Is life difficult? Essay

A data released by the American Association of Suicidology (2003) revealed that in the United States, 1 person kills himself every 16. 7 minutes. In addition to this, many people are seeking professional help to deal with depression and cope with stress and life crises. This situation calls for an understanding the perception of people with life and more importantly to answer the question, â€Å"is life difficult? † Two major perspectives are to be considered, the Biblical point of view, and the practical analysis of the situation. According to the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve lived worry free in the Garden of Eden where the couple need not till the soil for food nor experience pain, misery, and suffering. Life has been difficult since Adam and Eve first sinned as the couple was banished from the Garden of Eden as a punishment for eating the fruit from the tree of life. (The Holy Bible, Genesis 3:16-19) Some religions believe that this is the reason or the origin of life’s hardships and trials. One may even think that life itself is a punishment. One can only find true happiness when that person returns in the kingdom of God where all of life’s difficulties cease. An analysis of the present situation would show that people need to work to earn money for himself and his family’s basic needs, and education. Men are also made to suffer from the loss of a loved one or even inanimate things like a house or a car. Moreover, man’s quest for lasting happiness and contentment has been the reason why people endure such difficulties and hardships knowing that something better awaits for them in the near future. Yes, life is indeed difficult. Men can not do away with life’s difficulties. Men can not do away with life’s difficulties. However, this does not mean that people should give up and not face life’s challenges. In this world, man needs hope to in order to have the courage to move on and survive life’s inevitable difficulties. Works Cited U. S. A. Suicide: 2003 Final Data, McIntosh, John L. 2003, American Association Suicidology. September 12, 2006 The Holy Bible. New International Version. Biblegateway. com. September 12, 2006 .

Travelling Troubles

Traveling is widely believed to broaden the mind and enrich the soul. The famous saying â€Å"Don't tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have traveled† indicates that travel can enlarge people’s knowledge efficiently. Many people believe that when you visit other places you experience new things and learn from them. To my mind, it’s impossible to imagine our life without traveling. Getting out of the place where you always live, then going to an unfamiliar place is a kind of unforgettable experience in your life. First of all traveling is visiting interesting places and meeting new people.It is connected with getting to know other cultures and traditions. Secondly, it is usually said that journeys educate, so traveling we can make our knowledge wider. Also we become more experienced and ready to cope with surrounding world if we learn something while being in journey. Furthermore, traveling is a psychological necessity, especially for people who hav e stressful jobs. There are people who do not want to travel for some reasons. Some enjoy the comfort of their homes. Others do not travel for fear of being robbed or losing their belongings.There are people who would rather put their money on material needs. Of course, journeys have some disadvantages, for example 1. high costs of traveling, 2. danger of disease, etc. So all you need to do is to take extra precautions to be sure that you have a safe journey. I am sure that pleasure of traveling and getting new experience is more important. Especially for those who enjoy the comfort of their homes there is one good saying â€Å"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow†. To sum up, 1. traveling is a very good way of spending time. . It can educate, give impressions, nice memories and let make friends. I can advise people to travel as â€Å"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page . † I’m fond of traveling and would travel much if I had a chance ? I think many people have travelled at least once at their life. I live fourteen years only but I have already travelled a lot. I love travelling very much. However, there are some advantages and disadvantages of travelling. 1. On the one hand, it is very interesting to learn more about other countries and about the world in a whole. 2. ou can meet new people and friends. Furthermore, if you travel abroad, you can practice a foreign language, for example, English. On the other hand, there are some drawbacks with travelling. 1. It is not so comfortable to travel to other countries, especially if it is far from your home. You must take a big luggage with you and it is very heavy. 2. Moreover, it is easier to learn interesting facts about exciting places from books and TV programmes and it very convenient in any case, isn’t it? 3. The third fact is that you just cannot leave your home animals without any look and care. here are many ways of spending our time. One of them is travelling. It has its own advantages and disadvantages. 1. First advantage of travelling is visiting interesting places and meeting new people. 2. It is connected with getting to know other cultures and traditions which is surely valuable. If you live in Russia, you can not leave the country, and lodge in its distant area and open for yourself something absolutely new. 3. Secondly, it is usually said that journeys educate, so whilst travelling as well as exploration we can make our knowledge wider. . Also we become more experienced and ready to cope with surrounding world if we learn something while being in journey. 5. The trip to other country is possibility to practise a foreign language, to improve the pronunciation, to learn about dialects. Such experience can help with study and in a crisis situation. Of couse, journeys has some crucial disadvantages. 1. Firstly, costs of travelling are often quiet hi gh for example travelling by plane, so naturally not everyone can afford. Therefore not all is presumed to themselves by trips abroad. . What is more, journeys especially foreign ones expose us to danger of disease or even death. Travelling can lead to fall ill and maybe then to expensive treatment or in case of fatal accident like for instance car and aerial one to death of many people. 3. Now many people refuse trips abroad, being afraid to catch one of flu kinds. A flu chandes every year, but cases of diseases and lethal outcomes recently have become frequent. 4. The next disadvantage is fatigue that occur while travelling.Most journeys last very long and it can make us feel tired. To sum up, travelling is a very good way of spending time. It can educate, give impressions, nice memories and let make friends. However, in my opinion travelling in spite of its whole advantages, it should not be the only way to learn about the world and ourselves. ? 5. Disadvantages: Unfamiliar terri tory may cause discomfort, travel expenses, being away from home/family, not being able to commuinicate well with the natives, getting travel sick and being unable to enjoy the experience.

Empowering Your Organization Essay

Organizations are about people. People are the most valuable asset that an organization can possess to create success. The development of these people and the ability for an organization to retain talent can be complex. An organization must be organized to communicate and provide the structure necessary for growth and development. They must also have the people within the organization understand their ability to grow and the directions available within the organization for growth. In the industrial age a company was primarily there to provide goods and serves. Many organizational behaviorists at that time focused on getting the most production from the employee. The employee was looked at as a necessary evil in creating the goods for market. We have now realized that people are the foundation that can make or break an organization. The thoughts and actions of the company and the employee are imperative to their success. Retaining top talent is about creating a structure that is conducive to growth and development. Empowerment is important on an organizational level and an individual level. When looking at the dynamics of an organizations empowerment it is essential to recognize the symptoms of disempowerment. Gershon and Straub identified ten symptoms of a disempowered organization. We will look at one case within an organization and four of these symptoms that were evident and describe these dysfunctions. We will then create a plan using Gershon and Straub six values to create an empowering environment. Four Symptoms of Disempowerment Distrust and Cynicism When individuals feel that they must constantly compete for their future a sense of distrust begins to arise. In the case study this organization had weak leaders that did not give others a sense of team involvement. There was constant distrust in coworkers and in management to make the right decisions. Due to the lack of leadership employees felt the need to compete through criticizing and creating blame. Management did not give true direction or provide any plan of action but instead were quick to criticize the actions individuals took in order to compete tasks without direction. Apathy and Burnout The organization in the case study was constantly in a state of change. New projects can be exhausting in themselves. When a project goes beyond the original plan many times companies will use the resources they have and overwork the employee in order to reach plan. This can create burnout and apathy within the workforce. This was the case with this organization, instead of bringing in additional contact workers to assist the company expected employees to work overtime to meet goals. This would involve as many as eighty hours per week. The result was burnout and exhaustion and a general sense of being unappreciated. The personal life of the employees was expected to be put on hold and this creating a general sense of apathy within the workforce. Gossip and back biting poisoning work environment Many times people are the reflection of the environment that they are surrounded by. There is a saying about how weak people talk about other people; this was the case in this organization. Gossip was common place and a reflection of the emotional turmoil of not being able to move within the organization. Management did not stop the personal conflict that was created within many of the groups by gossip and â€Å"back stabbing†. Top talent leaving for better opportunities or work environment Due to the inability to move within the organization and the general atmosphere of distrust and dissatisfaction many of the top talent moved on to better opportunities. The organization was a revolving door and the issue was that the positions available were not backfilled with internal, local talent but instead more â€Å"new† employees were brought in to replace the talent that let the organization. This further fueled the discord and ill feeling of the current workforce. Six Values Applied to Disempowerment Change in anything that we do must first come from the inside before we can change the outside. A great example of this is in losing weight many people choose to go on a quick fix diet plan. This is a wonderful way to reduce the weight in the short term but the person eventually returns to their previous weight. Change must come from the inside through long term changes in the way that they think about food and the long term change in diet. When an organization has the symptoms of disempowerment it is not just from the inability of the individuals internally but from a dysfunctional mindset within the organization. Therefore the organization must perform a metamorphose to change the structure of the company and the mindset of the individuals and management. There are six values that are an essential part of the framework necessary for change within an organization. These six values are self-responsibility, authentic communication, trust, learning and growing, interpersonal process skills and caring. When looking at an organizational level of self-responsibility the empowering organization has individuals that take responsibility for their jobs, team and organization being the way that they need it to be. This is the opposite of the mindset of victimization and an understanding that changes comes from each individual within an organization. If an organization promotes authentic communication it is obvious through observing the individuals and their communication. If the communication is open, transparent, honest and vulnerable then the company is communicating authentically. When observing trust within an organization the first thing that needs to be evident is the ability for individuals to feel safe within the environment. This trust is apparent in the ability of individuals to take risks and tryout new behaviors without risk of reprimand from supervisors. When an organization promotes an environment conducive to growth and learning individuals are challenged to recognize their weaknesses and given the opportunity to learn and develop these skills. The growth and encouragement is transferable to both the employee and the organizational growth. Learning is on a bilateral level through growth of both the structure and the individual. An empowered organization understands individuals as independent and of their own mindset. They champaign the individual and have created process and protocols to resolve personal issues that may arise. The organization is high functioning within their relationships internally and support teamwork and individualism equally. There is a general sense of caring within an empowered organization. Leadership demonstrates genuine caring of the individuals that work within the company. Individuals feel valued and inspired creating motivation to do their best. The Plan To develop these skills within an organization that is lacking these basic values can be challenging. The plan must start with leadership and management having a full grasp of the qualities that create an empowered organization. The first step is to educate management in the skills necessary to create this environment. This cannot be done with a week-long workshop but with concrete training and development over the long-term. Honing and developing the skills on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis. Removing the â€Å"boss barrier† is an essential part of creating an environment for growth and productivity. The second step is to remove the â€Å"system† barrier. Looking at the process and the policies the current organization and recreating an environment that gives employees the opportunity to develop. Realigning the reward systems and identifying the blocks that disempower change within the organization is essential. The third aspect is to remove the barriers of the mind. This is important in empower both the leadership and the employee. People have a way of thinking about things until you give them the opportunity and the tools to look at things differently. You are basically what you think you are and it takes reconditioning the minds of the individuals within an organization to change. Change happens from within. It is the willingness of the organization to change and the individuals to change that will make a move towards empowerment possible. Motivation to change must be driven by emotions and the key is to find these emotional triggers and create a plan towards growth and opportunity for both the organization and the individual. References Bigelow, D. (2011). Empowerment: The Art of Creating Your Life as You Want It. Library Journal, 136(9), 95. Gershon, D., & Straub, G. (2011), Empowerment: The Art of Creating Your Life as You Want It. SterlingEtbos.2011.c.256p.. Gershon, D., & Straub, G. (2009). Empowerment Institute: The empowering organization: Changing behavior and developing talent in organizations. Retrieved from http://www.empowermentinstitute.net/index.php/organizational/organizational-empowerment/57-organizational-empowerment Individuals’ Mindset: Empowering the Individual. (2004). Black Book – Reengineering Investment Management & Advice to the Individual, 31-36. Kotter, J. P. & Cohen, D. S. (2002). The heart of change: Real-life stories of how people change their organizations. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Human growth and developement summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human growth and developement summary - Essay Example A lot of things are unsaid in this relationship between the parents and children, yet both parents and children are still sure that they love each other. I like authoritative parenting because it seems to be the most useful style of parenting in the present age. As the technology is advancing, children are gaining more expertise in its use as compared to their parents since the children are the latest generation. Children require a certain level of freedom in order to equip themselves with those skills that are required for success in academics and profession in the present age. Authoritative parenting allows the children this freedom to explore their world without breaking connection with the parents. In addition, authoritative parents are more like friends to the children. This is very important for good psychological development of the children as they can reach out for the parents to discuss any kind of issue, and get the required help in

Collective Effort and Collective Liability Essay

Collective Effort and Collective Liability - Essay Example These intentional misuses of personal information are punishable whether they are carried out by hand, through the conventional postage system, or through electronic means (18 U.S.C. section 1028 (c).   Because the Identity Theft Act of 1998 was deemed an inadequate deterrent, Congress passed the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act in 2004 in order to increase sentences for violators of the 1998 Act (18 U.S.C. 1028A).   Despite these new laws, and the enhanced punishments, identity theft continues to plague individuals (Lahey & Matejkovic, 2001), businesses (Beales, 2002; Collins, 2003), and even powerful and well-resourced governmental organizations (Identity Theft.   Internal Revenue Service, nd; Kahn & Roberds, 2005).   The irony is that the identity theft crime has many enemies, legislation in place to criminalize all acts associated with identity theft, enhanced punishment legislation, and yet the crime is increasing rather than decreasing; clearly, therefore, current responses are inadequate.   Even a cursory examination of the relevant data and statistics is sobering.   From a financial point of view, Collins notes that â€Å"Personal identity theft is a $100-billion perannum industry worldwide; however,†¦the cost of stolen business identities can be expected to be even greater† (2003).   The statistics are similarly disturbing in terms of the sheer number of individuals, businesses, and governmental organizations which have been victimized in some.... As a preliminary matter, identity theft is defined by federal statute. The Identity Theft Act defines identity theft as occurring whenever a person "knowingly and without lawful authority produces an identification document or a false identification document" (18 U.S.C. section 1028(a)(1), 1998) or otherwise possesses, transfers, uses, or creates an identification document or false identification document while knowing that any of these acts are unlawful. (18 U.S.C. sections1028 (a)(2)-(a)(7), 1998). These intentional misuses of personal information are punishable whether they are carried out by hand, through the conventional postage system, or through electronic means (18 U.S.C. section 1028 (c). Because the Identity Theft Act of 1998 was deemed an inadequate deterrent, Congress passed the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act in 2004 in order to increase sentences for violators of the 1998 Act (18 U.S.C. 1028A). Despite these new laws, and the enhanced punishments, identity theft continues to plague individuals (Lahey & Matejkovic, 2001), businesses (Beales, 2002; Collins, 2003), and even powerful and well-resourced governmental organizations (Identity Theft. Internal Revenue Service, nd; Kahn & Roberds, 2005). The irony is that the identity theft crime has many enemies, legislation in place to criminalize all acts associated with identity theft, enhanced punishment legislation, and yet the crime is increasing rather than decreasing; clearly, therefore, current responses are inadequate. Even a cursory examination of the relevant data and statistics is sobering. From a financial point of view, Collins notes that

Cybercrime Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cybercrime - Research Paper Example People want their personal information to remain that way, personal. But can this really be achieved? Daily there are headlines telling us of yet another story of information being stolen by a criminal or looked upon by the government. There’s also the issue of wiretapping phones and having hidden security cameras. Some time ago, AT&T mentioned, â€Å"While account information may be personal to you, these records†¦are owned by AT&T and it may disclose such records to protect its legitimate business records, safeguard others or respond to legal process.† (Lamb, 2011) As history shows, there are truly malicious people among us, and even the most meticulous people can make mistakes, and security experts are becoming very wary of the privacy future for America (Marks, 2008). With such statements, it’s easy to feel that privacy may as well become a thing of the past. Cybercrime can be done in different ways and can occur anywhere. There are two categories of cyb ercrime. The first type involves crimes in which information and communications technologies are the target of offenses. Examples of this are computer vandalism, viruses, and the like. The other type involves crimes where technologies are used as tools to commit an offense, such as computer hacking. These two types are the umbrella categories, but there are many other subcategories involved in cybercrime. The computer may be the agent of the crime, the facilitator of the crime, or the target of the crime. The crime may take place in one location or sometimes in a network of locations. The end results of this type of crime include, to name a few, cyber drug trafficking, child pornography, identity theft, and phishing. But exactly what is being done to fight this? One may ask. The President’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board (PCIPB) has come up with a draft plan for upgrading the nation’s cyberspace infrastructure. This strategy calls for the cooperation of home computer users, business users, state and local governments, with the overall goal being empowering all Americans to secure their portions of cyberspace. The executing of the plan requires six steps, they being: educating and creating awareness among users of cyberspace, producing more secure technologies, developing a large and well-qualified cyber security workforce, fostering responsibility among individuals for security at all levels, increasing accountability and updating security practices, and finally developing early warning and sharing of information that will help with early detection of attacks and leading to the appropriate response. The US also seeks to ask for the participation of foreign counterparts as well in a peer-to-peer dialogue that aims to make an effective business case for cyber security and attain successful means for partnering with governments on cyber security. (Washington File, 2002) Other states have enacted what is known as a â€Å"security freezeâ⠂¬  legislation which allows its citizens to lock their credit files against anyone who tries to open a new account or gain new credit, and they’re hoping this will keep thieves from exploiting stole Social Security numbers. (Lamb, 2006) There are also propositions of making of a â€Å"new internet†. â€Å"The whole notion of privacy and security has become so elusive that the

Globalization and Racism in Context of Australian Education Assignment

Globalization and Racism in Context of Australian Education - Assignment Example It may be subject to certain restrictions like the will of the host country to accept the foreign student or may be subject to various other privations like visa, passport, and funding for international studies. Globalization, on the other hand, transcends all borders and the concept of nation or state seemingly does not exist. Here the world is a single entity, comprising of a common ‘knowledge society’. Since globalization has been the result of a worldwide economic and commercial integration, (unlike the internationalization of education, that sees knowledge exchange at very high scholarly levels), it has been identified with transnational educational systems that are based on private entrepreneurial market-driven forces and related competition; and a resultant knowledge exchange that is commercial based (Teichler U and YaÄŸcÄ ±Ã‚  , 2009).Observing the current accelerated rate in globalization it is indeed necessary that the colleges and universities worldwide (in cluding Australia) come together and change their present curriculum to form an integrated educational system so that the concept of a singular ‘knowledge society’ becomes a reality. Globalization, an innovation of the 21st century, is a term that has â€Å"come from nowhere to be almost everywhere† (Giddens, 1999, 7). Globalization though mainly associated with the concept of a worldwide economic integration and a borderless market, its effect without any doubt â€Å"extends well beyond the economy...it transforms people, states, societies, cultures and civilizations† (Comeliau, 1997, 30). The effects of globalization are visible in three main areas, in context of any particular country.  

Global Strategic Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Global Strategic Management - Assignment Example The latter entails using similar and confusing trademarks or service marks on a similar, not fake, product or service. Counterfeit goods are sold around the world. However, the vice is more prevalent in developing countries where it is relatively cheaper to produce a product (Sullivan & Chermak, 2013). For instance, Taiwan and China in Asia are exceptionally prone to counterfeiting. The practice is also found in developed economies, albeit to a lesser degree. Counterfeiting is not only illegal, but also unethical. It is unethical because it involves profiting from another person’s sweat, so to speak. The producers of counterfeit goods are not prepared to introduce their brands and grow them. Instead, they cut corners and try to profit from established brands behind the backs of their owners. The world over, business organizations adopt a variety of measures to address counterfeiting. These can be business, legal or technological. An example of a legal measure is an organization registering their trademarks. Today, it is common for large multinational corporations to have the various components of their manufactured in different jurisdictions then ship them to the assembly plant. Usually, this mode of operation is designed to take advantage of the advantages that various jurisdictions have to offer. For example, a manufacturer of smartphones located in Singapore may have their battery manufacturing plant situated in Finland. Under these circumstances, the smartphone manufacturer will do well to have all their trademarks registered in all the jurisdictions where parts of the smartphone are made. This is in addition to registering those trademarks in all the countries where the finished phones are sold. Some of the business measures that organizations take to combat counterfeiting include creating and maintaining an anti-counterfeiting department (Spink & Fejes, 2012). The key role of the department to initiate and implement measures to prevent the

Factors other than technology that influenced military innovation Essay

Factors other than technology that influenced military innovation during the Interwar Period - Essay Example Europe was immensely affected by the devastation of the First World War while North America affected by the great depression in 1929. The worldwide depression contributed to the growth of Nazism in Germany which resulted in World War 2. The military technology of the interwar period provided ample promise for innovation, but did not determine the state of change. In many cases state of the art technology would not support operational concepts developed by military visionaries. (Williamson Murray, Allan R Millet, p.342) Civilian timidity, insufficient intelligence, and lack of political guidance contributed immensely to the lack of military innovation during the interwar period. Civilian participation is important in political and technological processes. In Britain military professionalism countered civilian curiosity; the committee system diffused arguments and sharpened pessimism rather than encouraged debate on defence options. (Williamson Murray, Allan R Millet, p.361) The general public during this period was not aware of the importance of military innovation. They had many other things to discuss like the depression, and they never took military innovation as a serious thing. They were already witnessed the drastic results of a world war and they thought the military innovations may result in another world war. The civilians concluded that the military operations are for destructive purposes only and they failed to recognize the need of defence and such attitudes of the civilians retarded the military innovation process. In the United States, civilian-military political collaboration arose in the institutionalized conflict between the Presidency and Congress over domination of military policy. (Williamson Murray, Allan R Millet, p.362) The political leaders also kept different views on the need of military innovation. Because of these conflicts among the parliamentary members, the most of the military innovation processes failed to get the

Development of The Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Development of The Constitution - Essay Example The English legal system denied provisions granting necessary resources and protection to the people accused of crimes; unless the allegations were proven true. It was the American law which initially offered legal asylum to the accused groups (Paul, 2006). The legal asylum does not imply special and lenient treatment, rather the defendants were provided with minimum services to defend their position. The intent of such measures has been to bring credibility to the judicial system of the United States. Before 1960s, the courts were reluctant to offer counsel services to the accused groups. The services for the counsel were either limited or rejected; the provisions for counsels were provided based upon the financial standing of the accused groups. It was in the case entitled Powell v. Alabama 1963, when the court favoured the counselling services for the accused groups; the ruling encouraged the states to offer judicial protection to the accused groups through counselling. This was considered to be the first ruling which blatantly refused and challenged the interpretation of the British law; the law which discouraged any such counselling provisions for the accused groups. The court ruling considered it to be the legitimate demand of the defence for provisions of legal counselling services; however the court involved the states to determine the extent and nature of counselling to the accused groups. In 1942 during the hearing of Bett v. Brady, the court ruled it necessary to provid e adequate legal protection to the accused group through counselling; however the requirement of legal counselling through lawyer to the accused group shall be evaluated on the basis of necessity. Such rulings confirmed that American law was adopting distinct approach, and in some cases challenged the interpretation of the English law. In 1960 the American law confirmed and reiterated its resolution to provide

The sustainable environment vs. the current growth of our human Essay

The sustainable environment vs. the current growth of our human popoulation - Essay Example Surely, there must be a limit to the amount of development and destruction of the natural resources that this planet can actually sustain before catastrophic events begin to happen. Sustainability entails the capacity for a people and an environment to endure the test of time. As there is still much we do not know about our current surroundings, there is a cause for concern as the population around us continues to mushroom. If there is no regard for the land among us, and there are no plans put into place for increased sustainability moving forward, the earth, as we know it today, could be severely altered in eras to come. With this reality in mind, it is important now to consider whether or not our environment can be sustainable in light of an increased population, and what needs to be to protect future evolutionary eras of mankind who will follow us. That is the focus of this paper. In ecological terms, sustainability refers to the unique nature that the earth’s environment has to remain diverse and productive over time (Yazdi and Shakouri 468). It is this diversity that has, to this point, allowed civilizations to flourish since the beginning of time, having access to sustainable resources that have enabled continued growth. Biologist’s wonder, however, if this ecological phenomenon that allows the biosphere to continue in its productive state can continue indefinitely in the face of continued growth and abuse. Wetlands and forests that represent the best of what a sustainable biological system entails have long dominated the earth, during the modern era. Many people believe that the wetlands continue to be healthy and productive, while forests provide much needed stability to the environment. Time will tell, of course, if these thoughts are correct, or whether we are truly destroying the sustainability of our planet. Throughout history, humans have talked about showing a respect for nature that has transcended time, yet this does not always eq uate into action. With continued population growth, however, this respect and admiration for the forests, wetlands, and other aspects of our sustainable environment has gradually decreased over time. Sustainability is vitally important to humans, however, in order to contribute to the long-term well being and ability to thrive in the midst of global change. Factors that impact this ability to sustain the productiveness of the earth for the long term include certain ecological, political, and cultural components. In essence, the needs of humans to grow and prosper on this earth must be balance with certain environmental values that cannot be compromised. Humans cannot fight the ecology of the world in the long-run and expect to win. The need for social equality and economic expansion must be balanced with the need to create a sustainable environment that will continue to support human expansion. It has long been known that a healthy ecosystem is necessary to not only the continued su rvival of living organism (humans included), but also to their ability to flourish as well (Omer 2268). In order to accomplish this feat, methods must be established in an effort to reduce any negative impact that humans have on the environment around them. In order for the earth to remain sustainable and stable, humans must allow it to

Interview people about the economy Essay Example for Free

Interview people about the economy Essay The people of the Orange County are an optimistic bunch. Yet, one can see this optimism slowly fading away into the darkness. For a country which is so close to perhaps world’s biggest entertainment hub, this is not a pretty picture. It would be wrong to blame the people. Little has gone right for the county since the economic recession of 2008, the effects of which are still quite visible. For a county which was already suffering from one of the more serious unemployment problems than compared to the average figures of the United States of America, the recession of 2008 has spelt doom, and its repercussions can still be felt. Take the case of the 34-year old Mr. Matthews who had a small shop selling electronic goods. However, with most people who gave him patronage, out of jobs or saving up for the bleak future, there are no takers for his once steadily selling shop of television sets and radios. His only hope is a government bailout, so that his customers have more money in their hands, or in other words greater purchasing power so as to indirectly get him out of this mess. Mr. Matthews situation is in complete contrast with Mrs. Mosby who is a secretary with the local government authority. She has been affected very little by the 2008 economic recession but maintains that she is concerned about a lot of her friends, whose businesses have shut or who have been shown the door in their jobs. The only consequence of this recession on her is that while her pay has not increased, prices of many commodities of even general use have gone by which makes it difficult for her to make the ends of her household meet. She is for the moment thankful that she has a government job, but strongly advocates that it is the state’s responsibility to find her fellow citizens a job which at the very least promises them adequate means of survival. Recession and the deteriorating economic situation is a concern not only to those who are currently affected by it, but also those who may be affected by it in the future. Take the case of 24-year old Mike, who is a final year student at the local university. He agrees that the heat in the air can be felt by all, and even though his university manages to put together a small career fair every year, it seems a difficult proposition this year. Although in the top half of his class, Mike admits that getting a job which helps him repay his educational loans he took for college, at least currently, seems to be a daunting task. He is hopeful that by the time he graduates, the situation would improve. He doesn’t make a case for out and out state intervention, but hopes that the state would help big economic powerhouses by giving them incentives and subsidies. Things have turned sour for those who are self-employed as well. Take the instance of a lawyer who has his own practice, Miss Timberlake. Litigation has become suddenly too expensive, and people seem to prefer to hold up matters for now. Even matters of home foreclosure have got delayed for now. People are looking at otherwise normal litigation procedures as a luxury service, which they are unable to afford at the moment, and are not as big a priority as say medical and health expenditure. Health insurance companies are facing the heat as no other according to Jeff, who works at one of the biggest insurance companies. The health and medical costs have spiraled over the last few years. The fact that people have very little disposal income, and are defaulting on their regular premium payments is making the matters worse for the insurance companies. Their being no solution in sight, people are turning to each other and urging them to perform acts of gratitude. For instance, appeals are being made to doctors and other hospital staff to give up a day’s pay. People are becoming much more cautious and conservative in spending their money. For instance, the younger siblings are getting their older siblings clothes. The insurance companies don’t have enough cash flowing in so as to be able to cope up with the increasing medical costs. This spells a disaster not just for one or two companies, but for two industries which are vital to the US economy – health and insurance. Whether there is a way out of this mess is the million dollar question facing everyone right now. The companies in both sectors, however, are optimistic and hope to see things improving with the Obama administration. Obama’s success in being able to pass the health insurance bill is being seen as a huge positive and people seem to be oddly comforted by his words of promise. Job creation is what people are currently looking forward to. Perhaps, the only sections of the society who have nothing to lose right now are the school going children. However, it is amazing how the economic crisis has made way into their everyday conversations as well. David who is only 14 is angry at the whole situation. He maintains that the whole crisis is the fault of the government, which allowed risky investments to be made. He is also unhappy about the liberal policies which have allowed a bulk of the work to be outsourced to other destinations where labour is much cheaper. Stricter laws are needed, he argues emphatically. Those who are retired have been hit badly as well. Their pension schemes and other insurance amounts are simply not enough for them to be able to make their ends meet. Home foreclosures are likely and in the offing, and this has most of them worried. Take the case of Mr. Andrews, who is 66 years old and survives on a small pension scheme. Recently the prices of even basic consumables have risen so sharply risen that he is finding it difficult to make the ends meet. His old age means that it is much more difficult for him to find a job as compared to other freshers just out of college. He is worried that if the State fails to take some concrete steps soon, many Americans could be tinkering on the verge of starving poverty. Take the case of Mr. Murdoch who is a stock market analyst and broker. In the economic recession of 2008, he lost close to $100,000. He says that he is devastated and doesn’t know if there is any hope remaining for his business, and whether he will be able to revive it in the near future. He is currently torn between the idea of continuing his business, or taking up a small job somewhere. However, he himself laughs at the irony of it all, given that it would be near impossible to find a job anywhere. He also feels responsible to many of his clients, who he was acting for, and have lost a considerable amount of money in the stock market. At the same time, however, he is quick to point out that investment in the market is subject to market risks, and therefore, one is understood to have assumed the same.

Effect of Ph and Glucose on Plant Growth

Effect of Ph and Glucose on Plant Growth Abstract: An experiment was designed and conducted to investigate the population growth of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae under various environment conditions such as temperature, pH levels and glucose concentration. The research questions were then arrived as: What is the effect of differing temperatures on Saccharomyces cerevisiae population growth? What is the effect of differing pH levels on Saccharomyces cerevisiae population growth? What is the effect of differing glucose concentrations on Saccharomyces cerevisiae population growth? The different temperatures were chosen based on kinetics and each temperature differing from the other by at least 10oC, so a notable change in the yeast population to be observed. Two of the temperatures chosen were below the optimum temperature and two above and one in the optimum temperature. Based on the optimum pH levels for the growth of the yeast, certain buffers with two pH values above and two below of the optimum pH and one in the optimum pH were prepared and stored. The glucose concentration that was used in cultures which tested for the effect of temperature and pH was chosen in such a way that would enable the yeast population to grow without limitation as far as glucose is concerned. One of the options for testing the effect of glucose over the yeast growth was the absence of glucose from the culture. The other options were to halve the optimum glucose concentration and the last was higher of the optimum value. When testing the different temperatures, the results showed that there was little growth in relative low and high temperatures and very high growth in the optimum temperature (the population almost quadrupled). In the different pH levels the yeast growth was little in low and high pH levels but was increased as pH was reaching the optimum pH. In the case of different glucose concentrations, the results showed that with no glucose in the culture was a small growth; in the glucose concentration of halve of the optimum value there was growth but again less than the optimum; in the glucose concentration above optimum there was very high growth as there was in the optimum value. Chapter 1: Introduction Research Questions: What is the effect of differing temperatures on Saccharomyces cerevisiae population growth? What is the effect of differing pH levels on Saccharomyces cerevisiae population growth? What is the effect of differing glucose concentrations on Saccharomyces cerevisiae population growth? The yeast: Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a single celled fungus that reproduces asexually by budding or division. It is one of the most well studied eukaryotic model organisms in both molecular and cell biology. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is maybe the most important and used fungus in the history of the world even from ancient times because of its use in the brewing of beer and in rising of dough in bread. That is the reason why is called brewers yeast and bakers yeast, due to the use of different strains of Saccharomyces for the alcoholic and sugar fermentation. S. cerevisiae is a very good type of yeast for biological studies owing to the rapid growth (doubling time 1.5-2 hours at 30  °C), the dispersed cells and the ease of replica planting. Moreover is a non-pathogenic organism, so can be handled fearlessly with only little precautions. Also large amounts of commercial bakers yeast are available with result being an easy and cheap source for biochemical studies. S. cerevisiae has round to ovoid cells between 3-8ÃŽÂ ¼m in diameter Respiration: In biology, respiration is defined as: the process by which the energy in food molecules is made available for an organism to do biological work (Kent, 2000; p.100). It is also called Cellular respiration. This process of cellular respiration happens in every living cell as it is the only way to obtain energy in a form that will be usable for the cell, so it can carry out the functions of movement, growth and reproduction (ibid). The food in yeasts must be obtained as they cannot produce it on their own. For yeasts, a very good source of energy is sugars. All strains of S. cerevisiae can metabolize glucose (a hexose sugar), maltose and trehalose. Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP): Adenosine Triphospate known also as ATP is the form of chemical energy that cells use to carry out biological activities. Without ATP an organism cant survive. During cell respiration the energy that is found in food molecules is transformed to ATP (Kent, 2000; p.100). Types of Respiration: There are two main types of respiration that take place within a cell: Anaerobic respiration (without oxygen) and Aerobic respiration (with oxygen). S. cerevisiae can metabolize sugars in both ways, but in this research the cultures of yeast were exposed to air hence to oxygen, so aerobic respiration was mainly the way that yeast cells grew and reproduced. Aerobic Respiration: Aerobic respiration is a complex process which involves different steps of reactions and its purpose is to metabolize food molecules. As these reactions take place and food is broken down, energy is released which is then used to synthesize ATP from ADP (Adenosine diphosphate) and inorganic phosphate (Kent, 2000; p.101). These reactions are carried out by special enzymes. There are the three major metabolic stages in aerobic respiration: glycolysis (which is also part of anaerobic respiration), Krebs cycle, electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation. Krebs cycle: The central phase of the aerobic respiration and occurs in the mitochondrial matrix. It involves the production of acetylcoenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) (Kent, 2000; p.104). Electron Transport Chain: It involves the highest production of ATP during respiration, meaning the 90% of ATP is produced in this stage. This metabolic stage occurs in the inner mitochondrial membrane (Greenwood. et al. 2007; p.127). Glycolysis: Cell respiration has to do with the production of ATP by the oxidation of sugars, fats or other substrates. In this research as substrate was used glucose. When glucose is the substrate, the first metabolic pathway of cell respiration is glycolysis, which is carried out by enzymes in the cytoplasm of the cell. A small amount of ATP is produced in this pathway by the oxidation of glucose. Glycolysis consists part of aerobic and anaerobic respiration because no oxygen is used (Allot, 2007; p.73). Enzymes: Thousands of chemical reactions are carried out within a cell. These reactions most of the times occur in a very slow rate. For that reason living organisms make biological catalysts which are called enzymes and speed up these reactions. Enzymes are globular proteins which act as catalysts of chemical reactions (Allot, 2007; p.18). An enzyme can increase to more than a billion of times the rate of a chemical reaction. Also cells can control which reaction occurs in their cytoplasm by making some enzymes and not others. Enzymes achieve to increase the rate of a reaction by decreasing the activation energy (the minimum amount of energy required for a reaction to occur) (Green. Et al. 2008; p.167)of the substrate or the substrates, when binding to the activation site (is the part of the enzymes surface into which the substrate is bound and undergoes reaction) (Greenwood. et al. 2007; p.114) Enzymes are sensitive molecules with very specific structure which enables them to carry out specific reactions. This structure including the active site can be damaged by various conditions and substrates. This damage is called denaturation and is usually permanent for an enzyme and if denaturation is occurred the enzyme can no longer carry out its function. As a result when enzymes are required to catalyze a reaction, is necessary that they have appropriate conditions. It should be remembered that different enzymes have different ideal conditions. The factors that affect the enzyme activity are: the temperature, the pH, the substrate concentration. In a specific point for each of the previous factors, enzymes work in the most effective way, known as optimum conditions. The effect of temperature, pH and substrate concentration upon the enzyme activity which affects the growth of S. cerevisiae yeast cells are studied in this research. Effect of Temperature: As the temperature is increased in an enzyme-catalysed reaction, the rate of reaction is increased up to maximum in a specific temperature. This is called optimum temperature. The optimum temperature of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is 30o- 32oC. In temperatures below of the optimum, when increasing the temperature there is an increase in the kinetic energy of the reactants and there are more frequent collisions between the active site and the substrates, so the activity of the enzymes is increased. The rate still rises as the temperature increases; till it reaches the highest rate where is the optimum temperature hence the highest enzyme activity. Above this temperature the rate starts to drop rapidly. This is due to the high energy that causes vibration inside the enzyme with result the bonds which maintain the structure of enzyme to break. This causes denaturation and the active site can no longer fit the substrate. Overall, at very low temperatures the enzyme activity hence the rate is low due to the low kinetic energy of the substrate but there is no denaturation, at the optimum temperature the rate is the highest and levels off because the increase in kinetic energy of substrate is cancelled out by the denaturation of the enzyme and at high temperatures enzymes are denaturated and the rate falls dramatically because denaturation exceeds the high kinetic energy of the substrates. These are summarized in the following graph. Effect of pH (hydrogen ion concentration): Most of the enzymes operate effectively in a small range of pH values. Between these pH values there is an optimum pH value in which the enzyme activity is the highest. The optimum pH of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is 5.5. Acids and alkalis cause denaturation of the structure of the enzyme by breaking mainly hydrogen and ionic bonds with result the substrate cant fit the active site. Furthermore the charges of the amino acids within the active site are affected by pH changes, so the enzyme is not able to form an enzyme-substrate complex. Above and below the optimum pH the enzymatic activity hence the rate is reduced considerably. Effect of Substrate concentration: In an enzyme-catalysed reaction the rate increases in direct proportion to the substrate concentration. The optimum glucose concentration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is 2%. At low substrate concentrations, the rate of enzymatic activity increases sharply as the substrate increases. This occurs due to the more frequent collisions between the substrate molecules and the unoccupied active sites. On the other hand, at high substrate concentrations the biggest part of the active sites have been occupied with result when increasing the substrate concentration there is little effect on the rate of enzymatic activity. Chapter 2: Methodology Objectives of the study: To determine how the different temperatures affect the growth of population of S. cerevisiae. To determine how the different pH values affect the population growth of S. cerevisiae. To determine how the different glucose concentrations affect the population growth of S. cerevisiae. Hypothesis: Hypothesis 1: The population of S. cerevisiae will grow the most at the optimum temperature, meaning between 28oC to 32oC, and also the population growth at temperatures below the optimum will be higher than the population growth at temperatures above the optimum. Hypothesis 2: In the optimum pH, meaning at low acidic conditions of pH 5.5 to pH 6, there will be the highest S. Cerevisiae yeast cell population growth. At pH levels above and below the optimum pH there will be less growth but this growth level will be relatively of the same degree for the values of pH above and below. Hypothesis 3: In the optimum glucose concentration, meaning about 2% glucose, will occur the highest yeast growth. In the glucose concentration below of the optimum there will be much lower growth, whereas in the absence of glucose there will be almost none yeast growth. Variables: When testing the effect of differing temperatures on S. cerevisiae population growth: Independent variable: Temperature (5o C, 15oC, 30oC, 50oC, 60oC). Dependent variable: Number of S. cerevisiae cells. Controlled variables: 7mL buffer of pH 6 in every test tube, glucose concentration 2mL (2% glucose solution) in every test tube and 1mL yeast (0.02% yeast solution) in every test tube. When testing the effect of differing pH levels: Independent variable: pH (3, 4, 6, 8). Dependent variable: Number of S. cerevisiae cells. Controlled variables: Temperature (30oC), glucose concentration 2mL (2% glucose solution) in every test tube, 7mL buffer in every test tube, 1mL yeast (0.02% yeast solution). When testing the effect of differing glucose concentrations on S. cerevisiae population growth: Independent variable: Glucose concentration (0mL, 1mL, 2mL, 3mL of 2% glucose solution each). Dependent variable: The number of S. cerevisiae cells. Controlled variables: Temperature (30oC), 9mL buffer of pH 6 at 0mL glucose, 8mL buffer of pH 6 at 1mL glucose, 7mL buffer of pH 5.5 at 2mL glucose, 6mL buffer of pH 6 at 3mL glucose, 1mL yeast (0.02% yeast solution) in every test tube. Materials/ Apparatus: Test tubes Burette Micropipettes Pipettes Pipette-fillers Graduated cylinder of 10mL, 250mL and 1000mL Volumetric Flasks of 250mL and 1000mL Funnels Spatula Weight boats Beakers Plastic wash bottles Plastic bottles Cover slip Haemocytometer Microscope Digital multi-log Balance Waterbath Magnetic stirrer Thermometer Ethanol 70% 0.1M Citric acid 0.2M Sodium hydrogen phosphate Distilled water Yeast: Saccharomyces cerevisiae Source of yeast: YIOTIS S.A, INDUSTRY OF NUTRITIONAL PRODUCTS, ATHENS, GREECE. Procedure: Day 1: The first step before the start of the aerobic fermentation of yeast was to prepare the buffers. For the preparation of buffers of different pH, citric acid (3-carboxy-3-hydroxypentanedioic acid) and sodium hydrogen phosphate (Na2HPO4) were used. Four plastic bottles, labeled each with one pH value (3, 4, 6, 8 respectively), were required. 100mL of each of the buffers were prepared. The stock solutions of citric acid and Na2HPO4 firstly prepared. For the preparation of stock solution of citric acid of concentration 0.1M and volume 1L, 19.2g of citric acid and 1L distilled water required. For the preparation of stock solution of Na2HPO4 of concentration 0.2M and volume 1L, 28.4g Na2HPO4 and 1L distilled water required. A balance and a weigh boat required for the measuring of masses. The solutions were added and stored in two volumetric flasks of 1L respectively, which measured the volume of distilled water. Citric acid and Na2HPO4 were added into the flasks with the aid of funnels. The volumes were measured and put into four different plastic bottles by using two burettes of 50mL. The validity of each pH value checked by using a digital multi-log. The next step was to prepare the glucose solution. For the preparation of glucose one volumetric flask of 500mL used to measure the volume of distilled water and to store the glucose solution. 10g of glucose were weighed by using a balance, a weigh boat and a spatula. Half of a 100mL beaker filled with distilled water was used to dissolve the 10g of glucose. A magnetic stirrer used for better dissolution. After glucose was complete dissolved, was added to the 500mL flask using a funnel. The rest of the flask was filled up to 500mL with distilled water. Then, the yeast solution prepared for the purpose of the experiments of that day. Every day a new yeast solution was prepared. For the yeast solution 0.10g of dry yeast were weighted from sachet with a spatula and placed on the weight boat. The yeast was added to a 1000mL volumetric flask filled with 500mL distilled water with the aid of a funnel in order to avoid staking of dry yeast in the cylindrical walls of the flask. Afterwards the solution was swirled by smooth shaking. After everything was ready the experiments for the studying of the effect of differing temperatures on S. cerevisiae growth initiated. Three water baths were prepared and each one adjusted in three different temperatures 30oC, 50oC and 60oC. Each temperature was tested by using a thermometer and a digital multi-log sensor. Two refrigerators were used for the low temperatures and adjusted at 5oC and 15oC. After all temperatures have been reached, the preparation of cultures started. Five test tubes labelled with one temperature each. The cultures were prepared with half an hour difference in order to test the stability of the temperature and to take a sample from each test tube and count the initial population. A pipette of 25mL used to introduce the glucose to the test tube. A 10mL graduated cylinder used to measure the volume of the buffer and then was introduced into the test tube also. Then with another 25mL pipette, 1mL yeast was taken and placed also into the test tube. The yeas t solution was shaken before taking the sample as yeast cells tend to sink to the bottom of the flask due to their weight. Afterwards by using a micropipette, a sample was taken from the culture inside the test tube and placed on haemocytometer and then to the microscope to count the initial population (the cells found in the borders of the chambers were counted). The haemocytometer is a specialised microscopical apparatus used to count cells and other organelles. A haemocytometer consists of two counting chambers. Each chamber consists of an arrangement of squares of different sizes which are used to count easily the cells. These squares of different size form different grid layouts. In the centre of each chamber it is found a grid of squares of 0.2mm 0.2mm 0.1mm dimensions. There is another grid of squares of dimensions 0.25mm 0.25mm 0.1mm, in each of the four corners around the central grid. The grids of squares of 0.25mm 0.25mm 0.1mm dimensions were used for the counting of the yeast cells. A cover slip is placed above the chambers, so the samples are spread equally due to capillary action on the counting area. The test tube was then placed for 24hours in the temperature corresponding to what was labeled. This procedure was the same for the rest four test tubes. In the end of the day the glucose solution 2% was placed in the refrigerator, the 1000mL flask with the yeast solution, the haemocytometer, the cover glass and all the other apparatus was cleaned with ethanol 70% and washed with distilled water and left to dry. The use of 70% ethanol for the cleaning of haemocytometer doesnt have any negative effect on the yeast cells that were place on it to be counted. This happened in the end of every day. Day 2: The next day each test tube was removed with half an hour difference in the order that they were left for fermentation. Then a sample was taken with the use of a micropipette and placed on haemocytometer and again to microscope to count the yeast cells. After finishing with temperature testing the next thing was to study the effect of pH levels on S. cerevisiae population growth. A yeast solution was prepared the same way as Day 1. The glucose solution was removed from the refrigerator. Clean test tubes taken and labeled with different pH values 3, 4, 6, 8. A water bath adjusted at 30oC. Again, every culture was prepared the same way as Day 1 and placed in a test tube with half an hour difference. All test tubes with different pH levels were placed in the same water bath for 24hours. Before each test tube was placed in water bath, a sample was taken to count the initial population of each. Day 3: The cultures were removed in the order that were left to ferment and samples were taken to count the yeast population from each one. Between each measurement the haemocytometer was cleaned as was mentioned in Day 1. Finally, the effect of glucose concentration on yeast population growth was left. New yeast solution was prepared. The water was adjusted at 30oC. In clean test tubes the new cultures were prepared to test the glucose concentrations. The test tubes were labelled each with one concentration value. Samples were taken from each to count the initial population. The cultures were placed in water bath to ferment. Day 4: The cultures were removed from water bath and samples taken to count the yeast population. Weaknesses and Improvements: Weakness Improvement In the populations of yeasts cells that were counted in the microscope, there were both alive and dead cells  or denaturated cells. A dye such as methylene blue could be used to determine in each counting the live and the dead or inactive cells. The cells which would remain colorless would indicate enzyme activity and the dead or denaturated cells would be turned into blue. Methylene blue should be used only after the fermentation has finished because it inhibits the yeast cells by consuming the hydrogen ions that are produced during respiration. The test tubes, where the yeast cultures were left for fermentation, were slightly closed on the top with cotton in order to prevent the entrance of other microorganisms. This cotton plug prevented the easy flow of fresh air (containing oxygen) inside the test tube. This limited the availability of oxygen supply that the yeasts required in order to grow aerobically. The test tubes can be placed to ferment aerobically in a closed container such as BioFlo 3000. This kind of bio processing systems provide a wide range of options that enables the researcher to adjust a standard air flow which includes different options of certain proportions oxygen ggand air which can respond to oxygen-demanding yeasts or any other microorganism. There was absence of some basic element sources in every yeast culture that are necessary for better fermentation conditions such nitrogen and phosphorus sources. Lack of such sources lead to relatively low cell growth comparing to the growth that could be achieved without the absence of such elements. Bacto-peptone can be used as an organic nitrogen source. Yeast extract makes available many bio nutrients required for the fermentation of yeast cells. It also provides essential water soluble vitamins, amino acids, peptides and carbohydrates. Chapter 3: Data Collection and Processing Calculation of cell concentration In order to calculate the cell concentration for each factor, the comperative mean values, which are displayed above, were used. These mean values were applied to the following formula which enables to convert counted cells into cell concentration: In the above formula, C is the viable cells/mL, N is the counted cells, D is the dilution factor and 103 is the haemocytometer correction factor. An example with the application of the formula of cell concentration for the factor of temperature at 5oC and after 24 hours of fermentation is shown below: In the case of 24 hours of fermentation at temperature at 5oC, the viable counted cells, N=34.25, the dilution factor, D=1. In all experiments, when testing the different factors, the dilution factor is always one (D=1). Representation of calculated data of cell concentrations Tables of cell conentration (cells/mL) for the differing temperature values: Table with the initial population: Temperatures()  ±0.5 Cells/mL (Chamber 1, Chamber 2) (counted cells) Standard Deviation Table with the 24 hours fermented population: Temperatures()  ±0.5 Cells/mL (Chamber 1, Chamber 2) (counted cells) Standard Deviation Tables of cell conentration (cells/mL) for the differing pH levels: Table with the initial population: pH Cells/mL (Chamber 1, Chamber 2) (counted cells) Standard Deviation Table with the 24 hours fermented population: pH Cells/mL (Chamber 1, Chamber 2) (counted cells) Standard Deviation Tables of cell conentration (cells/mL) for the differing glucose concentrations: Table with the initial population: Glucose 2% concentrations (mL) Cells/mL (Chamber 1, Chamber 2) (counted cells) Standard Deviation Table with the 24 hours fermented population: Glucose 2% concentrations (mL) Cells/mL (Chamber 1, Chamber 2) (counted cells) Standard Deviation Chapter 4: Analysis and Interpretation 4.1 Graphs The data that is used for the sketching of the graphs is shown in chapter 3, in Data Processing, Representation of calculated data of cell concentrations. The respective table values were used for each of the factors. The software that was used for the sketching of the graphs is, Graph 4.3 (Ivan Johansen, 2007). effect of Temperature on S. cerevisiae population growth The effect of pH on S. cerevisiae population growth The effect of substrate Glucose concentration on S. cerevisiae population growth 4.2 Interpretation Testing Hypothesis 1: Comparing the different temperatures that the S. cerevisiae population left to grow, it can be seen based on both the cell concentration and the graph, that below 30oC the of the population grows rapidly as the temperature increases; the yeast population almost doubles when temperature increases from 5oC to 15oC and almost triples when temperature increases from 15oC to 30oC . Above 30oC the growth of the population is highly decreased; yeast population becomes almost 3.5 times less when temperature increases from 30oC to 50oC and when temperature increases from 50oC to 60oC the population decreases very slightly. As a result, the highest S. cerevisiae population growth is observed at 30oC. Consequently this should be the optimum temperature. Moreover, as temperature below the optimum point increases the population increases more from its initial value than it does at temperatures above the optimum point. Overall the hypothesis confirmed. Testing Hypothesis 2: Evaluating the yeast population growth at the different pH levels, it can be seen that the increase of population above and below the value of pH 6 is almost the same. The fact that at pH 6 it is observed the highest population growth implies that this is the optimum pH level. The lowest growth is observed at pH 3 and pH 8. In these specific pH levels the growth is slightly higher at pH 8 (population increases approximately 1.7 times) than it is at pH 3 (population increases approximately 1.3 times). The growth is higher in pH 8 as it is closer to the optimum pH. At pH 4 the increase in population is almost the same as it is at pH 8. Both pH 4 and pH 8 differ by 2 pH levels from the optimum level but the yeast population at pH 4 increases approximately 1.982 times where at pH 8 the population increases 1.7 times. This shows that S. cerevisiae operates better at acidic conditions. Overall the hypothesis is confirmed. Testing Hypothesis 3: Analysing the growth of S. cerevisiae at different glucose concentrations and for 24 hours of fermentation, the results obtained show that in the absence of glucose from the culture the yeast population didnt increase at all. The only increase that was observed from its initial population was 1.091.1 times, meaning that this 0.1 increase may have occurred due to the capacity of energy within the yeast cells. At 1% glucose concentration it was observed sufficient growth. The yeast population almost doubled from its initial value (increased approximately by 1.8 times). In higher glucose concentration the yeast cells population respond greater and as a result a higher population growth was observed. The initial population increased 3.9 times, meaning that almost quadrupled. In even higher glucose concentrations the population increased highly again but not enough so to be able to say that at 24 hours of fermentation S. cerevisiae requires more energy to reach the maximum replication cap acity. The population increased 3.954.00 times, almost the same of that of 2% concentration. Moreover, based on the graph plotted for glucose concentrations, it can be seen that after 2% glucose concentration the yeast population reaches plateau without any further increase. So the limiting growth glucose concentration is at 2%. Overall the hypothesis is confirmed.

Global food retail industry

Global food retail industry Exective Summary Global food retail industry has become tightly competitive in last few years. In dynamic operating environment, companies need to understand the competitive nature of the global food industry means to understand changing consumer preferences. They are making continuous efforts to meet these demands in order to secure their positions in the industry. Companies have the aim to build collaborative working relationships with stakeholders, the ultimate objective of building an efficient food distribution system. Wal-Mart is the world largest retailer in food retail industry. The company operates retail stores in various formats. It operates more than 6,000 stores in the United States and in 13 international markets. Food retail industry is a highly saturated market, new entrants would face difficulty to become successive in this industry. Stable relationships with suppliers are essential to Wal-Mart business. Wal-Mart is focusing on expanding its product line by including demanding products as well as environmentally friendly products. When analyzing the business of Wal-Mart, they actually utilize all three of the â€Å"hard Ss† of McKinseys 7S framework in their chase of their goals: Strategy, Systems, Structure. As a retail company, Wal-Mart offers a wide collection of products to the consumers. the grocery items can be placed as Wal-Marts star products. Appliance, kitchen tools, furniture, digital products, music files and software are the cash cows of the company. Pharmaceuticals, toys, electronics and health products are Wal-Mart question marks. The photo development, jewelry and shoe products distributed by the company are those that show low market share. Wal-Mart has the largest IT systems of any private company in the world. It has made significant investments in supply chain management. Wal-Mart Stores aims to capture the market penetration in food that it has achieved in hard and soft line goods. The product development team frequently attends trade shows in Europe and key fashion capitals and travels to places globally. Wal-Marts diversification strategy of the 1980s was a great success in terms of tapping and recognizing new market segments. Based from the analysis of the data by appling marketing and strategic models, it is appropriate to recommend that the product and service development strategy be applied by Wal-Mart, considering that these factors serve as the core factors affecting its growth and progress. Strategy Development in the Global Food Retail Supermarket Industry Globalization of retail is not an emerging or totally new strategy, but a current focus for many retailers. Established retailers have recognized that natural growth becoming more difficult to sustain in domistic markets, expansion into new markets is a necessary step towards securing future profitability. To understand the competitive nature of the global food industry means to understand changing consumer preferences and the food industry efforts to meet these demands. The task of moving food items from the seller to buyer is becoming increasingly complex, involving diverse local, national, and global issues. The food retail industry consists of the total revenues generated through supermarkets, hypermarkets, cooperatives, discounters, convenience stores, independent grocers, bakers, and all other retailers of food and drink. Supply chain management (SCM) is the management of materials, information, technology and funds from the raw material supplier to the consumer. It has become highly critical. It is now essential to a company revenue generating activities as it relates to growth, efficiency and customer satisfaction. SCM is critical to a company financial success in terms of revenue, cost and asset productivity. It has the aim to build collaborative working relationships between distributors, retailers, manufacturers, sales and marketing agents with the ultimate objective of building an efficient food distribution system.The most important goal of global food retailers and wholesalers is to ensure that the products they sell are safe. They act as the purchasing agent for the consumer and the final link in the supply chain. The supermarket food industry continually seeks ways to make the nation food supply safer. Question One: ‘Globalization in the food retail industry Selected Company: Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Stores (Wal-Mart) is the world largest retailer. The company operates retail stores in various formats. It operates more than 6,000 stores in the US and 13 international markets including the UK, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and China. The company retails a broad range of merchandise and services at low prices. Wal-Mart operates its business under three business segments: Wal-Mart Stores, Sams Club, and the international segment. The company has more than 2,000 retail stores in other countries. The operating formats vary from country to country. Strategic Alliances, Merger and Acquisition (MA) activity (WAL-MART IN INDIA) Wal-Mart began looking into doing business in India back in 2005. At that time Indian government was considering opening up foreign direct investment (FDI) to retailers. In November 2006, Wal-Mart beat out Tesco for a joint venture op ­portunity with Indian mobile services leader, Bharti. The reason was because Wal-Mart was more flexible about the retail model to be ad ­opted. The company priority seemed to be an early entry, so that the worlds largest retailer did not miss out on the Indian consumer boom. As per the agreement between the two corporate giants, Bharti would manage the front-end of the business, while Wal-Mart would take care of the supply chain, logistics and other back-end op ­erations. India is a ready and appealing market for Wal-Mart with its growing middle class of 250 million and an economic growth rate of nearly 9%. Although the FDI laws of the country are relatively stringent, government officials are not opposed to engaging foreign businesses in the Indian market. Since the announcement of the Wal-Mart/Bharti JV, one leading organization has emerged to represent the in ­terests of the small mom-and-pop stores. This is India FDI Watch and in addition to educating the owners about Wal-Mart, they have held large rallies and demonstrations against Bharti, Wal-Mart, and other big-box retailers. The mom-and-pops have an advantage as they are conveniently located on street corners or in the heart of cities and usually have personal relationships with most consumers. However, they do not carry the variety of goods that larger retailers do. Threat of New Entrants and Substitutes Being that the food retail industry is a highly saturated market, new entrants would face difficulty succeeding in this industry. In fact, it is highly difficult for discount retailers to penetrate other markets as Wal-Mart tried to enter Germany and South Korea. The company was unsuccessful and had to pull out because of its unprofitability. Retailers are subject to these obstacles: Economies of Scale Cost of Capital Distribution Channels Substitute products are products that can be used as replacements for other products to satisfy the same necessity of consumers. Wal-Mart benefits from this idea as discounters have lower prices than department stores and consumers go for higher quality product with the lowest prices. Wal-Mart is working on providing the best customer service possible but as a high-traffic store, it is generally impossible to provide one on one service. Bargaining Power of Suppliers and Buyers Stable relationships with suppliers are essential to Wal-Mart business. Without timely inventory deliveries, Wal-Mart could not maintain its full shelves and would lose customers. For this reason, the company engages in contractual agreements with its suppliers. This arrangement is beneficial for both parties, as the supplier makes sure it will have constant access to retailers with large market share. This way, suppliers have a guaranteed buyer for the supplies and can arrange specific prices. Consumers today are searching for the best deals possible. They are waiting for discounts and sales to bulk up on products. Discount retailers like Wal-Mart are creating huge supercenter stores because they want their stores to become a one-stop trip. Customers know what they want and how far they are willing to search for the item. Retailers must maintain high inventory levels to retain customers and their market share. Customers traveling a couple of miles to a store want to find the products they need in stock. Question Two: Global food retail market dynamics The ongoing changes and innovations in global food markets, as well as the trends in different sectors of the food industry, make up a complex dilemma with consumers, producers, and global retailing and manufacturing firms. A growing trend in food markets is the shift in growth of food sales from high-income (developed) countries to lower income (developing) countries. Despite the shift, per capita commercial sales show wide regional disparities worldwide, though growth in food sales in the developing countries is expected to continue. In anticipation of this growing market, food firms appear to be repositioning themselves and investing in many developing countries. Measures of competitiveness vary at the firm, industry and country level. Competitiveness is influenced by such forces as technological innovations, public institutions, infrastructure support, firm organizational structure, and government policies. Small food manufacturers face macroeconomic constraints similar to those of large firms, such as exchange rate fluctuations and market access barriers in foreign markets. Retail sector issues centered on the impact of globalization on food retailing in emerging economies, and the impact of changing consumer preferences on food retailing. Although a country may import little food, the impacts of globalization impacts are reflected in its food retail sector. Wal-Mart Profitability Secure Strategies A prominent trend in the retail industry is consumers buying less and less. Until about few years ago, consumers depended on credit cards. They did not hesitate to add to their already large debts but now consumers are trying to pay down debts instead. Wal-Mart discount stores, supercenters and wholesaler clubs have maintained their price leadership strategy known as â€Å"Save money live better.† This strategy was implemented in year 2008 and is aimed at families with children and middle income consumers trying to save. Wal-Mart is focusing on expanding its product line by including wellness products as well as environmentally friendly products. With the high energy prices facing consumers and the ideas of eating healthier and natural food, Wal-Mart has stocked products that would appeal to these consumers while maintaining its competitive prices. The company maintains a flexible management style where it is willing to satisfy changing demands. To meet demand, the company must encourage managers to monitor high demand products and drop unpopular product lines that may be a waste of inventory space. Another trend is discounter development of private labels. To compete with national brands, supermarkets and retailers have developed their own brands with the cooperation of manufacturers. These products are to be distributed and sold only in the retailers stores. Net Profit Margin measures how much out of every dollar of sales a company actually keeps in earnings. A company with high net profit margin indicates that it has better control over its costs. In this category, Wal-Mart outperforms Costco, BJs and industry, but lags behind Target. This table shows that how much Wal-Mart has been successful to invest into food retail facilities in order to secure its future profitability in terms of earnings. Question Three: McKinseys 7S framework for identifying core competencies and capabilities, discuss the ability of â€Å"Wal-Mart† When analyzing the business of Wal-Mart, they actually employ all three of the â€Å"hard Ss† in their pursuit of their goals: Strategy Systems Structure Their strength in all three of these Ss is probably a big reason why they have been so successful. Strategy Wal-Marts overall strategy is to always provide the lowest prices. Additionally, they aim to have a store which provides convenience by allowing consumers to find everything they need under one roof.This strategy of convenience with low prices has driven Wal-Mart to be the business leader that it is. Additionally, they plan to continue to expand into markets not yet penetrated by major chains, and some markets that are already saturated, such as New England and California.The other two hard Ss, systems and structure, support this strategy. Also, low prices everyday has become the style and shared values of Wal-Mart. Even the staff is completely committed to providing the lowest possible prices. The skills of workers are also geared to finding inefficiencies and towards decreasing prices. The low cost strategy has driven Wal-Mart to do things such as call suppliers collect, do away with manufacturer representatives at sales meetings, do away with regional offices, etc. Systems Wal-Mart has in place a set of systems that helps it achieve its strategy of low prices everyday. The largest and most profitable of these systems is the Information Technology system. Wal-Mart has employed computers, networking, and the internet to reduce inventories and waste, and speed deliveries. Wal-Mart can connect to their suppliers and transmit them data so they know what Wal-Mart needs and when.The lower inventories allow Wal-Mart to produce inventory turnover rates of around 70% which is really high. Additionally, Wal-Mart has worked with suppliers in order to improve their efficiencies in production which they then pass to Wal-Mart and then to the consumer. Because of Wal-Mart strategy, these reduced costs due to systems allow Wal-Mart to reduce consumers prices. Wal-Mart has streamlined the supply system so well that it would be very hard to find any inefficiency and would be hard for any competitor to beat. Additionally, Wal-Mart has a very efficient human resource syste m set-up that has both mostly kept employees happy, and resisted unionization. Wal-Mart is the largest private employer and has developed systems to tie raises and bonuses to performance. This encourages employees to think of the company and to always do their best. Structure Wal-Mart also employs a good structure that works with the systems to empower the low price strategy. Wal-Mart has planned warehouses and integrated them with systems. Additionally, they place their warehouses strategically so that one warehouse can serve many stores. They have developed time schedules so that one truck can service many stores and that after a delivery the truck can take back returned goods to the warehouse. The supercenter design itself is a structural advantage and strategy that Wal-Mart uses. This design allows consumers to come to a single Wal-Mart store to find everything they need from groceries to gifts to clothes to toys. Wal-Mart has designed an efficient management structure that allows it to eliminate the regional office. This structure alone has saved Wal-Mart millions of dollars a year. When Wal-Mart places stores in strategic locations and drives traffic using convenience and then combines the sales with its systems and structure, people get a highly ef ficient corporation that can cut costs to a bare-minimum which are then passed along to the consumer. If Wal-Mart continues to dominate these three Ss, it will continue to dominate the retail market. Question Four: BCG product matrix model, identifying major products of Wal-Mart As a retail company, Wal-Mart offers a wide array of products to the consumers. These include groceries, toys, apparel for women, men and children, jewelry as well as other hard goods; all of these product lines are sold at reasonable and generally affordable prices. In order to analyze the operation and performance of the selected products of the company (Wal-Mart), the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix is used. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix is a tool developed to assess company business units. Specifically, the BCG Matrix is used to evaluate the business units level of market growth and share. The distribution done in this matrix was based on the 2008 revenue report of the company. Stars In above diagram, the grocery items function can be placed as Wal-Marts star product. The report stressed that this served as the top revenue generator of the company, contributing to 22% in the total sales. While this generates the most cash flow, it should also be considered that this product causes the most inventory cost to the company, considering that Wal-Mart has to derive its grocery supplies to multiple suppliers or companies. Cash cows On the other hand, the hard (appliance, kitchen tools, furniture) and soft goods (digital products, music files, software) are the cash cows of the company. Compared to the groceries, the supply chain for these products are less complex. The private-label goods are considered cash cows particularly in the international sector. This is because American brands do not exhibit the same impact or appeal to foreign buyers as with foreign consumers. As cash cows, it is essential that Wal-Mart uses these products to generate funds that would support its other business units particularly those categorized as stars and question marks. Question marks Pharmaceuticals, toys, electronics and health products are Wal-Mart question marks. As indicated in the revenue report, these products may generate sales but not enough to compensate the level of funds required to distribute them. Multiple suppliers and costly inventory make these products the question mark type. For this reason, it is practical that Wal-Mart consider limiting the inventory of these products to save on inventory expenses. Dogs Finally, the photo development, jewelry and shoe products distributed by the company are those that exhibit low market share as well as growth. Considering the number of alternatives available in the market with these products, it is indeed difficult for the company to keep these product lines. As certain retailers are focused on distributing these goods, they have more business flexibility than Wal-Mart, allowing them to overcome sales issues. Question Five: product life cycle and â€Å"Ansoff growth matrix† Product life cycle Wal-Mart is committed to improving operations, lowering costs and improving customer service. But the key to retailer Wal-Marts success is its ability to drive costs out of its supply chain and manage it efficiently. Many supply chain experts refer to Wal-Mart as a supply chain-driven company that also has retail stores. Wal-Marts company philosophy (‘The Wal-Mart Way) is to be at the leading edge of logistics, distribution, transportation, and technology. Wal-Mart has the largest IT systems of any private company in the world. The Wal-Mart business model would fail instantly without its advanced technology and supply chain. Wal-Mart has made significant investments in supply chain management. Ansoff growth matrix Ansoff matrix allows the marketers to look at different ways to grow the business through existing products and markets and new products and markets. Moreover, the matrix is composed of four various strategies: Market Penetration Wal-Mart Stores aims to capture the market penetration in food that it has achieved in hard and soft line goods. The retail giant, which posts more than a 10% market share in many nonfood categories, plans to rise up its food share through quick supercenter expansions. To achieve their market penetration goals, they believe in three guiding principles: Customer Value and Service Partnership with its associates Community involvement Product Development Wal-Mart product development group influenced the look, feel and variety of merchandise. The product development group headed by strong communicators worked with the buyer for the category and various suppliers to improve the consistency of qualities and sizes of merchandise. The product development team frequently attends trade shows in Europe and key fashion capitals and travels to places globally. The group findings are then regularly presented to merchants, marketers and package designers during the year. Major seasonal trend overview meetings are held for spring and fall with smaller meetings held for summer and holidays. Market Development Wal-Mart always seek to take advantage of on its international strategy, it is working in the direction of build ­ing new retail stores in other countries.They planned to educate activists around the world about Wal-Mart retail development strategies and the company impact on local retail culture. The three major tactics used by the company before to enter a country include: Build ­ing partnerships with local businesses and organizations Working with government officials Tapping into the growing middle class purchasing power Diversification Wal-Marts diversification strategy of the 1980s was a great success in terms of tapping and recognizing new market segments. Sams club was the most successful diversification of all at the decade by adopting wholesaling concept. The first Sams Club launched in April 1983. The company, on the other side, opened its first Wal-Mart Supercenter in 1988. It was essentially a complete Wal-Mart discount store with a supermarket added to it. Wal-Mart diversification into new retail formats during the 1980s did more than improve the firm growth in the fundamental areas of retail. Diversification also gave the company the chance to take risks and experiment. Evaluation the Usefulness of Marketing and Strategic Models Based from the analysis of the selected company, it is then appropriate to recommend that the product and service development strategy be applied by Wal-Mart, considering that these factors serve as the core factors affecting its growth and progress. With this type of strategy, Wal-Mart can increase its sales by means of modifying or enhancing its existing products and services. This strategy has been recommended as it has the ability to support the company potential to reach greater markets. Wal-Mart has multiple product lines that will be affected by this strategy. With the BCG matrix, it is appropriate that the company starts off the development with its prime product lines. Through this, the company will have sufficient funds to support other relevant activities in the future. However, by means of this strategy, Wal-Mart will be able to strengthen the market position of each of its product divisions, resulting to greater hold to these specific markets. The suggested strategy does not only fit the purpose of the company and support its future growth but has also been recommended based on the capability of the company to implement it. Wal-Mart has an efficient distribution system which in turn would support this strategy. The culture of the retail company also fits the requirements of this recommendation. Specifically, the company devotes ample time and resources to develop and maintain a skilled workforce. With productive managers and employees, the delivery of the developed goods of the company will be made possible. As a result, greater satisfaction from the customers will be obtained. Reference Sources Text Books Lynch, R. (2006) Corporate Strategy, Fourth Edition, Financial Times Prentice Hall. Mintzberg, H., Ahlstrand, B. and Lampel, J. (1998) Strategy Safari, Financial Times Prentice Hall Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2005) Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases, 7th Edition, Financial Times Prentice Hall. Online Sources http://www.walmart.com/ http://walmartstores.com/sites/AnnualReport/2008/docs/wal_mart_annual_report_2008.pdf www.economist.com www.metrofoods.net/ www.ft.com www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/GlobalFoodMarkets/Industry www.plunkettresearch.com/Industries/

Genetic Engineering the Church View Essay -- essays papers

Genetic Engineering the Church View A relatively recent issue, genetic engineering has nevertheless become an important enough internationally to cause public debates. The issue is complex, involving many parts and, of course numerous ethical concerns. Some of the parts enveloped by genetic engineering are cloning, modifications of genetic traits, and bioengineering of plants and certain animal to yield better crop and product. Much can be done using genetic engineering. Although we have a potential to harvest and already do see many advantages as a result of this, a deeper issue looms like a cloud on the horizon: are we prepared for the ramifications involved in this concept that has such high potential? At the center of the issue is the perspective of the Church. And it is through human dignity that religion and cloning are linked. Genetic engineering, and, specifically cloning is deeply an issue of dignity. For example, the Catholic Church addressed human cloning in 1987, stating that cloning is contrary to the moral law, since it is in opposition to the dignity "both of human procreation and of the conjugal union" (2). Thus, cloning is contrary to our moral and theological beliefs since the normal reproduction does not take course: life is created through neither marriage nor sexual intercourse. God's plan for us is finding a mate-someone we spend the rest of our life with, have children, pass on our knowledge and genetic material. God's plan is for us to have two biological parents-those whose genetic, physical, and mental information comes together to produce a new, different being. Cloning completely disrupts God's plan. A rather controversial issue, cloning, as most such issues, forces one to take a stand on either moral, ethical, religious, or other grounds. Once faced with such dilemna, various religious movements have had to take such stand, which are rather varied throughout the different faiths. The Catholic Church, for example, has denounced cloning and has specifically called to put a ban on human cloning. "God alone is the master of human life and of its integrity" states Pope John Paul II. "To respect the dignity of man, consequently, amounts to safeguarding this identity of the man "corpore et anima unus," states the Vatican Council II (3). The biological individuality of a person is untouchable, being made of bot... ...f effects. This, in our history, humanity has done many a time. The Church's role has been that of a prophet, warning us that just because we can do something, does not mean we should. References 1. Church of Scotland webpage. http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/srtscot//srtpage3.shtml 2. American Bioethics Advisory Commission. http://www.all.org/abac/clontx06.htm 3. Dangers of Genetic Manipulation. Address by Pope John Paul II to members of the World Medical Association. October 29, 1983. http://listserv.american.edu/catholic/church/papal/jp.ii/genmanip.asc 4. Sophie Boukhai. Religion, genetics and the embryo. UNESCO Courier, Sept 1999. 5. Armstrong, Bruce G. Scientific, Ethical and Biblical Considerations of Genetic Engineering. Central Highlands Christian Publications. 1999. 6. Epstein, Ron. Ethical and Spiritual Issues in Genetic Engineering. Ahimsa Voices: a Quarterly Journal for the Promotion of Universal Values. 5. Oct. 1998. 7. Church blocks GM trial. BBC News Online: UK. August 4, 1999. http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/english/uk/newsid_411000/411509.stm 8. Genetically Modified Organisms. http://www.cofe.anglican.org/view/gmos.rtf

Blackberry Picking Essay -- Poems Poetry Berries Essays

Blackberry Picking Blackberry picking is about greed, growing up, how we struggle in life and how pleasure can be taken away from us very quickly. Heaney writes retrospectively, about the times he as a child would go blackberry-picking every year, as a metaphor for these experiences. The first stanza of the poem is mostly quite positive and enthusiastic. The first part of the stanza describes the the ripening of the berries, â€Å"given heavy rain and sun for a full week, the blackberries would ripen†. He also gives us an image of the berries. Heaney uses the metaphor â€Å"a glossy purple clot† for the ripe berries, and the similie â€Å"hard as a knot† for the unripe berries. When you say â€Å"hard as a knot†, the sound is quite short, indicating that the berries are not yet ripe. It then continues to write about the frenzy of picking them - â€Å"lust for picking†. Heaney presents the tasting of the berries as a sensual process, and also uses words like â€Å"flesh†, and â€Å"thickened wine† to make the berries sound so desirable. Alsoâ€Å"lust†, to describe the childrens unrestrained desire and appetite for them. Heaney uses a lot of figurative language in this poem. Personification and a series of metaphors and similies are used: â€Å"flesh was sweet like thickened wine†, the berry is personified and there is use of a similie, the metaphor â€Å"summer’s blood†, referring to the hard work and nourishment that nature has put into it, and then suddenly it is taken away by the children. It is the peoples â€Å"hunger† and â€Å"lust†for the berries that sends them out to fill up their â€Å"milk-cans, pea-tins, jam-pots† until they are fully filled up with blackberries – â€Å"until the tinkling bottom has been covered†. Onomatopoeia is used - â€Å"tinkling... ...ow long and painful the process of picking the blackberries are, how they got their hands full of thorn pricks. Then after a short while, the berries start to rot, and the â€Å"sweet flesh† of the berries would turn sour. Heaney writes this poem to reveal that life is about disappointment, and that good things won’t last, while relating it back to a childhood event of his past. It is also about growing up, and ageing, as we get the contrast of the adults and childrens view in the last stanza. I found this poem very enjoyable and interesting to study, because when I was reading the poem, it almost felt like I could taste the blackberries. I like his use of figurative language, especially the way he described the berries. Another reason why I liked this poem is because I like the way Heaney uses past events of his life to express certain ideas about life.