two tablets daily Patient ID: 1850 ? Jane Doe Date of Birth: Aug. 01. 1949 Address:725 Olive Ave. Prescription: Remicade. Three tablets daily Diovan. Four tablets daily Gardasil. One teaspoon daily Patient ID: 1851 Show this in one table with all your data records. Then explain fully why this would not be a good way of organizing data on disk. b) 10 Convert the one table in the previous question to a relational database design. Fill each table in your design with data from the previous question such that no information is lost. Show how your design satisfies the criteria for being a relational database, and why it is better to store data on disk in this way rather than all in one table. c) 7 What is database management system? What steps would the hospital ward need to take to prepare its data to be ready for producing meaningful output from the DBMS? ) 5 What are two main forms of output from a DBMS? Provide one example of each form of output using hospital data from your database in b). Hint: Utilize the â€Å"Input-Processing-Output† Model and focus on the ways data can be produced i. e. Report versus Query. See Data Modeling Explanation from Lecture 4. 2 Notes for additional information. 2) 10 If a business organization has its data stored on disk as a relational database which is managed by a database management system such as Access, why might it want to go further and have a management information system constructed, that would use this relational database as input? Why would just using Access directly not be enough for the organization? Explain fully with examples. ACS-1803-053 Assignment 2 1. a. ) Patient NO. | Patient Name| Patient Address| Patient Birth Day| Medication Name| MedicationDosage| 1849| John Smith| 123 Dialysis Way| Oct. 10. 1969| Prilosec| Three tablets daily| 1849| John Smith| 123 Dialysis Way| Oct. 10. 1969| Adavart| Three tablets daily| 1850| Marla Johbson| 842 Blossom St. | Jan. 31. 1955| Oxycontin| Two teaspoons daily| 1850| Marla Johbson| 842 Blossom St. | Jan. 31. 1955| Neulasta| Four tablets daily| 1850| Marla Johbson| 842 Blossom St. Jan. 31. 1955| Lamictal| Two tablets daily| 1851| Jane Doe| 725 Olive Ave. | Aug. 01. 1949| Remicade| Three tablets daily| 1851| Jane Doe| 725 Olive Ave. | Aug. 01. 1949| Diovan| Four tablets daily| 1851| Jane Doe| 725 Olive Ave. | Aug. 01. 1949| Gardasil| One teaspoon daily| Using one table to record all the data would be an unefficient way. As the table above, the same information such as : No. , patient name, address, birth day, has been record more than once, which causes the waste of store space and costs more labour time. However, with the increase in data, it might make some mistakes by multiple-display the some information. For instance, we have five patients named Jane Doe, and each of them has three kinds of medications. When we search the key words â€Å"Jane Doe†, we will get 15 results with the same patient name, Jane Doe. It makes mistakes easy and takes more time when we have to find the only one information we need among such a bunch of results. b. ) Patient Personal Information: Patient Patient NO. | Patient Name| Patient Address| Patient Birth Day| 1849| John Smith| 123 Dialysis Way| Oct. 10. 1969| 850| Marla Johbson| 842 Blossom St. | Jan. 31. 1955| 1851| Jane Doe| 725 Olive Ave. | Aug. 01. 1949| Patient Medication Information: Medication Patient NO. | Medication Name| Medication Dosage| 1849| Prilosec| Three tablets daily| 1849| Adavart| Three tablets daily| 1850| Oxycontin| Two teaspoons daily| 1850| Neulasta| Four tablets daily| 1850| Lamictal| Two tablets daily| 1851| Remicade| Three tablets daily| 1851| Diovan| Four tablets daily| 1851| Gardasil| One teaspoon daily| The tables in relational databases organize data in rows and columns, simplifying data access and manipulation. It is easier for manager to understand the relational model than put all data in one table. Besides, a relational database allows tables to be linked. And the linkage reduces data redundancy and allows data to be organized more logically. In a word, relational database is easier to control, more flexible, and more intuitive than approaches. c. ) The database management system (DBMS) a group of programs used as interface between a database and application programs, or a database and the user. It is used to create and implement the right database system ensures that the database will support both business activities and goals. For the hospital ward, there are four basic steps need to take to prepare its data to be ready for producing meaningful output from a DBMS: 1. Setting schemas. Installing and using a large database involves â€Å"telling† the DBMS the logical and physical structure of the data and the relationships among the data for each user. 2. Establishing a data dictionary. In this case, the data dictionary should contain the following information: patient No. , patient name, patient address, patient birth date; medication name, medication dosage. . Storing and retrieving data. Establishing tables and input all the information, like â€Å"1849, John Smith, 123 Dialysis Way, Oct. 10. 1969†, into them according to the data dictionary. 4. Manipulating data and generating reports. After a DBMS has been installed, users can use it to review reports and obtain important information. d. ) There are two main forms of output from a DBMS, which are query and report. The query is a database f unction that extracts and displays information from a database given selection parameters. Database users use Structured Query Language (SQL) to select and extract data from a database, and the SQL is the industry standard language for relational databases. The report is a compilation of data from the database that is organized and produced in printed format or presented on screen. The report generator is a specialized program that uses SQL to retrieve and manipulate data (aggregate, transform, or group), and the reports are designed using standard templates or can be custom generated to meet informational needs. Query Example: Select â€Å"patient ID†, â€Å"Medication Name† from Medications Where Medications Name = â€Å"Adavart† Order By â€Å"Patient ID†; 1849| Adavart| Three tablets daily| Report Example: show a report of patients live on Olive Avenue. Patient No| First Name| Last Name| Street| Patient Birth date| 1851| Jane| Doe| 725 OliveAve. | 1949-08-01| 2. The Access is a database management system (DBMS), organizations use Access to implement database, after database designed. There are two main steps to use Access: step one is setting up the database, the DBA needs to create the database, figure out tables and link them together. The second step is using the database through the DBMS, where we have to know the features to design and create queries and reports. We can also use Access as an information system developer, and use a customized information system for specific purposes and needs. That is the reason why it might want to go further and have a customized information system constructed, which would use this relational database as input. Using Access directly just only open a computer files in order to get or add information, it might not be enough for an organization. The customized information system is created according to processes and specific needs in order to improve the operational efficiency. The customized information system consists two parts: up-front and controls. Up-front refers to its own menus, input screens, output (query) screens, and reports and, in the background, it will have a database with related tables, and programs that take the raw data from the database and convert it to the required queries and reports; the system will also have controls, that is, mechanisms that try to ensure that the output is correct and that the data is safe from accidental or deliberate destruction. How to cite Acs Assignment 2, University of Winnipeg, Essay examples

Thursday, April 30, 2020

To see how long it takes the size of a hot object to cool down Essay Example

To see how long it takes the size of a hot object to cool down Essay Planning: I will make sure I devise a fair test by doing things correctly and fairly. The only variable I will be obtaining will be the temperature of the water at 80oc, and I will make sure it is fair by testing it with a thermometer. I will also make sure it is a fair test by adding more water into the bigger beakers because it wont all fit into the smaller ones so that will give the smaller beakers a fair chance as well, and I will measure the water in a measuring cylinder to make it fair.I will also make sure I devise a fair test by using a stopwatch to record the result every 30 seconds up to 2minutes, because it is more reliable and accurate. I will make sure it is fair when we record the results because when we get the temperature I will get a second opinion of my friend. I will also make sure my experiment is safe in all the possible ways I can. I will make sure we are safe by wearing rubber gloves just in case we spill some boiling water on our hands.Prediction: I predict th at the bigger the beaker the faster it will cool, and the smaller the beaker the longer it will take to cool. I know this because of the Food Theory, the theory tells me that if there was a plate with a pile of hot food on it, it will take quite long for it to cool down, where as if you were to break that pile of hot food into smaller pieces of food then it will cool down much quicker because when you break it up you are giving it a bigger surface area so heat can escape around the sides, top and bottom. So therefore I think the same will happen with the beakers, but the bigger the beaker is obviously going to have a bigger surface area than the smaller beakers, where as in the theory the smaller food pieces have a bigger surface area than the pile of food, but that is because you cant break the beakers into pieces.Apparatus:* 4 different sized beakers* Water at 80oc* Kettle* Thermometer* Rubber Gloves* Stop watch* Pen Paper (for results)Method: First of all I got the equipment, wh ich consists of 4 different sized beakers, a thermometer, a kettle, measuring cylinder and some water. Then I put the kettle on, when the water was boiled up to 80oc I measured it in the measuring cylinder and put the correct amount of water into the correct beaker, then we waited and every 30 seconds on the stop watch, we then measured the temperature of the water in the 4 beakers with a thermometer, then we recorded them on paper and plotted some graphs.Numbers and range: In total I will have 4 results for the 4 different sized beakers and for each beaker I will have two readings, and I will record the results every 30 seconds and at the end of all the results I will take away 2 minutes from 0 seconds for the first reading of the first beaker then I will do the same to the second reading for the first beaker then I will add them both and divide them by two which will give me an overall average for the first beaker, and I will carry that on for the next 3 beakers, in the end I shou ld end up with 4 different averages with which I will plot a graph. Here are the 4 different beakers:BEAKER 1: The biggest with 150ml of waterBEAKER 2: The second biggest with 100ml of waterBEAKER 3: The third biggest with 75ml of waterBEAKER 4: The fourth biggest with 50ml of waterSafety: I will try and make my experiment safe by firstly wearing rubber gloves in case we spill the boiling water, secondly by consulting a teacher before and after we set up the experiment.CONCLUSIONCalculation: I calculated my averages by working out the difference between 2 minutes and 0 seconds for the first beaker and the first reading, then I did the first beaker and second reading, I then added the sums together and divided them by 2, to give me an average. I did this for the 3 other beakers as well. So I ended up with 4 overall averages.Pattern: I would say that a pattern did occur in both of my graphs, as you can see in the graphs labelled result 1 and result 2all the lines go from a high temper ature to a low one which shows that the temperatures did drop after some time, which was meant to happen, but then you see on graph result 1 the order from top to bottom is: beaker 1, beaker 4, beaker 2, beaker 3, which proves my prediction wrong about the bigger the beaker the faster it will cool, because beaker 4 is the smallest beaker and it cooled down faster than beaker 2 and 3, and also it starts off with beaker 1 which it should have, then it jumps straight to beaker4 which should be last, but then it carrys on as normal; beaker 2 and then beaker 3, so I think there was a problem within beaker 4. In the graph result 2 you can see the order from top to bottom is: beaker 3, beaker 1, beaker 2, beaker 4, so beaker 3 should be third but you can see that the rest is in order, so beaker 1, beaker 2, then it should have been beaker 3, then beaker 4, so I think there was a problem within beaker 3. In the graph labelled averages I think it all goes pear shaped, because the points are so far apart from each other, which made it harder for me to draw the line of best fit, you can also see the averages in order from highest temperature to lowest temperature is: beaker 2, beaker 4, beaker 1, beaker 3, so I think that because the averages have turned out like that and not how I expected which was beaker 1,2,3 and then 4, I think that the whole experiment must have went wrong from start to end.Evaluation: In my experiment I found that most of my results were quite off key, in the graphs result 1 and result 2 the orders were only one out of order. Then when it came to the graph labelled averages the order was completely wrong to what I predicted, I predicted the bigger the beaker the faster it will cool, if that happened the order would have been beaker 1, 2, 3, and then 4, but because it went wrong it turned out beaker 2, 4, 1 and then 3. if you look at the graph result 1 the problem was beaker 4, and in the graph result 2 the problem was beaker 3, I dont have a clue why those problems occurred, and by looking at the average I think I could have improved my experiment by doing it all over again but much more carefully this time round.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Significance and implication of the pursuit of sustainability in the context of global airlines and airports The WritePass Journal

Significance and implication of the pursuit of sustainability in the context of global airlines and airports Introduction Significance and implication of the pursuit of sustainability in the context of global airlines and airports ). This paper explores the significance and implication of the pursuit of sustainability in the context of global airlines and airports. Issues of unconstrained aviation growth versus the call for global constraints of aviation for environmental reasons as well as challenges faced by management in the maintenance of corporate goals involving the sustainable development of aviation operations are evaluated. Towards this goal, the benefits and drawbacks of the pursuit of sustainability from a management perspective are explored evaluating practical environmental activities that now encompass the management of airlines and airports. Finally, this paper assesses the capacity of the aviation industry to achieve dramatic improvements required to enhance environmental performance through innovations in aircraft design and in airline and airport operations. Following is an overview of the industry in light of environmental concerns. Industry overview In the modern global society, air transport has become essential and has significantly changed how people travel, interact with others and do business. Aviation has become a driver of economic, social and cultural development (ICAO, 2012). The democratization of international air travel has led to the reduction in the cost of flying and with real cost falling 60% over the last 40 years (Deloitte, 2013). This has made aviation more accessible to a greater number of people. Alongside this, developments in technologies and designs over the same period have enhanced energy efficiency of aircraft and achieved noise reductions of 70% and 75% respectively (Deloitte, 2013). Such positive developments are nonetheless inadequate in the face of significant growth projections. It is estimated that passengers will reach six billion requiring 50 million flights (ICAO, 2012; Welsh, 2010). This is roughly double the current capacity. Statistics from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the UK’s Stern Report present the following grim picture regarding the environmental impact of the aviation industry. They advance the view that aviation contributes around 6% of greenhouse gases (GHG) further exacerbated by the high altitudes of flights which limits the effectiveness of nature’s carbon ‘scrubbers’- the trees and plants which absorb greenhouse gas (Carbon dioxide) to undo these emissions. Emission of GHG in aviation is estimated to cause as much as 9% of the greenhouse effect (COM, 2012; ICAO, 2012; Deloitte, 2013; Friends of Earth, 2013). Concern over these estimated adverse effects is heightened by expert forecasts of growth in passenger numbers and therefore a doubling of global commercial jet fleet to over 35,000 by 2025. This heightens scepticism about reduction in aviation emissions with analysts forecasting that by 2050, current emission figures could quadruple (Welsh, 2010; Friends of Earth, 2013). In the view of IPCC, industry and stakeholder initiatives are and will not be adequate to achieve true sustainability and in its opinion, uncontrolled growth of the industry should be constrained given the challenges in mitigation of impact (Friends of Earth, 2013; ICAO, 2012; Seabury, 2012). Demand and growth of the aviation industry though important for society and the economy is however a significant contributor to global climate change. Constraint of growth is however not feasible given the growing demand and import of the industry globally. In this regard, a lot needs to be done by industry players and various stakeholders to ensure safety, security and environmental conservation.   Industry players face myriad challenges in the pursuit of sustainability. Dilemma of sustainability in the aviation sector The aviation industry is increasingly portrayed and perceived as a villain in the pursuit of sustainability around the world. This stems from the fact that they are untaxed and are unaffected by any current agreements on emissions (Welsh, 2010). Global initiatives aimed at limiting carbon emissions, and therefore global warming, are centred around the Kyoto agreement negotiated in 1997 and coming into force in 2005. The aviation industry is specifically excluded in this agreement and its negotiations despite it being a major contributor to global warming (COM, 2012; Welsh, 2010). The ‘well-intentioned’ executives and organizations in the industry are often hindered in the green pursuits by the business risk of being the ‘first mover’ in this pursuit (Deloitte, 2013). The deregulation and democratization of the aviation industry has resulted in intense competition among airlines which has led to significant reductions in air fares which have consistently declined over time (ICAO, 2012; Driver, 2006). Living standards and wages have inversely increased overall increasing the number of people accessing air travel (ICAO, 2012; Hill, 2006). This, in addition to substantial taxes by states, as well as fees, charges and surcharges on many international routes often surpass the ticket price impacting net profit margins which are at levels less than 2% on global scheduled airlines and are falling (AAG, 2012; Deloitte, 2013). Additional levies such as ‘green tax’ and climate finance if not applied across the entire industry creates a ‘first mover’ disadvantage which discourages governments and airlines from unilateral action, as well as impeding the pace of established mechanisms for resolution such as the United Nations programs. National and/or regional emissions initiatives impose a competitive disadvantage on the industry tying the hands of airline executives until governments can agree on common and equitable solutions covering the entire industry (ICAO, 2012; Zakhem, et al, 2007). Good intention and regard for the environment is hindered by intense competition and the slim margins characteristic of the industry. There is therefore need for greater concerted effort so as to undo the ‘first mover’ disadvantage which hinders the competitiveness of players that pursue sustainability. Such efforts are considered in the proceeding section. Way forward for sustainable development in the industry What is required is an agreement on intergovernmental and industry-wide global solutions, a top-down regulatory approach, which are however hard to reach and are at best, advisory guidelines. The consequent result would be slow and insignificant given that airlines are governed by nations and/or agencies (Seabury, 2012). In spite of these cumbersome regulations and ‘first mover’ disadvantage, there is genuine desire among executives and across the industry for the pursuit of sustainable development and reduction of environmental impact, particularly the reduction of the industry’s contribution to climate change (ICAO, 2012). The options available for this endeavour, characterized as bottom-up solutions undertaken by industry, fall into three categories: operational, tactical, and strategic initiatives. Bottom-up solutions Operational initiatives Operational approaches involve short-term actions which despite their limitation in overall effect are better than no initiatives at all. In an attempt to enhance its contribution overall, these approaches are well known and openly shared across the industry. They comprise the following steps aimed at reducing fuel consumption: single-engine taxiing; engine shutdowns during delays; better measurement and reduction of weight; distribution and balancing of belly cargo; higher cruising and shorter/steeper approaches; as well as ticket premium options for investment in carbon offset schemes; and tankering-carrying enough fuel for return trip. These initiatives are immediately deployable (Welsh, 2010; AAG, 2012). Other operational initiatives that need planning consist of: better routes and altitudes; better enroute fuel reserve; reduction in airborne holding (stacking); installation of winglets at wing tips to reduce drag; redesign of hubs/schedules for greater efficiency; improved/expanded airfield capacity; low drag paint schemes; as well as improved fuel purchasing and supplies (Welsh, 2010; AAG, 2012). Tactical initiatives These are generally medium term approaches covering 5 to 10 years which have greater impact than operational initiatives though still limited in overall effect. The involve fuel and engine modifications. Aircraft fuel is a controversial component of business mired by complexity and a difficult price-based history. Swings in commodity prices impact airlines’ operating costs running from 15% to as much as 60% of costs (Deloitte, 2013). Quality is also a significant concern with regard to jet fuel as it is directly linked to flight safety. Whole consignments of jet fuel can be rejected on grounds of quality such as the finding of bacteria in tankers (Welsh, 2010). Though there is some activity in the area of sustainable versions of jet fuel (Bio jet) with isolated pockets of interest, there is yet to be success and may not be in the short term. Faster pace of progress would require greater support from the industry and government. This approach is also challenged by commercial, regulatory and technical hurdles governing fuel specifications (ICAO, 2012; Seabury, 2012). Commercial hurdles include long and expensive laboratory stage processes without demand and/or regulatory support and subsequent lengthy processes of developing production capacity for industrial volumes. Changes in fuel specifications may also require engine modifications which would need to pass the long and expensive design/build/test production cycle dwarfing that of the fuel cycle. In addition to these hurdles, Bio jet is considerably more corrosive than conventional jet fuel and may increase maintenance, repair and overhaul costs (MRO) (Welsh, 2010; ICAO, 2012). Regulatory hurdles comprise the very strict aviation regulators which is appropriate for the industry. Change in specifications of fuel and engines would necessitate a major review of the regulatory framework around the world (ICAO, 2012). Technical hurdles encompass the drawn out periods of uptake of modifications and new specifications with customers (major airlines) typically renewing their fleet about every 15 years. After the extensive research, design, build, test, production cycle, and regulatory approval, this additional period need be factored as well. In addition to these 15 years, major airlines would sell their airplanes into the second hand market which would also last a further 15 years of flight (ICAO, 2012). This makes the adoption of new engine/modifications and fuel technologies may take upwards of three to five decades to achieve a complete shift and transformation. Strategic initiatives Initiatives in this category require new generation technologies to enable pursuit of strategic options towards the reduction of emissions. In addition to the pockets of interest in fuel and engine programs in the short term, there are also other isolated pockets of interest exploring more fundamental technological developments such as how to influence the environmental impact of aviation. This involves a think tank composed of many and varied stakeholders in the industry including airlines and airports, manufacturers, governments, passenger groups, among several other interest groups (ICAO, 2012). There are many new technological propositions that require leaps in technology far greater than the modification examples cited above. They include the integrated-wing silent aircraft with top-mounted engines and a moulded aerodynamic shape. This is a possible major step towards lower or zero aviation emissions which has been the aspiration of the industry in light of environmental concerns and climate change. IATAs proposal is projected to within the next 50 years which is not definitive yet. This is also challenged by a lack in demand and regulatory support (ICAO, 2012; Seabury, 2012). Regulatory support (Top-Down approach) Critical to the development and adoption of emission solutions in the aviation industry is regulatory support including simple models like deadlines for action with consequences for non-compliance such as fines and grounding of fleet. Such actions and approaches help to enhance and to justify focus on sustainability initiatives creating demand for worthwhile ventures like Bio jet as well as engine and design reworks or modifications intended at lower emissions. This approach would also enhance the focus of governments and industry in the support of companies investing in the research/design/build/test/production cycle (ICAO, 2012; Seabury, 2012). From a management perspective, despite the willingness and enthusiasm to ‘go green’ focusing on sustainable development, the pursuit of high impact initiatives is impeded by the myriad hurdles and challenges in design and output of new technologies. There are several advantages that can be derived from the pursuit of sustainability and as well there are drawbacks and dis-benefits that generally impact the entire industry. However, there are substantial gains in bold pursuits individual airlines and players giving credence to the potential in industry sustainability. The following section explores these advantages and dis-benefits employing Alaska Air Group’s environmental protection and efficiency initiatives to highlight these points and to show actions taken in this regard. Alaska Air Group’s practical environmental activities Alaska Air Group is the holding company for two Seattle-based subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air which provide passenger and cargo transportation   across 90 destinations in the United States (USA), Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines flies 117 Boeing 737s to 62 of these destinations while Horizon Air operates a fleet of 48 Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft to 39 destinations (AAG, 2012). The company has been a recipient of recognition and awards on several fronts for outstanding performance including the Worlds top-performing airline in 2010, Airline Technology Leadership Award in 2011, as well as industry service accolades from its customer satisfaction, on-time performance, maintenance training and public and community service. As of 2012, the group has 12,806 employees and an asset base of 5.2 billion dollars. Their carriers serve 25 million passengers a year on 30 million seat miles and carry 114 million cargo pounds accruing cargo revenue of 108 million. The Groups adjusted net income stands at 287.4 million dollars. Even though Air Group flies 3% of domestic airline capacity, it has a daily consumption of a million gallons of jet fuel for its flight operations (AAG, 2012). To the group, sustainability efforts are crucial to reductions in waste and energy costs, as well as innovation, factors which enhance value, competitiveness and overall bottom line. Air Group has a strategic commitment to reduce environmental impact through four core elements: reducing emissions from consumption of fossil fuels; reducing emissions from ground operations such as electricity and heating; reducing consumption of non-sustainable resources; and recycling of inflight and operational wastes (COM, 2012; Werbach, 2009). The Group has admirable fuel-efficiency ratings but it continues to pursue more conservation opportunities such as fleet upgrades and modifications which have led to significant cost savings for the company; removal of unneeded weight; optimal routes, speeds and engine maintenance to ensure performance. Its practical initiatives for enhanced fuel efficiencies consist of: fleet efficiencies and transformation which lowers fuel bills, emissions and costs associated with complexities of a mixed fleet; reduction of weight of carpets and seats; better airspace efficiency through satellite navigation performance systems and streamlined landing approaches (pioneered by Alaska Airlines); use of ground power rather than the aircrafts auxiliary power units to provide heating, cooling and electricity when planes are parked at gates; robust flight planning for optimal fuel loads; as well as a bold pursuit of sustainable fuel alternatives. In November 2011, Alaska airlines launched pioneer multip le commercial flights powered by 20% aviation biofuel blends on more than 75 flights. The biofuel blend reduced GHG emissions by 134 metric tonnes and demonstrated feasibility of biofuels (AAG, 2012; Driver, 2006; Cornelissen and Clarke, 2010). On the ground efficiency front, the company has instituted a switch in ground support equipment from fossil-powered to electric options where feasible. This move is anticipated to eliminate 3000 metric tonnes of CO2 output per year when completed. This is done alongside upgrades of ground facilities such as terminals and offices to enhance energy efficiency, as well as wind and solar projects for alternative power. The company is also pursuing ambitious recycling of inflight waste and ground waste which is standard in its Flight Attendant Manual. This program diverts an estimated 800 tonnes of waste from landfills (AAG, 2012; Welsh, 2010). These audacious initiatives however result in a significant dis-benefit of sustainable development which is the high cost of transformation and uptake of new technologies. This impacts industry players’ financial positions, a challenge exacerbated by the industry’s slim margins which hinder their economic capacity. Alaska Air Group however prides itself in its year-over-year load factors (percentage of seats filled) which has helped improve its efficiency. As of 2012, Alaska Airlines had achieved reductions in carbon emission intensity per revenue passenger mile 7.8% since 2009 and 29.8% since 2004. Its total carbon emissions have decreased 3.2% in 8 years despite a 27% growth in business. Its sustainability initiatives have significantly contributed to the creation of direct economic value benefiting employees and investors with the company achieving record full-year adjusted net income of 287.4 million dollars, leading in profitability in spite of global economic challenges impacting aviation (AAG, 2012; Cornelissen and Clarke, 2010). Conclusion Grim statistics of the impact of aviation on environmental impact and contribution to climate change paint a gloomy picture of the sustainability of the industry’s anticipated growth. IPCC and experts even propose the constraint of the growth of aviation to stem this impact. Nevertheless, there is potential in innovation and technological advancements leading to reduction in emissions and progress is being made to realize these gains. This progress is hindered by ‘first mover’ competitive disadvantage as well as various hurdles to the success of initiatives brought about significantly by the fragmentation in the industry with the lack of a comprehensive and unilateral framework governing progress. This frustrates enthusiasm of executives and the industry and hinders progress to sustainable development. The example of Alaska Air Group, however, clearly demonstrates that aviation can achieve dramatic improvements required to in environmental performance. Innovations in aircraft and fuel designs, as well as airline and airport operations can have significant positive effects for sustainability in the aviation industry in the short and longer term. Sustainable development requires the participation of all stakeholders in the industry for success of initiatives. Stakeholders encompass governments, regulatory and advisory organizations, industry players, employees, interest groups, and customers. References Alaska Air Group, 2012. Sustainability report. Alaska Air Group Cornelissen, J., and J., Clarke, 2010. â€Å"Imagining and Rationalizing Opportunities: Inductive Reasoning, and the Creation and Justification of New Ventures.† In: Academy of Management Review, 35(4): 539-557. Deloitte, 2013. Aviation and Sustainability. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. Driver, M., 2006. ‘Beyond the Stalemate of Economics versus Ethics: Corporate Social Responsibility and the Discourse of the Organizational Self.’ In: Journal of Business Ethics, 66: 337–56. Friends of Earth, 2013. Aviation and Global Climate Change. London. Friends of Earth. Hill, C., 2006. International Business: Competing in the Global Economy, (7th Ed.) Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill ICAO, 2012. Global Aviation and Our Sustainable Future: International Civil Aviation Organization Briefing for RIO+20. Montreal. ICAO Sachs, S., E. Ruhli, and I., Kern, 2009. Sustainable Success with Stakeholders. Palgrave Macmillan Seabury, 2012. Sustainable European Aviation: A position paper. Association of European Airlines and Seabury. Viewed on 2nd Jan, 2014 from: www.seaburygroup.com Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, 2012. Progress towards achieving the Kyoto objectives. Werbach, A., 2009. Strategy for sustainability: a business manifesto Adam Werbach. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Press. Welsh, K., 2010. Airline Sustainability Initiatives. Airports Going Green Conference. Chicago, Air Transport Association. Zakhem, A., D., Palmer and M., Stoll, 2007. Stakeholder theory: Essential Readings in Ethical Leadership and Management. Promethus books.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Recent Legal History of the Death Penalty in America

Recent Legal History of the Death Penalty in America While capital punishment – the death penalty – has been an integral part of the American judicial system since the colonial period, when a person could be executed for offenses like witchcraft or stealing grapes, the modern history of American execution has been shaped largely by political reaction to public opinion. According to data on capital punishment collected by the federal government’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, a total of 1,394 people were executed under sentences handed down by federal and state civilian courts from 1997 to 2014. However, there have been extended periods in recent history during which punitive death took a holiday. Voluntary Moratorium: 1967-1972 While all but 10 states allowed the death penalty in the late 1960s, and an average of 130 executions per year were being carried out, public opinion turned sharply against the death penalty. Several other nations had dropped the death penalty by the early 1960s and legal authorities in the U.S. were starting to question whether or not executions represented cruel and unusual punishments under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Public support for the death penalty reached its lowest point in 1966, when a Gallup poll showed only 42% of Americans approved of the practice. Between 1967 and 1972, the U.S. observed what amounted to a voluntary moratorium on executions as the U.S. Supreme Court wrestled with the issue. In several cases not directly testing its constitutionality, the Supreme Court modified the application and administration of the death penalty. The most significant of these cases dealt with juries in capital cases. In a 1971 case, the Supreme Court upheld the unrestricted right of juries to both determine guilt or innocence of the accused and to impose the death penalty in a single trial. Supreme Court Overturns Most Death Penalty Laws In the 1972 case of Furman v. Georgia, the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision effectively striking down most federal and state death penalty laws finding them arbitrary and capricious. The court held that the death penalty laws, as written, violated the cruel and unusual punishment provision of the Eighth Amendment and the due process guarantees of the Fourteenth Amendment. As a result of Furman v. Georgia, more than 600 prisoners who had been sentenced to death between 1967 and 1972 had their death sentences commuted. Â   Supreme Court Upholds New Death Penalty Laws The Supreme Courts decision in Furman v. Georgia did not rule the death penalty itself to be unconstitutional, only the specific laws by which it was applied. Thus, the states quickly began to write new death penalty laws designed to comply with the courts ruling. The first of the new death penalty laws created by the states of Texas, Florida and Georgia gave the courts wider discretion in applying the death penalty for specific crimes and provided for the current bifurcated trial system, in which a first trial determines guilt or innocence and a second trial determines punishment. The Texas and Georgia laws allowed the jury to decide punishment, while Floridas law left the punishment up to the trial judge. In five related cases, the Supreme Court upheld various aspects of the new death penalty laws. These cases were: Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153 (1976)Jurek v. Texas, 428 U.S. 262 (1976)Proffitt v. Florida, 428 U.S. 242 (1976)Woodson v. North Carolina, 428 U.S. 280 (1976)Roberts v. Louisiana, 428 U.S. 325 (1976) As a result of these decisions, 21 states threw out their old mandatory death penalty laws and hundreds of death row prisoners had their sentences changed to life in prison. Execution Resumes On January 17, 1977, convicted murderer Gary Gilmore told a Utah firing squad, Lets do it! and became the first prisoner since 1976 executed under the new death penalty laws. A total of 85 prisoners - 83 men and two women - in 14 U.S. states were executed during 2000. Current Status of the Death Penalty As of January 1, 2015, the death penalty was legal in 31 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have abolished the death penalty: Alaska, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Between the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976 and 2015, executions have been carried out in thirty-four states. From 1997 to 2014, Texas led all death penalty-legal states, carrying out a total of 518 executions, far ahead of Oklahoma’s 111, Virginia’s 110, and Florida’s 89. Detailed statistics on executions and capital punishment can be found on the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Capital Punishment website.

Monday, February 17, 2020

What were the status and the roles of Jews under Islamic Rule Discuss Essay

What were the status and the roles of Jews under Islamic Rule Discuss 3 issues - Essay Example The Nazi forces had committed many atrocities against the Jews. They burnt the papers, which contained many important discoveries of Albert Einstein. The paper presents an overview of Jews under Islamic rule. Muslims used to support other religion generally. Muslims believe Islam is only the religion. Muslims feel that the Jews are wrong in believing theirs is a god’s religion. Muslims accept Jesus as a prophet and messiah whom Christians are worshipping as god. Christians have paid much attention towards Jews in the west, whereas in Muslims countries, the Jews were given less importance but they were wealthy. Christians and Jews are friendly in Europe with good religions atmosphere. Whereas in Muslims countries the Jews were treated as minority amongst other religions which resulted in they did not become intruded in Muslim areas. It’s every country’s responsibility to protect it citizen’s basic human rights. Human rights violation should be considered as a serious offence, legal and appropriate action should be taken against those who violate these rights. Countries like Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and most of the other Islamic countries don’t even consider providing and implementing basic human rights. Jews comes under the minority section and have been given less importance. In Islamic countries the important hurdle is the Shariat1 law. This law prevents basic amenities to the minority sections. According to this law women were not equal to men, they should always be under veil, only her members could see her face, men can marry as any times as they want, women should get married only once and many other stringent laws are under implementation. The Israel and Palestinian conflict has taken center stage in the world politics. It also reflects a fight between the Jews and Muslims and those who are in support with both the religions respectively. It is seen as a war between

Monday, February 3, 2020

Business Law Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Law Questions - Essay Example Since the purse contains cash and is a valuable property, there is no chance of it having been abandoned. In both the other instances, Ms File has better rights on it when compared to others, but not so when compared to the original owner of the file whoever he may be. Under Common Law in the United States, the finder of the property is entitled to hand it back once the real owner has made a demand for it from the present holder. If Ms File is dishonest, or casual about the affair, she could spend the money or give to someone to spend. But in any case, she is liable to the true owner once he makes a demand for it. This is also true for any person who receives the lost or mislaid property from Ms File. But for arguments sake, if the purse had indeed been abandoned, Ms File holds better title to the property than anyone else including the owner. She has to hand over the purse and its contents if the owner identifies her and demands it back. Some states in the country stipulate a certai n time period after which ownership is transferred to the buyer. The only other right she has to claim for any expenses that might have incurred to keep the property in good condition. But there is no chance of Ms File incurring any expenses to keep a purse in good condition. She could be held guilty under the statute on conversion which is a tort in US law in case she refuses to hand it over. The facts of the case are as follows. Hank, who bought a car from Ford Motor Company with his friend Cheatem as surety was found to be insane at the time of contract. But this became apparent only when Ford sued Hank for non-payment of installment on the vehicle. Cheatem refused to pay up on behalf of Hank on the defense that the contract was invalid due to the insanity clause. According to US laws, â€Å"insanity or mental incompetence is also a defense against enforcement of a

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Alcohol Dehydrogenase in Plant Response to Drought

Alcohol Dehydrogenase in Plant Response to Drought 1. Introduction Plant growth and productivity is adversely affected by natures wrath in the form of various abiotic and biotic stress factors (e.g. salinity, low temperature, drought, and flooding heat, oxidative stress and heavy metal toxicity). All these stress factors are a menace for plants and prevent them from reaching their full genetic potential and limit the crop productivity worldwide. Abiotic stress is the principal cause of crop failure, decrease average yields for most major crops by more than 50% (Bray, 2000) and causes losses worth hundreds of million dollars each year. In fact these stresses, threaten the sustainability of agricultural industry (Shilpi, 2005). Environmental degradation and climate change have become severe global problems because of the explosive population increases and industrialization in developing countries. To solve this problem, one of the keys is plant biotechnology based on physiology of crop, plant biochemistry, genomics and transgenic technology. This is becoming more and more important for molecular breeding of crops that can tolerate droughts. For this technology, we need to understand plant responses to drought stress at the molecular level. For agricultural and environmental sustainability, it is important to breed or genetically engineer crops with improved stress tolerance. The identification of key genes and that gene can be used directly for engineering transgenic crops with improved drought tolerance. Although a number of candidate genes have been identified in recent years, only very few have been tested in functional assays for a beneficial effect on drought tolerance. In order to assess gene function directly in plant suffering from abiotic stress caused by the drought, proved to be useful. Analysing the functions of these genes is critical for understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing plant stress response and tolerance, ultimately leading to enhancement of stress tolerance in crops through genetic manipulation. In this study, this will be used for overexpression of genes as well as for induced gene silencing, by using GATEWAY technology. A comprehensive investigation of Adh and Pdc induction and the determination of ethanol production during stress treatments would provide valuable information on how ethanol involved in the response to limited water condition. 2. Literature review 2.1. What is stress? Stress in physical terms is defined as mechanical force per unit area applied to an object. In response to the applied stress, an object undergoes a change in the dimension. Biological term is difficult to define in the plant stress. A biological condition, which may be stress for one plant may be optimum for another plant. The most practical definition of a biological stress is an adverse force or a condition, which inhibits the normal functioning and well being of a biological system such as plants (Jones et al., 1989 ) 2.2. Stress signalling pathways The stress is first perceived by the receptors present on the membrane of the plant cells , the signal is then transduced downstream and this results in the generation of second messengers including calcium, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inositol phosphates. These second messengers, further modulate the intracellular calcium level. This Ca2+ level is sensed by calcium binding proteins, Ca2+ sensors. These sensory proteins then interact with their respective interacting partners often initiating a phosphorylation cascade and target the major stress responsive genes or the transcription factors controlling these genes. The products of these stress genes ultimately lead to plant adaptation and help the plant to survive the unfavourable conditions. Thus, plant responds to stresses as individual cells and synergistically as a whole organism. Stress induced changes in gene expression in turn may participate in the generation of hormones like ABA, salicylic acid and ethylene. The various stress responsive genes can be broadly categorized as early and late induced genes. Early genes are induced within minutes of stress signal perception and often express transiently. In contrast, most of the other genes, which are activated by stress more slowly, i.e. after hours of stress perception are included in the late induced category. These genes include the major stress responsive genes such as RD (responsive to dehydration)/ KIN (cold induced)/COR (cold responsive), which encodes and modulate the LEA-like proteins (late embryogenesis abundant), antioxidants, membrane stabilizing proteins and synthesis of osmoly tes. 2.3. Drought stress Among all abiotic stresses, drought is one of the most serious problems for sustainable agriculture worldwide. The adverse effect of drought stress is reductions in yield as reported in crops such as rice (Oryza sativa) (Brevedan and Egli, 2003), wheat (Triticum aestivum) (Cabuslay et al., 2002), soybean (Glycine max) (Kirigwi et al., 2004), and chickpea (Cicer aerietum) (Khanna-Chopra and Khanna-Chopra, 2004). The adaptive responses to drought must be coordinated at the molecular, cellular, and whole-plant levels. These conditions induce dehydration of plant cells, which may trigger physiological, biochemical and molecular responses against such stresses (Shinozaki and Yamaguchi, 1996). Water deficit is a complex of responses, which depends upon severity and duration of the stress, plant genotype, developmental stage, and environmental factors providing the stress. Yield losses due to drought are highly variable in nature depending on the stress timing, intensity, and duration. Although, different plant species have variable thresholds for stress tolerance, and some of them can successfully tolerate severe stresses and still complete their life cycles, most cultivated crop plant species are highly sensitive and either die or suffer from productivity loss after they are exposed to long periods of stress. It has been estimated that two-thirds of the yield potential of major crops are routinely lost due to unfavourable growing environments ( Shilpi, 2005 ). Plants have evolved a number of strategies to severe drought. These include escape strategies such as avoidance (flowering, deep rooting, enhanced water uptake efficiency, or reduced water loss) as well as tolerance mechanisms. Reduced shoot growth and increased root development could result in increased water absorption and reduced transpiration, thereby maintaining plant tissue water status. In addition to such avoidance mechanisms, plant responses to water shortages can involve changes in biochemical pathways and expression of genes encoding proteins that contribute to drought adaptation. The proteins could be enzymes involved in the synthesis of osmolytes, antioxidants, or hormones such as ABA and others. Such changes can bring about drought tolerance, whereby plants continue to function at the low water potentials caused by water deficit (Hall, 1993). A central response to water deficit is often increased synthesis of ABA, which in turn induces a range of developmental (avoidanc e) and physiological or biochemical (tolerance) mechanisms. There is an ongoing debate as to whether the exploitation of avoidance or tolerance mechanisms should be the focus of plant breeding programmes. However, it appears likely that the exploitation of tolerance mechanisms may be more promising for the stabilization of crop yield under severe drought conditions (Araus et al, 2002). An assortment of genes with diverse functions are induced or repressed by these drought stresses (Bartels and Sunkar, 2005; Yamaguchi and Shinozaki, 2005). Drought tolerance has been shown to be a highly complex trait, regulated expression of multiple genes that may be induced during drought stress and thus more difficult to control and engineer. Plant engineering strategies for abiotic stress tolerance rely on the expression of genes that are involved in signaling and regulatory pathways (Seki and Shinozaki, 2003) or genes that encode proteins conferring stress tolerance (Wang, 2004) or enzymes present in pathways leading to the synthesis of functional and structural metabolites. Current efforts to improve plant stress tolerance by genetic transformation have resulted in several important achievements; however, the genetically complex mechanisms of abiotic stress tolerance make the task extremely difficult. 2.3.1 Physiological and biochemical responses of drought Physiological and biochemical changes at the cellular level that are associated with drought stress include turgor loss, changes in membrane fluidity and composition, changes in solute concentration, and protein and protein-lipid interactions (Chaves et al,2003) . Other physiological effects of drought on plants are the reduction in vegetative growth, in particular shoot growth. Leaf growth is generally more sensitive than the root growth. Reduced leaf expansion is beneficial to plants under water deficit condition, as less leaf area is exposed resulting in reduced transpiration. Many mature plants, for example cotton subjected to drought respond by accelerating senescence and abscission of the older leaves. This process is also known as leaf area adjustment. Regarding root, the relative root growth may undergo enhancement, which facilitates the capacity of the root system to extract more water from deeper soil layers. Plant tissues can maintain turgor during drought by avoiding dehydration, tolerating dehydration or both (Kramer,1995). These forms of stress resistance are controlled by developmental and morphological traits such as root thickness, the ability of roots to penetrate compacted soil layers, and root depth and mass (Pathan, 2004). By contrast, adaptive traits, such as osmotic adjustment and dehydration tolerance, arise in response to water deficit . Reduction of photosynthetic activity, accumulation of organic acids and osmolytes, and changes in carbohydrate metabolism, are typical physiological and biochemical responses to stress. Synthesis of osmoprotectants, osmolytes or compatible solutes is one of the mechanisms of adaptation to water deficit. These molecules, which act as osmotic balancing agents, are accumulated in plant cells in response to drought stress and are subsequently degraded after stress relief (Tabaeizadeh ,1998). 2.3.2 Molecular responses Studies on the molecular responses to water deficit have identified multiple changes in gene expression. Functions for many of these genà ¨ products have been predicted from the deduced amino acid sequence of the genes. Genes expressed during stress are anticipated to promote cellular tolerance of dehydration through protective functions in the cytoplasm, alteration of cellular water potentia1 to promote water uptake, control of ion accumulation, and further regulation of gene expression. Expression of a gene during stress does not guarantee that a gene product promotes the ability of the plant to survive stress. The expression of some genes may result from injury or damage that occurred during stress. Other genes may be induced, but their expression does not alter stress tolerance. Yet others are required for stress tolerance and the accumulation of these gene products is an adaptive response. Complex regulatory and signaling processes, most of which are not understood, control the expression of genes during water deficit. In addition to induction by stress, the expression of water-deficit-associated genes is controlled with respect to tissue, organ, and developmental stage and may be expressed independently of the stress conditions. The regulation of specific processes will also depend upon the experimental conditions of stress application. Stress conditions that are applied in the laboratory may not accurately represent those that occur in the field. Frequently, laboratory stresses are rapid and severe, whereas stress in the field often develops over an extended period of time ( Radin, 1993). These differences must also be evaluated when studying the adaptive value of certain responses. The function of the gene products and the mechanisms of gene expression are intertwined, and both must be understood to fully comprehend the molecular response to water deficit. 2.4. Function of water-stress inducible genes Genes induced during water-stress conditions are thought to function not only in protecting cells from water deficit by the production of important metabolic proteins but also in the regulation of genes for signal transduction in the water-stress response . Thus, these gene products are classified into two groups. The first group includes proteins that probably function in stress tolerance: water channel proteins involved in the movement of water through membranes, the enzymes required for the biosynthesis of various osmoprotectants (sugars, Pro, and Gly-betaine), proteins that may protect macromolecules and membranes (LEA protein, osmotin, antifreeze protein, chaperon, and mRNA binding proteins), proteases for protein turn over (thiol proteases, Clp protease, and ubiquitin), the detoxification enzymes (glutathione S-transferase, soluble epoxide hydrolase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and ascorbate peroxidase). Some of the stress-inducible genes that encode proteins, such as a key enzyme for Pro biosynthesis, were over expressed in transgenic plants to produce a stress tolerant phenotype of the plants; this indicates that the gene products really function in stress tolerance ( Shinozaki ,1996 ). The second group contains protein factors involved in further regulation of signal transduction and gene expression that probably function in stress response: Most of the regulatory proteins are involved in signal transduction. Now it becomes more important to elucidate the role of these regulatory proteins for further understanding of plant responses to water deficit. Many transcription factor genes were stress inducible, and various transcriptional regulatory mechanisms may function in regulating drought, cold, or high salinity stress signal transduction pathways. These transcription factors could govern expression of stress-inducible genes either cooperatively or independently, and may constitute gene networks in Arabidopsis ( Pathan.2004 ), 2.5. Model plant for studying the drought tolerant Arabidopsis thaliana is a small weed in the mustard family. It has been a convenient for studies in classical genetics for over forty years ( Redei,1975). This flowering plant also has a genome size and genomic organization that recommend it for certain experiments in molecular genetics and it is coming to be widely used as a model organism in plant molecular genetics, development, physiology, and biochemistry. Arabidopsis thaliana provides an excellent experimental plant system for molecular genetics because of its remarkably small genome size and short life cycle. Arabidopsis thaliana, a genetic model plant, has been extensively used for unravelling the molecular basis of stress tolerance. Arabidopsis also proved to be extremely important for assessing functions for individual stress associated genes due to the availability of knock-out mutants and its amenability for genetic transformation. It has been collected or reported in many different regions and climates, ranging from high elevations in the tropics to the cold climate of northern Scandinavia and including locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and North America (Kirchheim,1981). Arabidopsis has the smallest known genome among the higher plants. The reasons for a small genome include little repetitive DNA and, in some cases, simpler gene families. Leutwiler et al. (1984) reported that the haploid genome from Arabidopsis (n = 5 chromosomes) contains only roughly 70,000 kilobase pairs (kb). The contrast of the Arabidopsis genome with that of other plants frequently used in molecular genetic work is striking: tobacco, for example, has a haploid nuclear genome of 1,600,000 kb; the pea haploid genome is 4,500,000 kb; and the wheat haploid genome is 5,900,000 kb . The significance of this small DNA content for molecular genetics is that a genomic library of Arabidopsis chromosomal fragments is easy to make, and simple and economical to screen. It is thus rapid and inexpensive to repeatedly screen Arabidopsis genomic libraries. In addition to its remarkably low content of nuclear DNA, Arabidopsis has a genomic organization that makes it uniquely suited to certain ty pes of molecular cloning experiments. All of the properties of the plant small, short generation time, high seed set, ease of growth, self- or cross-fertilization at willmake Arabidopsis a convenient subject for studies in classical genetics. 2.6. Drought related gene Alcohol dehydrogenase and pyruvate decarboxylase are enzyme whose activity has been observed in numerous higher plants including Arabidopsis, maize, pearl millet, sunflower, wheat, and pea (Gottlieb, 1982). In a number of plants, different ADH genes are expressed in various organs, at specific times during development, or in re-sponse to environmental signals. High levels of ADH activity are found in dry seeds and in anaerobically treated seeds (Freeling, 1973. Banuett-Bourrillon .1979), roots (Freeling .1973), and shoots (App, 1958). During periods of anaerobic stress, the enzyme is presumably required by plants for NADH metabolism, via reduction of acetaldehyde to ethanol. With respect to secondary metabolites, ADH is involved in the inter conversion of volatile compounds such as aldehydes and alcohols (Bicsak et al., 1982; Molina et al., 1986; Longhurst et al., 1990). The ethanolic fermentation pathway branches off the main glycolytic pathway at pyruvate. In the first step, pyruvate is the substrate of pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC), yielding CO2 and acetaldehyde. Subsequently, acetaldehyde is reduced to ethanol with the concomitant oxidation of NADH to NAD+ by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Although PDC and ADH gene induction has been demonstrated, ethanol and acetaldehyde production as a result of stress treatment has only been reported for red pine (Pinus resinosa) and birch (Betula spp.) seedlings exposed to sulfur dioxide, water deficiency, freezing, and ozone(Kimmerer and Kozolowski. 1982). Many plants contain more than one ADH gene (Gottlieb, 1982 ), resulting in the expression of different ADH proteins (i.e. ADH isozymes, often designated ADH 1, ADH2, etc. ). The most extensive study of maize Adh genes, AdhI and Adh2, have been cloned and sequenced. The coding sequences of these genes are 82% homologous, interrupted by nine identically positioned introns that differ in sequence and length. The expression of the Arabidopsis Adh gene (Chang and Meyerowitz, 1986; Dolferus et al., 1990) has many features in common with maize Adhl gene (Walker et al., 1987). The two genes have comparable developmental expression pattens, and both have tissue-specific responses to hypoxic stress. In both maize and Arabidopsis, the gene is expressed in seeds, roots, and pollen grains, whereas green aerial plant parts are devoid of detectable levels of ADH activity. In both species, hypoxic induction of the gene occurs in cells of the root system (reviewed by Freeling and Bennett, 1985; Dolferus and Jacobs, 1991; Okimoto et al., 1980;). ADH is induced anaerobically in Arabidopsis (Dolferus, 1985) as in maize. ADH is also induced in both maize root and Arabidopsis callus by the synthetic auxin 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (Dolferus,1985. Feeling, 1973). Several approaches have been undertaken to assess the functional role of Adh in development, stress response, and metabolite synthesis. The expression of the alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) gene is known to be regulated developmentally and to be induced by environmental stresses (Christie et al., 1991; Bucher et al., 1995). Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) plays a key enzymatic function in the response to anaerobic conditions in plants (Sachs, Subbaiah, and Saab 1996). A new and exciting aspect of ethanolic fermentation is the suggested involvement in stress signaling and response to environmental stresses other than low oxygen (Tadege et al., 1999). Furthermore, specific analysis of the ADH gene from rice (Oryza sativa), maize, and Arabidopsis showed ADH to be induced by cold (Christie et al., 1991), wounding (Kato-Noguchi, 2001), dehydration (Dolferus et al., 1994), and the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA; de Bruxelles et al., 1996), in line with the observation from the micro-array experim ents. In Arabidopsis thaliana, Adh overexpression improved the tolerance of hairy roots to low oxygen conditions and was effective in improving root growth (Dennis et al., 2000; Shiao et al., 2002). However, it had no effect on flooding survival (Ismond et al., 2003). Adh over expression in tomato has been shown to modify the balance between Cà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬  , Adh overexpression in tomato aldehydes and alcohols in ripe fruits (Speirs et al., 1998). Grapevine plants overexpressing Adh displayed a lower sucrose content, a higher degree of polymerization of proanthocyanidins, and a generally increased content of volatile compounds, mainly in carotenoid- and shikimate-derived volatiles (Catherine et al., 2006).

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Development of Anna Fitzgerald Character Essay

Adolescence development relies upon many factors. In order to accurately examine its growth, it is useful to look at some developmental theories. Anna Fitzgerald is thirteen years old; however, she is not like any other teenager with some ordinary problems. Anna was born for a specific purpose she was born to save her sister’s life and to serve as a matched tissue donor. When Anna was born, her umbilical cord was collected and since then she was constantly donating blood, stem cells or bone marrow. That resulted in her undergoing more serious and risky procedures. But when she reaches the age 13, she is being told to donate one of her kidneys. Aware of the fact that she was conceived to be a perfect match and ongoing donor for her sister, she wants to have the chance of living her own life. This is when Anna decides to hire a lawyer and to sue her parents to be â€Å"medically emancipated† from her family. Because she loves her sister unconditionally, Anna struggles with her decision. Developmental theories of Piaget, Ericson, Marcia and Freud are very useful, in order to examine the development of Anna Fitzgerald, the character from â€Å"My Sister’s Keeper†. Nature vs. nurture is the first theory that can be applied to Anna’s life. Nature refers to the human biological inheritance and nurture to the environmental experience (Santrock, MacKenzie-Rivers, Malcomson & Leung, 2011). Since she was born for a specific purpose, her parents had already planned her future. To some point of her life, Anna felt it was normal to be a donor and to be in the hospital three to four days a week. Whenever her sister had an emergency, Anna had to be present. The environment Anna lives in is unusual for a teenager. Anna thinks of herself as a total freak. As it is common for teenagers to complain about her look, she states that God must have had some sort of a moody day on her birthday. She sees a big picture of her household. She knows that the environment which she was born in, did not allow her to be a kid. She had to mature fast and act as an adult. It is clear that Anna is going through identity crisis of moratorium. Moratorium stage according to James Marcia is defined by individual exploring different possibilities, yet not being ready to make a commitment to one. In Anna’s case she had plenty of ideas who she would like to be. When asked by her lawyer, where she sees herself in ten years period, she responds: â€Å"There was a time when, like Kate, I’d wanted to be a ballerina. But since then I’ve gone through a thousand different stages: I wanted to be an astronaut. I wanted to be a paleontologist. I wanted to be a backup singer for Aretha Franklin, a member of the Cabinet, a Yellowstone National Park ranger. Now, based on the day, I sometimes want to be a microsurgeon, a poet, a ghost hunter† (Picoult, 2004, p. 412). What strikes the most in her young, yet mature personality is that in ten years period, she would like to be Kate’s sister. Based on Piaget operational stage theory, Anna is clearly capable of using abstract thought. Abstract thought is an adolescence possibility to think outside of the box and see likely outcomes and consequences. Anna knew exactly that by starting the lawsuit, she has a chance of wining the right to decide for her own. Deep inside her, she still wants to help her sister, but knowing the fact that she cannot make her own decisions, made her to go to the extreme and sue her own parents. She is aware of the fact that her decision may have a huge impact on her sister’s life. Perhaps, she will die; however, she is looking at the long term goal. How is the transplant going to affect her life? Is she going to be able to function normally? What if something goes wrong? All this questions were building up inside of her head and did not want to stop. This process of thoughts indicated her ability to think logically by looking at cons and pros of her situation. Based on Ericson psychosocial developmental theory, Anna is going through identity vs. role confusion stage. She is confused of her role in the family. Often reflecting of who she is, and what is the purpose of her life, besides being a perfect match for her sick sister. Anna once said: â€Å"I used to pretend that I was just passing through this family on my way to my real one† (Picoult, 2004, p. 49). This shows how confused she is in terms of her life. Furthermore, this identity confusion grows into her even more upon receiving a long awaited letter of acceptance, into a two weeks hockey summer camp. She is not allowed to go because of her sister’s condition. There is a big chance of Kate going into some health crisis while Anna is gone. It is a difficult time for a thirteen year old girl who is full of energy and is not being able to be just an ordinary adolescence. One can also relate Freud’s theory of development to Anna. The id is one of the structures of human personality. It operates on principles of pleasure and immediate satisfaction regardless of societal rules or other surrounding context (Santrock, MacKenzie-Rivers, Malcomson & Leung, 2011). Anna’s id arises from her frustration to all medical treatments which are done in order to save her older sister, Kate. Frustration is added by her mother who pushes her to donate the kidney for Kate. Yet, from the start of the novel Anna knows the reality which she refuses to face, as result of her inner id: â€Å"On other hand, I was born for specific purpose†¦ I was born because a scientist managed to hook up my mother’s eggs and my father’s sperm to create a specific combination of precious genetic material†¦ specifically, because I could save my sister, Kateâ€Å"(Picoult, 2004, p. 7-8). This inner id, pushes her to rebel against her parents wishes, and results in Anna seeing a lawyer to help her end the suffering and release her from the heavy responsibility towards her sister. This unconscious part of her personality resurfaced, in her reply to the lawyer, when she says: â€Å"Because, she says simply, it never stops† (Picoult, 2004, p. 22). Some may find this very selfish, with total neglect for her sister’s future well being. It results in confrontation with her mother, who tries to make her realize â€Å"You went to a lawyer and made him think is all about you – and it’s not. It’s about us. All of us –â€Å"(Picoult, 2004, p. 54). Thus, her id rises up and does not care if it destroys other people – parents, brother and her sister. In Anna’s case her id prevails over ego. The ego is supposed to negotiate a compromise between her id, current reality and constraints. Anna feels some guilt, as her ego makes her think over and ask herself about her decision regarding kidney. â€Å"I started thinking about this. Would I have to be in the hospital? Would it hurt? Could people live with just one kidney? What if I wound up with kidney failure when I was, like, seventy? Where would I get my spare?†(Picoult, 2004, p.377). Anna’s superego, is supposed to be her moral guide, conscience to do the right thing. It rises up, specifically, when Anna looks at Kate who is becoming weaker and sicker than before and worries about her future and a possibility of her dying. â€Å"What do you think is the best way to die? I don’t want to talk about this, I said. Why? I’m dying. You’re dying. When I frowned, she said, Well, you are. The she grinned. I just happen to be more gifted at it than y ou are†¦ †¦You know, normal people don’t sit around thinking about dying. Liar. Everyone thinks about dying. Everyone thinks about you dying I said. The room went so still†¦ Then a twitchy smile crossed her face. Well, Kate said, at least now you’re telling the truth† (Picoult, 2004, p. 134-135). From this quote it is clear than Anna has difficulty hearing things from Kate, and that her superego is present and possibly regretting the lawsuit action. Perhaps, this is what prompted Anna, to write in her diary that in case of her death, she wants all of her organs to be donated to Kate. In the end, Anna has a car accident and dies, the lawyer who has won the case and got power of attorney, decides to honor Anna’s last wishes: â€Å"I have power of attorney for Anna, he explains, not her parents. And there is a girl upstairs who needs the kidney† (Picoult, 2004, p. 416). Anna’s life ends up tragically. One can assume that she fulfilled her purpos e in her short life, she saved her sister. Since Anna was born, she was a regular donor to her sister. One can observe it as continuity vs. discontinuity development. â€Å"The first time I gave something to my sister, it was a cord blood, and I was a newborn†¦ The next time she relapsed, I was five and I had lymphocytes drawn from me, three times over, because the doctors never seemed to get enough of them the first time around. When that stopped working, they took bone marrow for a transplant. When Kate got infections, I had to donate granulocytes. When she relapsed again, I had to donate peripheral stem cells† (Picoult, 2004, p. 21). One can explain continuity as a process involving a gradual accumulation of behavior or knowledge. Anna, throughout her short life was exposed to medical procedure, terms and responsibilities from the moment of her birth. She was growing up among those circumstances and she never got a chance to be a kid. She had to mature faster. Even her vocabulary was unusual for a thirteen years old girl. In his mind, her lawyer thought â€Å"This girl’s medical vocabulary would put some of my paid experts to shame† (Picoult, 2004, p. 21). Discontinuity is defined as a passing through life stages in a qualitative way. Since Anna’s character is presented just as she is thirteen years old, one can assume that for her to be able to think abstractly, indeed she was at concrete thinking stage in her earlier age. Anna would go through many different stages, perhaps having her case won; she would still donate her kidney. Anna’s life ends abruptly in a car accident. The logical sequence of life is death but to Anna it was way too early. In conclusion, Piaget, Ericson, Marcia and Freud theories were helpful to examine Anna development by using the appropriate key issues. Based on their theories, it is clear to observe Anna’s life and struggles that she is going through. The young age was not an obstacle to deal with some serious adult problems to which Anna was exposed to from an early age. Throughout the story she has dilemmas concerning her sister’s life. By combining the work of these theorists, it was possible to analyze her life from psychological perspective. References Keenan, T. (2011). Developmental psychology lecture. Intro To Developmental Psychology. Niagara Collage. Welland, Ontario, Canada Keenan, T. (2011). Developmental psychology lecture. Theories of Development. Niagara Collage. Welland, Ontario, Canada Keenan, T. (2011). Developmental psychology lecture. Adolescence. Niagara Collage. Welland, Ontario, Canada Picoult, J. (2004). My sister’s keeper. New York, NY: Atria Books. Santrock, J. W., MacKenzie-Rivers, A., Malcomson, T., & Leung, K. H. (2011). Life-span development. (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.