Monday, September 30, 2019

Reality TV and Morality

Invention of television is a product of a spectacular brain who has a great influence on everybody’s life nowadays, some of them are mortal, some of them are like brain-washing and some are just a little just because of reality televisions. This reality television changes the concept of reality in people’s mind. Television first started as our eye for outer world which we don’t know about and for being informed which we can say a â€Å"tool† but now it is just our â€Å"aim† to be on television. So this is forming obsessed brains which causing death of morality as Rushdie says. First of all, main reason why people are joining these reality programmes is just the anxiety of being rich and famous which are the most two important notions in western society in these days (Rushdie, 2010, p. 63). Contestants are doing bizarre and disturbing just for obtaining wealth and fame, like a guy fried his hand at American Survivor (Rushdie, 2010, p. 63). This leads us Rushdie’s thesis â€Å"good to be bad† (Rushdie, 2010, p. 64) from which it is comprehensible that people acts like mindless zombies like the hand frying guy. Good to be bad† refers to a lot of other things too like being selfish just for winning prize and being double faced in the competition. So it forms a question in mind; do you really need to be talented to win these competitions? Absolutely no (Rushdie, 2010, p. 63). You just need to play the game with its â€Å"corrupted† rules. One of the biggest immoral issues is the first death on television (Rushdie, 2010, p. 64) which n egates the most basic natural right that we have. Moreover, it is need to define what morality is. It distinguishes good and bad. However, â€Å"good to be bad† ignores it completely. As it became a common ritual to watch television in home with the whole family, children will be affected heavily by these programmes and generation by generation the spirit of morality will change or collapse. However producers don’t care others much, they just need ratings, big articles in newspapers next day after the show just for their name to be written on those piece of papers. These producers are enough blind and shallow that they can’t see influence of these programmes on society, so we are being acted like a guinea pig. They are just damaging society’s mental stability and pushing them act immoral in their lives without consciousness with injecting these awkward behaviours by their programmes. So basically contestants and producers are becoming famous without doing anything else. This is just an unfair way of tricking people and paralyzing them in front of television and even it annihilates our understanding of morality. Furthermore, there is another point of view which is not able to not to take into consideration about those poor contestants. Poniewozik tells that: â€Å"Isn’t there something simply wrong with people who enjoy entertainment that depends on ordinary people getting their heart broken, being told they can’t sing, or getting played for fools? â€Å" (Poniewozik, 2010, p. 70). It is really sad that some people are enjoying with this stuff. As spectators are the people who watch television in their home, it is acceptable to say that, there are lots of â€Å"already diseased† brains which are exempt of notion of morality. Everyone can imagine children will be affected more than everyone. They will be lost while they are searching their personalities and it is a high odd that they canalise to wrong role models for their life. So they are the main and the weakest victims. Something must be done to avoid for our future generation not to get attracted by those programmes or they should be aware while watching those television programmes or it is fatal that humanity will lose the â€Å"judgement ability†. As a result, these ideas show us that reality tv’s are really dangerous and causes death of morality. These un-realistic programmes are being watched nowadays and spectators don’t have any idea what they are watching. It’s clear that reality tv’s are absurd and not worth to watch. However there are no ways to avoid watching them because we can not limit or cut television sells. Immoral behaviours will increase day by day; if this problems goes on, there will be serious behaviour malfunctions in society. Some can say not to watch them but it will just enter from left ear and fly out from right ear. It’s able to see that Rushdie is right with his arguments so it’s clear that reality tv is a regret.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Business Environment Essay

1.LIST SOME STAKEHOLDERS OF MCDONALDS. CLASIFY THEM AS INTERNAL, CONNECTED AND EXTERNAL TYPES. Stakeholders can be defined as â€Å"individuals and groups who are affected by the activities of an organization. The most important stakeholders can be seen as those with most to lose from the organization’s actions, but this does not always reflect their relative power† An organization’s stakeholders are all parties who can reasonably be understood to be affected by its decisions. They can be deemed to represent the business’s social and environmental capital as well as economic. Stakeholders can be of very different and varied guises and also harbor conflicting interests consequently, its image and reputation in the eyes of its stakeholders is critical to the company. Mainly they can be categorized into three major groups: 1) Internal Stakeholders 2) Connected Stakeholders 3) External Stakeholders 4) Stakeholders Conflicts Stakeholders are found in all organizations, businesses or firms – from a local grocery store to huge multinational companies such as Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Microsoft. The number of stakeholders per business will vary as will their importance and influence. The type of organization or product / service it supplies will also determine its stakeholders. A Public Limited Corporation may have far more stakeholders than a family owned business due to its vast numbers of shareholders. Discussing about McDonalds, it also hold many stakeholders those who get  affected and vice versa. Stakeholders of McDonalds can be categorized into the three major groups as shown under: Internal Stakeholders Following are the stakeholders which fall under this category: 1)Managers or Directors 2)Staff or Employees Internal stakeholders are those who are ‘members’ of the business organization. These stakeholders are situated within the McDonald and may affect the ‘day-to-day’ running of McDonalds or be affected. Their interest would be in the McDonald`s success which will alternatively secure their career and assure them for high wages and benefits.   Example of the internal stakeholder for McDonald would be as follows: †¢The employees/staff member working in the McDonald’s restaurant Connected Stakeholders Following are the stakeholders which fall under this category: 1)Shareholders 2)Customers 3)Suppliers 4)Finance providers Connected stakeholders are those outside the organization but have a direct interest with the progress of the business. McDonald’s suppliers would want that the business runs and grows well, as this will ensure more supplies to McDonald. The owner/shareholder will look forward for high turnover, while the customer will look for a great value of the money which they are going to spend Example of connected stakeholders for McDonald’s would be as follows: †¢Shareholder/owner: Emirates Fast Food Corporation LLC †¢Supplier: Coca-Cola External Stakeholders Following are the stakeholders which fall under this category: 1)Community 2)Environmental Pressure Groups 3)Government 4)Trade unions External stakeholders are those who are not the member of the organization, but they are indirectly affected with the ups and downs of the business. Example of the external stakeholders of the McDonald’s in UAE is as follows: †¢Government: Environment Agency UAE Stakeholders Conflicts There are many chances of conflicts among the interests of the stakeholders, i.e. customers would like to avail the best product and service at a very low price, while on the other hand managers and directors would be expecting increase in the profit ratio, which cannot be achieved by offering the products and services at a low price.   Logically, a company should tailor its communication to each stakeholder group individually to engage the special concerns of that group. It is important that an organization meets the needs of the most dominant stakeholders, but the needs of the other stakeholders need to be considered – nearly every decision becomes a compromise. 2.How does McDonald`s social responsibility affects its business and stakeholders? Analyze McDonald`s corporate social responsibility for its suppliers and the community. Corporate responsibility means many things to many people. At McDonald’s, being a responsible company means living our values to enable us to serve food responsibly and work toward a sustainable future. The goal of McDonalds CSR is to embrace responsibility for the company’s actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere. Furthermore, CSR-focused businesses would proactively promote the  public interest (PI) by encouraging community growth and development, and voluntarily eliminating practices that harm the public sphere, regardless of legality. By maintaining their CSR policy the leave a great impact on their stakeholders, and ultimately maintains their reputation. This also affects their business in a very positive manner. McDonald’s Corporation is among â€Å"Most Admired Companies† for social responsibility. In 2001 it was ranked in the Wall Street Journal as number five in reputation for corporate social responsibility. McDonald’s social responsibility always focuses on a goal of influencing a behavior change among the community and its stakeholders which is to contribute in improving the environmental and community well-being. McDonald’s CSR policy for its Suppliers As it is assumed, McDonalds supply chain is large and complex. They have numerous direct suppliers – companies that make or deliver final products for restaurants. They have an even larger number of indirect suppliers – farms and facilities that grow and process the ingredients that get delivered to their direct suppliers. They envision a supply chain that profitably yields high-quality, safe products without supply interruption while leveraging their leadership position to create a net benefit by improving ethical, environmental and economic outcomes. Ethical – They envision purchasing from suppliers that follow practices that ensure the health and safety of their employees and the welfare and humane treatment of animals in the supply chain. Environmental – They envision influencing the sourcing of the materials and ensuring the design of their products, manufacturing, distribution and use minimize lifecycle impacts on the environment. Economic – They envision delivering affordable food, engaging in equitable trade practices, limiting the spread of agricultural diseases, and positively impacting the communities that their suppliers operate in. McDonald’s suppliers are expected to share and apply McDonald’s vision of sustainable supply to their own suppliers (McDonald’s indirect suppliers). They launched an enhanced Social Accountability program, including online training for suppliers, their facility managers, and McDonald’s supply chain staff. †¢99% of our 523 approved abattoirs were audited for animal welfare in 2007, and 99.2% of those passed their audits. †¢Seven of our nine largest markets have introduced the environmental scorecard to their suppliers. †¢In 2007, 91% of our fish was sourced from fisheries without any unsatisfactory sustainability ratings †¢McDonald’s global minimum standard prohibits the use of antibiotics when used solely for growth promotion purposes. 100% of their direct relationship poultry suppliers around the world have acknowledged their compliance with their antibiotics policy McDonald’s CSR policy for the Community According to the McDonald community approach, it states that: Giving back has been fundamental to our business ever since Ray Kroc founded McDonald’s more than 50 years ago. Our communities give us so much in return—not just by supporting our business— but by increasing our brand visibility and strengthening our relationships with our stakeholders. We use three key strengths—our scope, our people and our profits—to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the global communities where we live and work. McDonald’s support its communities by working for them in a wide perspective. Mentioning some of the activities that McDonalds carry in favor of the community as under: WHEN DISASTER STRIKES †¢When tragedy arrives, McDonald’s the McDonald’s System responds. McDonald’s employees, franchisees and suppliers mobilize to provide assistance in many  forms. Over the last several years, our System has provided food and other assistance to victims of such disasters as the 9/11 tragedy in New York City, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. in 2001, the tsunami in Southeast Asia in 2004 and the devastating hurricane season in the U.S. in 2005 †¢During the May 12 earthquake in China. McDonald’s China served almost 40,000 meals to earthquake victims, relief workers, military personnel, hospitals and police and fire department officers. THE MCDONALD’S FAMILY GIVES BACK †¢McDonald’s employees, and others within the McDonald’s system, are given the opportunity to provide support for members of the system in the aftermath of natural disasters. McDonald’s Family Charity, established in 2000, has succeeded in distributing close to $4 million to over 4,000 individuals who have lost their homes or possessions during natural disasters. †¢In January 2004, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada created the 10 Cent Happy Meal Donation program. Through this program, RMHC Canada receives 10 cents from the sale of every Happy Meal purchased, at every Canadian McDonald’s restaurant, every day of the year. It is RMHC Canada’s largest source of funding, reaching a milestone in 2009 of CA$25 million in total donations since inception GOING GREEN †¢McDonald’s delivery trucks in the United Arab Emirates are running on 100 percent biodiesel made with recycled vegetable oil from the chain’s more than 80 restaurants in the Emirates. 3.What are the factors that contributed to a ‘good’ corporate image of McDonald’s? A corporate image is the sum of the impressions that stakeholders (customers, suppliers, employees and the community) hold about your company—in other words, your reputation. The goal is to show what you are as a company throughout all its facets (not pretending to be something you aren’t) Following are the factors that lead to a good corporate image of McDonalds: †¢Being a Responsible and Good Employer †¢Fair Dealing with Suppliers †¢Taking care of the Customers †¢Transparent company policy Being a Responsible and Good Employer McDonalds is considered to be one of the best examples as a good employer. They provide their employees with a friendly and very convenient workplace to work in. As an employer they take care of the followings: Human Rights and the Law They prohibit physical punishment or abuse. They respect the right of employees to associate or not to associate with any group, as permitted by and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. They comply with employment laws in every market where we operate. Respect and Dignity They provide equal opportunity for employees and applicants. McDonald’s employees work in a place that is free from harassment, intimidation or abuse, sexual or otherwise, or acts or threats of physical violence. Inclusion and Diversity McDonald’s provides equal treatment and equal employment opportunity without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, military status or any other basis protected by law.it also applies to the employment decisions, including recruitment, hiring, placement, development, promotion, training, scheduling, benefits, compensation and termination Fair Dealing with Suppliers They treat their suppliers respectfully, fairly and honestly, and expect their suppliers to treat them in the same way. McDonald’s bases its relationships with suppliers on lawful, efficient and fair practices.  McDonald’s is committed to fair employment practices and strives to provide a safe, healthful and productive work environment for its employees. In turn, they strive to work with suppliers who share their values. Taking care of the Customers McDonalds is highly focused about its customers, and it could be observed in this statement â€Å"Our customers are the reason for our existence†. Best Product Quality and Safety McDonald’s is committed to ensuring that the foods and beverages they serve to their customers are safe. Their safety and quality standards for food, beverages, toys and promotional items meet or exceed all applicable government requirements. They take this as part of their responsibility as a good corporate citizen, and know it is also essential to the continuing growth and profitability of their business. Best Customer Care/Handling McDonalds assures that each and every customer entering the restaurant is properly welcomed with due attention, is satisfied excellently in terms of the product they offer. They make sure that customer while leaving is satisfied with the product and service so that they retain their each customer. Transparent Company Policy McDonald is committed to have a crystal clear policy in terms of the followings: ïÆ'ËœCommunicating with the public/media ïÆ'ËœTrade Practices ïÆ'ËœFair competition ïÆ'ËœGovernment inquiries 4. Analyze McDonald’s mission statements in the case. What is the value of mission statement to McDonald’s employees, Customers and suppliers? A Mission Statement defines the organization’s purpose and primary  objectives. By crafting a clear mission statement and vision statement, you can powerfully communicate your intentions and motivate your team or organization to realize an attractive and inspiring common vision of the future. McDonalds MISSION STATEMENTS The two most famous mission statements of McDonalds are as follows: 1)â€Å"To be our customers favorite place and way to eat† 2)â€Å"Promote diversity and inclusion among our employees, owner/operator and supplier who represent diverse populations McDonald’s serve around the globe† Looking at the brand mission statement of McDonalds it clearly indicates that McDonalds is highly customer focused. They are committed to improve their operations and enhance their customers’ experience. They follow QSC&V strategy, QSC&V is an abbreviation for Quality, Service, Cleanliness & Value which is said to be a benchmark used throughout the world by the McDonald’s Corporation. This criterion is used for every customer, each and every time. In order to fulfill the mission statement the staff and employees form a friendly and happy environment in their respective restaurants. By doing so they achieve their goals and ultimately fulfill their mission statement The second mission statement of McDonalds describes the following approach: At McDonald’s, diversity and inclusion are part of our culture- from the crew room to the board room, we are working to achieve this goal every day by creating an environment for everyone to contribute their best. Our journey to bring our values to life have been documented in â€Å"None Of Us Is As Good As All Of Us† and it is a journey that continues today through our continued efforts with our employee business networks, diversity education, and our outreach in diversity communities. The value of mission statement for the Employees Mission statements hold an important and inspiring value to the employees. Likewise McDonalds mission statements work as a guideline for the employees so that they do their best to achieve the desired mission of the McDonalds. The value of mission statement for the customers  Ã¢â‚¬Å"our customers are the reason for our existence†. This is what the McDonalds mission statement defines. When the customers get to know the company`s attitude towards the community and customers is really appreciable and when they are sure about the products and services that they are going to avail will be beyond their expectations and meet their needs, so the customers will definitely return to the business. And this will ultimately give a rise to the business. The value of mission statement for the suppliers According to the McDonald, its business model is depicted by the three-legged stool of owner, suppliers and the company employees. So this indicates that Suppliers of the McDonald are of great importance for the organization and therefore the mission statements states their importance as well. The mission statement will guide its suppliers that they should always supply and deliver the best they have and maintaining the quality. It will also strengthen the relation among suppliers and the McDonalds. REFERENCES: †¢http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/etc/medialib/aboutMcDonalds/corporate_governance/standards_of_business.Par.44618.File.dat/9497_SBC_layout_McD_Eng-India%20101909.pdf †¢http://www.corporateregister.com/a10723/mcglob08-csr-us.pdf †¢http://jayzy2009.blogspot.com/2009/07/chapter-13-stakeholders.html

Saturday, September 28, 2019

I Am a Filipino, a Proud One Essay

The Philippines. The Pearl of the Orient Seas, a country full of wonderful places, places being visited of tourists from different countries. A great country with great people called Filipinos. Filipinos, people with such nice traits. Tan, the color of their skin, the color that makes many foreigners envy them. They have rich black hair that flows naturally. Twinkling eyes some have black ones, some have hazel brown. They have such lovable characteristics. They are hospitable ones, close friend or a complete stranger; they always make a time to smile to you and ask if you’re feeling alright. Cheerful, they are, and talented too! Reciting poems expressing the appropriate feelings, singing to the top of their lungs, dancing so gracefully that you want to join them. They are hard-working, industrious they are. They are also religious of course, they surrender all to God. There are lots of traits of the Filipinos that are to be proud of. And I am one of them, one of the â€Å"They†. I am a Filipino, a proud one. And you, I suppose, are one too. I just can’t think why we, Filipinos are not proud of our nationality, our country. Why we, choose other products than ours, because in our mind things made locally are ‘CHEAP’ which is totally not true, we are makers of world class items. We should be proud of our country. Don’t you know that we, Filipinos, are admired by people around the world? They love the Philippines AND the Filipinos. There is nothing, absolutely nothing to be ashamed of being a Filipino. Neither our physical traits, nor our characteristics should be ashamed of. So, how do we show our love to our country? Easy. Simply choose our own products instead of the imported ones. This will also help our country arise in terms of economy. Learn about our country, this will also help you love our country more. We shouldn’t be ashamed of our beloved country.

Friday, September 27, 2019

What are the primary benefits and risks associated with related Coursework

What are the primary benefits and risks associated with related diversification - Coursework Example Related diversification also helps in spreading the risk. This is done by manufacturing similar good or those that are related to them, therefore leading to similar services being offered, or penetrating new markets. When a company can use existing resources and experience, it gets to enjoy a better quality due to the company producing part of the raw material or components for its main production line. This eventually leads to lower prices and eventually widening the market. It also assures the company of regular supplies. This in turn puts the company in a strategic position, therefore, less competition. Another benefit is that strategic goals can be combined. When everyone has the same objective, then there is the possibility of achieving even more and, as a result, opportunities resulting throughout the production can be shared and fully utilized. It also an opportunity to a firm to share technologies, acquired skills and experiences that the companies have. They are also able to enjoy the same distribution channels, similar techniques of running a business and adapting resources. It also leads to economies of scale being achieved through the elimination of different types of expenditure when more than one business activity is developed in a common company (Corporate Strategy). The risks associated with related diversification include changing conditions, failure to predict future success because there may be divestment due to changing situations. If diversification is done for wrong reasons, it could lead to failure of creating value. The company also faces a risk of reduction in

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Education Pamphlet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Education Pamphlet - Essay Example A diet program can be organized with the health professionals in the local community health centres. This programme can include a meal plan or suggestions of healthy meal components for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. This diet program must be low cholesterol, low in sodium, low in sugar, low in fat, and high in fibre. It must also be a balanced diet with a high concentration of fruits and vegetables (Shai, et.al., 2008). Regular weighing and monitoring of cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels must also be carried out in coordination with the local health centres (Jackson, et.al., 2009). This would help ensure early prevention and management of heart diseases. Coordination with local producers of fruits and vegetables to supply supermarkets and elderly consumers with their regular supply of produce (Herman, et.al., 2008). This would help ensure that regular supply of these essential goods is available and that the older adults can get the produce at possibly discounted prices. An exercise program can be organized on a daily basis with the local community health professionals, specifically, those with exercise training backgrounds (Shumway-Cook, et.al., 2007). This exercise programme can be done in batches, on two schedules, one in the morning and another in the afternoon based on the convenience of the patients. The programme has to be safe and appropriate for the older adults, and fashioned to their tolerance and activities which would not cause them injury (Rolland, et.al., 2007). An exercise program can also be carried out based on the conditions of each patient. Some patients may prefer to jog or walk in order to maintain their weight; some may choose to dance or to do aerobics; and others may choose weight training in order to maintain or reduce their weight (Boyd, 2008). What is important is that they can comply with their minimum activity requirement for the day in order to

Learners with cognitive, behavioral and learning disabilities Article

Learners with cognitive, behavioral and learning disabilities - Article Example Thus, issues central to the current interests of educational psychologists have been the subject of discussion throughout the centuries. To understand the characteristics of learners in childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age, educational psychology develops and applies theories of human development. "Often cast as stages through which people pass as they mature, developmental theories describe changes in mental abilities (cognition), social roles, moral reasoning, and beliefs about the nature of knowledge"1. "The most influential of these developmental theories is Jean Piaget's theory of development, according to which children mature through four stages of cognitive capability"2. Piaget also proposed a developmental theory of moral reasoning in which children progress from a naive understanding of morality based on behaviour and outcomes to a more advanced understanding based on intentions. Piaget's views of moral development were elaborated by Kohlberg into a stage theory of moral development. The basic underlying concept of both Piaget's and Kohlberg's theories is that these developmental theories are presented not as shifts between qualitatively different stages, but as gradual increments on separate dimensions. These two theories represent the basis for further research and the practical application of the gained knowledge in the field of educational psychology. ... chology to create effective theories and practical application of those theories to assist learners that have cognitive, behavioural and other learning disabilities. When dealing with learners with such problems, there are 2 main aspects to consider: the student with the problem, and the teacher involved in the educational process. Lately, educational psychologists have been focusing more on the teachers, rather on identifying the students with the problems, since in the previous centuries there has been extensive research in that area. Psychologists mostly explore the perception of the teachers of the students, and how teachers adapt to the needs of the student accordingly. This is believed to be the first step towards improving the educational program concerning students with learning disabilities. With the research done by Sheila O. Walker and Robert Plomin, teachers' perception was shown concerning genetic and environmental influence on personality, intelligence, behaviour proble ms, learning difficulties, and mental illness. For these five domains of behaviour, the percentages of teachers who reported that genetics were at least as important as environment were .87, .94, .43, .94, and .91, respectively. They also found that 80% of teachers reported no coverage of genetics during teacher training. (The Nature & Nurture Question: Teachers' perceptions of how genes and the environment influence educationally relevant behaviour; volume 25, Number 5 / October 2005, Educational Psychology). In a another research, which deals with the behaviour problems that high school teachers find most troublesome, found that similar behaviours were reported as troublesome in the secondary school classroom compared with the primary classroom, although differences were demonstrated

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Rodolfo Corky Gonzalez Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Rodolfo Corky Gonzalez - Essay Example Because of financial difficulties, he only completed one term in engineering at the University of Denver (Ingen). After dropping out in college, he pursued a career in boxing which saw him fighting seventy-five times in the featherweight division (Historycolorado.org). After boxing, Rodolfo entered politics, running for Colorado State Representative but he lost. In the mid 1960’s, he founded the Crusade for Justice, an urban civil rights and crusade movement which advocated Chicano nationalism (Democracynow.org). In 1967, he once again ran for political office this time for Mayor of Denver but lost again. In 1968, he led the Poor People’s March to Washington, D.C. which called for better housing, education, business and restitution of pueblo lands in the barrios (Escuela Tlatelolco). Another important contribution of Rodolfo is his creation of the Annual Chicano Youth Liberation Conference, which aims to create greater unity among Chicano youth (Escuela Tlatelolco). Rodolfo died on April 12, 2005 due to heart failure. He is best remembered as a civil rights advocate who fought for injustice, racism and for the rights of the Mexican Americans in the United States. Democracynow.org. "Chicano leader Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales 1929-2005: "He was the fist. He stood for defiance, resistance"." 15 April 2005. democracynow.org. Web. 14 May 2013

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

How does Ethnomethodology differ from Symbolic Interactionism Essay

How does Ethnomethodology differ from Symbolic Interactionism - Essay Example The study starts with making sense of any object or activity. The Ethnomethodology has reflective and indexicality features in it. The response of the respondent is interpreted on the basis of his reflexive method. The ability to making sense out of any object or thing depends on the context of the object or thing too. The symbolic interaction explains the changing roles and role perception of an individual in the society. The symbolic interaction has three main things in it. The first is meaning, language and the last is thought. Individual tries to interpret the meaning through his thought process and works accordingly. Ethnomethodology tries to make sense out of things or activities. These study the underlying concepts and assumptions based on which that particular behaviour takes place. Both the studies have contributed in the development of a different thought flow and given food of thought to many researcher and academicians. The complex area of Sociology includes the questions of its beginning. Various societies tried to understand its society structures and social behaviours. In the past the drawbacks of studies or thoughts were analysing life with the help of magic and superstitions. These observations based on superstitions, magic and stars were inadequate. The subject required systematic research based on observations and research and development of theories to support the studies. In the middle of 19th century observers begin to use scientific theories and methods to test their ideas and support them scientifically. This started in Europe due to the Industrial Revolution and rapid change of the societal structure of Europe. It was a transition phase for European culture and society. Industrialisation, modernisation and urbanisation kind of phenomenon were taking place. The life, dependency of life on agriculture shifted. The strong structure of village and cities were getting replaced with Trade or ganisations and

Monday, September 23, 2019

The Obstacles and Hardships while Building the Transcontinental Term Paper

The Obstacles and Hardships while Building the Transcontinental Railroad - Term Paper Example This railway line was referred to as Overland Route (Burger 126). The China immigrant, Celestials, constructed the Central Pacific line. They were perceived weak to work in this line, but they proved that they could work perfectly in the railroad construction. They were employed to work in the construction of the Central Pacific line. Most of the Chinese were miners, or worked in kitchens and did laundries in service industries; others were imported in large numbers from China. The Chinese laborers went on strike because the three dollars a day wage was too little compared to the work that was being done on the railway (Uschan 241). The Irish laborers and the veterans of the Confederate armies and Unions built the Union pacific line. Brigham Young who was the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Saints yearned that the railway to be completed so that it could promote immigration and promote the growth of population in Salt Lake City, Utah and Ogden. Brigham and the Union Pacific made a labor contact that saw the Mormons have the sole responsibility of building the Union Pacific rail in Utah. They were also allowed to blast and tunnel across the canyon in Weber River (Cooper). The construction work of the transcontinental railway was manually done using black powder, used as explosives, horses, wheelbarrows that were used to ferry materials for construction, shovels, axes and mules. The construction work involved operations like tunneling, building bridges, engineering, masonry, surveying, blacksmithing, track laying, telegraphing and cooking. After completing the work, some Chinese went back to China; others settled in Western nations and got occupations as laundrymen, miners and restaurateurs. The Chinese that opted to settle in the States got land and settled along the Pacific Coast and San Francisco Bay (Cooper). The transcontinental railroad was completed in

Sunday, September 22, 2019

A letter and a statement Essay Example for Free

A letter and a statement Essay Right at the bottom of the page the companys reminder about data protection act can be found. The bottom of the letter is a tearaway slip which has a unique background colour of pale blue. The purpose of this letter is to inform the customer about their bonus claims about their life insurance. The letter is brief and formal. The letter consists of a tear away slip, which takes most of the space on the page. The letter text consists of few paragraphs explaining the how to contact the company about any queries regarding the customers bonus claims. The letter is related to a bonus claim is has a reference number below the address. The letter is generally written in a simple form allowing any one to read the letter and understand it. The letter is split in to two main parts one being the main letter, which has all the text and images and the other being the tearaway slip which is on the letter if any contact details are incorrect. The letter needs a few improvements. Currently there is no background colour for the letter making it boring and making it less important. If the letter had colour, it would allow the customer or person reading it remember it. Generally all of the components are properly located on the letter with the image and text being in the right location. Also the unique thing is that the companys contact details are in a different place then other letters. Other improvements could include making the companys slogan more effective by using colour and a border around it that will make it stand out and look effective. Currently the letter is eligible because of the simple language used with in the letter. Also the letter is set out in simple manner allowing the letter it be understood easily and is precise to the point. If the language changes, this will make the letter hard to understand and can put of some customers. The instructions for the tearaway slips are easy to understand allowing the customer to follow them easily. The Britannia Life statement has the logo situated in the same place as in the letter. The logo is in the top right hand corner of the page. The logo has the companys colours included init being royal blue. The logo consists of a shape that is a rectangle and text saying the companys name. The date cannot be found on the statement. The companys colours are used in the logo as well as the background and in the table. The background colour of the statement is pale blue. The cells in the tables with the headings of the columns have dark blue background. In the middle of the statement the address of the customer can be viewed. On the left of the customers address there is some text explaining a telephone number, which could be used by the customer if they do not understand any thing or have a query. Below there is a big table taking most of the space on the page. The table consists of seven columns. Right at the bottom below the table there is an important notice explaining the company and explanation of the headings. The purpose of the statement is to give the customer information on the current state of their pension funds for the future and the bonuses they have received. The statement also informs the customer of the basic profit and any other new bonus received. In the table all the details about their pension are given including the total basic profit benefit. The Britannia Life statement is easy to understand, as there is no complex language used at all. Mostly it consists of figures and values. The statement is formed of two main parts with the top half consisting of the logo and contact phone number. Also the top half of the statement has the contact address for the customer. The other half of the statement consists of the table, which holds vital information relating the customers pension policy and any bonuses they have received. The statement is set out to landscape format. The Britannia Life statement could not really be improved as the table uses all of the space wisely. The statement is clear and easy to understand. The main thing that could be changed is that the companys contact details should be shown allowing the customer to contact the company easily with out any hassle of finding contact information. The statement has clear headings and values with big points size making it easier by any one to understand unintelligent or unilliterate. The statement currently is really simple made up of tables that divide all the details in to areas. This makes it really simple to understand the costs and bonuses received by the customer on their pension. The background colour around the table makes the table stand out making it simpler to understand the details. Analysis Alliance Leicester has their logo in the same position on letter and the statement being on the top left hand corner of the pages. But AXA has its logo in the middle of the page, right near the top on the statement and on the letter. Both companies use their company colours in the logo. First of AXA used dark blue and red in their logo and Alliance Leicester use orange and blue in their logo. The last company Britannia Life has its logo in the same position on both documents being on the right top hand corner. However all of the companys have situated their logo in different places on the top of the page and all of the companys logos can be recognised by the companys colour being used in them. The Alliance Leicester use a unique layout on their letter as it consists of a line separating the actual letter and some advantages in big point size in bold on right hand of the page. While the AXA letter is simple with only text on it related to the actual letter its self. Also the AXA letter has a lot of free space with the Alliance Leicester letter being more compressed. Overall the Britannia Life is different as it has a tearaway slip making it different from them all. The letter also has space available near the top half of the letter but the bottom of the letter is depressed for space because of the tearaway slip. Generally the Britannia Life letter is simpler to understand then the Alliance Leicester and AXA letter because of the complex language used throughout. All of the letters have the customers address, which is a standard piece of information in the correct place being on the left hand side of the page just below the top of the page. The dates can be found on all of the letter but in different locations. First of all the date on the Alliance Leicester letter is situated on the top right hand side. The date on the AXA letter is found on top right hand side nearly the same position as the Alliance Leicester date. But the date on the Britannia Life letter is found in different location, which is situated above the address on the left hand side of the page. All of the letters have contact details of the organizations on them. Two of the letters have them generally in the same position. The two letters that have the contact details in the same position are the Alliance Leicester letter and the AXA letter. The difference of the contact details is that the Alliance Leicester contact details have a background colour being bright orange but the AXA contact details do not have any background colours or patterns. The Britannia Life contact details are totally in a different position, which is on the top right hand of the page just underneath the logo. The Alliance Leicester letter consists of bullet points as well text. The text has different sub headings to make it easier for the reader to understand what each section is about. But the other letter from AXA and Britannia are simple letters with one overall heading explaining what the whole letter is about and purpose. Those letters do not have any special formatting used with in them for example the bullets points in the Alliance Leicester letter. Different types of information can be found at the bottom of each letter. First of all at the bottom of the Alliance Leicester letter we can find the contact details as well as the copyright trademark act. Consequently only the contact details can be found on the AXA letter. But on the Britannia Life Letter at the bottom the data protection act details can be found informing the customer about how the company regards and obeys the act at all times and explaining to the customer that their personal information is safe with the company. Britannia Life Letter is the only letter to have an image on it none of the other letters have an image on them. The statements are all different with only two statements having the date on them being from Alliance Leicester and AXA. All of the statements use tables in them. The most tables are used in the AXA statement to show all the details about the motor insurance customer details. However in the Alliance Leicester statement the table is used to show the payment due amounts and dates. A big table can be found in the Britannia Life statement, which takes mostly the space on the statement. That table is used to show something totally different from the other statement. It is there to show the bonuses and policy information about the pension funds. All of the statements show the state of different things. The Alliance Leicester statement shows the state of the current account of a customer and shows the payment due dates. The Alliance Leicester statement informs the customer about their credit limit and how much credit limit they have available. The Alliance Leicester statement has a slogan but the AXA statement does not have a slogan. However the Britannia Life statement does not have a slogan but the letter does in a different position being on the top left hand side of the page. The AQA statement shows renewal details of the insurance. It has details of the company and drivers. The details can be found in the tables that have colour used in the cells with the headings same as the Britannia Life Statement table. The Britannia Life statement informs the customer of the state of their bonuses and pension policies with figures and numbers making it easier. The statement does not have a slogan unlike the Alliance Leicester Statement. All of the statements have contact details found on them but all the contact details vary. The only contact detail found on the Britannia Life statement is a telephone number on the top left side of the landscape-formatted page. But on the AXA statement the contact details can be found at the bottom also in the top table, which has a telephone number. The contact details in the Alliance Leicester statement can be found on the top right hand corner. The contact detail is a telephone number and an address. The Alliance Leicester has colour used on it in the logo and a background behind where the credit limit is shown. But the only source of colour on the AXA statement is the colour used in the logo and in the cells, which contain the headings. There is no background colour used. Alternatively in the Britannia Life statement colour is used in the logo. There is also colour used in the background through out the page. Colour can be found in the cells in table, which contain the headings for the columns. The Britannia Life Statement also has a picture in the background of table showing a bridge none of the other statement has an image in the background.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Colonisation of Perennial Ryegrass by Endophytic Bacteria

Colonisation of Perennial Ryegrass by Endophytic Bacteria 2. Materials and methods 2.1. Preparation of culture media Nutrient agar (NA) – NA (Oxoid, Basingstoke, Hants, UK) was prepared by weighing out 28g of nutrient agar powder and dissolving in 1L of deionised H2O, by warming on a hot plate. This was autoclaved at 121 °C and 15psi for 15 minutes. The medium was then aseptically dispensed in sterile petri dishes and allowed to solidify. Sucrose glutamate agar (SGA) – SGA was prepared by dissolving 20g of sucrose, 2g of glutamate, 15g of agar bacteriological (Agar No.1) and 1g of K2HPO4 in 1L deionised H2O. This was autoclaved as outline above. The medium was allowed to cool to approximately 60 °C at which 5ml of MgSO4 and 1ml of kanamycin was aseptically added to the medium using a Nalgene Syringe Filters. The medium was then poured into petri dishes and allowed to solidify. Nematode growth medium (NGM) – 1L of NGM was prepared by dissolving 3g of NaCl, 17g of agar, and 2.5g of peptone in 975ml of deionised H2O in a Duran bottle. This was autoclaved as outline above. The media was allowed to cool for 15 minutes at which 1ml of 1M CaCl2, 1ml of 5mg/ml cholesterol in ethanol, 1ml of 1M MgSO4 and 25ml of 1M KPO4 buffer were added aseptically in a Duran bottle. The bottle was swirled to ensure the medium was mixed properly and then aseptically dispensed in sterile petri dishes and allowed to solidify. 2.2. Culturing entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) 9cm filter paper was placed in sterile petri dish and 1ml of stock nematode suspension was pipetted onto filter paper. Five live Galleria mellonella (wax moths) were placed onto petri dish and sealed with parafilm (Figure 1). The dish were kept in a dark and observed daily for the insect mortality. Once the G. mellonella were dead they were transferred to white traps. Figure 1 Galleria (wax moth) baiting technique. 2.3. Preparation of white traps White traps (White, 1927) were prepared which the lid of a small petri dish (35x10mm) was placed on top of the base and placed in a clear tub, this was then covered with filter paper. 30ml of water was added to the plastic container just to allow absorbing through the filter paper. The dead G. mellonella was placed on the moist filter paper and it was covered and placed in dark for 7 to 14 days (Figure 2). The white traps were observed daily for emergence of infective juveniles (IJs) by using stereoscope (Figure 3). Whenever the water around the stage became densely concentrated with nematodes, the water was decanted into a container and replaced with another 30ml of deionised H2O. The nematodes were stored at 4 °C in 25ml of distilled water until needed for use. Figure 2 – Galleria larvae on white trap. Figure 3 – Galleria larvae under stereoscope (20X). 2.4. Culturing Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) on NGM (Couillault. C, 2002) A stock culture of C. elegans was cultures from a previous stock of C. elegans. In a laminar air flow, the plate was divided into equal sections. A sterilized scalpel was used to cut sections from the stock culture to the centre of a fresh NGM plate (Figure 4). The plates were sealed using a strip of parafilm and stored at room temperature or inside incubator at 21 °C for 3 days. The petri plates were observed regularly using stereoscope (Figure 5). Figure 4 – Culturing C. elegans on NGM (Chunking method). Figure 5 – Observation of C. elegans under stereoscope (20X). 2.5. Culturing of bacterial endophytes The endophytic bacterial strains used in this study were provided by IT Carlow stock collection and have been labelled with gfp (green fluorescent protein). The Pseudomonas strains used were F113, L321 and L228. 1L of Nutrient broth (NB) was prepared and 10ml was pipetted into Mc Cartney bottles and autoclaved. The Pseudomonas strains of L321gfp, L228gfp, and F113gfp were inoculated aseptically using a wire loop and incubated at 30 °C for 24hours in an orbital shaker incubator. The gfp strains in the nutrient broth were then streaked onto fresh non contaminated nutrient agar and SGA in duplicate for each of bacterial strains, using the quadrant streaking method. All plates were covered with parafilm, labelled and incubated at 30 °C for 24hours. A gram stain, catalase test, oxidase test, and observation of morphological characterisation were carried out for the Pseudomonas strains of L321gfp, L228gfp, and F113gfp. 2.6. Quantification of nematodes S. feltiae and C. elegans The stock suspension of nematodes was divided into 50ml samples. 100 µl of the infective juvenile suspension of each sample was pipetted using micropipette onto a counting tray and tally counter was used to count for nematodes under stereoscope (Figure 6). Once they were counted, the sample was discarded and washed with deionised H2O. This was repeated 10 times and the average number of nematodes was calculated. Figure 6 – Counting chamber containing suspension of nematodes. 2.7. Preparation of soil samples 2500g of soil was autoclaved as outlined in section 2.1. The soil was dried in an oven at 55 °C for 24 hours. The soil samples were prepared by weighing out 90g into plastic cups (Figure 7) and temporarily covered with tin foil to prevent any contamination. Figure 7 – Each plastic cup contains 90g of soil. 2.8. Preparation for Sodium alginate beads (Bashan, 2002) The microbeads stock suspension were prepared by dissolving 10g of Sodium alginate in 500ml of deionised H2O , 10g of Calcium Chloride in 500ml of deionised H2O, and 5g of powdered skimmed milk in 50ml of deionised H2O. All components were autoclaved separately and the skimmed milk was autoclaved only for 10 minutes. The working solution was prepared from the stock solutions as follows; 5ml of skimmed milk, 15ml of sodium alginate and 5ml inoculum. The components of the working solution were poured into a sterile petri dish and mixed using a sterile rod. Parafilm was used to plug the spout of 20ml syringe, the alginate mixture and grass seeds were subsequently added. The parafilm was then removed and a sterile rod was used to ensure the coated seeds dropped out individually, into a beaker containing Calcium Chloride on a magnetic stirring plate (Figure 8). The beads were washed at least three times with sterile distilled water and stored in a sealed petri dished until needed for use. Figure 8 – Beaker containing Calcium Chloride on a magnetic stirring plate. 2.9. Isolation of bacterial endophytes from alginate beads (Bashan, Y and Levanony, 1989) In order to isolate and enumerate bacterial endophytes from microbeads seed coating. Six alginate beads containing individual bacterium were dissolved in 10ml of 0.25M Potassium Phosphate buffer in a test tube and incubated at 30 °C for 24 hours. The bead was then shaken on a vortex for 5 minutes to break down the alginate. Using a serial dilution method, 1ml of bead samples containing bacteria was serially diluted in 9ml of sterile ringers from 10-1 to 10-10 (Figure 9); this was carried out onto SGA in triplicate and incubated at 30 °C for 24 hours. Figure 9 – Most probable number (MPN) method/Serial dilution method. 2.10. Isolation of bacterial endophytes from plants (Keogh, E, 2009) Each plant was removed from pots and excess soil was removed. Three samples were taken from each plant (stem, root, and rhizosphere). The stems and roots were surface sterilised with 1% of sodium hydrochloride and washed twice with sterile water. The stems and roots were cut with sterile scalpel and crushed with a pestle and mortar in 5ml of Ringers solution. 100 µl of suspension was added to 900 µl of sterile Ringers in 2.5ml microfuge tubes. The serial dilutions were carried out and the resulting dilutions of 30 µl were then pipetted onto SGA in triplicate and incubated at 30 °C for 24 hours. 3. Results 3.1. Characterisation of bacterial endophytes The classical approach to bacteria identification involves preliminary microscopic examination of the gram-stained preparation for its categorisation which would later form the basis for the selection of biochemical test to be performed to test their identity. Table (Table 1) and figures (Figure 10(a) to (f)) below shows the characterisation for each strain of endophyte. Figure 10 – Characterisation of bacterial endophytes. (a) Culture plate observation for F113. (b) Microscopy examination for F113. (c) Culture plate observation for L228. (d) Microscopy visualisation for L228. (e) Culture plate observation for L321. (f) Microscopy examination for L321. 3.2. Counting of nematodes S. feltiae and C. elegans The number of nematodes was counted per well in four weeks’ time (Table 2) and a chart (Figure 11) was produced comparing the S. feltiae and C. elegans. This was repeated 10 times and the average number of nematodes was calculated. Table 2 – Quantification of nematodes. Figure 11- Comparison between No. of IJ/100 µl with the time of S. feltiae and C. elegans. 3.3. Soil samples inoculation In order to make sure the soil samples free from contamination, the serial dilutions were carried out and the resulting dilutions of 30 µl were then pipetted onto SGA in triplicate and incubated at 30 °C for 24 hours (Figure 12). The results indicated no growth in the soil samples. Figure 12 – No growth in the soil samples. 3.4. Isolation of bacterial endophytes from alginate beads In order to isolate bacterial endophytes from alginate seed coating, the beads were plated onto SGA and incubated at 30 °C for 24 hours. The results indicated that fluorescent which present of green colour pigment (Figure 13). Figure 13 – SGA changed to green colour. 3.5. Colonisation and enumeration of endophytic bacterial within plant tissues Inoculated perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) was allowed to grow for 4 weeks (Figure 14) before sampling took place. Total bacterial population of gfp expressing were determined for each of the tissues examined. Endophytic bacteria are considered to be those isolated from the internal tissues of surface sterilised plants. However, it is difficult to determine whether an organism is truly endophytic or merely a survivor of the surface sterilisation process. To ensure that the sterilisation processes were adequate, the sterilised tissues were pressed against the surface of a sterile SGA plate and samples of the third water rinsing were also plated onto SGA plates (Figure 15). Bacterial counts (Figure 16 and 17) on these plates were always between 10-1 to 10-4 CFUs per ml (Table 3 and 4), which was considered to be a good indication that the surface was successfully sterilised. However, under epifluorescent microscopy, the gfp expressing from inoculated plants. Pseudomonas species str ain L321 was detected only in the rhizosphere and the interior root tissues of inoculated plant (Figure 18(a) and (b)). Figure 14 Lolium perenne was allowed to grow. Figure 15 – Bacterial count on SGA plates Table 3 –Plate counts on Pseudomonas strain of L321. Figure 16 – Bacterial counts between S. feltiae and C. elegans. Table 4 – Plate counts on Pseudomonas strain of F113. Figure 17 – Bacterial counts between S. feltiae and C. elegans. Figure 18 – Visualisation under epifluorescent microscope. (a) L321gfp bacteria (400X). (b) L321gfp bacteria (100X). 4. Discussion Bacterial colonisation of the internal tissues of plants has been described in almost all plant species examined so far. Although many of these bacteria are phytopathogenic, a considerable number have also been found that colonise the plant without causing disease. Such bacteria are referred to as bacterial endophytes. Colonisation may take place at the local tissue level or throughout the plant, with bacterial colonies and biofilms residing latently in the intercellular spaces and inside the vascular tissues. This project describes the isolation, identification and colonisation efficiency of perennial ryegrass by gfp labelled bacterial endophytes. Furthermore, this study has shown the successful colonisation of perennial ryegrass by three endophytic bacterial strains under controlled conditions. The Pseudomonas strains, L321 demonstrated efficient colonisation resulting in high population numbers within the plant tissues. This experiment shows that the L321 bacteria endophyte worked successfully with the C. elegans to increase the plant colonisation. In this project, L228 was discarded due to the lawns were very poor and did not fluorescence very well so the experiment carried out only with L321 and F113. During the characterisation of bacteria endophytes, the results were obtained which the genus Pseudomonas appeared in Gram negative bacilli motile by polar flagella. In addition, in catalase test shows positive formed the bubbles when comes into contact with Hydrogen Peroxide. On the other hand, the results show that they are oxidase producing which will be oxidised to deep purple colour. Also, when nematodes had been put on plates and timescale had begun it was noticed that some plates start to dry out which may be due to the media drying out so to overcome this this, the plates have to seal with parafilm to prevent from dry out. Furthermore, other notice when the plates rinsed with water, I noticed crystals formed in the media and this may be due to the tem perature problem. Generally in the experiment there is no physical quantity can be measured with perfect certainty; there are always errors in any measurement. For example, the systematic errors are due to poorly calibrated instrument; observational for example, errors in judgment of an observer when reading the scale of a measuring device to the smallest division. 5. Conclusion In conclusion, this study has shown the successful colonisation of perennial ryegrass by three endophytic bacterial strains under controlled conditions. The Pseudomonas strains, L321 demonstrated efficient colonisation resulting in high population numbers within the plant tissues. Hence, none of the introduced strains showed any signs of pathogenicity towards their host plant and others tested. Many studies have shown that the colonisation levels in field trials are less successful than those in laboratory trials. This is probably due to increased microbial competition and less favourable environmental conditions. Therefore, additional long-term field trials need to be carried out in order to gain a better understanding of the colonisation pattern and population dynamics of endophytic bacteria in the perennial ryegrass. If time permitted future work would include, the carrying out of plant biomass which is a time consuming method that involves drying of cells and to perform by weighi ng the dry and fresh weight of each plant. 6. References Brown, R.H. and Kerry, B.R. (1987). Principles and Practice of Nematode Control in  Crops. Academic Press, Sydney. 447 pp. Evans, D., Trudgill, D.L. and Webster, J.M. (1993). Plant Parasitic Nematodes in  Temperate Agriculture. CAB International, Wallingford. 648 pp.   Luc, M., Sikora, R.A. and Bridge, J. (2005). Plant Parasitic Nematodes in Subtropical  and Tropical Agriculture, 2nd edn. CAB International, Wallingford. 871 pp. Mai, W.F. and Mullin, P.G. (1996). Plant Parasitic Nematodes. A Pictorial Key to  Genera, 5th edn. Comstock, London and Cornell University, Ithaca. 276 pp. Ahmad, F., Ahmad, I., Khan, M.S. 2008. Screening of free-living rhizospheric bacteria for their multiple plant growth promoting activities. Microbiol. Res. 163, 173-181. 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