Monday, September 30, 2019

Bible Essay

There are many accounts in the Bible that state God as the creator. Genesis 1 and 2 are both creation stories but slightly differ in their accounts; Genesis 1 is a day by day account of all the things God created in not so much detail whereas Genesis 2 explains the creation story in a way that focuses more on the creation of man and woman than just the lands. Having two accounts of the creation story means that it is easier to come up with your own conclusion as to how the earth was created. The first line of Genesis 1 is â€Å"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth† There is no explanation as to where God came from or why He is there, He just exists and creates the heavens and the earth. This alone is showing God as the creator. Genesis then carries on to state all the things God created all with no scientific or physical proof or evidence as to why and how God is doing so. â€Å"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them† This quote is from line 27 and is on the 6th day. The repetition of the word ‘created’ is enforcing to the reader that God is the creator of everything and this is done so that there is no doubt in the readers mind whether God is the creator or not. God creating man and woman in his own image is showing that we are superior to other beings such as animals which shows that God is the humans superior. Being made in Gods image is his way of blessing the humans in life as we are made in the ‘Creators’ image. â€Å"Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This quote is saying that God is passing down his ‘ruler ship’ on to the humans. This means that God is starting to ‘back away’ from his previous role and now feels that he has created a world that the inhabitants (humans) can look after. Genesis two is another creation story but has a few differences to Genesis 1. While Genesis 1 speaks a lot more of the specifics of how and when each part of the earth was made, Genesis 2 speaks a whole lot more about the creation of humans rather than the land. The most time that the creation of land is mentioned is at the beginning of Genesis 2. â€Å"This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens-â€Å" This is the first thing said in Genesis 2 and it is stating that God is the creator. It says that God created both the heavens and the earth; there is never any question or vagueness about God creating the heavens and the earth it is all very matter of fact. Although Genesis 2 doesn’t always speak of God ‘creating’ things it often personifies God in such a way that he is planting or making objects. â€Å"And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground-â€Å" This quote doesn’t say that God created the trees but made them grow from the ground, this is essentially saying that He created them as it was the first sighting of trees but is said in a different way as so not to force the ‘creation’ down your throat like Genesis 1 does. This is so that you can come to your own conclusion about which one is more plausible or correct but there is still no doubt as to god being the creator. Job 38 from the Book of Job is a story of how Satan and God have a disagreement where Satan was saying that Job only worships God because he is prosperous in his life, God then agrees to take away all his possessions and leave him with nothing to show Satan that Job would still worship him even if he was left with nothing. Job’s three friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar try to comfort Job but they end up doing the opposite and tell Job that the reason for all his losses is because he has sinned and now God is making him suffer. In the end Job has had enough and questions God, this makes God angry and then Job has a better understanding and realises that he should have trusted God all along. God then returns all of Jobs health and possession in better amounts than they previously were. This story is God showing his power and his superiority to humans. â€Å"Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? † This is God saying that he is mightier than any human and they do not compare to His power. This is also showing that God is omnipotent and that we know nothing compared to him. This is all enforcing that God is the creator and better than all the humans. â€Å"Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn it’s place,† This is saying that God has dominance over everything in the world, humans and nature. After Gods account of all his majestic works (such as the world and humans) and power, Job has to acknowledge God’s right as creator to do as he pleases and to not be questioned. Job is essentially the personification of all humans who do not believe god as the creator, Job doubted God and his ability so god became angry; this is supposedly what happens every time someone doubts God. Psalm 8 is a song about the lord God and his creation. â€Å"You have set your glory above the heavens† While this quote form the first verse isn’t directly linked to God being the creator it is saying that God has stated his glory in a way that so far in this psalm we do not know yet, we know that God has glory which could mean he has done something great. â€Å"When I consider the heavens, the work of your fingers† Now we start to work out what it is that causes God to have glory, â€Å"the work of your fingers† we are literally told that God has made the heavens with his ‘fingers’. This personification of God shows that people saw him as one of them but also appreciated his greater power, this could possibly relate to humans being made in God’s image. â€Å"you made him a little lower than the heavenly beings† This quote is, like Job 38, stating God’s dominance over the humans. God made humans a little lower than heavenly beings so that they knew their place and that they were lesser than himself ‘the creator’.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Implementing Computer Technology in Secondary Schools Essay

In 1999, The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) conducted a study on pedagogical practices of teachers and students of elementary and secondary schools in 30 nations, and the role of technology the said practices (â€Å"The Second Information Technology in Education Study: Module 2†, n. d. ). It was found out that as of 1999, 12% of elementary students and 3% of those in intermediate and secondary schools do not have Internet access in their schools (â€Å"Computer Technology in Schools†, 1999). Such number would considerably be large still, if the period when the benefits of the application of computer technology in education was implied, is taken into account. Computer technology for the use of students in schools started out as computer laboratories (Lynch, 2000), which until now, is continuously evolving to becoming a tool for learning. That the integration of computer technology in schools is still on process, suggests that although its advantages have been persistently advocated, there are also powerful sociocultural and developmental forces that oppose its progression. According to Meredyth, et. al. , (1999), the status quo in the mode of instruction slows the efforts to integrate computer technology in secondary schools. At first, the people who were against the implementation of computer technology in schools argue that this would result in the replacement human instructors and making them obsolete (Richmond, n. d). As it becomes clear that the this would not necessarily become so, that is, there would only be an evolution of role from plain instructor to facilitator, the problem with the implementation now centers on the lack of physical resources (Richmond, n. d. ) and the instructors’ lack of training (Lynch, 2000). This implies that the role of computer technology in the education of secondary students per se is not, today, the major consideration in its application and the need for a clear definition of its role is necessary to speed up decisions on whether there is really a necessity for the addition or retention of the number of computer hardware in schools, or should there be in need of compulsory technical training for instructors. According to Richmond (n. d.), there are two major problems in the implementation of computer technology in education: (1) the goals and purposes of implementation are unclear; (2) the implementors do not fully understand the changes necessary for the implementation of technology in education. These problems must be addressed first if success is wanted. Although both are important aspects of the implementation, this paper will focus in defining the goal, purposes or role of computer technology in student achievement at the secondary school level. To understand this critical role, it is very important to know first the basics about some theories of learning and its current application to education technology. The theory of Cognitive Constructivism states that learning happens through the learners’ active efforts to assimilation new information imposed either by the instructor or by self-discovey (â€Å"Theories of Learning†, 2006). This means that learners must be able to relate what they learn to their experiences or experience the learning itself to be able to fully understand it. One example of this is driving. In order to learn to drive a vehicle, one must not only know that vehicles are powered by gasoline, controlled using a steering wheel, has a gas pedal to move forward or backward and a break pedal to make it stop. He or she has to experience driving to know and fully understand the significance of each theory he or she is made to know. And this experience is very important if he or she is to make life-or-death decisions once he or she takes the road. Computer technology, when related to learning may be applied in a similar way, by providing a means to simulate reality to give the students a feel of what may or may not happen as a result of their decisions. Such is the function of simulations: to instill in learners goals which are similar to reality and resultant feelings that are similar to what may happen in real life because of the as a result of the decisions imposed by the program. A lot of simulation programs have now been developed for different purposes. Sim City provides the learner-gamer an experience of building a city and a feel of becoming a Mayor. The learner-gamer is subconsciously taught of the importance of planning and how each decision might give a positive effect (here, in the form of increase in the city’s revenue) or negative (in the form of rallies and decrease in the city’s revenue). Business simulations provide learners with vicarious experience of actually owning and handling investments without the need of using or losing real money. Design programs provide the learner-designer with an idea or view of the possible perspectives or outcome of each design in mind and an opportunity to manipulate or change it according to his or her desires even before actual realization of the design. There are also simulations in many different subjects like biology physics and chemistry, which can provide the learner with the opportunity to visualize the theories and manipulate situations and then see the results as would happen if the theories are applied. Simulations have been used for decades by the aviation and military industry and just until recently, the costs of simulations have prevented smaller institutions to avail its benefits (Boehle, n. d. ). Although, still not cheap, mass production, added to the said drastic improvement in learning retention rates (Boehle, n. d. ), simulations provide a very efficient tool for learning. There is a 75-80% boost in learning retention rate for students in simulations (Boehle, n. d. ) Social Constructivism believes that knowledge is socially constructed, that is, retention of information is achieved through group efforts (â€Å"Theories of Learning†, 2006). † This is learning with others and through others’ input and ideas conjoined with one’s own. This theory emphasizes the importance of other’s opinion usually for the purpose of the improvement of the said work. Applied to computer technology in its role in secondary education, this allows for interaction among many different people, not limited to those in classroom but also stretches to people in different time zones. This allows for assimilation of new and varied ideas from different people from different places who usually have different ideas about different issues, strengthening ones reasoning and improving one’s knowledge about many different areas and at the same time improving one’s social skill. The most usual form of technology which applies the Social Constructivism theory is forums. A lot of forums can be found in the internet, all areas of knowledge with its own: arts, sciences, mathematics, and philosophy. The Theory of Behaviorism believes that knowledge is a â€Å"repertoire of behavioral responses to environmental stimuli (â€Å"Theories of Learning†, 2006). † According to this theory, learning happens through repetition and reinforcement, usually with the instructor speaking and the learner, listening. This learning theory is opposite of Cognitive Constructivism in that learners gain knowledge passively. This is the most common type of instructional mode used in schools. Still, this instructional mode can also be applied to computer technology. Tutorials in cd’s are now widely available in the market. These products simulate what and how teachers teach in an actual class, explaining concepts with voice recordings combined with moving pictures for visualization. It also comes with practice exercises much like what teachers would give to their students to evaluate the student’s learning. The only difference is that, these products can be used by the student alone, even at home.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Austrian and Post-Keynesian theories of the competitive process

Austrian and Post-Keynesian theories of the competitive process The Austrian School is a heterodox school of economic thought that emphasizes the spontaneous organizing power of the price mechanism, which was influential in the late 19th and early 20th century (Boettke, 2008). After the 1870s, Marxism spread rapidly in the ranks of workers, and the economic theories that defended for the capitalists went bankrupt. The Austrian economics based on three core concepts: entrepreneurship, subjectivism and market process, which became popular after that. The Post-Keynesian school of thought was developed in the debate with the neoclassical synthesis. After The General Theory of Keynes was published, some different points of view on the practical problems arose in the followers of Keynes, and gradually formed two opposing schools of thought: neoclassical and the Post Keynesian School. The theoretical foundation of Post Keynesian economics is the principle of effective demand, that demand matters in the long as well as the short run, so that a competiti ve market economy has no natural or automatic tendency towards full employment (Arestis, 1996). The objective of this paper is comparing and contrasting Austrian and Post-Keynesian theories of the competitive process. The similarities and differences between these two theories will be stated orderly. Although Austrian and Post-Keynesian theories are two different schools of thought, they still have some degree of similarities. First, they both advocate uncertainty. Next, they both cannot be regarded as profit maximizers. Last, the competitive process is seen as a dynamic process by both theories. First of all, for the Austrian approach uncertainty is pervasive. One of the Austrian’s core concepts is entrepreneurship. Austrian school thinks that the community is a collection of individuals. Individual’s economic activity is a microcosm of the national economy. Through the interpretation of individual economic activities, reasoning illustrates the complexities of real ec onomic phenomena. Entrepreneur is the individual here in the real economy. They are all different in each other. Therefore entrepreneurs in particular always face fundamental uncertainty. Kirzner (1973) emphasized the uncertainty present in all human decision-making, has primarily focused on the entrepreneurial market process. For the Post-Keynesian approach firms’ pricing behaviour is determined by a ‘mark-up’ rule. This behavioural approach to pricing is partly in response to the imprecision of price setting in conditions of uncertainty. Uncertainty is the fundamental element of Keynes’ theory, and Post-Keynesian followed and developed it. In the Post-Keynesian theory of agency, agents are non-optimisers due to fundamental uncertainty. According to Fernando Ferarri Filho (2001), in a context in which time is historical, economic agents do not decide future actions on the basis of statistical series analyses or beliefs justified by experience. To the cont rary, decision-making is classified as an environment of true uncertainty. They are not the rational calculators of standard theory. This suggests some overlap with Austrian theory. Second, in Austrian’s term, entrepreneurs display purposeful pursuit of profit in the competitive process, which provides market order. It cannot be regarded as profit maximizers due to fundamental uncertainty. However profit is still therefore important in motivating agents. Neoclassical theory assume that manufacturers pursuit profit maximization, but we all know there is another voice in society requiring manufacturers to take social responsibility. Social responsibility will increase the company’s operating costs, which is not conducive to their competition in the market. So, non-profit-maximizing firms will be sustained by the loss of profits and investment capacity and continuous losses, and finally be forced out of the market. Austrian school advocates idealism and they do not believ e that firms select the behaviour of pursuit profit maximization. In post-Keynesian economics, firms are not assumed to maximize profits as well, as is clear in Lavoie (1992, p.105), â€Å"The standard critique of the neoclassical theory of the firm is that profit maximization is not possible because of the lack of pertinent knowledge due to an uncertain environment. Profit maximization is then replaced by profit satisfying. Firms are assumed to set themselves threshold levels of profits; that is, minimum levels of profits or of rates of return.† Furthermore, the firm’s overall objective is the pursuit of ‘power’. This involves attempting to control its environment. To become powerful, firms must be big; to become big, firms must grow. Growth is the subjective and profits are the means to realize this objective. However, maximizing growth does not equal to maximizing profits. Firms maximize the rate of growth, subject to various finance and expansion const raints.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Divisions between the British tabloid and the serious, quality Press Essay

Divisions between the British tabloid and the serious, quality Press - Essay Example In as much as these media publications have different names and are no longer in circulation; they have something in common which lacks in the current media newspapers that we have today. The old publications represented the partisan ‘radical press’ that agitated for the betterment and improvement of the society (Stephens 2006, p. 23). They influenced the beliefs and the attitudes of the working class. This is because it defined the society to be made up systems of exploitations and not as a series of disjointed events. Additionally, the radical press played a significant role in undermining the social order normative support through challenging the validity of the economic and social institutions in which the social order was based (Seymour-Ure 1991, p. 150). The radical press obtained funding from subsidies from social movements and sales it made from the circulations of the publications. This is contrary to the independent press of the recent times which obtains its f unding from advertising revenues and sales of publications. Introduction Several debates revolving around the current state of British newspapers are being conducted. However, recent findings reveal that the traditional news values that dominated the media have become revolutionized and reformed (Negrine 1994, p. 87). In the recent times, the dominance of social and celebrity news, the blurring of the line separating reality shows and news, as well as the advent of civilian journalism, demonstrates that the nature of news and news values are changing; and that the traditional values of news are becoming irrelevant. It is worth noting that the old traditional news values are being replaced by the tabloid news values. These values represent the interpretive work of journalists, and they cut across the broad sectors of public life. For instance, this news revolves around crime, sports, scandals, pop culture, just to mention but a few (Hampton 2008, p. 98). On the other hand, pertinent issues such as public affairs and politics are given minimal attention. The tabloid news stories are normally personified in order to impart high emotions and sensation (Franklin 2008, p. 23). According to media historians, tabloid news values are present in the English newspapers in the recent times because of two factors, namely; media ownership and advertisements. This is because they contribute to the existent of hierarchies in the journalism profession. It is debated that there is no narrowing in the divide that exists between broadsheets and tabloid newspapers (Keeble 2008, p. 45). This is attributed to the fact that there are several changes in their features. Therefore, this paper shall seek to explicate as to whether tabloids are similar to broadsheets, as well as determine if the ‘quality press’ is concentrating primarily on issues that touch on public interests. In order to make my arguments clear, I will use examples to emphasize on my main points. Discussio n Studies reveal that broadsheets newspapers undergone a tabloidization process. Tabloidization refers to the style of papers that does not pay much attention to foreign affairs and government policies. Instead, it as an entertainment-oriented style of journalism that centers on celebrity, lifestyle, crime/ scandal and entertainment (Sparks & Dahlgren 1992, p. 123). Some of the reasons of tabloidization are

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Reading reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Reading reflection - Essay Example They do this subconsciously because it is what they were also conditioned to think. Most people do not realize what they are actually doing because they think it is the normal and right way of doing things, and they usually have predetermined expectations of their action’s outcomes. However, if there is any deviation from the expected results, it leads to disappointment on the parent’s part or they deem their child wayward or unbecoming. They go to great lengths to rectify the anomaly, which includes counseling sessions and even institutionalization in rehabilitation clinics, in extreme cases. When a person takes an in depth look at how he was conditioned to behave and what to believe, he or she can begin to see a pattern irrespective of where in the world they are. This is because it is all the same no matter what race we belong to. When we question this ordered and predetermined occurrence of events more often than not, we will be met with some resistance from different quarters of the society. The society is designed in such a way that we have the haves and the have-nots, the givers and the takers, and the powerful and the powerless. All of these people are comfortable in the roles they were programmed to play since birth, and if everyone plays their role then everyone is happy. Sometimes when a person critically assesses why some things are the way they are and tries to forge a new path for themselves, the society subconsciously tries to shut them down (Bradley, 2012). In most societies, disabled people are not expected to be better than able bodied individuals. When a blind friend of mine decided that he could sing and went ahead and started going to the studio to record his songs, he was met with ridicule and discouragement from everyone telling him that he was wasting money and time, and that no good would come of his efforts. This is because the society had a predetermined role for him to play and it did not

Hofstede's cultural dimensions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hofstede's cultural dimensions - Essay Example come to terms with the cultural differences that the employees bring with them and hence it gets frustrating at times to get the work done in a cohesive manner. (Jackson, 2004) One should believe that what Geert Hofstede preaches through his cultural dimensions is quite accurate since little effort is paid to the fact that diverse set of employees actually bring about successful results for the organization. In essence, the organizations are also not in agreement with this logic at all, which at the end of the day is quite appalling. However on the part of Geert Hofstede, one should believe that the cultural managers and leaders present within the organizations under the auspices of international business know about these problems and they are pretty much in knowledge of the happenings on the global front as far as the shortcomings of the employees from different cultural backgrounds is concerned. Business leaders have a huge role to play in this situation since they must understand the problems associated with the different employees having backgrounds from varied cultures and regions of the world but what they seem to miss out is the aspect that they are more focused on the short term goals rather than the long term objectives of the management. (Lawrence, 1995) They get angry on the employees not understanding the language and work ethics and thus pose problems for all and sundry. It would be wise to support the employees during this crunch hour so that the long term productivity levels are successfully attained. These cultural dimensions bring out the valuable statements from the employees who seem to do their best yet fall short on the organization’s expectations due to cultural hindrances. Business leaders and managers have skepticism in their minds when they assign task jobs and delegate work to the culturally foreign individuals since they believe these workers would not be able to deliver beyond expectations let alone on them. This brings in an issue

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Sustainability and environmental issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sustainability and environmental issues - Essay Example I think the fundamental definitions of sustainability need to be changed in such a way that they relate to all key aspects of development instead of relating only to such activities that point towards individual comfort. Principles of sustainability appear to be more multifaceted and flexible as compared to livability principles which appear to be focused towards some key aspects of development. Social equity is the central theme of the principles of sustainability. Most of the principles revolve around such activities that ensure gender and social equity. â€Å"Sustainability is focused on the future as well as the present, and in particular the ability to sustain human society† (Sanford 2012, p. 1). On the other hand, livability principles describe the varied aspects of surroundings, society, and shared experiences that form a society. They are focused towards improving human wellbeing, and promote efforts to improve economy, environment, and human life. The comparison of th e principles of sustainability and livability principles reveal that sustainable development is all about fulfillment of basic needs of people and about ensuring that future generations can also benefit from political and social development. Sustainable development interconnects society, economy, and the environment. Sustainability focuses on meeting human needs without damaging the environment for future generations. It also focuses on improving the quality of life through technology without polluting the environment. On the other hand, livability is about interconnecting quality and transportation facilities for increasing opportunities for people. Some of those opportunities include quality schools and colleges, affordable housing, access to employment opportunities, and safe streets (Sanford 2012). Through comparing the principles of sustainability and livability principles, I would say that the principles of livability can be improved by aligning them with the framework of sust ainability. It will not only make livability principles more dynamic and varied, but also it will help people is developing an equity-based society where there is no difference between individuals and efforts of every person is geared towards bringing improvement in economy and social and political environments using livability guidelines. This alignment of the goals of sustainability with the principles of livability will also allow for an integrated planning framework which can be used for meeting the guidelines of both livability and sustainability (Sanford 2012). Sustainable Development Retrieved from http://insightto-energy.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html The principles of sustainability cover all key aspects of a strong society, such as, use of appropriate technology, building cultural and spiritual sensitivity, improving national sovereignty, reducing gender discrimination, ensuring peace and national unity, and strengthening democracy and institutional viability. On the other hand, the definitions of livability can be aligned with the principles of sustainability to build a dynamic social, political, and economic environment. I think it would be useful to change the fundamental definitions of sustainability into ones that are more understandable and relate to local aspects because it will add to social stability and economic prosperity. â€Å"

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Role of Family and Women in the Short Story Everyday Use by Alice Essay

The Role of Family and Women in the Short Story Everyday Use by Alice Walker - Essay Example For this to be possible, the author in her story employed powerful literary techniques resting upon concepts of setting, symbolism, and irony, which are important for any piece of literature. In the particular case of Walkers short story, this set of literary tools is combined to provide an examination of the role of family and women in society. In fact, Walker typically emphasizes in her works struggles of African American women who are shown in their opposition to racism and sexism, often in their violent manifestations, that are still present in the modern world. At the same time, she also often traces in her writings roles that women of color have played in history and culture, and ponders over their understanding of those roles (White 2005, pp.455-464). In this light, it would be even more interesting to take a closer look at how the ever urgent theme of the role of family and women in society is covered by the writer and the feminist activist Walker in this short story. First of all, the plot of the story should be overviewed in order to understand what story line, setting, and characterization of the protagonists the author chose as the means to present and develop her ideas. The events in "Everyday Use" take place in the end of the sixties or the beginning of the seventies between members of an African-American family consisting of mother and her two daughters. In this regard, it is important to remember that this period of time was marked by widespread social debates about the need for African-Americans to redefine their personal and cultural identities. It was at that time that old terminology was being replaced by politically correct words, such as the substitution of the term Negro with black, and, correspondingly, new notions like black nationalism emerged. At that time many African-Americans rushed to find out about their African origin and cling to it instead of being defined solely by their past life in America that was rife with episodes of injustice and suffering (Van Deburg 1993). So, an attentive reader should from the very beginning of the story keep in mind the atmosphere that dominated in the American society during the time to which the narrative refers. The story itself is basically the account of an episode of life of the mentioned family which depicts the difficult and even strained relationship between a mother and children. The mother, named Mrs. Johnson, is living with one of her daughters Maggie, and is visited by her another daughter Dee along with her boyfriend or husband Hakim-a-barber. As Dee spends time with them, readers witness the open opposition between two sisters, and a latent opposition between Mrs. Johnson and Dee, which in the end breaks into Mrs. Johnsons protective support of Maggie. More specifically, as the stumbling block serves the bold striving of Dee to take away with her some family artifacts that are very dear for both Mrs. Johnson and Maggie. For

Monday, September 23, 2019

What does Benedict Anderson's concept imagined community mean when Essay

What does Benedict Anderson's concept imagined community mean when comparing the idea of nationalism - Essay Example The process of Anderson’s imagined community is fundamental in understanding the elements of entry and connection in nationalism. It transcends the idea that nationhood is fabricated or merely imaginary discourses. This is the reason why the concept of imagined community is very popular among social theorists. The thesis is not that explicitly constructivist but the idea captures the intensity of the concepts such as nationalism and nationhood. As an imagined community, a nation is provided a narrative meaning for individuals that constitute it by allowing the imagination of a territory of the nation without having personally to encounter it and its inhabitants. The approach does not see nationalism as a discourse of power or one of ideology but one of cultural meaning and cognition. In imagined community†, gaps could still be found – there are limitations in regard to the explanation of the elements that characterize the concept. Indeed, Anderson, himself, have l eft open several areas and questions because the subject is dynamic. However, these do not entirely undermine the potency of Anderson’s vision. All in all, Anderson’s most significant contribution here is that he was able to address all the anomalies that most theorists have created or was not able to tackle in defining nationalism.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

A comparison of the development of tragedy Essay Example for Free

A comparison of the development of tragedy Essay This essay compares the differences and similarities in the way in which the tragedies develop in Macbeth and A View from the Bridge. Macbeth is a more intense tragedy, as innocent people die as a result of his madness, before he himself is killed. A View from the Bridge is a softer tragedy, dealing with two men who want the same lady. Straightaway, with such a high-powered storyline, Macbeth is going to be the more intense tragedy. The aim of a tragedy is to inspire a mix of emotions in the reader, where they have attachments to both sides, and to present an unfortunate sequence of events that cause an unfortunate ending. With so many more characters involved in Macbeth and a much longer sequence of events, it can be considered better at creating a mix of emotion in people, and thus might be considered the better tragedy. Both of the primary victims in Macbeth and A View from the Bridge performed a favour for the individual that murdered them, which adds to the tragedy. In Macbeth, Macbeth murders King Duncan in order to become king. King Duncan refers to Macbeth as his ‘worthiest kinsman’ and his ‘worthy Cawdor’ after he made Macbeth thane of Cawdor, which was a rank of nobility. Furthermore, upon staying within the Macbeth household, Duncan ‘granted many gifts’. He presented a diamond to Lady Macbeth for her ‘boundless hospitality’. This makes Duncan’s death evermore tragic and unjust, as he did not deserve to die. Similarly, in A View from the Bridge, Eddie offers two illegal immigrants a place to stay in his home while they find work, and insists he has to ‘buy a tablecloth’ to make his guests feel more welcome. Yes, Eddie’s relationship with Roldolpho sours, but his initial welcoming was an act of kindness. In both Macbeth and A View from the Bridge, the story started off well. During the development of the tragedies, Eddie went against advice from Alferi, which was to leave Catherine and Roldolpho to it. Had Eddie taken this advice, he would likely still be alive, so ignoring the advice lead to his demise. Contrarily, it can be argued that Macbeth took a lot of advice from Lady Macbeth and bended to her will. Macbeth was very uncertain about taking this advice, as he considered his loyalty to Duncan as his ‘kinsman and his subject’, and recognised that Duncan had his own noble qualities, as he ‘[h]ath borne his faculties so meek’. Had Macbeth not taken this advice and listened to himself, he would probably also still be alive. This is a difference in the development of the tragedies because both victims took opposite decisions, but ultimately ended up with the same fate. Macbeth was killed by Macduff, because previously Macbeth had murdered Lady Macduff and their children. Macbeth had not harmed Macduff himself, so he had not directly attacked the man who killed him, but the people who were close to him. Marco killed Eddie, though Eddie had not had problems with Marco, only Roldolpho. Thus, both characters were killed by people they had not directly attacked. This adds to the tragedy in both cases because it might cause the viewer to have some sympathy for the victim, or sympathy for the murderers who acted out of revenge in both cases. More sympathy might be afforded for Eddie than Macbeth, because the fate that Eddie got was not one he had inflicted on anyone else. While he lunged at Marco with a knife, it could have been that he was acting out of self-defence. However, Macbeth had ordered the deaths of absolutely innocent people. Lady Macduff, her children, Banquo and Duncan and the chamberlains, and had planned to kill other innocent people – Macduff and Fleance. Thus, in this case, it could be argued that Macbeth’s fate was a certain kind of karma. The same cannot be said for Eddie in A View from a Bridge, so this might cause the reader to have more sympathy for Eddie than more Macbeth. Macbeth focuses more on the depths of despair that its characters fall into more than A View from a Bridge. Lady Macbeth’s personal tragedy is explained, her blood-stained hands and her dreams and her eventual suicide may make the reader feel her tragedy as well as her husband’s. Duncan’s fall into the depths of despair are also poetically made apparent, through soliloquies and expressions such as ‘Will all Neptune’s great ocean wash this blood’, which is the expression of Duncan’s blood on his hands that haunts Macbeth throughout the play. The reader isn’t given the same insight into the raw mix of emotions in each character in A View from the Bridge, so the same mix of opinions of the characters is difficult to achieve. To conclude, while there are similarities and differences between the development of tragedy in both Macbeth and A View from a Bridge, Macbeth gives a much fuller and complex development of tragedy. It has so many elements in its plot and unfortunates in the sequence of events that lead to the end that it is difficult to fully explore its development of tragedy in comparison with such a short book.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Southwest Airlines

The Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline. Southwest is the largest airline in the world by number of passengers carried per year (as of 2009). Southwest maintains the third-largest passenger fleet of aircraft among all of the worlds commercial airlines. As of May 3, 2009, Southwest operates approximately 3,510 flights daily. Southwest has its headquarters on the grounds of Love Field in Dallas, Texas. Southwest Airlines has carried more customers than any other U.S. airline since August 2006 for combined domestic and international passengers according to the U.S. Department of Transportations Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Southwest Airlines is one of the worlds most profitable airlines, posting a profit for the 37th consecutive year in January 2010. Southwests successful business model involves flying multiple short, quick trips into the secondary (more efficient and less costly) airports of major markets, and using only one aircraft type, the Boeing 737. The Southwest Effect The success and profitability of Southwests business model led to a common trend being named after the company, the Southwest Effect. Since Southwests original mission in Texas was to make it less expensive than driving between two points (in the early 1970s, during the first major energy cost crisis in the U.S.), it developed a template for entering markets at rates that allowed the airline to be profitable, yet only on the basis of lean operations and high aircraft use. The key concept to the Southwest Effect is that when a low-fare carrier (or any aggressive and innovative company) enters a market, the market itself changes, and usually grows dramatically. For example, when fares drop by 15% from their historical averages, the number of new customers in that market may not just double, but actually quadruple, or more. Southwest has been a major inspiration to other low-cost airlines, and its business model has been repeated many times around the world. Europes EasyJet and Ryanair are two of the best known airlines to follow Southwests business strategy in that continent (though EasyJet operates two different aircraft models today). Other airlines with a business model based on Southwests system include Canadas WestJet, Malaysias AirAsia (the first and biggest LCC in Asia), Sir Richard Bransons and Australias Virgin Blue (although Virgin Blue now operates two aircraft types), Qantass Jetstar (although Jetstar now operates two aircraft types), Thailands Nok Air, New Zealands Freedom Air, Mexicos Volaris and Turkeys Pegasus Airlines. Although Southwest has been a major inspiration to many other airlines including Ryanair, AirAsia and Jetstar, the management strategies, for example, of Ryanair, AirAsia and Jetstar differ significantly from those of Southwest. Goals and Objectives Ensure highest quality Customer Service in the air or on the ground. Ready to help customers under any circumstances. Are there to ensure you make it from point A to point B safely To stay the most successful with low-fare, high frequency point-to-point carrier. History of Southwest Airline Ø On February 20, 1968 the Texan Aeronautical Commissions approved plans to fly in 3 states, the c5eators are Rollin King and Herb Kelleher Expanded through 1980s to 1990s by 1993 Southwest Airlines could fly in 34 states in 15 states They also expanded into new destinations California, Northwest, Florida, East Coast The competitors could not keep up, 500 pound cockroach that was too big to stamp out: Ø While the airfare was dropping the traffic went up tremendously, in 1994 United started a shuttle service, the large air carriers were feeding traffic into transpacific and transcontinental routes, they could not keep up In 2004 Southwest Airlines is fourth largest domestic carrier, customer boarded In 2002 they traveled in 58 cities and 30 states, it has been 13 years in a row that they are profitable, even after September 11, 2001, net income fell 52.9 percent, Southwest was the only airline company that had a profit all the other companies were in the red Was the first airline to achieve the Triple Crown, they had five difference Triple Crown dedicated to the Employees of Southwest Airlines for their excellent achievements. Southwest Airlines Mission and Vision Statement Mission The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit. To give ordinary people the opportunity to fly. To the employees We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer. Vision To have a conservative increase growth, capitalize and cutback schedules of other airlines. To continue expanding conservatively in long-haul success. New Mission Statement Southwest Airlines is a company that is for anyone and every that wants to get from point A to point B by flying. Our service and philosophy is to fly safe, with high frequency, low-cost flights that can get passengers to their destinations on time and often closer to their destination. They fly in 58 cities and 30 states and are the worlds largest short-haul carrier and we make sure that it is run efficiently and in an economical way. Their technology is current such as our check-ins process is faster. Striving to expand and grow in a conservative manner is key, and being financially stable by keeping quality high and cost low. Their excellence is managing cost by our rapid twenty-minute gate turnaround, a non-stop flight with our airplanes, and a more productive workforce which keeps above our competitors. They treat our employees like customers, family and motivate and compensate them for doing a job well done. They continue to be in the Fortune Magazines most admired companies (2 nd in 2002) 100 best companies to work for. Since 1972 we have ranked first in Money Magazines featured in The 30 Best Stocks. In their communities they make donations to charities to organizations and people in time of need. New Vision Statement Their vision is to expand our locations both domestic and overseas by being the largest and most profitable airline company to achieve both short and long-haul carriers efficiently and with low cost. Also to be an airline carrier that has the most productive workforce to guarantee the best flight possible for each and every passenger. Acquisitions Morris Air One airline influenced by Southwest was Morris Air, founded in 1984 by June Morris and David Neeleman, based in Utah and operating in the northwestern U.S. Southwest Airlines purchased Morris Air and absorbed the capital and routes into its inventory and service. David Neeleman worked with Southwest for a short period. When his non-compete agreement expired, Neeleman founded JetBlue Airways, a competing airline that also incorporates (and in some ways, improves upon) many principles and practices pioneered by Southwest, including building a positive, warm employee culture and operating a simple fleet. Muse Air Southwest Airlines has mostly pursued a strategy of internal growth, rather than by acquisition of other airlines as commonly occurs. However, in addition to acquisition of Morris Air Transport (see above), Southwest did acquire competitor Muse Air in 1985, which operated McDonnell Douglas MD-80s. Muse Air was renamed TranStar Airlines. TranStar Airlines was then closed in August 1987. ATA Airlines Towards the end of November 2008, Southwest announced it was buying the operating certificate and the remaining assets of ATA Airlines. This acquisition transferred to Southwest Airlines ownership of New York LaGuardia slots formerly controlled by ATA. The transaction did not include any aircraft, facilities or employees of ATA. Political: Deregulation in 1978 1st big political win for southwest airlines. Government helped two major airlines get out of financial trouble after 9/11 attack. Economic: When economic conditions are unfavorable: Airliners very susceptible/vulnerable Discount airlines see profits People look for cheaper travel options Social: Flying on planes to get to where you need to be has been the norm for the last 30 years and will continue to be the norm in the foreseeable future. As more and more Spanish speakers come to live and travel in the US there is more need for airlines to be bi-lingual. Technological: Some airlines have converted to e-tickets, and have a self-checking machine. Many people use the internet to compare prices to find the best option for their trip. Environmental: Airlines have cut prices and offered expensive frequent flyer programs just to grab customers away from other airlines The regular airlines are starting to get away from the hub system and switch to the point to point system that southwest airlines uses. Legal: Legal issues have hindered airlines from making a full 9/11 recovery. Porters 5 forces Model Rivalry among competitors: There is high competition for Southwest airlines because other airlines are also there in US which are providing same services to the customers. Its main competitors are United airlines, Alaska airlines etc. Rivalry among competitors sets the price-Southwest Airlines is a discount airliner. Rivalry is increasing, as the market decreases, and competitors downsize, the competitors become more or less equal in size and capacity. This means that as economic conditions worsen, competitors downsize and then compete for the same remaining market. Threats of new entry: The threat of new entrants is low, the demand is not high. On top of that, there are hurdles, not necessarily the greatest; the FAA. Government regulations and restrictions imposed on those involved in this industry. Such would be government sanctions consequent of international issues. Threats of substitutes: Threats of substitutes is very high because many other form of transportation such as high speed trains, video conferencing, buses etc. While these alternates cannot offer the speed of travel, most of Southwest Airlines customers are attracted to the low price. Bargaining power of Buyers: The bargaining power of buyers is very high because many other airlines are present for which passengers can opt for instead of Southwest airlines. Suppliers include those who provide service/products necessary for Southwest Airlines to their business function. For Southwest Airlines, suppliers include mechanics (and other maintenance people), providers of fuel, food (the snacks that are offered). The suppliers do not have much bargaining power. Customers include both residential and commercial sectors. There is no bargaining power for customers, as there is no threat of backward integration; it is unlikely that customers of Southwest Airlines are going to build their own airplanes and fly themselves. Bargaining power of suppliers: The suppliers power is low for Southwest airlines because they have to charge the premium according to the strategy of competitors otherwise the passengers can switch off to the other airlines where he can have maximum benefits in terms of quality of service and the monetary value. BCG Matrix The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix is a simple tool to assess a companys position in terms of its product range. It helps a company think About its products and services and make decisions about which it should keep which it should let go and which it should invest in further. In 1970s, BCG experience curve work led to inside that has a significant impact on business thinking i.e. of rapid growth in market share was the important as the curve suggested then the usual approach resource allocation in which each business unit funded in on growth seems to be recipe for its failure. Business with low market share but high potential would never generate enough cash to win the race down the experience curve. Those with the high market share but few changes of growth would generate far more cash than those would use productivity. The BCG matrix can be diagrammatically represented as follow Question Marks Question marks are products that grow rapidly and as a result consume large amounts of cash, but because they have low market shares they dont generate much cash. The result is large net cash consumption. A question mark has the potential to gain market share and become a star, and eventually a cash cow when the market growth slows. If it doesnt become a market leader it will become a dog when market growth declines. Question marks need to be analysed carefully to determine if they are worth the investment required to grow market share. Dogs Dogs have a low market share and a low growth rate and neither generates nor consumes a large amount of cash. However, dogs are cash traps because of the money tied up in a business that has little potential. Such businesses are candidates for divestiture. Stars Stars generate large sums of cash because of t heir strong relative market share, but also consume large amounts of cash because of their high growth rate. So the cash being spent and brought in approximately nets out. If a star can maintain its large market share it will become a cash cow when the market growth rate declines. Cash Cows As leaders in a mature market, cash cows exhibit a return on assets that is greater than the market growth rate  ± so they generate more cash than they consume. These units should be  µmilked extracting the profits and investing as little as possible. They provide the cash required to turn question marks into market leaders. Strategies for Southwest airlines Ansoff Matrix Market Penetration Strategy Encouraging existing Customer to buy more Showing benefits for using more (associating freebies/extra service/membership with primary offering). Try to look for foreign entrants weakness. Product Development Seek additional distribution channels (More tie ups collaboration: Try seeking collaboration with international carriers, Bilateral discussions over seats and code-sharing between the carriers). New product development. Market Development Strategy Try to find out new customer group (Old-retired persons). Special offering for first time fliers. Diversification strategy May go for other services like international flights etc. (concentric diversification). May go for arrangement fashion shows (horizontal diversification). May go for other things, which can lure the youth. SWOT Analysis of Southwest Airlines Strengths Southwest has successfully adopted a cost leadership strategy. Southwest maintains operating expenses per available seat mile at 15-20% below average. The company has no baggage handling, no meals, no central reservations, and no assigned seats. Because all of its planes are Boeing 737s, maintenance, turnaround, and training costs are contained. The company has embraced technology that will reduce costs (e.g., ticketless travel). The company has a reputation for great customer service. 28 years of safe, reliable operations 5 consecutive years of Triple Crown Customer Service 5 consecutive years of record profits and 24 consecutive years of profitability Top ranking in the Airline Quality survey conducted by The National Institute for Aviation Research for two of the last three years A route system that has grown to 52 airport in 25 states, carrying more than 50 million customers on 243 Boeing 737 aircraft, etc. The company has a strong, fun-loving, employee-oriented culture. The companys mission statement focuses on these aspects of the business. The companys growth has been steady and planned. Southwest enters new markets only when they can achieve frequent flights. The companys marketing focuses on its low prices, convenience service and sophisticated combination of advertising, public relation and promotions. Weaknesses Gap between Southwest and the rest of the majors has narrowed as other carriers have attempted to emulate Southwest formula. Southwests competitors are offering shuttle services that compete directly with the company. They are also operating, investing in, and forming alliances with regional carriers. As the result of its steady, planned growth strategy, there are numerous untapped domestic markets Pilot and Flight Attendant Unions have increased salary and benefit packages to be the highest in the industry. Continued increases in Seat cost per Mile will not allow southwest to remain a low fare carrier. External Opportunities and Threats Opportunities There are opportunities for expansion to new markets. The new Boeing 737-700 has the ability to fly longer distances nonstop, which may change the definition of short haul. Demographic trends appear favourable to an airline focusing on price and reliability. The consumer continues to seek convenience and time savings. Flying, rather than driving, will meet that need if the price is right and the airline is reliable. The competition is looking to international, rather than domestic markets, for growth opportunities. Improved computer technology will allow more ticketless transactions and reservations made by PC. Threats Southwests ability to hold the line on costs will impact its cost leadership position. The largest cost component is labour. This cost could be impacted by union actions, which cover 85% of Southwests workforce. The second largest cost component is fuel, which could be negatively impacted by economic or political events. Government regulation could hinder Southwests ability to control costs, control fares, or enter new markets. Recent government crackdown on safety (e.g., insulation, cargo fire detection) means costly retrofits. Proposed re-regulation would limit existing firms ability to respond to under-pricing by new companies. Prior to deregulation in 1978, carriers were limited in their ability to enter new markets. The government recently proposed an increase in facility tax rates, which would have resulted in higher costs. Improved telecommunications may lower demand for air travel, or may lower demand for discount airlines. E-mail and teleconferencing can result in less need to travel. Consumers may demand personal technology on planes, such as movies, phones, games, etc. Alternative forms of transportation, such as a high-speed railway, could weaken demand for air travel. Also, if the economy weakens, people may choose to drive rather than fly. Southwest would be hurt if the public perception were that low price equates to low quality. Competitive Advantage for Southwest airlines Focus on Customer Service. Embracing the New economy through the use of internet tickets sales. Focus on lowest cost fares. Internal demand Keeping fares lower through cost reduction methods Lowest cost due to no assigned seating No meals on flights Lower overhead expenditures Use Hubless system to reduce costs

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay --

Racism In A Worn Path And Desiree's Baby In both of the stories A Worn Path by Eudora Welty, and Desiree‘s Baby by Kate Chopin. The encounters of Phoenix and Desiree show two different readings that deal with a common theme of impending the black and white racial issue in America. There are lots of references to racism in both of the readings. Throughout the short story A Worn Path, there are many events related to racism when Phoenix walking along an extremely difficult path to the town and get the medicine for her grandson. The first event is that when she meets the white hunter. First he appears as a kind and a friendly person , he suggested Phoenix to return home , however , she refused the hunter 's suggestion , because she is on a mature and important mission of love. Then the hunter made a racist joke to Phoenix, "I know you colored people! Wouldn't miss going to town to see Santa Claus!" Second event is that when Phoenix entered clinic, she has been treated unfairly because she is black. "A charity case, I suppose," said an attendant who sat at the desk before her."(Welty70) ,"" Are you deaf?" cried the attendant."(Welty 75). The attendant rudely asked whether she is deaf because she didn't answer her questions immediately and Phoenix referred as a charity case .Phoenix performed a great sacrifice for her gran dson, but the attendant 's behavior shows she is childish. Phoenix Jackson accepted the harsh circumstances of her life and moves on. The racism feature is the main theme in the short reading " Desiree's Baby. There are racism events happens when throughout the story. Desiree's Baby took place when racism was way too prevalent. After Desiree married to Armand , they birthed a baby. When the child grows, the ski... ...t not judge the people by looking at their races, like the old says" don't judge a book by its cover. In the reading, the pride of Armand was greater than the love for his wife and their baby, which destroyed Desiree and their baby's life and led to a sad ending. In Welty 's short story "A Worn Path", Phoenix is an old black woman who has no education after Phoenix was freed from slavery, and the racism was still way too prevalent after the Civil War. Her pride of love that she wants to get the medicine for her grandson and go through the woods no matter how difficult was it and no matter how unfair the society is ,there is nothing can able to stop her way. In both stories Desiree's baby and A Worn Path showed a great representation to the readers about the struggles of racial issues in South U.S and people went through. The world has changed when time moves on.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

It is with great pride and honor that I represent the class of 2012 of County High School. I do not want to brag or boast, but in my opinion, this class is just awesome! What do you guy's think? Our class has many amazing athletes and scholars who excel in their own capacities and musicians and artists who paint our world with their own language. The class of 2012, you should stand tall and be proud to sit here and be a part of such a talented and unique class. You cannot get an Annie Everett who has lettered 12 times from her athletics in just any typical class of seniors. You cannot find a more spirited guy with the skinniest and longest legs than Beau Hannifious, and you definitely cannot find a nicer, peppier person than Katie Burns in just any class of seniors. What I am trying to say is the class of 2012 is definitely a one of a kind, authentic kind of class. Family and friends, teachers and administrators, you have come here this evening to share this lifelong memory with us t oday. Thank you so much for being a part of this moment. Today, Friday the thirteenth of June, marks our very last day as high school seniors. We will soon begin a new chapter of our lives. Therefore, strap on your seatbelts and hold on tight, as we ride the most adventurous and bumpiest ride of our lives. After this moment, we will all go onto different paths. Some of us will go and further our education and become doctors, lawyers, engineers or some of us might join the military or navy and become soldiers to represent our country. Whatever paths you choose to follow, and whatever you choose to do, make sure you do what you want to do and become whoever you want to become. Success is a word that comes into many different meanings, shapes and size... ... goals. Do not let anyone stand in the way of your dreams or tell you what to become. The word "hawk" comes from the Middle English word hafoc, which means "to grasp or seize." Today, grasp and seize this moment of overflowing accomplishments and be proud of yourself. Grasp this moment especially because after today, we will fly our separate ways into the world. To all of the teachers at Roger High School, thank you. Thank you for flying with us for the four years we have been at Terrace and guiding us into our accomplishments. You have given us the most valuable gifts anyone can receive: the gift of knowledge. We are more intelligent and prepared for the world because of you. To the class of 2003: we did it. Savor this moment because there is not a more deserving class that deserves it more than the class of 2003 of Roger High School. Thank you, and God bless. Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address It is with great pride and honor that I represent the class of 2012 of County High School. I do not want to brag or boast, but in my opinion, this class is just awesome! What do you guy's think? Our class has many amazing athletes and scholars who excel in their own capacities and musicians and artists who paint our world with their own language. The class of 2012, you should stand tall and be proud to sit here and be a part of such a talented and unique class. You cannot get an Annie Everett who has lettered 12 times from her athletics in just any typical class of seniors. You cannot find a more spirited guy with the skinniest and longest legs than Beau Hannifious, and you definitely cannot find a nicer, peppier person than Katie Burns in just any class of seniors. What I am trying to say is the class of 2012 is definitely a one of a kind, authentic kind of class. Family and friends, teachers and administrators, you have come here this evening to share this lifelong memory with us t oday. Thank you so much for being a part of this moment. Today, Friday the thirteenth of June, marks our very last day as high school seniors. We will soon begin a new chapter of our lives. Therefore, strap on your seatbelts and hold on tight, as we ride the most adventurous and bumpiest ride of our lives. After this moment, we will all go onto different paths. Some of us will go and further our education and become doctors, lawyers, engineers or some of us might join the military or navy and become soldiers to represent our country. Whatever paths you choose to follow, and whatever you choose to do, make sure you do what you want to do and become whoever you want to become. Success is a word that comes into many different meanings, shapes and size... ... goals. Do not let anyone stand in the way of your dreams or tell you what to become. The word "hawk" comes from the Middle English word hafoc, which means "to grasp or seize." Today, grasp and seize this moment of overflowing accomplishments and be proud of yourself. Grasp this moment especially because after today, we will fly our separate ways into the world. To all of the teachers at Roger High School, thank you. Thank you for flying with us for the four years we have been at Terrace and guiding us into our accomplishments. You have given us the most valuable gifts anyone can receive: the gift of knowledge. We are more intelligent and prepared for the world because of you. To the class of 2003: we did it. Savor this moment because there is not a more deserving class that deserves it more than the class of 2003 of Roger High School. Thank you, and God bless.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Seasonal Affective Disorder :: Disorders Expository Essays

Seasonal Affective Disorder It's wintertime, and you are gathered for the holidays with all of your family and friends. Everything seems like it should be perfect, yet you are feeling very distressed, lethargic and disconnected from everything and everyone around you. "Perhaps it is just the winter blues," you tell yourself as you delve into the holiday feast, aiming straight for the sugary fruitcake before collapsing from exhaustion. However, the depression and other symptoms that you feel continue to persist from the beginning of winter until the springtime, for years upon end without ceasing. Although you may be tempted to believe that you, like many millions of other Americans, are afflicted with a case of the winter blues, you are most likely suffering from a more severe form of seasonal depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. This form of depression has been described as a form of a unipolar or bipolar mood disorder which, unlike other forms of depression, follows a strictly seasonal pattern. (5). During the winter, many of us suffer from "the winter blues", a less severe form of seasonal depression than SAD. Still others are sufferers have an already existent condition, such as pre-menstrual syndrome or depression, which is exacerbated by the coming of the winter. (2). In general, many people suffer from some form of sporadic depression during the wintertime. We may feel more tired and sad at times. We may even gain some weight or have trouble getting out of bed. Over 10 million people in America, however, may feel a more extreme form of these symptoms. They may constantly feel lethargic and depressed to an extent that social and work related activities are negatively affected. This more extreme form of the "winter blues" is SAD. Typical SAD symptoms include sugar cravings, lethargy, depression, an increase in body weight, and a greater need for sleep (1). Onset of these symptoms usually occurs in October or November, and the symptoms disappear in early spring. Frequentl y, people who suffer from SAD react strongly to variations in the amount of light in their surrounding environment. Most often, patients who suffer from SAD and live at more northern latitudes note that the more north they live, the more distinct and severe their SAD symptoms become. In addition, SAD patients note that their depressive symptoms increase in severity when the amount of light indoors decreases and the weather is cloudy. Seasonal Affective Disorder :: Disorders Expository Essays Seasonal Affective Disorder It's wintertime, and you are gathered for the holidays with all of your family and friends. Everything seems like it should be perfect, yet you are feeling very distressed, lethargic and disconnected from everything and everyone around you. "Perhaps it is just the winter blues," you tell yourself as you delve into the holiday feast, aiming straight for the sugary fruitcake before collapsing from exhaustion. However, the depression and other symptoms that you feel continue to persist from the beginning of winter until the springtime, for years upon end without ceasing. Although you may be tempted to believe that you, like many millions of other Americans, are afflicted with a case of the winter blues, you are most likely suffering from a more severe form of seasonal depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. This form of depression has been described as a form of a unipolar or bipolar mood disorder which, unlike other forms of depression, follows a strictly seasonal pattern. (5). During the winter, many of us suffer from "the winter blues", a less severe form of seasonal depression than SAD. Still others are sufferers have an already existent condition, such as pre-menstrual syndrome or depression, which is exacerbated by the coming of the winter. (2). In general, many people suffer from some form of sporadic depression during the wintertime. We may feel more tired and sad at times. We may even gain some weight or have trouble getting out of bed. Over 10 million people in America, however, may feel a more extreme form of these symptoms. They may constantly feel lethargic and depressed to an extent that social and work related activities are negatively affected. This more extreme form of the "winter blues" is SAD. Typical SAD symptoms include sugar cravings, lethargy, depression, an increase in body weight, and a greater need for sleep (1). Onset of these symptoms usually occurs in October or November, and the symptoms disappear in early spring. Frequentl y, people who suffer from SAD react strongly to variations in the amount of light in their surrounding environment. Most often, patients who suffer from SAD and live at more northern latitudes note that the more north they live, the more distinct and severe their SAD symptoms become. In addition, SAD patients note that their depressive symptoms increase in severity when the amount of light indoors decreases and the weather is cloudy.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Shared Service Costing

Helps In Identifying correct adoption of costing method which facilitates a transparent cost chargeable to Business Units (recipient of shared services) with granular Insight of the cost constituents. Introduction: In today's highly cost conscious environment, enterprise wide cost savings can be achieved by consolidating common work and infrastructure by using Shared Services units.But Business units often complain that Shared Services end up costing more than they targeted to save and also have the below questions:- â€Å"What are my Shared services costs made up off? † â€Å"Shared services costs are too high and affecting my product profitability' Shared services are unable to answer these questions due to lack of cost transparency in their cost models.Typical reasons for lack of cost transparency in shared services cost models are:- using complex costing methodology which makes measurement, chargeable and report to Business units difficult Lack of standardization of alloc ation logic Inability to completely automate the cross charging process Shared Service oodles † Our Shared services models enable cost transparency for multi-functional and reciprocal services rendered by Shared Services units.Cost transparency in context of Shared Services is to show the Business Services it consumes Cost of delivering these services Breaking the cost down to activities and resources involved in producing these services Allocation logic for cross charging On demand â€Å"what – with respect to demonstrate how costs change due to change In demand for services ,resource drivers and allocation logic Various automated cross charging models which reflect reciprocal services among Shared Services and eventually charge out to the Business are as follows:- Reciprocal costing model This costing model makes one time assignment of cost between Shared Services and eventually charges out Business for the Shared Services cost. This method Is easy to understand, fai rly accurate and facilitates In tracing cost to the origin. It also differentiates the rate at which Shared service unit Is charged with that charged to Business. Recursive costing model Services and Business. This method is accurate and reflects simultaneous charging at the same rate to Shared service and Business.Business benefits of the models: – (Positive Business Outcomes) Substantial reduction in lead time of calculating cross charging rates by eliminating manual and Increase in frequency of variance reporting which leads to repetitive interventions improved control of costs Detailed breakdown of cost of each service by the activities ensured and resources utilized Facilitates root cause analysis by tracing costs to origin for each service provided by Shared Services Availability of accurate and timely actionable cost data to analyze performance of Shared Services units and impact of its cost on Business Business benefits delivered.

Monday, September 16, 2019

A day I will remember for the rest of my life! – Creative Writing

My name is John and I am a normal 15 year old boy attending school. I have a mother and a father, Susan and Jack and one sister called Molly. I thought we were all just a normal family and that nothing exciting or extra ordinary ever happens to people like us but I was wrong, very wrong. Well it all happened along time ago on one Monday afternoon, I was just threw the door home from school on my own as usual until five thirty. But as soon I had closed the door there was a knock on the door, so I went to answer but the man behind the door did not look familiar to me, I had never seen him before. He asked me was my mother or father at home and I told him that they were both still at work and would not be home until after 5 thirty. Next thing I know the man is pointing a gun at my head and tells me to move into the house. I was so scared I had never even seen a gun before never mind getting one pointed at me knowing that if I say one wrong thing to the man all he has to do is pull the trigger and that would be the end of me. The man then began to tie me up to the chair and began to talk to me he told me that all I had to do was keep quiet and not say a word, he told me that he did not want me he wanted my father. I then began to think to myself why would anybody come barging into our house with a gun looking for my father but before I could even finish thinking about it he began to tell me why he wanted my father. â€Å"Do you know who your father works for† he said and I told him â€Å"yes, he works for the government, he is a scientist† The man began to tell me how wrong I was about my father â€Å"Your dad is a scientist, that's true, but did you know that your dad is one of the best in the world? Did you know that your dad is working for the NWDF?† â€Å"The NWDF† I said to him confused â€Å"Yes he said the THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT FORCE and did you know that your father has recently just designed one of the most sophisticated and most deadly weapon ever dreamed about? In theory it is so deadly that if it was ever to be used it would wipe out the entire planet within a matter of hours† I was stunned I didn't know what to think and then†¦.. my father walked threw the door, and to his surprise he seen a man with a gun but the difference this time was that my father knew the man. â€Å"Edward† my father said in amazement, â€Å"What in the name of God do you think you are doing† â€Å"I am doing what I should have done along time ago, Jack , I'm taking back what is rightfully mine and which you have received all the credit, fame and gratitude for. I'm taking back the prototype for the Nuclear detonation programme. He held a gun to my fathers head and ordered him to get it but my father refused. † â€Å"How dare you Edward I treated you like a father when you came to NWDF I showed and taught you everything you know and this is what I receive in return† My father said â€Å"You can say what you like Jack but I will be taking back what is rightfully mine I designed it and you took all my plans and made the device knowing what it was capable off and what it could do if it ever got into the hands of the wrong person, now I will show you all what MY device can do† The man continued, he then dragged my father into the other room, all I could hear was the constant screaming and impounding thuds as if they were fighting, from the room for a couple of minutes and next thing it stopped and went quiet, a very scary and tense quiet and then I heard it. A Gunshot, I was screaming, â€Å"DAD, DAD† I roared but there was no reply I roared roared and roared but still no reply. He's dead I thought to myself DEAD!!! I was very very, very scared I did not know what to think and then†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. My father came out from the room. But he was unharmed!! I thought to myself well then who got shot and then my father began to cry!!! I had to, I had to shot him if not god knows what could have happened. Dad came over to me and began to untie me, as soon as I was free he immediately told me to ring the police and I did and within minutes the were her with ambulances and squad cars. My father told the police man what had happened and before he could finish dad's boss entered the house and began to demand answers to what happened. My dad began to tell him and once he had finished explaining, dad's boss told him that he had done the right thing, done what he had to do and possibly saved many lives. My dads boss began to talk to the police and within minutes the were gone, and the house we quiet but myself and dad stunned by the whole ordeal were not going to talk about this incident at all, that was the e nd of it. A couple of weeks after the whole thing my dad resigned, told the company he had enough and that he wanted to spend to time with his children and wife and they accepted his resignation considering the circumstances, and so we are all a happy normal family again but with a story this time.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Influence of Paparazzi on Society

If a person was to enter into any convenience store, there is almost a sure chance that he or she would encounter a multitude of magazines and newspapers lining the shelves before the checkout counter. Each magazine obnoxiously highlights this week’s big story or scandal. Turn on any television and there are almost as many entertainment news channels as there are world news channel. Is this society becoming obsessed with the lives and mishaps of famous celebrities? Or are the tabloids so inaccurately depicting the lives of people that the average person cannot wait to see what they come up with next?However, the root of the problem does not lay within the tabloids themselves, but the paparazzi, who will stalk, invade and sometimes even chase renowned celebrities just to earn their next paycheck. These undeniable invasions of privacy put many in the face of danger. There are not only recent examples of the danger the paparazzi place on the lives of people, but examples dating b ack to the death of Princess Diana. When does society decide when the paparazzi has gone too far, and what laws should be put into place to ensure the safety of those who are famous?One may question if they even have the right to dive that deep into someone’s life. Due to the evidence that exists, it is necessary that laws are put into place to protect the lives of these esteemed stars. The paparazzi – originating from the Italian word, â€Å"paparazzo,† meaning buzzing insects – are the target of heavy scrutiny from the famous. The obsession with celebrities is not just a recent phenomenon but dates back to as far as recorded history. In ancient Greece and Rome, people created their gods as very human-like beings, complete with character flaws and drama.Through the Middle Ages, the celebrities were royalty and nobility. In The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon came to the conclusion that there were several factors contributing to the fa ll of Rome, including a disregard for civil respect. He states, â€Å"The development of an over-obsessive interest in sport and celebrity was one of the factors in the collapse of the greatest civilization ever known to man† (Mell). Paparazzi have and always will be the cause for our society’s problem of blurring the lines between private citizens and public persona.As a result, societies as far back as the Roman Empire have succumbed to the trivial desire to watch the rise and fall of aspiring public figures (Mell). Nowadays, â€Å"A paparazzo†¦ is defined as a ‘freelance photographer who aggressively pursues celebrities†¦to take candid often compromising photos for publication’† (Hellmueller 9). Most are under the assumption that sacrificing privacy and intimacy of relationships disappears when they are thrust into the spotlight. It is widely understood that without media attention, their existence would be irrelevant to the masses.â₠¬Å"I understand there is a certain amount of my own privacy that I have to give up,† states actress Halle Berry (Lowry 21). Stars have come to terms with the fact that although evasive, if they want their careers to survive they must be in the media spotlight. â€Å"Visibility†¦is vital for a Celebrity. The paparazzo glorifies acts and magnifies sins†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hellmueller 9). Although twisted, stars that receive negative light such as Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, or Lindsey Lohan, receive more public interest than stars that are not involved in scandals (Hellmueller 9).Therefore, negative attention by photographers is a necessary evil. As much as stars resent the paparazzi and the scandals they expose or even factiously conjure up, they understand that their relevance in the cut-throat world of Hollywood is reliant upon their constant media exposure and public interest (Hellmueller 10). Social media has consistently proven as an outlet for the famous within the past six to seven years. Popular forms of social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Myspace, prove just how powerful scandals exposed by paparazzi can be in boosting your popularity.As of January 15th, 2014, pop singer, teenage heartthrob and common target for paparazzi, was the second most followed account on Twitter, a popular teen social media outlet, with 48,705,084 followers. Even more shocking is that this outrageous number increases by the thousands each day. Surprisingly enough, we do not observe any Twitter profiles that are non-famous pop culture phenomenon’s until we reach number 34 on the list, CNN Breaking News, who only has 15,141,938 followers (Hellmueller 19).Consequently, this proves how important paparazzi targeted celebrities are to the teenage audience in comparison to a news account that provides vital worldly information. The public is intrigued by the downfall and the continuous mishaps of stars they supposedly look up to. Therefore, the most a ccessible and informative way to keep up with celebrities day to day activities is through outlets such as social media (Ward 107). The constant hounding from paparazzi is to be expected when you are in the limelight in Hollywood, or staring in a new movie.But when stars such as Paul Reiser and Michael J. Fox feel as if they are being invaded in intimate and important affairs of their everyday lives, they begin to question if photographers have gone too far. Both share disturbing personal experiences with lack of respect from the paparazzi. Michael J. Fox’s wedding to wife Tracy Pollan was invaded, as well as the birth of his first child, where paparazzi posed as medical personnel to get detailed information about the family. They even went so far to pose as mourners and sneak into a funeral when his father passed away.Paul Reiser, star of TV’s Mad About You, could not attend the birth of his premature baby, because reporters and paparazzi had staked out the lobby and made it impossible to enter the hospital (Moore 2044). Some claim that these innate disregards for privacy in such sensitive and important moments in a person’s life are unnecessary and disrespectful. There is noticeable distinction between being unwillingly photographed while shopping at the grocery store, and being unwillingly photographed while exchanging vows at a wedding.Neglecting the distinction between every day and sensitive moments in one’s life is what leaves stars feeling as if the paparazzi are intrinsically evil (Seiter 14). Possibly more disturbing than invasions of privacy, are the chilling tales told by celebrities when the overwhelming persistency of the paparazzi proves to be unsafe. Some stars, such as pregnant reality TV star, Kim Kardashian, broadcast their stories through social media sources such as Twitter.On June 6th 2013, she tweeted, â€Å"Yesterday 4 cars boxed me in†¦ just to have me drive at their speed so they can snap through the window†¦I wouldn't let the paps [paparazzi] get a pic of me today & they threatened my life†¦ How dare they†¦ † (Kardashian). She continued by adding, â€Å"Let me enjoy this last month of pregnancy please without threats & being scared to leave my home due to what dangerous thing they threatened to do†¦ †(Kardashian). It is impossible to ignore the outcry of celebrities through social media, and as a result, many solicit their negative opinions through this mean.Multiple stars, such as Ireland Baldwin, Daughter of Alec Baldwin, Liam Payne, Miley Cyrus, and Justin Bieber share their disapproval on social media with a variety of obscenity ridden posts, bashing the photographers for the nuisance and safety hazards they thrust upon their lives (Zissou). With any activity that exudes danger, there is a possibility that a tragedy could occur at any moment. With an adrenaline and danger filled career such as being paparazzo, the competition to get the â₠¬Å"next big shot† proves to be too much at times.This career does not only present danger to the celebrity, but the photographer as well. Burke explains how â€Å"Sometimes five cars full of paparazzi will chase after a celebrity. And to make sure they don’t lose their target they will often speed, run stop signs†¦ and even drive on the wrong side of the road† (Burke 22). In 2013, Justin Bieber’s Ferrari was chased by hungry photographers down a California highway. One of the photographers, Chris Guerra, was struck and subsequently killed while trying to cross a Los Angeles street after he was led to believe Bieber’s car was pulled over for speeding (Zissou 14).Blair Berk, an attorney who has represented many stars in court cases believes, â€Å"Paparazzi are increasingly dangerous, the issue here is safety† (Zissou 14). On August 31, 1997, in an even more disturbing, and widely publicized story, Princess Diana, was killed in a car crash in Paris after being chased down by a hound of paparazzi. These two immensely disturbing stories illustrate the actual danger that both parties endure. Both events sparked not only incredible controversy, but led to the call for laws prohibiting the dangerous tactics used by photographers (Moore 2045).One may question why a group of people would be involved in such a risky job that is associated with such negative sentiments. Some assume that the paparazzi are merely fame obsessed civilians without a real job. Others may believe that they receive joy in torturing celebrities. However, the reality is that the payout for the correct single photograph could easily earn you fifty to one-hundred thousand dollars, on the low end. The average photograph at a movie premier runs from $100-$300 dollars depending on the celebrity and the nature of the photograph.Pictures that capture altercations or mishaps are far more lucrative than a common photo (Hoffman). The big money is generated from photos that are in high demand and difficult to obtain, such as wedding photos and scandalous mishaps such as affairs and rehab entrances. According to Scott Cosman, owner of photo agency Fam/Flynet Inc. , magazines would pay a fortune for the first wedding photo of Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and their children. â€Å"Worldwide rights for a picture like that, with all the kids, I would say $10 million† (Weisman). This is not the first time a picture has been estimated for a price that outrageously high.The first picture of Jolie-Pitt’s twins was sold to People Magazine for 14 million dollars. Getting the right shot can boost photographers into immediate wealth with the mere snap of the camera. Money is the sole motivation behind the paparazzi’s unsafe habits and it will continue to evolve like this until there is some sort of regulation introduced (Weisman). Stars have recently become aware of the fact that they are in almost sole control of the future and prese nt habits of the paparazzi. If they wish to bring about changes to the maltreatment and invasions of privacy they presently receive, they have to stand up and do something about it.This exact theory is just what stars like Halle Berry, Steven Tyler, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Michael J. Fox realized, just to name a few. Motivated and fed up stars like these, have teamed up with members of the California congressional delegation and introduced the Personal Privacy Protection Act, which â€Å"would make it a federal crime to endanger anyone’s safety to take a photograph†¦ it would expand the definition of trespass to include using a zoom lens or deploying high powered microphones†¦ in their home†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Moore 2044). Many are in support of this law, including people that were thrust into the spotlight unwillingly.For example, Ellen Levin, whose daughter was murdered in the Preppie Murder case that once dominated New York tabloids, complains how paparazzi once s warmed and invade her property in order to obtain photographs, making it nearly impossible to be alone with her family’s grief (Moore 2045). Actress Halle Berry supports this law as well, but for the sake of her young child’s safety. She claims that her daughter has a constant â€Å"fear of leaving the house and feeling like she cannot move in the world in a safe way† due to the unrelenting hounding of paparazzi that follow her everywhere she goes, including school (Lowry 21).Stars believe that this legislation will make the paparazzi more accountable for their actions while still being able to make money and do their jobs. Although this legislation is not already intact, states such as Hawaii and California have already taken action and won in the constant fight for privacy. Entering his final year in office, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the California Governor, signed a law into effect in 2010, â€Å"enabling celebrities to sue tabloids, television, and other media outlets who pay for and use material they know was improperly obtained in violation of a person’s right to privacy† (Seiter 14).In Hawaii similar action was taken when Steven Tyler from Aerosmith passed the â€Å"Steven Tyler Act† making it easier for celebrities to sue paparazzi and others they see as invading their privacy. â€Å"When I'm in my own home and I'm taking a shower or changing clothes or eating†¦ and I see paparazzi†¦ and then see that very picture in People magazine, it hurts,† Tyler said (Hellmueller 20). He believes this piece of legislation will make Hawaii a more desirable spot for vacationers and solve the increasingly bothersome privacy problem they have there.Celebrities have become aware that they are in charge of their own destiny and that they actually have the power to make a difference for their own wellbeing. As with any legislation, there are people that are against its approval. Some people believe acts such as the Personal Privacy Protection Act would be devastating for journalism. Not only would it restrict the photography of celebrities, but it would â€Å"infringe on the news-gathering ability of legitimate news organizations† says Barbara S. Cochran, executive director of the Radio-Television News Directors Association (Moore 2044).â€Å"Bills like this one would protect villains, frauds, and scoundrels†¦ whose activities are brought to light,† adds executive editor of the Petersburg Times, Peter C. Nash (Moore 2044). Others argue that all paparazzi are not evasive and dangerous, and the masses should not be punished for acts concerning select groups of people. Magazine, newspaper and online blogs would be heavily affected as well. In 2012, the average magazine would have published 14 stories within its pages, 10 of them addressing scandals and big news regarding a famous celebrity’s life.If all of a sudden there was a lack of story material, sales for popular so urces of this information would decrease heavily (Ward 119). Perhaps the strongest argument against these laws however, dates back to the Constitution and the 1st amendment. Many argue that these laws are restricting the rights that were outlined in freedom of the press. â€Å"Any new law†¦ is going to run smack into the First Amendment. Truth is, most conduct is covered by existing laws† argues L. A attorney, Dmitry Gorin (Zissou). The dispute has turned into a clash of principles: freedom of the press versus the constitutional right to privacy.There is not a doubt that this act would henceforth protect celebrities and their privacy, but in doing so, we may be violating one of the most renowned pieces of legislature. Many argue that the effects of laws such as the Personal Privacy Protection Act would bring about more negative than positive outcomes (Ward 128). The level of influence pop culture and the tabloids have on today’s society is incredible. If magazines , newspapers and social media outlets were removed, the entertainment industry would not flourish as it does today. The influence that a mere picture can have on society is astonishing.For the future, if laws are not created to slow down the growth and intrusive nature of photographers, the esteemed celebrities society recognizes will be constantly put in harm’s way. The establishment of these laws and regulations will not only make it a safer environment for paparazzi, but people in the spotlight as well. When paparazzi and Hollywood learn to coexist in complete harmony and safety, there will no longer be such high price tags on images of such insignificance. Until then, the paparazzi will continue its trek through the entertainment industry as a dangerous but absolutely necessary evil.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Light-Induced Transformation of Amyloplasts Into Chloroplasts

Plant Physiol. (1984) 75, 142-145 0032-0889/84/75/0 142/04/$01. 00/0 Light-Induced Transformation of Amyloplasts into Chloroplasts in Potato Tubers' Received for publication November 9, 1983 and in revised form January 19, 1984 YU S. ZHU, DENISE L. MERKLE-LEHMAN, SHAIN D. KUNG* Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Catonsville, Maryland 21228 ABSTRACT The transformation of amyloplast into chloroplasts in potato (Solawum tuberosum L. ) tuber tissue can be induced by light.Excised potato tuber discs illuminated with white light of 3000 lux bepgn to synthesize chlorophyll after a lag period of 1 day, and continued to synthesize chlorophyll for 3 weeks. In this paper we present evidence, based on ultracentrifugal sedimentation and immunoprecipitation, that the lightmediated synthesis of Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase began 1 day after illumination with white light. When illuminated the chloroplasts isolated from light-grown potato tuber tissue incorporated I3SImethionine into polypeptides, one of which has been idenified as the large subunit of Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase.These chloroplasts are functional as determined by 02 evolution in the Hill reaction. A great deal of data is now available on the biochemistry of the development of chloroplasts from etioplasts (6). Much less is known about the development of chloroplasts from amyloplasts, a starch storing organeile, which exists in storage tissue, roots, and some callus. It is well known that potatoes turn green on exposure to light for several days.Not only does the study of the organelle transformation and light-regulated gene expression stimulate theoretical interest, but the greening of potato also has some practical importance, since the greening of the potato is accompanied by the formation of the poisonous alkaloid, solanine (5). The morphological and ultrastructural changes in the development of chloroplasts from amyloplasts were described in several electron microscopic studies (3, 11). In this communication we present some biochemical evidence to show the function of chloroplasts from potato tuber based on the biosynthesis of Chl, RuBPCase,2 and Hill activity. lates in sterile Petri dishes (9 cm), 40 discs per dish. The discs were illuminated at room temperature by fluorescent tubes with intensity of 3000 lux. Chlorophyll and RuBPCase Determination. Chl was determined according to Arnon (2). RuBPCase was detected with a Model E analytical ultracentrifuge, as previously described (9). Schlieren pictures were taken at 44,770 rpm, 10 min after attaining this speed. An Ouchterlony double diffusion test was employed to determine the RuBPCase specifically. The antiserum was prepared against RuBPCase from tobacco (15).Light-Driven Protein Synthesis in Choroplasts. Ten g of green potato tuber discs which had been exposed to white light for 7 d were homogenized in a Waring Blendor with cold isolation buffer (sucrose 0. 35 M, Hepes-NaC l 25 mm, EDTA 2 mM, isoascorbateNa 2 mm, pH 7. 6) and filtered through 2 layers of Miracloth. The resultant filtrate was centrifuged at 30g for 1 min to remove starch granules, and the supernatant was then centrifuged at 2500g for 1 min. The pellet was resuspended in 1 ml of KCI suspension (KCI 0. 2 M, Tricine-KOH 66 mm, MgCl2 6. 6 mM).The chloroplast suspension was transferred to a Petri dish (3 cm in diameter) and incubated with [135S]methionine (10 ,uCi) at room temperature under white light (4000 lux). During a 2 h incubation, the incorporation of [35S]methionine into proteins was measured. After the 2 h incubation the radioactive polypeptides were separated on an SDS-polyacrylamide gradient gel (815%), followed by fluorography as described by Blair and Ellis (4). 02 Evolution Assay. The ability of chloroplasts from potato tuber discs to evolve 02 was measured in the Hill reaction ccording to the procedure of Marsho et al. (12). The incubation system consisted of ferricyanide 1. 7 mm, methylamine 3 mm, glyceraldehyde 10 mm, and chloroplasts corresponding to 15 yg of Chl in a total volume of 0. 6 ml. The reaction was initiated by irradiation with red light (22. 4 mw/cm2). The 02 evolution was measured and recorded with a polarograph. RESULTS MATERIAILS AND METHODS Chlorophyll Synthesis in Light-Illuminated Potato Tuber. Our Preparation, Culture, and Light Treatment of Potato Tuber experiments showed that the greening of potato tuber depended Discs.Centennial and Katahdin, two varieties of potato tubers on varieties, storage temperature, light intensity, and wavelength supplied by the United States Department of Agriculture were of light. Out of more than ten varieties of potatoes tested, two used in this study. The tubers were peeled and sterilized with varieties, Centennial and Katahdin, which turn green more Amphyl (National Laboratories, Lehn and Fink Industrial Prod- quickly under light, were selected in this study. Storage of potato ucts Division of St erling Drug Inc. , New Jersey).Discs (10 x 2 tuber below 4 °C retarded or inhibited the transformation of mm) were made with a sterile cork borer and a gel slicer. These amyloplasts into chloroplasts. Blue light was most effective in discs, after washing in sterile water, were placed on 1% agar inducing greening of potato tubers. No red light stimulation was observed. Potato tuber discs illuminated with white light began to green ‘ Supported by National Institutes of Health grant CM22746-01 and with a lag period of about 1 d. The greening continued for 3 United States Department of Agriculture agreement 58-32044157. 2Abbreviations: RuBPCase, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase; weeks after culture (Fig. 1). After illumination for 3 weeks, the potato tuber tissue contained 10 Ag Chl/g of fresh tissue, about LS, large subunit. 142 TRANSFORMATION OF AMYLOPLASTS IN POTATO TUBERS 143 14 oct[L] 15 – a) 121 10 101 5 C-) 8 x 0 > ct [D] Days After Illumination FIG. 1. Time c ourse of the synthesis of chlorophyll in potato tuber discs during continuous illumination with white light. lAt [D] By 0 15 I †¦.. AAt [L] i _x- 60 120 90 Time (min) FIG. 3. Incorporation of [35S]methionine into proteins in the lightdriven chloroplast protein synthesis system. -M1 samples were added to 20% TCA containing 10 tg/ml unlabeled methionine. Proteins were precipitated with 5% TCA containing 10 Mg/ml unlabeled methionine, and counted with a Mark I scintillation counter. Ct, chloroplasts; At, amyloplasts (control); L, light-incubated; D, dark-incubated. FIG. 2. Biosynthesis of RuBPCase in potato tuber tissue as assayed by Ouchterlony double diffusion 0 h (1), 6 h (2), 12 h (3), 24 h (4), 48 h (5), and 72 h (6) after illumination. The central well contained antibody to LS. One g of potato tuber discs was homogenized with 0. 1 ml of Tris 80 mm, MgCl2 20 mm, KCI 40 mM, pH 8. . After centrifugation at 12,000g for 10 min, 20 Ml of the supernatant were used for assay of RuBP Case. hundredth of the Chl content in normal leaves. This is primarily due to fewer chloroplasts per cell. The chloroplasts were not distributed uniformly in discs and were probably linked to some specific ultrastructure in the cortex. Microscopic observation revealed that the amyloplasts were comprised of two types: large (55 x 80 Mm) and small (5-20 Mum). Most of them were stainable with I2-KI. Upon exposure of the discs to light the small amyloplasts only turned greenish.RuBPCase Biosynthesis in Potato Tuber during Greening. Since RuBPCase is the most abundant soluble protein in the chloroplasts (10), it can be used as an important biochemical marker of chloroplasts. The de novo synthesis of RuBPCase was clearly demonstrated by ultracentrifugal sedimentation (data not shown) and specific immunoprecipitation (Fig. 2). The Schlieren pattern of extracts from normal leaves consists of four peaks representing 80S cytoplasmic ribosomes, 70S chloroplast ribosomes, 18S Fraction I protein (RuBPCase), and 4 to 6S Fraction II proteins (8, 9).The extract from potato tuber stored in the dark lacked the peak of RuBPCase, whereas a small peak was observed in discs exposed to 3 d of light, indicating the light one initiated the synthesis of RuBPCase (data not shown). The biosynthesis of RuBPCase was also demonstrated by an Ouchterlony double diffusion assay (Fig. 2). The light-mediated synthesis of RuBPCase started at 1 d after illumination and increased during greening. The RuBPCase content was estimated to be -6 ,ug/g fresh potato tuber tissue, whereas the RuBPCase content of a typical green leaf is 5 to 10 mg/g fresh tissue (10).Further evidence for the de novo synthesis of RuBPCase in light-treated potato tuber was obtained from the experiment on light-driven protein synthesis in chloroplasts. The chloroplasts, isolated from potato tuber discs after illumination for 7 d, exhibited a higher activity of protein synthesis, as demonstrated by the incorporation of [35S]meth ionine into proteins (Fig. 3). In contrast to light-driven protein synthesis in chloroplasts, the chloroplasts in the dark and especially amyloplasts, either in the light or dark, exhibited a very low protein synthesis activity.A number of radioactive polypeptides synthesized in the chloroplasts in the light were recognized on SDS-polyacrylamide gels followed by fluorography (Fig. 4). It was observed that some chloroplast polypeptides (mol wt 39,000, 50,000, 52,000, 55,000, 94,000, 96,000) were synthesized more readily in the light than in the dark. One of these polypeptides co-migrated with purified unlabeled LS of RuBPCase (mol wt 52,000), and was identified as the LS, based on this and results presented in Figure 2.There is also one strongly light-initiated polypeptide (mol wt 64,000) which does not appear in the dark. 02 Evolution of Chloroplasts from Light-Induced Potato Tubers. Upon illumination with red light, the chloroplasts, isolated from light-treated potato tuber discs a fter 3 weeks of light treat- 144 Plant Physiol. Vol. 75, 1984 ZHU ET AL. sure to light, the amyloplasts are transformed into chloroplasts, which have a different function. The changes in ultrastructure of potato tuber amyloplasts during greening were investigated by electron microscope.It was shown that the main developmental features were elongation of vesicles into thylakoids, the differentiation of grana and the appearance of ribosomes in the stroma (3), although the ultrastructure is generally less well developed compared to that for normal leaves. On the other hand, there is very little information on biochemical alterations in potato tuber during greening. To confirm the transformation of amyloplasts into chloroplasts, this study provides some biochemical evidence: (a) the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments, (b) the synthesis of RuBPCase and other proteins, and (c) Hill reaction activity.Before illumination the potato tubers contain no Chl or Pchl, but do contain carotenoid which increases during greening (1). Very low light intensity (400 lux) was required to initiate greening. The light may penetrate into the potato tuber discs and evoke the development of chloroplasts from amyloplasts. During the development of chloroplasts from amyloplasts, assembly of Chl into the newly synthesized membranes occurs. Cold storage may cause the breakage of membranes (13); however, some studies suggested that amyloplast membranes remain intact in cold storage (14).It was frequently observed that the chloroplasts were formed as streaks in the potato tuber discs, suggesting a special structure is linked to the chloroplast development. The Schlieren pattern of the extracts from light-induced potato tuber tissue as well as its immunoprecipitation reaction with antiserum to RuBPCase demonstrated that RuBPCase, an important enzyme in the photosynthetic carbon cycle, was de novo synthesized during greening. This result was further confirmed by the active light-dependent pro tein synthesis in the isolated chloroplasts.The biosynthesis of RuBPCase during greening suggests the involvement and operation of CO2 assimilation in the chloroplasts. Furthermore, the photosynthetic function of electron transport and 02 evolution in isolated chloroplasts from potato tuber was shown by the high Hill reaction activity. The transformation of amyloplasts into chloroplasts is absolutely light-dependent. The fact that red light did not stimulate this transformation indicates that phytochrome may not participate in this regulation. This coincides with the result that potato tuber does not have phytochrome (7).What is the photoreceptor in this light-induced organelle transformation? How does light turn on the genes for the development of chloroplasts, and turn off the genes for the development of amyloplasts? Undoubtedly, this system provides an attractive and challenging model for investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying the photoregulation of development and gene expression. FIG. 4. SDS-PAGE of light- (1) and dark- (d) initiated polypeptides synthesized in chloroplasts isolated from light-treated potato tuber discs. (R) photograph of stained gel. L) fluorograph of (R). Arrows indicate the mol wt of light-stimulated polypeptides and band corresponding to LS. Although the dark-incubated sample was more concentrated than the light-incubated sample (R), the fluorograph (L) indicates there was more incorporation of [35S]methionine into the light-induced polypeptides than into the dark-initiated polypeptides, demonstrating that more polypeptides were synthesized in the light than in the dark. The samples were incubated with [35S]methionine for 120 min. ment, evolved 02 using ferricyanide as an electron acceptor.This Hill reaction activity is comparably high (177 Amol 02/mg Chl h), indicating that an active electron transport reaction took place in this chloroplast preparation. DISCUSSION The cells of potato tuber contain a large number of amyloplasts, whose function is to accumulate and store starch in the form of reserve starch granules. It is of interest that upon expo- Acknowledgments-We thank Dr. Ray Webb of United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland for providing us with different varieties of potato, and F. J. Xi for her help in determination of Hill activity. LITERATURE CITEDDevelopment of chloroplasts from amyloplasts in potato tuber discs. New Phytol 72: 449-463 2. ARNON DI 1949 Copper enzymes in isolated chloroplasts. Polyphenoloxidase 1. ANSTIS PJP, DH NORTHCOTE 1973 in Beta vulgaris. Plant Physiol 24: 1-15 3. 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