Porters five forces Essay

Threat of New Entry: Obesity is a big problem in the United States which is becoming a government and healthcare issue. Weight Watchers has played a role in the development of a new national awareness of healthful eating, lifestyles changes, and weight control. Weight Watchers International had experienced it biggest threat mostly because of new competition and changes in technology. When the over the counter weightless drug launched it had a drastic effect on their market. Switching Cost – Weight Watchers dropped their prices not because they focused on consumers, but because they are more focus on the health insurance business. Employers are giving incentives to employees to use weight watchers for health insurance purposes. Threat of Substitutes: In the weight loss industry there are lots of substitutes but Weight Watcher appears to be in the business of helping people make lifestyle changes. However, of course they want to make a profit. Weight Watchers is innovative and this is the reason they have been around for 50 years. Weight Watchers realizes the growth in health insurance and realizes their strength is their brand and reputation. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Presence of Substitute Inputs – Weight Watchers has the upper hand in regards to suppliers. They can turn to any alternative especially being an industry leader. Bargaining Power of Customers: Brand Identify-Weight Watchers has a great brand identity being one of the leading diet plans and having 1.4 active members. Weight Watcher uses many celebrities to market their brand to consumers. Rivalry among Existing Competitors: This force could be a big problem since new workout plans and diet products are always popping up on the market. Some diet plans are even using Weight Watchers’ formula for counting points and creating calculators. 1. Threat of new entrance3. Bargaining Power of Suppliers 5. Rivalry among Existing Competitors 2. Threat of Substitutes4. Bargaining Power of Customers Weight Watchers has a great thing going and will be around for years to come unless someone makes that magic pill to have the fat shed off you overnight. It seems as if the 5 Forces of Competitive Strategy is really working for  them. It also seems as if Weight Watchers understands its industry and where the industry is heading. They found themselves in the position to create a profitable company without totally relying on consumers. Internal forces The strongest part about the weight watchers program is the community and employee morale that comes along with the product. The program consist of two elements that really make the culture thrive. First off is the programs that it offers such as plans and dietary supplements. Second is the community and group support that really makes it hard to contest with. With all the human planning and preparation this is the key to internal success in the business market. External forces Strategy Development. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2014, from http://strategyatheinz.blogspot.com/2013/05/shaping-weight-loss-with-five-forces-of_30.html

A Case Study That Refelcets on the Inception and Growth of Jelly Belly.

Jelly Belly, Case Study Jorge Nolasco and Jason Ilarraza Operations and Supply Chain Management Naval Postgraduate School February 28, 2013 This Case study is based on Jelly Belly and the actions taken by the founder, to grow the Company, and loose the company to Goelitz Inc. The focus of the case study will address Jelly Belly's strategy and sustainability, strategy and capacity management, and sales and operational planning. At 18 David Klein was in business selling popcorn with his uncle while attending UCLA. He worked his way through law school by selling popcorn.David decided not take the bar exam but pursue a career he was captivated by, making and selling candy. David Kline a quirky and creative candy maker has invented over 450 types of candy. His most famous candy was Jelly Belly. David first opened and operated a wholesale nut and raisin business and attained experience and a reputation in the Los Angelos Area with local distributors of nuts, raisins, and candies. While ope rating and maintaining the wholesale nut and raisin business, David developed a gourmet jelly bean, he coined Jelly Belly.Jelly Belly’s competitive dimension was quality. David’s vision was to create a high-end jelly bean, with a premium quality, flavor, and a unique shape. David created the original 8 flavors in 1975. David approached Herman Goelitz, president of the Goelitz Candy Inc. , a generational candy business, founded in 1869, primarily known for fine candy corn, with a business proposal for production of the Jelly Belly. Mr. Goelitz began business with David and began the production of the 8 flavors David had created in 1976. The first flavors were Very Cherry, Tangerine,Lemon, Green Apple, Grape Jelly, Licorice, Root Beer, and Cream Soda. David was familiar with the successful main stream marketing strategies of McDonalds and Burger King. He created the Jelly Belly logo, in bright yellow and red. Soon after, David acquired a space in a store front operation. He wanted a place to sell, where publicity could be generated, that was bright and cheerful. He attained a space in the ice cream parlor with $800. He placed a stand in the corner of the parlor. The product was appealing yet it did not sell; the price for the jelly beans was outrageous.The candy industry was late in getting price increases, the candy industry was locked into low end prices. Afraid to make better candy because distributors would not purchase on the basis that customers did not want to pay more for a quality candy but expected to pay a low price for candy. Total sales for the first seven-day period was $44. David called the associated press and invited the press to his store front in the parlor, and created a set up to demonstrate to the press that he was doing well with the Jelly Belly business and to expose the press to the taste and quality of the Jelly Belly.The press report declared Jelly Belly to be the new candy craze. David continued with the momentum he had received from the press conference. David appeared on TV shows, radio shows and phone orders were directed to the ice cream parlor. Pres. Ronald Reagan, sampled Jelly Belly’s and loved them. He ordered 60 cases monthly. Local distributors began to sell and make a profit from Jelly Belly. $5 would ship 2lbs anywhere in the US. Soon after he established push carts in Holly Wood, Beverly Hills and Century City. The carts were visited by celebrities and this attracted more publicity.The demand for Jelly Belly grew at a very rapid rate after David worked diligently on attaining publicity for Jelly Belly. Goelitz Candy Inc. did not have the resources to support the demand for Jelly Belly. The back log for Jelly Belly grew rapidly reaching a climax of over a one year waiting list for delivery. David did not take needed action to plan for and mitigate the risk of having one supplier and logistics failures. David lacked the ability to deal with supply chain coordination risks; Jelly B elly was lacking safety stocks, safety lead times, multiple suppliers or alternate suppliers.Goelitz Candy Inc. was Jelly Belly's, sole manufacturer. David was unable to determine the overall capacity level of capital intensive resources that best supported the Co. ‘s long term competitive strategy. Jelly Bellies were produced in the Goelitz Plant, the PWP concept was utilized. Goelitz lacked capacity flexibility. Goelitz was unable to increase production of the Jelly Belly, they were unable to shift production capacity quickly enough from other products to the Jelly Belly products.Operational Effectiveness at the candy plant and for Jelly Belly were poor; either stakeholder did not have control initiatives or planning and control systems that could mitigate meeting the high demand. The leadership of Goelitz The high quality of the Jelly Belly was a trade off to low Inc. st. The order winning criterion for Jelly Belly was quality; the order qualifier was the 25 distinct flavor s and colors. Herman Goelitz Inc. convinced David Klein that 200 hundred employees relied on his decision to sell JB to the Goelitz Candy Inc. David lacked legal representation at the meeting.David sold Jelly Belly trademark for 4. 8 million to Goelitz Candy Inc.. The 4. 8 million was paid over 20 years, 20,000 monthly. Had David not accepted the deal by Goelitz Candy Inc.. , Goelitz had immediate plans to stop producing Jelly Belly for David and anticipated David running out of money attempting to fight Goelitz in court. If the David would have negotiated to keep his existing royalty agreement the deal would have been worth several hundred million since 1980. LL ? Supply Chain Risks were not identified or mitigated by David Kline; Jelly Belly had one sole producer, Goelitz Candy Inc. David lacked the ability to deal with supply chain coordination risks ; Jelly Belly was lacking safety stocks, safety lead times, multiple suppliers or alternate suppliers. ? David lacked legal represe ntation during negotiations with Goelitz Candy Inc. ? ? Goelitz was unable to increase production of Jelly Bellies, they were unable to shift production capacity quickly enough from other products to the Jelly Belly products. ? Subcontracting and outsourcing could have been a part of the Production Planning Strategies on the part of David and the Goelitz Candy Inc. Jelly Belly continues to grow and introduce new flavors. Currently there are 102 flavors. ? Its competitive dimension still focuses on quality/ order qualifier is the variety of flavors. ? Production / 100,000 pounds per day, or 1,250,000 beans an hour. ? Employee loyalty is the most important influence behind Goelitz's Inc. record-setting production. ? Jelly Belly has become more automated, and has also expanded. Increased sales have allowed Goelitz Inc. to buy new equipment and keep all employees busy. ? Jelly Belly accounts for 70% of the Goelitz Candy Inc. sales, over $200 million in 2008. ?

3G vs 4G Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

3G vs 4G - Essay Example This paper outlines the differences between Third Generation (3G) and Fourth Generation (4G) in the wireless technology. 4G technology is very high speed wireless Internet access. 4G technologies are basically the extension of the 3G technology in terms of speed and quality. Our analysis provides the major differences between 3G and 4G wireless technology in terms of price, speed, and quality. 1. Introduction In the past few years, modern communication and collaboration technologies have developed so fast, that it can be a bit hard to deal with everything new. Simply a couple of years before we had to get used to new technology with third generation communication systems. Without a doubt, this technology based systems were offering faster and better mobile communications standard as compared to ever before. 3G systems are offering data rate and download speed of up-to 3.1 Mega Bit per second. Though, not long ago an innovative standard was initiated by telecommunication corporations globally, known as 4G communication systems (GBESX; Chavis). In this scenario, 4G technology is the 4th generation of wireless cellular communication standards. At the present, there are 2 major categories of 4G communication and data networks developed in the United States: (GBESX; Chavis) WiMax: that is established by Sprint in cooperation with its technology and business associates LTE: that is a technology based extension of the GSM communication network used by T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T In addition, both the Third Generation (3G) and Forth Generation (4G) are standards developed for wireless and mobile communication technology. Basically, these Standards demonstrate how the airwaves can be used for transmitting data and information. This data can be voice or files. 3G was initially launched to the public in Japan in the year 2001. However, currently, the networks for the majority of wireless communication technology and carriers in the United States were 3G. 3G communications technology networks were a major development over old technology of 2G communication networks, presenting superior speeds for information transfer. However, the upgrading that 4G presented over 3G is frequently less pronounced (Diffen). Basically, 3G and 4G mobile technology have many differences. The most of them are remarkable, their communication rate, rates of data transfer; signal quality, cost, technology and power are extremely divergent. Though, the application of 4G networks has faced a number of challenges and difficulties. Unlike 4G, 3G technology is not completely defined by leading bodies having control of wireless technology management (Chavis). Moreover, the purpose of the 4G communication network is to noticeably increase data transmission rate. As compared to earlier communication networks, it focuses on data and information transmission, rather than voice based data. That in itself is extraordinary, for the reason that it outlines the reformation from voice based m obile communication networks to data based mobile communication networks. It as well is a possible threat for cable Internet suppliers, for the reason that 4G speed can be as fast as optical fiber data transmission speed (Himalaya; Segan). 2. Upgrading From 3G to 4G This section discusses the motive behind the upgrade of the 3g technology to present 4g technology based systems. Though, all this accomplishment of the 3G network all through the globe took almost a decade. In this scenario, The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) plans to have the 4G communication network rolled out to the worldwide marketplace in a great deal more efficient as well as timely way. On the other hand, improvements made between 2G and 3G necessitate

Creating High Performance teams in the workplace Essay

Creating High Performance teams in the workplace - Essay Example A group of six to seven people does not comprise a team. Teams are a group of individuals within a group with a common goal (Griffin &Moorhead, 2011, p.268). Groups and teams are not the same as group is a collection of people who may not have the same goal but in team the goal remains the same for every team member (Griffin &Moorhead, 2011, p.268). In a team, the decisions are taken either by the group together or a single person who may have better skills and expertise (Katzenbach & Smith, 2001, p.8). In a team, there is a continuous and a rigorous assessment of the performance of the team members (Katzenbach & Smith, 2001, p.9). Team activities help a person to inculcate leadership qualities in his personality (Franz, 2012, p.5). Features and benefits of team working Collaboration- In a team, the members work together to fulfill the common goal. Effective team work can produce tangible and intangible benefits for an organization in the form of increase in the quantity of the produ cts and increased customer satisfaction (Parker, 2011, p.5). Communication- In a team work, communication plays a major role. The leader would communicate with his team members on a regular basis as a good team cannot be built unless there is proper orchestration or communication of thoughts (Pritchett, 1992, p.2). Reducing complexity- Any activity that is first sorted out within a team will help to reduce its complicity and chaos in the operation (Willcocks & Morris, 1997, p.8). Balance of individual contribution – In a team, every member contributes his knowledge and expertise. The dominant members also contribute their expertise but they do not suppress the opinion of the others (Clutterbuck, 2007, p.70). The team leader would try to ensure that there is no imbalance in this regard Mutual support- In a team, the members mutually supports each other and help in continuous improvement (Goethals, et al., 2004, p.1533). Mutual trust can help the team to establish a work climat e and a communication process (Barner & Barner, 2012, p.40). Effort- The effectiveness of a team performance is assessed by its efforts. The effort that a team might put in depends on the task which should be motivating for the team members (Parcon, 2006, p.92). Cohesion - Team cohesion describes the way the team comes together in a social work (Kornspan, 2009, p.57). There is a positive relationship between performance level and cohesion in a team (Jowett, 2007, p.95). Effective ways to create high performance teams There can be many ways and tactics to create a high performance teams. a few aspects like bonding pattern in newly hired team, removing low morale in the project team, the team fit , resolving conflicts and increasing participation and creativity in the team can lead to a high performing team. It is often observed that new recruits or people joining an organization in their teams face difficulty and are uncomfortable with the environment. Also, sometimes the people with in a team feel isolated due to the factors like loneliness, new environment etc. This can harm the productivity of the team to a great extent (Roussel, 2011, p.244). So, the manager needs to make the new recruit comfortable with the team. Organizations face problems where there is inconsistency in the fit amongst the workers. In a team, some people can be productive working in a traditional work environment but as the working environment changed, there may be situations where these workers may not be able to work with

Paraphrasing my Business administration Capstone assignment Essay - 2

Paraphrasing my Business administration Capstone assignment - Essay Example For the Stilsim Company to be able to create a generic strategy intended at enhancing their competitiveness in the market, the following are essential: Differentiation is aimed at appealing to clients by distinguishing between the corporation’s product and services and those that are provided by the rivals, thus giving clients a clear option as well as gaining their favor. In addition, the corporate level strategy the other strategy that can possibly used in place of the generic strategy, which is also known as the grand strategy. This strategy consists of the corporation’s supply-chain mechanism and the organizational structure. In using this strategy, the company is able to choose the business areas to be pursued, and determines that benefits that are realized by the company together with the amount of its competitiveness. At corporate level, strategic management is critical for the corporation since it is the foundation of the corporate as well as unit level financial strategic planning. Different from the corporate level strategy and generic strategy, we find that functional strategy is the functional strategy, which describes the strategy that is applied in each function of the like a strategy of product development and strategy of human resource, and these come from the major business strategy so as the company to be in a position of gaining a competitive advantage in the market as well as be able to create value. The Stilsim Company has many crucial matters that should be addressed. The identification of the issues that face the company has been done by the use of rational, internal and external analysis. The most disturbing, out of these issues is that with the Capital City Office, the main office which is no longer productive. However, this gives the company a less competitive advantage. If the company wants to gain comparative advantage over its

Tourism in Bulgaria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Tourism in Bulgaria - Essay Example The method of investigation The class had been divided into groups of 3-4 students with diverse languages. The groups came to an agreement that the research be conducted with respect to the international tourism in Bulgaria. As such, three different locations in the country were selected that are likely to be tourist attraction centers. These include Sofia (as the countries capital city), Burgas (one of the large coastal towns), and Sunny Beach (a beach resort at the coast that is likely to attract international tourists). The selection of the geographical locations applied the principles of judgmental sampling, as it was considered that these regions would have the highest number of international tourists. The group designed a questionnaire that was translated into different languages that are applicable in Bulgaria (English, Bulgarian, French, Russian, and German) in order to capture a wide category of the tourists. The use of questionnaire in a face-to-face interview was preferred in order to avoid/minimize cases of non-response and inaccurate data. This is because it would enable a clarification to be made in the event that something was not clear. The questionnaire sought responses like the place of origin of the individual, the reason for visit, demographic information (gender, age, nationality), the size of the visiting group (an individual, a couple, family, or larger group), the previous visits to the country, the opinions on tourism’s effect on developments in Bulgaria, and the activities of the tourists while in the country. The response to the last question in the questionnaire is of particular importance in... The research indicates that the international male tourists and their female counterparts engage/participate in almost similar activities at comparable degrees. In fact, the females appear to be engaged in more different activities than the male tourists are. There is not a single activity included in the study that had male participants and no female participants. The different in the scores that measure the individuals’ engagement in these activities also had close ranges for nearly all the activities. Besides, there is a positive relationship between the degree by which the males engage in a given activity during the vacation and the females’ engagement in those particular activities. This means that if male participants have engaged highly in a given tourist activity, then chances are high that females are also highly engaged in the activity. Thus, our hypothesis that the male international tourists in Bulgaria engage in more different activities than the females is not supported. The cheap cost of transport, different categories of accommodation facilities, and proper accessibility of most of tourist attraction sites in the country encourages more tourists (men and women) into the country. The social centers have a range of activities that loosely fit both males and females. The study was facilitated by the strategic choice of the geographical location in which it was conducted. Even though it was based on judgmental principles, it was likely to provide more relevant information since this project had nothing to do with data on the Bulgarians.

Oratorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Oratorical Analysis - Essay Example On June 12, 2005 Jobs was asked to deliver the commencement address for Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. His humorous and yet serious speech is available on You Tube and also the text of it is available at the University’s web site (2005). In that talk, Mr. Jobs talked about four distinct points: 1) His early life through college, 2) His tenure and abrupt departure from Apple and career thereafter 3) Jobs’ cancer diagnosis and facing death before fifty and 4) The concluding statements. This paper will then attempt to give an Oratorical Analysis on that speech and including the text, along with the You Tube video, other information will be gleaned as needed from Biography’s work on Mr. Jobs (Biography 2012). I. Early Life Steven Paul Jobs was born on February 24, 1955 in San Francisco, California. His father was a Syrian professor at the University of Wisconsin and his mother, Joanne Schieble, was a graduate student. Yet there were two very big proble ms, at least for the post McCarthy and I Like Ike United States of America of 1955. First, his parents were unwed and that was the time period females were sent away in shame if they became pregnant, for they were in â€Å"trouble†. The second and equally just as terrible major issue was that his biological father was Syrian, Abdulfattah Jandali. Biracial relationships were a definite taboo although his parents eventually also produced a daughter, whom Steve Jobs finally met in the eighties. So his mother decided long before Steve’s birth to give him up for adoption. The one stipulation she had was her child be raised by college graduates and the adoption was arranged for a lawyer and his life. Yet there was a huge problem with that; they wanted a girl and Steve was definitely a boy. So they rejected the infant sight unseen. A hasty replacement was obtained with a couple named Clara and Paul Jobs from the Silicon Valley. Although hard working (Clara was an accountant a nd Paul was a machinist) neither had graduated college. As a matter of fact Paul Jobs had never even graduated from high school! Schieble was so upset that she put the adoption on hold for many months before she finally relented, after a compromise was reached and the Jobs’ promised that young Steven would eventually attend college. He eventually met his mother and knew who his father was, although they did not connect. Jobs sarcastically referred to his birth parents as a sperm and egg bank. By all accounts Steven had a happy childhood and it was probably through Paul Jobs that the boy developed his life’s work, for man and son spent many enriching hours in the family garage tinkering with electronics. Yet for all of his accomplishments the boy was not very good in school, even though he tested so highly in elementary school that the educators wanted to propel him forward to high school, a proposition that his parents did not approve. A good part of Jobs’ free thinking philosophy was no doubt shaped by the turbulent decade of the sixties, the very years of young Steven’s formative years. One needs to only watch singer Billy Joel’

Sports Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Sports Development - Essay Example Apart from England Sports governing body, as it mentioned above that there exist Local Sports Development Unit which one of its primary objective is pave a way for a better sports development from the grassroots, as they believe that sports from the grassroots level is the key factor leading for a better career in future for the beginners. In a statement written, few of the functions of Local Sports Development Unit are cited as "Offering quality advice to sports clubs or individuals seeking help to develop/enhance themselves or their sports club. Working in partnership with other essential stakeholders in our field to create further opportunities for local communities across the city and helping to develop and educate future and existing coaches within the city". (Why Have Sports Development Unit). MAIN BODY: Meanwhile this essay would make assessment on the basic needs of how to develop sports from Local areas of England, business partnership, for the benefit of the local area, additionally with campaign initiative on how to increase and sustain the participation of Basketball in England. It should be noted that the proposal would touches different angles, including assessments of other places in England that al ready adapt to that policy, in order to cite their exemplary actions, so they would be regarded as yardstick for the proposal. On this aspect there is the need to adapt to Economic Strategies. The East Midland Development Agency as one of the key example, has initiated Regional Economic Strategy, which is under the umbrella of Integrated Regional Strategy, while sports feature is given highest proportion on this aspect. Additionally in East Midland, the strategy of enhancing business partnership reaches to extent of making regeneration and making proper planning, which is also a key factor toward developing business partnership for the benefit of the Local Area. In the aspect of Regeneration and Planning, efforts made in East Midland should be putting into consideration for achieving the subject of discussion. For example "the best example being the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Growth area. These areas need to become models for sustainable communities achieving benefits from and through sport and recreation. The regional and local development frameworks, the Market Town master plans, the village and parish plans and the Urban Development Plans need to consider sport and recreation. Leisure, sport and recreation opportunities are regularly identified within Market Town Health checks yet few follow-up activities are developed. Sport needs further development within the revised Rural Action Plan". (Sport England) The Sport England on this note should also have to put into consideration the need to give more supports to Local Organization for establishing more and more sporting centers across local areas of the country, through Local Sports Development Units. This in no small measure would benefit greatly to the Local Organization and the Sports England in particular to increase the economic interest of them. The Sports England should at this juncture assess the effort made by Local Organization

Week1 Knowledge paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Week1 Knowledge paper - Essay Example In addition to the need for goods and services, there was a high demand for housing. This demand spawned the creation of the subdivision. With the proliferation of the automobile, better highways, and television people began to move west as they left the rust belt for the sun belt. While women had been instrumental in working in the wartime factories, after the war women left the factory jobs and became more domestic. This period transformed America into the single wage family headed by a male that became the middle class. The shift in demographics created even more desire and need for products in the marketplace. The economy was growing due to the increase in employment opportunities, more leisure time, and the advertisers ability to reach the public through the new medium of television. The information that I have about the economy during this era comes from older family members who have related their stories to me. In addition, I have picked up images and impressions from television and the Internet. I have always been interested in culture and like to watch some of the old post war movies or 1950s sitcoms. Though I know they are only stories, you can sometimes glean some facts from good fiction. The relationship between the US and the USSR had always been somewhat tense due to the claims of communist infiltration in the US that went back to the 1930s. However, the war against Germany had necessitated that they become allied in their goal of defeating Hitler. Russia endured a heavy burden and paid a great cost during the war. As such, Stalin felt that they were owed the spoils that go to the victor in war. The US, though cautious, was willing to accommodate the Soviets by giving them control of the countries on their western border that would serve as a buffer against Germany and would become their satellite states. After the defeat of Japan, Truman once again

The argument for the institution of a world currency Essay

The argument for the institution of a world currency - Essay Example The people who developed the theory believe barter trade being replaced by money exchange is not sufficient to determine a good monetary economy. However, barter trade is considered to be slow and cumbersome, features that are ease by money exchange system. Furthermore, the money system has changed the general functioning economic system; it has also changed the economy parties’ responsibilities. Money system has also enabled easy and fast financial analysis to certain whether the business is in a profit or loss trend. The monetary theory is known to have emerged from critics of the high class businesses evaluation, the reason being that the neo-classical interpretation mode did not consider the small business owners also called the macro-groups. The distribution theory is not well appreciated and instead a theory which recognizes banks as they provide the best payment means as well as the firms’ power since it determines the best locations of important resources. Franc e has got two major groups namely: Dijon school, headed by Bernard Schmitt together with Alvaro cencini. The main problem associated with this group is re –examination of Keynesian based economy as well as international payment analysis. The other group is headed by Alain Parguez Paris based and Francois Poulon heads the Bordeaux branch. This group faces analysis difficulties related to its levels of activities, unemployment as well policies stabilizations. The general equilibrium theory is rejected by the author of this article as its more of the barter trade theory which is considered to be technical means of exchange. The current macro-economics is also rejected due to the exogenous nature of the money stock. Origin and money nature is not well specified in the theory. The theory does not portray the banks and firms relationships instead rely on the unconvincing income distribution notion. The authors reveal further the difficulty in assessing the relationships between the circuit and the Post-Keynesian School. The limitations is associated with government deficits, the stock of money is either increased or reduced due to the transactions between the Central bank as well as Commercial banks. The circuit theory is more of the Wicksellian theory considered to be credit economy based. Circuit theory tends to replace the monetory economy due the latter inconsistency in money commodity. Money commodity can be generally defined as the kind of money which can be created by any producer for himself. Commodity money resembles the slow and cumbersome barter trade hence token money informs of paper currency has gained preference. However it is worth noting that paper currency itself is not enough to define or determine monetary based economy. For instance delivering goods to a customer who would pay later makes the buyer the debtor and you as the seller the creditor, such transaction is not monetary based but credit economy. There are three major vital conditio ns required for money based economy to exist. Money should be in token currency to limit chances of barter trade. Money should also be accepted by all parties i.e. the sellers and the buyer as a means of payment, this limits credit transactions. Agents making payments; the buyers should not be given privilege of seignorage when making payments in other words they should not lengthen their promises to pay for the goods they had earlier received. The above named conditions can only be met if payments are made as promises of an extra party apart from the buyer and seller. Banks is the third party in the modern world. For

Student Services and Student Success Essay Example for Free

Student Services and Student Success Essay The literature review tackles on the research problem: â€Å"School Services: Its Role in and Contribution to College Student Success†. It includes researches done on school services and student success. The organization of this review is on the order of answering the research questions. A SUCCESSFUL STUDENT The first research question is: What are the indicators of college student success? The review will look into (a) the definition of student success, and (2) how schools particularly in higher educational institutions measure student success. What does it take to be successful? As what students would always ask as soon as they enter college life. But how do we describe a successful student? According to Zepke, Leach, and Butler (2011) student success is â€Å"variously understood as engagement, persistence, completion, graduation and entry to employment† (p. 227). But not merely limited to achieving high scores in an exam but to put in a deeper sense, success covers a wider aspect in a student’s life. In the article, The Thriving Quotient by Shreiner (2010) common notion equates student success with academic performance and persistence to graduation. She further emphasizes that for those â€Å"who have worked extensively with students know that there is more to a successful college experience than grades and graduation† (p. 3). There is an empirical factor that drives students to succeed. There is the existence of a thriving quotient, where thriving is â€Å"describing the experiences of college students who are fully engaged intellectually, socially, and emotionally† (p. 4). These thriving students will have a deeper sense of fulfillment that extends beyond academics but with other aspects of learning as well. This will allow them to gain more than mere conceptual ideas but experiential learning too. And in order to help institutions measure their effectiveness in providing students with worthwhile college experiences, she developed an instrument that measures thriving. Analyses indicated that thriving is â€Å"indeed a distinct construct comprised of: (1) engaged learning, (2) academic determination, (3) positive perspective, (4) diverse citizenship, and (5) social connectedness† (p. 5). Institutions, therefore, play an important role in ensuring that students perspective in life is positive, â€Å"students with a positive perspective keep trying; even when progress is slow or difficult, they remain confident of their ability to achieve the final outcome and therefore persist in the face of challenges† (p. 7). Moreover, the students should be given an opportunity to â€Å"envision a bright future for themselves, and this image serves to motivate them to persevere when the going gets tough† (p. 8). Therefore, higher institutions should focus on how students thrive, more than just surviving college life since it connotes a deeper understanding of student success. On the other hand, in Fostering Student Success in the Campus Community, Kramer and Assoc. (2007) explain, student success â€Å"takes on a variety of forms and is related to a multitude of characteristics, conditions, indicators, outcomes, and institution-specific factors† (p. 433). It takes on different variations depending on the circumstances of the student. Each student has different needs and they face various types of deterrents for success. This implies that different approaches should be laid down and prepared to address these various needs. Another point, higher educational institution should not only look into graduation as their sole basis for student success but rather look into other indicators as well. Bailey (2006, as cited in Kramer, 2007) enumerates the following indicators: (a) student’s skills for work; (b) employment for the purpose of serving the society; (c) getting hired after completing coursework; (d) being financially literate; (e) engagement in civic works; (f) achieving basic general information; (g) licenses and certifications, and (g) continuing learning. These indicators will facilitate in assessing student success. Another important matter that needs to be factored in when we talk about student success is the role of assessment and evaluation of programs and services. This will help gauge the amount of learning that students receive from their academics and non-academic experience. Likewise, the institution will be able to tailor fit their service offerings based on these assessments. Certainly, there should be a drive to foster student success at all times. STUDENT SERVICES Every institution must provide for the needs of its students. They shall aspire to meet the demands of the changing times as well as the evolving kind of students that we have now. In order to do so, each institution is called to provide services to address these demands. This brings me to my second research question that is: What student services are expected to be provided by higher educational institutions? According to Arbuckle (1953), the need for student services is inevitable. He says, â€Å"Most college students are adolescents, and, even in an environment where they are understood and accepted, for almost every student there will be occasions when he will be in need of assistance† (p.1). This entails that each student is expecting help from any authority as soon as they step into the school. Furthermore, â€Å"every institution of higher learning needs a program of student services that is dedicated to the welfare of the individual student† (p. 2). The institution then has the responsibility to ensure that they provide services that will address the concern of all students. Needless to say, the programs and services of the institution should cater to the holistic development of the student –physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually, as well as intellectually. Those services mentioned in the book are the following: â€Å"(a) admissions, (b) orientation, (c) counseling, (d) occupations, (e) health, (f) student aid, (g) religion, (h) housing and dining, (i) student activities, and (j) teaching† (p. 22). With each of these services addresses specific concerns that each student experience in school. For Kramer and Assoc. (2003), there are those services which are intended for the purpose of providing students with opportunities to enrich themselves through programs intended for personal development and learning. It is also intended to assist the student in their academic deficiencies, as well as to prevent future academic and personal difficulties. Finally, services will facilitate the students stay in the university as comfortably as possible. It is also important to note that an effective program and service engages the student both in the learning and assessment process. This involvement will provide the student an opportunity to reflect on its own performance and allows them to realize ways on how to deal with barriers that hamper their own success. The student should be given the chance to fully optimize the learning that is available both inside and outside of the classroom. In The role of student affairs and services in higher education: a practical manual for developing, implementing and assessing student affairs programmes and services the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO, 2002) clearly states that in an institution the office of student affairs is among one of those who provide critical programs and services to students. They have the task of providing highly effective and efficient services that enhances student learning likewise increase student retention and graduation rates. The student affairs practitioners are supposed to be knowledgeable with regard to dealing with students. They should have an in-depth knowledge of the uniqueness of each student, generally in all aspects as well as their behavior and motivation which are all critical factors that uphold student success. The manual â€Å"focuses on ways to build an effective student affairs and services operation that puts the student at the center of all efforts by supporting students in their academic endeavors and enhancing their personal, social, cultural, and cognitive development† (p. 2). Moreover, the manual presented different programs and services used in other countries as well. In light of the emerging student type, there came a need to establish programs and services which encompasses â€Å"recreation, cultural activities, sports, testing, orientation, career assistance, job placement, financial assistance, and disability services† (p.22). This later on were enhanced and made in collaboration with the academic units in order to produce an integrated student-centered programs and services. Hence, providing programs and services to students is an unending process. It continuously evolves as the students evolve themselves differently year in year out. Therefore, it is a necessity to constantly conduct assessment and evaluation of programs and services to check its applicability to the current set of students. In the Philippines, according to Memorandum Order no. 21, also known as â€Å"Guidelines on Student Affairs and Student Services,† of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED, 2006), states that in any university or school, the student affairs and services â€Å"are concerned with non-academic experiences of students to attain total student development† (p. 2). Just the same, the holistic development of a student should and always be the guiding principle in an institution. And in order to facilitate student development towards student success, an institution should provide the following services to its students: (A) Student welfare programs and services, include (1) information and orientation, (2) scholarships and financial assistance, (3) health, (4) guidance and counseling, (5) food, (6) career and placement, (7) safety and security, (8) student discipline, (9) student housing, (10) services for students with special needs, (11) international students services, (12) admission, (13) research, monitoring, and evaluation of student affairs and services. Then, (B) Student development programs and services, include (1) student organizations and activities, (2) student council/ government, (3) leadership training program, (4) student publication, (5) sports development programs, (6) cultural programs, (7) social and community involvement, and (8) multi-faith services. (pp. 5-10) All these programs and services are multi-faceted that are geared towards creating an institutional environment wherein each students’ experience are worthwhile. STUDENT SERVICES and STUDENT SUCCESS It is apparent that student services should be assessed or evaluated whether it contribute and pose a positive impact on the lives of the students most specifically in the attainment of success. For Morante (2003), assessment of academic and student services is essential. Assessment will enable the institution to identify whether their programs are effective and if it provides a positive impact on students. The function of which is: â€Å"(a) to focus on student learning outcomes (SLO’s),which includes processes, especially in seeking ongoing improvement, (b) to demonstrate and improve student learning and student success, and (c) to facilitate accreditation, accountability and institutional effectiveness † (p. 3). The third research question is: Which of these student services have been shown to positively contribute to student success? In what ways did it contribute? In the article of Chaney, Muraskin, Cahalan, and Goodwin (1998), they found that with the use of â€Å"Student Support Services (SSS)† (p.197), there were significant changes in the progress of disadvantaged student in higher education in the United States (U. S. ). They conducted a longitudinal study of the effect of SSS on retention. Clearly the â€Å"results confirm that retention programs should address both academic and social integration on campus† (p. 197). The SSS is one of the largest programs provided by the U. S. Department of Education to the following groups of people: â€Å"(a) low income, (b) first-generation college students, and (c) physically handicapped† (p. 198). The SSS is comprised of services which are specifically selected to cater to a certain group of people. It include, â€Å" counseling, tutoring, workshops, labs, cultural events, special services to handicapped students, and instructional courses† (p. 198) Some other important points tackled were participation, student integration and the amount of services provided as factors contributing to the positive effect of SSS to retention. Keep in mind that retention is likewise is attributed to student success; therefore, it can be qualified that the SSS program will have a positive impact on student success. The SSS program facilitated students’ capacity to stay in college by providing sufficient amount of help needed to succeed. To cite a specific example showing a significant and positive impact on student’s success is the study conducted by Lanasa, Olson, and Alleman (2007). They examined whether providing a resident hall within the campus would increase student engagement that will eventually lead to student success. Relatively, the on-campus residence hall may have helped students to have more time for outside of the classroom engagements. Nonetheless, the institution will still need to focus on other programs and services for the students that will form part the entire learning process of the student. On the other hand, institutions should also address the needs of all types of students. It is a reality that in every institution there are students who are â€Å"special†, those who are challenged in various ways. Capper, Frattura, and Keyes (2000), connotes that all people even those with special needs, have an equal opportunity in an institution to learn and succeed. They believe that these students â€Å"have a continuum of needs—physical, social, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual—that fluctuate and vary over time, depending on circumstances† (p 1). Then in order for these types of students to succeed, the institution should learn the fundamentals in addressing the students need and eventually unlocking all of his or her potential and capacity to learn. They taught students with special abilities by looking deeply into the specific need that needed attention. Programs were tailored-fit depending on a specific need the student has. Continuous monitoring and evaluation is done in order to ensure that students are able to follow and eventually learn. RELEVANCE OF THE REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE After going through all that was mentioned on student services and its role in and contribution to student success, I am convinced that indeed student services play an important, more so, critical role in promoting student success in higher education. Moreover, Drake (2005) in his article mentioned about the collaboration of academic and student affairs to boost student learning and success in the school. Basically, everybody in the institution has a role to play in assuring the success of a student both inside and outside the classroom. Furthermore, the institution should support programs and services that promote student learning and success. REFERENCES: Arbuckle, D. (1953). Student personnel services in higher education. US: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. Capper, C. , Frattura, E. , Keyes, M. (2000). Meeting the needs of students of all abilities: How leaders go beyond inclusion. US: Corwin Press, Inc. Chaney, B. , Muraskin, L. , Cahalan, M. , Goodwin, D. (1998). Helping the progress of disadvantaged students in higher education: The federal student support services program. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Vol. 20 No. 3, 197-215. CHED. (2006). Guidelines on Student Affairs and Services Program. Retrieved August 10, 2011 from http://www. ched. gov. ph/chedwww/index. php/eng/Information/CHED-Memorandum-Orders/2006-CHED-Memorandum-Orders. Dale, P. and Drake, T. (2005) Connecting Academic and Student Affairs to Enhance Student Learning and Success. New Directions for Community Colleges, No. 131, 51-64. Kramer and Assoc. (2003) Student Academic Services. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Kramer and Assoc. (2007) Fostering student success in the campus community. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Lanasa, S. , Olson, E. Alleman, N. (2007). The impact of on-campus student growth on first-year student engagement and success. Research in Higher Education, Vol. 48, No. 8. doi: 10. 1007/s11162-007-9056-5. Morante, E. (2003). Assessing student services and academic support services. iJournal: Insight Into Student Services, Issue No. 4, 2-8. Schreiner, L. (2010). The â€Å"thriving quotient†: A new vision for student success. About Campus , 2-10. doi: 10. 1002. abc. 20016 UNESCO. (2002). The role of student affairs and services in higher education: a practical manual for developing, implementing and assessing student affairs programmes and services. Retrieved August 10, 2011 from http://unesdoc. unesco. org/images/0012/001281/128118e. pdf. Zepke, Nick, Leach, Linda, Butler, Philippa (2011). Non-institutional influences and student perceptions of success Studies in Higher Education, Vol. 36 Issue 2, 227-242.

Experiment on Changes in Serum Levels of Irisin

Experiment on Changes in Serum Levels of Irisin Khaled Abdelfattah Abdelhamid Abulfadle, MD   Serum irisin level changes after propylthiouracil treatment of L-thyroxine induced hyperthyroidism in rats ABSTRACT Background: Thyroid hormones play an essential role in lipid, protein and carbohydrate metabolism; and they regulate thermogenesis and basal metabolic rate. Irisin is a myokine that is secreted as a product of fibronectin type III domain containing 5 (FNDC5) was shown to be present in many tissues, including the thyroid tissue. Objective: To investigate the possible changes in serum levels of irisin that occurred in a rat model of hyperthyroidism and the effects of use of propylthiouracil (PTU) in its treatment. Design: 18 male albino rats were divided into 3 groups. Group I was the intact control. Rats of group II and III received daily 0.3 mg/kg subcutaneous injection of L-thyroxine (LT4) for 12 consecutive days. On the thirteenth day, animals of group III (Hyperthyroid PTU treated) received 5 ml/kg i.p. injection of propylthiouracil (PTU) along with an equivalent amount of LT4 as administered to group II animals for more 15 days. Animals of group II (Hyperthyroid control) continued to receive LT4. On the day of termination (28th day of starting LT4 treatment), overnight (12hrs) fasted animals were sacrificed by decapitation under ether anesthesia. Results: In the hyperthyroid control group, there was a significant decrease in serum level of TSH (P0.05) in serum levels of TSH, T4, T3 irisin, and, BMI in hyperthyroid PTU group in comparison to that in the intact control group. In the hyperthyroid control group, there was a significant increase in the serum level of both glucose (P0.05) in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group in comparison to that in the intact control group. In the hyperthyroid control group, there was a significant decrease in serum levels of both TC (P0.05) in serum levels of both TG and LDL-C in comparison to that in the intact control group. Conclusion: This study showed a significant increase in serum levels of irisin in L-thyroxine induced hyperthyroidism in rats. On using PTU, serum levels of irisin, thyroid hormones, metabolic parameters and BMI were significantly changed in comparison to the hyperthyroid control group. Keywords: Irisin, T3, T4, TSH, Propylthiouracil, Hyperthyroidism. Introduction: Irisin is a myokine that is secreted as a product of fibronectin type III domain containing 5 (FNDC5) in the skeletal muscle (Samy, Ismail et al. 2015, Jin Zhang 2017, Nathan C. Winn 2017). FNDC5, which is the precursor of irisin was shown to be present in many tissues, including the thyroid tissue (Huh, Panagiotou et al. 2012). It is secreted by a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ÃŽÂ ³ (PPARÃŽÂ ³) coactivator 1ÃŽÂ ± (PGC1-ÃŽÂ ±) after an exercise (Aydin 2014). Irisin was found to have an anti-obesity effect as it replaces the white fatty tissue with brown fatty tissue by the increase of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) resulting in oxygen consumption and stimulation of thermogenesis (Bostrà ¶m, Wu et al. 2012, Castillo-Quan 2012, Roca-Rivada, Castelao et al. 2013, Jin Zhang 2017, Nathan C. Winn 2017). Stengel, Hofmann et al. (2013) found that irisin level was identified to be high in obesity and to be low in anorexia nervosa. On the other hand, thyroid hormones pla y an essential role in lipid, protein and carbohydrate metabolism; and they regulate thermogenesis and basal metabolic rate (Hulbert 2000). Also, hyperfunction of thyroid gland is a common endocrine disorder which is accompanied by metabolic imbalance, oxidative stress and abnormal energy homeostasis (Erdamar, Demirci et al. 2008). There were some controversies in the results of studying the effect of thyroid hormone level changes on serum levels of irisin as Yalcin, Akturk et al. (2016) found an increase in serum irisin levels in hyperthyroidism and they suggested that it might contribute to altered energy metabolism. Also, Samy, Ismail et al. (2015) stated that hyperthyroidism was associated with up-regulation of serum irisin in male rats, probably as a response to myopathy and/or oxidative damage observed in both conditions. Moreover, Ruchala, Zybek et al. (2014) reported a borderline elevation of serum irisin in hyperthyroid versus hypothyroid patients. On the contrary, Panagiot ou, Pazaitou-Panayiotou et al. (2016) stated that changes in thyroid hormone levels did not affect circulating irisin levels in humans. Also, Stengel, Hofmann et al. (2013), Ellefsen, Vikmoen et al. (2014) and Gouni-Berthold, Berthold et al. (2013) reported lack of associations between levels of irisin, TSH and/or thyroid hormones. On the other hand, Zybek-Kocik, Sawicka-Gutaj et al. (2016) stated that irisin concentration was changed during prolonged thyroid function impairment. Also, AteÃ…Å ¸, Altay et al. (2016) found that, in hypothyroidism, there was a positive correlation between serum irisin levels and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) while a negative correlation was found between irisin levels and thyroxine (T4). Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the possible changes in serum levels of irisin that occurred in a rat model of hyperthyroidism and the effects of use of propylthiouracil (PTU) in its treatment. Materials and Methods: Animals preparations and experimental protocol: In the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, this experimental study was done from 6th of November 2016 to 28th of December 2016. 18 adult male albino rats, age and weight matched (170-195 gm), were purchased from the animal house of Zagazig University and were housed at 20-22 °C on a 12-h light-dark cycle and for 5 days, to achieve acclimatization, they were supplied with tap water and a standard chow diet. Rats were divided into 3 groups of 6 each. Group I animals served as the intact control, whereas those of group II and III received daily subcutaneous injection of L-thyroxine (LT4) (Sigma, MO, USA) at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg for 12 consecutive days (Panda and Kar 2007). On the thirteenth day, animals of group III received propylthiouracil (PTU) (Sigma, MO, USA) 10 mg/kg intraperitoneally (Panda and Kar 2007) along with an equivalent amount of LT4 as administered to group II animals. PTU was intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected, in a volume of 5 ml/kg, dis solved in saline (Kim, Kim et al. 2012). Experiment was continued for more 15 consecutive days (from 13th LT4 treatment). Animals of group II continued to receive LT4 and acted as hyperthyroid control. Intact control rats were injected with 5 ml/kg/day subcutaneously with saline. On the day of termination (28th day of starting LT4 treatment), overnight (12hrs) fasted animals were sacrificed by decapitation under ether anesthesia. Blood from each animal was collected and by its centrifugation at 3000 rpm for 15 minutes, serum was separated and stored -20oc till the time of assay of different biochemical parameters (Kumar, Kar et al. 2014). PTU was used to treat hyperthyroidism by decreasing the amount of thyroid hormone produced by the thyroid gland (Nakamura, Noh et al. 2007), and it also inhibited the enzyme 5-deiodinase, which converts thyroxine (T4) to the active form triiodothyronine (T3) (Bahn, Burch et al. 2009). Also, it inhibited LT4-induced hyperthyroidisms in rats (Panda a nd Kar 2007). Body mass index (BMI) changes: BMI in gm/cm2 was calculated in the different groups, just before rats were sacrificed (under ether anesthesia), by dividing Body weight (gm) on Length2 (cm2) (Novelli, Diniz et al. 2007). A graduated (in centimeters) metal ruler was used for measuring the rat length by putting the zero end at the rat anus and recorded the reading which reached by the nose. BMI was used as a measure for the change in body weight of rats (Novelli, Diniz et al. 2007). Figure-1: Experimental design. Rats were divided into 3 groups. Group I was the intact control. Rats of group II and III received daily subcutaneous injection of levothyroxine (LT4) for 12 consecutive days. On the thirteenth day, animals of group III (Hyperthyroid PTU treated) received i.p. injection of propylthiouracil (PTU) along with an equivalent amount of LT4 as administered to group II animals for more 15 days. Animals of group II (Hyperthyroid control) continued to receive LT4. On the day of termination (28th day of starting LT4 treatment), overnight (12hrs) fasted animals were sacrificed by decapitation under ether anesthesia. Measurement of serum parameters: Serum level of irisin was estimated (in ng/ml) using an irisin rat ELISA assay kit following the manufacturers instructions (Catalog# EK-067-52; Phoenix Pharmaceuticals Inc., Burlingame, California, USA) with a detection range of 0.1-1000 ng/ml. Quantitative immunoassaying of T3, T4 and TSH using commercially available kits as recommended by the manufacturer (cat#SE120091, SE120090, SE120135, ELISA Kits, Sigma-Aldrich). Both serum levels of total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) were estimated using enzymatic colorimetric methods. Serum high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) was assayed using NS Biotec HDL-precipitating reagent. Serum low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) was calculated using the Friedewald formula: LDL-C (mg/dl) = [(TC) (HDL-C) ( (Friedewald, Levy et al. 1972) Estimation of both serum glucose levels, using an automated analyzer (YSI 2300; YSI Life Sciences, Yellow Springs, OH), and serum insulin levels, using ELISA kits (RD Systems, Minneapolis, MN), were done. For assessing insulin resistance (IR), the homeostasis model assessment-IR (HOMA-IR) index was calculated by: HOMA-IR = (Nayak, Hillemane et al. 2014). There is a direct relation between insulin resistance and the value of HOMA-IR (Bonora, Targher et al. 2000). Statistical analysis: By the use of IBM SPSS Statistics for windows package version (24), data were analyzed and described as Mean ± SEM. For calculation of the statistical significance, One-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD post hoc test for multiple group comparison were used. P†°Ã‚ ¤0.05 indicated significance. Results: Table-1: Changes in serum levels of TSH, T4, T3 irisin, and, BMI among different groups Intact control Hyperthyroid control Hyperthyroid PTU treated TSH (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­IU/L) 2.82 ±0.12 0.81 ±0.05a 2.68 ±0.14bc T4 (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­g/dl) 5.33 ±0.14 16.2 ±0.2a 5.36 ±0.18bc T3 (ng/ml) 1.29 ±0.04 3.52 ±0.11a 1.36 ±0.04bc Irisin (ng/ml) 401.67 ±5.65 599.17 ±6.82a 409.5 ±6bc BMI (gm/cm2) 0.54 ±0.01 0.44 ±0.01a 0.51 ±0.01bc Data was expressed as Mean ±SEM. a P0.05 in comparison to the intact control group. c P Table-2: Changes in metabolic parameters among different groups Intact control Hyperthyroid control Hyperthyroid PTU treated Glucose (mg/dl) 91.5 ±0.92 113 ±2.33a 91.33 ±1.2bc Insulin (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­IU/ml) 2.95 ±0.12 4.86 ±0.16a 2.88 ±0.13bc HOMA-IR 0.67 ±0.02 1.36 ±0.05a 0.65 ±0.03bc TC (mg/dl) 106.5 ±2.51 89.83 ±2.52a 103.33 ±1.63bd TG (mg/dl) 55.17 ±1.22 52.33 ±0.67b 53.17 ±0.95be HDL-C (mg/dl) 54 ±1.15 43.33 ±0.88a 51.33 ±0.99bc LDL-C (mg/dl) 41.47 ±3.27 36.03 ±3.07b 41.37 ±1.92be Data was expressed as Mean ±SEM. a P0.05 in comparison to the intact control group. c P0.05 in comparison to the hyperthyroid control group. HOMA-IR, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index; TC, total cholesterol; TG, triglycerides; HDL-C, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol; LDL-C, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Figure-2: Correlations between serum irisin levels and: TSH, T4 T3 in, the intact control group (A), hyperthyroid control group (B) and hyperthyroid PTU treated group (C); glucose in the intact control group (D); insulin HOMA-IR in the intact control group (E); glucose in the hyperthyroid control group (F); insulin HOMA-IR in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group (G); TC HDL-C in the hyperthyroid control group (H). r is the correlation coefficient. Table-1 showed changes in serum levels of TSH, T4, T3 irisin, and, BMI among different groups. In the hyperthyroid control group, there was a significant decrease in serum level of TSH (0.81 ±0.05, P group (2.82 ±0.12), (0.54 ±0.01) (5.33 ±0.14), (1.29 ±0.04) and (401.67 ±5.65) respectively. On the other hand, there were insignificant changes (P>0.05) in serum levels of TSH, T4, T3 irisin, and, BMI in hyperthyroid PTU group in comparison to that in the intact control group. Also, there was a significant increase in both serum level of TSH (2.68 ±0.14, P0.05) in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group in comparison to that in the intact control group. Moreover, there was a significant decrease in the serum levels of both glucose (91.33 ±1.2, P0.05) in serum levels of both TG (52.33 ±0.67) and LDL-C (36.03 ±3.07) in comparison to that in the intact control group (106.5 ±2.51), (54 ±1.15), (55.17 ±1.22) and (41.47 ±3.27) respectively. In the hyperthyroid PTU treated group, there was a significant increase in serum levels of both TC (103.33 ±1.63, P0.05) in serum levels of both TG (53.17 ±0.95) and LDL-C (41.37 ±1.92) in comparison to that in the intact co ntrol group (89.83 ±2.52), (43.33 ±0.88), (52.33 ±0.67) and (36.03 ±3.07) respectively. Also, there were no significant changes (P>0.05) in serum levels of TC, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group in comparison to that in the intact control group. Figure-2A showed a significant positive correlation between serum irisin levels and that of T4 (r=0.97, P Discussion: This study was done to declare changes in irisin serum levels in a rat model of hyperthyroidism and the effect of PTU therapy on it. Also, to identify the association between serum irisin level changes in such conditions and some metabolic parameters including insulin resistance and lipid profile. The results of this study showed a significant decrease in serum level of TSH and BMI, but, a significant increase in serum levels of T4, T3, and irisin in the hyperthyroid control group, in comparison to that in the intact control group. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between serum irisin levels and that of T4 T3 but a significant negative correlation with serum TSH in the hyperthyroid control group. These results were supported by Huh, Panagiotou et al. (2012) who stated that FNDC5, irisin precursor, was present in the thyroid tissue. Also, the present study results were supported by Irrcher, Adhihetty et al. (2003), Ruchala, Zybek et al. (2014), Sanchis-Gomar and Per ez-Quilis (2014), Samy, Ismail et al. (2015) and Yalcin, Akturk et al. (2016) who found an increase in serum irisin levels in hyperthyroidism and they suggested that it might contribute to altered energy metabolism. Moreover, Irrcher, Adhihetty et al. (2003) reported that T3 increased the irisin precursor, PGC-1ÃŽÂ ±, expression in muscle. Furthermore, Sanchis-Gomar and Perez-Quilis (2014) stated that serum irisin was increased in hyperthyroidism as a compensatory response to oxidative stress as it had an antioxidant effect. On the contrary, Gouni-Berthold, Berthold et al. (2013), Stengel, Hofmann et al. (2013) and Panagiotou, Pazaitou-Panayiotou et al. (2016) stated that changes in levels of thyroid hormones did not affect circulating irisin levels in humans. This discrepancy between their results and that of this study could be explained by species difference. Regarding the negative correlation between both irisin and TSH hormones which was present in this study, it was support ed by Ruchala, Zybek et al. (2014). On the contrary, Stengel, Hofmann et al. (2013) and Ellefsen, Vikmoen et al. (2014) reported lack of correlation between serum levels of irisin and that of TSH and thyroid hormones. Regarding body weight changes with hyperthyroidism, the result of this study was supported by Janson, Karlsson et al. (1995), Voldstedlund, Tranum-Jensen et al. (1995) and Loeb (1996) who found a decrease in body weight with hyperthyroidism. Also, this study results were supported by Bostrà ¶m, Wu et al. (2012), Castillo-Quan (2012) and Roca-Rivada, Castelao et al. (2013) who found that irisin had an anti-obesity effect as it replaced the white adipose tissue with brown adipose tissue and increased oxygen consumption and thermogenesis. On the contrary, Stengel, Hofmann et al. (2013) and Saleh, et al. (2014) found that irisin level was high in obesity and low in anorexia nervosa. This discrepancy between their results and that of this study can be explained by species difference. On the other hand, this study results showed insignificant changes in serum levels of TSH, T4, T3 irisin, and, BMI in hyperthyroid PTU group in comparison to that in the intact control group. This indicated the improvement that occurred with PTU therapy in cases of hyperthyroidism which was supported by Nakamura, Noh et al. (2007), Panda and Kar (2007) and Bahn, Burch et al. (2009). Also, the results of this study showed a significant increase in both serum level of TSH and BMI, but, a significant decrease in serum levels of T4, T3, and irisin in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group in comparison to that in the hyperthyroid control group. These results were supported by Park, Lee et al. (2016) who found that PTU administration ameliorated hyperthyroidism, reducing T4 and T3, and, increasing both TSH and BMI. Moreover, the results of this study showed a significant increase in the serum level of both glucose and insulin, and, the value of HOMA-IR in the hyperthyroid contro l group in comparison to that of the intact control group. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between serum irisin levels and that of glucose in the hyperthyroid control group. These results indicated occurrence of insulin resistance with hyperthyroidism which was supported by Loeb (1996). This was supported also by Saleh, et al. (2014) who stated that hyperglycemia gradually up regulated FNDC5/irisin expression in the skeletal muscles non-diabetic persons. Also, this study results were supported by Hee Park, Zaichenko et al. (2013), Liu, Wong et al. (2013) and Mehrabian, Taheri et al. (2016) who found a positive correlation between serum irisin and that of glucose. On the contrary, Mehrabian, Taheri et al. (2016) found that serum irisin was negatively correlated with serum glucose level. Opposite to the results of this study, Huh, Panagiotou et al. (2012), Choi, Kim et al. (2013) and Sanchis-Gomar and Perez-Quilis (2014) found that decreased blood irisin level was a ccompanied by insulin resistance development. Sanchis-Gomar and Perez-Quilis (2014) stated also, that irisin ameliorated insulin resistance by increasing betatrophin hormone expression which stimulated ÃŽÂ ²-cell regeneration. Furthermore, the results of this study showed no significant changes in the serum level of both glucose and insulin, and, the value of HOMA-IR in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group in comparison to that in the intact control group. Also, there was a significant decrease in the serum levels of both glucose and insulin, and, the value of HOMA-IR in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group in comparison to that of the hyperthyroid control group which means improvement of insulin resistance with PTU treatment. On the other hand, Huh, Panagiotou et al. (2012) found that exposure to high blood glucose for a long time was associated with a significant decrease in irisin serum level. The discrepancy between their results and the result of this study could be explained by the difference in species and duration of the study. In the hyperthyroid control group, there was a significant decrease in serum levels of both TC and HDL-C but, there were insignificant changes in serum levels of both TG and LDL-C in comparison to that in the intact control group. Also, there were significant negative correlations between serum irisin levels and that of both TC and HDL-C in the hyperthyroid control group. On the other hand, in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group, there was a significant increase in serum levels of both TC and HDL-C but, there were insignificant changes in serum levels of both TG and LDL-C in comparison to that in the intact control group. Also, there were no significant changes in serum levels of TC, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group in comparison to that in the intact control group. The results of this study was partly supported by Mehrabian, Taheri et al. (2016) found a negative correlation between irisin and TC but, a po sitive correlation with HDL-C in normal weight obesity. On the other hand, Liu, Wong et al. (2013) found a positive correlation between serum irisin level and TC in non- obese, non- diabetic persons. Also, Sanchis-Gomar, Alis et al. (2014) reported insignificant correlation between irisin and TC. Conclusion   Ã‚   This study showed a significant increase in serum levels of irisin in L-thyroxine induced hyperthyroidism in rats and this could be related to changes in thyroid hormones, body weight and metabolic parameters. On using PTU, serum levels of irisin, thyroid hormones, metabolic parameters and BMI were significantly changed in comparison to the hyperthyroid control group and insignificantly changed in comparison to the intact control group which confirmed the improvement of the hyperthyroidism. Future studies are needed to confirm these results and to ensure the possible use of irisin as a biomarker for proper treatment of hyperthyroidism.

The Tourism Industry Is A Complex System

The Tourism Industry Is A Complex System The tourism industry is a complex system where its necessary to look at all different sectors which are influencing each other, to get a clear understanding how this system works. A helpful tool to use already models and theories, apply them on different example and evaluate them. The individual as a potential customer has to be analysed and categorised, which is ensuing a better understanding of tourist behaviour. Furthermore it helps to recognize their decision making progress for a destination, as well as getting knowledge about their needs and expectation. This essay will show the usage of these models and theories on example of the Dominican Republic. Tourism can be defined as a combination of services and activities for people who travel to places outside of their familiar surroundings. The definition of a tourist is wide-ranging, because the purpose of travel ranges from holidays, business trips, and visits to friends and relatives to various other reasons such as study, religion, shopping and so on. More than an industry, it is rather like a system that sells packaged holidays, activities, attractions, accommodations, and entertainment. It is offering the opportunity to break away from normal life and enjoy leisure time in different locations. Tourism normally does not provide just one single product; mostly it is a bundling of various products to satisfy the demand of the tourist. For example, someone going on holiday to London would not merely consume one product from one supplier. It is more likely that he is utilizing a package of services. He might arrive by plane, go by bus/train to his hotel, dine in a restaurant, and ta ke a sightseeing tour. Due to the fact that nearly every tourism product is interlinked, there is no owner or manager with complete control of his own destiny (Gunn A.C. 2002, p.243). Additionally, other industries, such as the oil industry, are linked to the tourism industry. In recent years tourism become a part of daily life because people have more leisure time than they used to have 50 years ago and the view of the work-life balance has changed. Another important point to mention is that the tourism industry is one of the largest in the world and is creating millions of temporary and permanent jobs. In 2006 the travel and tourism industrys percentage of the world gross domestic product was 10,3%, with a turnover of US$6,477.2 billion. The industry supported 234 million jobs, 8.7% of total world employment (Cooper, et al 2006: 3). This data represents the global importance and significance to the world economy. Tourism does not include just the supply of hotels, beaches and travel agencies but also economical, environmental and socio-cultural impacts. These three areas are always commingling and conflicting. There are people whom are simply interested in making a profit, other people wanting to protect the environment, and yet another group of people concerned with the social and cultural impacts of a tourist region. All three groups must achieve a balance to enable sustainable tourism. This idea is shown on the following graphic: 3. Tourist typology and their implementation to tourism models Stanley C. Plog One approach to understand tourist behaviour is to identify different types of people, whereupon they can be categorised into a series of organised psychographic types. In 1973 Stanley C. Plog created a model for the American population showing how personal motivation influences the decision for a vacation destination. He divided tourists into four types: allocentric, near-allocentric, mid-centric, and near-psychocentric/psychocentric. The allocentric type views travelling as an opportunity to discover foreign cultures and prefers exotic destinations. They are self confident and open for new experiences. The near-allocentric type is sporty, seeks challenges and views the journey as a chance to test a new lifestyle. The mid-centric type looks for relaxation and pleasure in a well-known environment. They want to escape from the daily routine and enjoy comfortable accommodation. The near-psychocentric and psychocentric types are focused on themselves and are scared to discover something new. These people tend to look for a safe place to holiday. Their choice of destination will be a place they know and where they are not that far away from their home city (Johnson Thomas, 1992: 19). Plog considered that there are just a few psychocentric or allocentric types because the majority of tourists are mid-centric. However, Plogs model is hard to apply in reality. For example the Dominion Republic has a lot of organised mass tourism and it is possible to organize a journey by yourself as well. Every tourist is an individual, so they cannot be generalized. One trip can have a completely different occasion and characteristic than the other one (Cooper, 2008: 48). Cohens tourist typology Another model which classifies tourists is Cohens tourist typology. He divides tourists into the organised mass tourist, the individual mass tourist, the explorer and the drifter. Cohen explains that organised mass tourists are typically purchasing a ready-made package tour where they have no or just a little contact with the local people and stay most of the time inside a resort. This is similar to Plogs psychocentrics` type. In Cohens theory most of the tourists are individual mass tourists. They are similar to the organised mass tourists, but they have more flexibility and scope for personal choice. They want to have contact to the local people. This category is comparable to Plogs midcentric tourists and most tourists fall into this category. The third tourist type is the explorer, who organises the trip by himself and looks for something special, something away from the typical interests of a mass tourist. However, he is still interested in comfortable accommodations. The last t ype, the drifter, is completely independent, wants to live with local people and wants to take part in the native culture. Cohens last two tourists theories, the explorer and the drifter, which are also the minority in this industry, are similar to Plogs allocentric tourists. (Cooper et al, p.51). 5. Demand for the creation of tourist typologies and their practice on the example of the Dominican Republic The reason why we need these typologies for different tourists is to help and to be able to develop tourism destinations. Expectations and needs from tourists on a perfect holiday can be identified, so the desired service can be supplied. As soon as we know the different motivations for individuals travelling to a particular destination, a specific tourist type is going to be targeted. This means that in example of the Dom. Rep. the organised mass tourists in the majority, which are looking for a safe holiday, we know their behaviour and know how to plan for them. Most of the resorts in Dom.Rep. are designed for this clientele and have been developed very fast during the last 20 years to satisfy the demand from tourists. At the first stage resorts were build for explorer or drifter, and since the creation of package tourism, a lot of individual mass tourists came to this area. With the creation of all-inclusive, there is no need for tourists to leave the hotel. Because of investigati ng the different desire of tourists and define them, it was possible to develop this area (National and regional tourism planning 1994, p.147). 6. Doxeys Index: The socio-cultural impact of tourism The Doxeys Index describes the relationship between visitors and the visited. He developed a five stage model which describes the first step as the upcoming  ´euphoria ´ when a small number of tourists arrive thus stimulating the economy and a large number of new jobs are created. The next steps are apathy and annoyance. At this stage local people get first used to tourists in their familiar surroundings, and afterwards annoyed, because too many people are visiting the destination. Antagonism and acceptance are the last steps in this theory. Native people start to avoid tourists and at the last step they accept them. Acceptance means, that they accept tourists in their usual life and forget how the area was before tourists arrived (Cooper et al, p.47). Top priority should be always building better relationships between residents and visitors, which improves social life for both sides. In Punta Cana, where the proportion of tourists is high to the number of residents, cultural problems occur because of different society expectations (National and regional tourism planning 1994, p.147). While Punta Cana has grown within twenty years, the local community did not have enough time to adjust to the high number of tourists. The three models of Plog, Cohen and Doxey are coextensive whith each other because when the first visitors (drifter) arrive at a destination, local people are euphoric. These tourists (allocentric) are not scared to discover new areas. In the midcentric are the explorer and the individual mass tourists. At this stage the community becomes apathetic and annoyed. The last step is the organized mass tourist who belongs to the psychocentric and native people start to accept them. The relationship between the models is linear (Cooper et al, p.47). 7. Butlers Tourism Area Lifecycle (TALC) The Tourism Area Lifecycle(TALC) is a well-known model Butler created to illustrate the dynamic of a tourist -destination or -product through different stages. The graph describes a characteristic function due to the natural interrelation between the exposure and intensity of tourism. It shows the evolutional process where every tourism product is going through, which can help manager to find a way out in case of a crisis or new developed destinations to establish themselves. Butler first stage is exploration, where small number of visitors arrive in an undeveloped area. These people been identified as Plogs allocentric or Cohens explorer type. After their trip they are responsible for Involvement, because they tell others about place they been to (Ryan 2003, p.269). A following rise of the curve during the development stage is logical, because more tourists can be carried. Butler says that the number of tourists decrease until the carrying capacity is reached, this is the consolidation stage. New development has to happen again to rejuvenate, otherwise it would come to a decline of visitors (Butler 2006). While developing new strategies is important to investigate the existing facts and concentrate on the potentials the destination is already providing. At this point it is necessary to make a decision. To develop this place, to leave the place how it is and increase the price or let it decline. Decline is the next stage of Butlers TALC. This happens if t oo many tourists are arriving at a destination at the same time and the capacity is too low. Visitor are disappointed and the number of tourists will therefore start to fall. An option to avoid decline is Rejuvenation. That means that the area has to be developed for example with new hotels and beaches. 8. The 5As model The 5As model was helpful to rejuvenate the Dominican Republic when it had been reached the stagnation point. A new development of Attractions, Accessibility, Activities, Amenities and Accommodation were necessary to bring facilities up to the level demanded by international tourists. When the carrying capacity was reached, an essential element in the tourism take-off was government investment in the infrastructure of tourism zones. Over $76 million went into the Puerto Plata region between 1974 and 1982. New hotels and transportation networks were built, to get electric power and satisfy water supply. Infrastructure was one of the main important things which had to be developed and when the airport in Punta Cana was built, a lot of new different tourists begun to visit this area. (http://kiskeya-alternative.org/publica/afuller/rd-tourism.html#ecsoc) Today the Dominion Republic is one of the most visited countries and popular for family holidays. This destination fits perfect in Butlers TALC because at first it was an undeveloped place and started to grow, decisions by the policy had to be done for example to rejuvenate the place, to let the area how it is or to let it decline. The Dominican government decided for rejuvenation because of the high potential of this area. With new roads, attractions, airports and hotels the resort development strategy was successful (National and regional tourism planning, 1994, p.147). 9. Multiplier effect In tourism the multiplier effect is used to illustrate how many times money spent by a tourist circulates through a countrys economy. In other words when a new tourist destination is created, the local economy benefits as new jobs are being created and tourist bring additional trade to local businesses. The most common example is when a new hotel is being built it does not only create jobs directly in the hotel, but also indirectly in other sectors of the economy. The hotel has to buy food from local farmers, who then spend some of this money, for example, on domestic expenses. When tourists spend money for local products the demand for those products increases, which also increases secondary employment. However the multiplier effect continues until there is a leakage out of the economy through imports, which is the purchase of goods from other countries. The most common example would be a Third World country, such as Dominican Republic, much of the money spent by tourist end up leaving the countrys economy via foreign-owned airlines, hotels, imported drinks and food, etc. A typical luxurious four star hotel would be more likely to import most of its goods and services; if that means that better quality would be provided which would ensure better customer satisfaction. (http://geographyfieldwork.com/TouristMultiplier.htm 10. Conclusion Models could be helpful to develop a successful tourism destination and understand the different motivations of tourists. When the policy changes the supply for example to develop an area for package tourism, the demand will also change. That means that the supply has to meet the demand side when at the descriptive side the object and services changing. Plogs, Cohens and Doxeys models are descriptive because they just describe a situation but Butlers model is descriptive and prescriptive. TALC explains what is happening in an area and makes diagnose. After this diagnose the problem becomes clear and it is easier to make a decision for solving this problem. It is always necessary to find out how much potential a place has to make substantial development it in the right way. For this fact tourism models are helpful. 11. References Cooper, C, Fletcher, J, Fyall, A, Gilbert, D and Wanhill, S (2008) Tourism Principles and Practice (4thedn), Prentice Hall, Essex Gunn, C.A (2002) Tourism Planning (4th edn), Routledge, London Howie, F. (2003 a,b), Managing the Tourist Destination: A Practical Guide (1st edn), Cengage Learning EMEA Johnson Thomas (1992), Choice and Demand in Tourism, Mansell Publishing Limited National and regional tourism planning (1994) Methodologies and Case Studies (World Tourism Organization) (1st edn), Routledge, London Ryan, C (2003), Recreational Tourism and Impacts (1st edn), Channel View Publications, Clevedon Dominican Republic tourism, Tourism Development in the Dominican Republic: Growth, Costs, Benefits and Choices, avaible from http://kiskeya-alternative.org/publica/afuller/rd-tourism.html#ecsoc (accessed on 11.12.2009)

George Washington Carver :: essays research papers fc

Carver was born a slave in Missouri. Although is exact birth date is unknown it has been narrowed down to July 12, 1861. Carver was only an infant when his dad was killed an he, his brother and mother were kidnapped. He was then orphaned and Moses Carver, his owner, bought George back in exchange for a horse. The horses value was estimated at 300 dollars. Carvers first schooling took place in a single room school house for black children. After regular schooling, he enrolled at Highland University. He had the grade but due to the fact that he was black he was denied. He then enrolled at Simpson College in Iowa where he worked as a cook to pay of his tuition. Carver wander to be an artist and he also showed promise as a painter. His art teacher steered him away from art and encouraged him to enroll at State Agricultural College in Ames. There he earned his bachelors degree. He then went to the Ames Experiment Station where he was employed by Louis Pammel. In 1896, Carver went to Tuskegee Institute to lead the newly established department of agriculture. For the rest of his life, Carver put together a laboratory, made useless and over-farmed land farmable, and continued research. Much of the land in the South had been over-farmed. All of the soil's nutrients had been depleted by the cotton and tobacco plant. Carver improved soil with his own blend of fertilizers. He also advised farmers to plant peanuts and sweet potatoes, he told them this would help the soil. So many farmers did this and were stuck with peanuts and sweet potatoes. So he made over 300 bi-products from plants such as cereal, oils, dyes, and soaps. In addition, Carver developed a "school on wheels" to teach farmers from Alabama the essentials for soil enrichment. Carver had experimented with various types of fertilizers. He grew huge vegetables with these fertilizers. He also crossed a long stalk and a short stalk of cotton to produce a new plant known as Carvers Hybrid. Carvers many achievements made him easily promotable to high salary jobs but he refused a raise and he stayed with the 1500 dollar annual salary he started with during his first year of employment.

All Quiet On The Western Front :: essays research papers

The novel All Quiet On The Western Front contains many incidents where the readers can hold characters responsible for their actions, however his novel in particular relates to the clash of values. Though fictional this novel by Erich Maria Remarque, presents vast detail through the conflicts at the Western Front. Corporal Himmelstoss a character in the novel is portrayed as a stereotypical military man, whose actions, when all's said and done, speaks for itself as the reader really does not question his iniquitous behaviour. However, apart from just the reader holding such characters morally accountable for their actions the novel concerns the rejection of traditional values, Paul’s disillusionment, and life opposed to death. Through such clashing of values, Remarque creates a confronting novel where the plot is for the most part articulated around values in conflict. The stereotypical stance of Corporal Himmelstoss, a military officer, is presented as a physically undersized man who wears a waxed moustache, which ideally supports the many defiant occasions where he disheartens the young soldiers. Throughout the novel where he is sent into the trenches we accept his role of breaking the spirits of the young soldiers. However, we understand why Paul and Albert Kropp take revenge beating him up. It is through these instances where the reader can almost understand a character through his right and wrong actions. Remarque’s inclusion of such scenes in the novel acts out the bitter anger and disillusionment of the young soldiers. The constant close companion of death besides Paul and his friends provides such clashing of values. Throughout the novel Paul never really recalls their opponents, the allies, as enemies. We also hardly see the other side other than the time where they took on the French militia; infact it would be appropriate to conclude that their real enemy in the war was the enemy Death. Every soldier in the war wasn’t innocently fighting for his country in an attempt to win, soldiers were fighting in order to survive death – it is only the fact that chance and luck kept them going. Paul and his friends could not comprehend that World War One was simply fought due to some document signed by each side’s respective leaders. These events allow readers to follow through that novel above all was concerned with values of life against death, and peace against war. Perhaps Remarque’s intended theme at the

Osmosis :: essays research papers

These results show that a potato chip placed in water will gain in length, a weak sugar solution will lose length and a strong sugar solution will lose length also. The results from this test will allow me to choose an appropriate range of moralities in order to find out what the concentration is inside the cell vacuole. I am going to investigate 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 molar sugar solutions. I have chosen these concentrations to try and accurately find when there is no net movement of water, hence the concentration of the cell vacuole. From previous work done on osmosis, I predict that molarity and average change in mass/ length will be indirectly proportional. I think there will be a negative correlation between the two. I think that there will be both loss and gain in mass discovered. I think the graph will look like this 89/5489/15489/image005.jpg" align="left" hspace="12">but there will be no plasmolysed on my graph, as I do no expect my measurements to go that far. I hope to be able to identify the point when there is no net movement of water. Analysis of Results The Consequences of Osmosisin plant cells: Plant cells always have a strong cell wall surrounding them. When the take up water by osmosis they start to swell, but the cell wall prevents them from bursting. Plant cells become "turgid" when they are put in dilute solutions. Turgid means swollen and hard. The pressure inside the cell rises, eventually the internal pressure of the cell is so high that no more water can enter the cell ...... The type of potatoes themselves will have to be kept the same all the way through the experiment. This is because each potato may have a different membrane and a different amount of pores. Also the water content in each potato could vary. This can be explained by saying that the potatoes in the middle of the sack will have a higher water content, because it is more humid in the middle of the sack which is opposite to the potatoes on the outside of the sack. To get rid off this unfairness, I will pre-treat all the potatoes that I will use in my experiment. This means that I will keep all my potato cylinders in the same environment over night in a beaker full of sucrose solution. When plant cells (potatoes) are placed in concentrated sugar solutions they lose water by osmosis and they become "flacc . Osmosis :: essays research papers These results show that a potato chip placed in water will gain in length, a weak sugar solution will lose length and a strong sugar solution will lose length also. The results from this test will allow me to choose an appropriate range of moralities in order to find out what the concentration is inside the cell vacuole. I am going to investigate 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 molar sugar solutions. I have chosen these concentrations to try and accurately find when there is no net movement of water, hence the concentration of the cell vacuole. From previous work done on osmosis, I predict that molarity and average change in mass/ length will be indirectly proportional. I think there will be a negative correlation between the two. I think that there will be both loss and gain in mass discovered. I think the graph will look like this 89/5489/15489/image005.jpg" align="left" hspace="12">but there will be no plasmolysed on my graph, as I do no expect my measurements to go that far. I hope to be able to identify the point when there is no net movement of water. Analysis of Results The Consequences of Osmosisin plant cells: Plant cells always have a strong cell wall surrounding them. When the take up water by osmosis they start to swell, but the cell wall prevents them from bursting. Plant cells become "turgid" when they are put in dilute solutions. Turgid means swollen and hard. The pressure inside the cell rises, eventually the internal pressure of the cell is so high that no more water can enter the cell ...... The type of potatoes themselves will have to be kept the same all the way through the experiment. This is because each potato may have a different membrane and a different amount of pores. Also the water content in each potato could vary. This can be explained by saying that the potatoes in the middle of the sack will have a higher water content, because it is more humid in the middle of the sack which is opposite to the potatoes on the outside of the sack. To get rid off this unfairness, I will pre-treat all the potatoes that I will use in my experiment. This means that I will keep all my potato cylinders in the same environment over night in a beaker full of sucrose solution. When plant cells (potatoes) are placed in concentrated sugar solutions they lose water by osmosis and they become "flacc .

Examinations. Good or Bad? Essay

Examination is a very wide word, which is used in all spheres of life. It is the most feared word of many students. We have examinations everywhere around the world. In Singapore, students take examinations every few months and major examinations every few years. As a result, many parents often push their children to strive in examinations. This causes them to feel extremely pressured as they have to juggle extra co-curricular activities that are compulsory in Singapore’s education system as well as to ensure that they do not neglect their studies and to meet their parents’ expectations. They often end up burning the midnight oil when there are examinations, leaving them worn out. Hence, the majority of students in Singapore feel that exams should be abolished. However, examinations are also proven to be beneficial. They help observe if we were able to consolidate what we have learnt and it has given students the drive to study. Without examinations, do you think a stud ent will spend time revising? Clearly, examinations should not be abolished. Examinations have given students the drive to study. As many parents expect their children to pass with flying colours during examinations, they usually will push them to study, hoping that by doing so they will get good grades. Sending them to tuition classes or even taking time off work to help them with their studies are ways parents will push them to work hard. As many parents always tell their children, â€Å"getting good grades will get you a good job†. By doing so, students will have to put in effort into their studies and do frequent revision which helps them to understand better. Should examinations be abolished, students will not be motivated to study and do revision. Without revision, there is no point in having classes as one will not learn and remember everything being taught. Students will then laze around and waste unnecessary time which could have been used for revision which will be beneficial to them. Not only do examinations give students the drive to study, they are also used to evaluate students. It is important for schools to evaluate how well students can consolidate the material presented to them, as otherwise the teachers might have explained everything in class in vain. The evaluation based on the grades taken in exams can help the teachers see what the students’ mistakes are and what misconceptions they may have and the teacher can correct them. Moreover, it helps them to see the students’ areas of  strengths and weaknesses and ensure that the teacher is able to maintain their strengths and improve their weaknesses. Hence, students will be able to learn better and it is no doubt that examinations are helping the students. Some people point out that examinations cause a large amount of stress to many students. Admittedly, students tend to feel extremely pressured when they hear the word â€Å"examinations†. This is because they are being pressured to meet their parents’ expectations by studying extremely hard, and sometimes, even burning the midnight oil. While doing so, they also have to attend extra co-curricular activities as well as to attend ballet classes, piano classes, tuition classes, and many more. However, if students learn to manage their time properly, I do not see why they should feel stressed. By completing their homework and revision on time and by drawing out timetables, there should not be a problem when it comes to dealing with examinations. Moreover, instead of doing last-minute revision, they could have done revision every day after school. This way, they will not panic. Furthermore, if students do not waste unnecessary time lazing around and playing video games, ther e should not be a problem with not completing their revision on time. Additionally, stress helps boost brain power as well as create mental toughness, increase clarity, and it helps in greater appreciation for one’s circumstances, and contribute to a sense of confidence built on a history of overcoming of obstacles. Hence, when it comes to examinations as a whole, the good outweighs the bad. All in all, examinations have been beneficial to many people.