Chromosome 6 Summary

Summary of Chromosome 6 by author Robin Cook: Chromosome 6 begins with the murder of an infamous Mafia figure, Carlo Franconi. His Mafia competitors are the number one suspects for the shooting, and these suspicions rise when Franconi’s body disappears from the morgue before the autopsy is carried out. Medical examiner Jack is confused and interested by the case, along with his partner Dr. Montgomery. However, their attention is sidetracked by the arrival of a mutilated, unidentifiable body that has been found in the river.The two doctors are disturbed by the appearance of the body, because it has been completely mutilated. When they discover that the body is also missing its liver, they go on a quest to find the reason why, which takes them into the dangerous jungles of Equatorial Guinea. Here the two men discover the scary possibilities of medicine and science and the unethical experiments being carried out on humans and animals. In Chromosome 6, there are two stories being told. The first story takes place mostly in New York, where the medical examiners are faced with the task of doing an autopsy on Carlo Franconi.Alongside that story, we are introduced to Kevin Marshal, a 34-year-old geek who works for GenSys, a biotech company. Kevin lives in Equatorial Guinea, where he’s doing research using Bonobos, a type of primate. Equatorial Guinea is where the second story takes place, where Kevin must solve a mystery of his own. Along the way he is helped by Melanie Becket and Candace Brickman. Then, Jack and Kevin's stories merge into one complicated, unified plot. Although Jack is the main character in this story, Kevin is by far the most memorable. Both the group in New York and the one in Africa risk their lives to learn their respective truths.

Insights provided by behavioural finance for personal finance strategy creation

Abstract Behavioural finance’s potential to impact personal finance planning has long been a topic of substantial debate.This essay examines the correlation of the field of behavioural finance to the formation of personal strategy with the goal of illustrating the strengths and weaknesses of the approach. The results of this study illustrate the close bond that lies between the psychological state and the investment patterns undertaken by active investors. This research will be of interest to any person studying the impact of behavioural finance on personal strategy. Introduction The field of behavioural finance is argued to have a considerable impact on personal financial planning, personal finance and strategy formation (Banerjee, 2011). This area is cited by many to have the capacity to dictate the plan that a person might choose to employ during the course of forming a personal investment strategy. Effective planning is central to the identification and subsequent illustration of systemic and habitual manners that can be both positive and detrimental in the course of creating the best price and return on investment (Baker et al, 2010). Beginning with a clear examination of impact, this essay sets out to define and provide a demonstration of the impact that behavioural finance can have on the entirety of a personal financial strategy with the intent of providing the means to avoid future mistakes. Behavioural Finance Benartzi (2010) defines the area of behavioural finance as the use of psychological based insights to create economic strategy. This approach demonstrates the potential impact that day to day emotions and basic intuition can have on a personal financial situation. In many cases, the use of emotion to operate investment strategy has resulted in a significant failure or systematic issues that continuously plague the investor (Benartzi, 2010). This suggests that some emotion-based investing is either ill-timed or ill-conceived and therefore faulty and liable to lead to significant losses in the short- to mid-term. Conversely, many argue that intuition, based on effective knowledge, has the capacity to lift an investor above the majority and provide a method of obtaining great investment gains (Benartzi, 2010). In contrast to emotional investing, basing a strategy on an inherent skill or talent is suggested here to have the innate capability to achieve the end goal of base profit. Howev er, the line between emotional or biased investment and undiluted intuition seems to be slight and extraordinarily slippery, leading directly to poor financial planning. Meier (2010) illustrates the position that many mainstream investors can be identified as the classical or standard variant. This form of investor commonly assumes that they know what is in the best interest of their portfolio and it is well within their power to implement (Meier, 2010). This method of investment operates on the notion that rivalry between firms will maintain competition and therefore require minimal oversight, enhancing trust in the endeavour. However, this view is offset by the behavioural financial argument that contends that investors are often confused or misled, and despite the best intentions of many investors there is often significant lack of follow through during the strategy process (Meier, 2010). This suggests that psychology has direct and compelling impact on any formation of a personal investment plan and that often less than optimal decisions are made. Further expanding on this point is the practical issue of the need for regulation in a world often described as corrupt and morally bankrupt (Paramasivan et al, 2009). Taken together, the separation of mainstream theory from behavioural reality seems to lead many investors to incomplete assumptions and poor patterns of investment behaviour and financial planning. McAuley (2009) illustrates the view that common decision making is based a concept referred to as heuristics or common sense rules of thumb. These approaches utilise the same capacity that humankind has employed to make day to day decisions for centuries (McAuley, 2009). However, many investors commonly use poor or mistaken data in their efforts to make a profitable investment in often volatile markets (Forbes, 2009). This concept supports that notion that there is the opportunity for investors to utilise an incorrect data model in order to create strategies, which in turn can lead to substantial losses and an eventual fundamental failure of strategy. Further expanding on this point is the creation of bias during the assessment process (McAuley, 2009). Bias is commonly defined as randomised departures from the rational process, although there is often a link to the rational base (Subrahmanyam, 2008). This suggests that some decision making is based on inherently poor material, which in turn is credited with leading the entire strategy to decline. With each loss there is a continual perpetuation of the bias cycle, with negative actions resulting in consistently negative consequences (Baker et al, 2011). Alongside this link to emotional investment patterns, there have been several forms of bias recognised and addressed during the process of personal fjnance formation and financial planning. Insufficient adjustment is the inherent bias on the part of the investor to overlook the larger market picture and remain too conservative in their investment approach (McAuley, 2009).With this lack of confidence in the building strategy on the part of the investor, there is a very dim prospect for the personal financial planning efforts to make a significant gain. Further, this bias could in fact hold back an investor from reaching out to an emerging opportunity, which in turn can become a fatal habit. Conversely, the bias of overconfidence is credited with much of the investor losses over the course of the past recession and decade (McAuley, 2009). This bias has the inherent capacity to compel an investor to disregard sound advice or patterns in favour of other highly questionable actions (McAuley, 2009). This suggests overconfidence can easily overextend or compromise a working strategy. Modern financial theory has been developed in order to explain and develop the area of behavioural finance (Debondt et al, 2010). Redhead (2008) points to the Prospect Theory as a key method of determining the context of an investor’s behaviour. This approach argues that there are three separate components that must be considered in regards to an investor’s behaviour (Redhead, 2008): a) The perceived elements that are subject to bias. This identifies and illuminates the personal components that are tied to an investment decision. b) Investors are far more concerned with immediate losses and gains as opposed to overall level of wealth. c) Investors feel losses much more dearly than they do gains. Each of these elements ties into the state of the investor’s emotional and psychological balance preceding their investment strategy, which in turn provides the means to assess and adapt a developing investment plan (Redhead, 2008). Deaves et al (2005) contends that loss aversion is among the most powerful of the behavioural patterns expressed by anxious investors. In order to offset the concerns many potential market participants follow eight recommendations that have been found to have a direct impact on the formation and execution of a personal financial plan (Deaves et al, 2005): 1) Take a holistic view of the available assets and associated liabilities. There is and must always be room to adapt and adjust. 2) As much as possible allow for the maximum amount of affordable pay to be automatically invested within the client portfolio. This often takes the decision point away and offers a long term yield benefit. 3) Disregard the past actions and base investment decisions on future estimates of costs and benefits. 4) Take a long-term, as opposed to a short- to mid-term view of the investment portfolio. 5) Avoid any passing fad or quick trend promising a quick turnaround. 6) Past performance is no guarantee of future earnings. 7) Save as much as possible, as often as possible. 8) Stay the course. This approach to behavioural finance suggests that utilising elements of theory to assist in the creation of proper strategy is actively engaging the psychological tendencies of the investors in order to capitalise on their inherent strengths as well as avoid their innate detriments. Yet, despite the efforts of some financial planners many common investment mistakes continue to take place no matter the system in place (Montier, 2007). A very common loss aversion tendency that is credited with the loss of many investors’ assets is the tendency to hold on to a losing stock for too long based on past performance or associated issues (Benartzi, 2010). This is based on the very real emotional base of pleasure seeking and pain aversion. If person sells a successful stock and gains a profit, pleasure is felt, thereby encouraging the investor (Benartizi, 2010). Conversely, letting a failing stock linger, and losing money is credited with very physical manifestations of pain, which in turn lead to poor decisions the state of personal finances and personal finance planning (Benartizi, 2010). Risk aversion in behavioural finance has the potential to manifest in several different identities in the course of determining a personal financial strategy (Montier, 2007). This is a suggestion that the method that an investment is packaged and presented, or framed, has a direct bearing on the application or implementation of the proposal. Using tools including cash back incentives, or gifts, is a common method for inducing investors to overlook other data in favour of investing in the underlying company (McAuley, 2010). This suggests that a favourable set of circumstances to the investor have an impact on the manner and method of investment, prompting many advertisers and financial planners to readily target specific behaviour elements during their efforts to spur . Hens et al (2008) argue that in many cases an investor has an expected utility of the associated investment that is unrealistic. Many leading financial strategists state unequivocally that no one human can be fully informed on any single investment (Pompian, 2006). This leads to the investor believing that they have more control than is present in the endeavour, which in turn leads to a diminished or detrimental return. Baker et al (2010) credits many of the investment decisions made by investors as based on the discounting of the future potential in favour of the quick and present, albeit smaller, rewards. This need for immediate satisfaction has a direct impact on the ability for a portfolio to make the most of the assets available.This suggests that successful personal planning will focus on the mid to long term investments with a clear determination to avoid any quick or offhand investment decisions. Baker et al (2010) extend the point of the need to avoid physical distraction by illustrating studies that connect the gastronomically centred portion of the brain to the segments related to the investment areas. This is an indication that habits that are common in the population, including over eating and poor diet, can be extended to the investment portfolio. Emerging methods including surveys, interviews and focus groups are allowing for the concept of behavioural finance to be incorporated into mainstream investing (Muradoglu et al, 2012). With clear success in defining and removing behavioural impediments, many investors are looking to this field of research for potential edges in determining future strategy. Conclusion Behavioural finance is argued to provide substantial impact on personal finance and personal planning and the results of this essay support that contention. Despite the desire for a black and white investment environment, there is no escaping the impact that inherent bias, shortcoming and basic human error play on the implementation of an effective investment scheme. The material presented illustrates the potential for personal bias based on such base elements as the food consumed prior to making decisions, yet, the process of identification has the potential to offset the negative and enhance the positive. Further, intuition has been credited with propelling many investors to success, yet, this is separate from the decision making process that allows for the creation of bias and the inclusion of errant material. A clear benefit to the implementation of a personal financial strategy is knowledge of the elements that make up the field of behavioural finance, allowing the creation of an effective process to offset any negative pattern of investment behaviour. In the end, as with all manner of investments, it comes to discipline, skill, patience and the determination of the investor to not be swayed in the face of adversity but hold to the reality of any situation. References Baker, H. and Nofsinger, J. (2010). Behavioural finance. 1st ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Baker, M. and Wurgler, J. (2011). Behavioural corporate finance: Wiley. Banerjee, A. (2011). Application of Behavioural Finance in Investment Decisions: An Overview. The Management Accountant, 46(10). Benartzi, S. (2010). Behavioural Finance in Action. Allianz 1(1) p. 3-6. Brigham, E. and Ehrhardt, M. (2005). Financial management. 1st ed. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western. Deaves, R. and Charupat, N (2005). Behavioural Finance. Journal of Personal Finance 1(1). P. 48-53. DeBondt, W., Forbes, W., Hamalainen, P. and Muradoglu, Y. (2010). What can behavioural finance teach us about finance?. Qualitative Research in Financial Markets, 2(1), pp.29–36. Forbes, W. (2009). Behavioural finance. 1st ed. New York: Wiley. Hens, T. and Bachmann, K. (2008). Behavioural finance for private banking. 1st ed. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons. McAuley, I (2009). Understanding human behaviour in financial decision making. Centre for Policy Development 1(1). p. 1-5. Meier, S. (2010). Insights from Behavioural Economics for Personal Finance. Behavioural Economics and Personal Finance 1(1). p. 1-3 Montier, J. (2007). Behavioural investing. 1st ed. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons. Muradoglu, G. and Harvey, N. (2012). Behavioural finance: the role of psychological factors in financial decisions. Review of Behavioral Finance, 4(2), pp.68-80. Paramasivan, C. and Subramanian, T. (2009). Financial management. 1st ed. New Delhi: New Age International (P) Ltd., Publishers. Pompian, M. (2006). Behavioural finance and wealth management. 1st ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Redhead, K. (2008). Personal finance and investments. 1st ed. London [u.a.]: Routledge. Sewell, M. (2007). Behavioural finance. University of Cambridge. UK Subrahmanyam, A. (2008). Behavioural finance: A review and synthesis. European Financial Management, 14(1), pp.12–29.

Digital Marketing Campaign for SNOW tires Term Paper

Digital Marketing Campaign for SNOW tires - Term Paper Example This campaign will include a sale of a high number of tires to the market. And the end will be to sell 200,000 tires in North America and Europe in the five winters between 2014 and 2018. This will include creating awareness to consumers in USA, Canada and the European Union and also maintain a 20% sale level in the emerging markets. Sales in these emerging markets will be boosted to 200% of primary market sales after 2018. Online marketing is going to be used as the primary system through which the tires are going to be marketed. Therefore, the plan is to provide online marketing to all the consumers and enter the markets through a unique and distinct system and process. SNOWDRIVE is faced with competition from various levels of competitors. First of all, there is the threat of new entrants which includes companies that can manufacture similar types. This is quite unlikely. Fourthly, there are threats of supplier integration which is quite unreal because SNOWDRIVE are the suppliers. Finally, the threat of competitors in the industry is not really harsh since SNOWDRIVE is innovative in its presentation of this unique winter-type of tires. Political: The policies of the United States and Canada as well as the European Union are relevant and this includes importation and taxation rules as well as Internet disclosure processes and regulations. The liberalization of trade means that promotion could be done from a centralized source and process through which the company can sell and market products. However, important federal and EU relating to the advertising of agencies including respect for local laws must be streamlined. 1. Target customer: The primary customers are young members of these developed economies. This should include the younger sections of society who spend more time online. Secondary customers should be the richer and older users of the Internet who have

Margaret Mitchell's life influence on her novel Gone With the Wind Research Paper

Margaret Mitchell's life influence on her novel Gone With the Wind - Research Paper Example Many of her readers know her for the fantasy love story created in her novel between Rhett and Scarlett but not many know that her actual life influences vividly show in her book. Before her success with Gone with the Wind, she used to write short stories, which were repeatedly rejected from newspaper. She had very little success with her stories and decided to give up writing for good (Cordell, 1961). She was bedridden due to her ankle problem and was reading books, and that was all she was doing while recovering from ankle injury. Her husband got tired of bringing her books from the library. Irritated by the daily routine of going to the library, picking books and then bringing them home to his wife, he finally said to her, And that struck her. She realized that probably another shot at fiction would finally get it published as a book. And then she started writing and wrote a 1037 page novel but it wasn’t named ‘Gone with the Wind’, initially, it was titled Tomorrow is Another Day based on the last sentence of the novel. Margaret Mitchell started writing  Gone with the Wind  in 1926 to kill time while recuperating from an injury that left her limping. In April 1935, an editor, Harold Latham from Macmillan, was looking for new fictional stories for publication, got to read Margaret’s draft, he instantly saw the potential in the story made up his mind that the story might possibly be the next best seller. When Latham approved that he’s interested in publishing the book, Mitchell started working on the book with another mindset. This time, she was editing her draft and edited and rewrote several parts of her story. It took her nearly six months to complete the process of checking historical references. She was most concerned with the opening chapter and in fact she rewrote it quite a few times. John Marsh, Mitchell’s husband was a copy editor by profession. He helped Margaret

Analysing your diet using diet plan 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysing your diet using diet plan 6 - Essay Example Other than macronutrients, vitamins have different functions to play in a human body. Vitamins referred to as micronutrients. These include Vitamin C, D, E, B6, B12 etc. Each micronutrient plays respective role in the correct functioning of biological systems. The fact remains that the nutrients, both micro and macro, are absorbed in the body and then transported to the destinations where they are suited for best workability. The absorption of micronutrients takes a number of hours. As soon as the absorption takes place, it can be well noted that these nutrients are transferred into blood vessels. There is always a stored amount of nutrients in human body which would make sure that they are recovered during the days when the amount of nutrient (specific) is less. Also, micronutrients are basically water soluble which means that the transfer of these nutrients to other organs would be helping human body to reduce deficiency in a lesser duration. Method: See Handout Results: Following the stated method, a number of findings were noted regarding the intake of food providing certain rate of energy in the body. The results can be visibly understandable if they are compared with he standardized results of intake i.e. Reference Nutrients Intake (RNI). For instance, by careful dietary analysis, it comes to understanding that energy intake rate must be 2217 Kcal whereas the intake taken by me in a day that compared to the energy standard of RNI was 1271 Kcal. Here, it can be noted that I need to work on this standard as I am having a deficiency of energy. In addition, carbohydrate (g) measure as per the analysis notes to be 336.8 while the intake measurement was 80.8g. This denotes that the amount of carbohydrates being taken by me in a day is lesser than the standard measurement point. Proteins can be considered as the nutrients which I have marked overly different intake measure than the expected one. This is visible from the measurements both standard and my per day consumption (Goestenkors & Day, 2011). The rate of proteins that I undertook in a day is noted be 101.8g while the standard is 45.0g. Similarly, the intake of Fat as marked in the software is 61.9g while standard rate 86.2g. Followed by the rate of Fat intake is the measurement of calcium as per RNI should be 700mg while the intake by me in a day was found out to be 338mg. Furthermore, the measurement of vitamin c was marked as 61 whereas usual intake as per RNI should be 40mg. Nutrients Unit Intake Per day R.N.I Per 100g Energy Kcal 1271 1271 2217 74 Fat g 61.9 61.9 86.2 3.6 Protein g 101.8 101.8 45.0 5.9 Carbohydrates g 80.8 80.8 336.3 4.7 Vitamin C 61 61 40 4 Calcium Ca 388 388 700 23 Table 1: The RNI measures and Daily intake measures Discussion The evaluation that was undertaken in this exercise helped me understand the fact that there are a number of shortcomings that can be noted in my daily routine intake (Hesli & Mills, 1999). The above results have marked it quiet evidentl y that there are some of the nutrients that are relatively lesser in my daily routine. This gives a clear idea that I need to work on the ways which can reduce the deficiency (Amend, et al., 2006). The areas where I have lacked a great deal are merely carbohydrates and energy. In order to make sure that I am coping with the measurement of carbohydrates, I would be eating food that is rich in carbohydrates bananas, brown rice etc (Meleis, 2011). There can be a portion of this food that I can take in a day to make sure that

Should America have stronger gun control laws LogicCritical Thinking Essay

Should America have stronger gun control laws LogicCritical Thinking - Essay Example Unfortunately many forget the main reason the amendment was created and the necessity for citizens to have a way to stand up to and protect themselves from their government in case it turns against them. The right to bear arms is essential to living in a free country. If the citizens give up their rights to own firearms they, to a certain degree, are giving up their freedom. As part of living in a democracy citizens must ensure that their government is putting the needs of the people first. It is the citizen's responsibility to defend their freedoms, and when worst comes to worst, to revolt against an overbearing government. Therefore, the decision to give up the right to bear arms should only be considered after deep scrutiny and a full understanding of the consequences, with a possible loss of one's freedom as a result. According to George Mason, one of the coauthors of the Second Amendment, "To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them" (W.A.T.E.R. 44). This sentiment is shared by many American citizens, especially with those who are members of the National Rifle Association. While widely recognized today as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, the NRA has, "Since its inception, been the premier firearms education organization in the world" (NRA.org). Members of the NRA help to educate citizens on the proper use of firearms whether it is for sport or for protection. The idea that without guns people will be unprotected comes from the revolutionary war in which America was created. Despite the needs and wants of the American settlers, the British government insisted that its laws and ways of life continued to be followed even though they knew that they were not in their citizen's best interests. In order to escape the over bearing and corrupt British government the American settlers had no choice but to revolt. They needed guns in order to stand up to the British and to defend their rights as citizens and human beings. "One of the democratic rights of the United States, the Second Amendment to the Constitution gives the people the right to bear arms. However, there is a greater right: "the right of human dignity that gives all men the right to defend themselves," (W.A.T.E.R. 44). Many citizens share in Black Panther cofounder Huey P. Newton's thoughts believing that without guns they are giving up their freedom and in turn everything that their country stands for. History only strengthens this fear as citizens look to the past to learn that they must be responsible for their own lives. For example many look back to slavery and see that without a way to defend oneself anyone can become a slave, or the Nazi concentrations camps were guns were taken out of the hands of the people and they were left with no way to fight back. Newton says, "If the guns are taken out of the hands of the people and only the pigs have guns, then it's off to the concentration camps, the gas chambers or whatever the fascists in America come up with" (W.A.T.E.R. 44). For gun supporters and members of the NRA it is often hard to understand the opposing opinions of citizens who side with anti gun groups. "The National Rifle Association people are quite right to be suspicious of the designs of the gun controllers. It is absolutely true that there are people around who,

Ultrasound risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ultrasound risk - Essay Example These bounce off the baby and the returning echoes are translated by a computer into an image on a screen that reveals the baby's position and movements. Hard tissues such as bone reflect the biggest echoes and are white in the image, and soft tissues appear grey and speckled. Fluids (such as the amniotic fluid that the baby lies in) do not reflect any echoes so appear black. It is the contrast between these different shades of white, grey and black that allows your sonographer to interpret the images.Most parents look forward to their scan because it gives them the first glimpse of their baby. The sonographer will give you an ultrasound report with a printout of your baby's images. Some hospitals may even give a photograph of your baby's images as a keepsake at an additional cost. However, it is important to remember that the main purpose of the scan is not to provide the first photo for your baby album, or to find out your baby's sex, either. It is to check that your baby is growin g and developing normally." (What is an Ultrasound Scan) The risks involved in Diagnostic are believed to be very controversial and the risks involved aren't known completely. This uncertainly makes this whole process a very daunting one for some women. Several authors have written on this controversial subject and concluded that ultrasound has no ill effects; on the contrary some authors have succeeded in proving that this process involves more risks than perceived by the human beings. "Although the effects of ultrasound are still being studied, no harmful effects to either the mother or the baby have been found in over 20 years of use. The long-term risks of ultrasound, if any, are unknown, but there are many benefits." Others warn that it is insufficiently tested, and make comparisons with X-rays and DES, which were once considered safe. The main area of debate is whether ultrasound is being used too frequently in a routine fashion in healthy pregnancies, without thorough enough testing. There may be some association between ultrasound and low birth weight (Blatt). (Altho' this is difficult to prove because the opposite assertion is known to be true: i.e. if there is IUGR (intra-uterine growth retardation) US will be performed more regularly to assess the progress of the baby.) Some people express concern about the heat and cavitation (bubbling in the cells). Others wonder whether routine ultrasound is cost effective, or whether the money involved would be more effectively spent elsewhere." (What are the Risks of Ultrasound) Effects and Mechanisms The study of transducer is pivotal as far as diagnostic ultrasound is concerned, this process is also known as probe or scan-head. The overall clinical quality depends on this scan-head, it is heavily dependent to determine more important things than one. "Modernultrasoundtransducers often contain 128 and in some cases 288 or more elements. It is well known that with time and normal wear and tear, individual elements within the transducerarray can cease working altogether (i.e., dead elements) or demonstrate significantly reduced sensitivity compared to their original specification. Further, these compromised elements (either "dead" or degraded) fundamentally affect the operation of the entiretransducer, and therefore can have a negative impact on clinical results, and potentially, the efficacy of the entireultrasoundstudy.

Science, Technology, and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Science, Technology, and Society - Essay Example entiate between science and technology and in the last section the author has provided various resources that can be helpful for students in expanding the knowledge. In the introduction section of the text the author discusses the involvement of technology in the society and its impact on society. The author focuses on the issue of privacy and how it has been impacted due to the use of technology. The author states that as an individual increases his/her acceptance of technology in their life, their privacy starts declining. Furthermore the demand for a paperless society has even threatened the privacy of individuals within the society. This is because technology has allowed individuals to operate in a paperless world, but at the same time individuals are increasing the number of copies of their information which is falling in the wrong hands. In the next section the author states that researchers are focusing on the research of STS and they are especially focusing on how the two fields including science as well as technology are impacting the environment of various social institutions. The author states that research in the field of STS focuses on the causal and effect relationship between science and technology and various constructs such as society and politics. The author states that there are various definitions of technology and some of them are correct while others are incorrect and individuals are misusing the term of technology. Various secondary terms have been created in attachment with technology due to the broadness of the field. The author states that in order to define technology an individual needs to consider the various characteristics of technology. After focusing on the difficulty of defining technology, the author focuses on the difference between technology and science. The author states that both the terms are now used in replacement of each other because it is believed that what is technological is even scientific. But this was not the

Starbucks Customer Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Starbucks Customer Service - Essay Example An enterprise that has succeeded in the beverage business by providing superb customer service is Starbucks. This paper analyses the customer service at Starbucks Incorporated. At Starbucks customer service is not just a business function it is integrated into the corporate culture. This company whose core business is selling quality coffee beverages has become a global icon of popular culture in the United States and worldwide. At Starbucks coffee is not just a drink, it is a complete experience. Starbucks has expanded worldwide and currently has operations in 41 countries with a total of 10,295 outlet stores operating as wholly owned or licensing agreements (Starbucks). People go to Starbucks because it offers an eccentric comfortable atmosphere that is created by the company’s partners (employees). Starbucks offers a variety of the best tasting top quality coffees in the world. The clients are enticed to stay around the stores and hangout to enjoy some of the company’s other products and services such as coffee merchandise, fresh foods, consumer and entertainment products which include high speed wireless internet access (Starbucks). Customer service is a strategy that is integrated in the entire supply chain. At Starbucks the customer service philosophy starts with the coffee farmers & makers and its suppliers of materials. Starbucks builds close relationships of mutual benefit with its suppliers to ensure the company obtains the possible price and on time delivery. The company gets involved in the farming operation of its producers of coffee to assist and ensure the crops of coffee are produce at the highest possible worldwide standards. â€Å"The farmers, millers, exporters, and importers who grow process and or supply coffee to Starbucks share the same uncompromising commitment to quality we value† (Corporate Social Responsibility 6). Customer service at Starbucks also means serving the needs of the communities in

Phoenix Jackson and the Modern Day Woman Essay Example for Free

Phoenix Jackson and the Modern Day Woman Essay A phoenix is a mythical bird of great beauty fabled to live 500 or 600 years in the Arabian wilderness, to burn itself on a funeral pyre, and to rise from its ashes in the freshness of youth and live through another cycle of years: often an emblem of immortality or of reborn idealism or hope; a person or thing of peerless beauty or excellence; a person or thing that has become renewed or restored after suffering calamity or apparent annihilation; A person or thing regarded as uniquely remarkable in some respect. Eudora Welty, in her character Phoenix Jackson, creates humanitys counterpart of the phoenix firebird from oriental tradition (Wampler 4 June 2013). Although Phoenix Jackson can not lay claim to the immortality manifested by consuming fiery rebirths (as does the mythological bird), she possesses a fiery spirit and is consumed by love for her grandchild (Wampler 4 June 2013). Phoenix Jackson is wise, confident, fearless, tenacious, courageous, and has a clear goal in mind, which is to get her grandson’s medicine despite any obstacle that she may face. Phoenix Jackson can be summed up in one word which is noble. All women should have the characteristics of Phoenix Jackson but some of those characteristics are being lost with the evolving society. Phoenix Jackson is an elderly African American woman walking into town on a cold winter morning to get medicine for her sick grandson. One aspect of Phoenix’s likeness to the mythical phoenix is their journey before they die. The Natchez Trace is an old highway that runs from Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi (Natchez Trace 27 May 2013). By 1800 it was the busiest in the American South (Natchez Trace 27 May 2013). Phoenix lives â€Å"a way back off the Old Natchez Trace,† which indicates that the journey along with the fact that it is December is difficult for her (A Worn Path n. d. ). The obstacles she faces shows how deeply she cares and sacrifices for her grandson. At the end, when we are told she â€Å"began on the stairs, going down† it indicates that she is faced with a return journey as difficult as the one she has just completed (A Worn Path n. d. ). She is also between 80-100 years old which further magnifies the intensity of her journey and the tragic situation of her grandson’s dependence on her. Like many people who have lived to be Ms. Jacksons age, they gain strength from the years of trials and experiences in their lives. Ms. Jackson was unschooled, black and a woman who grew up during the depression and slavery years. This along with her many years on earth have made her cautious, strong willed and driven. Phoenixs appearance is yet another aspect of her likeness to the phoenix. At the beginning of the story, Phoenix is described as having a golden color [running] underneath [her skin], and the two knobs of her cheeks were illuminated by a yellow burning under the dark (A Worn Path n. d. ). Welty further describes Phoenixs hair as being tied back in a red rag (A Worn Path n. d. ). These images cannot be taken to be a mere coincident as the phoenix from the ancient Egyptian legend is described as having a beautiful red and gold plumage. Furthermore, Phoenixs eyes are said to be blue with age (A Worn Path n. d. ). This description is the first of many that give an indication of her age. The phoenix is a bird that matures to an extreme age before it bursts into flame and is reborn from the ashes. Welty also employs some rather unusual imagery, in which she describes Phoenixs skin as having a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead (A Worn Path n. d. ). All of these ties back in with the age the phoenix grows to. During the 1940’s women’s roles and expectations in society were changing rapidly. Previously women had very little say in society and were stereotyped to stay home, have babies, to be a good home maker and wife. Modern day women have it so easy compared to women in the 1940’s. Women today have many career opportunities that were not open to women of the 20th century. In fact, the great majority of women were illiterate because it was assumed that they didnt need to read if all the work they would do in life was raise children. Women of the 21st century have access to dozens of labor-saving devices that allow them to do housework in a fraction of the time that it took women in the olden days (Women’s Rights). Women today use birth control to plan the size of their families. Centuries ago, it was not unheard of for women to have 11 children, and childbirth was the single highest cause of death for women in their 20s and 30 (Women’s Rights). Women in these times live under a justice system that tries to stop domestic violence, whereas women in 1808 were the property of their husbands, who could do whatever they liked without penalty (Women’s Rights). No policeman or judge would ever think a man had done wrong if he had to beat his wife to get her to behave. Modern women control their own finances. Women two hundred years ago were unable to sign for a bank loan without a male consenting to co-sign (Women’s Rights). They were judged incapable of owning property, even to the point that any property that they brought with them into their marriage or inherited from their father was immediately transferred to the safe keeping of their husbands (Women’s Rights). If he then turned it into cash and invested it in a business deal that went bad, the wife had no recourse to recover the money. Women were only given the vote in 1920 (Women’s Rights). Before that, they had no say whatsoever in the laws that were passed that affected their lives. In a few ways, modern women have a harder time than women of yesteryear. Today some women move so far from home that their social and family networks break down. It appears that women living in the 21st century have it vastly easier than women of the 1940’s, although not in every case. Phoenix Jackson was a very rare woman during her time and she is unlike the modern women of today. Not many women today or even back then would do what she did for her grandson. Most women are focused on their careers and would send their husband or nanny to get the medicine for their child. Phoenix Jackson sacrificed a lot because of the love she had for her grandson. Phoenix Jacksons courage and tenacity are illustrated repeatedly as she faces crisis after crisis during her journey a frozen day in December, animals in the thicket, hills, thorny bushes, creeks, barbed-wire fences, a com field maze, superstition, a hunters gun, a tower of steps, her own forgetfulness, and failing physical healthall obstacles to be overcome (Wampler 4 June 2013). And thats what Phoenix Jackson does (Wampler 4 June 2013).

Difference between Culture Industry and Creative Industry

Difference between Culture Industry and Creative Industry Introduction The culture industry and creative industry have both been frequently mentioned in the last few years, sometimes separately and at other times interchangeably. Communities have always been proud of their cultures. The advent of technology and innovation has been combined with the culture and thus there is promotion of culture but with some economic gain which has contributed to employment and economic growth, thus providing a holistic approach towards the integration of culture, technology and economics. Creative industries add the concept of creativity in the integration of culture, economics and technology. Though the concept of creative industries is still very new, the industry has experienced substantial growth in the last few years. Creative industries generated an estimated income of US$424 billion in 2005 (Basu, 2005). The industry has provided job opportunities to millions of people all over the world, employing more than 6 million (Kunzmann, 2007). This paper will analyze the difference between the culture industries and the creative industries and the impact of economization of culture on conditions of labor in the creative industry. Creative industry includes a variety of industries with the advertising industry being one of them. This paper will use the advertising industry as an example in analyzing the impact of economization of culture on labor in the creative industry. Difference between the Culture Industries and the Creative Industries Culture Industry Cultural industries are those economic activities that produce tangible or intangible artistic and creative products and which can be exploited to generate wealth through exploitation of cultural assets. UNESCO defines cultural industries as those goods and services that combine creation, production and commercialization of contents which are intangible and cultural in nature. These industries use creativity, cultural knowledge and intellectual property to produce products and services with social and cultural meaning (UNESCO, 2010). The one distinct feature in cultural goods and services is that they encourage culture by promoting and maintaining cultural diversity and enhance democracy in accessing culture. Each society has its own culture which is expressed in the peoples values and identities. Recently this culture has been amalgamated with creativity and economics and thus coming up with creative economy. Creative economy combines economics, culture and modern technology. This concept should be used in forming strategies that are results oriented in the developing countries. According to OConnor, the culture industry became more meaningful after integrating with the modern systems of monopoly capitalism. Before this, culture had been considered as just a status symbol, or as a form of decoration. Views changed and culture was being considered as an economic resource worth of attention from the policymakers. It was seen as a potential tool for economic development and employment creation and one which could be used for tourism purposes as well as creating an image for the community. Cultural industries are characterized by some of these features (Kunzmann, 2007); they are small firms with low or average wage rates. In most cases the providers are self employed and they experience high levels of job satisfaction. They have flexible working hours and a low degree of unionization. The providers get their customers through high network integration and hence a high consumer dependency. Creative Industry Different regions have different meanings and classifications of creative industries. These meanings have been structured and classified to form four models, the UK DCMS model, Symbolic text model concentric circles model and WIPO copyright model. Creative industries are economic activities that are based on an individuals skills and talent whereby the talent is exploited and generated to create wealth and to develop intellectual property. The basic inputs in these industries are creativity and intellectual capital, while the end products are tangible goods and intangible intellectual property or artistic services. These end products have original creativity, economic value and an objective to meet the market demand. Creativity includes coming up with original, imaginative, ideas in art, cultural products and scientific creations, and coming up with end products that are inspiring and inventive. Creative industries form a creative economy, (United Nations, 2008). According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) creative industries are divided into four groups, the arts, heritage, media and functional creations. Creative economy helps in creating jobs and promoting exports, cultural diversity, and thus contributes to the growth of the economy. It allows for the amalgamation of economics, cultural and creativity which is combined with technology, intellectual property and tourism objectives to result to a creative economy. It has a macro and micro effect on the economy. The market structure is diverse and can be artistic individuals, small scale businesses and even big multinational companies. The creative businesses experienced an 8.7 percent growth rate between 2000 and 2005. In 2005 the goods and services contributed to 3.4 percent of the world f with gross earnings of $424.4 billion. In 2003 the industry employed 5.6 million people in the European Union countries. Creativity is used in the interaction of the other four forms of capital, social capital, cultural capital human capital and structural or institutional capital leading to what is now known as the 5cs. The industry is being regulated under the Intellectual Property Rights, i.e. copyrights, patents or trade. The problem with the IP is the fact that they favor advanced countries and the developing countries have to agree to these terms. Difference between Creative Industry and Culture Industry The difference between creative industries and cultural industries is distinct and at times the two have been used interchangeably. Creative industries are centered on cultural industries, but not restricted to them. The one way to differentiate cultural product and services is that they may have a cultural characteristic that is not measurable by monetary terms. There is a value attached to the products or services both by the producer and the consumer. This value maybe that the product being used as a source of identity for the specific community. The difference ca also be found in that when producing cultural products, it requires, a human activity input, they are symbolic and they are used in passing a message, and there is potential for intellectual property that is unique to whoever is producing it, be it be an individual or the group. Since there is creativity in the cultural goods and products, it can be said that they are a subset of creative goods and services and yet taking into consideration that creative goods and services cover a wider range of products. Creative goods do not have a unique cultural value in them. When used distinctively, creative products and services are only meant for commercial purposes, but they need creativity to be produced. This may include fashion designs and software creation. In contrast to culture industries, creative industries are mainly big or middle size companies. They pay high salaries especially to their senior staff. The organizations in the creative industries have fixed official working hours for their employees. Examples of cultural products include artwork, musical performances, literature, film, television and video game (Kunzman, 2007). On the other hand, the creative industries include the arts, media (film, tv, and radio), music, advertising and publishing, architecture and design, software development and digital media design. The Impact of the Economization of Culture on Conditions of Labor in the Creative Industries, (Advertising Industry) Economization of Culture Economization of culture refers to making the best of culture to achieve the best effects economically or otherwise. The culture of economics is the analysis of the cultural sector, and involves assessment and organization of the cultural industries, both creative and performance heritage, whether they are publicly of privately owned. In this aspect, culture is seen as a production or a commodity for consumption by the public, who are taken as the consumers. Economization of culture results from the increase in the volume of capital from cultural products through the markets. In turn there is marketization of culture (Mestrovic, 2004). It means letting culture content is to influence the commodity production. The culture gets financial support as this financial support is justified by the economic gains it will bring back to the society. Culture economics involves the interaction of creativity, cultural policies with technological and trade policies. Creativity refers to formulation of new ides which are applied together to create an original work of art and cultural products, functional creations, scientific inventions. Creativity has an economic aspect to it as it involves generation and exploitation of this creativity and generates economic benefits to the creative entrepreneur. This creativity leads to innovation which boosts productivity levels leading to an increase in economic growth and job creation. Creative economy has evolved from recognizing that there is a way that culture and economy can be merged and that both can be utilized for development purposes. As a result of the countries that use creativity in their culture for economic purposes also help in preserving their own culture, informing others about their cultures as well as earning from this culture. Thus it helps in cultural diversity, promoting social inclusion as well as enhancing human development. It leads to creative class, creative entrepreneurs, creative cities, creative clusters, networks and creative districts. Creative economies drive the economy through technology through multimedia and telecommunication, demand for the creative products and fueling of growth in tourism. The creative economies also drive the economy by creating innovative ideas that help in organizations remaining competitive (Hartley,2005). It is the responsibility of each country to set its own policies in regard to the promotion of creative economies. However the UNCTAD has a mandate to assist governments in formulating their policies and especially for developing countries. One of the creative industries is the advertising industry. The advertising industry includes production of advertising materials, PR campaigns, creation of advertisements and promotions, consumer research and insights, media planning, buying and evaluation and management of client marketing activity and communication plans. Advertising has been affected positively by the development of creative economy. Advertisements will be directed to potential customers and to attract the customers, advertisers have to be creative and at the same time respecting the culture of the people. Creative economy has therefore have had a big impact on advertising where creativity, culture and the economy are merged and used effectively through creative advertisement through the media, publishing and over the internet. In addition to this, creative industries are expected to continue to grow and thus create employment. This will be created by the increasing demand for cultural products and services (Euro pean Commission, 2010). The creative industries have contributed to the growth in employment and especially since the industry is labor intensive. There is however some difficult in measuring the effect of advertising on the labor sector brought about by the differing definitions and categorization of creative industry. The industry employs copywriters, those who create drawings, photographers, painters and market researchers. There are more jobs to choose from and in some cases, there is flexibility in the working hours making them more dynamic. In the US the industry had employed about 416,300 people in August 2009, after facing a decline resulting from the global financial crisis. The industry had employed 478,600 in October 2007. In the US the industrys wages make almost 44 percent of the nations total revenues (Kirchhoff, 2009). The advertising industry has a major impact on the labor markets. In the UK, the advertising industry generated an income of  £15.988billion net of VAT IN 1998 while the rest of the creative sector reported  £13 billion. In the 2000, the sector employed 92,800 people (Svob-Dokic, 2005). In the US the industry accounts for 2% of the countrys output (Kirchhoff, 2009). Another effect of creative industries and advertising is the fact that in most cases they make use of modern technology and machines. This has had both a positive and negative effect in employment. The positive effect is that the employee works at a first rate thus getting time for leisure or time to pursue other interests. The impact of creative industry on the labor market will depend on the policies set by the government. A government that supports the creative industry will be way ahead in creating employment. In addition to this there should be policies on the structures of employment to minimize on the insecurities in the advertisement industry and creative industries in general. In so doing the government will help in tapping the unexploited labor (Mestrovic, 2004). There is high potential for growth in the creative industries including in advertising (European Commission on culture, 2010). The government or the relevant authorities should ensure policies that avoid exploitation of those who invent the products and services. In addition to this, the advertising industry can be used to erode culture through advertisements which are against the culture of the natives or through advertisements that may be discriminative in nature. This may lead to bans by the authorities which may lead to some people loosing their jobs. In most creative industries labor is disorganized. This results from the fact that it is a young industry and which has not yet identified itself with the trade unions. According to Lovink and Rossiter (2007) the creations of creative industries have contributed to the erosion of the trade unions. Most of the people employed in this industry are young people. There is a possible feeling of insecurity in this industry, since the employees do not have the trade unions to defend their needs, thus creating social insecurity. Most of the employees are self employed or are temporarily employed adding more to the feeling of insecurity. The sector employs people on contract or temporary basis thus a lot of insecurity involved. In the EU countries, 18 percent of employees in the culture industry were temporarily employed. 29 percent of those in the culture industry in the EU countries are self employed (Svob-Dokic, 2005). Another negative effect of advertising has impacted on employment is that being a creative activity it employs modern technology and machines and thus creating unemployment to a number of people which results from the fact that the machines work at a faster rate than humans. Conclusion The amalgamation of culture, economics and technology has resulted to the growth in creative industries. There are many benefits that may result from the continuous growth in this industry. Creative industries assist in preserving peoples culture while at the same time earning income for the providers of these goods and services. The relevant authorities should come up with policies to protect their citizens from exploitation and to provide any other resources that may be required to ensure a stable growth in this industry. Since each country holds different cultures, there cannot be a global policy in the creative industry; it is the responsibility of the government to put into place strategies that are relevant to its people. The industries growth will lead to employment. As it has been noted there is instability and insecurity in employment in the creative industries. The government should include policies to address this in its strategy. These strategies should be reconciled to other national policies for the country. In the end, the creative industries will create jobs, generate income, and promote social inclusion, cultural diversity and human development.

The Metaphysics of Meaning and the Symbolism of Language :: Philosophy Communication Essays

The Metaphysics of Meaning and the Symbolism of Language "There are no facts, only interpretations" — Nachlass Friedrich Nietzsche In this essay, I shall expound the naà ¯ve view, or theory, of symbolism, which assumes, or argues, that in the symbolic system of language thoughts are expressed by words, and that words have meaning, thereof. I shall show that the naà ¯ve theory of symbolism is invalid, and offer an alternative view incorporating my own empirical theories of meaning and language. I shall also argue against the naà ¯ve view of such a relation as 'expression' in the context of a symbolic theory of language. I shall further assert that meaning cannot be a property of words, or any linguistic symbol. In naà ¯ve symbolism, 'expression' is the relation connecting thoughts and words, allowing us to compile phrases such as, 'thoughts and their expressions', where 'their' implies a possessive quality that thoughts and words share. Here, the words are possessed by the thoughts; words belong to thoughts, and have a causal relation. It is statements such as these that I will pay philosophical attention to. I shall be considering whether such a relationship is possible, how it comes about, and the logic of such a relation. I will show that there is no such causal relation, nor logically mutual dependence between thoughts and words. Further, I will argue it cannot be said, with any logical validity, that symbolism in language implies a possessive relation such as, 'thoughts and their words'. Thoughts are not in the possession of words, for this implies an illogical causal relation. The term 'expression', and all its conjugated forms, is bogus in the naà ¯ve position it plays between words and thoughts. There are thoughts, there are words, or symbols. However, the two are neither logically related, nor mutually dependent. The conclusion of this essay will be the argument, logically and philosophically defended that the game of language we all share in order to communicate and understand each other, is a guessing game. The thoughts of others cannot be known through language, only pointed to. Expressions are merely indicators of meaning. Understanding, in the generally accepted sense, never happens. Finally, a piece of speculation into the theory of language development. Much of our ability to understand and use language comes from the tools we attained in our formative years. One such tool was the copy-cat style of learning the empirical expressions.

America Needs the DREAM Act Essay example -- Argumentative, Persuasive

Illegal immigration has been a constant topic of debate in politics. For years now, politicians have tried to create an immigration reform that will encompass all problems dealing with illegal immigration. According to an article in the Economist (2010), there are four major immigration problems that the country is trying to focus on solving; these are: securing of the nation’s borders in order to prevent more illegal immigration, expanding the number of high-skilled foreigners that America allows in and keeps, finding a way to ensure an adequate supply of â€Å"unskilled workers, perhaps through a guest-worker program†; and finding a solution for dealing with the 11 million illegal immigrants currently living in the United States. Till this day no one has been able to find the best solution to the growing problem, altogether. However, within the last decade, people such as Senator Richard Durbin and Representative Howard Berman have introduced a bill called the Develo pment, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, into Congress which aims â€Å"to provide legal status and educational opportu ¬nity to those who entered the United States as minor children† (United States conference of Catholic Bishops , 2010). Although this act does not fully solve the broken immigration system, it is one step closer to achieving a solution for the fourth issue previously mentioned. This paper will go on to give a detailed description of the DREAM Act, as well as its history through Congress. This will be followed by the explanation of the opposing views on this issue. Finally, the paper will reference the different laws and regulations that impact this issue as well as court cases that have dealt with the issue of immigrant education. Through t... ...2011, November 10). The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law | A Multimedia Archive of the Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved November 13, 2011, from http://www.oyez.org/cases/1980-1989/1981/1981_80_1538 SB1070 - 492R - Senate fact sheet. (2010, January 15). Arizona State Legislature. Retrieved November 13, 2011, from http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/summary/s.1070pshs.doc.htm The DREAM Act: Creating economic opportunities | Immigration policy center. (2010, November 18). Immigration Policy Center. Retrieved November 10, 2011, from http://immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/dream-act-supporting-us-economy-creating-opportunities-immigrant-students What is AB 540? AB 540 Handbook. (n.d.). California State University, Long Beach. Retrieved November 11, 2011, from http://www.csulb.edu/president/government-community/ab540/handbook/what.html

Advantages of Standardization

Standardization is the process by which a company makes it methods, especially its production processes, uniform throughout its organization. Standardization helps cut costs by eliminating duplicated effort and allows a company to take advantage of economies of scale when purchasing supplies. However, some advantages may be lost when a company decided to standardize its operations. Disadvantages Loss of Uniqueness If a company builds up a customer base that values its unique niche products, or if the company serves a specialized market, standardizing its processes may mean it loses some of its former customers. For example, if a restaurant builds its reputation on a varied and exotic menu, then changes to a standardized menu to provide a more predictable customer experience, its former customers may defect to competitors who provide more variety. Loss of Responsiveness. When a company expands into new markets, especially in foreign markets, standardization may work against the firm. While it may be cheaper for a restaurant to buy its trademark hamburgers in bulk, if it expands into a new market where people buy chicken much more often, its standardization measures may make it slower to respond to market conditions and end up costing money. Unsuited to Some Aspects of Business Standardization may be advantageous in some areas of business, such as production, but some aspects of a business should be tailored to the customers' needs. Customer service, advertising, distribution and product pricing must be driven by local market conditions to be successful. Stifles Creativity and Response Time Standardization has the potential to get a business into a rut. Standards, once implemented, soon become the status quo and may become entrenched in the corporate culture, making them hard to change when change is needed. However, market conditions often change, and companies that change quickly are best positioned to take advantage of them. Standardization may also stifle creativity, particularly in product design.

Smog as Air Pollution

utNowadays pollution is becoming more and more serious problem, particularly air pollution. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, the chemical elements of the atmosphere have changed. Along with the development of industrialization, air pollution has spread and now it is a global issue. There are many kinds of air pollution, one of them is smog. Smog can come from many areas, particularly factories and transportation systems, but there are some differences between developed and developing countries. In developed countries, highly developed industry is the main reason that smog is serious, they mostly use fossil fuels.However, developing countries started to industrialize, so increasing number of factories is the most important cause of smog and they always use the coal or wood burning. More and more people using cars and motorcycles also is a reason about that. Those of us who live in large cities are familiar with smog air pollution; the familiar brown haze resting over the city on a still day. We need to know what smog contains and where it comes from, as well as the health and environmental impacts of this hallmark of industrialization.There are two categories of smog to be covered: classic smog and the more recently described photochemical smog. Classic Smog In its most primitive and basic form, smog air pollution is the result of the burning of fossil fuels. It has several major components: 1) Smoke, which is tiny particles of ash, is released from the smokestacks of coal fired power stations. Coal power plants are now on the whole designed to trap this ash, called fly ash, which can be used to great effect in the concrete industry.These tiny particles contain not only carbon residue, but also silicon dioxide, calcium oxide and traces of heavy metals. If inhaled these can pose significant health risks. The silicon dioxide in the fly ash alone can cause lesions, scarring and inflammation of the lungs. 2) Sulfur Dioxide. Sulfur is present in allà ‚  fossil fuels  and is released as Sulfur Dioxide when the fuels are burned. Sulfur Dioxide reacts with oxygen gas to give Sulfur Trioxide. This then can react with water to give Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4).Another possibility is that the Sulfur Dioxide reacts immediately with water to give Sulfurous Acid (H2SO3). Either way, the acid produced is highly reactive and capable of causing significant damage to crops, soil, buildings and more. Several industrialized nations now employ technology that captures approximately a third of Sulfur Dioxide from the emission gases of power stations, greatly reducing the problems of acid rain. Photochemical Smog This is a far more noxious mixture of chemicals than classic smog air pollution. Significant inroads have been made to reduce the main contributors to classic smog.Such efforts in relation to photochemical smog are still in their early stages. Photochemical smog air pollution is a mixture of various chemicals that react with sunlight to produ ce new chemicals. This is where the name comes from;  photo  means  light  and  chemical  means chemical, or product of a chemical reaction. The chemical reactions involved are complex and while they are important, we need to know the  source  of these pollutants and their effects. The chemicals involved need to be addressed separately. The three main ingredients are Nitrous Oxides, volatile organic compounds and Ozone.Carbon Monoxide is a toxic byproduct of fossil fuel combustion but is considered separate to photochemical smog. London smog disaster One of the famous smog with all bad effects is London Smog which was caused by heavy coal combustion during the winter of 1952, The weather in Greater London had been unusually cold for several weeks leading up to the event because of the cold weather, households were burning more coal than usual to keep warm. The smoke from approximately one million coal-fired stoves, in addition to the emissions from local industry, wa s released into the atmosphere.Increases in smoke and sulfur emissions from the combustion of coal had been occurring since the Industrial Revolution and the British were familiar with these types of smog events. At times, the smoke and emissions were so heavy that residents referred to the events as ‘pea soupers’ because the fog was as dense as pea soup. However, while the area had experienced heavy smog in the past, no event had caused such problems as the weather event in December, 1952. Thousands of tons of black soot, tar particles, and sulfur dioxide had accumulated in the air from the heavy coal combustion.Estimates of PM10 concentrations during December, 1952, range between 3,000 and 14,000? g/m? with the high range being approximately 50 times higher than normal levels at the time. PM10 is particulate matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter. Conditions for Londoners today are much better with PM 10 concentrations around 30? g/m?. Estimates also suggest that sulfur dioxide levels during December of 1952 were 7 times greater than normal at 700 parts per billion (ppb). The weather preceding and during the smog meant that Londoners were burning more coal than usual to keep warm.Post-war domestic coal tended to be of a relatively low-grade, sulphurous variety (economic necessity meant that better-quality â€Å"hard† coals tended to be exported), which increased the amount of sulphur dioxide in the smoke. There were also numerous coal-fired power stations in the Greater London area, including Battersea, Bankside, and Kingston upon Thames, all of which added to the pollution. Research suggests that additional pollution prevention systems fitted at Battersea may have actually worsened the air quality, reducing the output of soot at the cost of increased sulphur dioxide, though this is not certain.Additionally, there were pollution and smoke from vehicle exhaust—particularly from diesel-fuelled buses which had replaced the recent ly abandoned electric tram system—and from other industrial and commercial sources. Prevailing winds had also blown heavily polluted air across the English Channel from industrial areas of Continental Europe. There was no panic, as London was renowned for its fog. In the weeks that ensued, however, statistics compiled by medical services found that the fog had killed 4,000 people.Most of the victims were very young, elderly, or had pre-existing respiratory problems. In February 1953, Lieutenant-Colonel Lipton suggested in the House of Commons that the fog had caused 6,000 deaths and that 25,000 more people had claimed sickness benefits in London during that period. Most of the deaths were caused by respiratory tract infections from hypoxia and as a result of mechanical obstruction of the air passages by pus arising from lung infections caused by the smog. The lung infections were mainly bronchopneumonia or acute purulent bronchitis superimposed upon chronic bronchitis.More re cent research suggests that the number of fatalities was considerably greater, at about 12,000. The death toll formed an important impetus to modern environmentalism, and it caused a rethinking of air pollution, as the smog had demonstrated its lethal potential. New regulations were implemented, restricting the use of dirty fuels in industry and banning black smoke. Environmental legislation since 1952, such as the City of London (Various Powers) Act 1954 and the Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968, has led to a reduction in air pollution.

Environmental Pressures for Change Essay

Of the environmental pressures for change, I believe hyper competition and market decline were the pressures experienced by Intel. The reason I believe this is because in the case study Barrett talked about its rival Micro Devices and how he felt the competitiveness that was among them. In the reading it states, â€Å"Barrett felt that in this competitive and segmented market, Intel needed to be reorganized to make it more nimble (Palmer et.al, 2009). When you think about it, some of the greatest challenges that are faced by leaders of today are the ability to stay competitive. There are constant disruptions that can be seen and it is up to the company to avoid them or keep them under control. Barrett recognized that he needed to make a move so his competition would not run over him. In the study, reorganization was a main point as Barrett was involved in many during his first three years. I believe Barrett saw this reorganization as a way to get ahead of the competition and to look at new opportunities. In reference to market decline, Barrett and Intel tried to handle what was happening. Since 9/11 the industry was affected in a major way, and the decline of the economy was one of the big reasons. Intel was now getting worried about Micro Devices being able to produce a faster chip. Internal Pressures for Change Based on the internal presures at Intel, I feel that growth was the one Barrett was facing. From the case study, Barrett was consistently dealing with internal pressure. He was always trying to reorganize his projects and some employees were seeing that he was starting many projects without completing the ones that he started. It was being referred to as â€Å"shuffling execs like cards† (Palmer et. al, 2009). While dealing with the growth change, Barrett had intentions to change some of the culture that the company was all about. In my opinion he saw growth as a way to renew his job satisfaction. Even though this was not a new organization, I think Barrett felt that he would try and bring a different type of feel to the company;one that would allow for the internal challenge of growth to be met head on. Limits to Change I believe there are limits to the change that can be accomplished at Intel due to the fact that Barrett was taking on and trying to incorporate too many changes without following through on a single one. In his own mind I feel he was always trying to reach that next place that would take Intel to the top of software. What I feel he did not understand was when you are dealing with limits to change at Intel, it has to involve the decision making team as a whole. At that point different members of the team are there to handle the limits to change with proper communication. They do this by answering questions as well as the objections before they are put into effect. If this is not completed with good communication, then there will be a struggle for change which limits organizations in a poor way. Managers and the Pressures that Lead to Change For managers and leaders alike, pressure that lead to change could sometimes be overwhelming. To have a understanding of the pressures a manager must accept that change needs to be an effective system that the cuture of the organization embraces from the start. A reason for this is to keep the motivation at a high level at the same time knowing what drives your employees to reach that level. Change is stressful enough but when you incorporate it into the workforce, it gets even more challenging. That is why having a clear and personal understanding of the pressures why allow managers to manage the pressures that lead to change. Responding to the challenges is what employees do well, and it is the change that can rasie doubt throughout the workplace. Motivation continues to be a key factor that gives managers an upper hand when it comes to having success with an organization. Lack of motivation will prove costly in the end and envitably lead to pressures fof change. Most people are motivated by the same types of things, whether it is success, happiness or money. To manage the pressure for change, senior leaders need the commitment or buy in from the staff in order for an effective change to occur. References Palmer, I., Dunford, R., & Akin, G. (2009). Managing Organizational Change. New York: Mcgraw-Hill Irwin.

London- by William Blake Essay

William Blake had a relatively pastoral upbringing, which evokes Wordsworth’s ideas. He was a Christian yet he entertained different thoughts that went against the general view. He campaigned against the exploitation of children in factories. Like a prophet from the Old Testament, he is an expert at finding every little peccadillo in the world. For him, there seems to be nothing positive about London to write about. This poem is taken from a book of poems called ‘Songs of Experience.’ In London, every street and part of land is owned by someone. Money, power and ownership are the three factors that merge together to hold this city together. This goes against Christianity and the message that Jesus gave, that money is not the way to spiritual happiness. ‘Wander’ suggests someone who is dispossessed and uninterested with the life that they lead. The way he describes London shows that it is controlled by bureaucratic laws. This is shown by the mentioning of â€Å"chartered streets†, charters were given to people who were richer or more powerful than most and it allowed them to control the streets of London. This line outlines city’s wealth and businesslike atmosphere. The city seems quite unlike the celestial image that Wordsworth once created. It is owned by man, not God and seems rigid and ruthless. ‘Mark’ means notice, it is also the name of Jesus’ disciple, and marking work or maps. ‘Marks of weakness, marks of woe.’ The word ‘marks’ is repeated to emphasize these meanings. This repetition, thudding and oppressive, also reflects the suffocating atmosphere of the city. The voice of experience appears to come through, noticing marks on people, physical scars and signs of poverty, sing and slavery. The Bible suggests marks of sin should be punished; they are a symbol of damnation, however for many of the people who live in London that bear the marks are unavoidable. It is the poor people who are the most vulnerable to sin, contrary to what Jesus preached, as they are forced to follow in their fathers’ footsteps. The marks that are awarded to good work and the marks on maps/plans are all symbols of London vigorously progressing business and trades, which are prepared to ignore acts of sin, so as to keep the benefits of their trade. In the second stanza, the words ‘every’ and ‘cry’ are repeated, like an obsessive mantra. Not only is there physical slavery, but the people of London, poor and rich, are trapped in a compulsive, mental race for money. There is a link to the French Revolution, where the peasants were attempting to break free from the manacles that bond them. The children that are born into this world have a horrible life of poverty and squalor to face with. They have a fearful upbringing that leads to an even more awful life. The manacles are associated with chains and slaves. But they are not real; they are just in everybody’s mind, mentally restricting everyone. The poor are unable to get out of their restricting mental box. The English society is obsessed by class and hierarchy. The rigidly controlled society enforces the very submission that it wants to break away from. So the law is not entirely to blame, as people can force slavery upon themselves. The penultimate stanza attacks institutions and cruelty that they bring about. The poem is to do with the sounds that radiate from London. By listening to them, on gets a clever, less biased image of London. The chimney sweeps were usually little boys, who often died at a very early age because of the condition that they had to work in. The chimney sweepers are connected with the church because they are often in need of the church’s help but they are frequently turned away, or they turn a blind eye on them, or it could even be the church that sends them up there. This is not the attitude that a church should have on children, it completely contradicts everything in the bible. This is why the ‘blackening church’ also represents the smoke and soot. ‘appalls’ in line 10 is exaggerating the blame of the church as well as meaning ‘goes pale’ which is a juxtaposition with ‘blackening.’ It is as though the blackened stone is a mark of sin on the church. Blackening also suggests a dark, evil, corrupt scene. Appall means to whiten and be horrified, but a pal is also a cloak of death. The children were abandoned on the street and were picked up and lead to their death. Blake blames the church for the deaths. But in Blake’s mind, the most atrocious crime of all is prostitution. The hearse is a carriage to carry a body in. This stanza concentrates on marriage and new-life, both of which should bring happiness. Instead Blake sees new-life as just continuing the cycle of the corruption, and he criticizes the reasons for marriage, believing that many marry for convenience rather than marrying for love. Most of the men who visit prostitutes are old and married. Blake also criticizes the â€Å"youthful harlot† and uses the word â€Å"plague† to suggest STD’s which will be contracted and passed on. It is the death of marriage. In a plague, all people fie, the wife gets the disease from her husband who slept with the prostitutes. The lies and deceit caused by the husbands’ deception will turn their marriage. Blake does not blame the prostitutes however, as he realizes that it is their escape from poverty. It is ironic that he says ‘And blights with plagues the marriage hearse,’ because marriage and hearse do not go together. It suggests marriage, then death. Blake is saying basically that happiest things in life such as love or marriage can be tarnished by disease, such as the plague, causing death.

Effect of Coffee Essay

Abstract The present study was undertaken to evaluate the use of ground roasted coffee (Coffee Arabica; GRC) as a natural feed additive in practical fish diets and its impact on growth, feed utilization, biochemical variables, and body composition of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L. ). Ground roasted coffee was added to the ingredients of tested diets to represent 0. 0 (control), 0. 5, 1. 0, 2. 0, or 5. 0 g/kg diet. Fish (1. 9 Â ± 0. 03 g) were distributed to various treatments at a rate of 20 fish per 80-L aquarium and fed one of the experimental diets for 10 weeks. No growth-promoting influences of GRC were observed; however, the optimum fish growth and feed utilization were obtained at 0. 0 – 1. 0 g GRC/kg diet. The inclusion of GRC in fish diet over 1. 0 g/kg diet reduced fish growth, feed consumption, and the protein contents in fish body. The highest lipids and ash contents were obtained at 5. 0 g GRC/kg diet. Glucose, plasma protein, and plasma lipids decreased significantly, meanwhile aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and creatinine increased significantly in fish fed 5. 0 g GRC/kg diet. Fish survival (93. 3 – 97. 8%) was not affect by GRC inclusion in fish diets. These results indicate that GRC supplement is not a promising growth stimulant for Nile tilapia. Keywords: Nile tilapia, ground roasted coffee, Coffee Arabica, fish growth, feed utilization, body composition, biochemical variables, fish health. INTRODUCTION Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L. ) is one of the most popular species in Egypt and worldwide (El-Sayed, 2006). As the regular use of antibiotics and chemicals as preventative and curative measures for disease leads to drug-resistant bacteria and harmful effects on the environment (Teuber, 2001; Bachere, 2003; Hermann et al., 2003), alternatives to antibiotics and chemicals to improve the quality and sustainability of aquaculture production have been seen as desirable (Meunpol et al. , 2003; Vaseeharan and Ramasamy, 2003; Li et al. , 2006). Medicinal plants have been used as immune-stimulants for human in China and old civilization for thousands years (Tan and Vanitha, 2004). These plants contain many types of active components such as polysaccharides, alkaloids, or flavonoids that have immuno-stimulating activities in mice, chickens, or human cell lines (Cao and Lin, 2003; Lin and Zhang, 2004). The use of medicinal plants as immuno-stimulants in fish diets has been considered (Abdel-Tawwab et al. , 2010; Ahmad and Abdel-Tawwab 2011; Ahmad et al. ; in press). Many studies have been conducted on using coffee pulp in fish diets and they found adverse effects of coffee pulp on fish growth and feed utilization (Fagbenro and Arowosoge, 1991; Moreau et al. , 2003; Ulloa and Verreth, 2003; Chatzifotis et al. , 2008). Some other studies reported that coffee shows an antioxidant activity because it contains many substances like caffeine, cafestol, kahweol, and chlorogenic acids (Pellegrini et al., 2003; Vinson et al. , 2005). Due to the abundance of antioxidant compounds in coffee, these agents must be seriously considered when elucidating potential pharmacological effects of coffee intake. Therefore, the present research aims to evaluate the effect of ground roasted coffee (GRC) supplementation on growth, feed efficiency, feed consumption, biochemical variables, and proximate composition of Nile tilapia, O. niloticus. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fish culture and feeding regime – Ground roasted coffee (Coffee Arabica; GRC) was obtained from the local market. Five different diets containing 0. 0, 0. 5, 1. 0, 2. 0 and 5. 0 g GRC/kg diet were formulated. The dietary ingredients were thoroughly mixed and moistened by the addition of 100 ml warm water per kg diet and then made into pellets by a mincing machine. The pellets were cut into shape manually, dried in an oven at 55 oC till constant weight was obtained and stored in a freezer at -2 oC until use. Nile tilapia, O. niloticus were obtained from fish hatchery, Central Laboratory for Aquaculture Research, Abbassa, abo-Hammad, Sharqia, Egypt. Before starting the experiment, fish were acclimated and hand-fed to apparent satiation twice a day for 2 weeks. For the experiment, 15 80-L aquaria were used and oxygenated to saturation by air pumps. In each aquarium, 20 randomly distributed fish (1. 9 Â ± 0. 03 g) were stocked. The tested diets were administered to five fish groups with three replicates per each. Fish were hand-fed for satiation thrice daily 5 days a week for 10 weeks. Settled fish wastes along with three-quarter of aquarium’s water were siphoned daily. Siphoned water was replaced by clean and aerated water from a storage tank. Average weight per aquarium was assessed every 2 weeks by group-weighing all fish. Fish were starved for a day before weighing. Fish growth and feed utilization – At the end of the experiment, fish per each aquarium were harvested, counted, and weighed. Fish growth and feed utilization variables were calculated as follows: Weight gain (g) = final weight – initial weight; Specific growth rate (SGR; %/day) = 100 (Ln final weight – Ln initial weight) / days; Feed conversion ratio (FCR) = feed intake (g) / weight gain (g); Protein efficiency ratio (PER) = weight gain (g) / protein intake (g); Fat efficiency ratio (FER) = weight gain (g) / fat intake (g); Energy utilization (EU; %) = 100 x (energy gain / energy intake). Chemical analysis of diets and fish – The proximate chemical analyses of the tested diets and fish samples were done for moisture, crude protein, total lipids, and total ash according to the standard methods of AOAC (1990). Moisture content was estimated by drying the samples to constant weight at 95 oC in drying oven (GCA, model 18EM, Precision Scientific group, Chicago, Illinois, USA). Nitrogen content was measured using a microkjeldahl apparatus (Labconco, Labconco Corporation, Kansas, Missouri, USA) and crude protein was estimated by multiplying nitrogen content by 6. 25. Lipid content was determined by ether extraction in multi-unit extraction Soxhlet apparatus (Lab-Line Instruments, Inc. , Melrose Park, Illinois, USA) for 16 hours. Total ash was determined by combusting dry samples in a muffle furnace (Thermolyne Corporation, Dubuque, Iowa, USA) at 550 oC for 6 hours. Biochemical measurements – At the end of the 10-week feeding trial, feed was withhold 24 hour immediately prior to sampling and five fish per aquaria were randomly chosen and anesthetized with tricaine methanesulfate (20 mg/L). Blood samples were collected from the caudal vessel and the extracted blood was collected in Eppendorf tubes contained 500 U sodium heparinate/mL; used as an anticoagulant. The collected plasma was stored at –20 oC for further assays. Blood glucose, plasma total protein, plasma total lipids, and plasma creatinine were calorimetrically determined according to Trinder (1969), Henry (1964), Joseph et al. (1972), and Henry (1974), respectively. Activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in plasma were determined colorimetrically according to Reitman and Frankel (1957). Statistical analysis – The obtained data were subjected to one-way ANOVA to evaluate the effect of GRC supplementation. Differences between means were tested at the 5% probability level using Duncan test. All the statistical analyses were done using SPSS program version 10 (SPSS, Richmond, VA, USA) as described by Dytham (1999). RESULTS In the present study, fish grow gradually by time in all treatments (Figure 1). Final fish weight, weight gain, and specific growth rate were not significantly (P < 0. 05) affected with the increase in GRC levels up to 1. 0 g/kg after which growth declined (Table 1). The lowest fish growth was obtained at 2. 0 – 5. 0 g GRC/kg diet. Moreover, fish fed on diets containing 2. 0 and 5. 0 g GRC/kg consumed less diet than the other treatments giving the highest FCR (1. 4 and 1. 5, respectively). Meanwhile, fish fed on 0. 0 – 1. 0 GRC/kg diet consumed approximately the same feed amount giving the same FCR (1. 3; Table 2). Table 1. Growth performance and survival of Nile tilapia fed different levels of ground roasted coffee (GRC) for 10 weeks. |GRC levels |Initial weight |Final weight |Weight gain |SGR |Fish survival | |(g/kg diet) |(g) |(g) |(g) |(%/day) |(%) | |0. 0 |1. 9Â ±0. 03 |14. 5Â ±0. 35 a |12. 6Â ±0. 38 a |2. 90Â ±0. 059 a |95. 6Â ±4. 43 | |0. 5 |1. 9Â ±0. 01 |14. 5Â ±0. 55 a |12. 6Â ±0. 55 a |2. 90Â ±0. 052 a |95. 5Â ±2. 23 | |1. 0 |1. 9Â ±0. 01 |14. 0Â ±0. 58 ab |12. 1Â ±0. 58 ab |2. 85Â ±0. 058 ab |97. 8Â ±2. 23 | |2. 0 |1. 9Â ±0. 03 |12. 5Â ±0. 55 bc |10. 6Â ±0. 52 bc |2. 69Â ±0. 043 bc |93. 3Â ±3. 84 | |5. 0 |1. 9Â ±0. 03 |11. 2Â ±0. 36 c |9. 3Â ±0. 38 c |2. 53Â ±0. 066 c |95. 6Â ±4. 43 | Means having the same letter in the same column are significantly differed at P < 0. 05. |Fish |[pic] | |growth (g)| | | |Weeks | Figure 1. The weight of Nile tilapia (g) fed different levels of ground roasted coffee (GRC) for 10 weeks. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in fat efficiency ratio, protein efficiency ratio, and energy utilization at 0. 0 – 1. 0 GRC/kg diet levels and the lowest values of these parameters were obtained when fish fed 2. 0 – 5. 0 g GRC/kg diet (Table 2). On the other hand, fish survival range was 93. 3 – 97. 8% with no significant difference (P > 0. 05) among the different treatments. Table 2. Feed utilization by Nile tilapia fed different levels of ground roasted coffee (GRC) for 10 weeks. |GRC levels |Feed intake |FCR |Fat efficiency ratio |Protein efficiency |Energy utilization (%)| |(g/kg diet) |(g feed/fish) | | |ratio | | |0. 0 |16. 0Â ±0. 88 a |1. 3Â ±0. 033 b |10. 50Â ±0. 876 a |2. 86Â ±0. 238 a |32. 0Â ±1. 271 ab | |0. 5 |16. 0Â ±0. 44 a |1. 3Â ±0. 058 b |10. 08Â ±0. 123 a |2. 86Â ±0. 033 a |32. 8Â ±2. 119 a | |1. 0 |16. 1Â ±0. 44 a |1. 3Â ±0. 033 b |9. 45Â ±0. 568 ab |2. 74Â ±0. 154 ab |31. 4Â ±2. 227 ab | |2. 0 |14. 7Â ±0. 78 b |1. 4Â ±0. 033 ab |9. 22Â ±0. 108 b |2. 62Â ±0. 027 b |30. 1Â ±1. 266 bc | |5. 0 |14. 0Â ±0. 58 b |1. 5Â ±0. 058 a |8. 38Â ±0. 390 c |2. 39Â ±0. 106 c |28. 5Â ±0. 203 c |. Means having the same letter in the same column are significantly differed at P < 0. 05. The GRC supplementation in the present study significantly affected the whole-fish body constituents except moisture content, which did not vary significantly (P > 0. 05; Table 3). The protein content decreased significantly, meanwhile lipid and ash contents increased significantly by increasing GRC levels. The lowest protein (15. 1%), the highest lipids (9. 7%) and the highest ash (3. 8%) contents were obtained at 5. 0 GRC/kg diets. In addition, fish fed the control diet exhibited the highest protein (61.4%) and the lowest lipid (25. 5%) contents (Table 3). Table 3. Proximate composition of whole-body (%; on fresh weight basis) of Nile tilapia fed different levels of ground roasted coffee (GRC) for 10 weeks. | GRC levels |Moisture |Crude protein |Total lipid |Total ash | |(g/kg diet) | | | | | |0. 0 |72. 3Â ±0. 31 |17. 2Â ±0. 29 a |7. 1Â ±0. 03 c |3. 2Â ±0. 09 b | |0. 5 |71. 8Â ±0. 28 |16. 9Â ±0. 17 a |7. 7Â ±0. 19 bc |3. 2Â ±0. 07 b | |1. 0 |72. 0Â ±0. 27 |16. 4Â ±0. 18 a |8. 0Â ±0. 16 b |3. 3Â ±0. 13 b | |2. 0 |72. 1Â ±0. 87 |16. 5Â ±0. 53 a |8. 1Â ±0. 26 b |3. 2Â ±0. 17 b | |5. 0 |71. 7Â ±0. 41 |15. 1Â ±0. 30 b |9. 7Â ±0. 15 a |3. 8Â ±0. 21 a | Means having the same letter in the same column are significantly differed at P < 0. 05. The biochemical variables were significantly affected by GRC supplementation (P < 0. 05; Tables 4 and 5). The inclusion of 0. 5 – 5. 0 g/kg diet of dietary GRC resulted in significant decreases in glucose, plasma protein and plasma lipids, whereas the highest values of above parameters were obtained with fish fed the control diet (Table 4). Contrarily, AST, ALT, and creatinine values increased significantly with increasing GRC levels and the highest values of these parameters were obtained with fish fed 5. 0 g GRC/kg (Table 5). Fish fed on the control diets exhibited the lowest values. Table 4. Changes in glucose, plasma protein, and plasma lipids in Nile tilapia fed different levels of ground roasted coffee (GRC) for 10 weeks. |GRC levels |Glucose (mg/dL) |Protein (g/dL) |Lipids (g/dL) | |(g/kg diet) | | | | |0. 0 |67. 53Â ±1. 362 a |1. 77Â ±0. 057 a |2. 69Â ±0. 167 a | |0. 5 |55. 23Â ±1. 468 b |1. 63Â ±0. 064 b |1. 61Â ±0. 067 b | |1. 0 |55. 42Â ±2. 669 b |1. 60Â ±0. 061 b |1. 57Â ±0. 083 b | |2. 0 |52. 63Â ±4. 435 b |1. 51Â ±0. 021 b |1. 53Â ±0. 035 b | |5. 0 |50. 23Â ±1. 386 b |1. 37Â ±0. 056 c |1. 42Â ±0. 059 c |. Means having the same letter in the same column are significantly differed at P < 0. 05. Table 5. Changes in AST, ALT, and creatinine in plasma of Nile tilapia fed different levels of ground roasted coffee (GRC) for 10 weeks. |GRC levels |AST (mg/dL) |ALT (mg/dL) |Creatinine (mg/dL) | |(g/kg diet) | | | | |0. 0 |52. 57Â ±2. 919 d |22. 60Â ±2. 023 d |0. 252Â ±0. 0147 d | |0. 5 |63. 60Â ±2. 386 c |37. 23Â ±3. 187 c |0. 328Â ±0. 0117 c | |1. 0 |76. 90Â ±2. 312 b |45. 20Â ±4. 046 bc |0. 386Â ±0. 0684 b | |2. 0 |80. 13Â ±2. 440 b |48. 46Â ±5. 017 b |0. 393Â ±0. 0392 b | |5. 0 |97. 10Â ±5. 103 a |59. 30Â ±1. 350 a |0. 467Â ±0. 0304 a |. Means having the same letter in the same column are significantly differed at P < 0. 05. DISCUSSION The present study showed that GRC adversely affected Nile tilapia growth at a concentration higher than 1. 0 g/kg diet. These results are in concomitant with Fagbenro and Arowosoge (1991), Moreau et al. (2003), and Ulloa and Verreth (2003) who found adverse effects of coffee-containing diets on fish growth. Similarly, Chatzifotis et al. (2008) reported that sea bream, Sparus aurata did not accept the caffeine-containing diet at a 10 g/kg dose but at doses at or lower to 5 g/kg caffeine appeared not to have a deterrent effect. They also stated that the negative effect of caffeine on sea bream growth can be traced in its increased FCR. Throughout the feeding period the fish in all experimental groups were in good health and dose-related mortalities were not observed, indicating that Nile tilapia can tolerate GRC levels (up to 5 g/kg diet) albeit with reduced growth rate and increased feed conversion ratio. It is worth mentioning that 2 – 5 g GRC/kg diet caused a significant decrease in feed consumption and a significant increase in FCR. These results suggested that GRC did influence the diet palatability, implying that the growth retardation at 2 – 5 g GRC/kg diet may be due to the low diet utilization. It has been inferred that caffeine in GRC, together with polyphenols and tannins can deter feed consumption in fish (Ulloa and Verreth, 2003); possibly because of its bitter taste usually perceived by animals (Mazzafera, 2002; Frank et al. , 2004). Furthermore, Kasumyan and Doving (2003) reported that caffeine inhibited the feeding behavior of turbot, Psetta maxima. The proximate composition of whole-fish body was significantly affected by GRC inclusion (Table 3). However, protein content decreased, meanwhile lipids contents decreased by increasing GRC levels. These results disagree with Kobayashi-Hattori et al. (2005) who reported that caffeine induced lipolysis and thereby reduce the body fat mass and body fat percentage in Sprague–Dawley rats fed on a high fat diet. Chatzifotis et al. (2008) found that caffeine cannot reduce the lipid content of white muscle and liver in heterotherm sea bream when reared in low winter temperatures. These changes in protein and lipid contents in fish body herein could be linked with changes in their synthesis and/or deposition rate in fish body (Abdel-Tawwab et al. , 2006). Glucose, serum protein, and serum lipids decreased significantly, meanwhile AST, ALT, and creatinine increased significantly in fish fed 5. 0 g GRC/kg diet. In this regard, Gagne et al. (2006) stated that in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, long-term exposure to caffeine could lead to lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, caffeine is an inhibitor of glycogen phosphorylase in the mantle tissue of mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis; Serrano et al., 1995) and of lactate dehydrogenase in the muscle of rabbit (Gardiner and Whiteley, 1985). The increase in AST and ALT activities is an indicative to liver dysfunction and the increase in creatinine is an indicative to kidney dysfunction. These results suggest that GRC may contain compounds that caused some kind of stress on fish affecting these biochemical variables. Corradetti et al. (1986) found a chronic-caffeine effect on rats. These results indicate that GRC supplement is not a promising growth stimulant for Nile tilapia and in some cases GRC should not exceed 1. 0%. Further work is needed to explore the role of GRC in enhancing antioxidant activity and/or the anti-toxicity effect against water pollutants Acknowledgment The author would like to thank Mohamed N. Monier and Nahla E. M. Ismael, Central Laboratory for Aquaculture Research (CLAR), Abbassa, Abo-Hammad, Sharqia, Egypt, for their assistance during the running of this study, and Sherien H. Shady, CLAR for doing the physiological assay. REFERENCES Abdel-Tawwab, M. , M. H. Ahmad, S. F. M. Sakr, and M. E. A. Seden. 2010. Use of green tea, Camellia sinensis L. in practical diet for growth and protection of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.) against Aeromonas hydrophila infection. J. World Aquacult. Soc. , 41: 203-213. Abdel-Tawwab, M. , Y. A. E. Khattab, M. H. Ahmad, and A. M. E. 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