Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Organ Donation Should Be Compulsory - 1702 Words
Every 12 minutes in the United States another name is added to the list of people waiting for an organ transplant. Of the over 100,000 people on this list it is estimated that 18 people die each day due to the lack of available organs (American Transplant Foundation, 2014) What if these lives could be saved and the number of available organs for transplant could be increased exponentially? Does it make moral, financial, or ethical sense to bury or incinerate perfectly viable organs that could be used to save the lives others? The purpose of this paper is to argue that organ donation should be compulsory unless a person or family specifically opts out. My first justification for compulsory organ donation is that it saves lives. To illustrate this point, consider the difference in consent rates between two similar countries, Austria and Germany. In Germany they use an opt-in system much like the United States and only 12 percent of the population consents to organ donation. Conversely, in Austria, which uses opt-out system has a 99 percent participation rate (Thaler, 2009). In 2013 there were approximately 14,000 organ donors who donated over 28,000 organs to people in dire need of transplants (American Transplant Foundation, 2014). If you compare this number to the over 100,000 people awaiting an organ donation you begin to grasp the scope of the disparity. Adding to this disparity is the fact that even though 90% of Americans support the practice of Organ donationShow MoreRelatedOrgan Donations after Death730 Words à |à 3 PagesOrgan Donations after Death The process of gift giving is the act in which someone voluntarily offers a present for someone else, without compensation. Across all nations, people in need of transplants sit on a waiting list while the war on organ donation ethics continues. After death, one person can help as many as eight people by donating their organs. Organ transplantations raise singularly difficult ethical in its requirements in its obligation for donated organs. Mandatory organ donationsRead MoreWhy Organ Donation Should Be Mandatory1771 Words à |à 8 PagesMandatory Organ Donation In the United States today, people lose their lives to many different causes. Though this is tragic, there are also a large group of people who could benefit from these deaths; and those people are people in need of an organ transplant. Although a sudden or tragic death can be heart breaking to a family, they could feel some relief by using their loved ones organs to save the lives of many others. This act of kindness, though, can only be done with consent of both the victimRead MoreThe Human Tissue Act 2008 Essay2256 Words à |à 10 PagesBackground Currently in New Zealand the major law regarding the donation of organs is the Human Tissue Act 2008 introduced by the then labour governmentââ¬â¢s Minister of Health David Cunliffe. The bill received support from both Labour and National members and in its second reading received 115 votes for and only 3 votes against (while 3 members were not present for the vote) the three votes against can be attributed to opposition from 3 of the 4 Maori party members due to cultural values tikanga à -iwiRead MoreThe Effect Of Mechanical Ventilation On The Medical Field1557 Words à |à 7 Pagesfirst mechanical ventilator to the current ventilator that are being used. It will also give a detailed knowledge on how the mechanical ventilator works and the social issue that has risen up which is ââ¬ËShould mechanical ventilation be continued to allow for progression to brain death so that organs can be donated?ââ¬â¢. Lungs play a vital role in the respiratory system as it is where gas exchange from the atmosphere to our body occurs. Oxygen is essential to our body to function and what the lungs doRead MoreSelling Human Organs10012 Words à |à 41 PagesTERM PAPER RESEARCH : Selling Human Organs ARTICLE 1 : Should people be allowed to sell their organs? Currently, exchanging organs for money or other valuable considerations is illegal, but some members of the medical and business communities would like to change that. One of those is the American Medical Associations influential Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs. Convinced that the balance of moral and ethical concerns favors the ability to sell organs, they would like the laws to changeRead MoreIslam : Christianity And Islam Essay1919 Words à |à 8 Pagestermed as the á ¹ ¢alà t al-Janà zah ( à µÃâà §Ã © à §Ãâà ¬Ãâ à §Ã ²Ã © ) meaning Janazah prayer. Takbirs (à ªÃŽÃÆ'Ãâà ¨Ã ÃÅ Ã ± ), is the Arabic name for the phrase ââ¬Å"Allà hu Akbarâ⬠(à §ÃâÃâÃâ¡ Ã £ÃÆ'à ¨Ã ±) but there is no bowing. It is usually translated as God is great. In Islamic belief, it is compulsory for every Muslim adult male to perform the funeral prayer on the death of any Muslim. However, the women arenâ⠬â¢t allowed to go to the burials and no wailing and the likes are permitted. The mourning period varies for different people. The maximumRead MoreThe Government As An Intermediate Agency2120 Words à |à 9 Pagesmorally justify our doing it (though it may prudentially justify it, and therefore, in some cases it may morally excuse it). The decision to obey a government must be an autonomous one ââ¬â one that, like any decision which can affect other people, we should justify on the basis of a freely accepted moral principle. But if this is so, to what extent are we really obeying the government and not simply governing ourselves? And if the moral person always governs himself, what, for him, is the moral relevanceRead MoreAn Introduction to Public Finance Essay5553 Words à |à 23 Pagesreceiving compensation for organ donation would be opposed by libertarians, as they would want the market to decide who buys and who sells organs and at what price the organs would be sold. Social democrats also might oppose the law if they consider that such a law would prevent organ donation from happening as frequently. However, they are likely to support the law on the grounds that paying for organ donation would coerce financially desperate people to sell their organs. The law would protectRead MoreJan Lokpal Bill3326 Words à |à 14 Pagescare: In many of the hospitals, the doctors and the nurses who are accorded a place next to God play with the health and the life of the patients by supplying them fake medicines and drugs. There are various cases in which the important and vital organs like the kidney, liver, cornea of the eye are extracted from the patients body even before his death and that also, without proper permit from the law or the family members. â⬠¢ Black money: India currently ranks first in the amount of black moneyRead MoreThe Debate over Human Embryonic Stem Cells2824 Words à |à 11 Pagesexcess (University of Michigan , 2013). Further, patients have to give informed consent, and there are high standards by which this must be done (University of Michigan , 2013). It must be given in writing, and there can be no monetary profit from the donation. Further, as with other types of human research, hESC research at Universities must be approved by an Institutional Review Board (University of Michigan , 2013). Because of the relative rarity and difficulty of Constitutional amendments, it is much
Monday, December 23, 2019
The Ministers Black Veil And The Scarlet Letter - 1000 Words
Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of the most contemporary American writers of all time, was the great nephew of Judge Hathorne. Who was one of the prime judges of the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. Although Nathaniel hated his uncle for his efforts during the horrific trials, he became obsessed with his ideals of puritanism. Through these ideals he became a anti-transcendentalist; someone who believes that naturally we are born evil and society is the only thing that keeps us from provoking chaos. Therefore, Hawthorneââ¬â¢s novels, The Ministerââ¬â¢s Black Veil and The Scarlet Letter were both set in puritan towns in the 1600ââ¬â¢s, even though he was alive in the 18th century. The Scarlet Letter, which Hawthorne is best known for, is a fictional storyâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦But, like a Roseââ¬â¢s beauty even they can be good after they have sinned. Therefore, between the Wild Rosebush and itââ¬â¢s symbolism the theme of Hawthorneââ¬â¢s novel is Imperfection. S imilarly, Hawthorne uses Pearl to contribute to the theme of Imperfection. Pearl is the daughter of Hester and Dimmesdale, or in other words the product of adultery. After Hester is sent to prison, Pearl is born. Which was just 3 months before she and her mother had to present themselves on the scaffold in town. Hawthorne explains, ââ¬Å"She bore a child in her arms, a baby of three months old, who winked....because itââ¬â¢s existence...acquainted only with the gray twilight of a dungeonâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ (Hawthorne 50). The prison is a place of punishment and pure wickedness. Hawthorne explains that from the beginning of her life, Pearl was born into evil. Nonetheless, like any other child brought into the world she was still a gift from God, the prime example of Imperfection. Pearl was very intelligent and beautiful at a young age, but she still had an evil aspect to her that Hester saw firsthand. Pearl would sometimes show her mother affection but would quickly cover it up with v ile laughter. Hester explains, ââ¬Å"She is my happiness-she is my torture...Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too!â⬠(Hawthorne 109). Proving Pearl was a faulty gift that Hester had to work hard for to keep. WithShow MoreRelatedA Comparison of The Scarlet Letter and The Ministers Black Veil722 Words à |à 3 Pagesand life. In his works, The Scarlet Letter and The Ministers Black Veil, Hawthorne uses symbolism to present a common theme pertaining to religion; that though manifested sin will ostracize a person from society, un-confessed sin will destroy the soul. The central theme in The Scarlet Letter is that manifested sin will ostracize one from society and un-confessed sin will lead to the destruction of the inner spirit. Hawthorne uses the symbol of the scarlet letter to bring out this idea. InRead MoreMain Themes of Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter and The Ministers Black Veil769 Words à |à 4 PagesNathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter and The Ministers Black Veil Nathaniel Hawthorneââ¬â¢s works often have parallel themes and similar characters. His approach is quite gloomy and the atmosphere for his stories is many times sad and depressing. Hawthorne concentrates his novel and short stories around the Puritan community, which adds to the tense and unforgiving atmosphere. One of his most renowned novels, The Scarlet Letter and his short story, The Ministerââ¬â¢s Black Veil contain many of his typicalRead More Romanticism in Scarlet Letter, Ministers Black Veil, and Young Goodman Brown2077 Words à |à 9 PagesAmerican Romanticism in The Scarlet Letter, The Ministers Black Veil, and Young Goodman Brown à à à à à à à Nathaniel Hawthorne took elements of the European romanticism and reshaped them into a new literary form that is called American Romanticism. The American Romanticists created a form that, at first glance, seems ancient and traditional; they borrowed from classical romance, adapted pastoral themes and incorporated Gothic elements (Reuben 22). Some of the definable elements of romanticismRead MoreEssay Sin, Guilt, and the Mind of Nathaniel Hawthorne1490 Words à |à 6 Pagesinfluenced his writing. Readers can easily recognize how Young Goodman Brown incorporates facts about his Puritan ancestors. Father Hooper in The Ministers Black Veil may be symbolically paralleled to Hawthornes ancestors, trying to hide a sin they have committed. His descendants remarks on him in The Custom House introduction to The Scarlet Letter mix pride in Hawthornes prominence and a sense of inherited guilt for his deeds as judge. Hawthornes guilt of wrongs committed by his ancestor sRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne1422 Words à |à 6 Pages The eighteenth-century author, Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. He was most famous for his writings The Scarlet Letter, ââ¬Å"Young Goodman Brown,â⬠ââ¬Å"The Ministerââ¬â¢s Black Veilâ⬠and an abundant array of other books and short stories. The stories that are mentioned contain a copious amount of symbolism throughout the entirety of each book. All the stories that he ever wrote have an underlying meaning and the symbolism was hidden within in the names, characters, placesRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter And The Ministers Black Veil1146 Words à |à 5 PagesHernandez Honors American literature West 15 October 2015 Nathaniel Hawthorne Utilization of Symbolism Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of both stories The Scarlet Letter and ââ¬Å"The Ministers Black Veilâ⬠utilizes symbols to show the lasting impact it leaves on the individual and in the community around them. In The Scarlet Letter and ââ¬Å"The Ministers Black Veilâ⬠both main characters Hester Prynne and Reverend Mr. Hopper both have symbols in which both are of great significance. Hesterââ¬â¢s symbol is an embroideredRead MoreEssay Nathaniel Hawthorne1152 Words à |à 5 PagesNathaniel Hawthorneââ¬â¢s hatred of Puritanism was so big that he described in many of his writing such as The Scarlet Letter and The Minster Black Veil. He usually satirized them as evildoers and sin creators, not holy and Christ zealous as they described themselves. Hawthorne also used the effects of mysterious human mind and spontaneous action to describe the Puritan as satanic worship and God disobedience. In result, his writing reflected much of his Puritan ancestry affections. Nathaniel HawthorneRead MoreEssay Theme of Alienation in Literature929 Words à |à 4 PagesThe harsh judgmental conditions of Puritan society are the cause of isolation for these characters and eventually lead to their damnation. The literary works written by Hawthorne, such as Young Goodman Brown, The Ministers Black Veil, and The Scarlet Letter, all contain characters that face these types of conditions. Goodman Brown, Minister Hooper, and Hester Pryne are isolated from society because of their guilty consciences, and desire to hide their shame. EventuallyRead MoreEssay about Nathaniel Hawthornes Use of Symbolism482 Words à |à 2 Pagesworks by Nathaniel Hawthorne, he uses symbols for secret sin in The Scarlet Letter, ââ¬Å"The Ministerââ¬â¢s Black Veil,â⬠and ââ¬Å"Dr. Heideggerââ¬â¢s Experiment.â⬠As seen in The Scarlet letter, the symbol for secret sin is the Scarlet letter ââ¬Å"A.â⬠The ââ¬Å"Aâ⬠represents the sin in which Hester commits adultery with the townââ¬â¢s minister, Dimmesdale. One example of secret sin is when Hester first walks out of prison; for the first time she wore the letter ââ¬Å"Aâ⬠on her breast to show her crime. The ââ¬Å"Aâ⬠very well representsRead MoreThe Minister s Black Veil949 Words à |à 4 PagesThe Ministerââ¬â¢s Black Veil The Ministerââ¬â¢s Black Veil is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1836. In this short story, Minister Mr. Hooper shows up one day at church wearing a black veil on his face. This black veil covers his face except his mouth and chin. The people of the town Milford begin to speculate on why Mr. Hooper wears this veil, whether he has been inflicted by an illness or if he is hiding a secret. When he refuses to remove the veil or tell the townspeople why he wears
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Report on Digi Telecom Essay Free Essays
Recently Digi Telecommunications company is ranked as one of the best Telco companies in Malaysia and this is a report with emphasis on their success strategy derived from a financial analysis of up to date financial highlights of Digi Telecommunications. As it is a firm that is continuing to grow strong financially and a firm listed on the Bursa Stock exchange of Malaysia this report contains a few helpful tips and recommendations for Digi to remain successful and keep improving on its financial management strategies. Introduction The purpose of this report is to give an analysis of the financial position of Digi Malaysia company, mainly providing essential highlights for potential investors. We will write a custom essay sample on Report on Digi Telecom Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now In this report the content will consist of results of the calculated accounting ratios relevant to reflect profitability and liquidity, a comparison of financial statements and an analysis of the major trends and changes that occurred during the year 2009 and 2010. Another function of this report is to enlighten the reader on the main function of financial management and to define the basic and essential terms used in financial management. Other content of this report are a clear indication of the application of appropriate techniques tan one may use in order to determine whether Digi Malaysia is a healthy company for investment. The conclusion of this report will serve as a guideline for improvement as it will consist of a range of suggestions that are meant to help the company to improve its operations and also boost its financial state and becom more effective and attractive to investors. How to cite Report on Digi Telecom Essay, Essay examples
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Sharon Pollocks Walsh Essay Example For Students
Sharon Pollocks Walsh Essay Progress is the elimination of the savage. These words of General Terry, a character in Sharon Pollocks Walsh, demonstrates how he and his fellow white men feel towards Native Indians. The indians see Canada as their homeland, but the Canadian government will not let them stay and will do anything in their power to make them leave to the United States. They are cheated against, lied to, and betrayed by their government, because of their ethnic background. Especially Sitting Bull, the head of the Sioux nation, who is being accused for the death of General Custer. Walsh, Sitting Bull, and General Terry contribute to this theme of prejudice towards the Sioux by the government and Walshs struggle to keep his responsibility as an individual and his high principles. Major Walsh of the North West Mounted Police who attempts to prevent Sitting Bull and the Sioux from being sent back from Canada to the United States, apparently to stand trial for the death of General Custer and his men at the battle of Little Big Horn. Walsh has sympathy for Sitting Bull and the Sioux. He feels, as a member of the force he should do everything in his power to help them: An able and brilliant people have been crushed, held down, moved from place to place, cheated and lied to..and now , they hold here in Canada, the remnants of a proud race, and they ask for some sort of justice.which is what I thought I swore on oath to serve!Walsh has a responsibility for Sitting Bull and the Sioux as a friend to help them in their struggle for justice and respect but Walsh was forced against his better judgment, to sacrifice his own high principles by his fellow police men and friends. The government, which Walsh represents lies and makes excuses to the Sioux of why the should be going to the United States. Walsh is a man who knows that there is a nobility to his struggle, but he surrenders responsibility as an individual. Walsh is a well-meaning but ultimately ineffectual white man whose potentially tragic status is undermined by his decision to go back on his promise of his responsibility to Sitting Bull and the Sioux. His moral dilemma is at a disaster when he agrees to his governments demands and sends Sitting Bull and the Sioux to his certain death in the United States. His mentality has totally been altered and he almost feels no sympathy for them anymore:And I can give you nothing! God knows, Ive done my damnedest and nothings changed. Do you hear that? Nothings changed! Cross the line if youre so hungry, but dont, for Christs sake, come begging food from me!Now Walsh is just like the rest of the men, careless and heartless. He has hardly no feelings towards Sitting Bull and the Sioux and he is trying to send Sitting Bull and the Sioux to the United S tates, thinking that theyre going to get food and shelter. Sitting Bull, the head of the Sioux nation, and the Sioux are not blind to see whats really going on. They know the Canadian government is prejudice against them and that they dont want them on their land or in their country. They know the government is lying to them so they can go to the United States to be in an even worse situation then they are in, in Canada. Sitting Bull and the Sioux are being betrayed by their own government. Sitting Bull says that to Walsh:When I was a boy, the Sioux owned the world. The sun rose and set on our land. We sent 10,000 men to battle. Where are those warriors now? Who seen them? Where are our lands? Who owns them? Tell mewhat law have I broken? Is it wrong for me to love my own? Is it wicked of me because my skin is red? Because I am a Sioux, because I was born where my fathers lived, because I would die for my people and my country? .This white man would forgive me.and while he speaks to me of forgiveness, what do his people say in secret? Seize their guns and horses! Drive them
Friday, November 29, 2019
Marijuana Effects on Human Forgetting Functions an Example of the Topic Health Essays by
Marijuana Effects on Human Forgetting Functions This study investigates and tries to determine which of the individual components of memory are altered by marijuana. It has long been established that acute marijuana use impairs working memory of humans and animals. The previous studies focused on how marijuana affected memory on global terms like word recall, digit recall and paired associate word memory. By employing the delayed matching-to-sample method, the researchers attempted to distinguish whether acute marijuana smoking altered the delay-dependent and delay-independent components of memory. The study is a first in this field and with the use of human subjects; a similar research was carried out using pigeons and a cholinergic drug. Need essay sample on "Marijuana Effects on Human Forgetting Functions" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed The experiment was carried out with seven subjects but two were dropped from the experiment as they did not meet the requirements of the study. The subjects were recruited thru newspaper advertisement and were adequately compensated for their participation in the study. The subjects were identified as occasional marijuana users and used one more drug in the past. They were required to not use any other drug during the duration of the experiment as checked by a daily urine analysis. This was necessary to rule out any potential interaction with the marijuana and other drug which may affect the results of the experiment. The apparatus and materials used in the study consisted of a chamber made of plexiglass for the smoking administration. Subjects were directed to smoke marijuana in predetermined sequence. The subject had an ashtray, a pair of tweezers for smoking and subjects were connected to an oscillometric blood pressure and pulse monitor and a carbon monoxide indicator. The subject was cued by a computer monitor as to the smoking protocol. For the experimental test sessions, the subject worked in a chamber alone with a VGA monitor and mouse. The experimental events and data collection was recorded by remote software. The subject had two sessions for the experiment, the smoking and the experimental testing with the DMTS tasks. For the behavioral testing procedure, subjects were seated in the designed chamber. A detailed instruction was read to them and they were to work with the VGA monitor and mouse. The software recorded all the responses of the subject in the delayed match-to-sample tasks as well as controlled the sequence and schedule of the tasks. For the marijuana smoking, subjects smoked a placebo, a low dose and a high dose cigarette. Subjects were instructed to smoke, hold their breath, inhale or exhale in different sequences and timing. The number of inhalation and dose was monitored till subjects reached the state of acute marijuana intoxication. Doses were given in ascending order with intervening placebo after each high and low dose. After smoking marijuana subjects were asked to answer a self-report cardiovascular measure that was composed of subjective effects of marijuana. The results of the experiment showed that the acute administration of smoked marijuana to adult humans produced changes in rates of forgetting but not in initial discriminability. The study found evidence that the impairments were due to the delay interval length of tasks. It was observed that the intoxication of marijuana increased the rate of forgetting functions in all subjects. With the DMTS procedure, the researcher was able to determine the mechanism at which marijuana affected memory performance. The findings of the study shed light on how marijuana affects the cannabinoid receptors in the hippocampus giving evidence that the hippocampus indeed play a major role in memory functions. Moreover, this study helped identify the different components of human memory that are affected by the drug, thus using marijuana in some medical conditions may not be the bets option as it compromises the memory functioning of the patient. Lastly, the study showed that biological and behavioral aspects interact in memory processes, thus cognitive abilities can be impaired by prolonged marijuana use. This study as an experiment using human subjects and using a potentially harmful substance has some ethical issues. Considering that subjects volunteered for the experiment but the advertisement as a behavioral research was misleading. Although subjects had prior experience in smoking marijuana, the potential hazard of exposing the subjects to acute marijuana smoking within the six week period carries far greater threat than the objectives of the study. The experiment though had sophisticated apparatus and materials and was innovative in using the delayed-dependent and delayed-independent measures but it is not clear on how they did this. Reference Lane, S., Cherek, D., Lieving, L. 1 pp 67-83
Monday, November 25, 2019
Parker and his colleagues Essays
Parker and his colleagues Essays Parker and his colleagues Essay Parker and his colleagues Essay Experiment two used a white noise cue while experiment one used a 1000 Hz pure tone. In both experiments a significant response time advantage was found for valid cues at the short SOA of 200ms. The results obtained mirror those found by Spence Driver (1994) for exogenous processing in that valid cues produced a response time advantage for short cue-target SOAââ¬â¢s. Experiments 3, 4 and 5 tested endogenous auditory attention as opposed to the first two experiments which tested exogenous processing.The informative cues used differed from the uninformative spatial cues of experiment 1 and 2. It was found that for this experiment (3) response time was faster for all SOA levels. The faster response time for all SOA levels in experiment 3 says that the use of informative cues pushes attention towards the target. It was predicted that significant response time advantage would occur at the middle and long SOA levels (500ms and 1100ms) for valid cues as opposed to the invalid cues.On acquisition of the cue information, the subject can shift spatial attention to the likely location of the subsequent target location. In experiment 3 a significant response time advantage was found at all SOA for valid cues. Despite the significant response time advantage found for valid cues at the short SOA (200ms), these results were expected. While the significant response time advantage found for the short SOA condition (200ms) is not necessary expected with a cognitive based cue, the cue used in experiment 3 (and in subsequent experiment 5) was both informative and spatial based.The initial capture of attention to the spatial location of the cue would aid response time advantage at the short SOA condition (200ms), while the knowledge that the cue is informative would keep attention focused on the spatial location of the cue for longer aiding response time advantage for the other SOA conditions (500ms 1100ms). In experiment 4 the spatial component of the informative cue was removed to investigate pure endogenous processing. The results obtained for experiment 4 found a significant response time advantage for valid cues only at the middle SOA condition (500ms).The lack of a response time advantage for valid cues at the shorter SOA of 200ms can be expected with a purely endogenous cue, however at the longer SOA of 1100ms a response time advantage was expected to be found. The addition of extra subjects may have produced a significant response time advantage for the SOA condition of 1100ms, however the same may be said for the short SOA of 200ms which also had a moderate average valid cue response time advantage (16ms).Spence and Driver (1996) found that by using purely endogenous cues (side blocking and central arrow) with an auditory target response time were significant for higher SOA (600-900ms) and since the task still involved visual cues the results may have been affected by it. The results of the experiment supported the earlier findings in experiment 3 wherein, a significant response time advantage was found for valid cues for all SOA conditions in experiment 5. The lack of spatial cuing decreased the response time of subjects for they did not have basis for localization.Flanagan, McAnally, Martin, Meehan Oldfield (1998) visual search times were reduced when spatially informative auditory information was supplied. In comparison to experiment 3 overall response times were about 30ms faster in experiment 5. The introduction of speech alone did not have the effect of reducing response times in experiment 4 where a non-spatial speech cue was u sed. Unfortunately, this assumption cannot be made in this case due to the fact that not all subjects who completed experiment 3 also completed experiment 5.The successful use of virtual 3-dimensional audio in laboratory experiments have been supported by other researches Parker and his colleagues (2004) studied the effects of supplementing head-down displays with 3-dimensional audio during visual target acquisition found that it improved performance during visual acquisition tasks, in fact the addition of 3-D audio resulted in significant reduction in visual acquisition time and a significant reduction of perceived workload and improved situational awareness.Flanagan et al (1998) also used virtual 3-D audio in an experiment which compared an unaided search with visual and auditory search cues for targets outside the visual field. The pure tone was initially used as the pure tone will give side discrimination without distinct elevation discrimination. With cues and targets seeming t o emanate from the same spatial position, in the case of high targets, the effect of priming cannot be discounted in any response time advantage observed for valid high targets.While the faster response times observed in the current experiments were not significant, it is a concern as to why faster responses were recorded. Spence and Driver used cue duration of 100ms followed by target duration of 100ms, while in the current experiment cue duration was 200ms with the target also of duration 200ms Generally each experiment was analyzed individually with not all subjects completing the three experiments relating to this observed effect (experiments 3, 4 5). Flanagan, McAnally, Martin, Meehan Oldfield (1998) found that with the use of spatially informative auditory information, visual search times were reduced.They used a spatial localization task in which the search for a visual target was aided by either a visual arrow or an auditory cue. They found that both the visual and auditor y cues aided in significantly reducing the search time when compared to an unaided search. With evidence suggesting that attentional capacity is modality-specific (Duncan, Martens Ward, 1997) and that auditory cues can help with a visual spatial localisation task (Flanagan, McAnally, Martin, Meehan Oldfield, 1998), the nature of the links between auditory and visual streams in spatial attention is of great importance.In conclusion, our experiments have clearly demonstrated that 3-dimensional audio can be used successfully in testing auditory attention. The results of the experiments supports what has been reported by the research of Spence and Driver (1994), thus indicating that informative and spatial auditory cues increases response time. These findings have practical implications in the design of human interface systems where visual targets can be enhanced by virtual auditory cues in the form of pure tone or words.Although the findings have validated the existence of cuing para digms for auditory attention, much has to be learned in the study of audition and its practical implications.ReferencesBedard, M. A. , El Massioui, F. E. , Pillon, B. , Nandrino, J. L. (1993). Time for reorienting of attention: A premotor hypothesis of the underlying mechanism. Neuropsychologia, 31, 241ââ¬â249. Begault, D. Pittman, M. (1996) Three-Dimensional Audio Versus Head-Down Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System Displays, International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 6(1), 79-93.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Application and development of relevant business management knowledge Essay - 1
Application and development of relevant business management knowledge - Essay Example The top management of the organizations who were accustomed to the existing process and their know-how found it tough to assimilate the changes due to e-business and manage the effects of this new e-factor. Thus the only way to cope up with the changes brought about by the e-business processes were to know in detail about the business processes and the e-business driven changes as the important impacts of the new factor. An in-depth knowledge of the e-business and the wholesome changes brought about by the useful tools of e-business would help the senior managers to analyze the newly structured business processes and bring about necessary changes in approach and measures to cope up with the business processes and manage the changes. Thus the knowledge on the e-business tools and its functions, the potentials of the e-business processes, the benefits, costs and the impacts on the overall process is extremely essential in managing the changes in the business process. This leads us to t he problem development stage and the problem has been developed as follows. ââ¬Å"What is the importance of knowledge management in e-business driven changes in operating process of companies?â⬠In order to address this problem, the various areas of business operations need to known in detail and the difference between the e-business driven changes and the earlier business processes need to be understood. This would help in identifying the changes that are brought about by the e-business processes in the overall organization culture and business. The understanding of the impacts of e-business on the organization and an analysis of these changes to design ways for managing these changes to the benefit of the organization could be done with the help of management of the knowledge on the changes business processes or the e-business. The scope of knowledge management in e-business lay in the areas of product development, supply chain management, customer relationship and the overa ll business processes. It is thus important to know the organizations that engage in the management of latest business knowledge for timely and efficient development of their products, to bring about necessary changes in the supply chain management to cater to the customers with the products and services through e-business in an efficient manner and to establish strong relationship bonds with the customers through efficient and timely delivery of customer service. It is also important to know about the ways in which the changes in the business management are affected with the help of knowledge on e-business (Malhotra 34). This includes a study of the various tasks that are assigned to the executives in order to cope up with the pace of the system that is driven by the e-platform and the latest technologies. The rationale behind performing these tasks and the application of knowledge management is clearly understood by the senior management and the employees to whom the work is deleg ated in order to reach the maximum level of performance. The process of management of business knowledge is commonly referred as knowledge management by companies aimed at developing the stock of knowledge on the various business processe
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Employee Loyalty at Investment Banks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Employee Loyalty at Investment Banks - Essay Example (Berkowitz, 189) But, while spending on the human loyalty principal is likely to remain stable in the immediate future, as past overinvestment unwinds, the longer-term benefits for the global economy are likely to continue, or even accelerate, in the years to come. While technological change is an ongoing process, there are periods during which technological progress is especially rapid, resulting in new products and falling prices of existing products that have widespread uses in the rest of the economy and these are the period when the aspect of human indulgence becomes extremely important. Earlier examples include textiles production and steam power in the industrial revolution, railroads in the nineteenth century, and electricity in the early twentieth century (the automobile could also be included, but its development was relatively gradual). The effects of such revolutions have generally occurred in three (often overlapping) main stages and human elements and their loyalty, though hardly mentioned, always remained an integral part of the progress. (Kar, 145) Thus while dealing with the banking investment sector, it is important to understand the nature of loyalty of an employee in order to evaluate and measure the loyalty rate. This is a very important aspect of the research for determining the key factors influencing employee loyalty at investment banks in today's world. Once the loyalty level is measured it would be easier and logical to determine the causes of the frequency. This way a complete evaluating formulation could be prepared in this context. (Lamb, 243-245) Literature review In this review, analysis would be done on the role that the sales and management strategy, both historically and in the context of contemporary society, in the context of the topic selected. In addition, analysis would also be done on the ethnic and cultural diversity, and legal and ethical considerations that relate because the aspects of security certainly stand on the edge of privacy and confidentiality. Lastly it would be looked upon to identify the common trends in the banking industry and management strategy of behaviours of potential customers from the context of investment banking employees that appear in the literature. The literature would be used to demonstrate the importance of the topic to field as a whole. As a prelude to this research it would relevant to mention that in this context of determining the key factors influencing employee loyalty at investment banks in today's world and the two most important texts would be Border's Banking: Fire of the Mind and Dos' Future of Thought Process in Financial History for their detailed analysis of the subject. Both of the writers takes the loyalty concept of employees as a marketing variable and works on the principals of Management to determine their behaviours. Literature in the realm of research performed on the advances in sales and
Monday, November 18, 2019
Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2
Business Law - Essay Example In that case, the Court rendered the term unenforceable because it appeared only at the bottom of the web page after the download button, depriving the customer the opportunity to read it first. This is not true however, in the present case because Dell not only advertised the terms in its website but also enclosed a written copy of it with the delivery of the computer to the customer. Generally, the courts will find for arbitration if it clearly appears that an agreement thereto was reached between the parties and even if there are doubts such as in the case of NCR Corp v Korala Associates, Ltd 512 F 3d 807 (2008) but may decide against it, even if there was agreement, if it is obviously one-sided such as in the case of Circuit City Stores Inc v Adams 279 F 3d 889 (2002) (cited Miller & Jentz 2009 52, 53). The present case, however, is distinguished from similar cases where the court held shrink-wrap agreements and arbitration clauses valid by its absence of an express disclaimer informing the customer of the specific method by which to express his or her rejection of the terms, usually a return of the product as was in the case of ProCD, Inc v Zeidenberg 908 F Supp 640 (1996). The implication of this is that DeFontes has no notice that a rejection of the terms should be expressed by returning the product and therefore, as to her, the arbitration term is not bind ing. She therefore, has good chances of dismissing Dellââ¬â¢s application for
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Research On Management At Pak N Save New Zealand Business Essay
Research On Management At Pak N Save New Zealand Business Essay The main purpose of the research report on PaknSave Group is that it is the demand of the subject. It will help us to gain vast knowledge about this particular organization. As well as we also come to know that what are the necessities and responsibilities to run a business. We will also get an Analysis of the Organization and Management in PaknSave Group. In this research report mainly we come to know the purpose of organization and roles of the management regarding that particular organization. We will understand the various management philosophies, management practices, influences of environment (internal and external) and application of change management theories. Paknsave is a New Zealand discount supermarket chain owned by the Foodstuffs cooperative. Founded in 1985, PaknSave was the last of the five current major New Zealand supermarkets (Countdown, Food town, New World, PaknSave, and Woolworths) to be founded. As of December 2009, there are 45 PaknSave stores operating across the North and South Islands of New Zealand. PaknSaves key policy is to provide everyday food and groceries at low prices. Stores are large and have a no-frills environment, often with unlined interiors and concrete floors. Customers are also asked to pack their own bags, and charged for plastic bags in most stores. Source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakn_Save) Every day paknsave group aim to make a difference to peoples lives by making the desirable affordable. paknsave group will continue to make Clear improvements in product quality and choice for our customers but, at the same time, paknsave group will always remain true to our core value proposition of delivering bargain prices. The organizational structures of Pakn save http://uniexgh.com/images/organogram.gif In organizational structure of Pakn save there is interaction model. There is chief executive, foreign divisions and coordinator of SP at the top level. At the middle there is director of admin and HR and chief operator and chief finance officer who control operations of company. Then there are general managers in each department. At the below level there is team members and factory managers. Due to transaction model the bottom level people cannot share their information and problems directly with the top level employees. For example if Gen managers in operation want to share some informations of below level they will talk to chief operations officer. He cannot speak to C.E.O directly. There are four departments in Pakn save the admin and HR department, operations department, and consulting and finance department. Below it there are senior and assistant managers. Below it there is team leaders and workers. This is centralized organization everyone has to report to the head office onl ine. If there is any information then head office provides to every store. It is a formal organization. All the operations like timing, relate to stoke, sales and customer services control by head office. Every employee has to work according to companys rules and regulations. Store managers cannot change anything related to their stores by themselves. Purpose of pakn save The name probably originates from the cost-saving practice of requiring that customers pack their own groceries. Pak n Save provides the cardboard boxes used for shipping products to the store, or plastic supermarket bags can be purchased at the checkout for 10 cents at North Island stores. South Island stores charge customers 5 cents per plastic bag. Customers are encouraged to purchase longer-lasting bags or to bring their own. The stores are laid out as supermarket aisles, but with minimalistic design. Extra products that are not on shelves are stacked above the shelves on the pallets they were delivered in. This means that the floor space can be used for retail and storage. The stores are supplied daily from their co-operative distributor Foodstuffs. Pak n Save stores often buy stock in bulk. This process means that stores dont offer a wide variety of products as full-service supermarkets a Consumer magazine survey noticed this especially in the pet food and toilet paper categories Some stores have self checkout self scanning facilities, where the customer scans each item as they put it in their shopping cart trolley. This reduces waiting time at the checkout, as payment is the only thing that occurs (apart from random re-scans). Conventional checkout operator scanning is also available. Pakn save management roles and skills PAKnSAVE follows a Food format unique to New Zealand supermarket shopping. They buy and stock a range of everyday basic products in bulk, and because we can do this in such large volumes it means that they can pass the savings on to customers, in the form of New Zealands lowest overall food prices. Customers will always find great specials in store they pride themselves on getting the best deals by taking advantage of opportunities to negotiate in the marketplace. They are also working hard every day to reduce costs in store so customers will find that their plain style stores have no fancy floor coverings, extravagant shelving or expensive lighting. In paknsave, they offer a practical and functional environment with wide aisles, where the grocery items are stacked on the shelf in their boxes so that its easy to shop, and there are lots of checkouts to get customers on their way as quickly as possible. Pakn save company does ask customers to pack customers own groceries, as they know that customers dont want to pay for any extras hidden in the price of the goods. Because pakn save reduce their costs by these methods, they can pass the savings directly on to clients, without reducing the quality of the products what they offer. Customers only need to check out pakn saves fresh food departments to find great quality fruit and vegetables, meat, seafood, deli and bakery items, all at competitively low prices. For your convenience, some PAKnSAVE stores have fuel pumps located on-site. When you buy groceries at these stores you receive discounts on every liter of fuel that you purchase from PAKnSAVE Fuel. The value of your discount is tied to the amount you spend in store so the more you spend, the more you save! At the moment, PAKnSAVE Fuel is only available at the following stores in the region: Botany Downs, Manukau,, Pukekohe and Lincoln North. Problems faced by paknsave and their solutions Paknsave has to face 2 types problems:- Structured :- Those problems which have already decided or definite solution is known as structured problems. For e.g. the problems regarding customer complaints and reduction in product rates already have some solutions. Unstructured: Those problems which have an uncertainty and no definite format for the solution is known as unstructured problems. For e.g competition of market Problems Pakn Saves main competitors are stores owned by Progressive Enterprises, a division of Australian company Woolworths Limited. The main competitor is full-service discount chain Countdown, and to a lesser extent, Food town and Woolworths. Pakn Save also faces a small amount of competition from Foodstuffs full-service supermarket, New World. Problems are as followings- Structured- Customer complaints. Damaged products. Arrange products according to customer needs. More staff required during busy period. Unstructured- The first problem that organization is facing is that tax is increased so that firm is found very hard to keep its promise of lowest prices. This company is not selling all the food products that we need. People can see many things have charges which are lower than Pakn save products. People find some goods have lower find nearby small shops. How organization might make decisions. Brainstorming is a method of extracting a large number of ideas within a formal setting.The key features are as follows- All the staff is drawn from the team.There is a chairperson and a note maker who makes the note of the whole ideas given. Management Philosophies and practices of Paknsave groups: Task focus: Various tasks- The management has various tasks to focus on. The Management needs to decide that what tasks needs to be done in between a specific period of time. This helps the management o make easy to achieve the goal. It also helps the management to make follow on the rules and policies. People: Recruitment training performance appraisal- It all includes the hiring of new staff. This all can be known as recruitment. Some people on job give more preference in building relations with other workers or people but some people gives more preference to achieving the targets and goals of the company. People orientation (Relationship with people) Task orientation (Target achievement) Efficiency and effectiveness: The main factors on which the efficiency and effectiveness of the paknsave depends are as following: Location: The location of a paknsave plays a very important role in its efficiency. It should be situated on well localized place. So that people have not to face any type of problem while reaching there. Workforce: Most of the success of any business depends upon the workforce of the organization that how effective all the workers do their work at their positions. Same things implement here in paknsave group. Quality of products: If the quality of products in the paknsave would be admirable then everybody try to get stuff from here. Impact of internal and external environment: Internal environments influences: People:Customer satisfaction: All profits of a company/organization depend on the satisfaction of customers. If customers will be satisfied with the products of the company then it will enhance the sales and if sales will increase then it will also raise productivity as well as as employment. Eventually profit will automatically increased by these factors, same thing implement on Paknsave group. System:Quality: customer will only feel satisfied if the quality of the product will be reasonable. So this is also a core factors for the success of Paknsave group. People:Staff turnover: it is also a countable factor for the development of business. If this problem occurs in Paknsave group then it will lead this business to loss of productivity, as new staff will take some time to get up to speed, particularly in complex jobs. As well as customer dissatisfaction will also occur. The influence of PESTEL forces on Pakn save Economic effect 1) Food stuffs in New Zealands largest retail organisation and the second largest commercial organisation by revenue in New Zealand. Due to recession they are still employed employing more than 30,000 people nationwide. But due to recession it is going to be reducing in future. 2) Due to inflation because inflation is increased there is effect on consumer goods. So the prices is going to be increased but Paknsave prices is still lower than other retail stores .But due to great effect of inflation on the food products ,now Paknsave is going to lose their customers too. Environmental effects Pakn save constantly strive to serve the community better. It understand the needs of our customers, and are big supporters of their local communities through various environmental and community initiatives. 1.) Foodstuffs South Island is very disappointed to advise that due to the severe nature of the damage which has resulted from the earthquake, New World Kakapo will not be re-opening and will need to be re-built. Understandably, this is an incredibly distressing time for the local owners, 2) Andrew and Jacqui Palmer, and their staff. The supermarket currently has 34 full time and 52 part time staff employed who will all be affected. 3) After the earthquake in Christchurch Pakn save reduces their prices more than before but government is not going to reduce its taxes so they have to reduce their profit. But it is just for short time. 4) They said if NZ government reduces tax on consumer goods then they can be able to give extra advantages to people about quality and price. Technological effect The new $70 million Foodstuffs Wellington dry grocery distribution centre in Palmerton North is a smart operation that makes clever use of next-generation computer technology. By online shopping customers use to buy things .By using these technology sales of Pakn save is increasing. Now people do not have need to go out .they can give order for things online. Now Pakn save delivers goods at their customers home. That is way customers can save their fuel and time. Now new machine of packaging are established .So people can pack their own things very quickly and efficiently. Its automated system for handling small grocery items has already doubled productivity in what has traditionally been the most time-consuming operation of Foodstuffs warehousing. Operations Group General Manager David Cooper says the distribution centre, which began operating in January, has been designed to meet the current demands and future expansion of Foodstuffs Wellington Cooperative Society. The distribution centre on the corner of Roberts Line and Railway Road is huge. People are dwarfed by the size of the place which is the largest in Palmerton North and one of the biggest in the country south of Auckland. Inside the building, the feature that rivets the eye is the huge complex that dominates the central area. This is Foodstuffs automated picking system (APS). The 10-metre tall, steel lattice storage system for loose groceries is a computer-operated machine that was designed and installed by Australasian logistics solutions company, Dalmatic. High speed intelligent cranes are installed between each row of racks and they zoom in and out at high speed. They pick up totes from conveyor belts to store them and retrieve others for delivery to work stations. Legal influence By increasing the GST tax by 15% PaknSave has to increase its price rate in future. But Pakn save has to lose its customer. But Paknsave is not going to increase its price. It has to reduce its profit. Government also provide subsidy to some food products It will enjoy by people and services is provided by Pakn save. Socio-cultural Effect With changes of life style of people, people want products with cleanness. Pacs save provided products with cleanness and also provided wholesale prices .so people like to buy more products from that place. Paks save also changes its infrastructure and interior decoration according to customers .So that customers can visit more to Pak n save. Generally people spend more on Christmas days .So Paknsave also provides saving accounts offers to their customers so that customers can save more two months before for their shopping at Pak n save account. By this Paknsave will be going to open a account of their customers So that they can buy more at less money. Paknsave brands have been designed and developed over the years to best meet our customers various needs whether its for the weeks big shop At PAKnSAVE; shopping for that special dinner party at New World, or picking up essentials from your local, neighbourhood Four Square store. Source ( http://www.paknsave.co.nz/AboutUS/) Application of change management frameworks: Mostly these retail industries hire those workers who are inexperienced and not have enough skills to work in this particular job which create problems while dealing with customers. So, it should be change. Before hiring any worker a test or interview should be must. In accordance with Levins theory an organization has to overcome 3 stages of change which are: 1. Unfreezing 2. Change 3. Refreezing Source- While making this change firstly paknsave has to stop following old procedures regarding recruitment procedures. In next step they should start new training programmers so that they can make their work more efficient and applicable. In the last step warehouse will have to apply this change on the company. (Mind Tools, 2007; Syque, 2007) In accordance with Kotters Eight Step Model an organization has to overcome 8 steps which are: Source: The main reason of this change regarding recruitment procedure is that it is affecting the sales and profit of the paknsave because it doesnt have effective workers. For setting new rules and regulations a team is must which involves those workers who can plan and set these goals effectively. Then this team should set some goals for the better future of the company. Afterwards, this change should be tell to the all workers so that they can understand the need of change and follow the vision which is set up by team. After that the team should be given the authority to implement this change on paknsave. A short term survey is must so that they can know the output of the company after the implementation of new procedure. At last this change should made permanent if it works efficiently(Chapman, 2006).
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Analysis of poetic techniques in The Company of Lovers Essay -- Judith
Judith Wright, who was born during the First World War, lived through, and was greatly influenced by, many wars that Australia had involved herself in. During an interview in 1985, Judith Wright recounts how her childhood was overshadowed by images of war, and therefore many of her earliest memories were connected with war and its effects. The constant presence of danger forced Wright to confront her awareness that all life ends in death, which has haunted her poetry throughout her years. The fear of death and loss has been expressed in 'The Company of Lovers', which was published in 1946, after Wright saw the influence of the Second World War on Australia. Judith Wright's success in translating human existence into poetry has resulted in a rich creation of exuberant expression and sincerity. Her poetry has the ability to connect reason and emotion through various poetic techniques in such a way that knowledge and experience are represented in a powerful yet dense fashion. One would find a great challenge in expressing deep experiences in a poem consisting of simply two octaves. However, through the employment of poetic techniques Judith Wright has captured her knowledge of life and death, and the effects of war, and successfully translated them into her poem ?The Company of Lovers?. This poem reflects an entire generation, worldwide, who went to war, and their lovers and family who were left behind, indicated in the opening line, ?We meet and part now over all the world?. Wright has employed a paradox, ?We meet and part? to encourage an awareness of coinciding union and departure. This paradox serves two functions, to suggest that a brief moment between lovers may soon be disrupted, and to communicate said idea in a condensed... ...remarkable capacity to go beyond and above what can be grasped by the senses. ?The Company of Lovers?, which literally associates love and death, contains a raw essence that supports attributes of reality which explores the connection between inner existence and actual reality, which is effectively and concisely represented through these use of poetic devices, such as paradox? and personification. Wright?s concern with love and death, a feminist and metaphysical issue, had been constantly in her thoughts. However, later in her life, once she had met her lover and had their daughter, she was able to accept death as not an enemy but as phase in the cyclical nature of life. Through the use and develop of poetic techniques, such as structure, language, imagery and movement, Wright has been able to address her concerns with love and death in a vivid but compacted manner.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Evidence-based practice Essay
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a system of incorporating research findings into nursing practice so as to improve the therapeutic outcomes. (Polit, F. D & Beck, T. C, 2010). ââ¬Å"The evidence based practice places particular emphasis on the use of evidence, in particular research findings, in clinical decision makingâ⬠. (Parahoo, K, 2006). During past clinical exposures, the issues regarding post natal depression were found as a less explored one because of the complex involvement of both mental health nursing and maternal and child health nursing. ââ¬Å"Postpartum psychosis is a manifestation of a life time vulnerability to affective disorders with child birth as the precipitating factorâ⬠(Spinelli, M. G, 2009).The focused clinical question discussed here, which is an important element in an evidence based practice is as follows; How effective is the education of nurses about postpartum depression in helping to identify and reduce postpartum depression among new moth ers in a maternal ward or community?. According to the PICOT strategy for formulating EBP questions, here, the population is ââ¬Ënew mothersââ¬â¢, the intervention is education of nurses about postpartum depression and outcome is ââ¬Ëidentify and reduce postpartum depressionââ¬â¢. The clinical settings chosen for this focused clinical question is maternal ward in a hospital as well as community settings. It is based on the general assumption that initial care will be given in a Hospital maternal ward followed by contact care given in community settings. Having a baby is a joyous moment, but for some women it also brings worries as well as stress. Many recent study reports highlight alarming rates of occurrence of post natal depression. About 10% of new mothers suffer from the most severe form of post natal depression.(Science Daily, 2010). It is evident that, being the closest aid of a post natal delivered woman, maternal and child health nurse can do a lot in identifying and reducing post natal depression. Here, an attempt is made to explore and analyse the educational aspect of nurses in alleviating the said problem. The online databases chosen for this assignment is CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) . A systematic search stra tegy has been carried out using key words such as postnatal depression, postnatal emotional disturbance, puerperal depression, perinatal depression, psychosis, nursing care, nurse knowledge, nursing care, and education. More than 700 results were yielded initially when postnatal depression used as the key words. Theà results were narrowed by choosing the publication dates between January 2000 and December 2010. Results were further sorted by re arranging them in a date descending order and a suitable article titled ââ¬ËDetection, treatment and referral of perinatal depression and anxiety by obstetrical providersââ¬â¢(Goodman ,J,H, Tyer-Viola, L, 2010) obtained. Key words were combined by using Boolean operator ââ¬ËANDââ¬â¢. The combination of key words postnatal depression and nursing interventions generated 4 results, and among them, two results with titles, ââ¬ËImproving the postnatal outcomes of new mothersââ¬â¢ (Morse C, Durkin S, Buist A, and Milgrom J, 2004) and Comparison of effects of nursing care to problem solving training on levels of depressive symptoms in post partum womenââ¬â¢ (Tezel, A and Gozum, S, 2006) were found relevant for the focused clinical question.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Marketing Plan Skylarknet a Wireless Essay
Wireless mesh networking is the latest tech in this field. Internet pro Wireless networks provide unprecedented freedom and mobility for a growing number of laptop and PDA users who no longer need wires to stay connected with their workplace and the Internet. Ironically, the very devices that provide wireless service to these clients need lots of wiring themselves to connect to private networks and the Internet. This wiring is expensive to install and change, and deployment must be carefully planned and timed to minimize disruption to normal business operations. Permits or permissions may be required, and then there are the laborious tasks of pulling, terminating and testing the copper wiring or fiber optic cabling. With all the work involved, it should not be surprising that wiring can be the most expensive part of a ââ¬Å"wirelessâ⬠network! Indeed, the many obstacles associated with wiring are now preventing or delaying the deployment of wireless applications that could deliver a real competitive advantage or a high return on investmentââ¬âor both. This marketing plan provides an overview of implementing Wireless Mesh Network (WMN) service for the first time in the suburban areas of Bangladesh. Wireless Mesh Network is an exciting new technology which has tremendous potential especially for a developing country like Bangladesh. Quite a few African countries are already benefiting from this novel technology. Supported by the growing buying power, a number of desktop and laptop users in the suburban areas of Bangladesh are badly in need of high quality internet service. In the world of internet the best suitable option stands for the suburban areas is the wireless technology. We plan to act as a service and equipment provider for the local ISP dealers and some institutional market such as university campus, NGO, hospitals and nursing home etc. As we are the pioneer of this new technology we conducted an insightful analysis of the competitorââ¬â¢s position and their offerings. The marketing plan starts with the situational analysis of the current market. External and internal factor analysis (SWOT analysis) provides a clear picture of current scenario. Grameen Phone, Qubee, Banglalion, ZoomUltra are our main competitors. But the cost of their offering is much higher than ours. Because there lies a higher establishment cost. Eliminating wires dramatically reduces the implementation costs, and substantially simplifies on-going operations. Without wires, the network becomes far more adaptable and flexible. Thatââ¬â¢s why we focus on the cost effectiveness and performance of the WMN service. We identify our company as a market challenger and set some strategies suitable for the challengers. Some pilot projects are planned to create the awareness among target customers. Based on these projects success further promotional and pricing strategies are set. In the later part of the report the feasibility of this marketing plan is justified by the financial analysis. Expense and sales are forecasted for the next three years followed by a break-even analysis. Overall monitoring and contingency plan (in the case of failure) completes the total planning for our company. Introduction In this world of modern technology, most people prefer not to connect computers with Ethernet cables because excessive cables scattered throughout their office or home is unsightly. One can choose to install a wireless network to avoid excessive cabling. For a wireless network, there is no need to use Ethernet cables to connect your computers to the DSL or router. Moreover, WLANs are available anywhere in the world at an affordable cost. In the suburban and rural areas Wireless tech suits best. Wireless mesh networking is the newest tech in wireless field. Our objective is to identify the potential suburban customers of Bangladesh who can afford a cost-effective internet service. Origin of the Study This report has been prepared a requirement to fulfill the course. This report evaluates the business opportunity of latest wireless mesh network technology in the suburban areas of Bangladesh from service provider point of view. Objective of the Study The primary objective of this report is to fulfill the course requirement of ââ¬Å"Marketing Managementâ⬠. The secondary objective is to describe a detail marketing plan for a new technology. Limitation of the Study There is no authentic statistics about the potential number of internet users in the suburban areas of Bangladesh. As this is a new technology, the costs of the equipments vary depending on the different manufacturers. We are making a new entry, so the estimation of potential market is based on the secondary data of other existing competitors rather than the primary data. Sales and expense is forecasted on the discretion of our part that may vary widely in real case implementation. Unavailability of previous yearââ¬â¢s financial report necessitates greater recourse to mere guessing in some cases. Situational Analysis What is WMN (Wireless Mesh Network)? Mesh networks represent an emerging wireless networking technology that promises wider coverage than traditional wireless LANs and lower deployment and operation costs than 3G cellular networks. For these reasons, network operators and service providers consider mesh networking to be a serious candidate to solve the so called last mile problem. Some network operators worldwide have already started to deploy mesh based access networks offering nearly ubiquitous and inexpensive wireless Internet connections to their customers. Examples are Ozoneââ¬â¢s mesh network in Paris (www. zone. net/en/) and The Cloud in the City of London (www. thecloud. net). The real business potential lies in operator based mesh networks. By their systematic design, deployment, and maintenance, operator based mesh networks provide higher levels of Quality-of-Service (QoS), meaning larger coverage, higher speed, and more reliable operation. In addition, it can be argued that mesh network operators in a give n geographical area will cooperate in order to further optimize their costs and increase the QoS provided by their networks. The form of the cooperation can range from traditional roaming agreements to joint provision of specific services. Figure 1: Wireless Mesh Network Strategic planning is important because in well-run companies the goal from the very top of the organization down to where one is working should form a more-or-less unbroken chain (or ââ¬Å"hierarchyâ⬠) of goals. At the top of the company the president and his or her staff set strategic goals. These goals should flow from top and make sense in terms of the goals at the next level up. Then the vice presidentsââ¬â¢ subordinates set their own goals, and so on down the line. In this way, management creates a hierarchy or chain of departmental goals, from the top down the lowest-ranked managers, and even employees. Then , if everyone does his or her job-if each salesperson sells his her quota, and the sales manager hires enough good salespeople, and the HR manager creates the right incentive plan, and the purchasing head buysand CEO should also accomplish the overall, company-wide strategic goals. One could therefore say with great certainty that without a clear plan at the top, no one in the company would have the foggiest notion of what to do. Wireless Internet Market in Bangladesh Wireless Internet Service was first introduced to Bangladesh in public by cell phone giant Grameen Phone. Then other GSM mobile phone operators like Banglalink, Aktel and Warid follow suit. Citycell, the only CDMA based mobile phone operator in Bangladesh introduced the Zoom internet service, which was a little different from the other mobile phone operators in that consumers could connect to internet by using a USB modem included in the Zoom package. Later on Grameen Phone also introduced a package where they include an USB modem.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
What value is there for you in the study of the cinema of the past
What value is there for you in the study of the cinema of the past?Cinema as an art form has stood the test of time for over one hundred years, since the Lumiere Brothers exhibited a series of moving images to the public in 1895. What started off as a documentary-tableau style of moving photography progressed into a contrived and well-planned medium. New filmmakers were pushing the medium further. Georges Melies A Trip to the Moon (1902) showcased a vaudeville style previously only seen in theatres. Edward S. Porters The Life of an American Fireman (1903) and more so The Great Train Robbery of the same year put forward the idea of story telling through space and time, via the unique technique of editing scenes together. He also hinted at the importance of the protagonist and antagonist to carry the narrative through to the viewer.The success of these early films aroused the interest in several entrepreneurs who, having seen the great public demand, saw what could turn out to be a great money-spinner. The new place to be was California as the second gold rush began, that is, Hollywood. At first there was a large number of companies set up to cash in on this new industry. However, it was a highly competitive business and a lot of the equipment and talent was owned by a small number of larger companies, such as the Edison Company. This led to a number of small businesses going under or being bought up by the self-sufficient larger companies. By 1920 the system had calmed down somewhat. Hollywood was home to the production side of several large studios such as Universal, Paramount, First National, Loews-Metro (MGM) and Warners. These studios still had their front offices in New York to handle all financial transactions. Their integrated system of production, distribution and exhibition monopolised !the market and seemed impenetrable to anyone who was not affiliated with the Majors.The comp...
Monday, November 4, 2019
Technology Evaluation - Big Data Analytics Research Paper
Technology Evaluation - Big Data Analytics - Research Paper Example Furthermore, Sathi (2012) explains that most enormous data projects normally originate from the desire of answering specific questions relating to business operations. These questions might include on how to increase sales, effectively manage the organization's human resources, and methods of cutting organizational costs. Liebowitz (2013) therefore maintains that with the right platform of big data analytics, an organization will gain the capacity of increasing efficiency, boosting sales, improving operations, risk management, and customer service. This paper is an evaluation study plan, aimed at understanding the benefits and costs of using the technology of Big Data Analytics. In meeting the objectives of this paper, the researcher will identify the research questions that this technology aims to solve, methods used in conducting the study, the limitations, and timeline of events. As large business organizations initiate measures of improving the security system of their computer networks, a common method is being used to employ security staff, as well as establishing a central Information Technology security system (Bethlehem and Biffignandi, 2012). Business organizations have increased an emphasis on the physical security, personal safety, as well as the protection of their important critical infrastructures. This has led business organizations and higher learning institutions to develop a wide range of job titles, reporting relationships, segmented job functions, for purposes of describing how to approach the privacy of data, and protecting personal information, intellectual properties, and security of networks and computer systems (Kibert, 2012). Big Data Analytics concerns itself with analyzing enormous volumes of data, and this becomes a security issue.
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Ethnic Groups and Discrimination - Essay Example Major emigration from Sweden to America started after 1839, when the initial organized emigrant communities began to arrive in New York (Beijbom 1996). From 1850 to 1929, more than 1.3 million Swedes migrated to America, a quantity that covered around 26 percent of the total population of Sweden during that time. Sweden had one of the top rates of emigration of all of the European countries. The rates of immigration to America varied every year, nevertheless, mirroring economic conditions in both Sweden and America. The first major migration of Swedes to the United States came between 1868 and 1873, as famine in their home country and opportunity for land in America encouraged around a hundred thousand Swedes, primarily farm families, from Sweden. (Granquist 2009) Swedish-Americans had relatively little negative experience with regard to discrimination, because the Swedes did not experience some of the cruelties other ethnic groups experienced. Swedish immigrants were in general well accepted by majority of Americans and appeared to mingle well with their neighbors. It helped that the Swedes were seen as welcome immigrants, because they came from a Protestant northern European nation (Granquist 2009). All in all, Swedish Americans were educated, possessed skills, and industrious type of people, and found employment on farms and in mines and factories. Young Swedish women were particularly in demand as domestic servants in American homes. In many areas in the United States during that time, Swedes lived near other Scandinavian and German immigrants. A conventional typecast of nineteenth-century Swedish immigrants was that they were either farmers or agricultural laborers in the countryside areas, or domestic servants in urban areas. There was a certain amount of veracity in this typecast since such jobs were often occupied by immigrants who have recently reached the United States. Many Swedish immigrants were educated, skilled, and self-driven,
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Case reading 'Power as Domination' Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Reading 'Power as Domination' - Case Study Example This essay aims to provide more insight on the communication practices that were employed by TWA to dominate Ozark airlines employees, during and after the acquisition of the airline back in 1986. Primarily it is imperative to acknowledge the fact that effective communication plays a significant role in ensuring that an acquisition accomplishes the expected results. Overtime, surveys have pointed towards the fact that organizations that have embraced effective communication in the course of and after acquiring other businesses have often realized their objectives and stayed in the market for a considerable duration. On the other hand, those that have failed to embrace effective communication have always ended up with failed ventures. Taking the TWA acquisition of Ozark airlines for example, there is no doubt that during the acquisition process, there was bad blood between Ozark and TWA employees, this resulted in tension and created an inefficient environment in which the employees could not bring the best out of themselves (Tamyra et.al 17-21). At the beginning of the venture, there was less employee satisfaction. Employee commitment was similarly lacking from the Ozark empl oyees and the perception of them staying with the organization for a considerable duration of time was similarly lacking. Nevertheless, the management of TWA did not despair, they came up with structures of power and embraced effective communication and these practices played a significant role in the acquisition being a success. To dominate Ozark airlines employees, the TWA management team resorted to being clear in the course of all their communications. This is to imply that they took into account the perspectives held by employees of Ozark airlines. This was achieved by reducing the technical terms in their communication, implying that they employed the use of
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Understanding Slavery Essay Example for Free
Understanding Slavery Essay A poignantly moving tale of a womanââ¬â¢s courage and determination in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl undoubtedly serves as an inspiration for those who endeavor to rise beyond their initial station in life on the way to achieving oneââ¬â¢s dreams. Though the author claims it to be a historical account, it could easily pass off for a work of fiction in the tradition of the historical novel ââ¬â a romanticizing American life and history with its tale of noble suffering, heroic daring and unwavering zeal. Perhaps more significantly, its merit lies in offering the reader the painful truth of the slave experience through the eyes of an African-American slave girl. As Jacobs narrates, she was born a slave but she never knew it until six years of happy childhood had passed away (Jacobs, p. 1). Though they were all slaves in the family, she was so fondly shielded from that fact and they appear to have lived normal lives that she never dreamed she was ââ¬Å"a piece of merchandise trusted to them for safe keeping, and liable to be demanded of them at any momentâ⬠(Jacobs, p. 1). That is, until her mother died and her life took a turn for the worse, experiencing first hand what it meant to be a slave in those days. Because of the way she was raised, it would appear that Linda Brent is exceptional for a woman of her social stature. Having received the rudiments of a basic education at the hands of her familyââ¬â¢s original owners, she is clear thinking and possesses a keen intellect. Not surprisingly, she was able to transcend the limitations of race, class and gender and grasp the reality that women, regardless of color, race and stature, share the common experience of victimization at the hands of a male-dominated, patriarchal society. Moreover, by virtue of the loving relationships she had established early on with her family and immediate community, she is quite capable of empathy. Her initial understanding of the nature of slavery, though nonetheless negative, did not prevent her from maintaining a positive outlook towards life, notwithstanding her position in the social hierarchy. This however has been severely challenged throughout the years of her ordeal. Due to the many betrayals she had experienced in her lifetime, she learns to distrust people, and even though this is gradually tempered by the formation of positive relationships, she retains her hesitant, guarded approach to life. The bookââ¬â¢s main strength lies in its rich narratives, the vivid portrayal of the female slave experience, and its use of the female point of view in the narration of her tale. In terms of limitations, the book would have problems in its illustration of the slave experience as representative of the larger Africa-America black community. Linda Brent and her family could be considered among the lucky few fate seemed to have favored among the millions more of their kind, who, though some might have endeavored to attain their freedom were faced with more dire, less relenting circumstances which made freedom remain a dream for them. A cursory glance at historical accounts of slavery would reveal that many have attempted to escape from their masters, with a considerable number dying in the attempt. In Jacobsââ¬â¢ particular tale, the experience of women in bondage is illuminated. Yet more than a narration of physical infliction of pain, torture and misery ââ¬â the often-told tale of American slavery ââ¬â what is striking is how she makes the reader comprehend that the most devastating blow endured and inflicted upon female slaves is that of the continuing existence of a system recognizing, even illicitly sanctioning concubinage and licentiousness among white males, the double standard of the times which make it doubly hard for women, most especially slaves, to live a decent, dignified existence wherein they could realize their true worth as individuals. For the slaves in Americaââ¬â¢s colonial past, every day was deplorable. Suffering in its various forms ââ¬â physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual ââ¬â was common-day fare subject to the wiles and dispositions of their masters. For both men and women, manual labor, e. g. working the fields in the plantations of the South, was a large component of the day. As Jacobs (p. 12) illustrates: ââ¬Å"On a farm, they work until the corn and cotton are laid. They then have two holidays. Some masters give them a good dinner under the trees. This over, they work until Christmas Eve. If no heavy charges are meantime brought against them, they are given four or five holidays, whichever the master or overseer may think proper. â⬠For the women, this was often aggravated by (more often than not) unwarranted sexual advances, if not from their masters, the other male members of the household, or among fellow slaves. New Yearââ¬â¢s Day was a terribly appalling affair, for hiring day at the South took place every first of January. To the slave mother, New Years Day comes laden with peculiar sorrows: ââ¬Å"She sits on her cold cabin floor, watching the children who may all be torn from her the next morning; and often does she wish that she and they might die before the day dawns. She may be an ignorant creature, degraded by the system that has brutalized her from childhood; but she has a mothers instincts, and is capable of feeling a mothers agoniesâ⬠(Jacobs, p. 13). Children born as slaves were sold off at the auction block, for they belonged to their master just as their parents did, for him to do with as he pleases. For is that not the nature of property? Slaves were treated as such, not regarded as human beings, but rather little more than animals to be set to labor upon the fields, to assist in the keeping of the household, to run errands and perform manual labor deemed unworthy of the white masterââ¬â¢s unsoiled hands. Those same white hands were quick with the whip for every transgression committed by an erring slave, and a mouth which reserved the foulest of words to further degrade the slave and instill in his/her consciousness his/her lack of worth, how inferior and far beneath their master they were. The ensuing slave consciousness formed from this inhuman treatment, nourished throughout a life of bondage and suffering, is bitter and bleak, their minds ignorant and uncultured, deprived of the conditions which give human existence its dignity, the individual his self-worth (Fowler and Fowler, p. 2). Yet in this condition of bondage, in their shared experience of misery, pain and wretchedness, they became increasingly aware of their sorry plight, and learned to yearn for freedom (Genovese, p. 114). The first stirrings of rebelliousness began to beat in their hearts yearning for a life free from bondage and servitude. In this shared experience, the slave community developed a culture distinctly its own, reverberating with the influence of their African origins infused with their newfound material conditions in American soil. It is the experience of a particular slave girl by the name of Linda Brent which we shall explore in detail. Jacobsââ¬â¢ work, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, utilizes the literary form of the slave narrative, a form of autobiography with a unique structure and distinctive themes tracing the narratorââ¬â¢s path form slavery to freedom. It traces the narratorââ¬â¢s journey from poverty to freedom as her determination to overcome societal and self-imposed limitations leads her on to prevail despite her harrowing circumstances. It is quite a moving and inspiring tale, and the author succeeds in painting a deft picture of the real-life suffering of men and women in bondage who were born, raised and died as slaves at the hands of their masters in the sprawling plantations of the South. Though the slave narrative is recognized as a powerful literary form with obvious merits as a tool for anti-slavery and human rights causes as it compellingly illustrates how individuals could rise above the depths of their despair and overcome seemingly impossible odds, it too has its flaws as a resource for fully understanding the complex institution of slavery. At one point, it perpetuates the myth that individuals can overcome established social structures and societal features disadvantageous to marginalized groups, e. g. racism against colored peoples, through sheer determination, will power, a never-say-die attitude, and a perpetually rosy outlook in life that things could only get better. In actual truth, for most slaves the matter of winning oneââ¬â¢s freedom is a whole lot more complicated than what most narratives seem to suggest in their ââ¬Å"success stories. â⬠The abolition of slavery was not simply a case of dissolving a centuries-old institution due to the influence of writers who decided to go public with their personal accounts of the evils of slavery. In a way, the slave narrative is deceptive in its promise of deliverance (giving a sense of false hope) to blacks while reinforcing the notions of a superiority complex of whites over other colored peoples as they could always say that those who fail to break down societyââ¬â¢s barriers, e. g. racial boundaries and the gap between rich and poor, to achieve success have only themselves to blame for their failures. It thus becomes a case of ââ¬Å"If others canââ¬â¢t do it, why canââ¬â¢t I? â⬠Yet the situation is inherently more complex than this. In analyzing slavery one has to consider the larger macro factors ââ¬â economics, political institutions, cultural norms, ideology, etc. ââ¬â as shaping the micro ones. That is, in the case of the slave narrative one needs to situate the personal accounts in the larger social context of the period, the interplay between the personal and the historical, personal troubles and public issues, the intertwining of biography and history. Moreover, one could also apply a feminist reading in Jacobsââ¬â¢ text for as Linda laments the birth of her daughter Ellen, she remarks how ââ¬Å"â⬠¦slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for womenâ⬠(Jacobs, p. ). Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl illustrates how slavery proved to be a more wretched state for women who had to endure the same dehumanizing cruelty and brutality inflicted on men, as well as the torment of sexual abuse at the hands of their male masters and the anguish of being taken away from their children. Their pain and degradation were further compounded as they suffered being used as vessels of lust for their masters, breeding bastards to add to their masterââ¬â¢s stock but denied a motherââ¬â¢s right to care for her children. The children born from such unions, Linda chillingly points out, was more often than not sold to protect the honor of the slave ownerââ¬â¢s wife faced with the undeniable living testimony to her husbandââ¬â¢s lust. Addressing the issue of human bondage from a womanââ¬â¢s perspective, Jacobs attempts to get through to her readers, particularly the women of the Northern states, to make them aware of their responsibility to make their voices heard in protesting against slavery for their silence would be in support of the perpetuation of slavery as an institution. Her tale emphasizes the struggle of a particular woman (herself) to protect her family, in the process learning to fight for her freedom to be an independent individual in control of her own life, and enticing her own family and community to join in the struggle for the emancipation and liberation of slaves. All said, in its own way Jacobsââ¬â¢ work has significantly contributed to the success of the movement to abolish slavery in the United States of America, and for that her efforts have been well-rewarded with the renewed scholarly interest in her work. Works Cited Andrews, William L. Classic African American Womenââ¬â¢s Narratives. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2003. Bell, Ella Louise. Myths, Stereotypes and Realities of Black Women. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Vol. 40, No. 2, 146-159, 2004. Fowler, Lois J. and David H. Fowler, eds. Revelations of Self: American Women in Autobiography. New York: SUNY Press. Gates, Henry Louis Jr. The Classic Slave Narratives. Signet Classic, 2003. Genovese, Eugee. Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made. New York: Pantheon Press, 1974. Gronniosaw, James Albert, Olaudah Equiano, Nat Turner, Frederick Douglass, William W. Brown, Henry Bibb, Sojourner Truth, William and Ellen Craft, Harriet A. Jacobs and Jacob Green. Slave Narratives. Library of America, 2002. Jacobs, Harriet Ann. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1988. Mccaskill, Barbara. ââ¬Å"Yours very truly: Ellen Craft ââ¬â the fugitive as Text and Artifact. â⬠African American Review, Vol. 28, 1994. Randle, Gloria T. ââ¬Å"Between the Rock and the Hard Place: Mediating spaces in Harriet Jacobsââ¬â¢ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. â⬠African America Review, Vol. 33, 1999. Yetman, Norman R. ed. Voices from Slavery: 100 Authentic Slave Narratives. Courier Dover Publications
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Sucrose Synthase Key Enzyme In Sucrose Metabolism Biology Essay
Sucrose Synthase Key Enzyme In Sucrose Metabolism Biology Essay Sucrose synthase is a key enzyme in sucrose metabolism. Sucrose metabolism is required by the plant to form carbon required for various processes in the plant such as respiration, starch and cell wall formation. The enzyme is encoded by a small multigene family where most plants have at least two isoforms of the enzyme. The kinetics of sucrose synthase show that different Km values and ratios of sucrose breakdown exist for the enzyme. The methods of extracting, assaying and purifying the enzyme are shown in the enzyme characteristics. Factors such as pH, addition of different buffers, metal ions, fungal volatiles as well as environmental factors such as anoxia have all been shown to affect sucrose synthase activity. The enzymes protein sequences have been phylogenetically divided up into six main groups using clustalw. Sucrose synthase is normally present in the cytoplasm but the availability of sucrose in the chloroplast and its ability to use ADP as a substrate would indicate that the enzyme may be able to act in the chloroplast as well as the cytoplasm. Sucrose synthase is an important enzyme in sucrose metabolism in plants cells. (Persia et al., 2008) The main route of entry of carbon from sucrose is commonly known to be sucrose synthase. (Bieniawska et al., 2007) This carbon is used for respiration and in the synthesis of cell wall polymers and starch. (Persia et al., 2008) The main form of reduced carbon in plants is sucrose. It is used to support growth and synthesis of reserve materials e.g. starch in heterotrophic sink tissues. (Matic et al., 2004) The UDP-glucose supplied by sucrose synthase is used for cell wall biosynthesis while working with the cellulose synthase complex. (Baud, Vaultier and Rochat, 2004) In most fruit tissues, an increase in sucrose synthase activity is alongside with sucrose accumulation. This would suggest that sucrose synthase plays a physiologically important role. (Islam, Matsui and Yoshida, 1996) Carbohydrates are transported from photosynthetic source tissues to sink tissues in the form of sucrose . The consequent cleavage of sucrose in the sink tissues is the first step for its use in various metabolic pathways. The sugar is cleaved in vivo by either sucrose synthase (Sus) or by invertase. Invertase catalyses an irreversible reaction where sucrose is cleaved into glucose and fructose (Matic et al., 2004) while sucrose synthase catalyses the reversible conversion of sucrose and uridine-diphosphate (UDP) into uridine-diphosphoglucose and fructose. (Hirose, Scofield and Terao, 2008) (Hardin and Huber, 2004) These enzymes play a crucial role in plant growth and development. (Abid et al., 2009) Sucrose Synthase is cytosolic (Ã
ebkovà ¡ et al., 1995) and has been characterized in many different plant species such as maize (Hardin and Huber, 2004), rice (Odegard, Liu and Lumen, 1996) and sugarcane (Schà ¤fer, Rohwer and Botha (2005)). Its activity has been studied in many plant organs such as roots, leaves and seeds. (Ã
ebkovà ¡ et al., 1995) For trees, cellulose biosynthesis is a highly regulated process in which carbon is permanently placed in their primary and secondary cell walls. Sucrose is the main carbon source for cellulose synthesis. The stem is made up of extremely active sink cells which utilise sucrose for cellulose synthesis. Sucrose synthase is the main sucrolytic enzyme in these cells that catalyzes the reversible conversion of sucrose into fructose and UDP-glucose which is needed for cellulose biosynthesis. (Joshi, Bhandari and Ranjan, 2004) It also plays an important role providing adequate sugar supply during anoxic stress. It has been shown that during anoxic germination of rice, sucrose synthase activity was enhanced whereas the activity of invertase was depressed. This would indicate that sucrose synthase is the enzyme predominantly responsible for sucrose breakdown during anoxia. (Joshi, Bhandari and Ranjan, 2004) Fig 1: Diagram of the cleavage and synthesis reaction of sucrose synthase (Rà ¶mer et al., 2004) Different isoforms of the gene are present in most plants. In the case of maize, two non-allelic genes were discovered for sucrose synthase but more investigation lead to the discovery of a third. At least three genes for sucrose synthase have been discovered in rice where the genes show differences in expression between tissues. RSus1 is expressed in root phloem while RSus2 is expressed in leaf phloem. (Schà ¤fer, Rohwer and Botha, 2005) When examining the different isoforms at an amino acid level it is appears that there is less homology between different sucrose synthase genes in a species than when the gene is compared to its corresponding gene in another species. In the case of maize, there is 75% homology between the SS1 gene and SS2 gene of maize but there is 90% homology between rice RSus1 and maize SS2 genes. In sugarcane, the SS1 gene is 97% identical at the amino acid level to maize SS1 gene. (Lingle and Dyer, 2001) Nolte and Koch (1993) undertook a study to determine whether sucrose synthase was localized to certain part of the vascular strand. It is well known that sucrose synthase is present in vascular bundles for example in transgenic tobacco plants phloem specific expression of a maize sucrose synthase gene has been observed. Their study, using immunohistochemistry, found that sucrose synthase was restricted to the cytoplasm of companion cells of the phloem and did not appear to be present in other organelles of the plant. (Nolte and Koch, 1993) The molecular mass of sucrose synthase can be determined by gel filtration. Sucrose synthase elutes from the column with a Kav value of 0.17844 which when using a calibration curve correlates to a molecular mass of 362kDa. Using SDS-PAGE gradient gel the molecular mass of each subunit can be estimated at 92kDa. This can conclude that sucrose synthase is a tetrameric enzyme with a molecular mass of 360kDa and four identical subunits of 90kDa. (Hardin and Huber, 2004) (Elling and Kula, 1993) It can associate with membranes and the actin cytoskeleton where its activity is known to be involved with cellulose synthesis. It does this by channelling uridine-diphosglucose to the growing glucan chain by the enzyme cellulose synthase. (Hardin and Huber, 2004) Analysis of Sucrose Synthase Gene Family: From the results of species examined to date, it is shown that sucrose synthase is encoded by a small multigene family. (Bieniawska et al, 2007) Most species of plants have at least two isoforms of sucrose synthase. These isoforms usually have comparable biochemical properties and highly homologous amino acid sequences. (Wen et al., 2010) Further analysis of transgenic and mutant crop plants show certain isoforms of sucrose synthase have specific functions in the plant. The rug4 mutation of pea removes the SUS1 isoform but has no effect on SUS2 or SUS3. This would indicate that these two isoforms are not able to make up for the loss of SUS1 in the seed or root nodule. It is clear that the loss of different isoforms affect the plant in certain ways. Loss of the SH1 isoform in maize has different outcomes from the loss of SUS1 isoform. SH1 is required for normal cell wall formation during endosperm development while both isoforms are needed for wild-type rates of starch synthesis. Why different isoforms have different functions is unclear. The same functions can be carried out in the cell by different isoforms but can occur in distinct cell types, developmental periods or environmental conditions. It is likely that different isoforms could have non-overlapping, particular functions in the same cell. (Bieniawska et al., 2007) It is difficult to decide on the precise roles of the genes in sucrose synthase gene family when there is not enough information in existence. Although there is some information available on some of the isoforms and theyre functions in the plant, no analysis of the functions of the gene family has been carried out. The model plant Arabidopsis is ideal for carrying out such an analysis. Six sucrose synthase genes are in the Arabidopsis genome. Based on comparisons of the amino acid sequences the isoforms they encode can be divided into three distinct pair groups. The isoforms SUS1 and SUS4 are 89% identical to each other but have less than 68% similar amino acid sequences to other isoforms. Similarly, SUS2 and SUS3 are 74% identical to other isoforms and are 67% less identical to the other forms of enzyme. SUS5 and SUS6 are 585 identical to each other but have less 48% similarity to the other isoforms. When examining other dicotyledonous species it appears that at least two of the thr ee pairs of isoforms are present. When phylogenetic analysis was carried out, it showed that the isoforms AtSUS1 and AtSUS4 are related to pairs of isoforms from pea (Fabacae), carrot (Umbelliferae) and potato (Solanacae). A pair of isoforms from Craterostigma plantagineum (Scrophulariacae) is closely related to the pair of isoforms AtSUS2 and AtSUS3 in the Arabidopsis. The pair AtSUS5 and AtSUS6 is related strongly to a pair of genes from rice. This evidence shows that it is unlikely that the three pairs of isoforms in Arabidopsis are as a result of gene duplication events. It is possible that each isoform has an exact function preserved in a wide range of plants. The members of Arabidopsis gene family are strongly differentially expressed in different organs of the plant through its development and in response to external stimuli e.g. environmental stress. This is seen in gene families of other plants studied. (Bieniawska et al., 2007) Fruit quality is determined by the type and quality of sugars present. A study of the sucrose synthase-encoding gene from the muskmelon fruit was carried out to evaluate how to genetically improve the quality of the fruit. This is done by finding the sugar components in fruit, to identify the enzymes involved in sugar metabolism and distinguish the relationship between sugar accumulation and the activities of related enzymes. It is thought that sucrose synthase is the enzyme involved in metabolising sucrose in developing muskmelon fruit. To examine this, a full length cDNA strand encoding sucrose synthase was extracted from a muskmelon fruit by RT-PCR and RACE and identified as CmSS1. Real time PCR analysis showed that CmSS1 expression changed in among different tissues of the plant e.g. root, stem, leaf. It showed that the mRNA levels are highest in the root and lowest in mature fruit. Fig 2: The patterns of CmSS1 transcript abundance in the different tissues of the muskmelon plant. These results were found using quantitative real-time PCR analysis of total RNA prepared from the root, stem, leaf, flower and mature fruit of muskmelon. During fruit development and ripening it was shown that CmSS1 mRNA was at its maximum level at five days after pollination and decreased steadily during fruit development until it reached its minimum level of maturity. This was discovered using again real-time RT-PCR analysis of mesocarp tissues from five days of pollination to ripening. Fig 3: This graph depicts the patterns of CmSS1 transcript abundance in developing muskmelon fruits found by using quantitative real-time PCR analysis of total RNA prepared from muskmelon. (Wen et al., 2010) The sugar content and SS activity were analysed to show the functions of CmSS1 in regulating fruit quality. It showed that very low concentrations of sucrose are present in young and unripe muskmelons. Between 20 and 30 days after pollination there is a massive rise in the amount of sucrose in the fruit. Sucrose synthase activity increased in the direction of sucrose synthesis and decreased in the direction of sucrose cleavage through fruit development. (Wen et al., 2010) Fig 4: The depiction of sucrose content and sucrose synthase activity during muskmelon fruit development. The first chart shows sucrose content during fruit development. The second shows sucrose activity in the sucrose synthesis direction and the third shows sucrose cleavage direction during muskmelon fruit development. (Wen et al., 2010) Enzyme Kinetics of Sucrose Synthase: An investigation was carried out by Schà ¶fer et al. to the find the properties of three sucrose synthase isoforms present in sugarcane. Kinetic analysis indicated that the three sucrose synthase genes in sugarcane are different isoforms, with major differences in Km values and the ratios of sucrose breakdown synthesis. The kinetic characteristics of the SuSyA and SuSyB isoforms, both expressed in the leaf roll, differ greatly. It was found that SuSyA has almost three times higher affinity for sucrose than the SuSyB isoform whereas SuSyB has a much greater affinity for UDP than SuSyA. Based on the differences in their kinetic properties it can be concluded that SuSyB and SuSyC are different isoforms of sucrose synthase. SuSyC has roughly ten times higher affinity for UDP compared to the other two isoforms. (Schà ¤fer et al., 2005) Fig 5: The graph shows the Lineweaver-Burk plot of 1/v against 1/S for the isoforms SuSys A, B and c where UDP was the variable substrate. The concentration of sucrose was kept constant at 320nM. The Km values were determined from the non-linear fit of the data to the Michaelis-Menten equation. (Schà ¤fer et al., 2005) When examining sucrose synthase in soybean nodules Morell and Copeland (1985) found the kinetic constants of UDP, UDPglucose, sucrose and fructose by fitting the data to the following two equations: 1. v = VA/KiaKh + KhA + KhB + AB 2. v = VA/Ka + A + A/Ki The kinetic constants for ADP, CDP and ADPglucose were found using non linear regression analysis of initial velocity data. Fig 6: Graph showing the effect of sucrose concentration on the cleavage activity of sucrose synthase in soybean nodule. The lines show the fit of data to equation 1. The reaction mixture were composed of 20à µmol Hepes-KOH buffer (pH 7.5) 2à µmol UDP, 1.5à µmol NAD, 25à µg UDPglucose dehydrogenase. Each symbol represents a different concentration of sucrose. The dark circle shows 3.2à µM, the clear circle shows 4à µM, the dark triangle shows 6.25à µM, 10à µM is shown by the clear triangle and the dark square depicts 20à µM. In the cleavage and synthesis direction standard Michaelis-Menten kinetics are observed. The variation of concentration of sucrose at different concentrations of UDP gave an intersecting pattern of linear double reciprocal plots. (Morrell and Copeland, 1985) Parameter Value V (U/mg protein) 13.3à ±2.0 Km sucrose (mM) 31.3à ±7.1 Ki sucrose (mM) 31.9à ±13.1 Km UDP (mM) 0.005à ±0.002 Ki UDP (mM) 0.005à ±0.001 Fig 7: Table showing the kinetic parameters for the cleavage reaction of sucrose synthase in soybean nodules. (Morrell and Copeland, 1985) Fig 8: The graph depicting the effect of UDPglucose concentration on the synthesis reaction of sucrose synthase activity in soybean nodules. The reaction mixtures contained 20à µmol Hepes-KOH buffer, 15 à µmol fructose, 5à µmol MgCl2, 0.4 à µmol P-enolpyruvate, 0.15 à µmol NADH, 20à µmol KCl, 25à µg pyruvate kinase 25à µg lactate dehydrogenase and the required amount of enzyme. As in the previous graph, the amount of UDPglucose was varied in the presence of 2.5mM (dark circle), 3.2mM (clear circle), 4mM (dark triangle), 5mM (clear triangle) and 8mM (dark square) fructose. The results on the graph are representing the fit of data to equation 1. When the concentration of UDPglucose was varied at the concentrations of fructose in the graph, an intersecting pattern of linear double reciprocal plots was seen. From fitting the data from the graph to equation 1, it is noted that substrate inhibition would have occurred at a concentration greater than 15mM fructose. Parameter Value V (U/mg protein) 14.3à ±1.2 Km fructose (mM) 3.7à ±0.8 Ki fructose (mM) 19.6à ±9.9 Km UDPglucose (mM) 0.012à ±0.006 Ki UDPglucose (mM) 0.064à ±0.014 Fig 9: table showing the kinetic results by fitting the figures from the graph to equation 1. When partially purified SuSyA, SuSyB and SuSyC were blotted to a nitrocellulose filter the results showed that all three isoforms are approximately 94kDa. (Schà ¤fer et al., 2005) The would correlate to the findings of Hardin et al and Lothar et al who stated that sucrose synthase is tetrameric enzyme made up of four 90kDa subunits. Fig 10: Immunoblot of sugarcane SuSy. A crude extract of protein from leaf roll was loaded into lane 2 while partially purified isoforms of SuSyA, SuSyB and SuSyC were loaded to lane 3, 4 and 5. The molecular weight ladder was used to identify the bands see in each lane. (Schà ¤fer et al., 2005) Characteristics of Sucrose Synthase: Extraction of Protein: The method for extracting protein from the leaves of maize (Zea mays), rice (Oryza sativa) and tobacco was done as follows: 1-3g of leaves was ground in liquid nitrogen and the powder was mixed in the ratio 1:2 with extraction buffer. The buffer was made up of 0.1M tris-HCl, pH 8, 10mM DTT and 1% polyvinylpolypyrrolidone. The samples were then incubated on ice for 15 minutes and then centrifuged at 1,000g for 10 minutes at 4oC. The pellet was then removed and the supernatant was re centrifuged at 100,000g for one hour at 4oC. After this final centrifugation, the pellet and supernatant which contained the soluble proteins was resuspended in sample buffer for electrophoresis. (Persia et al., 2008) When extracting protein from rice seeds, a similar procedure is followed. Seeds weighing roughly 50-100mg at various stages of growth were homogenized in 400à µl of extraction buffer and kept at 4oC. The buffer was made up of 50mM Tris-HCl, pH7.5, 1.0mM DTT, 1.0mM EDTA and 2mM PMSF. Ammonium sulphate fractions (30-50% w/v) were precipitated and then resuspended in dialysis buffer made up of 50mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, 5mM MgSO4, 5mM 2-mercaptoethanol. This was then dialyzed overnight at 4oC. (Odegard, Liu and De Lumen., 1996) The method for extracting protein from tobacco pollen tubes is slightly different to those mentioned previously. The pollen first was slowly thawed from storage at -20oC and hydrated in a humid chamber overnight. It was then germinated in BK medium and allowed to germinate at 25oC for three hours. After this period had elapsed, the pollen was collected by centrifugation at 1,000g for 5 minutes at 25oC. It was then washed twice with BRB25 buffer which is made up of 25mM HEPES, pH 7.5, 2mM EGTA and 2mM MgCl2 and 15% Suc. After washing, the pollen was resuspended in lysis buffer and lysed on ice using a motor-driven Potter-Elvehk-jem homogenizer. The lysis buffer used was made up of BRB25 buffer along with 2mM dithiothreitol, 1mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluo ride (PMSF), 10à µL/mL protease inhibitors, 1mM NaN3 and 10% mannitol. After lysis was carried out, the samples were centrifuged at 1,000g for 10 minutes at 4oC. The supernatant was centrifuged again at 4oC for 45 minutes at 100,000g over a 20% (w/v) Suc cushion. The supernatant was then collected as it contained the soluble protein fraction. (Persia et al., 2008) Enzyme Assays: After extracting protein, the sucrose synthase activity in sugarbeets was found using a spectrophotometric end point assay. The activity of the enzyme was monitored as fructose formed at 35oC. This was carried out in a solution that contained 250mM sucrose, 2mM UDP and 100mM MES. The control was carried out by assaying for activity in the absence of UDP. The total protein concentration was determined using the Bradford method where bovine serum albumin was the standard. (Klotz and Haagenson., 2008) When assaying for protein from rice, the Bradford method was followed to determine protein concentration as was done in Klotz et al. 40mg of protein was used per assay. The assay was carried out in 20mM MES pH 6.4, 200mM sucrose and 4mM UDP for 15 minutes at 30oC. The reaction was stopped by boiling for 2 minutes and the fructose levels were measured. The control tubes did not contain UDP. (Odegard, Liu and De Lumen., 1996) When examining the effect of sucrose synthase on carbon partitioni ng a similar method was followed for assaying the protein. Sucrose synthase was assayed in the direction of sucrose breakdown using 50à µl poplar plant extract. The tetrazolium blue assay was followed to determine the amount of free fructose. As in previously mentioned assays, the absence of UDP in the assay acted as a control. The total protein content was found by employing the Bradford (Bio-Rad) protein assay. (Coleman, Yan and Mansfield., 2009) A similar method was followed for carrying out an assay for the enzyme on tomato tissue. The reaction mixtures contained 50mM Hepes-NaOH buffer, 15mM MgCl2, 25mM fructose and 25mM UDP glucose. This was incubated at 37oC for 30 minutes and was terminated with the addition of 70à µl of 30% KOH. The enzyme blanks were terminated with the addition of KOH at 0 minutes. The tubes were then kept at 100oC for 10 minutes to destroy any fructose. The soluble protein content was determined using the Lowry method whereby bovine serum albumin was th e standard. (Islam, Matsui and Yoshida., 1996) Alkaline copper solution is added to each tube and allowed to stand at room temperature for roughly 30 minutes. Dilute folate reagent is then added to each tube rapidly and after 30 minutes the absorbance is read at 750nm. (Lowry et al., 1951) The results were measured as à µmole of sucrose per minute per mg protein. (Islam et al., 1996) When assaying for sucrose synthase in the cleavage direction Rà ¶mer et al used recombinant SuSy1 gene from potato. In a volume of 100à µl HEPES buffer with a concentration of 200mM and pH 7.6 recombinant sucrose synthase was incubated along with 2mM UDP and 500mM sucrose for ten minutes at 30oC. HPLC analysis was used for the formulation of UDP-glucose. The Bradford assay was used to determine protein concentrations as was carried out by Klotz et al and Coleman et al. The activity of the enzyme was also tested with the nucleoside diphosphates dTDP, CDP, ADP and GDP at 2mM. For assaying recombinant e nzyme in the synthesis direction a similar method was followed as when assaying for standard enzyme. Recombinant sucrose synthase was incubated in a total volume of 100à µl HEPES buffer where this time the pH was 8.0 and the concentration was as in cleavage direction of 200mM. 1mM UDP-Glc and 20mM D-fructose was also added to the mixture and it was incubated for five minutes at 30oC. The reaction was heated to 95oC for five minutes and HPLC analysis was used to establish the formation of UDP. The sucrose synthase activity was also tested using dTDP-Glc, CDP-Glc and ADP-Glc. (Rà ¶mer et al., 2004) Purification of Protein: After extraction of the protein from the crude extract, purification can be carried out. This can be done in a number of ways such as Batch adsorption with Sephadex A50, Anion exchange chromatography and Gelfiltration. SDS-PAGE can be carried out after purification to check the purity of the protein sample. The Sephadex A50 gel is loaded into a glass funnel and washed twice with deionised water. The gel was then washed twice with 300ml standard buffer. The protein sample was loaded to the gel and slowly sucked through the gel for 30 minutes. The gel bed was then washed with 300ml standard buffer and then with 300ml standard buffer containing 100mM KCl. The last washing step contained 300mM KCl. 200ml of the first salt preparation was concentrated to 40-50ml by using a cross-flow ultrafiltration module with YM 30 ultrafiltration membrane that had been pretreated with 55 PEG 4000 solution. This was done to prevent the enzyme sticking to the membrane. In anion exchange chromatography a Sepharose Q column was first equilibrated with 300ml Hepes buffer. This was made up of 200mM pH 8 with 50mM KCl. 70-80mg of protein sample was loaded and the elution was started using two different salt gradients. To prevent enzyme inactivation after elution all the fractions were titrated back to pH 7.2. All fractions that contained enzyme activity were pooled and concentrated by using ultrafiltration. Gelfiltration experiments are carried out on a prepacked HiLoad 16/60 Superdex 200 prep grade column that was connected to FPLC equipment. Four samples containing 2mg of protein were loaded and eluted with a flow rate of 1 ml min-1. The fractions were then pooled and stored at -20oC in 500à µl aliquots. (Elling and Kula., 1993) To determine the purity of the protein, SDS-PAGE is carried out. This is done by loading 100à µg of protein samples to a 125 SDS-polyacrylamide slab gel that was overlaid with stacking gel. The electrophoresis was carried out at 4oC and at 40V for 16 hours a nd followed by 200V for one hour. Coomassie blue R 250 was used to stain the gel followed by destaining. (Kumutha et al., 2008) Factors that affect Sucrose Synthase Activity: Ã
ebkovà ¡ et al (1995) stated that sucrose synthase has two different pHs for optimal activity. In the cleavage direction it was found that most enzyme activity was observed between pH 6.0 and 8.5 at temperatures between 50 to 55oC. In the synthesis direction, a pH between 8.5 to 9.5 and a temperature of 35oC was optimal for enzyme activity. (Ã
ebkovà ¡ et al., 1995) This would correlate with the findings of Morell and Copeland (1985) who found that optimal activity of the enzyme in soybean was at pH 6 in the cleavage direction and at a pH of 9.5, sucrose synthase activity in the synthesis direction was at its highest. It was also found that at a pH of 7.5 the cleavage and synthesis activities were their highest. (Morrell and Copeland., 1985) Elling and Kula (1995) examined the effect of buffers TES-NaOH, MOPS-NaOH, TEA-NaOH and Tris-HCl on the pH optimum of sucrose synthase activity. These were determined using UDP and TDP as substrates for the reaction. They found that the e nzyme had its highest activity in Hepes-NaOH buffer. When MOPS-NaOH and TES-NaOH buffer was used, only 60-80% activity was noted. (Elling and Kula 1995) It was also found that the velocity of the reaction could be increased by increasing the temperature where optimal activity was seen between 50 and 60oC. Xu at al (1989) reported that potato and bean are also able to withstand these high temperatures. However once the temperature goes above 60oC enzyme activity starts to decreased rapidly and was destroyed once the temperature reached 70oC. (Xu et al., 1989) The cleavage of sucrose by the sucrose synthase enzyme was investigated to find the rate of cleavage reaction using different nucleosidediphosphates as cosubstrates. They found that the rate of reaction was UDP>TDP>ADP>CDP>GDP. Echt and Chourey (1985) found similar results when examining nucleotide specificity. They found that substrate specificity for SS1 and SS2 were UDP>TDP>ADP>CDP>UTP where each substrate was at a concentrat ion of 4mM. (Echt and Chourey 1985) Low levels of heavy metal ions such as mercurate inhibited cleavage activity of the enzyme. This would lead to the assumption that sulfhydryl groups are involved in the catalytic process. It is also inhibited by Tris-HCl and by small concentrations of MgCl2 and MnCl2. (Ã
ebkovà ¡ et al., 1995) Cations were shown by Elling and Kula (1995) to have a slight influence on enzyme activity. The activity was lessened slightly (10%) by the presence of 1mM Mn2+ and Mg2+ ions with UDP. The enzyme is completely inactivated in the presence of 1mM Cu2+ or Fe2+. (Elling and Kula., 1993) A recent study was undertaken to examine the effects of volatile emissions on carbohydrate metabolism. Studies on this area have taken place before but it is usually examining the results of physical contact between the host plant and the microbe. No work has taken place until now on the effect on the plant in the absence of physical contact. Many microbes such as Pseudomonas spp, Strepomyces spp, Penicillin spp and a selection of truffles produce ethylene. This gaseous plant hormone plays an important role in many aspects of plant growth and development such as seed germination, root hair initiation, fruit ripening and starch accumulation. In the work of Ezquer et al (2010), the possible effects of volatiles released from gram-negative bacteria, gram-positive bacteria and fungi on starch metabolism was studied. The results showed that the volatile compounds released by microbes promoted high levels of starch accumulation in mono- and dicotyledonous plants. It also revealed fungal vo latiles (FVs) promoted massive changes in expression of genes involved in many important processes in plant such as metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, sulphur and lipids, energy production, protein translation and stability, cell wall biosynthesis and photosynthesis. However no changes were noted in the expression in some of the genes that coded for proteins involved in starch and sucrose metabolism such as plastidial hexokinase, plastidial phosphoglucose isomerase, plastidial adenylate kinase, alkaline invertase and UDPglucose (UDPG) pyrophosphorylase. It was found in the study that FVs strongly upregulate the expression of Sucrose Synthase in potato leaves. The plants were cultured in the presence and absence of FVs emitted by A. Alternata. This caused a massive enhancement of expression of Sus4 isoform. A 29.4- and 31.63-fold increase was observed in expression when the plants were cultured in the presence and absence of sucrose. This isoform of the enzyme controls the accumulation of ADPG, UDPG and starch in potato source leaves and tubers. Analyses of the intracellular amounts of starch and nucleotide-sugars in the leaves of the plant show a positive correlation between patterns of enzyme activity and starch, UDPG and ADPG amounts. This was noted when the leaves were cultured in the presence and absence of FVs. Western blot analyses and quantitative RT-PCR confirmed also the increase in expression. (Xu et al., 1989) Environmental Factors affecting Sucrose Synthase Activity: Anoxia: Waterlogging is where oxygen supply is blocked to root leading a severe decrease in the amount of oxygen available to the plant. This leads to inhibition of root respiration that causes a major decline in energy of root cells affecting vital metabolic processes of the plant. This is restriction of oxygen supply is known as anoxia. The presence of glucose in an anoxic incubation medium drastically decreases meristem death and studies have shown that sucrose synthase is the enzyme mainly responsible for sucrose breakdown under anoxia. (Kumutha et al., 2008) The increase in glycolytic demands caused by these demands is the cause of increased sucrose synthase expression. This has been demonstrated in many plant species e.g. sucrose synthase gene is induced in wheat and in rice when oxygen levels are low. (Ricard et al., 1998) Harada et al (2005) also found an increase in sucrose synthase activity in pondweed turins while under anoxia. (Harada et al., 2005) Klotz and Haagenson (2008) foun d that sugarbeet contained two genes for sucrose synthase activity-SBSS1 and SBSS2. They demonstrated that anaerobic conditions caused a large increase in the transcription levels of SBSS1 and a quick increase and succeeding decline in SBSS2 transcription levels. However this did not correlate with a significant increase in sucrose synthase enzyme activity. A 23% increase in sucrose synthase activity was noted after initiation of anaerobic conditions but otherwise the activity of the enzyme did not differ greatly to that of the controls. (Klotz and Haagenson., 2008) Fig 11: The graph outlines the different rates of sucrose synthase activity in the con
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