YouTube Ethnography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

YouTube Ethnography - Essay Example The study of sociolinguistics in different contexts of language usually indicates that the different languages in play contribute to the different sociological views that people have of the language users. In the same case, political, geographical and social ideologies are derived from the social study of the use of language in different individuals. The patterns with which language is spoken is used to make descriptive judgments of the individuals who are involved in the language itself. These patterns and structures of language define the different varieties of language use that are in play in the current population. These patterns are usually derived from the recurring sameness in sound that describe the physical action of speaking, and its use in conveying meaning to the audience. Sociolinguistics includes the study of several language systems that are in play in conversational situations to try to understand the meanings that are conveyed by the physical actions of speaking the language and the implications of the different variations on the individuals using the language. In this case, the YouTube video called â€Å"Shit Italians Moms Say† will be analyzed in terms of the different variations of language use evident in the video. This paper will discuss the themes of language ideology, code switching, multilingualism, diaglossia and dialect. One of the first analyses of language use is focused on diaglossia, which refers to the use of two or more different dialects in a language use. Diaglossia in different communities usually defines the use of closely related dialects in one language community for different situations (Fansold 152). For example, in community, one variation of a dialect can be used for formal situations and the other variation of the language can be sued for informal conversations. In sociolinguistics, diaglossia is usually divided into two main language varieties, the first being the normal vernacular usage of the language. The n ormal vernacular usage of a language is defined as a low-level variety, which is used for normal conversation outside formal areas of language use. The second variation of language use that concerns diaglossia is a highly codified variety, which refers to the language used in formal situations lime education or literature. The second high-codified branch of language use is usually not used in conversational situations, since it is too formal for this application. In this case, the highly codified variety of a language is usually an older stage of a language, for example, the use of Standard English, which is a derivation of common variations of normal English (Fansold 153. In the video being described, diaglossia is seen in the way the actors in the video use their English in informal situations, where the language is a low vernacular-based version of the language. The language is interjected with different language use mechanisms that would not qualify for use in formal settings. F or example, the use of the ‘phenomenal’ interjection by the mother in the video is not formally correct. The actors in the video use a localized version of the English language to communicate with other members, which, combined with the physical usage, defines a broad are of diaglossia. The effect of diaglossia in the video is also emphasized by the use of two languages of equal standing to convey meaning to the audience. The main speaker in the video repeatedly interjects Italian words into the English language, which defines the social structure of the audience in the video. This indicates that the main people in the video are Italian. The second language variety context use in the video is the

Imagining My Future Essay Example for Free

Imagining My Future Essay My hand flies to my heart, the other to Matthew’s hand. I startle awake from an endless nightmare. Luckily, I haven’t awakened my sleeping husband, who I must say sleeps like a rock. I stretch out and sit up, the covers pooling around my waist. The moonlight continues to shine into our room from the balcony. I give Matthew a quick kiss on his hand and slowly crawl out of bed into the depths of our house. I wander the empty hallways of this home Matthew and I have built. Pictures line the wall from our wedding, to the birth of our three wonderful children, Braden, Katarina and Adam. I couldn’t imagine any better life. As my hand skims the wall, my feet sink into the plush purple carpet that lines the hall. I touch the cold metal of my first son’s door knob and hesitantly open the door. Braden is twelve-years-old, and as athletic as his father. The first thing he learned to say was â€Å"Dada† and knew how to skate before he could walk. Hockey must be in his genes – he’s the captain of his Pee Wee B hockey team. He has a great future set in front of him. I tip-toe over to his queen size bed covered with blue sheets. Braden takes after his father in looks as well. His eyes are the rich color of the sky and grass combined; his hair a dark chestnut brown; a smile that is so perfect, he didn’t need braces. As I stroke his hair and pull the covers up, I remember the first time I dropped him off at school and I imagine how he’ll deal with going to a new school next year since its seventh grade. I turn off the music he plays every night to help him fall asleep, and exit his room as quiet as I entered. Katarina is only a year younger than her brother. She’s only eleven and is as independent as a teenager. She’s sprawled out on her queen size bed covered with bright colors that swirl around. I watch her breathing, a slow rhythm of ease as she dreams ever so peacefully. She takes after me, which I’m thankful for. Her eyes are a rich green, her hair a bright blonde, but Kat was born with teeth like her great-grandmother. She’s almost to the ripe age to get braces. I hope she won’t get teased when she gets them; it’s a grave fear of mine. Kat is always striving to be her unique self, and doesn’t exactly care what others think of her. Her fearlessness is something most other girls her age crave for. She’s a bookworm, just like her mother as well. Matthew and I brought her skating multiple times, but she didn’t really get the same sensation her momma felt as a figure skater. Instead, she’s a dancer – hip-hop and ballet – and she’s extremely gifted. Where she received her gracefulness on feet is something I question myself with everyday. She’s my angel, her father’s little girl, and her brothers’ best friend. I glance over to her window which is right above her bed. The moonlight casts a light upon her drooling face and I manage to hold back a giggle. I wonder how many hearts Kat will break when she enters the scary and dreaded place of high school. My littlest boy, Adam, sleeps the farthest away from his parents. He has the intelligence of Einstein and is constantly questioning everything. He isn’t big into the high-contact sport as his older brother, but is enjoying music quite much as well as tennis. Adam is eight, and loves his guitar. He plucks the strings night and day. His looks are that of mine and Matthew’s. As he sleeps, he snores a bit and fidgets, but the stuffed tiger his grandmother gave him is tucked safely away in his arms. Right now, Adam wants to be a rock star. I only hope he achieves the dream he decides on. His clothes are scatter around his floor and being as restless as I am, I can’t help but not pick them up. CD’s of oldies line shelf after shelf. I watch him move and he silently calls out for â€Å"Grandma.† Grandma Fern passed away few months ago and little Adam was her absolute favorite. When Adam found out about her death, he was devastated. He took up a vow of silence and wouldn’t come out of his room. Finally, Matthew and I were able to soothe him out to talk to us. He’s been back to his talkative self ever since. I close the door and hear the â€Å"click† of the door. I wander back up to my room, and dance to the balcony. I flop into the overstuffed red love seat Matthew and I placed outside. In the distance, I can see a glimmer of the soft lake that is only minutes away from my home. I cross my legs and sigh to myself. â€Å"Well hello there. Didn’t you ever learn to close the door?† a deep, rough voice says. I quickly whip my head around to see the man I call my husband. â€Å"Oh, dear I’m so sorry! I was caught up in how beautiful the night sky looked. I didn’t even think about the door.† I say hastily. â€Å"Well, I’m glad you forgot. You can’t keep this to yourself, you know.† Matthew says as he joins me. I’ve known him since I was a junior in high school and I’ve been infatuated with him ever since. His face is turned toward the night sky, and I can’t help but wonder how this fascinating creature is with me. Matthew has been playing hockey ever since the age of five, and has a knack at it. He played for the Fighting Sioux in college, and was moved up to the professional league when the Washington Capitals signed him to their roster. He was ecstatic about the offer. My children and I can’t go and stay with him i n Washington State, but we go to every game we can. He’s my children’s hero, and my own to love. I place a single hand on his cheek, an act I’ve always done towards him. â€Å"It’s almost morning wife. What are you going to make for breakfast?† he teasingly asks me. He knows whatever I cook, he has to help with. â€Å"Well, I was thinking some bacon, maybe an omelet. Unless you prefer something more five star.† I instantly challenge him. He picks me up and throws me over his shoulder as if I was as light as a feather. He lays me on the bed and suddenly we are in a game of chasing each other around the bedroom. He never ceases to amaze me. Of course, Matthew lets me win and we stroll downstairs to the kitchen, starting up the coffee, and planning out what to feed our children.

Character Analysis Of Anse Bun Essay -- essays research papers

Character Analysis of Anse Bundren Anse Bundren is an ugly old man. He is probably in his fifties or sixties. He is very ugly. He has terrible posture and a hump in his back. He looks like he never shaves in a scraggly way and his face is very wrinkled. It isn’t tan because he never spends much time in the hot sun. He has no teeth which is probably his most distinguishing characteristic. He used to be a tall man but even when he was young, he was beginning to show the signs of a hump. Addie comments on this in her chapter. She asked him if he had any womenfolks to make him stand up straight. There is not much background about Anse’s childhood or what it was like for him growing up but one can assume that his father and he share some similar traits. By the time he asked Addie to marry him, he was living on his own small farm alone. Anse has a shy side to him. He drove past Addie’s school teaching job several times before he got up the courage to talk to her. Apparently he went all out once he did get the courage and asked her to marry him the first time they ever spoke. He shied around this and did it subtly. When Addie asks him if he has any womenfolks, he says “That’s what I came to see you about.'; When Anse was twenty three he got sick and passed out while sweating. Since then he has come to believe that if he ever sweats again he will die. So therefore, he gets by without doing any hard work. He NEVER sweats because th...

war on drugs :: essays research papers

A News Analysis By Terence T. Gorski (5-28-01) Tom Cohen of the Associated Press reported on May 28, 2001 that Canada's drug control policy is slowly but clearly shifting toward decriminalizing marijuana. This Canadian political movement is in opposition to current trends in US drug law and could influence future direction of drug policy in the United States toward a public health addiction policy that focuses upon prevention and treatment and away from a criminal justice drug policy that focuses upon punishment as a deterrent. Canada has historically been more tolerant of marijuana than the United States and arrest statistics show the disparity in the two nation's approaches. The Canadian Center on Substance Abuse said about 25,000 people were arrested in Canada for simple possession of marijuana in 1999. The U.S. figure for that year under the ``zero tolerance'' policy of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration was 24 times higher, exceeding 600,000, says the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in Washington. The U.S. population is about eight times that of Canada's. Justice Minister Anne McLellan says the issue should be studied, and a new Parliament committee on drug matters will look at decriminalization. Conservative Party leader Joe Clark is urging the elimination of criminal penalties for possessing a small amount of pot. ``It's unjust to see someone, because of one decision one night in their youth, carry the stigma - to be barred from studying medicine, law, architecture or other fields where a criminal record could present an obstacle,'' Clark said last week. The government has proposed expanding medicinal use of marijuana, and the Canadian Medical Association Journal recently supported full decriminalization. Canada's Supreme Court will consider a case this year that contends criminal charges for the personal use of marijuana violate constitutional rights. Making possession and use of small amounts of marijuana a civil offense - akin to a traffic fine- instead of a criminal violation would move Canadian policy closer to attitudes in The Netherlands and away from the United States, its neighbor and biggest trade partner. U.S. anti-drug activists are worried that legalization of marijuana in Canada could depress prices in the United States making marijuana more available. Legalization in Canada would also boost the arguments of American advocates for easing U.S. drug laws. Joseph A. Califano Jr., president of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, and a former U.S.

Stratford Sherman Eight Steps Toward Integrity

After reviewing Stratford Sherman Eight Steps toward Integrity, it has different components of business ethics that businesses can use as a basic guideline. The Eight Steps toward Integrity include: doing what we say we will do, doing the right thing, taking responsibility, supporting our own weight, holistic thinking, checking the mirror, defining the rules and values. The first step is doing what we say we will do which â€Å"includes keeping promises and meeting deadlines†¦ —and often, tough negotiation—prior to making commitments. (Stratford Sherman). Doing the right thing includes being aware of what’s right and performing the right actions. This also includes accepting the consequences. Taking responsibility is simply taking responsibility for your actions. Supporting your own weight â€Å"means functioning as a whole. † (Stratford Sherman). Holistic thinking is â€Å"an appreciation of wholeness in the world supports its practice. † (St ratford Sherman). Checking the mirror is taking the time to do an honest review of you or as Sherman said pause for reflection.Defining the rules and values is simply rules about the basics that can be applied to almost anything from couples to organizations. New local health codes require that trash dumpsters be at minimum of thirty feet from the rear entrance of the building. The new laws also include that all out buildings be at minimum of six feet from the property line; Sandwich Blitz is in violation of these laws. The enclosure that houses the trash dumpster is five feet from the property line. The government inspector has told the unit manager that he would be willing to approve this if Sandwich Blitz provides the food for his department's holiday party.Dalman and the Location Manager should decline the government inspector offer for multiple reasons. One reason is because this is very unethical for business owners to accept a bribe when they’re violating the law and t his is also unethical for the government inspector to make this offer. Dalman and the Location Manager need to do the right thing, take responsibility, and support their own weight. But let’s say that Dalman and the Location Manager accept the government inspectors’ offer.What if another inspector comes to inspect the building after Sandwich Blitz have already provided the food for the inspectors department holiday party? The issue still remains that the enclosure that houses the trash dumpster is only five feet from the property line when laws require it to be six feet from the property line. Dalman and the Location Manager need to strategize other solutions such as finding out if the enclosure can be redesigned or if they can move the whole structure back only 1foot so that Sandwich Blitz will not be in violation.

An analysis of the Luncheon of the boating party

An analysis of the Luncheon of the boating party Introduction The painting titled Luncheon of the Boating Party by Pierre Augusta Renoir was done in the year 1881. This painting was guided by real life models all of whom being Renoir’s friends who had gathered on the balcony of the Maison Fournaise , a boat commonly found in Chatou, France. The boat was floating along the Seine River and it apart from the roof, its balcony was basically open to an impressive view.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on An analysis of the Luncheon of the boating party specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Subject matter Pierre Augusta Renoir was an impressionist whose works mostly feature his close friends. The Luncheon of the Boating Party is no different and it includes approximately fourteen individuals. Some of the most prominent characters as from the painting include: Gustave Caillebotte-this was a fellow artist and a close friend to Renoir. He later came to be the custodian of the painting. From the work, he is seated in the forefront wearing a white singlet. He was a revered impressionist and was also a determined boater. Aline Charigot-this is the lady seated in the foreground wearing a black dress. In the painting she is playing with a small black dog. She would later get married to Renoir. Charles Ephrussi This was one of Renoir’s wealthy friends and he was an amateur art historian. He was also a collector and at times doubled up as the senior editor of a magazine called the Gazette des Beaux-Arts. In the painting, he is in the far background sporting a black top hat and, white shirt and a black coat. Jules Laforgue this was Ephrussi’s personal secretary who also happened to possess some poetic skills. He sometimes took on the role of an art critic. Though it has not been confirmed, he is suspected to be the young man dressed casually in a brown jacket and speaking to Ephrussi in the background. In the middle of the composition is an actres s known as Ellen Andrà ©e. She is the one drinking from a glass and she sits directly opposite Raoul Barbier; a baron who happened to be Renoir’s friend.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Louise-Alphonsine she is positioned in the periphery of the composition, to the left of the painting and she has a traditional straw boater on her head. She is bent over the railing of the balcony, smiling and she is supporting her head in her right hand. Alphonsine Fournaise, Jr.-This is Louise’s brother and he is standing next to his sister also wearing a traditional straw bloater. He is the one who took care of the boat rental he is the leftmost character in the painting. Eugà ¨ne Pierre Lestringez-he is wearing a boater and is positioned to the right of the composition in the right hand corner. Paul Lhote-This was Lestringez’s close friend and he was also an ar tist. In the painting he is placed next to Lestringez and they both have been depicted flirting with Jeanne Samary-an actress. Visual characteristics The positioning of the artist was such that he was able to achieve a well balanced painting aside from capitalizing on the dispersion of light to obtain clear and appealing images. The light was also used to capture the mood of the event and Renoir made sure that he used all available reflectors to ensure that the painting was evenly lit. From what we can pick out of the painting, the light mostly came from an opening to the side of the balcony. In order to ensure that the light was evenly spread across the entire composition, Renoir used the white singlets of the two men as well as the large tablecloth in the foreground to disperse it as per his requirements. In order to obtain a well spaced composition and still illustrate the celebratory mood of the event, Renoir made an effort to ensure that he could get in as many characters as p ossible in the background and then put fewer individuals in the foreground. By so doing, the painting developed some element of space without making the party look empty.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on An analysis of the Luncheon of the boating party specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As far as the usage of color is concerned, the artist made sure that white colors stood prominently in the foreground, middle-ground and background of the painting. This was contrasted by an almost uniform usage of black colors in order to avoid a bleaching effect. The usage of color in this painting is most impressive with the background having some lighter tones and the foreground bearing some darker shades bring about the element of distance from the balcony to the trees in the far background. Mood The mood of the painting is celebratory, with the artist trying to illustrate that characters presented in the composition were having a good time. aside from the strategic use of light and color, Renoir managed to lighten the mood of the scene by properly capturing the happy looks on the faces of the characters as well as ensure that the positioning of the characters was in such a way that it depicted some sense of interaction. Personal involvement with the painting Initially, my attention to the painting was almost drawn to focus on the three characters in the right foreground of the composition. At first I thought that the man wearing a white shirt and a black tie, and leaning in towards the two seated characters was a waiter taking an order. It is only after focusing on the literature and paying further attention to the entire scenario that I was able to figure out that this was a boat. The lady playing with the dog (Aline Charigot), also captured my attention and I kept wondering why she had chosen to ignore the bulky man in a white singlet next to her, and instead focus her attention to the dog. After completi ng the assignment I was also in a position to notice more individuals in the background and even appreciate the various interactions at the time of the party. I definitely agree with the book authors that participation and analysis enhance a viewer’s appreciation of art. This is because from the personal experience in this project, I was able to see much more from the work of art after I was done with the analysis than the first time I looked at the painting. Artistic form, subject matter and content work together to send out the desire message of a composition. From this analytical experience, it is easy to notice how the three work together. The painting would not have relayed the same message had the colors and lighting been ignored or if Renoir had chosen to ignore the importance of balancing the subjects in the work.

Should Middle-Eastern males be subject to more stringent sea essays

Should Middle-Eastern males be subject to more stringent sea essays The day after September 11th, people started to think how we could prevent it from happening again and improve airport security. I think a vital question came up in order to stop another September 11th scene. The question should Middle-Eastern males be subject to more stringent searches at airports than non Middle-Eastern males. I shall answer that question by using three articles. First one is The Case for using Racial Profiling at Airports, by Stuart Taylor Jr. He says Arab passenger might attempt to hijack an airplane. Second article At First Glance-Racial profiling, burning hotter, by John Derbyshier, who says we should have racial profiling in airports. The third one is One the Right, by William F. Buckley Jr., which appeared in National review on June 17, 2002 who says Arabs have been engaged in every identified act of terrorism. The article The Case for using Racial Profiling at Airports, talks about using racial profiling at airports and how all people who have hijacked an airplane to kill Americans have been Arab men. The next article At First Glance-Racial profiling, burning hotter, which says using racial profiling in airports to protect our selves from harm and how racial profiling is a way to prevent terrorism. The third article On the Right, says racial profiling could be used in airports and it can happen without repealing the Bill of Rights. In the article called The Case for using Racial Profiling at Airports, by Stuart Taylor Jr., which talks about how there is a higher mathematical probability of an Arab passenger is more willingly to try a mass murder suicide hijacking than blacks, Asians, or whites. It has been proven that Arab men who hijacked airplanes have only one purpose, which is to kill Americans. The government wants to prevent Arabs from mass-murder Americas and right now, only the Arabs have been willingly to try and attempt to hijack an airplane. I think right now we should focus our att...

Explanation of the Five Themes of Geography

Explanation of the Five Themes of Geography The five themes of geography are as follows: Location: Where are things located? A location can be absolute (for example, latitude and longitude or a street address) or relative (for example, explained by identifying landmarks, direction, or distance between places).Place: Characteristics that define a place and explains what makes it different from other places. These differences can take many forms including physical or cultural differences.Human Environment Interaction: This theme explains how humans and the environment interact with each other. Humans adapt and change the environment while depending upon it.Region: Geographers divide the earth into regions making it easier to study. Regions are defined in many ways including area, vegetation, political divisions, etc.Movement: People, items, and ideas (mass communication) move and help shape the world.After teaching these concepts to students, continue with the Five Themes of Geography assignment. The following assignment is meant to be given after the teacher has presented the definitions and examples of the five themes of geography. The following directions are given to the students: Use the newspaper, magazines, pamphlet, flyers, etc. (whatever is the most readily available) to cut out an example of each of the five themes of geography (Use your notes to help you find examples.):Location Place Human Environment Interaction Region MovementPaste or tape the examples to a piece of paper, leave room for some writing. Next to each example you cut out, write what theme it represents and a sentence stating why it represents that theme.Ex. Location: (Picture of a car accident from a paper) This picture shows relative location because it portrays an accident by the Drive-In Theatre on Highway 52 two miles west of Everywhere, USA.HINT: If you have a question, ASK - dont wait until the homework is due!

The First World War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The First World War - Research Paper Example e various occurrences culminated to this occurrence of this war, it is the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 who was the heir to Austria-Hungary throne in Sarajevo, Bosnia that eventually prompted the occurrence of the war (Gilbert 2008). The First World War involved the great powers of the world at that time. Mainly, there were two alliances that were involved: the Triple Alliance or the Central Powers who included Italy, Austria-Hungary, and Germany; and the Allies who comprised of Russia, France, and the United Kingdom (De Groot 2000). The war paved way for a number of economic and political changes. In order to have a better understanding of the First World War, this paper will discuss the war in general, the key people that were involved, significant events of the war, technological advances during the war, the advantages and disadvantages of the war, as well as the positive things that came out of the war. The First World War occurred in a span of four years and involved many nations as well as key people. The first notable figure was Herbert Asquith who was the Britain’s Prime Minister at the time when the nation entered into the war (Strachan 2005). During this time he struggled to unite the nation but he was unsuccessful and he eventually bowed out of the Prime Minister position. The second key figure was the then Imperial Germany Chancellor, Bethmann Hollweg; he tried to tear apart the Triple Alliance of Russia, France, and Britain. However, his efforts were unsuccessful because he lacked the support of other Germans. It should be noted that he had unsuccessfully attempted to calm the international events prior to the start of the war (Robbins 2002). General Aleksey Brusilov is the other key figure of the First World War; he was the Russian commander during the war and he significantly contributed to success in 1914 in Galicia. He is considered one of the successful people by the standards of the war as he was able to capture

Topic Selection 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Topic Selection 3 - Essay Example s to recover from bankruptcy, legislation and business debt restructuring require that the underlying problems be assessed in order to ensure that the risk of another bankruptcy period does not occur. Debt advice is also required together with financial teaching about how to use money in accordance to how it is received. Help is needed in order to find other sources of income that will ensure smooth running of a business without the necessary need to borrow money. Debt settlement plans should be drafted so as to reduce the debt accrued over a certain period. Partial payment should be made in order to start build up of a company again (Wood, 2007).   Psychology in business is what leads the business back to recovery, both in the market sector and the global sector. Using psychology, the cash flow burden to the company if minimal as it is done in a correct manner. When sales decrease, then the market value of a company decreases and recovery from such may take time. It dictates that a company should be more careful with the services and products that it is offering to the public otherwise there will be a shortage of customers. With the correct input of sales, the cash flow into the company will turn out to be more that the cash flowing out. This will enable the company to make profits and boost the economy (Wood,

Biometrics in the Private Sector(472) Research Paper

Biometrics in the Private Sector(472) - Research Paper Example This system offers plenty of benefits if incorporated in hospital administration. Firstly, it helps ease the workload in busy check-in areas where patients are made to provide a lot of information. The beauty of this system is that a simple hand scanning provides the hospital authorities with all the previous medical history of the patient. The BayCare Hospital Group uses the Patient Security Identity System in its all hospitals to identify the patients. In the opinion of Greene (2008), this is much more accurate than using numbers and names to search for patient records. For example, names may have different spellings but this unique system avoids such chances of misidentification. In addition, in some cases of emergency where the patient is unconscious and unable to provide the health care providers enough information about their identity and medical history, this hand reading can offer the history of past medications and health conditions. Thirdly, this is a useful strategy in cut ting down the chances of fraud Greene, 2008). To illustrate, there are cases in which patients use the name and insurance of other people illegally. However, this system prevents them from escaping identification. However, one has to admit the fact that there are serious issues associated with the collection, storage, and use of biometric information. For example, according to Abernathy & Tien (2003), the information collected may be subjected to function creep, which means the data collected is used for purposes other than the ones consented at the time of collection. For example, it is possible to use the medical history of a person to deny future medical insurance coverage, identifying the possible future susceptibility to certain fatal illnesses. Secondly, there are Radio Frequency Identification chips which enable someone to read this information anonymously, even from a distance of 20 meters (Abernathy & Tien, 2003). The risk of

Profit and loss account - Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Profit and loss account - - Assignment Example This ratio determines the efficiency, profitability and liquidity level of the company. Profit margin is one of the ratios that is used to determine the amount of profit a company makes over time. Both A and B there is improved performance since the profit margin is seen increase in the year 2012 (Siddiqui, 2005). These two ratios determine the liquidity position of a company. While current ratio includes inventories, acid test ratio does not. They measure the capability of a company to meet up the obligations that are falling due. A ratio of higher than one is considered good. Both A and B there is improved performance since the acid test ratio increased in 2012 while the current ratio remained unchanged. These ratios measure the ability of the company to convert stock to cash. In both A and B there is reduction in debt collection period and this implies increased efficiency since the period it takes for the debts to be cleared is reduced. This in the end shows an improvement in the year

Aesthetic of the Maqbool Movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Aesthetic of the Maqbool Movie - Essay Example Arjun Appadurai on giving his opinion about Maqbool said that the notion of the nation-state is on the edge of disappearing; however, its maintenance is based on certain ethical and political dimensions. It is because of the permeability of borders that the idea of national cinema is being questioned as the borders are being pushed and broadened. The major difference found in the Hollywood and Bollywood movies belonging to the same genre as Maqbool is the incorporation of music and background scores. For example, thriller movies like Maqbool, All about my mother, Black Orpheus etc. in Hollywood incorporate the background scores in order to provide more depth to the storyline. There are no thriller-drama Hollywood movies where songs can be found in the background. However, in Bollywood movies, there is a significant place for songs as they are used to define some intense and important scenes of the movie. The function of a song in the Hollywood movies is just to define the complexity of the scene, whereas its function in Bollywood movie may include defining the importance of a scene. Few songs that are used in Movie Maqbool define the infatuations between the movies lead character (Rastogi). The Bollywood film industry has always cherished the spirit of love in their movies. Most of the Bollywood movies irrespective of their genre incorporate love and romance. However, this is not always the case of Hollywood movie. The thriller dramas of Hollywood most of the time do not incorporate love story just to cater to some specific type of audience. The Hollywood thrillers usually revolve around a strong storyline following the authenticity of the original script, rather than focusing on the audience by including the elements of love and romance. In Bollywood movies, the love and romance constitute a significant part.

Profit and loss account - Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Profit and loss account - - Assignment Example This ratio determines the efficiency, profitability and liquidity level of the company. Profit margin is one of the ratios that is used to determine the amount of profit a company makes over time. Both A and B there is improved performance since the profit margin is seen increase in the year 2012 (Siddiqui, 2005). These two ratios determine the liquidity position of a company. While current ratio includes inventories, acid test ratio does not. They measure the capability of a company to meet up the obligations that are falling due. A ratio of higher than one is considered good. Both A and B there is improved performance since the acid test ratio increased in 2012 while the current ratio remained unchanged. These ratios measure the ability of the company to convert stock to cash. In both A and B there is reduction in debt collection period and this implies increased efficiency since the period it takes for the debts to be cleared is reduced. This in the end shows an improvement in the year

Coping With Nonmarital Breakups Chapter Outline Coursework

Coping With Nonmarital Breakups Chapter Outline - Coursework Example This means that studying nonmarital breakups is confirming whether there ever was a nonmarital relationship - a two sided one- in the first place! C. The value of accounts The person's oral or written narratives explaining their experiences or actions describing characters and events and inferring the meaning and motives in the course of retelling and reviewing the love stories. V. Personal-good reasons to study breakups Knowing about relationships can improve your specific experiences. For instance, breakups do have lessons and influence future expectations and plans to choose to act differently next time. VI. The breakup process This confirms the various steps and process that people undergo when relationships lead to breakups. A. Intimacy: A cost-benefit analysis Social creatures are faced with two risks, rejection and betrayal, when pursuing intimacy. Rejection can occur when the hope-for relationship never develops, cut short, or fails when the other expresses dissatisfaction. Betrayal is insidious, a threat that emerges only if intimacy succeeds-for a time. The other, having the advantage of special information, having gained our trust, turns around and turns on us, revealing our vulnerabilities, badmouthing us, teasing us. Why then do we willingly hand that very risky unknown our phone number Why do we have to take heart breaker one more time 1. The need to belong As social creature, we need each other, our presence, and the possibility of closeness. Relationships confer unique benefits on individuals. B. Phases and stages of breakup: Weiss's study of marital separation 1. Obsessive review This involves mental search for explanations, driven to some extents, "If only" and regrets. For the leaver and the leave, the end... Social creatures are faced with two risks, rejection and betrayal, when pursuing intimacy. Rejection can occur when the hope-for relationship never develops, cut short, or fails when the other expresses dissatisfaction. Betrayal is insidious, a threat that emerges only if intimacy succeeds-for a time. The other, having the advantage of special information, having gained our trust, turns around and turns on us, revealing our vulnerabilities, badmouthing us, teasing us. Why then do we willingly hand that very risky unknown our phone number Why do we have to take heart breaker one more time This involves mental search for explanations, driven to some extents, "If only" and regrets. For the leaver and the leave, the end of a relationship is traumatic and triggers a self protective review of reasons and signs which could prevent future losses. There are two types of loneliness, emotional loneliness and social loneliness. The emotional loneliness refers to the isolation, focused on missing one's intimate partner and losing the unique comforts of that relationship. Social loneliness is disorientation and excommunication one feels when one has lost one's place and marital status. Aft

Integrating learning styles Essay Example for Free

Integrating learning styles Essay Facilitators use different learning styles such as auditory, kinetic, and visual methods to enhance each student’s ability to grasp material the simplest way possible. Through research, instructors have adapted many instructing methods to tap into each student’s learning style without alienated other strategies necessary for various learners. Auditory strategies may include speeches, tapes, or auditoria tutorials so the students can complete their work as they listen to the facilitator’s instructions thoroughly (Felder and Soloman, p.1). Instructors should emphasize the key words during their speeches to trigger the student’s critical listening skills. The keywords of the speech should be relative to their new material, but it must advise them on how to carry out the motions as well (Family Education, p. 2). As in online tutorials, the student must be able to hear the instructions and place the instructions in action by kinetic learning methods. Kinetic methods can include on-hands learning opportunities such as drawing, playing, or writing. An example of this would be to write out the format of a mathematical equation. The students learn to articulate the mathematical structure of the equation in order to answer the question more thoroughly (Felder and Soloman, p. 2). Instructors can use hands-on applications to break the barrier between the textbooks and the information’s overall objective. For instance, an electrical engineer must use their knowledge in the field in order to work diligently through their coursework. It is very important to give the students a chance to have a complete understanding of what their class material is about through kinetic methods. Visual instructions show students how to replicate the sequence for a given answer (Family Education, p. 1). For example, a student must know the basics of a mathematical equations in a more, in-depth way to capitalize on the verbal (auditory) and kinetic (working out) aspects of the subject matter. Reference Cited Felder, R. M. and Soloman, B. A. Learning Styles and Strategies. North Carolina State University. Retrieved October 25, 2006 from http://www. ncsu. edu/felder-public /ILSdir/styles. htm. â€Å"Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic Learners. † (2006). Family Education. Retrieved October 25, 2006 from http://school. familyeducation. com/intelligence/teaching-methods/38519. html.

Media And Growth Of Bacteria

Media And Growth Of Bacteria To grow and reproduce, microorganisms require nutrients as their source of energy and certain environmental conditions. Adaptation to different habitats has been acquired by microbes living in the exposed environment. In the laboratory, however, these requirements are to be met by a culture medium. Therefore, media preparation is an essential aspect in microbial growth. There is a wide variety of media which can be used for laboratory purposes. Generally, similar procedures can be used in the preparation of media. In this practical, YT broth is prepared from yeast extract, trypton, NaCl and agar. YT broth is a commonly used bacterial Esherichia coli culture media in molecular biology. Usually, YT medium is applicable for phage DNA production. Compared to LB broth, YT is a richer medium in which it supports higher cell density and a longer growth period for E. coli. Bacteria are the most abundant and most important biological component as they involve in the transformation and mineralization of organic matter in the biosphere (Cho Adam, 1988; Pomeroy Wiebe, 2001). Generally, growth is defined as an increase in number of cells. Bacterial cell growth depends upon a large number of cellular reactions such as transforming energy. Syntheses of small molecules are performed to build macromolecules and to provide various cofactors and coenzymes for biochemical reactions. Polymerization of monomers builds the macromolecules in the bacterial cell. As the macromolecules accumulate in the cell, they are assembled into new structures with specific functions such as the cell wall, cytoplasmic membranes, ribosomes and flagella, if to name a few, and eventually lead to cell division. E. coli is used as a test organism in this practical for investigating the bacterial growth. Such a growing rod shaped cell bacterium elongates to approximately twice their original length and then forms a partition that constricts the cell into two daughter cells. This process is known as binary fission. A partition called the septum is formed by the inward growth of the cytoplasmic membrane and the cell wall from opposite directions. The septum continues to grow inwards until the two daughter cells are pinched off. When one cell separates from to form two daughter cells, one generation has occurred and the time required for binary fission is known as the generation time. Under the best nutritional conditions, the generation time of a laboratory E. coli culture is approximately 20 minutes (Buettner et al., 1973). The growth stages of bacterial cells are described in a growth curve consisting of the lag phase, exponential phase, stationary phase and death phase (Zwietering et al., 1990). In the lag phase, the bacterial cell begins to grow only after a period of time due to new environment being inoculated. The time interval of lag phase depends on the growth conditions and the history of the inoculum. If the growing culture is transferred into the same medium under the same conditions, there is no lag phase and exponential phase starts immediately. However, if the inoculum transferred is taken from the stationary phase in an old culture, lag phase is observed. This is because certain essentials of the cell have depleted and time is required for biosynthesis of new constituents. The lag phase is also observed when the cells are transferred from a rich culture medium to a poorer culture medium. In the poorer condition, the cells need to synthesize the essential metabolites that are not present i n the previous medium. Thus, time is needed by the cells to produce new enzymes. In the exponential phase, the cell divides to form two cells, both the total cell number and mass double but there is no change in the average cell mass. The cells are said to be in their healthiest state. The rate of exponential growth varies widely among microorganisms. The rate is influenced by environmental conditions and the genetic characteristics of the organism itself. In the stationary phase, the essential nutrients of the culture medium are used up and at the same time, the wastes produced by the bacterial cells accumulate in the culture medium. Thus, growth is inhibited. The exponential growth is ceased and the cells reach the stationary phase. There is no net increase or decrease in the cell number and hence the growth rate of the cells is zero. The cells enter the death phase of the growth cycle after reaching the stationary phase whereby cell lysis occurs. Figure 1: Typical growth curve of a bacterial population. The growth of E.coli is investigated under various cultural conditions, including effect of pH, temperature and aeration). Effect of pH is ascertained by preparing media of different pH values. Temperature is always a potentially limiting factor by affecting all chemical and biochemical processes and thus is viewed as an interactive factor (Pomeroy Wiebe, 2001). Aeration is done by shaking so that air space volume can be increased. As such, good and excellent aeration is stimulated. MATERIALS Media components (yeast extract, trypton, NaCl and agar), E. coli culture, 20x petri dish, 5250 ml conical flask and 1100 ml conical flask, plus cotton wool plugs in aluminium foil, Whatman paper METHOD Media Preparation The five 250 ml conical flasks and one 100 ml conical flasks were prepared and labelled as M1-M10 on the first day of practical. 100 ml of YT broth was prepared in 250 ml flasks, with the composition as trypton 1.6%(w:v), yeast extract 1%(w:v), and NaCl 0.5%(w:v). The pH was adjusted to those shown in table 2.1, followed by autoclaving. 500 ml agar was prepared in 1L flask, in which composed of YT broth and agar (13.5 g/L). The prepared medium was autoclaved. The agar was poured on 20 petri dishes. Inoculation Day 2 was begun with inoculating M1 to M8 with 1.0ml E. coli, while M9 and M10 as control set. Incubation was performed at 37Â °C for 24 hours. Whatman paper was dried overnight. Analysis Prior to an analysis, the culture was well shaken and the sampling was done under aseptic condition. Measurement of cell density and variable cell (as colony forming units, cfu) After the overnight incubation, a 3.0ml aliquot of each culture was taken and the absorbance was measured at 660nm. M9 and M10 was used as the blank. Data obtained was tabulated. Measurement of final pH of broth The final pH of the cell culture was measured. The results were also recorded in table 2.1. Measurement of CFU At day 3, a serial dilution was done from 10-2, 10-4, 10-6, 10-8 to 10-10. Hockey stick spreading technique was performed to plate out the sample. Two replicates were done for each plate, labelled a and b respectively. The culture was incubated at 37Â °C for 24 hours. The changes were observed and recorded on the next day, and thereby determining the CFU, as what recorded in table 2.2(a) and 2.2(b). Measurement of biomass The Whatman paper dried was weighed and the initial weight was recorded. A 10ml aliquot of the content of the flasks was filtered using the Whatman paper by washing with distilled water. The paper together with the content was dried in oven at 70Â °C overnight. On the next day, the final weight was measured and thereby obtaining the net weight gain of the filter paper. The result was recorded in table 2.3. RESULTS The pH change and the absorbance values measured were recorded in table 2.1. Flask M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9 M10 Pre-incubation pH 4.0 7.0 10.0 7.0 4.0 7.0 10.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 Post-incubation pH 3.96 7.08 10.16 7.16 4.13 7.21 9.93 7.73 7.12 7.14 OD660nm 0.108 1.267 0.01 0.916 0.191 1.906 0.056 1.812 0.0 0.0 Growth condition No shaking (with air space) No shaking (without air space) Shaking at 200 rpm (with air space) Shaking at 200 rpm (without air space) Table 2.1: pH change and absorbance measured for M1 to M10 CFU for plate labelled a and for plate b was calculated using the formula below, which was then recorded in table 2.2(a) and 2.2(b) respectively. CFU = colony number x dilution factor = x cfu/0.1ml = ? cfu/ml Table 2.2(a): CFU for plate labelled a Flask M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9 M10 Dilution (10-4) 55 22 0 >300 1 161 0 >300 0 0 CFU/ml 5500000 2200000 0 TMTC 100000 16100000 0 TMTC 0 0 Dilution (10-6) 0 13 0 185 0 24 0 3 0 0 CFU/ml 0 130000000 0 1850000000 0 240000000 0 30000000 0 0 Flask M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9 M10 Dilution (10-4) 13 >300 0 >300 0 >300 0 >300 0 0 CFU/ml 1300000 TMTC 0 TMTC 0 TMTC 0 TMTC 0 0 Dilution (10-6) 0 3 0 89 0 32 0 4 0 0 CFU/ml 0 30000000 0 890000000 0 320000000 0 40000000 0 0 Table 2.2(b): CFU for plate labelled b The biomass was calculated using the formula below and was recorded in table 2.3. Biomass (g/ml) = Flask M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9 M10 Initial weight of filter paper 1.14 1.16 1.14 1.17 1.19 1.15 1.16 1.19 1.16 1.17 Dried weight of filter paper 1.15 1.17 1.14 1.17 1.20 1.17 1.16 1.19 1.16 1.17 Mass Difference 0.01 0.01 0.0 0.0 0.01 0.02 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Biomass (mg /ml) 0.001 0.001 0.0 0.0 0.001 0.002 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Table 2.3: Biomass DISCUSSION From the tables in the result section and observation, we analyze the growth of E. coli under various pH and aeration condition. Measuring OD and calculating CFU give relevant and supportive information to our experiment. However, the biomass calculated is not applicable to accurately ascertain the factors affecting the growth as some errors occurred during the measurement of biomass, probably. Cell density and variable cell OD stands for optical density which indicates the wavelength of light. In this practical, OD660 measures the light absorbance by E. coli cultures, which correspond to the E. coli cell density in a given volume. OD660 determines whether the cells are ready for making cell stocks or as a competent cell. In other words, it can be said that in this part, OD660 was used to ascertain the quantity of E. coli grown in the YT broth after incubating overnight at 37Â °C. Flasks M1 to M8 were inoculated with 1.0 ml of E. coli culture. The result showed that growth had occurred. On the other hand, M9 and M10 served as the control set in which inoculation of bacteria was not applied, in addition to acting as blank during analysis with spectrophotometer. From table 2.1, it was shown that the OD of both M9 and M10 appeared to be zero. This shows that there was no sign of growth of E. coli in the two flasks. Spreading of plates was done in class II laminar flow cabinet. Sterile operation in cell culture is vital where it can affect the CFU of E. coli. This minimizes the chance of culture contamination. On top of that, the safety of the operator is ensured (Betler, 2004). From the aspect of CFU, as what shown in table 2.2(a) and 2.2(b), there was abundant of cells in M2, M4, M6 and M8. The cell density was still high even with the dilution of 10-6. Therefore, it was determined that E. coli has the optimum growth pH at 7.0. Effect of broths pH on growth Different growth condition gives different OD values. Optimum pH of E.coli growing in a culture at 37oC is around 7.0. E.coli is not able to tolerate under extremely alkaline and acidic environments because most of the enzymes found in the bacterium are very pH-sensitive. These enzymes carry out the important processes in E.coli. When there is extreme change in pH, enzymes in E.coli become denatured. Denature of enzymes in E.coli can lead to all sorts of interruptions to biochemical processes or even causes death of the E.coli. From table 2.1, it was found that there was no growth of E.coli in both flask M3 and M7 with pH 10.0; as the absorbance measured were 0.01 and 0.056 respectively. Whereas, there were some E.coli grow in flask M1 and M5 with pH 4.0, which have OD recorded 0.108 and 0.191 respectively. Thus, it can be concluded that E.coli seems to be more tolerate to lower pH (acidic condition) than higher pH (alkaline condition). Since pH 7.0 is the optimum pH for the growth of E.coli at 37oC, there were many colony of E.coli growing on the agar plates which spread with the sample from flask M2, M4, M6 and M8. There are some changes in the pH before and after the incubation. This is because there is formation of inhibitory products such as organic acids during the growth of E.coli in the YT nutrient broth. Effect of aeration on growth pH of medium is determined by medium composition, buffers, cellular metabolism and aeration. NaCl is used as buffer, where the depletion of this organic buffer will cause an E. coli reaches its maximum pH limit. Hence, care has to be taken to balance the organic buffer, sugar content and aeration medium because low aeration leads to production of acids; High aeration causes cells to use organic acids as carbon source, and thus increases the pH of medium. In brief, selected aeration also helps in maintaining cells pH. Theoretically, shake flask incubator reduces the solid and liquid inter-phase, thus minimizing the mass transfer. Increased speed and momentum cause cells to lyse among themselves. Increased speed also increases the formation of foam, thus trapping gas and resulting less gas in the liquid. Since cells require nutrients for survival, absence of gas as nutrient source will cause cells to die. Hence, shaking flask actually plays an important role in bringing an improvement to mass transfer between the gas phase outside the shake flask and the liquid phase inside the shake flask. Shake flask incubator can provide a suitable environment by ensuring sufficient transfer of oxygen gas to the cell culture by appropriate mixing. Agitation will increase the aeration of the bacterial growth of E.coli. This is because oxygen is important for high density growth of E.coli cells. Agitation is controlled by the shaking speed of a shaker incubator. Thus, from the observation, Whatman paper with content from M6 has bigger biomass than others. The biomass of M6 is 1.0 mg/ml. This is because flask M6 has been shaken at 200rpm and the flask contains air space which helps in the growth of E.coli cells. Therefore, the media without shaking or without air space or without both of these growth conditions has less growth of E.coli. Thus, M6 has the best growth condition for E.coli if compared with other media. However, from the observation in this experiment, there is more E.coli colony grows in M8 (growth condition with shaking at 200rpm but without air space) than M6 (growth condition with both shaking at 200rpm and with air space) in the culture with serial dilution 10-4. Theoretically, there should be less E.coli colony grows on the plate which spread with the culture from M8 since flask M8 has less flavour growth condition for the growth of E.coli. This unexpected observation may be because the sample with serial dilution 10-4 is not well shaken before take 1.0ml of aliquot to spread on the plate. From our result, it was again determined that the growth rate of E. coli is not affected by shaking. This is proven through our experiment where there was no significant difference in yields with or without shaking cultures. When air is supplied, however, shaking cultures shows a higher yield than static cultures. The main purpose of shaking cultures at 20 rpm is to mix thoroughly the nutrient concentration in broth, with constant temperature, 37Â °C. 37Â °C is the optimum growth temperature for E.coli. Shaking prevents cells localizing at the bottom of the broth which causes a faster depletion of nutrient as time passes. Nutrients still present in the broth but cells may not accessible to them. Hence, shaking minimizes areas of high and low nutrient concentration. The amplitude of the vibration controls the intensity of fluid mixing. Shaking broth brings advantage to non-motile cells because it enables the metabolism rate to continue, in addition to benefiting mobile cells by redu cing energy on mobility. Besides, shaking increases the aeration of broth which leads to a higher yield of E. coli. From the OD values, OD at pH 7 shows the highest value for both shaking and non-shaking media because pH 7 is the most suitable medium for growth of E.coli. However, pH 7 from shaking broth has a comparatively higher OD reading compare to non-shaking broth due to shaking enhances the growth of E.coli. However, OD of pH 4 is far higher than OD of pH 10 because E.coli can still grow on pH 4, but pH 10 does not really support growth of E.coli. As for M9 and M10, both broths do not show any OD reading value because no E.coli culture is added into both broths. When pH and vibration are held constant (i.e. pH 7 with shaking), broth with aeration shows a higher OD value compare to non-aeration. This means that a higher E.coli cell density in aerated broth compare to non-aerated broth. When other factors are held constant, air space does not significantly affect E.coli yields, because E.coli is a facultative anaerobe, which means E.coli is able to produce energy during aerobic respiration and switch to anaerobic respiration when oxygen is depleting in the environment. Thus, E.coli grows in both with or without air space broth. Supposedly, colony forming unit (CFU) in plates from medium with air space has a higher growth amount compare to medium with no air-space. This is because E.coli cells produce a large quantity of acetic acid with no air-space, and thus reducing the pH of broth and does not favour the growth of E.coli. Acetic acid inhibits growth condition under anaerobic growth condition. However, according to our result, when the pH and vibration are held constant (both of pH 7 and with no shaking), CFU is greater in non air space compare to with air space. This may be due to errors occur where the mouth of broth is not tightly covered which leads to entranc e of oxygen molecules into the broth. CONCLUSION Sterile medium such as sterile YT broth is essential for bacteria growth. The optimum pH for the growth of E. coli is 7.0. Excellent aeration promotes growth of bacteria to a further extent than what good aeration does. QUESTIONS Write a flow chart for the above protocol before you start work. Label all the conical flasks from M1 to M10 Add 100ml YT broth to flasks M1 to M3 and M5 to M7 Adjust the pH of the media to 4.0,7.0 and 10.0 using either HCL or NaOH Autoclave and allow to cool to room temperature For flask M4 to M8, autoclave 200ml of the medium in a bigger container and then pour the cooled medium into the sterile 100ml conical flask Inoculate flasks M1 to M8 with 1.0ml of E.coli culture under aseptic conditions Incubate with or without shaking as indicated from the table Prepare M9 and M10 under the same conditions as for flask M2 and M6, but do not add any inoculum Prepare and autoclave the agar After an overnight incubation,take 3.0ml aliquot of each culture and measure the absorbance at 660nm Do a serial dilution from 10-1 to 10-5 in a sterile microfuge tube and plate out 0.1ml of the sample at 10-4 to 10-5 in YT agar media Incubate at 370C overnight Determine the cfu/ml of the original culture and tabulate data Measure the final pH of the cell culture and tabulate results Filter 10ml aliquot of the content of the flasks using pre-weighted Whatman paper dried in an oven at 800C overnight Measure the net weight gain of the filter paper as an indication of biomass Tabulate results Discuss your results with respect to the effect of pH of the media and aeration on bacterial growth and reasons for your observations. In addition to nutrients, the pH of the growth medium is also important for E.coli growth rate and cell density. The optimal growth pH for E.coli is near neutral. E.coli cells can grow reasonably well over a range of three pH units (from pH 5.5 to 8.5). Extreme pH beyond this range will significantly decrease the cell growth rate and may sometimes even cause cell death. The minimum and maximum growth pHs for E.coli are pH 4.4 and 9.0 respectively. E.coli cells appear to tolerate a more neutral pH better than a high pH. This is clearly shown as E.coli grows well at pH 7 as shown on plate M2, M4,M6, and M8.In fact, extended exposure of E.coli cells to a high pH causes cell lysis. This is the reason why no colonies were found on plate M3 and M7. At the saturation or stationary phase, the pH of the E.coli culture in commonly used media is near its pH limits. pH is another limiting factor for cell growth in addition to nutrition exhaustion and accumulation of toxic metabolites. E.coli cel ls can also use sugars such as glycerol and glucose as carbon or energy sources. When the E.coli cells use these sugars as carbon sources, they will produce acetic acid and therefore lower the medium pH. Carefully balancing the sugar contents, and aeration conditions can maintain the culture medium pH near E.coli optimum growth pH or within the range of the three pH units. Low aeration conditions lead the cells to produce acids. High aeration conditions allow the cells to use organic acids as carbon source and increase medium pH. Selected aeration conditions can also help cells maintain its medium pH. Do your data on absorbance at 660nm correlate with the cfu/ml and biomass data? Explain. The data on the absorbance at 660nm correlates with cfu/ml as a lower OD660nm gives a high cfu/ml and vice versa. But the data of absorbance does not correlate with the biomass. Despite the inherent inaccuracy of the method, if the procedure is adequately controlled and calibrated the estimation of microbial numbers by optical density should be sufficiently accurate for use in preparing inoculum for cfu/ml testing. Would you expect to obtain the same data if you were to scale up the experiment using a 1000L fermenter? Explain your answer. No, as the size and volume of the fermentor increases, the volume and density of the E.coli culture will increase too so the CFU/ml will also increase.

America Needs a Variable Minimum Wage Essay -- Minimum Wage Essays

Minimum wage is the least amount of money that an employer is legally required to pay an employee. It is something that all people in the American workforce know about. It was made to prevent the employer from taking advantage of employees. It is what creates the bare minimum standard of living for the 73.9 million hourly wage workers in the United States. However, there are many different jobs with varying amount of skills that are needed for those jobs. This is where the problem arises because a worker may still be under paid for the job that they do. This problem splits the population into two main groups, one that wants the minimum wage to be raised and another that wants the minimum wage to remain the same, or to even be abolished. However there is a third and possibly more successful option that many people do not propose. Minimum wage as it stands now is too generalized and low for the scope of jobs it applies to. Therefore this third option is that working wages should vary a mong the different sectors of the workforce depending on the different skills needed and effort required for those jobs. Minimum wage was first established in 1938 during the Great Depression by President Franklin Roosevelt to protect the tens of thousands of workers working in sweat shops and factories in America from exploitation. He signed the Fair Labor Standards Act that year which introduced various regulations including banning child labor, establishing workplace safety statutes and arguably the most influential, creating a minimum wage standard of 25 cents per hour. Historically, many employers and fiscal conservatives violently opposed the law arguing that minimum wage could hurt employers, much as they argue now. But President Roosevelt'... ....S 1)" as people who earn this wage can not afford health insurance. It is not enough to handle the different needs of the people who work in different work places and is not acceptable for people who work for far less than they legally should get. Works Cited Soltas, Evans."Two Reasons Not to Raise minimum WageWage". Bloomberg News, Web Jan 03, 2013. Messerli Joe. "Should the Minimum Wage be Abolished (i.e Reduced to $0.00)". BalancedPolitics, web. Oct 12, 2013. Romer, Christina. "The Business of the Minimum Wage" NYTIMES, web. March 2, 2013. The Economist."Trickle-up Economics; Raising the minimum wage" 16 Feb. 2013: 30(US), Student Resources in Context. Web, 18 Oct, 2013. "History of the United States' Minimum Wage" Marathon Studios Enterprises, web. 30 Oct, 2013 Winter, Michael. "L.A. to boost minimum wage to $15", USA TODAY May 19, 2015 America Needs a Variable Minimum Wage Essay -- Minimum Wage Essays Minimum wage is the least amount of money that an employer is legally required to pay an employee. It is something that all people in the American workforce know about. It was made to prevent the employer from taking advantage of employees. It is what creates the bare minimum standard of living for the 73.9 million hourly wage workers in the United States. However, there are many different jobs with varying amount of skills that are needed for those jobs. This is where the problem arises because a worker may still be under paid for the job that they do. This problem splits the population into two main groups, one that wants the minimum wage to be raised and another that wants the minimum wage to remain the same, or to even be abolished. However there is a third and possibly more successful option that many people do not propose. Minimum wage as it stands now is too generalized and low for the scope of jobs it applies to. Therefore this third option is that working wages should vary a mong the different sectors of the workforce depending on the different skills needed and effort required for those jobs. Minimum wage was first established in 1938 during the Great Depression by President Franklin Roosevelt to protect the tens of thousands of workers working in sweat shops and factories in America from exploitation. He signed the Fair Labor Standards Act that year which introduced various regulations including banning child labor, establishing workplace safety statutes and arguably the most influential, creating a minimum wage standard of 25 cents per hour. Historically, many employers and fiscal conservatives violently opposed the law arguing that minimum wage could hurt employers, much as they argue now. But President Roosevelt'... ....S 1)" as people who earn this wage can not afford health insurance. It is not enough to handle the different needs of the people who work in different work places and is not acceptable for people who work for far less than they legally should get. Works Cited Soltas, Evans."Two Reasons Not to Raise minimum WageWage". Bloomberg News, Web Jan 03, 2013. Messerli Joe. "Should the Minimum Wage be Abolished (i.e Reduced to $0.00)". BalancedPolitics, web. Oct 12, 2013. Romer, Christina. "The Business of the Minimum Wage" NYTIMES, web. March 2, 2013. The Economist."Trickle-up Economics; Raising the minimum wage" 16 Feb. 2013: 30(US), Student Resources in Context. Web, 18 Oct, 2013. "History of the United States' Minimum Wage" Marathon Studios Enterprises, web. 30 Oct, 2013 Winter, Michael. "L.A. to boost minimum wage to $15", USA TODAY May 19, 2015

Killing Is Never Justifies :: essays research papers

Killing Is Never Justified Capital punishment, by definition, is the legal killing of an individual. Now, how someone could be killed legally when murder is universally recognized as a violent and serious crime. It is irrevocable, meaning that once an inhabitant of death row pays the ultimate price. The death penalty is corporal punishment in its most severe form and is considered to be the ultimate form of retribution for those who have committed society's most heinous crimes, including rape and murder. Ultimately, Capital punishment is wrong due to the likelihood of error, the unjust racial allocation, and the violation of constitutional rights. However, many people believe that capital punishment is morally correct and preserves human dignity. Primarily, until human judgment is proved to be infallible, capital punishment will always carry a likelihood of error along with it. As Hugo Adam Bedau said in his writings, â€Å"Since 1900, in this country, there have been on the average of four cases per year in which an entirely innocent person was convicted of murder. Scores of these people have been sentenced to death† (Bedau 8). Considering that four completely innocent citizens had been sentenced to death, in a period of twenty years about eighty innocent people would have been wrongly sentenced to death. Human judgment and the justice system in which the United States of America is based on will never be perfect; there will always be a margin of error. Because of the infallibility of human nature, a few people each year are accused of crimes in which they did not even commit. Should innocent citizens be placed on death row and sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit? Because the justice system will never be perfect and mistakes are inevitably going to be made, capital punishment is not a just solution, especially for the innocent. Furthermore, many innocent convicts have been executed, while others have been lucky enough to prove their innocence in time. Subsequently, according to the Atlanta Weekly newspaper, In Georgia in 1975, Earl Charles was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. A surviving victim of the crime erroneously identified Charles as the gunman; her testimony was supported by a jail-house informant who claimed he heard Charles confess. Incontrovertible alibi evidence, showing that Charles was in Florida at the very time of the crime, eventually establishes his innocence–but not until he had spent more than three years under his death sentence.

Race as a Social Construct

Race as a Social Construct Omi and Winant’s discussion from â€Å"Racial Formations† are generally about race being a social construct and is also demonstrated in the viewing of Race – The power of an illusion. Omi and Winant have both agreed that race is socially constructed in society. Ultimately this means that race is seen differently in different societies and different cultures. Media, politics, school, economy and family helps alter society’s structure of race. In the viewing , also media as well as history seemed to create race by showing how social norms have evolved in different racial groups.For example, â€Å"Rules shaped by our perception of race in a comprehensively racial society determine the presentation of self, distinction of status, and appropriate modes of conduct† (Omi and Winant 20). In other words, people tend to make their own rules for categorizing racial groups. We humans (usually more powerful ones) have set these arbitra ry divisions and then call them real. Race is defined differently within each culture. For example, as explained in the viewing, people in Africa see a person that is white in the United States as black.This because they define their races by socioeconomic status not the color of ones skin. Race is a social construction. And as a social construction, race functions as a source of management that sustains the importance of certain groups and the maintenance of other groups. This concept only becomes reality when people behave in ways that perpetuate subordination. Race should be expressed as a concept but unfortunately people misuse race. Race has now replaced the older concept of culture.As a concept race came to be defined by superficial attributes like hair type and skin color. â€Å"Film and television, for example, have been notorious in disseminating images of racial minorities which establish for audiences what people from these groups look like, how they behave and who they are†(Omi and Winant 23). Race is just an idea and or a biological myth. According to the viewing , humans don’t differ much genetically. Actually humans are genetically the most similar species. Why are humans so genetically alike?Humans have not existed long enough and have yet to evolve into various subspecies. â€Å"Race is indeed a pre-eminently socio-historical concept† (Omi and Winant 21). So race is historically made and not biologically. There is nothing real about race, a social construct, unlike a river which is absolute. A river will escist regardless of people thinking, agreeing or accepting that it does exist. Race requires people to collectively agree that it does exist , unlike a river. Although race does not exist in the world in an objective way, it still is relevant in today’s society.It is obvious that race is real in society and it affects the way we view others as well as ourselves. Race is a social construct that is produced by the su perior race and their power to regulate. â€Å"The category of ‘white’ was subject to challenges brought about by the influx of diverse groups who were not of the same Anglo-Saxonstock as the founding immigrants† (Omi and Winant 24). Frankly, ‘white’ was the norm, the others were considered an outcast. The dominant group in society are the one whom created restriction for group membership by defining race as a biological factor. White is seen as a ‘pure’ category†, as stated in the reading (Omi and Winant 21). Those who were ‘black’ were biologically inferior to a ‘white’ person. This is how the color line became about. Because of the color line , race was used to justify the captivity of the vastly growing free ‘black’ population early in United States society. â€Å"Differences in skin color and other obvious physical characteristics supposedly provide visible clues to differences lurking u nderneath† (Omi and Winant 23).The existence of racial ideology helps create racial sterotypes and myths. For example, in the viewing it was pointed out that American Jews reportedly dominated basketball during the first half of the 1900s. However , now it seems as if African Americans dominate the NBA. Concepts like ‘Black athletic superiority’ is the belief ‘black’ people have traits that have been acquired through genetic or een environmental factors. These factors help them excel over all other races in athletic competitions.The theories of racial differences and their possible effect on athletic ability have been noticed since the nineteenth century. More interests were attracted to the subject soon after the 1935 Track Championships, were Jesse Owen’s record breaking performance had shocked white Americans. â€Å"Temperament, sexuality, intelligence, athletic ability, aesthetic preferences and so on are presumed to be fixed and discernib le from the palpable mark of race† (Omi and Winant 23). The dominant group in society has always defined race which sets every other race inferior.Race creates many differences in social status. Status is indicated by race. This can either include or exclude people from more social constructs. This can also prevent or allow certain powers or privileges. Race is a social construct fueled by agreement and acceptance. Throughout history race has been the core of our society. It is vital that people begin to realize that race is and will always be â€Å"an unstable and ‘de centered’ complex of social meanings constantly being transformed by political struggle† (Omi and Winant 26).

Addressing the Community Leadership Challenges Faced by Women Leaders of Sitio Galilee, Antipolo Essay

This 2012 study explores the community leadership of women in the locale of Sitio Galilee in Antipolo City. Even though the standards of leadership persist to be male-oriented, more women are taking up leadership positions in our society. The prevalent aim of this study is to identify the challenges that these women leaders face toward development in their community; more importantly, how these can be addressed. The study mainly sought to (1) identify and understand the leadership challenges that women leaders face in initiating development in their community, and (2) facilitate or assist possible action programs that will address these challenges. To resolve this issue, the processes of the Participatory Action Research (PAR) were followed, namely: (1) diagnosing the status of women’s involvement and leadership in the community, (2) planning of action programs that will address the identified leadership challenges, (3) its implementation and monitoring, and (4) the evaluation. The accounts of women leaders and the perceptions of the members were collected through one-on-one interviews. In addition, focus group discussions were conducted to encourage people’s participation. Guided by the Social Role Theory, the role of the women as community leaders is further analyzed. This study is a contributory factor to theoreticians and community development practitioners in analyzing the unaddressed issues of community leadership. See more: My Writing Process Essay Keywords: Women and leadership, community leadership, community development, Participatory Action Research Background of the Study Traditionally, community affairs and administration have been the sphere of influence of men. Hassan (2008) explains that â€Å"this is evident from the imbalance of leaders and office bearers across community, local councils and associations.† Silong (2008) also pointed out that â€Å"women have not been active in local politics and are relatively inactive in public processes due to institutional, socio-economic and cultural constraints.† In the history of the Philippines, women portrayed essential roles, not only in the facet of taking care of the family but also in the development of the life of the tribe during the pre-colonial times (Shah, 2007). With the beginning of colonization, it brought about a patriarchal society wherein women were made inferior to men and are not licensed to certain rights (Clamonte, 2007). However, times are changing. There is now acceptance that women can do and play a significant role in community affairs, particularly in contributing to the achievement of community development and progress. Nowadays, stories of women occupying leadership positions are becoming ordinary. Although regarded by Zaharah and Silong (2008) as â€Å"the unsung heroes of community action†, women’s role in community leadership has become increasingly important. In certain communities, they already learned the knowledge and skill that have produced positive transformation to their community (Bond, Holmes, Byrne, Babchuck, & Kirton-Robbins, 2008). More importantly, they have established themselves as community leaders. However, many are not aware of the challenges that these women leaders face. In view of this, the researcher learned, through the ocular visit that all the community leaders of Sitio Galilee, Antipolo are women. Their husbands work in the city and only come home for the weekend. Hence, their weekdays are spent at caring for the family, doing household chores, daily chatting in the neighborhood and playing card games. Above all this, they also manage to plan and work concerning community affairs. The researcher sought to further investigate on the women’s leadership in the community, specifically on the challenges they encounter. Research Objectives The women leaders in the community of Sitio Galilee, Antipolo face several leadership challenges that need to be addressed. How can the community of Sitio Galilee, Antipolo address these? Specifically, this study sought to: 1. Diagnose the status of women’s involvement and leadership in the community; 2. Identify the leadership challenges faced by women leaders towards community development; 3. Initiate the planning of action programs that will address the identified leadership challenges; 4. Implement the action program and facilitate its monitoring; and 5. Evaluate the effectiveness of the action programs. Significance of the Study This study serves its significance for two aspects: theoretical and practical. Firstly, this study is guided by the Social Role theory. This theory emphasizes on the processes of role-taking and role-making as part of an individual’s life. Accompanied by these processes is the role conflict which may develop as one struggle different simultaneous roles. This study improves the clarity and applicability of the theory as it is used by a researcher. This study is a contributory factor to the residents of Sitio Galilee, Antipolo in broadening their understanding of the leadership barriers that their women leaders are encountering. This Participatory Action Research assists them in the process of maximum participation of the community, through initiating action programs, in addressing the identified challenges. Hence, this study promotes and encourages community development in the locale. This study is affiliated with the University of Santo Tomas and its Simbahayan Office. This is a useful document in analyzing and addressing the issues of community leadership within their partner communities. Scope and Delimitation The scope of this research is the women leaders in Sitio Galilee, Antipolo. This study focused on the role of women in leadership and community development, the identification of the experienced leadership barriers towards development in their community, and most significantly the process wherein these challenges were addressed. This study did not cover other factors, other than leadership per se, that impede the process of development and progress in the community of Sitio Galilee. A constructivist worldview was applied. This implies that the researcher seeks to establish the meaning of a phenomenon from the views of the participants. In this endeavor, the journeys of women leaders were described and determined by the participants. Furthermore, the action programs implemented came from the propositions of the participants. The researcher only served as facilitator and participant observer of the said approach. Theoretical Framework Individuals have several roles that they play across time and place within the period of life. According to Burr (1972), â€Å"throughout life, individuals transfer into and out of different roles, keeping some, leaving others behind, and beginning new roles.† This study is guided by the Social Role Theory. This is not just a single theory; rather this was established through interrelating and interconnecting perspectives. One of the pioneers of this theory is George Herbert Mead’s â€Å"role-taking†. It explains that the ability to put oneself in another’s place is an essential development of the ‘self’ (Ritzer, 2000). According to this theory, â€Å"social role is a set of rights, duties, expectations, norms and behavior a person has to face and to fulfill.† Linton (1936) explained that, as cited in the study of Harrison and Lynch (2005), â€Å"the role represents the sum total of all various roles of an individual, and determines what one does for the society and one may expect from it.† In this sense, â€Å"roles do not remain static, but change and evolve over time†, as stated by Turner (1990). There is the concept of â€Å"role-taking† where an individual acquires or takes on the role of other individuals; and â€Å"role-making† wherein one is able to create and recreate these roles (Turner, 1990). In undergoing these processes, one may experience â€Å"role overload† and â€Å"role conflict†. Turner (1990) defines role overload as, â€Å"the experience of lacking the resources, including time and energy, needed to meet the demands of all roles.† On the other hand, role conflict is defined by Turner (1990) as, â€Å"an incongruity between the expectations of one role and those of another.† However, there is the so called â€Å"role balance†. Role balance is a state wherein an individual is able to perform his or her roles well and meet its expectations (Marks & MacDermid, 1996). To show how the social role theory is applied in this study of the leadership challenges of women leaders, the researcher conceptualized a paradigm that illustrate how the multiple roles (with its linked rights, duties and expectations to it) of a woman contribute to the challenges they face. Literature Review Gender role encapsulates the characteristics and behaviors that are distinguished as either masculine or feminine (Bem, 1974; Clamonte, 2007). Carli and Eagly (2001) have enumerated: The set of traits and behaviors labeled as masculine includes the following: is self-reliant, independent, and assertive, has leadership abilities, is willing to take risks, makes decisions easily, is dominant, is willing to take a stand, acts like a leader, and is athletic, ambitious, and self-sufficient. The set of traits and behaviors labeled as feminine include these: is affectionate, compassionate, and cheerful, does not use harsh language, is loyal, sensitive to the needs of others, sympathetic, gentle, and understanding, loves children, and is tender and warm. Tannen (1990) pointed out that, â€Å"the traditional gender role is a social orientation that emphasizes closeness and solidarity, whereas the traditional masculine gender role is a social orientation that emphasized power and status.† In sociology, gender roles are considered ‘artifactual’ or socially constructed ideals in the society. Eagly (2002) has characterized this as a â€Å"male-advantaged gender hierarchy.† The roles associated to men benefited them more than the women’s. They gained more access to resources, authority in decision makings and more slots in the administration (Kolb, 1999). In the Philippines, women enjoyed distinguished equality in the society during the pre-colonial times (Santos-Maranan, Parreno, & Fabros, 2006). Shah (2007) explicated that, â€Å"Filipinos have tracked kinship bilaterally.† Some of the rights they experienced are: (1) they were entitled to the properties of their family, (2) instigate divorce of their husbands, (3) engage in trading and a lot more privileges (Clamonte, 2007). However, the coming of the Spaniards that brought about the indoctrination of Catholicism has downgraded the role of Filipino women (Shah, 2007). The spirit of the native Filipina was changed. Shah (2007) expounded that, â€Å"the image of the Filipino women became tied to the house whose only duty was to take care of the husband and the children.† Alesina, Nunn and Giuliano (2011) also added, â€Å"It also became a father’s good girl, a husband’s subject, and a long-suffering woman with sealed lips and silent sobs and has not right to participate political undertakings.† In the rural area, the Filipino woman belongs in the home. Flavier (2007) described in his book, Doctor to the Barrios, that â€Å"rural women in the Philippines wield considerable authority, the housewife in particular.† According to him, the housewife is often called as the â€Å"Reyna ng Tahanan†. A recent writing by Vartii (2011) revealed that, â€Å"there is a re-emergence of the empowerment of Filipino women though the political process.† In the present times, women in the Philippines are reviving the strengths they lost. Women now are seen working outside the home and occupying the prominent positions in their own field. Many even manage to become leaders. Fabros (2005) affirmed, â€Å"No matter what kinds of issues they (women) are involved in at present, one thing is clear – they are the very testimony of a better Philippines.† The second-wave feminism and radical feminism have remedied the traditional issues on gender (Cornell, 1998 in Pflanz, 2011). Even though there was a significant development of the status of women in the 20th century, there’s still much to be done to fully change the social beliefs regarding this matter. Carly and Eagly (2001) argues that, â€Å"women continue to lack access to power and leadership compared with men.† There is this phenomenon called â€Å"glass ceiling†. Coleman (2003) defines this as â€Å"a barrier that is impenetrable to women.† Pflanz (2011) mentioned in his study that, â€Å"Studies involving women in leadership roles indicate the majority of women believe their biggest obstacle to advancement is a mindset favoring candidates that fit in a male-dominated environment.† Even though the standards of leadership persist to be male-oriented, more women are taking up leadership positions in our society (Pflanz, 2011). Pflanz (2011) further explained that, â€Å"many women assume leadership positions in order to have an influence within their communities.† The Department of Communities of the Queensland Government (2006) stated that, â€Å"Community leadership is leadership in, for and by the community.† Ferrer (2010) affirms, â€Å"it reflects the concept of people and groups working together to achieve common vision and goals.† Community leadership is not profit-oriented and therefore involves non-paid leaders (Baconguis, 2010). In the study of Garina (1957), he revealed that, â€Å"non-paid local leaders are vital in community action; cooperation with them by outside agencies is imperative in the process of community development.† Women’s participation in the communities and national scene was not only through public leadership. In many cases, women form the backbone of formations as members or volunteers, particularly at the community level. There are numerous examples of this point: barangay health workers, churchwomen, community mobilizers, members of people’s organizations and civic organizations – over and above their traditional roles as domestic managers/housekeepers, caregivers, and even as they engage in productive labor outside the domestic sphere (Bond, Holmes, Byrne, Babchuck, & Kirton-Robbins, 2008). The report on the Forum on Women NGO Managers in 1987 entitled, â€Å"Women NGO Managers: Issues and Dilemmas† revealed that women NGO managers play multiple roles and have triple responsibility of caring for the home and children, earning a living/working outside the home and contributing to the national development. It showed that these women experience a major dilemma on how to balance and integrate the concerns of family life and the demands of work/career commitment. These pressures on family-work commitments are further magnified by leadership roles that women play in their organization (PHILDHRRA, 1987).

Address the three questions in bold Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Address the three questions in bold - Essay Example There are many components to this power distribution, but some of the more visible examples include the research and manufacturing of medical technology, massive pharmaceutical corporations, and the control of medical insurance/management. Some of the forces allowing the privatization of healthcare include historically consistent opposition to government interference and healthcare reform, the decline of programs like Medicare, and the high cost of medicine including materials and salaries that can be met by wealthy corporations. Private businesses have not always been in control of healthcare systems. Physicians were largely independent prior to government interference near the dawn of the 20th century (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2011). Working within regulations, physicians became highly paid and respected professionals in the 1920s (PBS, 2011). At the same time, private insurance began to find an audience due to the increasingly high costs of healthcare. Costs continued to rise through the of the century as more advanced pharmaceuticals and procedures are introduced. Insurance rates increased with these expenses, giving rise to federally endorsed HMOs (health maintenance organizations) in the 1970s. It was not until the 1980s that corporate American began to gain primary control of the healthcare system. Hospitals, pharmaceuticals, research labs, and many other components of the system were becoming businesses (if they werent already) and more people found themselves unable to afford health insurance. These trends continue to accelerate (Fisher, Bynum, and Skinner, 2009). Examining the evolution of healthcare control provides valuable insight for current health care administrators. Evaluating and optimizing the operation of a healthcare organization must include a comprehensive consideration of the forces involved. Operating as a business, a healthcare organization must account for and minimize costs at every

How can we make the roads safer for those who share the road with Thesis

How can we make the roads safer for those who share the road with bicyclists - Thesis Example Bicycle is emerging as a popular mode of transport and it gives its hundred percent to the owner. The question can be answered by addressing the psychology of the road users of different types of vehicles and better traffic education by the controlling authorities. The roads must be safer for all those who share them with bicyclists. Every life is precious, that of the rider on the bicycle or the gentleman driving the car. An accident is an accident and we know that it is an accident only when it happens! Deaths and injuries from car-bike collisions are common. It’s a human problem: The blame game-the motorists claiming the exclusive rights on the road, and the cyclists demanding equal rights-- is no solution to the issue. For road fatalities, cyclists are not alone responsible. The reasons are varied. Carelessness of the adventurous rider, mechanical problems, and bad road conditions are some of them. The cyclists demand their right on the road along with safety. An individua l must first live to exercise the right! It is not a posthumous award! The argument that if there is no bicycle lane, the road should be out of bound for the cyclists, may be technically correct, but it defies solution. The motorists need to give up the How can we make the roads safer for bicyclists AND those who share the road with bicyclists? stand that they are born to race the car at 100-120 km per hour, from the moment it is out of the garage till the final destination, is a greedy and one-sided approach. Limit the speed and accommodate the bicycle riders, instead of going ballistic over them. While tendering the advice I would address the session for the bicyclists first and urge them to follow the rules scrupulously. It is not a circus performance. Never zigzag to challenge the oncoming cars. Self-discipline is the life-saver. Cyclists demand rights on a city road, and that underlines perfect regard for the traffic rules. The end-results should be a win-win situation for all. The argument of the motorists that they have the exclusive rights to use the roads, for which they pay tax in dollars, is not perfect. Cyclists too have paid taxes at the time of purchasing the bicycle (though indirectly) and they are citizens of the country subject to all other tax laws and rights guaranteed under the Constitution. Motorists have not been conferred with special rights. Not legal arguments, it’s the question of smooth flow of traffic No traffic law can be applied strictly under all circumstances. The question needs to be addressed prudently from the point of view of flow of traffic in a particular area/city. For example, the traffic rules for the cyclists in the heart of the New York City and its distant suburbs needs to be different. The traffic police, with their expertise and experience, frames well-meaning rules for motorists and cyclists and it is in the interest of both to follow the rules. How can we make the roads safer for bicyclists AND those who s hare the road with bicyclists? Saving precious lives is more important than winning legal points in arguments. The one, who travels on bicycle, does so, not necessarily on account of non-affordability of a motor vehicle due to economic considerations, but may be due to the reality one has to face about the traffic congestion on city streets. Cycling the distance has turned out to be an alternative mode of transport, and the issue has to be understood in that perspective. It is in the best