Management Information and Communication System Essay - 1

Management Information and Communication System - Essay Example In order to achieve the constant supply of raw materials and the supply of goods and services to the consumers, a business firm should ensure that their supply chain management systems are effective. In this case, only an effective supply chain management system can enhance the firm’s responsiveness to its customers’ needs and utilisation of its resources. In effect, the supply chain management system enables a firm’s coordination during the processes of planning, production, and logistics with the suppliers. Business Benefits of Supply Chain Management Systems A business should be able to evaluate the status of its supplies and resources while maintaining an inventory system along the supply chain. Bowersox, Closs and Cooper (2010, p. 133) called this visibility, which is the ability of a business to track its resources and inventory along the supply chain while evaluating and managing any information regarding the resources and inventory. In effect, supply chai n management systems benefits a business by using the information in the supply chain to plan against any potential problems along the supply chain. Consequently, the evaluation of these problems enables businesses to manage any potential risks, which enhances the responsiveness of a business towards its consumers’ needs. ... In addition, a business will benefit by planning for the consumers’ constraints such as transportation and storage capacities, raw materials required, and the amount a firm should produce in order to meet the consumers’ demands. Supply Chain Management Systems and Coordination of Planning, Production, and Logistics with Suppliers As earlier indicated, one business benefit of supply chain management systems to a firm is the ability of a firm to remain responsive to its consumers’ demand. In effect, an effective system will enhance a firm’s planning of its production to meet the market demand, which is the process of demand management. Bowersox, Closs and Cooper (2010, p. 133) noted, â€Å"Demand management develops the forecast that drives anticipatory supply chain processes.† The importance of the â€Å"anticipatory supply chain processes† in a business firm is to establish the amount of products to produce and the raw materials required in t he production of the products. In effect, an organisation maintains a steady contact with the suppliers of raw materials based on the firm’s projections and stock available. A supply chain management system enables a business to identify the goods that require production in a firm. In this way, a firm will be able to balance between its ability in terms of resources available and the manufacturing stock. It is important to point out that these resources include the most significant resource of human capital. Bowersox, Closs, and Cooper (2010, p. 135) called this product planning and noted, â€Å"It uses the statement of requirements obtained from demand management in conjunction with

I have an article need to be reviewed Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

I have an need to be reviewed - Article Example History of American Labor movements has been comparatively influential to this era. American labor industry has faced numerous incidents of violence, protests, aggression and strikes which only started with wage cuts. Labor unions were very strong in asserting their pressure primarily based upon favorable working environment. Their demands were usually targeted to attain higher wages with shorter and shorter working hour. With the passage of time labor unions got so powerful and organized that they could influence appointment of political personalities and get favorable labor laws passed. This essay critically reviews the article and also examines factors other than institutional setup which has affected labor movement and has weakened labor unions as they are not as much organized as once they were. The author used comparative analysis of American and Canadian cases since both are neighboring countries with their closest relation but have differences comparing labor movement and their effectiveness. This article provides qualitative analysis of decisions, choices and step taken by the American labor unions and politician which brought institutional growth and decentralized the powers to individuals rather than to organization. Comparative analysis is the best strategy in this regard to contrast and compare two cases. Historical examination of American Labor Movement reveals that first half of nineteenth century was associated with efforts to promote anti monopolistic doctrine. Labor movement were initiated to develop harmony for cooperation and political involvement while in the second half of the century efforts were put together to provide legal shelter to labors. Justice, labor rights, equality and bargaining power strengthened the concept of unionization where employers failed to suppress workers. Twentieth century marked the era of reforms and improved working

A Brave New World-perspective analysis Essay Example for Free

A Brave New World-perspective analysis Essay Imagine Brenda, a woman who will not under any circumstances trade her life in order to be conditioned, and then live as a Beta in the Brave New World (BNW), universe. If this is the case, then Brenda could not consistently accept Hedonism. This is due to the definition of Hedonism, the amount and intensity of bodily pleasure in Brave New World (BNW), and the amount and intensity of bodily pleasure here in real life. The definition of Hedonism leads one to maximize the amount of pleasure and minimize the amount of pain: The only thing intrinsically good in life is pleasure, and the only thing intrinsically bad in life is pain. Other things in life have extrinsic value they can lead to either pain or pleasure, but do not produce the sensations by themselves. However, Hedonists are only concerned with pleasure and pain, as these are the only intrinsic values. The distinctive factor that determines a better life from a worse one, is the amount of net pleasure in ones life. The net pleasure is determined by subtracting the amount of pain in ones life from the amount of pleasure. Notice that Hedonism only determines better lives from worse ones, not good from bad. To make the distinction between good and bad is an arbitrary decision and cannot be measured through a comparable medium such as net pleasure. Quantitative Hedonism states that quantity and intensity are the only criteria that determine just how good a certain pleasure is. If all pleasures differ only in quantity and duration, then the world in BNW is a dream for hedonists. Ones life in BNW is conditioned to be content and happy with ones, job, class in life, and the daily schedule of life. This schedule for ones life never changes and so delivers a maximum amount of pleasure due to being happy and content. High pleasure in BNW also comes from the open sexual relations between people. Basically, it is encouraged from childhood to have as many sex partners as possible, therefore maximizing the amount of pleasure from sex. The drug of choice in BNW is called Soma, and it delivers an amazing feeling without any hangover effect like alcohol. This drug is distributed daily at ones work to maximize ones amount of body pleasure. With all of these factors enhancing pleasure, it is also important to state that not much causes pain for ones life in BNW. There are no personal relationships to cause pain, jobs and education are  given specifically for people, and life is very much planned and repetitive. This repetition is what maximizes the amount and duration of pleasure in BNW lives. In real life, there does not exist anything like the above mentioned pleasures, in either quantity or duration. Therefore, when comparing the net pleasure of a life in BNW to a real earthly life, a hedonist finds that BNW lives have a higher net pleasure, and are thus far better. This is because they in BNW have much more intrinsically good pleasure, and much less disappointment and intrinsically bad events. So, if Brenda refuses to trade her life in order to be conditioned and live a BNW life, then she could not consistently accept hedonism because trading her life would give her a higher net pleasure, and by definition, a bett er life. Brenda still could accept hedonism if she accepted qualitative hedonism, based on Mills distinction between higher and lower pleasures. According to Mills, certain pleasures have a distinct higher value than other pleasures. This can be due to a mere preference for one pleasure over another, with the preferred pleasure having more intrinsic value because it is preferred, and thus more net pleasure. This can also be due preferring higher intellectual mind pleasures, as opposed to body pleasures like those in BNW. Mills distinction goes hand in hand with qualitative hedonism, which adds quality to the criteria distinguishing pleasure (intensity and duration). Higher quality pleasure are generally thought to be intellectual and creative pleasures as compared to bestial pleasures. Intimate relationships can also be thought of as being a higher quality pleasure. It is not substantial, however, that these higher pleasures merely exist for a hedonist, these higher pleasure must contribute to a higher net pleasure in life in order to be of value. Since there are absolutely no intellectual or intimate pleasures in BNW, the argument could be made that the intellectual and intimate pleasures in real life give higher net pleasure, and thus a better life. This theory also takes into account the pain that may be caused by relationships or by not attaining certain intellectual milestones. However, the argument can be made that the pleasure derived from these higher pleasures far surpasses any pain caused by them and guarantees a higher net pleasure than any life in BNW. If Brenda adopts this method of thinking, then she could both accept hedonism and still not  want to trade her life for a life in BNW. A qualitative hedonist, in order to consistently believe that actual life is better, must claim that the overall net pleasure one receives in real life is more than the net pleasure one receives in the BNW universe. One must claim that experiences in actual life, including but not limited to intellectual and intimate pleasures, produce more net pleasure than a life of bestial pleasures in BNW. This includes all of the pain and hardships experienced in real life, but not in BNW. The argument is that even with all of this pain, the net pleasure is still higher in real life. This is also what Brenda must adhere to if she wishes to not trade her real life for a conditioned BNW life.

The effect of concentration of sugar on osmotic activity

The effect of concentration of sugar on osmotic activity Scientific Theory: Osmosis is defined as the movement of water molecules through a semi- permeable membrane from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration until a state of equilibrium is reached. Equilibrium is reached once enough water has moved to balance the solute concentration on both sides of the membrane. Semi-permeable membranes let small molecules such as water and oxygen to travel through it but large molecules such as proteins are prevented from going through it as it is only partially permeable. Osmosis occurs across a partially permeable membrane whenever there is a difference between the water concentrations on the two sides of the membrane. When this happens to the cells they will either become turgid if water flows into them, or flaccid if water flows out of them. In this diagram the membrane separates pure water from a solution of sucrose and water. The membrane is semi permeable, water molecules can cross it but the sucrose molecules are too large. The water solution will move from a lower concentration of solutes to one with a higher concentration of solutes. A solution with pure solutes has more molecules that are free to move about and follow their concentration gradient across the membrane; as a result there will be net movement of water across this membrane from left to right (shown by the yellow arrows on diagram above). Sugar solution has a low water potential (not many water molecules).The water potential in the solution would be lower than that in the potato cell so the net movement of water will move out of the potato through its membrane into the sugar solution and so the potatos mass will decrease. The opposite happens in water where the water potential is much higher than in the potato (almost 0). Here the net movement of water will move into the potato in order to reaching equilibrium and so the weight of the potato increases. AIM: To investigate the effect of varying concentration of a certain sugar solution on the amount of osmotic activity between the solution and two vegetables (potato and sweet potato) of the same mass. To investigate if the additional glucose in sweet potato has an effect on its mass compared to the normal potato. Preliminary work: Before I start to carry out an experiment to investigate my aim, I am going to conduct a simple experiment to verify my knowledge of osmosis. Doing this experiment will also help me to improve my main experiment. Plan: For my preliminary experiment I will be using three different solutions: sugar solution, pure water, a solution consisting of 50% water and 50% sugar solution. I will also be using potato chips which are all equal in mass. A cork borer will be used to cut out 3 potato cylinders, the mass of the potato cylinders will be Measured to make sure that they are equal in weight. Then the mass of each of the potato chip will be recorded. Next 3 measuring tubes will be placed on a test tube rack. Using a measuring cylinder tube 20ml of water, sugar solution and the solution consisting of 50% water and 50% sugar solution will be measured out and put into three different test tubes. In order to avoid any mix ups each test tube will be clearly labelled. One potato chip will be placed in each solution and left for half an hour. Afterwards the potatoes will be taken out of the solutions and their masses will be measured and recorded. Results: Starting mass (g) Mass after (g) Difference (g) Percent difference 100% Water 0.48 0.55 0.07 + 6% 50% Water and 50% sugar 0.46 0.43 +0.03 -14% 100 % Sugar 0.47 0.36 +0.11 -23% Diagram: Analysis: From the results that I have obtained, I can see a negative correlation between the concentration of the sugar in the solution and the mass of the potato chip at the end of the experiment. While the solution containing 100% sugar decreased in mass by 0.11g and the solution containing 50% sugar decreased in mass by 0.03g, the solution that contained 0% sugar increased in mass by 0.07g. This shows that in the two solutions containing sugar the mass decreased because water molecules moved out of the potato chips into the solution. The opposite happened with the water solution; water moved from the solution into the potato chip. Overall I was please with the results as they agreed with what I have already learned about osmosis. The results that I got also showed trends that could later be expanded in my main e experiment. Changes: Over all my preliminary experiment was a success and the results I obtained were precise and useful. However for my main experiment I am going to make some improvements so that I can get the best possible results. Firstly I am going to experiment with sweet potato chips as well as potato chips because I would like to investigate if the additional glucose in the sweet potato has an effect on its mass. In addition I am going to be using a wider selection of sugar concentrations in order to collect a larger quantity of accurate results. I am going to use water and 4 other concentrations. This will enable me to write a conclusion that is more accurate. In my preliminary experiment I only did the experiment once. I am going to repeat my main experiment three times, by doing so I will gain more confidence in my results as they will be more reliable. By repeating the experiment I will be able to identify any anomalies. Further more in my preliminary experiment I could not take the potato ch ips out of the solutions at the same time. I also encountered this problem when putting the potato chips into the solutions. For my main experiment I am going to overcome this problem by asking a few of my associates to help me put the potato chips into the solution and take them out at the same time. This will make my results more accurate and fair. Main Experiment Prediction: I predict that for the potato chip in water the mass will increase because water has a higher water potential than the potato chip so water molecules will move from the water into the potato chip, causing it to increase in weight. The opposite happens with sugar solution because sugar solution has low water potential so water molecules will move out of the potato chip into the sugar solution. Thus I predict that as the concentration of sugar in the solution increases the mass of the potato cylinders will decrease. I would expect sweet potatoes to have a lower water potential (not many water molecule) than normal potatoes, because they are sweet and therefore must have contain sugar. Hence for the sweet potato chips I predict that at first the mass of the sweet potato will increase but, as the concentration of sugar in the solution increases past the isotonic point the mass of the potato cylinders will decrease. I predict that the graphs for the both the vegetables will be similar.My prediction can be demonstrated in the following graphs: Sweet Potato Potato Safety: While I carry out this experiment, it is important to consider safety. Lack of safety in science labs can not only endanger me and my fellow class mates but can also produce poor and useless results. Following safety procedures protects the lab, its people and the environment. Safe labs also help produce effective results. These are the safety measures I took: All bags were kept well away from the area of work so that no pathways were being obstructed and the risk of someone tripping over was reduced. All stools were tucked in under the tables in order to avoid a passer-by tripping over. Both this point and the one above can prove to be fatal if the victim is holding any dangerous equipment e.g. Scalpel, acid etc. It can also cause spills. Loose hair was tied up; sleeves rolled up and head scarfs tucked away. Hair and clothing can get in the way while working. It is also dangerous and can cause spills, ruin experiments and even potentially harm me or others around me. No earphones, scarves or jewellery was worn as these can catch on equipment and cause spill or damages. Safely glasses were worn at all times to ensure our eyes were protected from and potential danger. It was made sure that the work area was clear of any unnecessary items such as reading books and folders as these can get in the way and cause accidents. Working quietly and carefully. Talking unnecessarily can be a distraction to me and others around me, when distracted it is easier to make mistakes that can not only be dangerous but can also affect my results. Chipped and cracked glass wear was not used as this could break more easily if handled a lot and create a mess. It can also cause injuries. Extreme care was taken when using equipment made of glass e.g. test tubes. Eating and drinking in the labs is forbidden as the food may come into contact with some harmful substance. This could be unsafe for the consumer. When using knifes a non-slip surface was used to cut on so that no one was injured. After finishing the experiments, I washed my hands because my hands could be contaminated with chemicals, even if they were not used by me. All equipment was safely stored away after use as leaving unwanted equipment around can cause accidents and get in the way. Accuracy and Reliability There are the tasks, which I undertook to ensure reliable and precise results were produced. To eliminate all possibilities of faulty errors; I repeated my experiment three times. In addition, I had no less than 5 different concentrations, so I obtained adequate results. In order to increase the reliability of the results, I found more precise values of mass by using an Electronic balance. When measuring the potato and sweet potato cylinders, I waited for at least 10 seconds to ensure that the figure displayed on the digital scale was not flicking. If any readings seemed anomalous, I took an additional reading just to be sure. I collaboratively, with the help of 3 other members, measured the mass of the potato and sweet potato cylinders individually. This gave more reliable results as the masses of all the potato cylinders were measured about the same time. I used pieces from the same potato and sweet potato for each of the 5 pieces in each test. I used exactly the same method for each test to make the comparison much more reliable. Equipment Goggles: These were worn for safety reasons to avoid anything from coming into contact with the eyes. Electronic balance: I used this apparatus to measure the mass of the potato and sweet potato cylinders before and after they were put in their molar solutions. Electronic balances are also more accurate that normal balances. Test tubes: These were used to hold the molar solution and the potato/ sweet potato cylinder for each molar solution for every experiment and test. Healthy potatoes: This was one of two main vegetables used for the experiment. Healthy sweet potatoes: This is the second vegetable that was used for the experiment. This vegetable was mainly used so that I could investigate if the additional glucose in sweet potato has an effect on its mass compared to the normal potato. Chopping board: This was used to cut the potato cylinders on. Using this not only kept the lad neat and tidy but also prevented injuries as it is a non-slip surface. Knife: This was used to cut the potato cylinders if the mass was too much. Timer/stop watch: This was used to time the experiment. It is also more accurate than using a clock. Paper towels: These were used to pat the potatoes dry before being measured at the end of the experiment. If the potatoes were measured without being dried first then the additional liquid on the potato can cause it to increase the mass. Test tube rack: This was used to hold the test tubes. Sugar solutions (1 molar and 2 molar): These solutions were very significant for the experiment, as they, with the potato cylinders, caused osmosis to occur. Water: Used to make certain concentrations of sugar solution. Cork borer: To cut the same shape potato pieces. Measuring cylinder: To measure out certain amounts of water and sugar solution. Labels: -To labels the test tubes so it is easier to identify the contents inside each test tube. Variables: In this investigation I had three different variables: The independent variable This is a factor that can be changed. The dependant variable What you measure and what is affected in the experiment. Fixed variable- The factors you keep the same. The independent variables: I changed the concentration of the sugar solution. I used; water, 0.5 molar sugar solution ,1 molar sugar solution, 1.5 molar sugar solution and finally 2 molar sugar solution. I also changed the types of potato used (sweet potato and normal potato) The dependant variables: I measured the mass of the sweet potatoes and potatoes before placing in the solutions and after. This is something that is affected during the course of the experiment. Fixed variable: All the potatoes and sweet potatoes I used were that same in mass (0.64g). The volume of each solution in each test tube was also the same (20ml). In addition I kept the potato and sweet potatoes in the solutions for the same length of time (40 minutes) Fair test: It is only by carrying out a fair test that I can be sure that it is what I have changed (independent variable) that is affecting what I measured (dependent variable). In order to get accurate results I needed to ensure that my test was fair. Therefore in this experiment I controlled: The volume of solution in each beaker The mass of the potatoes and sweet potatoes at the start of the experiment The length of time the potatoes and sweet potatoes were left in the solution. I ensured that the potato and sweet potato cylinders were put in the solutions and taken out of the solutions at the same time. Method: Firstly get 2 test tube racks and place 5 test tubes on each rack label one test tube rack sweet potato and label the other rack potato Get some sticky labels and label each test tube with the solution it is going to contain (water, 0.5 molar, 1 molar, 1.5 molar, 2 molar,). Do this for the test tubes on both racks. Using the measuring cylinder measure out 20ml of 1 molar sugar and pour into the test tube labelled 1 molar. Then measure out 20 ml of 2 molar sugar solution and pour in to the test tube marked 2 molar. After measure out 20 ml of water and pour in to the test tube marked water Next make the different concentrations of sugar solution. (1 molar and 2 molar are already provided). -To make 0.5 molar: use the measuring cylinder to measure out 5 ml of 1 molar sugar solution and 15ml of water. Mix these together and pour into the test tube labelled 0.5 molar. To make 1.5 molar: use the measuring cylinder to measure out 15 ml of 1 molar sugar solution and 5ml of water. Mix these together and pour into the test tube labelled 1.5 molar. (Do the above 5 points for all the test tubes on both racks. By the end of point 6 you should have two test tube racks one labelled potato and the other labelled sweet potato, each rack must hold 5 test tubes, each test tube must be labelled with the solution that it holds e.g. water, 1 molarà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc.) Afterwards, get a healthy potato; make sure the skin is peeled. Using the cork borer cut out 5 potato cylinders. Using the electronic balance, weigh all the potato cylinders. They should all weigh around 0.64g. If they dont then alter them accordingly using a chopping bored and knife and place to a side. Remember to record the masses. Subsequently, get a healthy sweet potato. Once again make sure the skin has been peeled. Using the cork borer cut out 5 potato cylinders. Using the electronic balance, weigh all the sweet potato cylinders. They should all weigh around 0.64g. If they dont then alter them accordingly using a knife and a chopping bored. Remember to record the masses. Then both the sweet potato and normal potato must be put in to the solutions, each test tube must contain either 1 potato cylinder or 1 sweet potato cylinder. Make sure all the cylinders of potatoes and sweet potatoes are dropped into the solutions at the same time (ask help from classmates if needed). The timer should also be started now. (Leave the solutions in this state for 4o min) After 40 min, the potatoes and sweet potatoes must be removed from their solutions. Again, they should all be taken out at the same time (again ask for help if needed). Make sure the potato cylinders do not get mixed up; ensure that you know which cylinder came from which solution. Dry each cylinder and measure its mass one by one. Ensure that the masses are recorded once again. (All the above was repeated 2 more times to increase the reliability in my results) Diagram: Observations: During the experiment I noticed that some of the potato and sweet potato cylinders in higher concentrations of sugar started to float. In the 1.5 and 2 molar sugar solutions the potato has higher water potential that the sugar solution so water molecules from the potato cells would have moved into the sugar solution, this made the potato cylinders float to the top of the solution rather than stay at the bottom of the beaker because it became lighter. This happened after approximately 10 -15 minutes. After approximately 20 minutes the potato cell in 1 molar sugar solution started to float as well. This is because as the potato cells are losing water molecules, they gradually become lighter. The potato in water did not float, nor were there any visible changes. All the above applies to both the sweet potato and normal potato. A difference I noticed between the two types of potato was that while the potato in the 0.5 molar solution floated a slightly, the sweet potato in the 0.5 molar solution did not float at all, it remained still, similar to the potato cylinders in water. I also noticed that the potato cylinders floated higher than the sweet potato cylinders. Calculations: Below are the calculations I did to work our various aspect of the results: Percentage change in mass = Change in mass x 100 Original mass Averages = All three masses in one category added The number of different masses Change in mass = New Mass Original Mass Analysis: Both the graphs show negative correlation between the concentration of the sugar in the solution and the mass of the potato chip at the end of the experiment. It is clear from the graphs that osmosis has taken place. Potato: For the potato cylinder put in water (0% sugar) the potatoes mass has increased 21.87% form 0.64 grams to 0.73 grams, this shows that because water has a higher water potential than the potato cylinder, water molecules have moved from the water into the potato causing its weight to increase. When this happens the cell becomes turgid (hard and swollen).For the potatoes in all the other solutions (1 molar, 0.5 molar, 1.5 molar and 2 molar) the mass of the potatoes decreased. This shows that water molecules have moved out of the potato cell into the sugar solutions. When a cell loses water in such a way the cell become flaccid, which is the opposite of turgid. Sweet potato: For the sweet potato cylinder that was placed in water the mass increased as expected. This happened because water moved from the solution into the sweet potato. For all the other molarities, except the sweet potato placed in 0.5 molar solution, the changes were the same as for the potato. For the sweet potato placed in 0.5 molar solution the mass increased from 0.64 grams to 0.65 grams. There was a 0.01 gram increase in the mass of the sweet potato by the end of the experiment. This suggests that my prediction was correct: I expected sweet potatoes to have a lower water potential than normal potatoes because they are sweet and therefore must have contain sugar. Hence for the sweet potato chips I predicted that at first the mass of the sweet potato will increase but, as the concentration of sugar in the solution increases past the isotonic point the mass of the potato cylinders will decrease. There was a 0.01 gram increase in the mass of the sweet potato by the end of the experiment. 0.01g is extremely close to 0g. On the graph, if you look at this point, it is clear that the range bar is in between 1.56% and 0%. If there had been a 0% chang e in mass, it would mean that a state of equilibrium had been reached. This is a point where the concentration of water inside the sweet potato cell is the same as the concentration of water in the solution which the sweet potato is in. my results imply that the reason the mass of the sweet potato in the 0.5 molar sugar solution increased in because the water potential of the sweet potato was slightly lower than that of the water. As a result water molecules moved in to the sweet potato cell. The sweet potato in 1.5 molar sugar solution decreased weight because the concentration of sugar in the solution had increased passed the isotonic point (equilibrium). Conclusion: My graphs show that osmosis has taken place. There was a negative correlation between the concentration of sugar in the solution and the mass of the potato or sweet potato cell at the end of the experiment. Over all the results that I obtained have answered my aim; varying the concentration of the sugar does have an affect on the mass of the vegetable and the additional sugar in sweet potato does have an effect on its mass when compared with normal potatoes. With the results I have obtained I can conclude that the higher the concentration of sugar in the solution, the more mass the potato looses. The graph also shows that the opposite happened when the concentration of water in the solution is higher. So I can conclude this by saying: the higher that concentration of water in the solution the more mass the potato gains. This applies for both the potato and sweet potato. However because of the additional sugar in the sweet potato, the mass of the sweet potato will only decrease after the concentration of sugar in the solution increases past the isotonic point (point of equilibrium). To make full sense of the conclusion, a recap on osmosis and the affect on cells are required. When there is a high concentration of water in the solution and a plant cell with low concentration of water into water, the water would move into the plant cell by osmosis. Osmosis is defined as the movement of water molecules through a semi- permeable membrane from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration until a state of equilibrium is reached. Equilibrium is reached once enough water has moved to balance the solute concentration on both sides of the membrane. Osmosis occurs across a partially permeable membrane whenever there is a difference between the water concentrations on the two sides of the membrane. When this happens to the cells they will either become turgid if water flows into them, or flaccid if water flows out of them. The results that I have obtained in this experiment support the prediction that I made using scientific theory and my preliminary experiment. Evaluation: Overall I was please with the results that I gained as they agreed with what I have already learned about osmosis. I believe I have gained reliable results, which supports the scientific theory. After making changes to my main experiment from the preliminary experiment I faced no difficulties. The equipment that I used was suitable, I managed to collect adequate data and the investigation that I organised was effective, as can be seen from my results. I was able to get enough results to come to a strong and explanative conclusion. I believe that my results were reasonably accurate as I did the experiment 3 times and found that the repeated results were mostly very close together. With these results I was able to construct two, very accurate and informative graphs. My results were free from any major anomalies that did not fit the regular pattern. However there were one or two very minor anomalies that could have been caused by the following: Some limitations or experimental errors could have occurred during the investigation, which I did not realise and could have led to some miscalculations in my results. The main limitation could have been the change in temperature of the room during the experiment. High temperatures could have altered the rate at which osmosis takes place. Another potential problem in the investigation may be tampering, as the investigation was carried out in a lab which is in constant use. This could have resulted in students playing with the apparatus, which could have affected the out come of my results. Also when drying the potato chips after the allotted time it was inevitable that they would have excess water on them, and so we dabbed them with paper towels to remove it. However, in doing this we could have removed water that was not excess, and altered our results. To make my investigation more reliable and accurate I could make some improvements. Firstly I could use a wider and more precise rage of sugar concentrations. If I did this I would have a wider range of results to work with so it would be more accurate and I would be able to come to a more secure conclusion. Another improvement I would make if repeating the experiment is to dry all the potato cylinders the same. I used paper towels to dry the potato cylinders, which caused variation between the potatoes as sum where dried more thorough and for longer than others which affects their mass, and those potato cylinders that have not been dried as much as others will have more excess water and therefore a greater mass. In the future I would develop a method to dry the potatoes in a way that is fair. Further investigations may be to investigate using lengths or shapes of potatoes, to see affect of osmosis upon them. I could do a comparative study, where I see the effects of osmosis on potatoes which have been altered to do specific breeding, e.g. grow in a hot climate, etc. I could do a study into surface area or the effects of temperature upon osmosis, to identify the best temperature in which osmosis occurs. I could also investigate the affects of osmosis on different vegetables such as aubergine, turnip, carrots.

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Homosexuality and the Media Essay

Homosexuality and the Media      Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many different aspects of life that Americans are exposed to on television each day. Some examples are things such as violence, sex and alcohol and in today's more accepting society, the issue of alternative lifestyles. This issue was not as predominant ten years ago as it is today. Yes, for many years there have been sexual undertones in many popular television shows or movies, but it was not until recently that these actors and actresses were actually said to be living an alternative lifestyle.    What exactly is an alternative lifestyle? According to Encarta's Online World Dictionary, "an alternative lifestyle is one of abnormal circumstances, a way of living adopted by people who reject the prevailing lifestyle, for example, because they consider it to be too materialistic, to dependent on technology or simply living outside of the basic ways of life"(Encarta Online World Dictionary). This term, alternative lifestyle, is one that is often used to describe people who engage in homosexual relationships. The true definition seems to fit, but today this lifestyle is not as out of the ordinary as it was in the past.    Many people think that homosexuality is an old trend that has been around since the beginning of time. In reality, homosexuality is still a relatively new idea in many cultures. This idea is also relatively new for the mass media and Hollywood. "In a hundred years of movies, homosexuality has only rarely been depicted on the screen. When it did appear, it was there as something to laugh at, to pity, or even something to fear. Hollywood, that great maker of myths, taught straight people what to think about gay people... and gay people what to think about... ...on 2). With this in mind Jacobson explains, "now that changes are finally being made in the way that people are raised, people will also be able to accept changes easier than they did in the past" (Jacobson 2). If this is the way that society actually operates then homosexuality should not be as hard to accept as it was in the past.    Works Cited Bantam Publishing. "Encarta Online World Dictionary." Issue 23, Vol. 43 page 121. Bishop, Alfred. "Homosexuality and Life." Dec. 5th 2001.   http:<www.seuxallife/lt.ctrl.article45/23-tglm_bish.htm> Encarta Publishing. Encarta Online World Dictionary. 1999  Ã‚   http:/</Encartaworld/dictionary/alternativelifestyle.ht/htm> Jacobson, Alexander. "Society and Our Lives." Stanford University. 1999 The Celluloide Closet. Dec. 3rd 2001.  Ã‚   http:<celluloidecloset.net.art-10_life/sex/23htm.>

Married To Be Alone? Essay -- essays research papers

Married To Be Alone? Although marriage is the symbol of two lives ¡Ã‚ ¦ union, in the real world many people experience it in the opposite way. Gloria Steinem says:  ¡Ã‚ §The surest way to be alone is to get married. ¡Ã‚ ¨ In  ¡Ã‚ §The Story of an Hour ¡Ã‚ ¨ by Kate Chopin, we can certainly realize how well the author describes the loneliness of a marriage. There is another short story that also reflects the same point of view in a relationship; it is William Faulkner ¡Ã‚ ¦s  ¡Ã‚ §A Rose for Emily. ¡Ã‚ ¨ Both works serve as strong evidence for Gloria Steinem ¡Ã‚ ¦s opinion. In  ¡Ã‚ §The Story of an Hour ¡Ã‚ ¨ Chopin implies an idea of that Mrs. Mallard lives as a prisoner. Maybe it is because she grew up in a society in which women used to be properties of men, she has not noticed that fact until she receives her husband ¡Ã‚ ¦s death news. Marriage did not really unify emotionally her life with her husband ¡Ã‚ ¦s. This can be seen in the lines,  ¡Ã‚ §And yet she had loved him  ¡V sometimes. Often she had not ¡Ã‚ ¨ (8). She lived with this man, saw him everyday, slept by his side every night, but she did not even love him. Is that a how a relationship between a couple supposed to be? All those years she spent with her husband were as alone as being a prisoner; isn ¡Ã‚ ¦t that sad? But everything is solved (she thought so), as Mr. Mallard is dead, at last she can be liberated from that prison,  ¡Ã‚ §Free! Body and soul free ¡Ã‚ ¨ (8). This is not a usual expression of a woman whose husband has just died; here we can understand how alon e she has bee...

Ethics in Nursing Essay

Nurses are to provide compassionate, competent, and ethical care, and follow the moral principles and guidelines set out by the College of Nurses and the Canadian Nurse’s Association’s code of ethics. The nursing profession is a self-sacrificing one, and nurses take on the Nightingale Pledge, to elevate the standard of their practice and dedicate themselves to those committed in their care (Keatings & Smith, 2010, p. 64) However unfavourable working conditions, inadequate patient to nurse ratios, and intensive job-related stress can lead to poor performance of daily routines, and adversely patient safety (Ozata et al., 2013). In the situation regarding Mr. Gurt who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, it is vital for the nurse to weigh him at the beginning of each month. This is her obligation under her employing institution’s standards of care, as well under the autonomy of her practise in which any deviation from this could result in exposure to liability ( Austin 2006, p. 62). In order for the nurse to properly care for Mr. Gurt, assessing his accurate weight is essential in providing a care plan that will focus on his overall wellness and healing. Because Mr. Gurt is frail, and has stage one pressure ulcers on both heels and his coccyx, it is imperative that he has every opportunity to build up his skin integrity and prevent future disruption of his skin surface. Complications that may arise because of the nurse’s neglect in failing to weigh him, may contribute to other underlying problems. General health concerns Mr. Gurt would be facing on top of his current co- morbidities would include a decline his general appearance, gastrointestinal, neurologic, integumentary, and musculoskeletal systems (Holloway, 2004, p. 80). By recording a weight of 70kg with a height of 170cm, the nurse calculated Mr. Gurt’s Body Mass Index (BMI) at 24.2 which is borderline overweight, when in fact it was 14.5, with 18.5 being the baseline for being underweight ( http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/ obesity/ BMI/bmicalc.htm., n.d.). According to this value, it would be likely that Mr. Gurt would suffer from imbalanced nutrition, less than his body requirements leading to other complications and failing to thrive. Nanda defines failure to thrive as the progressive functional deterioration of a physical and cognitive nature. The individual’s ability to live with multisystem diseases, cope with  ensuing problems, and manage his care are remarkably diminished (Ackley & Ladwig, 2011, p. 350). To add on to potential problems, drug doses are given based on factors such as age, gender, and the weight of a patient (Raman-Wilms, 2013). Since Mr. Gurt is elderly and suffering from the effects of Parkinson’s with an imbalance of neurotransmitter activity between dopamine and acetylcholine, there may be fewer receptors and a decrease in neurotransmitters to take up his drugs (Raman-Wilms, 2013). Levadopa a dopaminergic medication which treats the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease should be reviewed with body weight changes (Raman-Wilms, 2013). A study looking into the factors of weight loss in Parkinson’s looked at the effects of dopaminergic treatment which suggested that the drug had a lipolytic effect and body mass fat was decreased with the advancement of Parkinson’s symptoms (Lorefalt, 2004, p.186). The potential magnitude and likelihood of harm occurring in this case is significant as drug tolerances, adverse effects, and toxic effects are high, making the liver and kidneys susceptible to disease (Urquhart, 2014), as Mr. Gurt’s body mass index indicates he is underweight and a higher risk for drug overdoses. Effectiveness of this drug will diminish over time in which the adverse effects may become severe and may include palpitations, abdominal movement, dizziness, and confusion (Raman-Wilms, 2013, p. 331). Incorrect doses of his medication could lead to physical and psychological issues based on the nurses documented weight and his actual weight. Failing to weigh Mr. Gurt will have a great impact on his nutritional needs, but will also affect his ability to heal his pressure ulcers on his heels and coccyx. Mr. Gurt is emaciated which may be in part to dysphasia, tremors, still muscles, and slow movements among other symptoms of Parkinson’s (Wilk & Newmaster, 2013, p. 288). As well, Mr. Gurt’s weight is evidence that he is not receiving the nutritional intake his body’s immune system requires to create the proteins and blood cells (macrophages the body’s first line of defence), needed to attack and repair his wounds, and prevent the risk for infection (Raman-Wilms, 2013). The nurse’s blatant disregard to weigh Mr. Gurt puts him at greater risk for infection and is a form of negligence. Negligence in nursing can be unintentional, however it is important to understand the effects this has on health professionals practicing in Ontario. A registered nurse is responsible to follow the standard of care when performing nursing  acts under autonomy within their scope of practise (College of Nurses, 2004) (CNO, 2004). Standard of Care is the legal benchmark against which a person’s conduct is measured to determine whether a person has been negligent and whether the person’s conduct or actions in a given situation have met those expected of a competent health care professional (Keatings & Smith, 2010). The College of Nurses is the governing body for registered nurses that protect the public through regulating the nursing profession (CNO, 2014). A practising nurse is obliged to follow the standards of care and ethical guidelines set out by this governing body (CNO, 2014). The College of Nurses lists seven ethical values which are all important, but recognizes that client well-being is a primary value (CNO, 2014). The College of Nurses connotation of client well-being is to promote the patients health, while preventing or removing harm (CNO, 2014). In the case regarding Mr. Gurt, where the nurse is required to weigh him monthly and record the data, she is morally responsible for the patient’s well-being and for any adverse outcomes regarding his health for failing to provide safe care. The nurse’s complacency in failing to weigh Mr. Gurt, a simple act, would be of concern in investigating her moral responsibility in providing ethical care in her work environment. The nurse’s ethical duty is to advocate for her patients and provide safe, effective, and ethical care (CNO, 2014). Possible outcomes that could arise for the nurse in failing to provide ethical care include: her co-worker filing a complaint to the College of Nurses, a discipline hearing with the College of nurses, and possibly a lawsuit (CNO, 2014). Potter & Perry note the criteria nurses can be found liable for negligence as summarized; the nurse owed the duty to the patient; to whom that duty was not carried out; and the patient was injured for failing to carry out that duty (Potter & Perry 2013, p. 96). A common negligent act is failing to monitor a patient’s condition adequately (Potter et al., 2013, p. 97). For a nurse to be sued, and in the case with Mr. Gurt, the nurse had carelessly not performed a duty which was vital to his ongoing care. While the ability to predict harm is evaluated is this case, the nurse had committed a wrong doing to Mr. Gurt and could be tried as an unintentional tort. (Potter et al., 2013, p. 97-98). According to the Criminal Code, 1985, if Mr. Gurt was to pass away as a result of improper care or toxic levels of medication being given due  to the nurse failing to weigh him, the nurse could also face criminal liability if the nurse was proven to have a reckless disregard for her patient (Potter et al., 2013, p. 99-100). The best way for nurses to avoid being negligent is to follow the standards of care; be self aware and to reflect on their nursing practise; to follow the ethical framework established by the College of Nurses; and to continuall y educate themselves on best practices, assessments, and evaluations within their nursing abilities (Potter et al., 2013, p.98). With that in mind, one final thing I would suggest is to have professional liability and legal assistance protection insurance coverage. References BIBLIOGRAPHY l 4105 Ackley, J. A., Ladwig, G. B. (2011). Nursing Diagnosis Handbook (9th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby/Elsevier Canada. Austin, S. (2006). Ladies & gentlemen of the jury, I present†¦ the nursing documentation. Nursing, 56-64 Calculate Your Body Mass Index. (n.d.).Calculate Your BMI. Retrieved June 4, 2014, from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm.(n.d.). College of Nurses of Ontario/Ordre des Infirmià ¨res et Infirmiers de l’Ontario. (2014). College of Nurses of Ontario. Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://www.cno.org/ Holloway, N. (1999). Medical-Surgical Care Planning. Orinda: Springhouse Corporation. Keatings, M. (2010). Ethical & Legal Issues in Canadian Nursing (3rd ed.). Toronto:Mosby/Elsevier Canada. Lorefalt, B., Ganowiak, W., Palhagen, S., Toss, G., Unosson, M., Granerus, A.K,.(2004). Factors of Importance for Weight Loss in Elderly Patients with Parkinson’s disease. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, 180-187. Ozata, O., Oztu rk, Y.E., Cihangiroglu, N., Altunkan, H. (2013). The Development of a Scale of Malpractice Trend in Nursing and Validity and Reliabilty Analysis. International Journal of Academic Research, 57-65. Potter, P. A., Perry, A. G., Kerr, J. C., & Wood, M. J. (2009). Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing (4th ed.). Toronto: Mosby/Elsevier Canada. Raman-Wilms, L. (2013). Guide to Drugs in Canada (4th ed.). Toronto: Dorling Kindersley. Urquhart, B. (2014). Exploring how kidney failure impact’s the body’s systems. Western News. Wilk, M. J., Newmaster, R. (2013). Canadian Textbook for the Support Worker.Toronto: Mosby/ Elsevier Canada.