Performance Management at Vitality Health Enterprises, Inc. Essay

Vitality Health Enterprises is a large beauty products and nutraceuticals company offering a full range of health, wellness, and beauty products around the globe. The company was originally founded in 1987 in Ames, Iowa, by Hikaaru â€Å"Fred† Kikuchi who is an experienced serial entrepreneur. His inspiration for Vitality came when his wife was continually dissatisfied with the quality of beauty products she was finding here in the U.S., since they emigrated from Japan. Kikuchi saw a business opportunity and used his relationships from back home to import beauty products and the rest is history. Vitality has gone through numerations of growth that has included: moving company headquarters to Des Moines – thought to be a better location for growth, establishing its own manufacturing facility with its own chemists – to develop its own unique products specifically targeting the U.S. marketplace, purchasing HerbaPure Nutraceuticals to offer a broader range of products, and establishing an IPO to raise capital for further expansion – which now includes nine global offices representing markets in Asia, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Vitality has grown far beyond selling products out of Kikucki’s garage to a large scale enterprise in the personal care products sector. Beth Williams is the current CEO who was recruited in mid-2008 to replace Kikuchi over concerns for his health, and to infuse Vitality with fresh blood and new ideas in the highly competitive marketplace. The board liked her no-nonsense approach and hoped she could turn Vitality around after a period of stagnation. James Hoffman is the newly appointed vice president of Human Resources at Vitality Health Enterprises and shares concerns with Beth that Vitality is not maintaining its edge on innovation, and has a large employee turnover rate among the highly talented research scientists. His first assignment is to take the lead on the new Performance Management Evaluation Team, constructed to evaluate the success of the system, and present the findings and recommendations to the board. Hoffman’s evaluation can either provide him with a great career opportunity, or be the catalyst for his departure. His concern is they do not have all the data to present and having been with Vitality for two months, he needs to be certain of his analysis – not to mention his boss, Beth, is the one who implemented the program several years earlier. The main problem in this entire case is how Vitality can maintain being the industry leader in innovation. There is a high turnover rate with high performing employees, especially those who are the innovators in product development. The high turnover is attributed to the poor incentive structure. Innovation is vital at maintaining the competitive edge, in any rapidly changing industry. For other employees, the structure encourages complacency and a culture of ineffective performance, not easily identifying poor performers. There is a problem with the evaluation process required of the managers, in the performance evaluations. They are not properly trained on how to evaluate the teams and don’t like the structure because it alienates team members. There might also be legal issues with discrimination and how the evaluation is designed. Company wide motivation has been declining due to the performance management system. Managers don’t feel thorough evaluations are, â€Å"worth their time†, and they are concerned the force- rank system incorrectly ranks individual performance. Employees can be placed in the lower tier, comp structure, if they are part of a high performing team and the opposite can be true for employees ranked in the higher tier, if they are part of a lower performing team. The system’s â€Å"fairness† has been questioned throughout the organization, and no clear standards are understood on what dictates your placement in the tier system. If employees are not clear on the system, it is challenging to make corrections in their performance. In addition, management feels employees are less likely to take additional initiative, outside their roles, to better the team’s performance – since there is no real incentive to do so. These issues negatively affect the culture, and have led to increased turnover in top-tier talent, which has left Vitality struggling to maintain its hold as industry leader. Performance management systems primary goal should be to stimulate behaviors that improve performance within a company. It appears as Hoffman suggested – Vitality has, â€Å"missed the mark† and is not fostering the type of behavior it originally set out to accomplish. The question for Vitality and Hoffman is: does the performance management system need correction, or should they start from scratch? We believe they can modify the current system they have in place and make it successful. They have already taken the appropriate measures to find where the system is lacking, which is in motivating the employees. This demonstrates that Vitality is moving in the right direction by being proactive on improving the working environment and culture of the company. One system will never be a perfect fit for all, but we believe we’ve identified a few key suggestions, based off the organizational feedback, that would enable Vitality to â€Å"hit the mark† with their performance management system. First we would address the time constraints the managers have in preparing the evaluations, by allowing the process to be extended by three months. Teamwork is central to turning out new products, yet the evaluation removes the motivation and encouragement for individual initiative that would benefit team performance. We recommend a piece of the individual performance, perhaps 20-30 % of the evaluation, be based off team accomplishments; similar to a NFL football team winning the Super Bowl and earning bonuses for the team. It’s well known that some players contribute more than others due to ability, yet the entire team contributes and receives additional compensation based off the accomplishment. The force-rank component would be based off the employee achieving key individual milestones, that would be determined by the manager and employee, at the beginning of the year. We would also remove the required number of rankings for top achievers, achievers, low achievers, unacceptable and not rated. We would leave these up to the discretion of the manager. The manager would then have a pool of money to distribute throughout his team contingent on the performance evaluations. In order to entice innovation, within the organization, a specific bonus/kicker structure should be incorporated into the plan that rewards individuals and teams that bring new product development to market. It’s clear that Vitality has made the right moves to maintain its market leader perception. We applaud Beth Williams for identifying a problem within the company, and being proactive to change course in order to maintain continued high performance.

Biodegradation of Hydrocarbons from Crude Oil by Pseudomonas Putida

Biodegradation of Hydrocarbons from Crude Oil by Pseudomonas putida A Project done under the guidance of Dr. K. Bharathi Department of Biotechnology. Submitted to the faculty Of Department of Biotechnology National Institute Of Technology, Warangal (A. P) Submitted By Febin P. Nalpady, Anzal Rahman, Shruti Sharma, Sindhuja Nandiraju, Giraboina Kranthi Kumar NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY WARANGAL (A. P) (DEEMED UNIVERSITY) 2010-2011 DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, WARANGAL (A. P) CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the project entitled â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. † carried out by †¦.. , bearing roll no. †¦. ,, final year B. Tech, Biotechnology, during academic year 2010-2011, is a bonafide work submitted to the National Institute of Technology, Warangal in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the requirements for the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Technology. Guide : Dr. K Bharathi Dept. of Biotechnology NIT Warangal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT With great pleasure and deep sense of gratitude, we take this opportunity to express our sense of indebtedness to Dr. K Bharathi, our project guide for accepting us under her good self to carry out this project work, and providing us his invaluable guidance and constant encouragement at each and every step throughout the progress of this project. To be sincere it was an inextinguishable treasure of pleasure for us to work under her excellent guidance. I would also like to thank the faculty of our department,Dr. P Sreenivasa Rao, Mr. Onkara Perumal and Mr. K. Narasimhulu. They were a pillar of strength for us and encouraged us to do our best. Name Roll no Table of Contents 1. Abstract 2. Introduction 2. 1 Bioremediation 2. 2 The conventional techniques of remediation 2. 3 Advantages of Bioremediation 2. 4 Microbes that are useful for bioremediation 3. Review of literature 3. 1 Microbial degradation 3. 2 Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons 3. 3 Factors affecting Degradation 3. 4 Mechanism of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Degradation 4. Brief outline of the project work 5. Materials and Methods 5. 1 Preparation Of Nutrient Broth 5. 2 Preparation of Nutrient Agar Slants from the Bacterial Strain 5. Preparation of SubCultures of Bacterial Strain 5. 4 Centrifugation of Crude Oil 5. 5 Subculturing Of Petri Plates with oil 5. 6 Biodegradation Studies 5. 7 Gravimetric Analysis 6. Results 6. 1 Growth Analysis of Pseudomonas Putida 6. 2 Gravimetric Analysis 7. Discussion 8. References 1. ABSTRACT Oil spills have become a serious problem with the ever-increasing re source exploitation, transportation, storage, and accidental leakage of oil. Several techniques, including physical, chemical, and biological methods, are used to recover spilled oil from the environment. Bioremediation is a promising option for remediation since it is effective and economic in removing oil with less undue environmental damages. However, it is a relatively slow process and the degree of success depends on a number of factors. These factors include the existence of a microbial population capable of degrading the pollutants, the availability of contaminants to the microbial population and the environment factors are type of soil, temperature, pH, the presence of oxygen and nutrients. This project aims to study the degradation extent of the pseudomonas putida on oil. The microbial strain used is procured from NCL pune. 2. Introduction In quantitative terms, crude oil is one of the most important organic pollutants in marine environment and it has been estimated that worldwide somewhere between 1. 7- 8. 8? 106 tons of petroleum hydrocarbons impact marine waters and estuaries annually. Reports have been appearing since last three decades on the biodegradability of crude oil by bacteria which can use hydrocarbons as source of carbon and energy. A way to mitigate the effects of oil spills is bioremediation. 2. 1 Bioremediation It is a process by which chemical substances are degraded by bacteria and other microorganisms. The use of these microorganisms has been successfully applied for the treatment of waste and wastewater in controlled systems. Several research studies have recently been performed to investigate the use of bioremediation for oil-spill cleanup in seawater, freshwater and terrestrial areas. The technique has been found to have a potential for broad applications in terrestrial and freshwater environments for treating soils and sediments contaminated with oil and other substances, as well as for coastal environments impacted by oil spills. Water is a more sensitive medium than soil and requires different remediation techniques. Spills to surface water are easier to clean up than spills to groundwater, for obvious reasons. It is not only much harder to see the extent of the contamination, but also to remove the source of the contamination as, for example, a leaking underground storage tank. 2. 2. The conventional techniques of remediation . The conventional techniques used for remediation have been to dig up contaminated soil and remove it to a landfill, or to cap and contain the contaminated areas of a site. The methods have some drawbacks. The first method simply moves the contamination elsewhere and may create significant risks in the excavation, handling, and transport of hazardous material. Additionally, it is very difficult and increasingly expensive to find new landfill sites for the final disposal of the material. A better approach than these traditional methods is to completely destroy the pollutants if possible, or at least to transform them to innocuous substances. Some technologies that have been used are high-temperature incineration and various types of chemical decomposition (e. g. , base-catalyzed dechlorination, UV oxidation). They can be very effective at reducing levels of a range of contaminants, but have several drawbacks, principally their technological complexity, the cost for small-scale application, and the lack of public acceptance, especially for incineration that may increase the exposure to contaminants for both the workers at the site and nearby residents. . 3 Advantages of Bioremediation Bioremediation is an option that offers the possibility to destroy or render harmless various contaminants using natural biological activity. As such, it uses relatively low-cost, low-technology techniques and can often be carried out on site. It will not always be suitable, however, as the range of contaminants on which it is effective is limited, the timescales involved are relatively long, and the residual contaminant levels achievable ma y not always be appropriate. Although the methodologies employed are not technically complex, considerable experience and expertise may be required to design and implement a successful bioremediation program, due to the need to thoroughly assess a site for suitability and to optimize conditions to achieve a satisfactory result. Because bioremediation seems to be a good alternative to conventional clean-up technologies research in this field, especially in the United States, rapidly increasing. Bioremediation has been used at a number of sites worldwide, including Europe, with varying degrees of success. Techniques are improving as greater knowledge and experience are gained, and there is no doubt that bioremediation has great potential for dealing with certain types of site contamination. Unfortunately, the principles, techniques, advantages, and disadvantages of bioremediation are not widely known or understood, especially among those who will have to deal directly with bioremediation proposals, such as site owners and regulators. 2. 4 Microbes that are useful for bioremediation The biodegradation of petroleum in the marine environment is carried out largely by diverse bacterial populations, including various Pseudomonas species. The hydrocarbon-biodegrading populations are widely distributed in the world’s oceans; surveys of marine bacteria indicate that hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms are ubiquitously distributed in the marine environment. Generally, in pristine environments, the hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria comprise < 1% of the total bacterial population. These bacteria presumably utilize hydrocarbons that are naturally produced by plants, algae, and other living organisms. They also utilize other substrates, such as carbohydrates and proteins. When an nvironment is contaminated with petroleum, the proportion of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms increases rapidly. In particular, in marine environments contaminated with hydrocarbons, there is an increase in the proportion of bacterial populations with plasmids containing genes for hydrocarbon utilization. The proportion of hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial populations in hydrocarbon-contaminated marine environments often exceed 10% of the tot al bacterial population 3. Review of Literature 3. 1 Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons is a complex process that depends on the nature and on the amount of the hydrocarbons present. Petroleum hydrocarbons can be divided into four classes: the saturates, the aromatics, the asphaltenes (phenols, fatty acids, ketones, esters, and porphyrins), and the resins (pyridines, quinolines, carbazoles, sulfoxides, and amides) [R. R. Colwell, J. D. Walker, and J. J. Cooney, â€Å"Ecological aspects of microbial degradation of petroleum in the marine environment,]. Di? erent factors in? uencing hydrocarbon degradation have been reported by Cooney et al. One of the important factors that limit biodegradation of oil pollutants in the environment is their limited availability to microorganisms. Petroleum hydrocarbon compounds bind to soil components, and they are difficult to be removed or degraded [S. Barathi and N. Vasudevan], â€Å"Utilization of petroleum hydrocarbons by Pseudomonas ? uorescens isolated from a petroleum-contaminated soil]. Hydrocarbons di? er in their susceptibility to microbial attack. The susceptibility of hydrocarbons to microbial degradation can be generally ranked as follows: linear alkanes > branched alkanes > small aromatics > cyclic alkanes [J. J. Perry, â€Å"Microbial metabolism of cyclic alkanes,† in Petroleum Microbiology]. Some compounds, such as the high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), may not be degraded at all. 3. 2 Microbial degradation Microbial degradation is the major and ultimate natural mechanism by which one can cleanup the petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants from the environment [1-3] The recognition of biodegraded petroleum-derived aromatic hydrocarbons in marine sediments was reported by[ Jones et al]. They studied the extensive biodegradation o alkyl aromatics in marine sediments which occurred prior to detectable biodegradation of n-alkane pro? e of the crude oil and the microorganisms, namely, Arthrobacter, Burkholderia, Mycobacterium, Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, and Rhodococcus were found to be involved for alkylaromatic degradation. Microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in a polluted tropical stream in Lagos, Nigeria was reported by Adebusoye et al. Nine bacterial s trains, namely, Pseudomonas ? uorescens, P. aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus sp. , Alcaligenes sp. , Acinetobacter lwo? ,Flavobacteriumsp. , Micrococcus roseus, and Corynebacterium sp. were isolated from the polluted stream which could degrade crude oil. Hydrocarbons in the environment are biodegraded primarily by bacteria, yeast, and fungi. The reported e? ciency of biodegradation ranged from 6% to 82% for soil fungi, 0. 13% to 50% for soil bacteria, and 0. 003% to 100% [6] for marine bacteria. Many scientists reported that mixed populations with overall broad enzymatic capacities are required to degrade complex mixtures of hydrocarbons such as crude oil in soil, fresh water, and marine environments [8]. Bacteria are the most active agents in petroleum degradation, and they work as primary degraders of spilled oil in environment [7]. Several bacteria are even known to feed exclusively on hydrocarbons [9]. Floodgate [36] listed 25 genera of hydrocarbon degrading bacteria and 25 genera of hydrocarbon degrading fungi which were isolated from marine environment. A similar compilation by Bartha and Bossert [6] included 22 genera of bacteria and 31 genera of fungi. In earlier days, the extent to which bacteria, yeast, and ? lamentous fungi participate in the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons was the subject of limited study, but appeared to be a function of the ecosystem and local environmental conditions [7]. Crude petroleum oil from petroleum contaminated soil from North East India was reported by Das and Mukherjee . Acinetobacter sp. Was found to be capable of utilizing n-alkanes of chain length C10–C40 as a sole source of carbon [6]. Bacterial genera, namely, Gordonia, Brevibacterium, Aeromicrobium, Dietzia, Burkholderia, and Mycobacterium isolated from petroleum contaminated soil proved to be the potential organisms for hydrocarbon degradation [9]. The degradation of poly- aromatic hydrocarbons by Sphingomonas was reported by Daugulis and McCracken . Fungal genera, namely, Amorphoteca, Neosartorya, Talaromyces, and Graphium and yeast genera, namely, Candida, Yarrowia, and Pichia were isolated from petroleum contaminated soil and proved to be the potential organisms for hydrocarbon degradation [ Singh et al. ] also reported a group of terrestrial fungi, namely, Aspergillus, Cephalosporium, and Pencillium which were also found to be the potential degrader of crude oil hydrocarbons. The yeast species, namely, Candida lipolytica, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Geotrichum sp, and Trichosporon mucoides isolated from contaminated water were noted to degrade petroleum compounds [5]. Though algae and protozoa are the important members of the microbial community in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, reports are scanty regarding their involvement in hydrocarbon biodegradation. [Walker et al. ] isolated an alga, Prototheca zop? which was capable of utilizing crudeoil and a mixed hydrocarbon substrate and exhibited extensive degradation of n-alkanes and isoalkanes as well a aromatic hydrocarbons. Cerniglia et al. observed tha nine cyanobacteria, ? ve green algae, one red alga, one brown alga, and two diatoms could oxidize naphthalene. Protozoa by contrast, had not been shown to utilize hydrocarbons. 3. 3 Factors affecting Degradation A number of limiting factors have been recognized to a? ect the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons, many of which have been discussed by Brusseau. The composition and inherent biodegradability of the petroleum hydrocarbon pollutant is the ? rst and foremost important consideration when the suitability of a remediation approach is to be assessed. Among physical factors, temperature plays an important role in biodegradation of hydrocarbons by directly a? ecting the chemistry of the pollutants as well as a? cting the physiology and diversity of the microbial ? ora. Atlas [4] found that at low temperatures, the viscosity of the oil increased, while the volatility of the toxic low molecular weight hydrocarbons were reduced, delaying the onset of biodegradation. Temperature also a? ects the solubility of hydrocarbons [8]. Although hydrocarbon biodegradation can occur over a wide range of temperatures, the rate of biodegradation generally decreases with the decreasing temperature. shows that highest degradation rates that generally occur in the range 30–40? C in soil environments, 20–30? Cin some freshwater environments and 15–20? C in marine environments . Venosa and Zhu [11] reported thatambient temperature of the environment a? ected both the properties of spilled oil and the activity of the microorganisms. Signi? cant biodegradation of hydrocarbons have been reported in psychrophilic environments in temperate regions. Nutrients are very important ingredients for successful biodegradation of hydrocarbon pollutants especially nitrogen, phosphorus, and in some cases iron [8]. Some of these nutrients could become limiting factor thus a? ecting the biodegradation processes. Atlas [11] reported that when a major oil spill occurred in marine and freshwater environments, the supply of carbon was signi? cantly increased and the availability of nitrogen and phosphorus generally became the limiting factor for oil degradation. In marine environments, it was found to be more pronounced due to low levels of nitrogen and phosphorous in seawater [10]. Freshwater wetlands are typically considered to be nutrient de? cient due to heavy demands of nutrients by the plants. Therefore, additions of nutrients were necessary to enhance the biodegradation of oil pollutant. On the other hand, excessive nutrient concentrations can also inhibit the biodegradation activity [11]. Several authors have reported the negative e? ects of high NPK levels on the biodegradation of hydrocarbons especially on aromatics [10]. The e? ectiveness of fertilizers for the crude oil bioremediation in subarctic intertidal sediments was studied by Pelletier et al. . Use of poultry manure as organic fertilizer in contaminated soil was also reported , and biodegradation was found to be enhanced in the presence of poultry manure alone. Maki et al. eported that photo-oxidation increased the biodegradability of petroleum hydrocarbon by increasing its bioavailability and thus enhancing microbial activities. 3. 4 Mechanism of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Degradation The most rapid and complete degradation of the majority of organic pollutants is brought about under aerobic conditions. Figure 2 shows the main principle of aerobic degradation of hydrocarbons [11]. The initial intracellular at tack of organic pollutants is an oxidative process and the activation as well as incorporation of oxygen is the enzymatic key reaction catalyzed by oxygenases and peroxidases. Peripheral degradation pathways convert organic pollutants step by step into intermediates of the central intermediary metabolism, for example, the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Biosynthesis of cell biomass occurs from the central precursor metabolites, for example, acetyl-CoA, succinate, pyruvate. Sugars required for various biosyntheses and growth are synthesized by gluconeogenesis. The degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons can be mediated by speci? c enzyme system. Figure 3 shows the initial attack on xenobiotics by oxygenases. Other mechanisms involved are (1) attachment of microbial cells to the substrates and (2) production of biosurfactants [12]. The uptake mechanism linked to the attachment of cell to oil droplet is still unknown but production of biosurfactants has been well studied. 4. Brief outline of the project work: 1. Procurement of oil Samples. 2. Procurement of Pseudomonas putida strain. 3. Sub-culturing the microbe in nutrient rich media for checking viability.. 4. Culturing microbes on a mineral salt media containing only crude oil as a carbon source. 5. Biodegradation studies. 6. Gravimetric analysis 5. Materials and Methods Soil Samples – Samples(500g) contaminated with oil used for hydrocarbons utilizing microorganisms, were collected from Nhava Sheva port in Mumbai(where a recent oil spill has took place). Crude Oil – Crude Oil is procured from an Oil production site of ONGC. Bacterial Strain – Pseudomonas Putida PS-I strain procured from NCL Pune. 5. 1 Preparation Of Nutrient Broth For preparation of nutrient agar, malt extract, yeast extract, Potassium dihydrogen phosphate and dextrose is required. Malt extract and yeast extract is generally used as a nutritious agent. Potassium dihydrogen phosphate i. . KH2PO4 is used as a buffering agent to maintain the pH. Dextrose is generally used as a carbon source because dextrose inhibits the growth of other micro-organisms. AUTOCLAVE is a device to sterilize equipment and supplies by subjecting them to high pressure steam at 121 ° C or more. Machines in this category largely operate by utilizing pressurized steam and superheated water. To sterilize culture media, rubber material, gowns, dressing, gloves etc. are used. It is particularly useful for materials which cannot withstand the higher temperature of hot air oven. CHEMICALS REQUIRED:- For 1000ml, Malt extract — 10 gm Beef Extract — 4 gm K2HPO4 — 1 gm Magnesium sulphate — 1 gm Sodium Chloride — 0. 5 gm pH — 7. 0 Agar — 15% PROCEDURE:- For preparation of 100ml of nutrient broth, around 100ml of double distilled water was taken in a conical flask. Malt extract, yeast extract, KH2PO4 and dextrose was weighed as per the composition mentioned above and added to the conical flask. The conical flasks are to be shaken so well so that all the chemicals should dissolve. pH was checked using pH meter and adjusted to 7. 0 using NaOH and HCl. The volume was made to 100ml by adding double distilled water. The above solution i. e. nutrient agar along with the Petri-plates was autoclaved at 15 psi and 15 minutes. Now the solution was allowed to cool down to ready to pour condition. PRECAUTIONS:- The autoclave should be done at 15 psi and 15 min. The pH should be maintained at 7. 0. 5. 2 Preparation of Nutrient Agar Slants from the Bacterial Strain For the preparation of Slants, Flame the inoculating loop to redness by holding it pointed down into the flame, starting near the handle and then moving the loop into the flame. This technique sterilizes the loop and, if wet with a culture, heats up the loop without spattering bacteria into the air and onto the surrounding area. Let the loop cool a minute. A hot loop will damage the bacteria cells. Using the fingers of the â€Å"loop hand† remove the cap from the stock culture tube and flame the tube mouth. Do not set the tube top down on the table. Insert the cooled sterilized loop into the culture tube being careful to not touch the sides of the tube. Touch the loop to the culture. You need not scrape a visible amount from the culture. Hold the tube as horizontal as possible to preclude particles from the air settling into the tube But do watch out for any condensate in the bottom of slant cultures. Don't let this fluid wash across the face of the culture. Remove the loop being careful again to not touch the tube sides. Flame the tube mouth and replace the cap. Remove the cap of the broth tube. Flame the top. Remember to hold the top in your fingers. Insert the loop into the Slant tube filled with agar and shake to remove the bacteria. Withdraw the loop, flame the tube mouth and replace the cap. Resterilize the inoculating loop and place it on the table. Never place a contaminated loop on the table. If there is any liquid in the bottom of the slant tube avoid sticking the loop into this condensate. 5. 3 Preparation of SubCultures of Bacterial Strain The Nutrient Broth Cultures are inoculated with the bacterial strain from the nutrient agar slant as detailed below. PROCEDURE Light your Bunsen burner. In one hand hold both the Nutrient Broth culture to be inoculated and the nutrient slant agar. Loosen the tube caps. In your other hand hold the inoculating loop. Flame the inoculating loop to redness by holding it pointed down into the flame, starting near the handle and then moving the loop into the flame. This technique sterilizes the loop and, if wet with a culture, heats up the loop without spattering bacteria into the air and onto the surrounding area. Let the loop cool a minute. A hot loop will damage the bacteria cells. Using the fingers of the â€Å"loop hand† remove the cap from the stock culture tube and flame the tube mouth. Do not set the tube top down on the table. Insert the cooled sterilized loop into the slant tube being careful to not touch the sides of the tube. Touch the loop to the culture. You need not scrape a visible amount from the culture. Hold the tube as horizontal as possible to preclude particles from the air settling into the tube But do watch out for any condensate in the bottom of slant cultures. Don't let this fluid wash across the face of the culture. Remove the loop being careful again to not touch the tube sides. Flame the tube mouth and replace the cap. Remove the cap of the broth tube. Flame the top. Remember to hold the top in your fingers. Insert the loop into the broth and shake to remove the bacteria. Gently shake the broth culture. This inoculated broth culture is incubated at room temperature for 72 hours and the bacteria is allowed to grow in the broth medium. 5. 4 Centrifugation of Crude Oil Centrifugation is a process that involves the use of the centrifugal force for the separation of mixtures with a centrifuge, used in industry and in laboratory settings. More-dense components of the mixture migrate away from the axis of the centrifuge, while less-dense components of the mixture migrate towards the axis. The precipitate (pellet) gathers on the bottom of the tube. The remaining solution is properly called the â€Å"supernate† or â€Å"supernatant liquid† The Crude Oil is Centrufuged at a speed of 5000 rpm for a period of ten minutes. The Contaminants in the oil are collected at the bottom of the tube in the form of pellets. These pellets can be removed by filtration using a filter paper. Now the concentrates oil which is free from impurities is collected in a flask and gently shaken. Spectophotometric Analysis Optical density, measured in a spectrophotometer, can be used as a measure of the concentration of bacteria in a suspension. As visible light passes through a cell suspension the light is scattered. Greater scatter indicates that more bacteria or other material is present. The amount of light scatter can be measured in a spectrophotometer. Typically, when working with a particular type of cell, you would determine the optical density at a particular wavelength that correlates with the different phases of bacterial growth. Generally we will want to use cells that are in their mid-log phase of growth. Typically the OD600 is measured. 5. 5 Subculturing Of Petri Plates with oil % of crude oil is mixed with 100 ml of Nutrient broth medium. The 1. 5g of agar is added to the medium and Nutrient Agar(with 1% crude oil) is prepared. Now take 6 Petri dishes. Open one of the dishes. Take the nutrient agar to be added and Swab the agar, barely pressing, side to side on the entire surface. The dish is closed immediately after swabbing to prevent contamination. The dish is sealed with tape around the edges to prevent co ntamination. Repeat the same procedure for the other dishes. Put the dishes in an incubator for 4 days to allow some growth. 5. 6 Biodegradation Studies Laboratory Biodegradation studies were carried out under optimized conditions for assessing the biodegradation potential of the pseudomonas putida PS-I Strain. After the desired interval of time, the petriplates were taken out and the bacterial activities were stopped by adding 1% N HCl. For the extraction of crude oil from these plates, 50ml of culture broth was mixed with 50 ml of acetone : petroleum ether (1:1) in a single separating funnel and shaken vigorously to get a single emulsified layer and acetone was added then to it and shaken gently to break the emulsification which resulted in three layers. Top layer was a mixture of Petroleum ether crude oil and acetone. Clumping cells aere formed in the middle layer and the bottom layer contains acetone, water and biosurfactant in soluble form. The lower two layers were separated out while the top layer containing petroleum ether mixed with crude oil and acetone is taken out in a fresh beaker. The extracted oil is passed through anhydrous sodium sulphate in order to remove the moisture. The petroleum ether and acetone were evaporated on a water bath leaving us with the dry oil clump. 5. 7 Gravimetric Analysis Gravimetric analysis describes a set of methods in analytical chemistry for the quantitative determination of an analyte based on the mass of a solid. the analyte must first be converted to a solid by precipitation with an appropriate reagent. The precipitate can then be collected by filtration, washed, dried to remove traces of moisture from the solution, and weighed. The amount of analyte in the original sample can then be calculated from the mass of the precipitate and its chemical composition. Gravimetric analysis is performed on the dry oil clump collected after the water bath. It is done by weighing the quantity of residual oil left after biodegradation in a tared vial. The mass of this crucible is subtracted from the initial mass of the 1% of oil that is added in the petridishes giving the amount of oil that is degraded due to the biological avtivity of the pseudomonas putida strain. 6. Results 6. 1 Growth Analysis of Pseudomonas Putida: The culture which was obtained in test tube slants was further sub cultured in conical flasks in a LB medium and the growth analysis was done to check the viability of the culture obtained. The growth kinetics plot was obtained by measuring the O. D. y using a visible spectrophotometer and recording the reading at regular intervals. The Graph was then plotted. 6. 2 Gravimetric Analysis: Biodegradation studies were conducted for 15 days and gravimetric analysis was done after every five days. The biodegradation effect was seen from the 5th day onwards. Laboratory biodegradation studies on crude oil by Pseudomonas putida No . Of Days| Initial Concn| Final Concn| Difference| Degradation (%)| 5 days| 1. 431  ± . 57| 1. 325  ± . 46| 0. 106  ± . 11| 7. 4| 10 days| 1. 453  ± . 71| 1. 198  ± . 38| 0. 255  ± . 34| 17. 54| 15 days| 1. 398  ± . 68| 0. 936  ± . 31| 0. 62  ± . 28| 33. 04 | 7. Discussion It can be seen that the degradation percentage of oil has increased from mere 7. 41 in the first 5 days to a good 33. 04 percentage towards the 15th day, from this it is clearly understood that pseudomonas putida is an ideal organism for bioremediation programmes. Moreover this rate of degradation has been obtained under normal conditions without any aid from surfactants or fertilizers. Hence there is scope for achieving much greater rates by using the above mentioned methods of fertilizing or adding surfactants. 8. BIBLIOGRAPHY (1). U. S. Enviromental Protection Agency (1990). Interim Report, Oil Spill Bioremediation Project. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Washington (2). T. Cairney. Contaminated Land, p. 4, Blackie, London (1993). (3). R. B. King, G. M. Long, J. K. Sheldon. Practical Environmental Bioremediation: The Field Guide, 2nd ed. , Lewis, Boca Raton, FL (1997). (4). Atlas, Ronald M. (1995). Petroleum Biodegradation and Oil Spill Bioremediation. Marine Pollution Bulletin 31, 178-182 (5) Hoff, Rebecca Z. (1993). Bioremediation: an overview of its development and use for oil spill cleanup. Marine Pollution Bulletin 29, 476-481. 6). Irwin, Patricia (1996). To clean up environmental spill, know your medium. Electrical World 37-40. (7). Swannell, Richard P. J. ; Lee, Kenneth; McDonagh, Madeleine (1996). Field Evaluations of Marine Oil Spill Bioremediation. Microbiological Reviews 60, 342-365 (8). Radwan, S. S. ; Sorkhoh, N. A. ; El-Nemr, I. M. ; El-Desouky, A. F. (1997). A feasibility study on seeding as a bio remediation practice for the oily Kuwaiti desert. Journal of Applied Microbiology 83, 353-358. (9). P. E. Flathman, D. Jerger, J. E. Exner. Bioremediation: Field Experience, Lewis, Boca Raton, FL (1993). 10). J. G. Mueller, C. E. Cerniglia, P. H. Pritchard. Bioremediation of Environments Contaminated by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. In Bioremediation: Principles and Applications, pp. 125–194, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1996). (11). P. J. S. Colberg and L. Y. Young. Anaerobic Degradation of Nonhalogenated Homocyclic Aromatic Compounds Coupled with Nitrate, Iron, or Sulfate Reduction. In Microbial Transformation and Degradation of Toxic Organic Chemicals, pp. 307–330, Wiley-Liss, New York (1995). (12). A. S. Allard and A. H. Neilson. Oil Eating Microbes 39, 253–285 (1997).

Resilience Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Resilience - Assignment Example Cases of terrorist attacks are being put as a story of the past with several methods to fight terrorism attacks being put in order. Moreover, disaster resilience is vitality. The federal government has been in the front hand, encouraging community resilience as a way to ensure a productive nation. A resilient nation is a prosperous nation. Resilient people, organizations, and even countries are blessed with such an outlook that they can change course and soldier on, even after misfortunes. Resilience is the will to recover from or adjust easily to misfortunes or change. Usually the affected becomes successful, strong or healthy after something bad happens. It’s always the goal of any country, organization or to bounce back to the normal state especially when hit by either calamities or economic downfalls. Measures have been put in place to ensure that these countries, organization or firms adopt resilience. Rather than making failure overcome them, they rise from their ashes a nd move forward. Sportsmen and women are advised to be resilient during training and competitions as in the end; it produces positive results. Resilience is quite different from resistance though the two share numerous similarities. Resilient people, organizations, and even countries are blessed with such an outlook that they can change course and soldier on, even after misfortunes. Resilience and resistance have quite some similarities and differences. Psychologists have identified that positive attitude and being optimistic makes one be resilient.

Health Information Systmes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Health Information Systmes - Essay Example Present day concern of disseminating information at a faster rate has led to the rising use of Data Systems that will monitor programs and services. Aging of the Population - Although the main impact of the aging of the population will not be felt for two decades or more, the growth of the population 85 years old and older will continue to strain nursing homes, home health, and other components of the long-term care system. Unprecedented growth of pharmaceutical industries has led to the emergence of new drugs and treatments in the market. Health Information system becomes indispensable since it will help in tracking drug interactions. In the recent times there had been considerable rise in the frequency of information exchange among the healthcare organizations. It becomes essential to have accurate records of treatment procedures. Inclusion of personal digital assistants (PDAs) into the healthcare system has also become of significant use. The major reason for the rising importance of Health Information System is the development of complex treatments and technologies. The organizations feel the need for a comprehensive data base since the volumes of patients and treatments have escalated in the last few decades. Inclination to opt for paperless records is another major reason for the popularity of this system of storing information. The vital factor among all the factors mentioned above is the growing number of patients and the advent of various complicated drugs and therapies. This has made the health care system highly dependant on computed system of acquiring information. Sleek and easy accessibility of information through computer s is preferred to bulky paper records. Advent of a host of new diagnostic tools and tests certainly require extra attention in information management with added emphasis on processing and storing documents. Heal Information system has proved to be a boon for clinicians, consumers and the health system. Besides reducing the amount of time spent in recording the details of patient care this automated system helps in eliminating inaccuracies and redundancy of data. Through this updated information system you get optimal access to information which also helps in improving the quality of care by rendering the streamlined information to the experts. (Conrick p 241) Module 2 As the head of Slainte health care organization I have to pay due attention to some issues arising due to the decision of accommodating the professional, administrative and maintenance Earlier Slainte health care organization had to cater themselves to the need of 1, staff of the destroyed hospital in the neighboring community. Due to this makeshift arrangement supposedly for4 years, I have to attend to the related matters about various layers of administration and smooth operation. Earlier my hospital had to serve 100,000 residents but now it has got the added responsibility to accommodate 50, 000 more people from its neighboring community. In order to provide the medical care to both the communities a plausible expansion process is to be sought out. Factors like present infrastructure of my hospital, staffs in every department and the number of beds available are to be considered before assessing the added requirements. I have to take into

Diffrenece between FAA Regulations (FARs) and UAE GCAA Regulations Essay

Diffrenece between FAA Regulations (FARs) and UAE GCAA Regulations (CARs) - Essay Example Firstly, the certificate holders location serves as the primary contact for corresponding between the certificate holder and FAA (Flighsim Aviation Zone 2014). The regulation also specifies registration markings, the aircraft type, as well as serial numbers of all aircrafts with the authority to operate. Nonetheless, the certificate holder cannot conduct operations with aircrafts or airports that do not appear in the FAA recommended list. Moreover, the operation specifications under FAA authorize the type of operations that flight operators may engage in (Remawi 2011). The rules and regulations have provisions for authorization as well as the limitations of certain areas and routes of operations. Most important are the provisions that concerns limitations on airport operations thus recommending limits for the aircraft operators. Another operation specification under FAA rules and regulations is time limitations (Flighsim Aviation Zone 2014). There are specific requirements that limit aircraft operations to specific time frame. The time limitations concerns overhauling, checking airframes, inspection on engines, rotors, appliances, and propellers. On the other hand, the regulation has operation specifications about interline interchange of equipment. Also, important are the regulations about deviation authorization and conditions under the regulation exempts certain operations. Moreover, FAA has specific regulations about additional maintenance that the aircraft requires as well as a wet lease data or information that the regulation requires (Remawi 2011). On the other hand, the regulation recommends that the aircraft operator must check that all the items that the administrator requires are present. Therefore, FAA regulations recommend the conditions necessary for airport operations and revolve around the s afety and well-being of the flight operator and the commuters or travellers. They regulate many aircraft

Should Military Personnel Receive Extra Rights GP week 2 Essay

Should Military Personnel Receive Extra Rights GP week 2 - Essay Example As a result, the military should not be any different from civilians in their rights, including drinking, if the crimes in our society are to be prevented and punished. Soldiers have almost the same civil rights as civilians. The Congress passed civil rights laws ensuring that soldiers’ civil rights are no different from those of civilians. Moreover, as any civilian, a soldier is entitled to an attorney, marriage, voting, inheritance and several other rights. However, unlike civilians, soldiers are not allowed to run for office, be it partisan or nonpartisan, especially if it conflicts with their duties (Globalsecurity.org, 2012). There are arguments that soldiers should in fact have more rights. They have more duties. As a result, one could argue that soldiers too could be allotted some additional rights. In 2010, there was a discussion in the Congress that drinking age should be returned to 18 for soldiers. The argument was that if they are considered adults enough to die for their country, then they can be adults with a beer in their hand too, regardless of the fact that alcohol caused over 25,000 deaths in 2009 (Bishop, 2010; Kochanek et al., 2011, p.11). The bill was rejected. Historically, there was a way for soldiers to become immune in front of the court – martial. Such example was in Hirshberg v. Cooke (1949), where a soldier was in captivity by the Japanese (Everett, 1960, p.373). He was released, discharged from the Navy and then reenlisted the following day (Everett, 1960, p.373). However, when his crimes against other captives were discovered, the court – martial could not try him under another enlistment. He was set free. Another important case is of two Special Forces units who murdered and disposed of a third member (Everett, 1960, p.373). They were out of the military when their crimes were discovered. However, civilian courts could not try them, and since

Icelands Business Laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Icelands Business Laws - Essay Example With the exemption to particular agricultural products, Iceland practices a liberal trade policy. Since being reviewed back in the year 2000, there has been no major changes made to Iceland's import system in spite of the entry into force of a new customs law on January 1, 2006. MFN (Most Favored-Nation) applied tariff in Iceland is 5.9% with a high percentage of tariff lines profit from duty free treatment. In agricultural products, average MFN applied tariffs is 18.3% according to WTO definition in comparison to other goods that is only 2.5%. The trade and investment relations in Iceland occur under preferential rules. Under various free-trade agreements, Iceland offers preferential tariffs on imports from its 37 WTO Member Nations. Despite the fact that Iceland's growing number of preferential agreements may be lessened by the nation's application of the Pan-European Cumulation System for rules of origin, this has increased the complexity of its trade system. Other outside factors affecting imports in Iceland include a value-added tax, excise taxes, and some other specific charges. Generally, such charges is considered a burden to small economies like Iceland and is significantly heavier than that of the tariffs themselves falling mostly on imports as Iceland depends on imported products in meeting most of its domestic needs. Export restrictions are practiced by Iceland with the purpose of protecting human and animal health. One specific example is the requirement that should be met by producers of lamb meat to export a percentage of their production in regulating the domestic supply. As a result, export goods made from agricultural raw materials gain from a refund equal to the difference between the cost of raw materials in the international and domestic markets. Iceland's law permits the establishment of free zones. Apart from agriculture, aid coming from the state is low and is generally of a horizontal nature due to the fact that it is focused mainly on research and development, support of small and medium-sized businesses, training, and job creation. Iceland's Environmental Protection Iceland had learned a lesson from the 1783 volcanic eruption and just how much it cost to the environment. The environmental disaster has been described as an amazing and portentous one and full of horrible phenomena (White 1789). The article of Brayshay and Grattan (1995) indicated that the emissions from Icelandic volcanic eruptions are capable of causing serious environmental damage, prompting alarm and panic among the population in locations far from the source. Grattan and Charman (1994) added that the palaeoenvironmental implications of this episode have been considered elsewhere, however the full impact on Britain was clearly profound and more work is needed to examine the wider European picture. The question being thrown for the future will be to seek more systematic evidence of crop damage and the impact of adverse weather on food prices. Nevertheless, valuable information that greatly extend our knowledge not only of the impact of volcanic eruptions on distant societies an d ecosystems have been made available on contemporary newspaper and journal accounts that also provide some new light on the character of the responses of those communities

Unit 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 2 - Assignment Example They should avoid open-toed shoes and sandals. Open shoes present hazards due to encounter with fluids or heavy or sharp dropping items. Women should be in hosiery or socks while men should wear socks. The female skirts should be knee length or longer. Exposing their chests because of low cut pants is inappropriate. Males are better in official trousers and shirts than in t-shirts (VCU 2012) A medical professional should be learned and be in possession of a degree from a technical or vocational school, or community college. The specifics of a medical professional depend on the position one seeks and the program attended. A professional must be accountable to the society and the patients on issues regarding health. A medical professional is responsive and available any time as a way accepting the commitment to the service. The professional respects other people be it patients, families, or other medical staffs. Finally, one must be committed to being fair, straightforward, and truthful while interacting with other people within the profession (Jonsen 2013). As a professional, my actions and decisions serve the welfare of others even at my own costs. I observe the code of ethics that specifies the obligations to my duties. I exercise good judgments, complete my responsibilities, and develop sensitive, mature and effective relationships with others. I respect other people, be it residents, medical students, or team members. My dress code is always smart whether in official or casual wears. I also remain truthful to my words while communicating with other

Health culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Health culture - Essay Example Defined medically, health refers to the absence of disease and disease causing organisms or conditions in human body. From biomedical model, disease is temporary organic condition that is curable through medical intervention. In addition, biomedical model views disease as a condition of a sick person who must undergo treatment. Furthermore, biomedical model argues that treatment of a disease is only possible after symptoms appear, and the treatment must be within a medical environment. The sociological understanding of health and illness concerns with the study of the social factors that lead to unhealthy conditions. This focus on the social origins of illness and effects guides to the concept of health inequalities. Health inequality refers to the difference in health conditions due to variation in access to health care facilities experienced by a given group of population within a country or between countries. Society is the main determinant of health inequalities experienced by particular group of people. Society contains various life factors such as ethnicity, economic prosperity, cultural beliefs, educational background, political affiliations and law, which have particular effects on health inequalities experienced within various societies and communities (Smith, 2003 pg. 9). Social gradient is the collective name for the highlighted factors of life within various societies. Social gradient acts as the test instrument for understanding the level of exposure of a certain group of people to experience health inequality. This is to mean that groups or individuals exhibiting most favorable social conditions or circumstances like good income or good education background have better access to be tter health care services and facilities. The better the access to better health care factors the longer the life of a given group or individual (Graham, 2009 pg. 52). The general implication of health inequality is that the poorer a group

Ethical Relativism and Rights, Equality and Justice Essay

Ethical Relativism and Rights, Equality and Justice - Essay Example This essay discusses that to Hamas, the conflict is all about responding to an aggressive and oppressive neighbor since it refused to recognize Israel and past Palestinian agreements regarding the border and settlements thus escalating the existing border tensions since 2006. The Palestinians living in Gaza Strip and West Bank have equal rights to express their opinions, practice their religion and access basic human services such as food and gas. Accordingly, the Palestinians must be treated equally with respect and dignity. Israel blockade in Gaza has created a humanitarian crisis since 2007 since all border crossing and naval pathways have been restricted in the territory it controls. Although Israel has claimed the goal of the blockade is to diminish Hamas capability of building rockets and mortars, such move has led to the suffering of thousands of Palestinian civilians since it has restricted access to basic services such as healthcare, food, electricity, gas and construction m aterials.Israel asserts that the airstrikes and ground incursion into Hamas is a retaliation of the teenage boys abducted by Hamas and perceives Hamas as a threat since it has launched numerous rockets into Israel territory. Hamas claims that Israel has no moral right of self-defense since it has occupied Palestinian land and implemented a blockade that has led to the humanitarian crisis. However, the best action by the United States is to call for the end of the current hostilities and conflicts that have claimed lives of innocent civilians.

Attitudes Towards Jewish Migration to Australia in the 1930s Essay Example for Free

Attitudes Towards Jewish Migration to Australia in the 1930s Essay Describe and account for attitudes towards Jewish migration to Australia in the 1930s (distinguishing between political and public attitudes). Did Australian policy towards Jewish refugees change significantly during and after war from what had prevailed in the 1930s? How would you explain the policy continuity or change? Throughout the 20th Century, the policy adopted by Australia towards Jewish migration can best be described as one of restriction and limitation. Australian political and public attitudes during the 1930s were influenced by fears of the Jewish community’s inability to assimilate into Australian culture, the threat that they may have posed on job security and standards of living as well as the potential for their arrival to stimulate extreme anti-Semitism problems within Australia. The outbreak of war and the publication of Jewish persecution in Europe did little to alter the feelings of insecurity towards Jewish communities in Australia. While there were some attempts to increase the arrival of Jewish people after World War II, the sentiment of the majority of the Australian population remained unchanged and restrictions on immigration were still enforced. This theme of underlying racial prejudice continued to shape Australian policy throughout this entire period. During the 1930s, it is evident that the Coalition Government, comprised of the United Australia Party and Australian Country Party, made attempts to restrict the immigration of Jews into the country. First and foremost, the recent Australian struggle through the Depression meant that the Government was intent on protecting the job security and living standards of the Australian populace. The migration of any foreign immigrants was therefore unpopular due to the threats it placed on the Australian worker. This policy became an excuse for limiting the number of Jewish refugees accepted into Australia and resulted in an increase of the amount of landing money required to five hundred pounds for alien immigrants. This requirement was difficult for the majority of Jewish refugees to satisfy, making their entry into Australia virtually impossible. This policy remained in place until 1936 when the amount required was reduced to two hundred pounds or fifty pounds with a guarantor. Due to the poor economic conditions that had been experienced in Australia throughout the 1930s, the Government was reluctant to increase Jewish migration when so many of the migrants were impoverished, meaning that they would place a further strain on the Australian economy. The Government was also reluctant to permit the entry of a significant number of Jewish refugees due to the belief of their inability to assimilate into Australian society compared with some other cultures. The Government believed that the Jews were a separate race due to their distinctly different religious beliefs and customs and that this would significantly inhibit their assimilation into the Australian population. Australia’s political attitude towards Jewish migration was made clear at the Evian Conference, a meeting for the discussion of Jewish refugees, in June 1938. Australia realised the importance of attending the meeting so as not to gain a bad reputation, however the outcome showed that the Government was unwilling to increase the number of Jewish immigrants into the country. At this international meeting, the Australian representative Colonel T. W. White stressed the idea that Australia did not suffer from internal racial problems and its desire to maintain these peaceful conditions meant that allowing ‘undesirable’ migrants into the country was not an option. Colonel White also made it clear that the Australian Government felt that as a young nation, the importance of maintaining a strong connection with its Anglo-Saxon roots was vital for the growth of the Australian population. At the conference, the nations present most often put forward the case that they had already done what they felt was enough in response to the refugee crisis without undermining the standards of living within their own countries. It was felt however, that due to the vast amounts of free space and low population compared to some other nations, Australia should take a greater role in accepting refugees as the economy would not be as degraded and these refugees had the potential to provide workers needed in primary and secondary industries. Despite the prevalence of this resistance to Jewish migration, it is evident that there was at least one politician who pushed for the Australian Government to accept more refugees. Stanley Bruce, a former Australian Prime Minister who moved to London and became the Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom was well known on an international platform due to his appearance at numerous world conferences and meetings as an Australian representative. He pressed for Australia to take a more humanitarian approach to the issue of refugee migration, especially after the Kristallnacht in Germany and Austria in November 1938. He appealed for the Government to increase its quota to 0,000 refugees over a three year period, thereby doubling the 15,000 quota suggested by the Australian Government. With a large increase in the number of applications being made to Australia House for entry into Australia after the Kristallnacht, this number seemed reasonable to Bruce. Instead it was decided in December of 1938 that Australia would accept 15,000 refugees over three years. In comparison with the number of refugees that had been accepted over the past five years, this was a significant increase, however not enough to satisfy the humanitarian plight of Bruce. It is also evident that this quota was never reached as the outbreak of war in 1939 saw the termination of immigration and by this time only 7-8,000 refugees had been accepted into the country. While the Government was developing its policy regarding migration during the 1930s, politicians were under a significant amount of pressure from the Australian public to limit the growth of the Jewish population in Australia. Interestingly, this sentiment was felt from groups in both non-Jewish and Jewish communities in Australia. The Australian Jewish community were opposed to the large influx of Eastern European Jews due to the difference in language spoken which they felt would make it difficult for them to assimilate easily into Australian society with the help of the already established Jewish community. Another fear was that due to the impoverished state of the Jewish refugees, the Australian Jewish community would be burdened by the arrival of the poor refugees and thus their status within society would be diminished. It was also hard to convince the majority of the Australian populace of the benefits of a large migrant intake. It is evident that many Australians felt that the Jewish population would undermine the standards of living as well as pose threats to the security of their jobs, a prominent issue after the hardship of the Depression. There was belief that the Jews were far too distinguishable from the normal ‘Australian way of life’ through the way they dressed, their general behaviour and their religious customs. This sentiment was particularly strong amongst religious groups within Australia. For example a particular Anglican group felt that the Jewish community should not be welcomed on a large scale as their beliefs would challenge the traditional Christian teachings of many Australians. It was also feared that the establishment of a larger Jewish community in Australia may lead to the development of a strong anti-Semitic . movement within Australia. The Australian community was aware of the problems this had created in other nations and was fearful that the same problem would face Australians. Therefore, the preference of the public was for the migration of smaller numbers of Jews, as it was felt they could be more easily assimilated into Australian culture this way. The public resistance to migration was further evinced by the fact that members of the public made requests to the Government to create specific application requirements and toughen selection procedures in order to restrict the numbers of migrants who were able to meet these requirements. Throughout this period Australians were unaware of the atrocities that were to follow during the war period and so their priorities lay with the protection of the economy, maintaining standards of living and ensuring peaceful relations between members of society. Despite this widespread public sentiment, there was some pressure from the media to increase Jewish migration for humanitarian reasons. The Sydney Morning Herald and the West Australian both stressed the need to make a larger contribution to the refugee problem and expressed that Australia was in fact not doing enough to assist the refugees. It is also evident that within some professions, there was encouragement of refugee migration, for example some architects in New South Wales welcomed the arrival of Jewish migrants with an architectural background as they had the potential to bring with them new ideas and thus add to the cultural identity of Australia. However, such opinions were in the minority and there is increasing evidence that the majority of Australians, along with their political counterparts, were sceptical of the Jewish arrival and wished for only particular migrants to be allowed into the country that were non-intrusive and therefore able to assimilate easily. While Jewish migrants that entered Australia during the 1930s did their best to quickly assimilate into Australian society, the outbreak of war in 1939 prevented this from occurring as once more Jewish migrants were seen as aliens who threatened the security of Australia. Throughout the first few months of the war, newspapers around Australia detailed some of the atrocities occurring in Europe against the Jewish population. However by 1940 the large publication of this murderous activity had declined significantly. While the papers still published stories about the treatment of Jews in Europe, the Australian public was largely unaware of the extent of the persecution. With the world at war, Australians were fearful of people who had previous ties with Germany and the Nazis and therefore refugees were termed ‘enemy aliens’. In Britain this led to harsh internment policies of these potential spies, however in Australia the internment policy was more relaxed. It is evident however that even if the refugees were not interned during the war period they were often treated with hostility by other Australians. Jewish communities in Australia also had to deal with frequent police checks and restraints on their freedoms, such as the ability to own a radio. There is evidence to suggest that post-war attitudes to Jewish persons in Australia in many respects mirrored those of the pre-war years. After the direct attack on the Australian mainland during the second half of World War II, Australian Government policy was directed towards increasing the population so as not to leave the vast unoccupied lands in Northern Australia unprotected. For the first time, Australia began to look further than Britain for prospective migrants, although it is apparent that regardless of this, Jewish migration was still looked upon unfavourably. After World War II, both of the major political parties shared a similar view in relation to Jewish migration; that the emphasis should be placed on the arrival of British migrations in preference to any others. The newly appointed Minister for Immigration, Arthur Calwell’s policy in the early post-war years implied a restriction on Jewish migration. While he had introduced a family reunion scheme in which 2,000 survivors of the Holocaust could be united with family in Australia, this only lasted for a period of twelve months, after which time limitations on Jewish migration were increased. One such example was the limitation of the number of Jewish migrants per ship arriving in Australia to 25% of the total number of people travelling on the ship. The Liberal party policy under the Opposition leader Robert Menzies followed along the same lines as the pre-war policy in that Jewish migration should be kept at a minimum due to the potential for extreme anti-Semitism to develop in Australia and the impact that the migrants may have on Australian standards of living. Under the direction of Calwell, migrants were accepted through the Displaced Persons Scheme. Under this scheme there were 34,890 arrivals into Australia in 1946, of which only 187 were Jews. Of these 187 Jewish arrivals, only 156 were permanent migrants. This is an incredibly low number given the large number of Jewish people that would have been seeking respite after the end of the Holocaust in Europe. A statement regarding the migrant intake in 1946 by Calwell expressed his feelings that the Australian Government had done all that it could at the present time to assist with the post-war refugee problem. He also expressed that the Government was only able to accept refugees that already had family living in Australia with whom they could settle with due to the housing shortage being experienced at the time. The post war attitude of the Australian public towards Jewish migration attitude was also reminiscent of the 1930s period. Australians had developed a fear of foreigners after their close encounter with the Japanese during the second half of World War II. This insecurity led them to believe that Jewish migrants would smuggle opium into the country. The Jews were also criticised for their preference to establish communities within the city as opposed to rural areas where Australians thought migrants would make a more significant contribution to the development of the nation. There were numerous newspapers and magazines which circulated negative opinions towards the post-war migration of Jewish persons to Australia. For example an excerpt from the Bulletin in August 1946 detailed the feelings of many Australians at this time that Jewish migrants should be some of the last ethnic groups considered due to the tendency for them to form ghettoes and compete with Australians for jobs. One public attitude that did change was that of the Australian Jewish community. Instead of looking towards the Jewish refugees as a threat to their social status, after the horrors of the Holocaust, many people were keen to provide as much assistance as possible to the survivors. Therefore the Australian Jewish community were supportive of the Government’s family reunion programme and the seemingly humanitarian plight of Arthur Calwell at this time. Under increasing pressure from the public and other members of Government, Arthur Calwell’s humanitarian position on Jewish migration was changed to restrict Jewish immigration. From 1947 onwards the refugee immigration program ceased to exist and so the ability to migrate to Australia was determined by the suitability of the person for employment in Australia. This change in policy made it increasingly difficult for Jewish people to migrate to Australia as Peter Witting found when he and his family applied to leave Shanghai for Australia in 1947. It is also evident that the Australian Government made false claims that acceptance decisions were made without racial prejudice when the selection committee of the International Refugee Organisation in Australia were secretly told to select only migrants of Baltic background, thereby excluding Jews once again. Overall, it can be seen that Australia’s attitudes towards Jewish migration followed a similar pattern from the 1930s through to the immediate post-war years. The underlying feelings of Australians throughout this period were of anxiety, apprehension and hostility which ultimately impacted on the attitude of Australia towards migrants. The restrictions placed on migration in the 1930s via the quota system and high landing permit costs through to the opinions displayed at the Evian Conference portrayed an image that suggested an Australian fear of Jewish people. These feelings were motivated by the fear of the rise of anti-Semitism in Australia and threats to the security of Australian jobs and standard of living that the public and government believed Jewish migration would pose. These tensions remained during the war when the Government placed restrictions on the freedoms of Jewish people, who were considered a threat to the security of Australia. During the post-war period, despite the fact that there was some effort to increase the numbers of Jewish people entering Australia through Government policy and the support of the Jewish Welfare Society in Australia, the Australian public remained sceptical of the arrivals and the effects they would have on society. The further restrictions placed on Jewish migration after 1946 indicates that minimal changes to political and public opinion were evident over time and that racial prejudice against Jewish migrants still existed after the events of World War II.

Fiji Water Essay Example for Free

Fiji Water Essay FIJI Water has recently been accused of greenwashing. Greenwashing is a term that is used to describe companies that mislead their consumers into believing that they are an environmentally safe company. With the threat of global warming due to greenhouse gases, many people have become extremely sensitive to companies that aren’t doing their part to keep the world a great place to live for thousands of years to come. This has caused problems for FIJI Water because their business is successful only if they are able to get consumers to buy their water even though they aren’t an environmentally friendly company. Fiji, an island located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, has to ship bottled water 5,500 miles to the United States, which produces 216,000,000 pounds of greenhouse gases per trip. This has a huge impact on the environment and therefore has led to many conservationists attacks due to FIJI Water’s claim to go carbon negative. FIJI Water promised to reduce their packaging by 20 percent per year, supply at least 50 percent of the energy used at its plants with renewable energy, optimized logistics and use more carbon-efficient transportations modes, restore degraded grasslands in Fiji, and support recycling programs for plastic bottles. They claimed that this would have a net reduction of carbon in the atmosphere, and used the slogan â€Å"every drop is green† to symbolize that their company wasn’t doing any harm to the environment. While they promised this and created a website to show that they were going carbon negative, there were no numbers to prove that they actually accomplished what they intended to do. I completely agree with the conservationists that they are greenwashing because it’s hard to believe that a company exporting 90 percent of their products to places that are thousands of miles away and emit a ton of greenhouse gases would be able to be carbon negative. Some companies don’t get caught for their greenwashing, but when it’s completely obvious it’s hard to fool customers, especially conservationists.

Distribution And Abundance Of Marine Invertebrates Biology Essay

Distribution And Abundance Of Marine Invertebrates Biology Essay Many marine invertebrates of diverse and varied phyla, have a common reproductive strategy that involves a multi-phase life cycle that occupies two dramatically different environmental habitats. The separate mobile pelagic larval phase and the predominantly sedentary or sessile bottom dwelling phase is linked by a settlement event. Larval forms are usually very different from adult forms. Reproduction involves the eggs and sperm and/ or larvae being released in generally very large numbers into the water column. Here, most of the pelagic larvae are potentially capable of dispersing long distances from parental populations. They develop and grow for a certain period of time before metamorphosing into adults. During their time in the water column, the larvae feed on phytoplankton and small zooplankton, including other larvae. Their small size and abundance also make them susceptible to predation by other larger marine creatures. Their huge numbers probably increase their chances of sur vival. Overall the probability of successful recruitment is low. It used to be thought that this strategy represented an open system where chance settling out of larvae led to distribution and abundance of benthic phase adults governed mainly by post-recruitment effects (Thorson,1950, Caley,1960) Several recent studies on the dispersing larval phase of marine invertebrate life cycles suggest that patterns of larval supply are not the only factor influencing invertebrate population dynamics. It is now thought that the larvae themselves can influence their probability of success. Larval behaviours are responses to two challenges predator evasion and selection of a suitable settlement site. Supply side ecology ( Lewin. 1986) emphasizes the role of recruitment in limiting adult populations and structuring benthic communities. At the end of the dispersal phase, the abundance of larvae at settlement can be highly variable, both spatially and temporally. Variation in settlement can be caus ed by larval mortality and predation rates, transport mechanisms and larval behaviours. Moreover, coupling of larval supply with adult abundance seems also to effect distribution (Hughes et al 2000) The extent to which local larval recruitment depends on production by local adults is not clear and the extent of relative openness of marine benthic invertebrate populations is uncertain.(Strathmann et al, 2002, Swearer et al 2002) However, there seems to be significant planktonic processes in the pre-settlement stage that that influence population dynamics of settlement, recruitment and subsequent adult populations. Habitat selection by planktonic larvae can overcome patterns predicted by patterns of larval supply (Jenkins, 2005). Factors influencing distribution and abundance of species Biotic and abiotic interactions and dynamics within each phase of the life cycle have the potential to influence the distribution and abundance of the adult populations. Adult populations have specific environmental requirements and occupy habitats with particular constraints. These may be physical characteristics such as tidal gradient, exposure, rugosity, habitat complexity, depth. salinity and temperature gradients.There are also biotic factors. A readily available food supply is fundamental but distribution is also influenced by competition and predation. The need for reproduction and dispersal often favours clustering or at least close proximity of adults to ensure fertilization. Dispersal and recruitment of the larval stage ensures the continuance of the species but the role of the planktonic larval stage in invertebrate population dynamics is not yet fully understood. Differences in recruitment vary both both temporally and spatially but the extent that this effect has on adul t abundance and distribution is still a matter of debate (Jenkins, 2005, Pawlik, 1968, Hughes et al, Grosberg and Levitan. 1992 and others). The influences of post settlement density related processes of predation and competition have to be considered in relation to influences effecting the larval stages of the invertebrate. Reproductive strategies influencing dispersal and recruitment A multi-phase life cycle is a reproductive strategy that can offer several advantages for benthic dwelling invertebrates especially those with sessile adult phases such as barnacles and tunicates or sedentary adult phases, such as mussels and crabs. The evolution of a larval stage allows adults with limited movement to disperse their young into new territories. The ability to disperse is an important adaptations of benthic marine invertebrates. The length of time the larvae spend in the water column can be hours days weeks or months depending on the species. Lecithotropic larvae are provided with a source of nutrition to use during their dispersal, usually in the form of a yolk sac, although some lecithotrophic larva can feed many, such as tunicatesare will not, and have to settle before their food source runs out. As a result, these species have short pelagic larval stages and generally do not disperse long distances.(Pawlik, 1986, Pawlik 1992) Planktotrophic development is the most common type of larval development, especially among benthic invertebrates. Many species have relatively long pelagic larval durations. During this time in the water column larvae feed and grow, and many species move through several stages of development. Barnacles, for example, undergo six moults before becoming a ciprid at which stage the stage they search for an appropriate substrate. to settle on (Molenock and Gomez, 1972). This strategy produces the potential of long distances dispersal and colonization of new territorys it also enables species to move away from any habitat that has become non-viable or overcrowded. Larval dispersal, or advection away from the spawning site may decrease competition between the different life stages as larvae use a different food source from the adults. Moreover, filter-feeding adults such as barnacles, are less likely to imbibe their own offspring and other benthic predators are also avoided. A pelagic larval phase that has a long duration is a strategy that could help some species break there parasite cycles. Settlement and recruitment are the initial processes in determining adult population structures. The term settlement is used to describe the transition from a pelagic to a benthic way of life. This is the process where the larvae descend from the water column and take up a permanent abode on the sea bed. Metamorphic changes allow the larvae to acquire the features suitable for their new benthic life style. The settlement process starts with the onset of behaviour patterns associated with a phase of searching for suitable substratum, In the case of sessile invertebrates, this is succeeded by the initiation of permanent attachment to the substratum. This triggers morphogenic changes which culminate in metamorphosis into the juvenile form. Recruitment is generally a reference to newly settled individuals that have survived to a specified size after their settlement (Keough Downes 1982). Variability in recruitment to adult populations is a significant dynamic in the dispersal and abundance of marine invertebrates. The analysis of mechanisms which control settlement and recruitment and of the conditions under which recruitment variation affects adult distribution and abundance is complex but fundamental to understanding population and community variability. Supply side ecology Supply-side ecology is a term coined by Lewin (1986). This way of looking at population dynamics incorporates the potential role that variable larval input and variable recruitment plays in determining the size of local adult populations, Caley et al. 1996, Hughes 1984, 1990, Hughes et al. 2000, Gaines and Roughgarden 1985, Roughgarden et al. 1985) Larval. supply is influenced both by transport mechanisms and larval behaviours. Variation in settlement potential can impact on the distribution and abundance of adult invertebrate populations. Influence of larval supply (or successful recruitment) on population or community structure and its importance relative to other factors. The abundance of larvae in the water column affects the temporal variability of settlement. Post-settlement mortalities can be potentially replaced by new settlement from a plentiful larva supply where benthic mortality is caused by density independent factors (Karlson and Levitan, 1990). Variability in larval supply can be associated with reproductive cycles of adult individuals (Roughgarden et al 1991). Pelagic larval forms are very susceptible to predation by various other marine animals. Rates of larval mortality can affect larval supply for settlement and recruitment. Mortality levels can be reduced by larval behaviour strategies aimed at predator avoidance . This is particularly significant in estuaries which often serve as nursery areas for fish and as a consequence are generally more abundant in predators (Dibacco et al 2001). Avoidance behaviour takes place on both small and large scales. Some larvae avoid predation at a small scale by sinking down the water column when thr eatened by a predator (Zaret and Suffern, 1976). More commonly a general large scale predator avoidance strategy used by many larvae is that of becoming nocturnally active. This limits fish predation as most fishes need light to find and hunt their prey. During the day the larvae are inactive and in shallow waters they remain hidden. Many invertebrate larvae may avoid predators by leaving the immediate coastal zone and developing in the open sea where their are fewer predators. In the open sea, in common with other planktonic species, invertebrate larvae can significantly reduce their risk of predation through diel vertical migrations (Marta-Almeida M, et al 2006) During the day they sink down to in the water colem were there is less light and fewer predators and come up to shallow waters where they feed at night on food such as micro-algae which are abundant in the photic zone. Variable predation at different depths may affect spatial variation of larvae within the water column. Va rying mortality can be caused by retention in the water column for too long. The highest mortality in marine populations occurs during the larval stages, so mortality plays a significant though largely unquantified role in larval dispersal. Abiotic effects such as wind patterns (Mc Quaid Phillips, 2000) currents and other hydrographic factors (Gaines et al 1985, Pineda, 2007) can directly influence larval distribution and supply. as a means of larval transport Larval behaviours responding to local hydrographic features (Jackson 1986) can indirectly influence supply. Larval behaviours by positioning themselves strategically in the water column can utilise or avoid tidal flows or currents. (Gaines et al. 1985, Forward, R.B. Jr, and R.A. Tankersley 2001) This may be important in returning to find the restrictive habitat requirements needed for adult populations. Larvae are capable of. highly discriminative behaviours ,particularly on small scales where larval behaviour can be an important determinant not just of larval distribution and abundance but their behaviour patterns may also influence the subsequent adult distribution and abundance through local variations in settlement and / or recruitment. Although some larvae can extend their survival for a short time if they do not find a suitable place to settle (Gimenez, 2004), their life span as a larva is finite and survival depends ultimately on successful settlement and recruitment. Delay can influence post metamorphic effects and ultimate success. Larvae that have spent too long in the water column may settle and recruit juveniles that have less chance of survival to adults. In this way the influence of the larval stage has bearing on the subsequent adult population. Successful recruitment involves the selection of and often the attatchment to a suitable substrate and subsequent metamorphoses. There are many dangers at this stage. Larvae of shore dwelling species need to avoid becoming stranded by the tide and becoming desiccated. They must find a settlement site at an appropriate tidal height for the requirements of the adult phase and avoid competition. This is a limiting factor for sessile invertebrates space as the larvae need to find space on the habitat where they can settle as well as avoiding predation from adult filter feeders. Overcoming these problems depends on larval behaviours and responses to chemical cues and physical cues such as geo taxis and/or photo taxis. Different species have different triggers (Morse, 1991, Gebauer et al 2004). The interaction of physical processes and biological reactions to chemical cues. are particularly significant on small spacial scales. These interactions represent active selection of micro-sites an d effect both the settlement processes and the abundance of settlement. Chemical cues can be from conspecific individuals (Crisp and Meadows, 1962, Kingsford et al 2002, Pawlick 1986) microbial films (Rodrigues et al.1992) and prey species. Many herbivorous species are induced to settle by presence of crustose algae on which they feed eg abalone (Morse1990 and limpets (Steneck,1982) Barnacle larvae at settlement are influenced by the speed of water flow, contours of the sub-stratum. and increases in light levels (Crisp, 1976). It is thought that some recruitment may take the form of short and episodic pulses (Levin 2006). Recruitment windows, (Pineda,2007) where settlement events take place simultaneously in large numbers, sometimes over wide areas have been identified for some species such as corals, but mechanisms and interactions at work are not understood fully. In open systems like these, degradation of breeding stocks could result in a reduced recruitment to a wider areas.(Hughes et al 2000). Variation in dispersal and the processes and patterns of demographic connections work together to influence patterns of distribution and abundance. Variation in recruitment can also effect the potential survival of the recruits to form adult populations, as numbers of recruits can potentially effect the extent of subsequent biological inter-actions such as predation.(Fairweather, 1988). In this way post-settlement effects can be influenced both by patterns of settlement and environmental factors. Conclusion Understanding the population dynamics of marine invertebrates requires the consideration of the interplay of all stages of the invertebrate life cycle with its environment not only those affecting the adult forms. Larval abundance, mortality, transport mechanisms and behavior before and during settlement are all significant variables that can effect adult populations. The role that multiphase life cycles and their complex inter-relationship with marine ecosystems play in determining population abundance and distribution is not clear. The larval stage of invertebrates has for many years been a largely unknown quantity, but knowledge about the role of larval behaviors is growing. In order to understand the processes by which larvae are dispersed in the water column and to assess recruitment potential, new chemical methods of identifying larval species with similar morphologies using an environmental sampling processor may make it easier to detect, identify and quantify different larval species in situ in the marine environment (Jones et al 2008) Where different behavioural patterns between species evade or take advantage of the general effects of physical oceanographic conditions such as currents or temperature variations, detection, analyses and quantification may further the understaning of the influence this may have on the complexities of settlement and recruitment and their subsequent effects on population abundances and distribution..

Equality in School Finance Essay -- essays research papers fc

Equality in School Finance In The Story of the Education Dollar, Odden, Monk, Nakib and Picus describe some basic facts about education spending in the United States to facilitate an understanding of the level and uses of the federal government's policies on education funding. The purpose of the authors' discussion is to argue that public education facilities need to change their focus on the consumption of educational resources to a focus on producing high levels of student achievement. They contend that such a redirection in focus will require large improvements in student achievement, given that only about 10 percent of students currently attain the desired level of achievement across the board in mathematics, science, writing, history, geography and civics. James Traub expands on their discussion to argue for the necessary inclusion of after-care activities for inner-city youth in any successful educational spending program. Odden et al. note that their analysis of spending patterns across the 50 states is supported by the conclusions reached by the Finance Center of the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE), although the results of their research did diverge in some significant ways. Odden et al. examined spending and staffing patterns at the district and school levels. They also scrutinized staffing patterns of expenditures by function and program and spending across curriculum content areas in California, Florida and New York. Their major conclusion was that while there had been considerable national investment in public education during the 20th century, as a rule the funds were distributed unfairly and used ineffectively. The largest portion of increased spending during the 20th century occurred to hire more teachers to reduce class size and to provide more out-of-classroom services, particularly for special education purposes. However, they argue that neither strategy boosted student achievement very much. Also, although education spending has increased teachers' salaries, it has not been used to improve the quality of the teachers. Notably, Odden et al. found that both low-spending and high-spending school districts fund education spending in the same proportions, meaning that high-spending districts tend to have lower class sizes and higher teacher salaries. The authors argue this discrepancy reflects the "fiscal regulariti... ...otes that while we must, as Odden et al. advocate, approach each reform program as though it could provide unlimited success, we must also take into account the demonstrated limitation of such programs. Significantly, blacks still score about 200 points lower than whites on College Boards and an average 17-year-old black student reads at a 13-year-old level. Thus, Traub argues, schools are not the final arbiter of student achievement. He contends that a child's home life and social culture, which can fail to nurture mental and intellectual stimulation, should be taken into consideration when drafting reform programs. He suggests the inclusion of programs such as Impact, a multi-purpose, social service program that offers year-round day care, adult literacy programs, and health care programs. At the least, the calls for the need for after-school activities that provides an alternative environment for inner-city youth. Bibliography Odden, Allan, Monk, David, Nakib, Yasser and Picus, Lawrence. "The Story of the Education Dollar." Phi Delta Kappan (October, 1995): 161-168. Traub, James. "What No School Can Do." New York Times Magazine (January 16, 2000): 52-91.

Personal Values Development Paper -- Ethics Morals Personal Narrative

Personal Values Development Paper Personal values and ethical standards are almost like your DNA, individually yours. There are so many people with different values and ethical standards that there may be some that are similar to yours, however, I believe that there are no two exactly alike. People's ethics and values are instilled by one's culture, background and environment. In my family, traditional values were very important to our upbringing. The concepts of religion, family, unity, honesty, and education were instilled at an early age. We were taught to obey and that the first duty of a child was to make our parents proud. I learned very early in my life about diversity, being one of six children brought up by the same set of parents and in the same environment with the same values how differently our values and ethics are. As far back as I can remember my parents instilled into us that religion was the uttermost important thing in life. First was God and church then your family, every night we were reminded to say our prayers, to pray for our family, friends and those less fortunate than us. Without fail every Wednesday we attended bible study and every Sunday we attended church service. If for some reason we failed to come home on time to make bible study we were not allowed to go out or talk on the phone until we attended Sunday service or if we failed to make it to Sunday service we were not allowed to go out or talk on the phone until we attended Wednesday night bible study. As children we had no problem attending services, however as teenagers my two older brothers and I started to have a little bit of a problem with this attending church twice a week thing. I remember accusing my parents of chuffing r... ...to the business owner of our family run business. And due to all the various types of responsibilities associated with each occupation, my personal values have gone through some adaptability or you may say maturity. Which in part has made me the person I am today, I strive to impart good working values on to my employees by doing to them what I would have wanted someone to do for me. By example I strive to be an honest, compassionate, and trust worthy business manager and family member. By no means am I perfect, believe me my family would vouch for that, however I do strive to instill into my nieces and nephews the same values and morals that my parents instilled into us. And everyday I strive to improve in each area just a little bit more, if I can help one person become a better person in my lifetime then my parents have succeeded in raising a good person.

The Enron Implosion and the Loss of Respect for the Accounting Professi

The Enron Implosion and the Loss of Respect for the Accounting Profession On the surface, the motives behind decisions and events leading to Enron’s downfall appear simple enough: individual and collective greed born in an atmosphere of market euphoria and corporate arrogance. Hardly anyone—the company, its employees, analysts or individual investors—wanted to believe the company was too good to be true. So, for a while, hardly anyone did. Many kept on buying the stock, the corporate mantra and the dream. In the meantime, the company made many high-risk deals, some of which were outside the company’s typical asset risk control process. Many went sour in the early months of 2001 as Enron’s stock price and debt rating imploded because of loss of investor and creditor trust. Methods the company used to disclose its complicated financial dealings were all wrong and downright deceptive. The company’s lack of accuracy in reporting its financial affairs, followed by financial restatements disclosing billions of dollars of omitted liabilities and losses, contributed to its downfall. The whole affair happened under the watchful eye of Arthur Andersen LLP, which kept a whole floor of auditors assigned at Enron year-round. In 1985, after federal deregulation of natural gas pipelines, Enron was born from the merger of Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, a Nebraska pipeline company. In the process of the merger, Enron incurred a lot of debt and, as the result of deregulation, no longer had exclusive rights to its pipelines. In order to survive, the company had to come up with a new and innovative business strategy to generate profits and cash flow. Kenneth Lay, CEO, hired McKinsey & Co. to assist in developing Enron’s business strategy. It assigned Jeffrey Skilling to the task. Skilling, who had a background in banking and asset and liability management, proposed a revolutionary solution to Enron’s credit, cash, and profit worries in the gas pipeline business: create a â€Å"gas bank† in which Enron would buy gas from a network of suppliers and sell it to a network of consumers, contractually guaranteeing both the supply and the price, charging fees for the transactions and assuming the associated risks. Thanks to the young consultant, the company created both a new product and a new paradigm for the industry—the energy derivative. Lay was so impressed with Skilling’s ... ... excellence stand in satirical contrast to allegations now being made public. Personally, I had referred several of our best and brightest accounting, finance and MBA graduates to Enron, hoping they could gain valuable experience from seeing things done right. These included a very bright training consultant who had lost her job in 2000 with a Houston consulting firm as a result of a reduction in force. She has lost her second job in 18 months through no fault of her own. Other former students still hanging on at Enron face an uncertain future as the company fights for survival. The old saying goes, â€Å"Lessons learned hard are learned best.† Some former Enron employees are embittered by the way they have been treated by the company that was once â€Å"the best in the business.† Others disagree. In the words of one of my former students who is still hanging on: â€Å"Just for the record, my time and experience at Enron have been nothing short of fantastic. I could not have asked for a better place to be or better people to work with. Please, though, remember this: Never take customer and employee confidence for granted. That confidence is easy to lose and tough—to impossible—to regain.†