Monday, September 30, 2019
Art: in the beginning Essay
Art, can you imagine a time when art wasnââ¬â¢t part of your culture, it has been around for an extremely long time even the crave man did it. Imagine how much it has evolved since then. In order to understand the technical aspect of art, how the art was created and understanding itââ¬â¢s meaning, you have to travel back in time to Egyptian art. Egypt started it all which influenced the Greeksââ¬â¢ art. Both Egyptian and Greek art has played a heavy influence on todayââ¬â¢s Western traditional art. However, they both went about the creation of Art differently. They had different focal points, technics and humanistic views. Embark through the journey of learning about Ancient Art and maybe your view point on art will change. Egyptian imagery was governed by sociality ideals of what was suitable at the time which is why their art seem to appear extremely stagnant. This was done on purpose because they believe that it made their art seem stable with a deific balance. Egyptian art had a common theme, its focused on gods/goddess, royalty and the afterlife. Their art conveyed an idealized version of a person. However, Greeks art may have been influenced by Egyptian art but they took a more of a realistic focal point of art. When creating a human they created a realistic idea of a person by emphasizing facial expressions, stance and their location upon the canvas. When the Egyptian may have focus more on the afterlife then the living the Greeks was the opposite, they value life. Their differences doesnââ¬â¢t stop there it is evident that they both used different approaches to create art. Every artist has a median they used to create the picture they have in their mind. For instance the Egyptian used stone, wood and metal to create sculptures. This limited the amount of movement and actions of the depicted image. Egyptian artists embraced the two-dimensional surfaces. This is where registers where created, separate the scene in the picture as well as a floor for the figure to appear to be standing on. Without the registers the scene would appear chaotic; battles and hunting scenes. The Greeks enjoy creating art on pottery, the Black-and-Red (later there was also Red-and-Black) techniques were used to decorate fine pottery. The formation and creation of the pot in its self is art with the added effect of theà picture that was place on the surface. This form of art had a practical used to it because the specific shapes signified its daily usage, storing and transportation of wine and amphora (food things). Both Egypt and Greece biggest influence of art was based on the human world. They saw the beauty of the naked body but they still have different ideals. The Egypt highlighted the physic of a person rather the humanistic characteristic. While the Greek figure is in the nude, athletic built, youthful, and has a perfect proportion. Egyptians mainly focus on the complete picture. If you standing in an ancient art museum will you be able to identify the Egyptian art and the Greek art by now looking at the technical aspect? They may have a big influence on todayââ¬â¢s world of art. The creation of pottery is relatively the same just more efficient with modern technology. The center point of art may have shifted but they all universally go back to the same theme, human life. The technical aspect of art varies now a days and humans remain the focal point of art. Both Egyptians and Greeks approach of art was great, both embodies todayââ¬â¢s art.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Mock Trial Closings Essay
The closing argument is the last piece of a mock trial, essentially the last time you get to sell your case to the jury. During the closing argument, you are summarizing and putting together everything the jury has already heard during the trial. You are basically clarifying everything presented in the trial from showing the relevance of a particular witness to showing how everything youââ¬â¢ve presented comes together to prove your case. It is one of the most important parts of mock trial, mainly because the jury listens. It is the last chance to convince the judges of your case, to show you are more skilled than your opponent, and get the perfect 10 youââ¬â¢re hoping for because they are the last words the jury will hear from your team. It can make your case, or break it, thus delivery is very important. Writing the Closing Theme An important part of a great closing is the theme. It will tie your case together in a pretty ribbon that will stay in the juries mind. It will be the same theme from the opening, one that runs through your entire case, and in the closing reminding the jury of your case with the catchy phrase or sentence. Structure 1)Introduction: Begin with a short introduction that catches the juryââ¬â¢s attention. It should remind the judges of the big picture. If itââ¬â¢s a murder trial, talk about how tragic it is that this personââ¬â¢s life was taken away. If itââ¬â¢s a civil trial you can speak about how the personââ¬â¢s rights were violated. Also be sure to introduce your theme during the introduction. 2)Burden of Proof: Explain what your burden is and what your role is in relation to it. Tell the judges exactly how youââ¬â¢ve met the burden or how the opposing counsel has failed to met this burden. In addition, frame the burden of proof in your favor. 3)Law: Tell the judges about each element of the charge. Explain whether or not you have proved or disproved each element, or whether it is enough to prove or disprove any one element. Then make a roadmap. Tell the judge that to prove your burden/undermine your opponents case, you are to prove x, y, and z. 4)Argument: This is the meat of your case. This is where one by one you are going to signpost and tell the judge exactly what you are talking about. Example: ââ¬Å"Now letââ¬â¢s look at Xâ⬠. X, Y, and Z should not be your three witnesses but parts of the law that you need to prove or disprove. Remind your judges of testimonies/evidence from the trial that adds up to show X. Do this for all points. Its important to remember it should be based around the law. Donââ¬â¢t go witness by witness recounting the evidence. 5)Conclusion: Sums everything up. Restate how youââ¬â¢ve met your burden of proof through x, y, and z. Use your theme once more to tie everything together. Ask for a verdict. Remember to be this strong, convincing and memorable.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
A Journey from HRM to SHRM Essay
The radical change taking place in the workplace and the work force has led to the dramatic evolution of traditional human resource management to strategic human resource management. The days of the strictly administrative human resource function are over. HR management must now be considered a critical strategic partner and must contribute to the overall objectives of the company. Strategic HR management is characterized by focusing more on strategic rather than operational issues. However, the administrative work must still be done efficiently. Strategic HR management involves making the function of managing people the most important priority in the organization, and integrating all human resource programs and policies within the framework of a companyââ¬â¢s strategy. Strategic HR management recognizes that all decisions on finance, marketing, operations or technology are made by an organizationââ¬â¢s people. Strategic HR management involves the development of a consistent, aligned collection of practices, programs, and policies to facilitate the achievement of the organizationââ¬â¢s objectives. It considers the implications of corporate strategy for all HR systems within an organization by translating company objectives into specific people management systems. The most important consideration of strategic HR management is that there is no one best way to manage people. Therefore, the specific approach and processes will vary from organization to organization. It may even vary in an organization with clearly defined business units or functional areas. However, all HR programs and policies must be consistent and must therefore be integrated within a larger framework, leading to the facilitation of the organizationââ¬â¢s vision and its objectives. Human resource management has been traditionally defined as the set of philosophies, processes and procedures a firm uses for the following four basic tasks: â⬠¢ Managing the entry and exit process. The HR function has normally been responsible for recruiting people the organization would need in the future. Therefore, manpower forecasts are made and a corresponding plan is made. HR managers have also been involved in the exit or separation process. This is normally done by retirement or by having the employee fired. â⬠¢ Managing the growth and development process. There are traditional HR tasks such as orientation or socialization, training and development, and performance appraisal. Processes are also designed so that employees understand the overall scope and direction of the organization. â⬠¢ Managing the reward and recognition process. Rewards come through the administration of compensation and benefits, and recognition comes in the form of promotion, job assignments and rotation. However, the process of rewards and recognition includes the countermeasures of demotions and disciplinary action. Performance appraisal is also a critical input into the reward and recognition system. â⬠¢ Managing the overall organization climate. In the highly competitive and rapidly changing business environment of today, it is necessary to foster a climate that challenges employees to better levels of performance. Of course, the organizational climate is not a variable to be managed or designed. However, it is necessary for all the organizationââ¬â¢s processes and procedures, from its compliance with the law to its new strategic initiatives, to be aligned. In the shift from traditional HR to strategic HR, there are a number of issues which HR practitioners must contend with. The first is whether the main responsibility for people management programs should rest with staff specialists in the corporate HR department or with the line managers who are the ones most in contact with the workers. Traditional HR assumes the role of handling transactions as they arise. These may involve compliance with changing laws, rectifying problems between supervisors and subordinates, recruiting and screening applicants for current needs and basically responding to events after these happen. Strategic HR is much more transformational and realizes that the success for any initiative form growth, adaptation, or change within the organization are dependent upon the employees who utilize any change in technology or produce any changes in the organizationââ¬â¢s product or service. HR, therefore, plays a transformational role by assisting the organization in identifying and meeting the larger challenges it faces in its external environment by ensuring that the internal mechanisms that facilitate change are in place. Traditional HR departments must, therefore, rethink, redefine and re-evaluate their roles. HR managers must learn to operate their departments more like a business. Businesses must have clear strategies, outcomes, products, services and structures to attain specific objectives which are aligned to the corporate objectives. HR practitioners must answer the following questions: â⬠¢What is the HR strategy? Strategy defines how a business positions itself and allocates resources to products to deliver value to customers. An HR strategy articulates the purposes of HR within the firm, the deliverables or outcomes from HR work, and the services delivered by the HR department. â⬠¢What are the products or services of HR? Many typologies of HR work exist to describe types of HR processes. The new HR typologies will identify new HR products or services required to meet changing business needs. Many of these new products will ensure the flow of intellectual capital and knowledge within a firm, while others will ensure the development of a new generation of leaders within a firm. â⬠¢How should HR be organized to ensure that the strategy is executed? Increasingly, organizations are being defined less by structure and more by how capabilities are acquired and developed. The tremendous growth of outsourcing is clear evidence of this development. As HR functions articulate clear strategies, products or services, they identify the organizational choices that ensure that capabilities, even across organizational boundaries, meet strategic goals. It is clear that human resource management must operate strategically. The central idea behind strategic HR management is that all initiatives involving how people are managed need to be aligned with and in support of the organizationââ¬â¢s overall strategy. No organization can expect to be successful if it has people management systems that are at odds with its vision. As a prerequisite for understanding how to strategically manage human resources, it is necessary to understand the process of strategic management.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Define a job-seekers reservation wage and its relevance to the Essay
Define a job-seekers reservation wage and its relevance to the expectations-augmented Phillips curve - Essay Example s indicate that optimal strategies for job seekers involves continued hunt for jobs as long as incoming bids for jobs include wages that fall below the reservation wage, (Cahuc et al., 2014, p. 262). The relevance of relevance wage and expectations for the augmented Phillips curve was recognized as the expectations-augmented Phillips curve developed in late stages of 1960s and early 1970s, (Woodbury and Davidson, 2002, p. 233). According to the explanation given by Phillips regarding unemployment, it states that when the demand for labor is high, eligible but unemployed workers expect employers to offer high wage rates quite faster. On the other hand, it appears like job-seekers are reluctant to offer their valuable services below the wage rates prevailing in the labor market. Any subsequent analysis of expectations-augmented predicts that the co-existence of elevated inflation and towering unemployment usually occur with excessive growth in the money supply (Gottschalk, 2005, p. 13). That is, ÃâMS/MS > ÃâMD/MD, which is related to demand-pull inflation. Similarly, the expectations-augmented Phillips curve shifts upwards in each phase as expectations for inflation changes. On the other hand, the Phillips curve moves downwards in each phase as expectations for inflation
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Palliative care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1
Palliative care - Essay Example It is implementable for any age and/or stage with serious illness. This is generally provided with curative treatment which has proven to be even more helpful, however for treatment of last stage cancers curative intent is rationally set aside while providing palliative care alone. The concept care started in 2006 in the United States which late matured into a board certified program having specialties in sub-groups of diseases. It is now a multidisciplinary approach for patient care. The terminology differentiates from Hospice Care in certain respects. Palliative Care is given to chronically ill patients and have serious prognosis whereas Hospice Care is given to patients that have less than six months to live if the illness follows its usual course. World Health Organization states that Palliative Care is an approach which improves quality of living of patients and their ambiance who face problems which are life threatening, their prevention, cure and relief involve early identification, apt assessment and their physical, psychosocial and social treatment (WHO, 2009). Palliative Care refers to care which alleviates symptoms and there cure is not possible through simple procedures. It addresses side effects and involves a careful chemotherapy and other relevant measures. It is pertinent to mention here that the term ââ¬ËPalliative Careââ¬â¢ involves administration to diseases like cancer, renal disease, chronic heart failure, HIV/AIDS, progressive pulmonary disorders and progressive neurological problems like complicated Schizophrenia. The treatments in above mentioned cases cause psychological, social, spiritual and physical distress. And Palliative Care causes this aggravated condition complex to mitigate. Like emergency care, Palliative Care has its own significance which is substantial. This section deals with the communication
The Conceptualization of Diversity Management Article
The Conceptualization of Diversity Management - Article Example Though the objective of diversity management is also the utilization of all available talents it is said that there is a shift in the orientation of this policy from the concept of equal opportunities. Nevertheless, the concept diversity management as an emerging aspect of Human Resources Management (HRM) is occupying a central place in the recent periods. In this context this paper presents an overview of the conceptualization of diversity management, the issues connected therewith and presents an evaluation of some of the ways in which the present day organizations can improve upon their policies on managing diversity to make it more effective. "Managing diversity effectively follows on from, and expands on equal opportunities"(NCVO) Equal opportunities is about keeping within the law and the decisions about the payment of wages, recruitment, and promotional policies are to be framed on the basis of the capabilities of the individuals to perform their functions effectively. This requires a systematic policy approach to all facets of personnel management and such policies are framed by a pre-empting discrimination. "Diversity is a more wide-reaching approach to equal opportunities work. It incorporates the principle that all workers should receive equal rights but, rather than ignoring the differences between people in terms of their gender and race, this diversity should be recognized and respected." (NCVO) Diversity management works on the basis of a valuation of the varying aptitudes and skills that different workers bring along with them to be utilized by the organizations. Under this concept, the managers arrive at a working environment where all the workers are valued on the basis of their individual skills and expertise and also such skills and expertise are utilized to the fullest extent.The idea of 'diversity management' is not a new one and has been found in existence even from the late 1980s. All the three concepts of Diversity Management, Human Resources Management, and Total Quality Management are having the central idea of improving the business efficiency and make it result to p roduce the more economic gain in the form of enhanced profits. But the concept of diversity management has been found to be deviating in orientation from that of equal opportunities, as observed by Thompson (1997) "The concept of 'managing diversity' is one that has grown out of Human Resources management and is also a movement away from traditional equal opportunities policies and practices. It is premised on the recognition of diversity and differences as positive attributes of an organization, rather than as problems to be solved." However, the phenomenon of diversity management finds itself conceptually similar to that of HRM as evidenced by the work of Storey (1995) "A distinctive approach to employment management which seeks to achieve competitive advantage through the strategic deployment of a highly committed and capable workforce.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Peronal Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
Peronal Law - Essay Example I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all1." Against that backdrop, this question questions state banning on gay marriage. Applying Dr. Kings analysis, a just law was one that was in keeping with our moral teachings or the moral teachings of God. Likewise, if our moral teachings, teach us that something is immoral, then Dr. King would have advised against following that particular law and instead engaging in non-violent civil disobedience. If Dr. King felt that homosexual relations were something that were immoral then he would have agreed that state laws banning gay marriage are just and should be followed. Someone advocating in favor of gay marriage might argue that King would have advocated for gay marriage because he believed that all men are created equal and as a marginalized black man he can certainly identify with the feelings that gays have in being denied the ability to have their union legalized. I think however, that given Dr. King's religious background, the moral and vast religious climate of his time, Dr. King would have said that his interpretation of the Bible is that there was to me a union between man and woman only. I think that any law that allows the separation of people is one that begs civil disobedience. Any law that allows one group of people to have superiority over another group is one that is immoral and therefore must not be respected. For example if a group of gay students are not allowed to attend graduation or are made to feel so afraid to go to graduation that they refrain, refusing to attend graduation even though you must do so to get a diploma is an instance of when civil disobedience is justified. There is a way to get a message across without it becoming violent and without bringing additional malevolence to the marginalized party. The perfect form of civil disobedience was that of Rosa Parks. While we are all familiar with her refusal to give up her seat on a bus, she also brought a line of African American children to a "white" library and had them each attempt to check out a library book. The children were courteous, and sincere when they explained that they needed to get the books from the "white" library and despite being turned away, they did not protest violently. An unacceptable form of civil disobedience is when there are laws or codes enacted for the safety of a population and they are violated. Rioting or any other form of violence which puts the lives of others in jeopardy is not proper. Further, there is a fine line as to what is pushing the break of the law too far. Remember, Dr. King readily admits that in order the get the law changed, it must first be broken or others will not take notice. Thus the better question, is what is the difference between breaking the law and civil disobedience 5 points 3. What is the rule of law Under the rule of law how are government officials supposed to use their power and how are they not supposed to use their power There does not appear to be one universal definition of the rule of law. However there are basic tenets to the definitions that I did find. For purposes of answering this question I will submit the simplest definition and work my answer
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
The Sale of Human Organs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
The Sale of Human Organs - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that Legalisation of the sale of human organs may seem absurd and weird to some people based on their own different ideologies. However, to some people, it seems very find and they find no problem with it. This is what has therefore brought a huge controversy on the issue of selling human organs. Satz states that arguments have been raised so far to justify the two sides but it is not clear what stand should prevail. What can be traced from history is that all people find the donation of human organs to be something divine but on the contrary, find the sale of human organs to be a sinful act. In regards to this controversy, there are, however, plenty of arguments to justify the sale of human organs. These arguments, by all means, try to reveal the need and advantage of permitting people to make the sale of their organs in open markets without any questioning or any restriction of any kind at all. As much as most countries may hold their law s on the illegality of selling human organs, the laws have no power at all given the fact that people have the free will to make a sale on their sperms and reproductive eggs. Sperms and reproductive female eggs are parts of a human body too and people are allowed to sell them. Hughes argues that there must be no reason to forbid people from selling other organs of their body like liver and kidney. After all, for any human being to decide to sell their organs, it must be out of their own free will and consent.
Monday, September 23, 2019
Early Post Partum Haemorrhage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Early Post Partum Haemorrhage - Essay Example She was having one of the most serious complications of pregnancy known as post-partum hemorrhage(PPH). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2006), hemorrhage, blood clot, high blood pressure, infection, stroke, amniotic fluid in the bloodstream and heart muscle disease are the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths which sums up to 2-3 pregnancy-related deaths each day. Although deaths due to pregnancy complications have dramatically declined during the period of 1900-1982, the number of cases has ceased to show any decrease since then, which raises so much concern for the women of child bearing age. Furthermore, there seem to be a link between a womanââ¬â¢s race, ethnicity, country of birth, and age and her risk of dying of pregnancy complications. For example, African American women are four times as prone to pregnancy-related deaths as white women, and that, women aged 35-39 are three times at greater risk than women aged 20-24 years old. The risk goes up to five times for a woman aged 40 and above. Post-partum hemorrhage accounts for a high 17% of m ortality in women, and a case such as this would require a nurse/midwife with the proper knowledge and skills to address the situation and save the mother from an otherwise life-threatening situation. This paper is aimed at exploring the guidelines in the management of early post-partum hemorrhage and the treatments available for such condition. A woman in labor undergoes three different stages. The first stage is dilatation. It begins with the period of true labor contractions and ends with when the cervix is fully dilated. The first stage is further divided into three phases: the latent, the active and the transition phases. A regularly perceived uterine contraction marks the beginning of the latent phase. It ends when the rapid dilation of the cervix begins. In the active phase of labor, the cervix dilates
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Consumer Behaviour Essay Example for Free
Consumer Behaviour Essay Since its inception in 1837, Tiffany has been renowned for its rare luxury goods, especially its magnificent diamond jewellery and its diamond engagement rings. Tiffany and Co. markets itself as an arbitrator of sophistication and elegance. (The Tiffany Story, Tiffany and Co. 2012) New product ââ¬â iPhone case Tiffany has always met its customersââ¬â¢ needs and wants; even above and beyond expectations. It prides itself on ââ¬Å"innovation, creativity and brand recognitionâ⬠. (Tiffany and Co. 012) Due to the ever increasing popularity and success of the Apple iPhone, it is target marketing a younger, more affluent Generation X and subsequently offering its customers an exclusive and prestigious iPhoneà cover ââ¬â fully encrusted with its magnificent diamond jewels. This top of the range and unique phone cover is aimed and position to also satisfy its high-end clientele and upper-class elite market. Through market segmentation and consumer behaviour, this phone cover will embrace sophistication and value that is instilled in each and every Tiffany product and its brand. Target Market Tiffanyââ¬â¢s iPhone cover will appeal to the high-end spectrum and social class of society which is predominately the prosperous and affluent; however it is priced reasonably so that it is affordable to the average female. The majority of its target customers will range from 16 and 35, with iPhones who are socially-savvy and like to be perceived as classy and elegant. Most of its consumers will be living in the affluent inner-city suburbs and earn above average medium income. According to Maslowââ¬â¢s Hierarchy of needs, this evel of physiological needs is concerned with the ego which may include the need for self-acceptance, self-esteem, success and independence. Externally, this directed ego needs include the want for prestige, reputation, status and recognition from others. This presumed desire to ââ¬Å"show offâ⬠oneââ¬â¢s achievements, success or simply this iPhone cover accessory is highlighted by the need for this exclusive phone cover. Hence, the motivation for this accessory is to satisfy a need for status, or more specifically the need to feel empowered, classy and prestige. (Schiffman, L. , OCass, A. Paladino, A. , DAlessandro, S. and Bednall, D. , 2011) 2. Issues Facing Consumers in Adopting this New Product or Service urgence Two positive consumer issues: Sociocultural factor (Facilitators) According to Castells (cited in Jiang 2012), the iPhone has become a culture surrounding young peopleââ¬â¢s adoption and consumption. The iPhone has become a symbol of high class and social status in young peopleââ¬â¢s lifestyles. In addition, Abrahamson and Rosen kopf (cited in Delre, Jager amp; Janssen 2007) conducted a study regarding sociocultural factor related to consumer behaviour. The results found that innovation focused on calculated models that look into the patterns of innovation through social networks. The result revealed that young people are easier to be influenced by sociocultural factors. Furthermore, Berg, MA (2011) conducted a research about the behaviours of teenagers, and the use of information and communication technologies outside school. Research found that teenagers tend to use social media network such as Facebook and MySpace, more then other social activities. Moreover, teenagers have the lack of satisfaction regarding their online life and the importance given to the anonymous online-communication predicts a higher disclosure on the Internet. The promotional strategy of some companies could be change, due to the changes of sociocultural of teenagers. Ansari, Koenigsberg and Stahl (2011, p713-728) also indicates the rapid growth of online social networks has brought many changes of promotion in the marketing field in studying the structure and function of social networks. Attitudes (Facilitators) A major issue facing consumers is the effect of attitudes from a group of people. Smith, De Vries, Tan and Prislin (cited in Timmor amp;Katz-Navon 2008, p. 250) claims that in this market each person belongs either to a group of people that has adopted the new products/services, or to a group of individuals that has not adopted it. In other words, an individual belongs to a group of people is called ingroup, while the others belongs to other subgroup is called outgroup. The size of each group always changes as individuals move from one subgroup to other subgroup. Asch, Deutsch, Gerard, Kruglanski, Webster, Bond and Smith (cited in Timmor amp;Katz-Navon 2008, p. 250) indicated that most subgroups always influence the attitudes and behaviours of each other through group norms, social pressureà and minority dissent. When exposed to most of the influence, some people are likely to experience substantial conformance pressure that causes it to focus on the majori ty position. This induces compliance behaviour. Moreover, Parascandola, Hurd and Augustson conducted a survey which collected information on a huge range of consumer attitudes related to technology, style, and trends. To address the differences in basic descriptive information on product use, the research assessed the level of awareness and use for several brands, they analysed interest in relation to basic demographic variables, such as smoking status, gender, and health status, and in relation to consumer attitudes related to technology and product experimentation. The research found that most people are more likely to rely on their own feeling, then their cognitive and conative factor. Two negative consumer issues: Belief (Barriers) Snyder (1974) indicated that consumers with a low need for distinctiveness and a low need for assimilation were just as likely to adopt the product even as the perceived group size increased. The term self-monitoring refers to the extent to which individuals regulate their behaviours based on external events such as the reactions of other people or based on internal factors such as their own beliefs. Consumers with a low need for distinctiveness and a low need for assimilation may be low self-monitors are indifferent to the external influence of others. Another factor facing consumers is belief about ethnocentrism. Durvasula, and Lichtenstein (1991) examined the impact of Consumer Ethnocentrism (CE) on ââ¬Å"beliefsâ⬠about products from different countries. Nielsen and Spence (cited in Durvasula, and Lichtenstein 1991) provide an exception, but their study only assessed the impact of CE on the ownership of cars. In summary, relatively little is known about the impact of ethnocentrism on purchase behaviour. For the intention of this research, and similar to Shimp and Sharma (1987, p. 280), Shoham and Maja (2003) define consumer ethnocentrism as ââ¬Å"a belief held by consumers about the appropriateness, indeed morality, of purchasing foreign-made products. â⬠Tiffany amp; Co. , as an American brand in Australia, could lead to cultural misinterpretation. They may think Australian brand it better than others. Consequently, when we develop a new problem we also have to consider the lack of knowledge from consumers will also cause them a negative belief. Decision Making (Barriers) According to Truongââ¬â¢s academic journal: ââ¬Å"Personal aspirations and the consumption of luxury goodsâ⬠, it purports that with closely competitive markets, pricing for the iPhone cover in this luxury market and such that the wealth tend to consume goods in order to parade their ââ¬Å"wealth and gain social status. â⬠However, the ââ¬ËVeblen Effectââ¬â¢ came to pronounce that the willingness to pay a price for functionally equivalent product is perceived to be more prestigious (Bagwell. amp;. Bernheim. 996)à This inclination to pay more may serve to generate considerably more status for the users than any direct utility (Mason 2001) and subsequently a ââ¬Å"price premium may paradoxically have negative effects on consumerââ¬â¢s decision-making processesâ⬠This is further enforced by Numair, AS, Malik, F, Waqas, Q, Navaveed, A 2011, which declares that ââ¬Å"Consumers are comfortable with high price of luxury goods as lo ng as it fulfils the desire of building social status as a justification against those who cannot pay for these products (Mason, 1981). Therefore, if the luxurious product cannot fulfil the desire to gain social status, it becomes a decision making barrier for the consumer. 3. Consumer Response to these Issues In this section, I am going to interview 4 people from our target market proposed ed in part 1 in order to obtain their reaction and opinion to the consumer issues I have identified in part 2. The profiles of the interviewees are below, and the actual transcript in the interview will be shown (See Appendix A ââ¬â transcript of the interview) Profile of interviewing respondents I have interviewed 4 interviewees, who are our target market regarding my consumer issues.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Cassava Brown Streak Virus Infection Genome
Cassava Brown Streak Virus Infection Genome Genome-wide prediction and association analysis for sensitivity to cassava brown streak virus infection in Cassava Siraj Ismail Kayondo, Dunia Pino Del Carpio, Roberto Lozano, Alfred Ozimati, Marnin Wolfe, Yona Baguma, Vernon Gracen, Offei Samuel,à Robert Kawukià and Jean-Luc Jannink ABSTRACT Cassava (manihot esculenta Crantz), a key carbohydrate source faces unprecedented challenge of viral diseases importantly, cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) and cassava mosaic disease (CMD). The economic parts of the crop are rendered unmarketable by these viral diseases resulting into mega fiscal setbacks. The remarkable completion of the cassava genome sequence equips cassava breeders with more precise selection strategies to offer superior varieties with both farmer and industry preferred traits. This article reports genomic segments associated to foliar and root CBSV sensitivity measured at different growth stages and environmental conditions. We identified significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated to CBSV sensitivity in cassava on chromosome 4 and 11. The significantly associated regions on chromosome 4 co-localises with a Manihot glaziovii introgression from the wild progenitors. While significant SNPs markers on chromosome 11 are in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with a cluster of nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) proteins encoded by disease resistance genes in plants. Genotype by environmental interactions were significant since SNP marker effects differed across environments and years. Key words: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS), virus sensitivity, augmented designs, de-regressed best linear unbiased Predictions (dr-BLUPs), NBS-LRR proteins, QTLs à INTRODUCTION Cassava (Manihot esculenta crantz), is a major source of income and dietary calories for over a billion lives across the globe especially in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). Edge cutting technologies are rapidly turning cassava into an industrial crop especially tapping into its unique starch qualities hence opening new income opportunities for the poor (Pà ©rez et al., 2011). Cassava brown streak virus disease (CBSD), a leading viral constraint limiting production across SSA is responsible for mega fiscal setbacks estimated at 100 US million dollars per annum at physiological maturity (ASARECA:, 2013; Ndunguru et al., 2015). As a consequence of CBSVs, cassava yields were recorded to be eight times lower than the expected yield potential in Uganda(). Two major strains; Cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) and Uganda Cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV), have successfully colonized both the lowland and highland altitudes across East Africa though newer strains are being reported (Winter et al., 2010; Ndunguru et al., 2015; Alicai et al., 2016a). In addition to uncontrolled exchange of infected cassava steaks among cassava farmers across porous borders, the African whitefly (Besimia tobaci) stands out as the famous semi-persistent virus transmitter under field conditions (Legg et al., 2014; McQuaid et al., 2015). Upon entry, the virus exploits the plants transport system to traverse the susceptible cassava plant resulting into yellow chlorotic vein clearing patterns along minor veins of the leaves. Prominent brown elongated lesions are formed on the stem commonly referred to as brown streaks. While the brown necrotic hard-corky layers are randomly formed in the root cortex of most susceptible cassava clones. In view of the rapid but steadily virus evolution rates and the insufficiency of dependable virus diagnostic tools (Alicai et al., 2016b), breeding for durable CBSD resistance emerges as a timely and economically viable option. Earlier CBSD resistance breeding initiatives have highlighted its polygenic but recessive nature of inheritance in both intraspecific and interspecific cassava hybrids (Nichols, 1947; Hillocks and Jennings, 2003; Munga, 2008; Kulembeka, 2010). The rate of progress to genetic improvement in a traditional cassava breeding pipeline has been slower due to several biology-related opportunities like; shy flowering, length of breeding cycle, limited genetic diversity and slow rate of multiplication of planting materials. Most of the available elite cassava lines have exhibited some level of sensitivity to CBSVs ranging from mild sensitivity total susceptibility. Therefore, a concise but then targeted exploration for potential sources of resistance using the available biotechnology tools could be a promising strategy. The remarkable completion of the cassava genome sequence equips cassava breeders with more precise selection strategies to offer superior varieties with both farmer and industry preferred traits. A study by Bredeson et al., (2016) reports the presence of introgressions segments from the wild progenitors into the elite breeding lines developed by the Amani breeding program in Tanzania. Hence, resistance sources to CBSD exist but may have been reshuffled over generations of recurrent selection thus not fully fixed and need to be exploited. Moving forward, a genome wide survey for existing natural variations as explained by the observed phenotypes for a given series of agronomic traits could facilitate identification of causal loci associated with the inheritance of a trait of interest. This tool, commonly referred to as genome-wide association study (GWAS) exploits the power of statistical analyses to identify such historical recombination events that have occurred over time (Jannink and Walsh, 2002; Hamblin, Buckler and Jannink, 2011). Hence, GWA-studies will complement bi-parental mapping efforts that have been widely applied in cassava breeding in the previous decade (Ferguson et al., 2012; Ceballos et al., 2015). GWA-studies have been widely undertaken by animal, human and plant geneticists to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in close association to several important traits. However, GWAS has been thinly applied in cassava breeding especially in the definition of the genetic architecture of cassava mosaic di sease (Wolfe et al., 2016) and beta carotene (unpublished). In this study, we exploited the reduced genotyping costs using genotyping by sequencing (GBS) to genotype data for our association mapping panel. The goal of this study was to identify genomic regions closely associated with sensitivity to CBSV infection in a diverse regional cassava breeding panel. Fine mapping around the identified regions would guide in marker discovery as well as identification of franking genes for CBSV sensitivity for marker assisted breeding. MATERIALS AND METHODS Plant material The data set comprised of field disease evaluations undertaken across five locations; Namulonge, Kamuli, Serere, Ngetta and Kasese in Uganda. Two different but closely related GWAS panels were evaluated across environments. Between 2012 and 2013, GWAS panel 1 consisted of between 308 to 429 entries that were replicated twice across three locations. Each trial was designed as a randomized complete block (RCB) with two-row plots of five plants each at a spacing of 1 meter by 1 meter. In 2015, GWAS panel 2 consisting of entries ranging from 715 to 872 clones was evaluated in three locations but contrasting sites for CBSD pressure. These entries were evaluated as single entries per site being connected by six common checks in an augmented completely randomized block design with 38 blocks per site (Federer, Nguyen and others, 2002; Federer and Crossa, 2012). The two GWAS panels had one location in common; Namulonge that is regarded as the CBSD hot spot with the highest CBSD pressure. The data was generated from 1281 cassava clones developed through three cycles of genetic recombination with local elite lines by the National root crops breeding program at NaCRRI. These cassava clones had a diverse genetic background whose pedigree could be traced back to introductions from international institute for tropical agriculture (IITA), International center for tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and Tanzania[KI1] breeding program (sup.fig1). Phenotyping protocol for CBSV sensitivity à à The key traits were CBSD severity and incidence scored at 3, 6, and 9 months after planting (MAP) for foliar and 12 MAP for root symptoms respectively. CBSD severity was measured based on a 5 point scale with a score of 1 implying asymptomatic conditions and a score 5 implying over 50% leaf vain clearing under foliar symptoms. However, at 12 MAP a score of 5 implies over 50% of root-core being covered by a necrotic corky layer. (fig.1) Clones were classified with a score of 5 if pronounced vein clearing at major leaf veins were jointly displayed with brown streaks on the stems and shoot die-back that appeared as a candle-stick. Clones with 31 40% leaf vein clearing together with brown steaks at the stems were classified under score 4. A Score of 3 was assigned to clones with 21 30% leaf vein clearing with emerging brown streaks on the stems. While a score of 2 was assigned to clones that only displayed 1 20% leaf vein clearing without any visible brown streak symptoms on the stems. Plants classified with a score of 1 showed no visible sign of leaf necrosis and brown streaks on the stems. On the other hand, root symptoms were also classified into 5 different categories based on a 5 point standard scale. Two-stage genomic analyses For the panel 1 which was designed as a randomized complete block (RCB) we fit the model: , using the lmer function from the lme4 R package (Bates et al., 2015).In this model, ÃŽà ² included a fixed effect for the population mean and location. The incidence matrix Zclone and the vector c represent a random effect for clone and I represent the identity matrix. The range variable, which is the row or column along which plots are arrayed, is nested in location-rep and is represented by the incidence matrix Zrange(loc.) and random effects vector .Block effects were nested in ranges and incorporated as random with incidence matrix Zblock(range) and effects vector . Residuals were fit as random, with . For panel 2, which followed an augmented design, we fit the model Where y was the vector of raw phenotypes, ÃŽà ² included a fixed effect for the population mean and location with checks included as a covariate, The incidence matrix Zclone and the vector c are the same as above and the blocks were also modeled with incidence matrix and b represents the random effect for block. The best linear predictors (BLUPs) of the clone effect (Ãââ⬠°) were extracted as de-regressed BLUPS following the formula: Broad sense heritability was calculated using variance components extracted from the two step lmer output. SNP-based heritability was calculated by extracting the variance components from the output obtained by fitting the SNPs as a kinship covariate calculated using the A.mat function from the rrBLUP R package and included in a one step model using the emmreml function from the EMMREML R package (Akdemir and Okeke, 2015). DNA preparation and Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) All cassava clones included in the phenotypic data set had their total genomic DNA extracted from young tender leaves according to standard procedures using the DNAeasy plant mini extraction kit (Qiagen, 2012). Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) (Elshire et al., 2011) libraries were constructed using the ApeKI restriction enzyme as used before (Hamblin Rabbi, 2014). Marker genotypes were called using TASSEL GBS pipeline V4 (Glaubitz et al., 2014) after aligning the reads to the Cassava v6 reference genome (Phytozome 10.3; http://phytozome.jgi.doe.gov) (International Cassava Genetic Map Consortium, 2014; Prochnik et al., 2012). Variant Calling Format (VCF) files were generated for each chromosome. Markers with more than 60% missing calls were removed. Genotypes with less than 5 reads were masked before imputation. Additionally, only biallelic SNP markers were considered for further steps. The marker dataset consisted of a total of 173,647 SNP bi-allelic markers called for 986 individuals. This initial dataset was imputed using Beagle 4.1 (Browning and Browning, 2016). After the imputation 63,016 SNPs had an AR2 (Estimated Allelic r-squared) higher than 0.3 and were kept for analysis; from these, 41,530 had a minor allele frequency (MAF) higher than 0.01 in our population. Dosage files for this final dataset were generated and used for both GWAS and GS. Structure and Genetic stratification analysis The extent of phylogenetic relationship and degree of family relatedness within the cassava lines was assessed using principal component analysis (PCA) implemented in R. Genome-wide association analysis for CBSV sensitivity The input binary PED files were prepared from the genotype dosage files using PLINK version 1.07 (Renterà a, Cortes and Medland, 2013; Purcell et al., 2007). Mixed linear modal association analysis (MLMA) implemented by GCTA version 1.26.0 was used to generated GWAS results (Yang et al., 2011). MLMA was implemented such that in every cycle of analysis, the chromosome on which the candidate SNPs existed got excluded from the GRM calculation using the modal in equation 3. Where y is the phenotype, a is being the mean term, b being the fixed additive effects of the candidate SNP being tested for association, x being the SNP genotype indicator variable and g is the accumulated effect of all SNPs excluding those where the candidate SNP is located making our analysis model more powerful. We estimated variance components using restricted maximum likelihood (REML). Sub population stratification was corrected for by taking GRM as a random effect term in the model during analysis. A more conservative Bonferroni correction method was used to fix genome-wide significance threshold at Pà ¢Ã¢â¬ °Ã ¤10-7 as a way of correcting for experimental-wise error. Manhattan and Quantile Quantile plots for all the traits were constructed using R package qqman package implemented in R (Turner, 2014). Genomic prediction models GBLUP. In this prediction model the GEBVs are obtained by assuming , where is the additive genetic variance, and K is the symmetric genomic realized relation matrix based on GBS SNP marker dosages. The genomic relationship matrix used was constructed using the function A.mat in the R package rrBLUP(Endelman, 2011) and follows the formula of VanRaden (2008), method two. GBLUP predictions were made with the function emmreml in the R package EMMREML (Akdemir and Okeke, 2015). RKHS. Unlike GBLUP for RKHS we use a Gaussian kernel function: , where Kij is the measured relationship between two individuals, dij is their euclidean genetic distance based on marker dosages and ÃŽà ¸ is a tuning (bandwidth) parameter that determines the rate of decay of correlation among individuals. This function is nonlinear therefore the kernels used for RKHS can capture non-additive as well as additive genetic variation. To fit a multiple-kernel model with six covariance matrices we used the emmremlMultiKernel function in the EMMREML package, with the following bandwidth parameters: 0.0000005, 0.00005, 0.0005, 0.005, 0.01, 0.05 (Multi-kernel RKHS) and allowed REML to find optimal weights for each kernel.For the optimal kernel RKHS we used the kernel weights assigned by emmremlMultiKernel in the first step to construct a single kernel that is the weighted average of the original six. We then used this optimal kernel in single-kernel predictions. Bayesian maker regressions.We tested four Bayesian prediction models: BayesCpi (Habier et al., 2011), the Bayesian LASSO (BL; Park and Casella, 2008), BayesA, and BayesB (Meuwissen, Hayes and Goddard, 2001). The Bayesian models we tested allow for alternative genetic architectures by differential shrinkage of marker effects. We performed Bayesian predictions with the R package BGLR (Pà ©rez and De Los Campos, 2014) Random Forest. Random forest (RF) is a machine learning method used for regression and classification (Strobl et al. 2009, Breiman 2001). Random forest regression with marker data has been shown to capture epistatic effects and has been successfully used for prediction (Sakar et al 2015, Heslot et al 2012, Charmet et al 2014, Spindel et al 2015, Breiman, et al 2001, Michaelson et al 2010, Motsinger-Reif et al 2008). We implemented RF using the randomForest package in R (Liaw and Wiener 2002) with the parameter, ntree set to 500 and the number of variables sampled at each split (mtry) equal to 300. Multikernel GBLUP We followed a multikernel approach by fitting three kernels constructed with SNPs with MAF> 0.01 from chromosomes 4,11 and the SNPs from the other chromosomes. We selected chromosomes 4 and 11 because they contained QTLs for foliar severity 3 and 6 MAP. Multikernel GBLUP predictions were made with the function emmremlMultiKernel in the R package EMMREML (Akdemir and Okeke, 2015) Introgression Segment Detection To identify the genome segments in our germplasm, we followed the approach of Bredeson et al. (2015). We used the M. glaziovii diagnostic markers identified Supplementary Dataset 2 of Bredeson et al. (2015). These ancestry diagnostic (AI) SNPs were identified as being fixed for different alleles in a sample of two pure M. esculenta (Albert and CM33064) and two pure M. glaziovii (GLA XXX-8 and M. glaziovii(S)). Out of 173,647 SNP in our imputed dataset, 12,502 matched published AI SNPs. For these AI SNPs, we divided each chromosome into non-overlapping windows of 20 SNP. Within each window, for each individual, we calculated the proportion of genotypes that were homozygous (G/G) or heterozygous (G/E) for M. glaziovii allele and the proportion that were homozygous for the M. esculenta allele (E/E). We assigned G/G, G/E or E/E ancestry to each window, for each individual only when the proportion of the most common genotype in that window was at least twice the proportion of the second most common genotype. We assigned windows a No Call status otherwise. We also used this approach on six whole-genome sequenced samples from the cassava HapMap II (Punna et al. under Review). These included the two pure cassava and M. glaziovii(S) from Bredeson et al. (2015), plus an additional M. glaziovii, and two samples labeled Namikonga. Because these samples came from a different source from the majority of our samples, we were able to find only 11,686 SNPs that matched both the sites in the rest of our study sample and the list of ancestry informative sites for analysis. Linkage disequilibrium plots LD scores were calculated for every SNP in chromosome 4 with a window of 1Mb using the GCTA Software (Yang et al., 2011). Briefly, LD score for a given marker is the sum of R2 adjusted between the index marker and all markers within a specified window. The adjusted R2 is an unbiased measure of LD: where n is the population size and R2 is the usual estimator of the squared Pearsons correlation (Bulik-Sullivan et al 2015). We calculated the LD between that marker and other markers in a window of 2Mb (1Mb upstream and 1Mb downstream) For the top significant SNP hit in chromosome 11 for the 6MAP GWAS result from panel 1 and panel 2. The LD was evaluated using squared Pearsons correlation coefficient (r2) as calculated with the à ¢Ãâ ââ¬â¢r2 -ld-snp commands in the software PLINK version 1.9. Candidate gene identification To identify candidate genes for CBSD severity in leaves and CBSD root necrosis we used the GCTA mlma GWAS output obtained for each trait. We filtered the SNP markers based on -log10 (P-value)> Bonf, being these values higher than the Bonferroni threshold (~ 5.9). The resulting SNP markers were assigned onto genes using the SNP location and gene description from the Mesculenta_305_v6.1.gene.gff3 available in Phytozome 11 (ref) for Manihot esculenta v6.1 using the intersect function from bedtools (ref). RESULTS Phenotypic assessment of cassava for sensitivity to cassava brown streak virus infection Most clones showed varied responses to CBSV infection spanning from super susceptibility that represented candle-like die-back of the shoot to tolerance (Fig.). Foliar phenotyping clumped these plant responses into five major classes based on a 1 to 5 scale. The broad sense heritability of the studied traits ranged 0.17 to 0.72 for both GWAS panels (Table 1). Analysis of the phenotypic data showed very significant GxE interactions (P Genetic correlations and heritability estimates We found moderate heritability estimates for CBSV sensitivity for foliar phenotypes at 3, 6 and 9 MAP as well as root phenotypes under five environments (fig..) . Genetic correlation on the traits assayed were performed and revealed that ranged from moderate to high positive correlations among traits studied. Assessment of linkage disequilibrium Genome-wide association mapping often explores the benefit of existence of several historic recombination events over time to associate observed phenotypic variation with genome. Detection of candidate QTLs for CBSV sensitivity in cassava To efficiently a run GWAS, we used SNP data to examine the extent of genetic interrelatedness and sub-population structure of the cassava clones. A principal component analysis (PCA) to account for structure showed no distinct clusters implying that the selected clones were not highly structured (Fig.1). Therefore, we did not include PCs in our GWAS linear modal analysis. The Bonferroni suggestive threshold (ÃŽà ± = 0.05) was used to identify loci associated to CBSV sensitivity on both chromosome 4 and 11 that had clear peak signals at the different stages of phenotyping (Fig. 2). The observed P-values initially aligned well with the expected P-values but later differed substantially due the large introgression block on chromosome 4 presumably from the wild progenitors of cassava traceable from the AMANI breeding program (Jennings, 1959). The significant signals on chromosome 11 contained loci with strong association with CBSV sensitivity in a 2 Mb region that annotated well with several candidate genes. Genome-wide prediction for CBSV sensitivity in cassava We did genome wide prediction for CBSV sensitivity based on the identified SNPs with the highest effects found on both chromosome 4 and 11 in order to capture most of the genetic variation. We explored several genomic prediction model methods; GBLUP, RR-BLUP, B-LASSO, random forest, BayesA, BayesB, and BayesC. References Akdemir, D. and Okeke, U. G. (2015) EMMREML: Fitting Mixed Models with Known Covariance Structures,. Alicai, T., Ndunguru, J., Sseruwagi, P., Tairo, F., Okao-Okuja, G., Nanvubya, R., Kiiza, L., Kubatko, L., Kehoe, M. A. and Boykin, L. M. (2016a) Characterization by Next Generation Sequencing Reveals the Molecular Mechanisms Driving the Faster Evolutionary rate of Cassava brown streak virus Compared with Ugandan cassava brown streak virus, bioRxiv, Cold Spring Harbor Labs Journals, [online] Available at: http://biorxiv.org/lookup/doi/10.1101/053546 (Accessed 27 June 2016). Alicai, T., Ndunguru, J., Sseruwagi, P., Tairo, F., Okao-Okuja, G., Nanvubya, R., Kiiza, L., Kubatko, L., Kehoe, M. A. and Boykin, L. M. (2016b) Characterization by Next Generation Sequencing Reveals the Molecular Mechanisms Driving the Faster Evolutionary rate of Cassava brown streak virus Compared with Ugandan cassava brown streak virus, [online] Available at: http://biorxiv.org/lookup/doi/10.1101/053546 (Accessed 10 June 2016). ASARECA: (2013) ASARECA Annual Report 2012: Transforming Agriculture for Economic Growth in Eastern and Central Africa, Entebbe, Uganda. Bredeson, J. V, Lyons, J. B., Prochnik, S. E., Wu, G. A., Ha, C. M., Edsinger-Gonzales, E., Grimwood, J., Schmutz, J., Rabbi, I. Y., Egesi, C., Nauluvula, P., Lebot, V., Ndunguru, J., Mkamilo, G., Bart, R. S., Setter, T. L., Gleadow, R. M., Kulakow, P., Ferguson, M. E., Rounsley, S. and Rokhsar, D. S. (2016) Sequencing wild and cultivated cassava and related species reveals extensive interspecific hybridization and genetic diversity., Nature biotechnology, 34(5), pp. 562-570, [online] Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nbt.3535. Browning, B. L. and Browning, S. R. (2016) Genotype Imputation with Millions of Reference Samples, The American Journal of Human Genetics, 98(1), pp. 116-126. Ceballos, H., Kawuki, R. S., Gracen, V. E., Yencho, G. C. and Hershey, C. H. (2015) Conventional breeding, marker-assisted selection, genomic selection and inbreeding in clonally propagated crops: a case study for cassava, Theoretical and Applied Genetics, [online] Available at: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00122-015-2555-4 (Accessed 25 June 2015). Endelman, J. B. (2011) Ridge Regression and Other Kernels for Genomic Selection with R Package rrBLUP, The Plant Genome Journal, 4(3), pp. 250-255. Federer, W. T. and Crossa, J. (2012) Screening Experimental Designs for Quantitative Trait Loci, Association Mapping, Genotype-by Environment Interaction, and Other Investigations, Frontiers in Physiology, 3, [online] Available at: http://www.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fphys.2012.00156/full (Accessed 2 September 2014). Federer, W. T., Nguyen, N.-K. and others (2002) Constructing Augmented Experiment Designs with Gendex, [online] Available at: https://dspace.library.cornell.edu/handle/1813/32208 (Accessed 2 September 2014). Ferguson, M., Rabbi, I., Kim, D.-J., Gedil, M., Lopez-Lavalle, L. A. B. and Okogbenin, E. (2012) Molecular Markers and Their Application to Cassava Breeding: Past, Present and Future, Tropical Plant Biology, 5(1), pp. 95-109, [online] Available at: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12042-011-9087-0 (Accessed 5 August 2014). Habier, D., Fernando, R. L., Kizilkaya, K. and Garrick, D. J. (2011) Extension of the bayesian alphabet for genomic selection., BMC bioinformatics, BioMed Central Ltd, 12(1), p. 186. Hamblin, M. T., Buckler, E. S. and Jannink, J.-L. (2011) Population genetics of genomics-based crop improvement methods, Trends in Genetics, 27(3), pp. 98-106, [online] Available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168952510002301 (Accessed 18 April 2014). Hillocks, R. J. and Jennings, D. L. (2003) Cassava brown streak disease: a review of present knowledge and research needs, International Journal of Pest Management, 49(3), pp. 225-234, [online] Available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0967087031000101061 (Accessed 5 February 2014). Jannink, J.-L. and Walsh, B. (2002) Association mapping in plant populations, Quantitative genetics, genomics and plant breeding, pp. 59-68, [online] Available at: http://books.google.com/books?hl=enlr=id=hMBY_MvS39ACoi=fndpg=PA59dq=%22of+meioses+that+have+occurred+and+(in+the+case+of+advanced+intercross+lines)%22+%22discussion+of+rigorous+methods+to+test+for+marker+association+with+a+quantitative%22+ots=wo7fd. Jennings, D. L. (1959) Manihot melanobasis Mà ¼ll. Arg.-a useful parent for cassava breeding, Euphytica, 8(2), pp. 157-162, [online] Available at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00022435 (Accessed 8 October 2014). Kulembeka, H. P. (2010) Genetic linkage mapping of Field Resistance to cassava brown streak Disease in cassava landraces from Tanzania, Doctoral thesis, University of the Free State. Legg, J. P., Sseruwagi, P., Boniface, S., Okao-Okuja, G., Shirima, R., Bigirimana, S., Gashaka, G., Herrmann, H. W., Jeremiah, S., Obiero, H., Ndyetabula, I., Tata-Hangy, W., Masembe, C. and Brown, J. K. (2014) Spatio-temporal patterns of genetic change amongst populations of cassava Bemisia tabaci whiteflies driving virus pandemics in East and Central Africa, Virus Research, Elsevier B.V., 186, pp. 61-75, [online] Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.virusres.2013.11.018. McQuaid, C. F., Sseruwagi, P., Pariyo, A. and van den Bosch, F. (2015) Cassava brown streak disease and the sustainability of a clean seed system, Plant Pathology, p. n/a-n/a, [online] Available at: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/ppa.12453 (Accessed 17 September 2015). Meuwissen, T. H., Hayes, B. J. and Goddard, M. E. (2001) Prediction of total genetic value using genome-wide dense marker maps., Genetics, 157(4), pp. 1819-29. Munga, T. L. (2008) Breeding for Cassava Brown Streak Resistance in Coastal Kenya, Doctoral thesis, University of KwaZulu-Natal Republic of South Africa. Ndunguru, J., Sseruwagi, P., Tairo, F., Stomeo, F., Maina, S., Djinkeng, A., Kehoe, M. and Boykin, L. M. (2015) Analyses of Twelve New Whole Genome Sequences of Cassava Brown Streak Viruses and Ugandan Cassava Brown Streak Viruses from East Africa: Diversity, Supercomputing and Evidence for Further Speciation, PloS one, 10(10), p. e0139321, [online] Available at: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0139321 (Accessed 18 March 2016). Nichols, R. F. W. (1947) Breeding cassava for virus resistance., East African Agricultural Journal, 12, pp. 184-94, [online] Available at: http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/19471600996.html (Accessed 5 February 2014). Park, T. and Casella, G. (2008) The Bayesian Lasso, Journal of the American Statistical Association, 103(482), pp. 681-686. Pà ©rez, J. C., Lenis, J. I., Calle, F., Morante, N., Sà ¡nchez, T., Debouck, D. and Ceballos, H. (2011) Genetic variability of root peel thickness and its influence in extractable starch from cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) roots, Plant Breeding, 130(6), pp. 688-693. Pà ©rez, P. and De Los Campos, G. (2014)
Friday, September 20, 2019
The Great Plague Of Europe Essay -- Diseases/Disorders
The Great Plague killed nearly half of the European population during the fourteenth century. A plague is a widespread illness. The Illness was also known as the ââ¬Å"Black Deathâ⬠. Most of the European people believed the plague was the beginning of the end of the world. They were scarcely equipped and unready for what was to be entailed. It was by far one of the worst epidemics yet to be seen in those times. The Great Plague of Europe made its way all throughout the continent and its population. The plague started on the western side of Europe; off the coast of Italy. It arrived by sea between the fall of 1347 and through early spring 1348. Italy was affected so hard that only one out of seven victims would recover in those parts. The plague reached Spain, France, England and Russia before making its way to the East within three years. The medieval pandemic swept through Asia as well, China was most affected as it lied in the center of travel. The Black Death was caused through various transmissions. The most common cause was through rodents. Rodents such as rats had been seen all over the cities. These rats carried excessive amounts of fleas with them. The fleas itself are what caused the actual spread, from the rats to the human populations, by ingesting the infected blood from its host. The pandemic then spread from one area of Europe to the next, by trade routes, after the rats boarded upon merchant ships and traveled down the rivers. The most common water way used was the black sea. The disease spread from the port cities to the surrounding countryside. A few ports tried to stop all ships from entering in hopes of not getting infected, but instead it just spread more when they turned to an inviting port near by. It spread ... ...dren.about.com/od/theblackdeath/a/death_defined.htm>. Wattenburg, Ben. "Human extermination." Gadsden Times [Alabama] : A4+. Web. 20 May 2012. . "black death." History.com. A&E Television Networks, LLC, 1996-2012. Web. 20 May 2012. . "Killing Game." Blogspot.com. N.p., 27 Dec. 2006. Web. 8 May 2012. . "Plague the black death." national geographics 1996-2012: 1+. Web. 4 May 2012. "The Black Death, 1348." eyewittnesstohistory.com. eye wittness to history, 2001. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. .
Thursday, September 19, 2019
The Five People You Meet In Heaven :: essays research papers
Eddie is a grizzled war veteran who feels trapped in a meaningless life of fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. As the park has changed over the years -- from the Loop-the-Loop to the Pipeline Plunge -- so, too, has Eddie changed, from optimistic youth to embittered old age. His days are a dull routine of work, loneliness, and regret. Then, on his 83rd birthday, Eddie dies in a tragic accident, trying to save a little girl from a falling cart. With his final breath, he feels two small hands in his -- and then nothing. He awakens in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a lush Garden of Eden, but a place where five people who were in it explain your earthly life to you. These people may have been loved ones or distant strangers. Yet each of them changed your path forever. One by one, Eddie's five people illuminate the unseen connections of his earthly life. As the story builds to its stunning conclusion, Eddie desperately seeks redemption in the still-unknown last act of his life: Was it a heroic success or a devastating failure? The answer, which comes from the most unlikely of sources, is as inspirational as a glimpse of heaven itself. These five meetings -- some of which are with people who are strangers to Eddie, others with people he knows intimately -- take this gruff but gentle man through the different stages of his life, and through each new person, some hidden truth is revealed. As Albom unfolds Eddie's story, he gradually sheds light on the web of connections between each individual and a world of strangers, so that life is revealed not as a straightforward story of what we have achieved but as a vast network, too large for us to perceive clearly from the inside.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Frail Males in Margaret Laurenceââ¬â¢s A Bird in the House :: Bird House
Frail Males in Margaret Laurenceââ¬â¢s A Bird in the House Kristjana Gunnars suggests that ââ¬Å"Canada is an unhappy country. No, better still, the Prairies are unhappy. Canadian women are especially unhappyâ⬠(Gunnars 122). In Margaret Laurenceââ¬â¢s A Bird in the House, the women are indeed unhappy. In the end, however, it is the women who triumph because of their solidarity. The men, due to their solitary states, are unable to maintain their traditionally powerful roles. In these short stories, the men appear to be the leaders of the household, but the women have the greater but subtler power. The men do not lend each other support, while the women are often willing to lend each other a shoulder to cry on. Thus, because of their bluntness and solitariness, the men in A Bird in the House are dethroned from their traditional seats of power in male-female relations, male-male relations, and in female-female relations where their absence is not missed. An imposing character in A Bird in the House, Grandfather Timothy Connorââ¬â¢s power over his household is also a sign of his weakness. The house that he built is ââ¬Å"part dwelling place and part massive monumentâ⬠(Margaret Laurence 3). Grandfather Connor, a pioneer in Manawaka, is a monument himself and is often associated with his architectural feat. The title of Margaret Laurenceââ¬â¢s novel is A Bird in the House; Grandfather Connor is the house that both shelters and entraps the people ââ¬â especially the women ââ¬â in his life with his actions. With a stranglehold on his household, Grandfather seems to fit into the traditional male role as the authoritarian but is plagued by guilt and loneliness. He uses his anger as a shield and a mask; he ââ¬Å"demands strength because he is afraid of weaknessâ⬠(Jon Kertzer 43). Early in his marriage, Grandfather Connor had an affair with a girl in Winnipeg but his wife Agnes ââ¬Å"never told him sheââ¬â¢d considered leaving himâ⬠(Laurence 85). This places Agnes in a position of higher power: she is virtuous, and Timothy knows that she may be too good for him. As Uncle Terence remarks: ââ¬Å"Another personââ¬â¢s virtues could be an awful weight to tote around. We all loved her. Whoever loved him?â⬠(86). Because his family loves Agnes and will happily obey her, Timothy attempts to reassert his power by being strict and demanding.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Keeping Appointments Essay
Doctorââ¬â¢s appointments are missed each and every day by people who either forget to show up or choose not to call and cancel their appointment. This article will look at some of the reasons why it is important to try to and keep doctorââ¬â¢s appointment and what to do if you must cancel. At my previous doctorââ¬â¢s surgery (office) in the UK, the surgery would regularly post the latest numbers of people who had not shown up for their doctorââ¬â¢s appointments. I was amazed at the staggering amount of people who failed to show up for their appointments. It was not just a few individuals who did not show up. A large number of people regularly missed their scheduled doctorââ¬â¢s appointments. If you are a receptionist it can be very frustrating to work under these conditions. You will have to call patients when it is their turn to see the doctor and be left standing when no one appears. Then you must inform the doctor that the patient did not show up. One of the reasons why it is best to try and keep your doctorââ¬â¢s appointment is because it is the polite thing to do. Would you arrange a job interview with a company you were serious about working for but then fail to show up? It is highly unlikely. Yet, members of the medical profession routinely have to deal with patients who do not show up for their appointments. It is also important to keep your appointment if you will be receiving the results of blood tests, and other test results that will determine your medical condition. This in turn will help doctors see what the next step should be in your courseof treatment. If you miss the appointment, you are not only wasting your doctorââ¬â¢s time. You could also place your health at risk if you do not start your treatment as quickly as possible. Sometimes, it is just not possible to keep a doctorââ¬â¢s appointment. It may clash with a business meeting at work or your childââ¬â¢s emergency visit to the dentistââ¬â¢s. If you can, try to inform your doctorââ¬â¢s surgery of the cancellation 24 hours in advance. But if that is not possible, let them know as soon as you can. That way, your appointment slot can be given to someone else who may be in need of a last minute appointment. Keep in mind that breaking an appointment without first calling to cancel can prevent someone else from being seen and it wastes the time of doctors and the rest of the team.
Monday, September 16, 2019
ââ¬ÅA Far Cry from Africaââ¬Â by Derek Walcott Essay
A Far Cry from Africa: Derek Walcott ââ¬â Summary and Critical Analysis A Far Cry from Africa by Derek Walcott deals with the theme of split identity and anxiety caused by it in the face of the struggle in which the poet could side with neither party. It is, in short, about the poetââ¬â¢s ambivalent feelings towards the Kenyan terrorists and the counter-terrorist white colonial government, both of which were ââ¬Ëinhumanââ¬â¢, during the independence struggle of the country in the 1950s. The persona, probably the poet himself, can take favor of none of them since both bloods circulate along his veins. Derek Walcott He has been given an English tongue which he loves on the one hand, and on the other, he cannot tolerate the brutal slaughter of Africans with whom he shares blood and some traditions. His conscience forbids him to favour injustice. He is in the state of indecisiveness, troubled, wishing to see peace and harmony in the region. Beginning with a dramatic setting, the poem ââ¬Å"A Far Cry from Africaâ⬠opens a horrible scene of bloodshed in African territory. ââ¬ËBloodstreamsââ¬â¢, ââ¬Ëscattered corpses,ââ¬â¢ ââ¬Ëwormââ¬â¢ show ghastly sight of battle. Native blacks are being exterminated like Jews in holocaust following the killing of a white child in its bed by blacks. The title of the poem involves an idiom: ââ¬Å"a far cryâ⬠means an impossible thing. But the poet seems to use the words in other senses also; the title suggests in one sense that the poet is writing about an African subject from a distance. Writing from the island of St. Lucia, he feels t hat he is at a vast distance- both literally and metaphorically from Africa. ââ¬Å"A Far Cryâ⬠may also have another meaning that the real state of the African ââ¬Ëparadiseââ¬â¢ is a far cry from the Africa that we have read about in descriptions of gorgeous fauna and flora and interesting village customs. And a third level of meaning to the title is the idea of Walcott hearing the poem as a far cry coming all the way across thousands of miles of ocean. He hears the cry coming to him on the wind. The animal imagery is another important feature of the poem. Walcott regards as acceptable violence the nature or ââ¬Å"natural lawâ⬠of animals killing each other to eat and survive; but human beings have been turned even the unseemly animal behavior into worse and meaningless violence. Beasts come out better than ââ¬Å"upright manâ⬠since animals do whatà they must do, any do not seek divinity through inflicting pain. Walcott believes that human, unlike animals, have no excuse, no real rationale, for murdering non-combatants in the Kenyan conflict. Violence among them has turned into a nightmare of unacceptable atrocity based on color. So, we have the ââ¬Å"Kikuyuâ⬠and violence in Kenya, violence in a ââ¬Å"paradiseâ⬠, and we have ââ¬Å"statisticsâ⬠that donââ¬â¢t mean anything and ââ¬Å"scholarâ⬠, who tends to throw their weight behind the colonial policy: Walcottââ¬â¢s outrage is very just by the standards of the late 1960s, even restrained. More striking than the animal imagery is the image of the poet himself at the end of the poem. He is divided, and doesnââ¬â¢t have any escape. ââ¬Å"I who am poisoned with the blood of both, where shall I turn, divided to the vein?â⬠This sad ending illustrates a consequence of displacement and isolation. Walcott feels foreign in both cultures due to his mixed blood. An individual sense of identity arises from cultural influences, which define oneââ¬â¢s character according to a particular societyââ¬â¢s standards; the poetââ¬â¢s hybrid heritage prevents him from identifying directly with one culture. Thus creates a feeling of isolation. Walcott depicts Africa and Britain in the standard roles of the vanquished and the conqueror, although he portrays the cruel imperialistic exploits of the British without creating sympathy for the African tribesmen. This objectively allows Walcott to contemplate the faults of each culture without reverting to the bias created by attention to moral considerations. However, Walcott contradicts the savior image of the British through an unfavorable description in the ensuring line s. ââ¬Å"Only the worm, colonel of carrion cries/ ââ¬Ëwaste no compassion on their separated deadââ¬â¢.â⬠The word ââ¬Ëcolonelââ¬â¢ is a punning on ââ¬Ëcolonialââ¬â¢ also. The Africans associated with a primitive natural strength and the British portrayed as an artificially enhanced power remain equal in the contest for control over Africa and its people. Walcottââ¬â¢s divided loyalties engender a sense of guilt as he wants to adopt the ââ¬Å"civilizedâ⬠culture of the British but cannot excuse their immoral treatment of the Africans. The poem reveals the extent of Walcottââ¬â¢s consternation through the poetââ¬â¢s inability to resolve the paradox of his hybrid inheritance The introduction to Yasmine Gooneratneââ¬â¢s first collection of short stories begins with a 9th century poem translated from Gaelic and is littered with references to the authorââ¬â¢s colonial education, post-colonial experience of exile and emigration (Sri Lanka toà Australia) and a revelation of a fervent dedication to the British literary canon (viva Ben Jonson, Alexander Pope, Jane Austen). If you are left, at this point, with a feeling that you are about to be force-fed traditional ââ¬Å"between the linesâ⬠, ââ¬Å"subalternâ⬠South Asian diaspora narrative that will turn your brain into PoCo foie gras, donââ¬â¢t worry-you are not alone. You will first be greeted by a blizzard of kurakkhan, karipincha leaves and other italicised delicacies, but if you hold on for just a bit longer, you will find ââ¬Å"How Barry Changed His Imageâ⬠and will forgive all the 46 pages that preceded it. In this story, Bharat and Navaranjini Wickramsingha swap Sri Lanka for Australia and insist on setting themselves apart from Australiaââ¬â¢s large Vietnamese population whom they refer to as ââ¬Å"those Ching-Chongs slit-eyed slopeheadsâ⬠. As Wickramsingha glows toxic in his emerging racial self-hatred, his wife listens to talk-back radio, happily absorbing some top Australian argot, and before long Bharat and Wickramsingha have effaced their opulent Otherness to become Barry and Jean Wicks ââ¬â true blue fair dinkum Aussies. Good Onya Barry. Top 10 bestsellersClick here to EnlargeWritten between 1970 and 2001, many of the 17 stories are sopping with a deliciously tart zest, especially the ones set in Australia that are free of all the annoying echoes ââ¬â explanations that often accompany stories of a linguistically hybrid reality for a ââ¬Å"westernâ⬠audience. Thematically disparate, the best stories are the ones like ââ¬Å"A Post Colonial Love Storyâ⬠, ââ¬Å"His Neighborââ¬â¢s Wifeâ⬠and a few others that are both dark and funny and also lucid in their disclosure of the (mis)conceptions of identity and race and provide interesting cross-cultural commentary. The few stories that are set in Sri Lanka do not satisfyingly evoke the country, its people or its troubles and most distressing of all ââ¬â almost all the stories are burdened with prescriptive ââ¬Å"twists in the taleâ⬠, which can leave you feeling that youââ¬â¢re eight, in moral science class and have just been slapped on the wrist with Ms Austenââ¬â¢s Sri Lankan silkwood ruler. To provide interpretations of imperialism and the struggle for ââ¬Å"decolonisationâ⬠from it requires a constant and self-conscious shedding ofà the old, especially when it is clear that relics of the Raj reside so deep in our rhetoric that sometimes it is impossible to be certain theyââ¬â¢re even there. There are always new stories of new ways in which post-colonial repression, impotence, diaspora and displacement raise their head, but if youââ¬â¢re coming to this collection looking for that kind of revelation, you might have to take it under the knife. Chances are youââ¬â¢ll find nothing that hasnââ¬â¢t been previously diagnosed; itââ¬â¢s all quite benign, and in the end, but for Barry and the Aussie angle, I fear The Masterpiece as a peep show of post-post-colonial psyche mostly beats around the bush. Chinua Achebe argues that writers, just as historians explore history or politicians deal with politics, have to fulfill their assigned duty: To educate and regenerate their people about their countryââ¬â¢s view of themselves, their history, and the world. He openly and impregnably expresses his firm conviction about how Europe influenced Africaââ¬â¢s self-image, and his arguments are designed to announce this opinion. Assertively, he makes it clear that Africans would suffer from the belief that racial inferiority is acceptable. He wants to change this view and calls African writers to be responsible for ââ¬â and dedicate themselves to ââ¬â their society. Throughout the essay, he uses several tangible occasions as supportive examples for his claim. Achebe begins by clarifying that ââ¬Å"the kind [of writing he does] is relatively new (40)â⬠in Africa. By explaining that the Africans have been educated by the Europeans in terms of the common relationship between w riter and society, he shows that the Europeanââ¬â¢s view has been injected into the African mind: According to the Europeans, an artist ââ¬â in particular a writer ââ¬â would be in ââ¬Å"revolt against society (41).â⬠Achebe, however, hints that his people should not ââ¬Å"reproduce (40)â⬠the Europeans . He is eager to explore what society expects of his writers instead of what writers expect of society. By doing so, he wants to concentrate on the situation at his homeland, stating that he ââ¬Å"know[s] thatà [he does not] have to [write for a foreign audience] (41).â⬠This sentence is one of the examples for when his language reveals that he is very autonomous, even a little bit arrogant, and willing to express his opinion overtly. In the next segment, Achebe indicates that most of his readers are young, which implies that they still have a lot of capacity to get educated. Thus, hope on a better self-image of Africa arises. Achebe claims that many of his readers regard him as a teacher, a statement which is almost pretentious. In this part, he also includes a letter from a Northern Nigerian fan in order to show what a reader like him expects from the author, Achebe. Suggesting that ââ¬Å"it is quite clear what this particular reader expects of [him] (42)â⬠is a false dilemma because it seems like there is only one option of looking at the situation, which manipulatively guides the reader to view things like Achebe. Through an encounter with a young woman teacher who complained about the progress of the course of events in Achebeââ¬â¢s No Longer at Ease, the author realized that he needs to make his novels afford an ââ¬Å"opportunity for education (42).â⬠He does not think the womanââ¬â¢s opinion is right. In this part it becomes clear again that Achebe is very self-assured, as he points out that ââ¬Å"no self-respecting writer will take dictation from his audience [and] must remain free to disagree.â⬠However, he cleverly depicts himself as merciful because he comprehends that his European-influenced society needs to be efficiently educated. His concern comes into sharper relief in the next segment. Achebe sardonically illustrates one of the differences between Europeans and Africans by the example of ââ¬Å"turning hygiene into a god (43),â⬠a peculiar blasphemy in Achebeââ¬â¢s eyes. He admits, though, that Africans have their own respective sins, the most significant being their ââ¬Å"acceptance of racial inferiority (43).â⬠He confesses that not only others need to be blamed; African people, too, would have to ââ¬Å"find out where [they] went wrong (43).â⬠It follows a short anecdote of 1940ââ¬â¢s C hristians who where shocked to see Nigerian dances on an anniversary, which exemplifies ââ¬Å"the result of the disaster brought upon the African psyche in the period of subjection to alien race (43).â⬠Achebe uses appeal to pity here and in other parts, as he only presents the picture of the pathetic African. In this way, he disregards the fact that the West does indeed know many educated, highly respected men, tales, and traditions from Africa. His nextà example further describes the ââ¬Å"traumatic effects of [Africaââ¬â¢s] first confrontation with Europe (44).â⬠Achebe tells about a student who wrote ââ¬Ëwinterââ¬â¢ instead of the African trade wind ââ¬Ëharmattanââ¬â¢ which occurs during wintertime ââ¬â just because he was afraid to be called a bushman by his peers. Achebe does not want his people to be ashamed of their origin, he wants Africa to ââ¬Å"regain belief in itself and put away the complexes of [â⬠¦] denigration and self-abasement (44).â⬠It seems like Achebe tries to rectify the sentiment that has been inflicted to his African people through post-colonialism. Achebe maintains that education needs to be advanced in order to ââ¬Å" get on [their] own feet again (45).â⬠Achebeââ¬â¢s theme becomes most clear in the next part when he requests his society to confront racism and rediscover themselves as people. In order to achieve these goals, he obliges writers to educate society with their works. He glorifies the writer as ââ¬Å"the sensitive point of [â⬠¦] community,â⬠and brings up the argument that each job carries certain duties that need to be fulfilled as society expects them to be. Achebe himself almost seems to crave for these expectations, as he ââ¬Å"would not wish to be excused (45).â⬠The essay concludes with Achebe quoting a Hausa folk tale in order to show that art and education do not need to be mutually exclusive. He leads the reader onto a ââ¬Å"slippery slopeâ⬠here, as he claims that if one considers the taleââ¬â¢s ending ââ¬Å"a naà ¯ve anticlimax (46)â⬠then one would not know much about Africa. This expressive conclusion can make the reader feel like he would be uneducated and prejudiced. Achebeââ¬â¢s urge to make African society stand up for autonomy and to make them find self-confidence is approached in a very subjective manner. It is questionable whether he is too subjective at some points. Reading his essay raises the question: When is subjectivity proper? It depends whether Achebeââ¬â¢s claims and false dilemmas base on historical facts, common opinions, or his personal observations, which can not absolutely be detected through this essay. However, regardless of where his claims have their origin, he overgeneralizes too forceful; for example by demanding that each and every writer should take upon the task of education society. Achebe could as well just speak up for himself and announce that he proudly embraces the task that he himself has given to him. He could be satisfied with that and leave the rest alone, but his emotion come into play. Due to his troubled attitude towards Africanââ¬â¢sà self-perception and its history with Europe, Achebeââ¬â¢s views are inevitably colored with a sometimes direct, sometimes indirect call for change. He strives to present the world a different image than the self-conscious one he assumes exists persistently. By the time he wrote the essay, this assumption might have been true, but reading the essay today, it leaves an impression of an author who desperately tries to force the righteous image of Africa onto the public.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Leed Certification And Sustainable Buildings Environmental Sciences Essay
The undermentioned paper discusses the influence of constructions on the environment and stairss that are being taken to cut down their C footmark throughout the universe. Buildings contribute significantly to the pollution of this planet. However, while they contribute a batch to pollution, they besides have the ability to cut down that sum of pollution and waste through the agencies of making a outlook of sustainability throughout their industry. Every phase in the life rhythm of a edifice can play their portion from design and building to operation. The LEED enterprise is one such manner to get down the development in the mentality of builders and interior decorators. While the LEED enterprise has become rather successful, many builders tend to remain off from it due to the fact that to derive LEED enfranchisement, the cost of the edifice is raised. While the initial cost is higher, the long term nest eggs is significant and finally makes it worthwhile. Items from public-service corporation costs are lower along with revenue enhancement nest eggs from the authorities. Even belongings value has been proven to be raised with LEED enfranchisement. While the thought of long term nest eggs is important to acquire more builders to see sustainability more, this alteration must go a lasting 1 that makes environmentally friendly structures the norm instead than a kind of side show. This procedure will be gradual, but with committees such as LEED and others around the universe, the edifice industry is making their portion to assist cut down pollution and waste. LEED Certification and Sustainable Buildings Environmental consciousness is going of all time more outstanding in today ââ¬Ës society. Whether it is being more concerned about car emanations and their stat mis per gallon statistics, or purchasing locally produced nutrients, ââ¬Å" Traveling Green â⬠is everyplace we look whether we like it or non. These illustrations of utilizing engineering or stuff assemblage methods for autos and food market shop merchandises are the most common ways of society ââ¬Ës effort to cut down their C footmark on the planet. However, there is a sector of society and concern for that affair which is far less perceptibly trying to do this measure into the kingdom of sustainability. This sector I am speaking about is the industry of planing, building, and operation of edifices. Buildings in the United States represent 39 per centum of the state ââ¬Ës primary energy usage, history for 38 per centum of all C dioxide emanations, represent 72 per centum of the state ââ¬Ës ingestion, they use 14 per centum of all drinkable H2O, and globally, edifices use 40 per centum of natural stuffs. ( Yudelson ) When one takes a minute to see how much energy and stuff it takes to construct anything, from the fumes of Cranes and dozers, to the electricity consumed in a completed skyscraper, these Numberss are non all that surprising. And now cognizing these Numberss, one can conceive of the impact on the C footmark of the United States, if something was done to diminish them. Fortunately, efforts are being made to do the building industry more environmentally friendly, with such enterprises as the LEED evaluation system for constructions of all sorts. LEED is an acronym for ââ¬Å" Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. â⬠Its intent is to separate edifices that have gone supra and beyond in their efforts to make a significantly more environmentally friendly constructing than normal. ââ¬Å" LEED collects and incorporates a broad assortment of ââ¬Ëbest patterns ââ¬Ë across many subjects including architecture, technology, interior design, landscape architecture, and building. ââ¬Å" ( Yudelson ) This quotation mark from Yudelson ââ¬Ës book, absolutely summarizes what participants in a building undertaking are involved to make a LEED edifice. A LEED edifice is non merely a edifice that keeps the visible radiations off more, but instead a merchandise of the coaction of everyone involved, from transporting steel from a closer works to minimise transit pollution, to making a of course illuminated environment necessitating less manmade lighting, to even technology and planing more energy efficient air conditionin g and heating systems. There are four possible LEED scores a edifice can have, ââ¬Å" Certified â⬠, ââ¬Å" Silver â⬠, ââ¬Å" Gold â⬠, and ââ¬Å" Platinum â⬠. Certified being received by run intoing the basic demands, and Platinum being rewarded to the undertakings that meet the highest grade of demands. The four accomplishment degrees are the undermentioned: Certified: Greater than 40 per centum of the entire possible points. Silver: Greater than 50 per centum of the entire possible points. Gold: Greater than 60 per centum of the entire possible points. Platinum: Greater than 80 of the entire possible points. The undermentioned diagram by Yudelson, displays a per centum dislocation of the five chief classs considered by a LEED commissioner and how large of a function each drama. As you can see, the five chief classs considered are, indoor environmental quality, sustainable sites, H2O efficiency, energy and atmosphere, and stuffs and resources. From each of these classs, depending on how many points scored, the LEED committee will honor the edifice with a Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum seal of blessing. This chart is specifically for ââ¬Å" New-Construction â⬠undertakings, nevertheless, over 70 per centum of LEED enfranchisements are freshly constructed undertakings and therefore will be the makings largely discussed in this paper. The followers is an image from Yudelson of the LEED scorecard for the Oregon Health and Science University ââ¬Ës Center for Health and Healing which received a Platinum evaluation. As displayed, points are awarded for accomplishments under each of the five major classs, along with an extra class of Innovation and Design. For the class of ââ¬Å" Sustainable Sites â⬠the focal point is on commanding everything from alternate transit entree to light pollution decrease, to stormwater direction. Even the site choice is of import. The facet that jumps off the page here is the alternate transit methods. If the edifice design squad can make an evironment that encourages, bicycling to work with tonss of motorcycle racks and altering suites for the rockerss that can cut down a certain sum of autos on the route attached to that edifice. Besides by planing for coach, metro, and train terminuss, in or nearby the edifice, more people populating or working in the edifice may be more likely to utilize these alternate methods of transit and cut downing the figure of autos on the route. The thought here, is that since alternate fuel cars have non taken off in society, the chief or easiest manner to cut down toxic vehicle emanations is to cut down the figure of vehicles on the route by promoting the usage of mass public transit systems like metros, coachs and trains. Buildings play a large function in this by supplying the terminuss and Stationss convieniently to the populace. Along with the issue of transit, the site class besides contains the subjects of stormwater intervention, heat islands, and light pollution. By pull offing the stormwater displaced by the footmark of a edifice, an proprietor can derive two speedy points toward LEED enfranchisement. Whether it is a developing a manner to decently handle and perchance recycle stormwater within the edifice, or by restricting the sum of overflow created, there are many ways a edifice can be designed to forestall contaminated stormwater from making rivers or oceans. Buildings are besides monolithic heat generators which can be harmful to the environment. By cut downing the radiation of heat, another two speedy points are available. And eventually, the issue of light pollution is a serious job in big metropoliss, impacting the animate beings in the country, specifically birds. Buildings do non necessitate to go forth their visible radiations on all dark, it is a waste of energy every bit good as harmful to birds which are affected by non cognizing the difference between dark and twenty-four hours in the metropoliss. Gesture detectors are one possible solution, but nevertheless this is remedied, a LEED point is up for grabs here every bit good. Site Sustainability is the 2nd largest class and proves that if builders take the clip to use some of these factors into their construction, they can hold a resonant impact on the environment around them. The 2nd class is ââ¬Å" Water Efficiency â⬠. This is the smallest class every bit far as point handiness goes with merely five available, but is truly is an easy five points and should be done irrespective of a LEED certifaction end or non. There are three chief sub classs: Water efficient landscape gardening, advanced effluent engineerings, and H2O usage redution. Whether it is implementing a timed sprinkler system, or utilizing landscaping that does n't necessitate H2O such as crushed rock, there are ways to significantly cut down the sum of irrigation required for the landscape around a construction. Water usage redution starts in the bathrooms, with more efficient spigots and lavatories. While they are more expensive up forepart they are most likely to salvage the proprietor money in the long tally. All that is required for two points under the H2O usage decrease, is a 30 per centum lessening which is a batch in the large image, but it is really accomplishable. Particularl y for edifices that find solutions to the irrigation of their landscape gardening. The 3rd class is called ââ¬Å" Energy and Atmosphere â⬠. This country fundamentally focuses on happening ways to minimise the overall energy ingestion of the edifice through advanced design and engineering. Ten points are available merely by happening ways to optimise the edifice ââ¬Ës energy public presentation. There are many methods to travel approximately making this, whether it is better insularity, or more efficient HVAC systems. Another outstanding facet of this class is the execution of renewable energy within the construction. The most good known of these is solar and air current generated power through the usage of solar panels and air current turbines. By implementing these designs, non merely will you recieve points for their usage toward LEED enfranchisement, but they will besides assist optimise the energy public presentation of the edifice. Buildings use a batch of energy and and bring forth a batch of gases that contribute to the depletion of the ozone. By h appening ways to utilize eco friendly air conditioning units or plan the inside of the edifice to maintain it cool without air conditioning during the summer, will travel a long manner to assist the environment. The key to this class is to concentrate on ways to bring forth power utilizing green options. If the design squad can happen a manner to power a big part of the construction with solar panels or air current turbines, non merely will a immense part of LEED credits be available, but in the long tally the proprietor ââ¬Ës power costs will be a fraction of what they would hold been with out the green power options, all at the same clip being environmentally witting. The Energy and Atmosphere group is the largest group every bit far as LEED points are concerned. Because of this, it is perfectly important to derive a important sum of LEED credits from this group if you have any aspirations of developing a LEED certified construction. The following and 4th class is called ââ¬Å" Materials and Resources â⬠. This country fundamentally covers the pracitices used in the building of the edifice. While doing certain a edifice is environmentally friendly during it ââ¬Ës operation, the building of a edifice is a legitimate portion of a construction ââ¬Ës life rhythm and it is every spot of import to do certain this procedure is green every bit good. There are plentifulness of ways to carry through this undertaking. Of class they most likely are non traveling to be doing intercrossed bull dosers and Cranes any clip shortly, but there are ways to take down the C footmark of building. Examples include, godforsaken direction, usage of recycled stuffs, edifice and resource reuse, and the usage of local stuffs. The general subject of traveling green during building is fundamentally leave nil to waste. The more you can utilize of dismantled stuff for the new construction the better. And the proper allotment of stuff that needs to be disposed of the better. All contribute to a more environmentally firendly building site, along with those coveted LEED credits. Another really of import facet is the usage of local or regional stuffs. By utilizing stuffs that are manufactured locally or nearby, the shorter the distance they need to be trucked to the site hence cut downing the clip on the route of the trucks conveying stuff to the site. Less clip on the route for the trucks mean less fuel and less emanations by them for your occupation. This construct gives a good image of how far making a building undertaking ââ¬Ës C footmark is. It is non limited to merely the site itself but everything and everyone that contributes to it. The concluding chief classs of the LEED enfranchisement procedure is the ââ¬Å" Indoor Environmental Quality. â⬠Basically how the design of the interior effects the overall efficienty of the edifice. This includes everything from C dioxide monitoring throughout the construction, to the usage of low-emitting stuffs, to how much of the construction is lit by daytime. Low-emitting stuffs include stable pigments, sealers, rug and composite wood. These are easy points as most of these come criterion. However, one of the trickier facets will be run intoing the daytime and positions demands of 70 five and ninety per centum of the infinites seeing daytime. Most edifices have interior suites with multiple narratives which makes this undertaking near impossible. But with a dedicated designer and technology squad this could be achieved. Another country for points noticed is thermic comfort. Basically holding a system in topographic point that monitors the room temperatures and maintins a comfy temperature. This helps toward energy ingestion as the thermoregulators will guarantee the air conditioning or heat will non run longer than what is needed. The concluding class is ââ¬Å" Innovation and Design Process â⬠. This awards points for invention every bit far as building waste, H2O, and storm H2O is concerned. This encourages the design and development of new methods to construct a greener edifice that can be used in future undertakings. The intent of the LEED system is to acquire developers to come on toward more and more efficient designs and methods of edifice and operating constructions. Throughout each description, one might detect that many of them are linked or related to one another. This procedure can be described slightly like a Domino consequence. Once one end is achieved it can straight impact something in a comletely different class. For illustration, if daylight and positions is achieved for even 70 five per centum of infinites, a LEED recognition is received for that accomplishment, but the optimize energy public presentation end is besides positively affected. With a big part of the edifice seeing daylight a batch less power will be needed to illume the edifice. This is merely one illustration, nevertheless there are many. This is non to state that gaining adequate credits to accomplish a LEED accredation is an easy undertaking, but if a squad is dedicated to that end it is possible and one will happen that solutions to some ends help towards the completion of others. Now one might see all of this on paper and notice that to carry through a LEED certified undertaking, it is traveling to be a batch of excess money compared to an mean edifice that is non LEED certified. To some, cost may non be every bit of import as it is to others but when it comes down to it, the building industry is a concern, and proprietors are looking to do the largest net income possible from the money they put out to build a new edifice. This is a just statement and there is no denying LEED constructions so cost more ab initio to construct. The undermentioned diagram by Yudelson shows estimations for the sum of excess cost for each degree of LEED enfranchisement. As you can see, the potency added cost can be important, particularly if you want to develop a Platinum certain construction. Another barrier to the development of sustainable edifices is the of all time existing struggle between the Engineers and Architects. The changeless battle between Architects and Engineers is ever at that place, nevertheless some undertakings it is an easier coaction than others. LEED undertakings tend to make some struggle because what fits under the LEED standards may non be was the designer was after visually, or may non work the best structurally, so via medias must be made. However, if the proprietor and building director make it clear from the start that the aim is a LEED edifice and via media is promoted, so this barrier can normally be overcome. While the initial cost of funding a LEED edifice is higher than normal, there are legion benefits. Most of the benefits are long term or are instead irregular, nevertheless, all can significantly lend to the value of a LEED certified edifice over a non-certified edifice. The following tabular array from Yudelson ââ¬Ës book lists the general benefits: A twosome of good factors that jump out to an proprietor purely concerned about cost are: 1 ) the public-service corporation nest eggs are 30 to 50 % , 4 ) revenue enhancement benefits, 5 ) more competitory existent estate value. These three benefits make a good instance to convert an proprietor to desire to construct a LEED certified edifice. Sure you pay more up front, but it is a proved fact that people will pay more to populate or work in an environmentally friendly edifice that has a LEED seal of genuineness. Along with a higher belongings value, the cost to keep the construction is less. This is a direct merchandise of the money you put up forepart for green engineerings to derive the LEED enfranchisement. You paid for solar energy, so the direct consequence is a lower power measure, you paid for H2O efficiency so the H2O measure is lower. The same goes for all facets like warming and chilling. These nest eggs are cardinal, because modern constructions are made to last decennar ies, even beyond one hundred old ages. Because of this, the long term public-service corporation nest eggs, will salvage far more money than the sum saved up front avoiding the LEED path. And eventually, the revenue enhancement benefits from the production of this signifier of construction. The authorities is one of the largest advocates of traveling green and hence there are assorted revenue enhancement benefits and proprietor can take advantage of by making a LEED certified edifice. While these are merely three of the 14 proposed benefits, others such as fund elevation, and public dealingss are benefits that are highly valuable to many every bit good. It is clear that making environmentally friendly edifices is the hereafter of the building industry, it is merely a affair of acquiring builder ââ¬Ës and society to accept it as the norm, as opposed to a particular instance. The LEED enterprise is the most outstanding tool presently in usage to travel builders in that way. At the minute, in today ââ¬Ës building clime, it seems more hard to convert proprietors that LEED is the right manner to travel, merely because they cost more. However, the long term benefits are easy being accepted and more and more undertakings are traveling the LEED path. In the hereafter it is the end of the LEED enterprise to non keep builders to their checklist simply so they can acquire a trophy on their completed undertaking but because it is the right thing to make for the hereafter of the planet. The instance that the universe will stop if everyone does n't get down constructing LEED Platinum constructions is non being made here. But the statistics show that the building industry and edifices during operation create a really big C footmark that can surely be shrunk. So while car shapers develop H and electric autos, the building industry should work to doing LEED certified edifices the norm.
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