Aloe Vera as Paper Glue Essay

Abstract This research work is about creating a new invention out of Aloe Vera. Thereare hundreds of products made from this plant but we have to think of a unique one thatcan be useful in our everyday lives. We decided to make an â€Å"Aloe Vera Paper Glue† thatis combined with additives that have a sticky effect to come up with our desired product.This discovery is eco-friendly because it doesn’t contain harmful chemicals thatwill have negative results or side effects. Aloe Vera is extracted and blended withunprocessed, natural substances unlike any other paper glues which contain chemicalsthat can affect the sensitivity of a person using it.Can we make paper glue out of Aloe Vera extract? It is a question than was givenan answer on this research. We successfully made this work valid by giving explanationsto queries and discussing the uses of Aloe Vera plant, methods used and many other things that require thinking, experimenting and analysis.Because of the substances found within the plant, we were able to make a fineglue out of it. With the help of resources like internet, encyclopedia and old highschoollectures, we searched for substances, mixtures and ingredients that can help improve thestickiness of our product.People should embrace the birth of this newly-discovered product because of itseffectiveness and cheapness. Aside from that, it has no effects in the environment, it isdifferent, and it helps support the use of Aloe Vera plant in the industry Introduction Aloe Vera as the Main Component of the Product Aloe Vera has been widely used today in the form of lotions, soaps, astringents,ointments and other kinds of products. In this study, we will use Aloe Vera to create asticky and fine paper glue that can be used at home and school. This study leads to theenrichment of Aloe Vera and discovery of a product that will replace the kinds of gluecurrently available in the market.Aloe Vera, the main component of the product holds the scientific name,Aloe barbadensis miller liquid. It is an herb, which is known mainly for its cosmeticfunctions. However, this plant is also rich in substances that aid in several illnesses andailments. The aloe Vera plant has been found to have great contributions to health, bothinternally and externally. Research studies have shown that it has properties comprisingof inhibitory, anti-inflammatory, regenerative, and anti-bacterial functions.Preparations made with Aloe Vera as the primary ingredient have been effectivein reducing pain and allergies. In the same way, some of its properties are responsible for cell regeneration that causes close cuts and hemorrhages to heal easily and more rapidly.Its purgative properties, brought about by the existence of six antiseptic agent substancesin the plant (that is, cinnamic acid, lupeol, sulphur, salicylic acid, phenol and ureanitrogen), make it ideal in eradicating parasites, harmful bacteria, and fungi in theintestinal tracts. Sabila can be used externally for the treatment of acne, pimple burns,insect bites, and for moisturizing and hydrating the skin.There’s a reason Aloe Vera is trusted in products you see every day and thatreason dates back thousands of years. Aloe Vera is being used by human being for morethan 5000 years now. The earliest civilizations revered this extraordinary botanical for itsastonishing properties. Aloe Vera uses are legendary and this information has beenpassed down through time, enhanced by scientific innovation and centuries of experience. Research Objectives and HypothesesOBJECTIVES This study aims to create a cheaper and more effective type of paper glue from theleaves of Aloe Vera that is processed in a natural way and mixed with natural substancesthat can contribute to the stickiness of the product.It also aims to show the utilization of Aloe Vera not only in medicinal andcosmetic purposes but for school use as well. HYPOTHESESNull Hypothesis: Aloe Vera, when extracted, will not form a gel-like substance called â€Å"drug-aloe†which gives the stickiness of the glue made out of Aloe Vera. Alternative Hypothesis: Aloe Vera, when extracted, will form a gel-like substance called â€Å"drug-aloe†which gives the stickiness of the glue made out of Aloe Vera. Literature ReviewHistory of Aloe Vera Plant Aloe Vera is a species of Aloe, native to Northern Africa. It is a stem less or veryshort-stemmed succulent plant growing to 80-100 cm-tall, spreading by offsets and rootsprouts. The leaves are lanceolate, thick and fleshy, green to grey-green, with a serratedmargin. The flowers are produced on a spike up to 90 cm tall, each flower pendulous,with a yellow tubular corolla 2 to 3 cm long.Many ancient works, including the Bible, refer to the use of aloe. One of the firstdocumented users of aloe vera was Cleopatra, who lived from 68 to 30 B.C. She is said tohave used the gel on her skin as protection from the sun, and to have thought the gelhelped to keep her skin young-looking. In fact, the Egyptians may have used aloe vera intheir embalming of bodies, among other uses. For over 3,500 years, tales of â€Å"healing Aloe Vera† plants have been handed downthrough centuries by word of mouth. From the Bible’s mention of removing Christ fromthe cross and wrapping his body in aloes and myrrh, (John 19:39), we find Aloe Veramysteriously appearing in every phase of history, with many testimonials to its greatmedicinal values. The earliest documented use of Aloe Vera comes from the ancientEgyptians, but it was also grown and used by King Solomon, who was said to havevalued it highly.Alexander the Great conquered the island of Socotra in order to have the Aloe for his army. During his fabled travels in the Orient, among the many marvels recorded byMarco Polo were his descriptions of the many applications of the Aloe Vera plant. TheSpanish Conquistadors discovered various herbal medicines in use in Tenochtitlà ¡n.At the heart of many of the Aztec cures, it is known that Aloe Vera was theeffective agent. These Aztec herbal medicines were transported back to Europe by theSpanish, during the sixteenth century, where they became the foundation for modernWestern medicine. Aloe Vera has been found described in writings in many differentcultures and as far bask as the Greek, Egyptians, and Roman Eras. References have alsobeen found in writings from the Indian and Chinese Early cultures. Uses of Aloe Vera Aloe Vera plants are readily available and some people keep a potted plant in thekitchen. A leaf spike may be cut open and the gel applied directly to a cut or burn. For other uses, particularly for internal use, commercial gels and juices, which are processedunder strict controls, can be found at most health food stores as well as manysupermarkets.Animal studies and anecdotal reports claim that drinking Aloe Vera juice or taking it as a tablet or capsule can reduce swelling and inflammation in arthritic joints.Drinking Aloe vera juice may also help those asthmatic patients who are not dependenton cortico-steroids. In 1997, University of San Antonio researcher Jeremiah Herlihy,Ph.D., conducted a study to observe any negative effects of drinking Aloe daily. Rather than exhibiting negative effects, however, test animals receiving daily Aloe showed aremarkable reduction in leukemia, heart disease, and kidney disease.Dr. Herlihy concluded, â€Å"We found no indication of harm done to the rats even athigh levels.† In fact, the Aloe-drinking animals actually lived 25 percent longer thanthose in the control group (IASC Conference, Texas, 1997) Adopting aloe products intoour daily nutrition habits is a great way to improve by a natural way, our health, our body’s regeneration and our beautiful appearance. At the same time we acquire balance of the mind and body and overall wellness. When we feel good, healthy, beautiful and overall regenerated –a healthy mind inhealthy body–, we avoid frequent visits to the doctor and acquire positive energy. Our external appearance and image is improved. And all this is apparent in all looks. Theunique and beneficial for our health, components of aloe show that this natural dietarysupplement is essential in our nutrition.It is noteworthy, that so many different products in various categories nowcontain aloe. And there is no wonder why food – health and wellness industries, consider products from aloe as the key to their up growth in the decade 2010 to 2020. Dailynutrition habits, which includealoe Vera juice, bee productsand other natural nutritional supplements, contribute greatly to how healthy we appear, feel and think. Composition of Aloe Vera Plant The active substances of Aloe Vera are found in the leaves whichare composed of the rind, juice and a gel-like substance, the pulp. The active substancesare polysaccharides, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, yellow sap (Aloin, or anthraquinones) and Barbaloins (a glycoside), etc. The pulp of Aloe Vera is composed of 96% water and 4% polysaccharides and other substances.The plant contains many vitamins, excluding vitamin D but including theimportant antioxidant vitamins A, C and F. Vitamins B (thiamine), niacin, vitaminB 2 (riboflavin), choline and folic acid are also present. Some authorities suggest that thereis also a trace of vitamin B 12 (Coats1979). Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium,manganese, copper, zinc, chromium and iron are all found in the aloe plant. Magnesiumlactate inhibits histidine decarboxylase and prevents the formation of histamine from theamino acid, histadine (Shelton 1991). Histamine is released in many allergic reactionsand causes intense itching and pain. The prevention of its formation may explain theantipuritic effect of Aloe Vera.Sugars are derived from the mucilage layer of the plant under the rind,surrounding the inner parenchyma or gel. They form 25 per cent of the solid fraction andcompriseboth mono- and polysaccharides. By far the most important are the long chainpolysaccharides, comprising glucose and mannose, known as the gluco-mannans (Beta -(1, 4) – linked acetylated mannan). Unlike other sugars which are broken down prior toabsorption, the polysaccharides are absorbed complete and appear in the blood streamunchanged. Here, they act as immuno-modulators  capable of enhancing and retardingthe immune response.. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Aloe vera gel provides 20 of the22 necessary amino acids required by the human body and seven of the eight essentialamino acids which the body cannot synthesise. These must be ingested in food. Sallycylicacid is an aspirin-like compound possessing anti-inflammatory and antibacterialproperties. Topically, it has a kerolytic effect which helps to debride a wound of necrotictissue. Plants have sterols which include Campesterol, f3 Sitosterol and Lupeol (Coats1979). Saponins are soapy substances form 3 per cent of the gel and are generalcleansers, having antiseptic properties (Hirat and Suga 1983). It could be said that itworks because the Aloe Vera plant produces at least 6 antiseptic agents: Lupeol, salicylicacid, urea nitrogen, cinnamonic acid, phenols, and sulphur.All of these substances are recognized as antiseptics because they kill or controlmold, bacteria, fungus, and viruses, explaining why the plant has the ability to eliminatemany internal and external infections. The Lupeol and salicylic acid in the juice explainswhy it is a very effective pain-killer.Next, it could be said that Aloe Vera contains at least three anti-inflammatoryfatty acids, cholesterol, campersterol and B-sitosterol (plant sterols) which explains whyit is a highly effective treatment for burns, cuts, scrapes, abrasions, allergic reactions,rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic fever, acid indigestion, ulcers, plus many inflammatoryconditions of the digestive system and other internal organs, including the stomach, smallintestine, colon, liver, kidney, and pancreas.B-sitosterol is also a powerful anti-cholestromatic which helps to lower harmfulcholesterol levels, helping to explain its many benefits for heart patents.If we add that Aloe contains at least 23 polypeptids (immune stimulators),then we understand why Aloe juice helps control a broad spectrum of immune systemdiseases and disorders, including HIV and AIDS. The polypeptids, plus the anti-tumor agents Aloe emodin and Aloe le ctins, explains its ability to control cancer . Observations and Justification of Research Work In our findings, Treatment A and C are much better than treatment B because itresulted in a sticky glue. The concentration of vinegar affected the low effectiveness of the glue used in Treatment B and the even distribution of substances used in Treatment Aaffected the high effectiveness of glue. The concentration of Aloe Vera glue affected theslight effectiveness of the glue used in Treatment C.Can we make paper glue out of Aloe Vera extract? It is the research problem thatneeds to be solved in this report. Based on the methods performed, the amount of AloeVera gel used should be measured and tested in different trials and treatments in order tomake the research work valid.The research design supports the alternative hypothesis presented in a tablebecause of testing the amount of Aloe Vera gel used to achieve the usefulness of thedesired paper glue. It was tested in an accurate and precise manner because of carefulanalysis and experimenting.The findings were successful and evidence was stated in the previous pages so wedon’t have to test again. The experiment was created in a step-by-step manner and testedin different levels of concentration and mixtures. Conclusion Based on the experiments performed and results obtained, Aloe Vera, whenextracted will form a gel-like substance called â€Å"drug-aloe† that is used in order to achievethe effectiveness and stickiness of the paper glue. During the research experiment, threetreatments were tested with different levels of substances used including the maincomponent, the Aloe Vera gel. Among the treatments (A, B, C), Treatment A, was thestickiest and most effective. Treatment A contains 20 % of Aloe Vera gel, 20 % of water,20% of baking soda, 20% of vinegar and 20% of powdered milk combined to form the100% concentration of the glue.The factors which affected the efficiency of the paper glue are the evendistribution of substances and the careful use of materials and methods involved in theglue making. During the process, we gathered information and listed every essential datato have good findings and results.Aloe Vera, the main component of the product was proven to be a useful kind of plant not only in terms of medicinal and beauty products but in making a paper glue aswell References David R. Caprette (caprette@rice.edu), Rice University 25 Aug Boudreau MD, Beland FA (April 2006). â€Å"An evaluation of the biological andtoxicological properties of Aloe barbadensis (miller), Aloe Vera†. Journal of environmental science and health. Part C, Environmental carcinogenesis & ecotoxicologyreviews 24(1): 103–54.Vogler BK, Ernst E (October 1999).†Aloe Vera: a systematic review of its clinicaleffectiveness†. The British journal of general practice: The Journal of the Royal Collegeof General Practitioners 49Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 6(13). Retrieved February 6, 2011 fromhttp://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=6&n=13Basic Steps in the Research Process, Retrieved fromhttp://www.crlsresearchguide.org/How to Write an A+ Research Paper, Retrieved from http://www.aresearchguide.com/1steps.html

Human Computer Interaction and User Interface Design Essay

The two interfaces chosen for this project are two book selling sites – LinkedIn. com and Orkut. com. The two websites are social networking sites. While Orkut. com brings together friends and is more personal in nature, LinkedIn. com is more professional. Social networking sites being highly popular, I chose to select these interfaces for comparison. LinkedIn has over 40 million professionals using it to: †¢ â€Å"Exchange information, ideas and opportunities† †¢ Connect or re-connect with and stay informed about their contacts and industry †¢ Find inside connections to find a new job or business opportunity †¢ Find the people and knowledge required †¢ Have a controlled online professional identity Orkut, on the other hand, lets you connect with people you already know in your personal life (friends and family) while at the same time allowing you to make new friends through friends of friends and communities. It allows sharing of videos, pictures as well as your passions with friends and communities. 2. Norman’s principles for good design Norman has suggested the following principles to ensure that a website has a good design: †¢ Visibility–The designer should ensure that the state of the possible actions can be easily understood by the user. †¢ Conceptual model–All operations should be consistent in nature and the user should be able to easily understand how the site works and what options are available to the user. †¢ Mappings–The user should be able to easily map actions with their results such as between controls and possible actions that can be taken on a control or between the system state and visible indicators like change of color or image. †¢ Feedback–Users should continuously get feedback on the results of their actions helping them understand whether they have taken the right step or not. 3. User Interface overview 3. 1. LinkedIn LinkedIn requires your name and email address to open an account post which you need to provide your current employment details. These two pages are simple, similar to the Google search page look. Once the registration is completed, LinkedIn takes you to your LinkedIn page. The homepage is divided into two sections – the top section that consists of main links to search people, jobs, answers and companies with comparatively big bold letters and is separated from the bottom section by a blue line. On the right corner, quick links to the account and its settings, help language and the option to sign out are available. The top section has blue font with a white background all through. This section also consists of a search option to search people, job, companies, etc. using a drop down box. The search option automatically changes to reflect the section it is in i. e. it says â€Å"Search People† when in the Contacts page and â€Å"Search Groups† when in the Groups page. The bottom section has a grey background and is divided into three parts. Each section individually has a white background and the sections are floating in the grey background. The bottom section represents the main work area consisting of the details regarding the user profile, contacts and groups. The left hand side frame provides options personal to the user which includes viewing various lists such as groups joined, profile, contacts, inbox, and applications that help improve user experience with LinkedIn. These links are provided with images as well. These links further provide links to options available such as My Groups, Groups Directory and Create a Group for the Groups menu. The submenus are not visible but can be seen on clicking the menu item or clicking on the + symbol on the right side. The submenus can be collapsed by clicking the – symbol that now appears instead of the + symbol. The link for the current page is highlighted with a blue background. In Home page, the words Home have a blue background unlike the others with white background. At the end of the menu, there is a button to add new connections. The button is of green color and attracts the attention towards it. Below this section is another small section that is an assessment of profile completeness along with a photo and name. The profile completeness is expressed in words as well as a status bar is shown that reflects the actual status. The name draws the attention with its bold font along with the status bar. The right side section consists of several modules – the main module being the â€Å"Build your network† in a green colored box that provides different options to find your contacts. The options include searching using web email contacts, address book contacts, or using email addresses. For web email contacts, again several options are provided as radio buttons. Since each of these options require different inputs, selecting one shows a box with an arrow pointing towards the option selected and the inputs required are within this box. All buttons on the page have a light orange color which changes to blue on moving the mouse over it. All links within this module also have an icon associated with it. In the extreme right, there are several modules one below the other starting with ads by LinkedIn Members. The remaining modules include featured application on LinkedIn, Reading List by Amazon, Events, Answers and Jobs. The headings in these modules are in white color on blue background. Text within these modules is in black color whereas links have blue color. Important words like subheadings, Member names, event names, etc. are appropriate made bold to highlight them. The events are represented with the date put in a box with grey background and the month above it in smaller font with orange background. Each module heading also consists of an edit link and an ‘X’ to remove the module. At the end of these modules is the option to add other applications as required. Here again a plus symbol is used to indicate the adding of a new application. The arrow at the end can be clicked to show a list of applications available to be added but the arrow is too small and can be easily missed. These modules can be customized as required, adding, editing or moving them around to suit an individual’s preferences and needs. At the bottom, there is a tip available in a box. More tips can be seen with the help of arrows. Here arrows that are commonly used to move to next or previous tip are used. Clicking on Profile or Edit My Profile or + symbol next to Profile brings one to the Edit My Profile page. The Profile text in the menu now has a blue background indicating the current page. The centre module that consisted of Build your Network is now replaced with the profile details with a heading Profile in navy blue background and two tabs – Edit My Profile and View My Profile. The current tab is in white background whereas the inactive tabs are in grey background with text in blue. The module background is now blue with different subsections in white background. At the top the main details about the user is provided i. e. name, current position and company, location and industry. The last two details are shown in grey color. The links are maintained in blue color, headings and subheadings in bold blue and a + symbol to indicate adding detail in any subsection. An Edit link within square brackets follows all text that can be edited. On the extreme right, a profile completeness status bar is shown but also lists tips on how one could complete the profile along with how much percentage difference it makes to the profile completeness status bar. This module is very helpful, especially for someone new to social networking sites. Clicking on View My Profile tab shows the profile with the same details except that there are no Edit links or + symbols to add further details. The status bar is not seen in this view. Clicking on Contacts section leads to three tabbed page – Connections, Imported Contacts and Network Statistics. The connections are shown listed alphabetically. On the left side, the alphabets are listed and can be clicked to jump to the connections with names starting with that alphabet. Brief details about each connection is provided including email, current position and company and also includes a circle that indicates the number of connections that person has, indicating the network you could be having. The Groups link leads you to the Groups page with four tabs – My Groups, Following, Groups Directory and Create a Group. The list of Groups is presented in a clean manner with an icon representing the group, quick links to discussions, news, updates, members, settings, etc. At the bottom of the list, there is an option to change the order of the groups and how many groups can be displayed at any one time. The order can be changed by writing the numbers or using arrows. On the right side of the list, two blue-colored boxes provide you information on Groups Directory along with a button to find a group as well as option to create your own group. The buttons change color when a mouse moves over. While there are many more functionalities available, the user interface remains the same: 1. Blue color for all links 2. Bold for all headings and subheadings 3. Icons/images to represent major menus or data 4. Tabs for sub menu information 5. Links provided to ease selection 6. Provision to add, remove, edit, or move extra modules around to ease access and utility. 7. Feedback to the user in terms of background color change for links and button color change for buttons 3. 2. Orkut To log into Orkut, one needs to have a Google Account. The page for creating Google Account is simple – a form with a blue border requesting for information like name, email and password with a line marking the end of this subsection. The next subsection begins with a word verification and terms of services provided in a blue scrollable box with grey background. The button for accepting the terms is simple and consists of full text â€Å"I accept. Create my account. † rather than simply saying â€Å"Accept† which makes it clear for new-to-internet users. The login page is simple with two main sections – the top section consisting of all the details and the empty bottom section with bluish grey background. The major left part of the top section consists of orkut selling points with magenta color highlighting the main words. The empty white space surrounding the text gives it a simple, non-cluttered and pleasing look. The top menu bar in dark blue color remains accessible across all pages. Below this is a section with various modules in white background floating in a light blue background. On the extreme left is the menu starting with photo, name, status and other details of the user. Below it is the menu leading to various pages such as profile, scrapbook, etc. Each of these menu items also have an associated icon that is easy to relate to the name of the menu. This is followed by Apps and other menu items. The profile, menus, apps and other menus are separated by a blue line. All text is also in blue. It is noteworthy that all the menu names are in lower caps. Below this module, there is a module to invite friends using their email address or more. All through the page, all links are in blue and when a mouse moves over a link, there is no change in background color or image except an underline below the text. Friend suggestions is another good option since it not only provides you potential friend list, but also shows photos so that one can confirm if he/she is the same person one knows. It also provides quick links to view the profile or add as a friend. An X at the top of the photo can be used to remove it from the list quickly and arrows can be used to navigate through the list. The arrows change to light grey color when one can’t go further on either side. Below this is Updates from my friends section that provides a list of updates on the friend profile. On the extreme right is the â€Å"my friends† section with a count of total friends. It lists around 9 friends along with their photos and there is a link to view all friends, manage them, or find more friends. It also allows for searching friends. To meet the space crunch issue, the text box for searching itself has the caption rather than placing it outside. On clicking inside the text box, the caption clears and the user can add their text to search. Once the profile is filled up and many friends added, the home page can seem cluttered with a lot of information. This is followed by advertisement which is followed by â€Å"my communities†. The layout of this is similar to â€Å"my friends†. Clicking the profile link shows the profile details. Three tabs – social, professional, and personal are provided to add details about different areas of the user. The social tab is further divided into sections separated by a broad white area which also consists of an edit button. Alternate coloring pattern is used to make it easy to read each line and each detail of the profile. â€Å"My scrapbook† page provides all scraps from friends. By default, one can view 10 scraps on one page but a drop down box provides other options as well. Navigation links to move to first, last, next and previous pages are also provided as links. Each scrap is in its own blue box with photo of friend provided along with friend’s name and message. Options to reply and delete the message are also available. Once a conversation has been done through more than one response exchanged, there is a new link â€Å"View this conversation†. Clicking this link grays out the page and opens a new box consisting of the conversation details along with provision to delete. Again, the background is white with each scrap in a light blue colored box. To close the conversation box, an image with an X is provided as well as a close link. A new scrap can be typed in easily through a text box. Again there is no title or caption for the box but the same is seen as content in grey color within the text box. The scrap can also be written in different languages which can be conveniently chosen from the drop down list. Adding a community and managing it is similar in working to adding and managing friends in Orkut. 4. User survey 4. 1. Task description The users are required to do the following: 1. Register themselves 2. Sign In 3. Enter their profile details 4. Search for a friend/professional known to them 5. Add to friend list 6. Search for a community 7. Add themselves to that community 8. Sign out 4. 2. Success criteria The user should be able to create a profile, add contact(s) and join a community/group. 4. 3. User Profile User 1 is an active internet user and has prior online social networking experience. User 2 is new to computers and internet, this being amongst his first experience with social networking. User 3 uses internet mostly for surfing and finding information and has not been a member of any social networking site yet although understands the common functionalities of such websites such as registering, logging in to the site, searching, etc. 4. 4. User experience Due to his prior experience using social networking sites, user 1 had no problem registering for either of them, adding contacts, searching and registering for a group. User 1 found both sites equally easy to register, add contacts and join community; however, he was impressed by the ability to add, remove, edit and move modules in LinkedIn and was looking for similar options in Orkut. Also, searching friends in Orkut listed several names and finding the right one was difficult. While user 2 was able to create the profile and add contacts, the user sometimes felt lost in Orkut once the contacts were added and found it difficult to get back to home page. User 2 also found it difficult to easily search the friend and wished there was an easy way like LinkedIn. User 3 was also able to register easily, add contacts and join communities/groups. User 3 was not concerned about the difficulties in searching friends or professionals and looked at this as an opportunity to make new friends. 5. Suggestions Once a user becomes an active user or has many friends/professional contacts, the information shown on home page can be too much. Suggestion is to show the information partly and provide a link to further information or simply provide links to go to information. By making certain information like school or college details mandatory, orkut can help ease the search process that currently requires searching a friend from a list of hundreds with the same name.

English as a Second Language Essay

The United States has long been viewed as the Land of Opportunity for many decades. Despite the numerous challenges that the country had to face within the recent years, this image of the United States has not wavered. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world continue to flock to the United States to try their luck, and to provide their children a brighter future than what they could ever have in their respective countries of origin. The continuous stream of immigrants into the country, and the fact that most of these immigrants come from countries where English is not the national language, it is no longer difficult to come across an individual in the streets who either speaks no English or has a limited mastery of the language. This is despite the fact that there has now been a rise in the number of countries that have now started programs to help train the younger generations, and even adults, to become fluent and adept to speaking, reading and writing in the English language. In many states in the country, particularly those located along the U. S. – Mexico border, the number of individuals who are unable to speak, read, write English fluently outnumber those that do (Carreira 2000; Lipski 2004; U. S. English Foundation 2005). As a result, the U. S. government has taken measures to establish a set of guidelines and standards for faculty teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) in schools within the United States, especially in public school systems situated in areas within the U. S. – Mexico border such as South Texas. This paper aims to present and evaluate the standards that have been applied in the country with regards to the teaching of ESL in schools in the United States. The paper would also present the ideal classroom setting, standards and method of teaching of ESL in school facilities in the country. These ideal standards would then be compared to the current standards and methods that is observable in ESL teaching facilities in the country. Based on the discrepancies, recommendations would then be provided at the end of the paper in order to ensure that the ideal standards are realized. The Academic Achievement Gap Issue In order to understand the importance of the evaluation of the standards and method of teaching ESL in classrooms implemented by the U. S. government, a background on the different events that have led to the creation and implementation of these standards should first be provided. The population of students enrolling in school systems around the country has been dramatically changing since the 1990s. Because of the rise of the number of immigrants relocating in the United States, the ethnic backgrounds and origins of these students have become more diverse such that the ratio of the number of native English speakers in classrooms against non-English speakers is 1:10 (Short 2000). The diversification of the students in terms of their ethnic backgrounds has resulted to an observable division between English-speaking and non-English-speaking students, particularly when it comes to the level of their performance in academics. Research studies have shown that non-native English-speaking students constantly struggle in achieving the same academic performance and standing as compared to their native English-speaking peers, which has come to be known as the Academic Achievement Gap. Based on the studies conducted in reference to determining the factors which has resulted to the presence of this gap between students in school systems of all year levels, researchers have determined that the primary factor for the presence of this gap is due to the lack of proficiency of the English language on the part of the non-native English-speaking students (Jia, Eslami & Burlbaw 2006; Lavin-Loucks 2006; Rumberger & Anguiano 2003). The Implementation of ESL Standards Since its discovery, the U. S. government has made addressing the Academic Achievement Gap one of its major concerns. This has then resulted to the passing of the Educate America Act in order to cater to the needs of non-native English-speaking students to increase the standards of their academic performance within the classroom. As a result of the passing of this act, the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL) developed a set of guidelines to serve as standards which would be implemented within the classroom setting (Short 2000). Altogether, there are nine ESL guidelines that have been established by TESOL to be implemented in academic institutions throughout the country. These guidelines were created in order to meet three specific objectives. The first of these three objectives is to provide non-native English-speaking students the ability to communicate within their social settings. Because of their limited mastery of the English language, non-native English-speaking students become withdrawn and non-participative in classroom discussions. Through the ESL standards established by TESOL, these students would be able to develop speech act behaviors which would, in turn, allow them to participate more during class discussions, comprehend the subject matter being discussed by the instructor and be able to convey themselves during social settings (Hafemik, Messerchmitt & Vandrick 2002; Short 2000). The second objective is to allow non-native English-speaking students the ability to achieve and excel within the academic institution. Regardless of the ethnic background of the students being handled, the expectations held by instructors to their students remain the same. By being able to provide the needs of non-native English-speaking students, they would be able to meet these expectations which include the completion of assignments through both written and oral methods (Hafemik, Messerschmitt & Vandrick 2002). The third objective TESOL aims to achieve through the implementation of ESL standards in academic institutions in the United States is to provide non-native English-speaking students the ability to use the English language in a manner that would be considered by their native English-speaking peers as socially and culturally correct. While it is true that a number of immigrants relocating in the United States have some form of mastery of written and oral English, the manner as to how the language is used by such immigrants may be considered by native English-speaking individuals to be rude and unacceptable. As such, the guidelines established by TESOL aims to correct the misuse of the English language in this manner by guiding non-native English-speaking students not just in becoming fluent and adept to the English language. The guidelines and standards would also aid in the teaching of the proper means of communicating using the English language such that their native English-speaking peers would regard as proper and appropriate (Short 2000).

FINANCIAL RATIO ANALYSIS OF TESCO PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

FINANCIAL RATIO ANALYSIS OF TESCO PLC - Essay Example In UK, Tesco is the largest retailer and in UK, it serves about 66% of the retailer market and occupies about 33% of the selling space. Jack marketed his own brand tea as Tesco tea as early as 1924 and he opened the first Tesco store in North London in 1929. The first ever modern food warehouse was established in UK by Jack Cohen in 1934. Jack expanded his business by buying stores in London suburbs in 1937. In 1947, the Tesco Stores (Holdings) was registered in London Stock Exchange with a share price of as low as 25 pence with today’s price of  £318. Headquartered at Cheshunt, UK, today, Tesco is engaged in retail grocery operations through 5000 retail stores both in UK and around the world. In 2012, Tesco’s turnover is  £ 72 billion, its revenue is  £ 42.8 bn and its UK revenue is  £2.5bn. Tesco stores offers groceries, food items, electrical and electronic products, apparels, general merchandisers and also engaged in insurance and financial services , retail banking , distribution , data analysis and property operations . â€Å"The Form and Content of Annual Report† Tesco Plc form of the annual report for the year 2012 is easily accessible and can be downloaded from their websites. It facilitates the researchers to look for general and exhaustive info about the company. The annual report is well structured and designed and includes 158 pages .It starts with the financial indicators for the year 2012. It commences with the Chairman’s statement, CEO’s review, directors report on corporate governance, Director’s remuneration report, and auditor’s report. For arriving at revenue prior tax from continuing business operations, the company employed IAS 32 and IAS 39 fair value remeasurements of financial instruments, IAS 17 for impacts annual increase in rents in leases transactions, IAS 19 for charge for pension for employee benefits, IFRS for amortisation charges for business combinations and IFRIC 13 for fair value of customer loyalty schemes. (Tesco’s Annual Report 2012:89). Auditors from PricewaterhouseCoopers LL P confirm that the financial statements are prepared in tune with applicable laws of United Kingdom and as per International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as espoused by the European Union. The consolidated statements are also formed in accordance with the Article 4 of the IAS Regulation and Companies Act 2006. Besides, there are 35 notes to the financial statements in the annual report that elaborates all financial indicators in the statements. The annual report continues with the Tesco PLC parent company financial statements, and then with the short financial narration that covers the last five years. The annual report last page is devoted to shareholders. In their section, shareholders may get exhaustive information about annual meetings, financial calendar, dividends, record date, interim financial announcement date, interim management statement and so on. An Analysis of Financial Position, Performance and Prospects of the Company Financial ratios will trounce absolute va lue distortions and help to evaluate the company’s performance and hence ratios are very popular tools in the capital market analysis. As per Beaver (1966), if a company is in financial trouble, then one can identify the same from the financial ratios. As per Beaver, financial ratios help to predict the failure of corporate well before five years of their failure. Jen (1963) identified the capability to obtain credit is directly connected with some financial ratios. Financial ratios are also having direct impact on the stock prices of a company and it also impacts the investment decisions. As per Gibson (1997) , when analysts were asked to which they would

MULTICS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MULTICS - Assignment Example Multics wasn’t very loved in its time, but due to all the new and valuable ideas, it had a big impact on the future operating systems. Multics was marketed as an information service for thousands of academics and administrative users. At one point about 85 sites were ran by Multics (â€Å"Multics," n.d.). Multics Influences on the Future One of Multics remarkable features was that the OS was written in a high-level language (PL/I). The idea was also that it was supposed to be an open-source system, which meant "for any purpose and without fee" (â€Å"Multics: General Info,† n.d.). Other features were the dynamic linking, management of shared memory, its multiple language support (like BASIC, COBOL and Pascal) and the fact that the security-level was very high (â€Å"Multics: General Info,† n.d.). Several basic ideas from Multics are found in all modern OS, like Windows, Unix or Mac. One of those ideas is the hierarchical file system: directories can contain file s as well as (sub)directories. Multics was also a very big influence on the development of Unix, none the less due to the fact that the two ‘inventors’ of Unix, used to work on Multics until Bell Labs dropped out of the project. Several ideas of Multics were further developed for Unix.

WORLDVIEW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

WORLDVIEW - Essay Example The book of Timothy says God was pleased with His work. The question of identity is concerned with â€Å"Who am I?† The book of Genesis says that we are created by God in his own image and likeness (Weider & Guiterrez, 2011). God also calls Himself Almighty in the book of Genesis 17. As such we are His subjects are dignified since we are created in God’s image though all of us have sinned and fallen short of glory. Why do we exist? People often ask themselves this question at various stages of their lives especially when faced with difficulties. The main purpose of our creation is to glorify God (Sire, 2004). In the book of Genesis after man had sinned against God, He instructed man to till the land, multiply and fill the earth and worship Him. Morality entails what is right or wrong. Christians believe that there is an objective moral law based on the nature of God. The bible teaches that Jesus is the only way, the truth and the life and no one goes to the Father except through Him hence we must obey him. He has also given men moral conscience to discern right and wrong. The biblical worldview of destiny is that there is life after death (Weider & Guiterrez, 2011). Death is certain and the only way to have eternal life is through Jesus Christ who died on the cross and resurrected. Whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life. Judgment awaits us after death for things done in this life. It influences the way we think about, treat, and speak to others on a daily basis in the belief that our actions after death will be judged based on things we do in this life. We are also all equal before God since we are created in His image hence we treat each other with respect. It also affects how we treat the environment and non-human creations. Everything was created by God and man was put in charge of the rest of the creation hence should look after it. We were also given a moral conscience to decide what is right or wrong unlike other

Accommodation Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accommodation Theory - Essay Example Accommodation theory suggests that every person in a given society has the ability to change or adjust their speech depending on the nature of the conversation, or the other person they are addressing and the purpose of the interaction. The changing of the speech patterns is a summary of how the accommodation theory works. For example, when native people talk to foreigners, they tend to speak more slowly or when adults talk with children and babies, they use simple language (Griffin, 2008). When put into context, it means that people accommodate others by adjusting their communicational behavior to match the level of those they are with, in a conversation. The results of accommodation are ultimately either divergence or convergence. As their names suggest, a convergence result is where a person moves their speech to be closer to that the other person’s. On the other hand, a divergence result is when the speech move away from each other. Convergence result allows the reduction of the social distance between the two conversing parties. It allows a person who is of a higher class to tone down their speech so that they can communicate effectively with the lower class person. On the contrary, the divergence resul t increases the distance between people. The divergence result emphasizes the differences that exist between people. The accommodation theory has many existing and available means by which it may be applied. Currently the accommodation theory is applied to many communication processes. Gasiorek and Howard (2013, 15) opines that in a company or an organization that has different levels of employees, the accommodation theory can be applied to aid the communication between the management and the employees. For instance, it is used for horizontal communication amongst the employees and in vertical communication between employees and senior management. To test this theory, Giles came up with several theories that served to test why people change

Psychology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Psychology - Assignment Example Psycho-analytic theory of personality says that our personality is the product of unconscious drives, while behaviorist theory proposes that a person’s conditioning develops his or her personality. But humanistic theory of personality speaks on the importance of self growth and self actualization. It gives freedom for the persons to choose, while other theories are of the view that we are limited in many ways. This is the reason for choosing this idea and this theory changed my attitude that every individual has his or her freedom that would bring self growth and self actualization. The father of modern psychology Sigmund Freud has identified eight stages of life span in the theory of psycho-analysis. They are prenatal, infancy, early childhood, late childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood and late adulthood. It speaks that every individual belongs to each stages. Prenatal stage of development is the state from conception to birth. Infancy, which is the second stage, ends up with eighteen months. Early childhood is from eighteen months to six years in which the cognitive development of a child occurs. Late childhood starts from six years to thirteen years in which the child becomes sexually matured. The stage of adolescence is between thirteen years to twenty years. Early adulthood stage begins from twenty years to thirty years in which the individual’s important things in life are getting over such as marriage, rearing children etc, Middle adulthood starts from thirty years and ends up at the age of sixty five. The last stage, which is known as late adulthood, is above sixty five. As far as this life span is concerned for each individual, it is very important and each one of us goes across these stages. The personality of a person is influenced by the cultural and social atmosphere around the person. Difference in family context

Street Food Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Street Food Marketing - Essay Example The target consumer for our food production is the low and middle-income class consumers. Based on behavioral statistics, these consumers will most likely prefer to take food on from the street. This group of consumers constitutes the largest of Plymouth residents, which makes our market target quite promising. However, with the pot sticker dumpling being a new introduction into this area, the initial sales are not expected to be high as compared to similar street foods. Sales are expected to rise with more consumers getting aware of the food’s existence in the area. In the bid to create awareness, the business shall make adverts be posted on local food guide websites such as the eatoutdevon.com website. As the team seeks to introduce this unique food into this highly competitive street food market, three areas shall be focused on including the quality of the product as compared to similar foods. Other areas will include legal requirements and registration, consumer behavior and reaction, and the level of competition and impact on the business. Concerning the quality of the pot sticker dumplings, the team will consider hiring professional chef highly experienced in the making of this product. If the food is of its best quality, the consumers’ reaction is expected to be positive and thus will influence their tendency to buy more. While the government of Plymouth requires every business seeking operational permits to trade, special licenses are offered to street food vendors based on authorized locations to trade.

Services management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Services management - Essay Example The goal of CSM is to focus the management structure on extraordinary client relations and service. If every of the four functions of management (planning, organizing, most important, and scheming) is customer-centered, then client service will be the foundation of an association. This is true whether the organization is a commerce, university, or administration separation. The following is an assessment of how every of the management processes can be listening cautiously on putting the client at the center of managerial behavior. Through the Pivotal Commercial Lending Solution, your sales power maintains the individual stroke that fosters high-quality customer relationships. At the similar occasion, they turn out to be part of a true sales team, with right of entry to a full knowledge bottom of the preponderance current customer in order. There's no more need to choose brains and bring together in order scattered among dissimilar systems in order to obviously see anywhere a customer association has been, and where it's leaving. Instead, all the customer information you require is instantly obtainable, so your advertising, sales and service teams all have the planned cleverness they need to make the most of opportunities at each point of customer get in touch through Research shows, for instance, that populace... There are two matters here: the first is the matter of doing what's right, and the next is the subject of responsibility what will advantage communities the most, and they go give in give. If you treat every customer with the admiration they merit, you will add to customer "retention" and support as healthy as revenues. Not to mention trust. Performance measures old by world-class organizations are inclined to be customer- somewhat than management-centered. Customer-centered presentation measures are connected with product excellence, reliability of service, waste decrease, timeliness, suppleness, novelty, and other indicator tied to actual work procedure completion of these events has often resulted in marked improvement in interior work efficiency and in the presentation of products and armed forces in the market. Conversely, management-centered presentation measures be tending to focus on short-term profits, price trade-offs, transaction-driven management, and useful department silos. This often consequences in a company-centered, interior management orientation, breakdown to appreciate what the customer really wants, and the give up of long-term presentation for short-term increases Employees sometimes stereotype clientele by believing that a convinced kind of customer will not pay money for or use your foodstuffs and/or services. This supposition can actually turn out to be a self-fulfilling prediction. Because workers wait for that the customer will not buy, use, or assist, they give less-than-great service; and since the service wasn't outstanding, the customer does not go back or buy a second occasion, and he or she may file a grievance or not tip healthy

Odyssey- Odysseuss Behavior Essay Example for Free

Odyssey- Odysseuss Behavior Essay Odysseus’s behavior was ironic when he deliberately concealed part of Circe’s prophecy from his men because when Odysseus and his men went through Scylla, all of the men were scared and some of the men were killed. In the Odyssey it said that: â€Å"My men all blanched against the gloom our eyes were fixed upon that yawning mouth in fear of being devoured† (Homer886) This quote showed that Odysseus’s behavior was ironic because since he did not tell his men that they were going through Scylla so they were terrified. The men just saw this huge whirlpool in the middle of the sea and were not really pleased to hear that they were going through that and not knowing the outcome. They were very scared because the outcome could result in them dying. When the Odyssey was talking about when Odysseus’ men were getting killed The Odyssey said: â€Å"Then Scylla made her strike, whisking six of my best men from the shop. It happened to glace aft at ship and oarsmen and caught sight of their arms and legs, dangling high overhead† (Homer886). This quote is showing that Scylla ate six of Odysseus’ best men while they were traveling by her. This was the aftershock of Odysseus not telling his men that they were going to see Scylla in this journey and most likely get eaten. Yet again all of the me were ate only because Odysseus did not tell his men about the ending that they could of all been dead in the end. In conclusion, Odysseus’ behavior was ironic when he deliberately concealed part of Circe’s prophecy from his men because Odysseus did not tell his men that they would travel though her and get scared and eaten.

The Return of Depression Economics Essay Example for Free

The Return of Depression Economics Essay Classical economists like Smith and Ricardo often argued that economic prosperity can be best achieved if the market is left alone. They argued that the market alone is the most efficient mechanism of determining supply and demand, wages and labor supply. The market â€Å"being the invisible hand† removes sluggishness in the economy. At the beginning of the 20th century, these assumptions were attacked by neo-classical economists led by John Maynard Keynes. Keynes argued that because wages are essentially fixed in the short-run, it is possible for an economy to experience sluggishness (Keynes, 1936). This â€Å"sluggishness† causes temporary recessions, that if â€Å"untreated† may lead to depressions. The only means to treat temporary recessions is government intervention. Keynes (1936) argued that it is desirable for the government to either increase or decrease spending in order to boost the economy. This increase or decrease in spending may be facilitated by increasing or decreasing interest rates (on the expenditure side of the economy). Now, the assumptions of both classical and neo-classical economists are being attacked. Paul Krugman (a Nobel prize winner), in his book â€Å"The Return of Depression Economics,† put his main arguments against mainstream economics (Krugman, 2008). Here are some of his main points: 1) It is very possible for recession to occur even if an economy is in good shape. To illustrate this, he used the story of babysitting groups in Washington D. C. Here, couples agreed to babysit for each other. A special currency was used. Those who want to babysit would get the currency while those who do not want to babysit will give the currency. However, because the economy is in â€Å"good shape†, nobody wanted to babysit. Couples preferred going to social gatherings than babysitting. This creates a shortage of babysitters, which in effect caused the economy to experience recession. This is same case with government control of money supply. Supposing the government increases money supply in order to boost the economy, the real effect may in fact a real decline in overall production. The â€Å"good shape† of the economy may well be an enough reason for people to work less (which in the long run translates into lower economic output); 2) During economic prosperity, people usually invest their â€Å"money† to risky forms of investments. Supposing there are two sources of investments: trust funds and bank securities. Trust funds offer more returns and of course, higher risks. Bank securities are more conservative in nature (low returns and risks). During economic prosperity, trust funds usually earn more, and thus people invest in it. However, when one trust fund fails, people will usually withdraw their investment out of the system. This creates panic (confidence decreases) and the economy experiences recession; 3) And, panic can destroy wealth more easily than confidence can create it. Krugman noted that it took almost 100 years for the United States to accumulate wealth and only 5 years to destroy it (The Great Depression). In essence, a financial panic has a higher probability of occurring than a miraculous boom (due to soaring financial confidence). As Krugman noted, as more and more economies are being integrated into the world economy, the chances of experiencing recession in times of economic prosperity increases (Krugman, 2008). In short, economic prosperity may not be a bailiwick for economic certainty. References Keynes, John Maynard. 1936. General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money. London: London Publishing Company. Krugman, Paul. 2008. The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008. New York: Penguin Books.

Biocompatibility Study of Lactobacillus Casei

Biocompatibility Study of Lactobacillus Casei BIOCOMPATIBILITY STUDY OF LACTOBACILLUS CASEI ISOLATED FROM CUCUMBER AND EVALUATION OF PROBIOTIC EFFECTS IN THE HUMAN GUT NANNU SHAFAKATULLAH* and M. CHANDRA Abstract: Probiotics are live microorganisms introduced orally in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) that are able to contribute positively to the activity of intestinal microflora and therefore, to the health of its host. A variety of probiotic supplements are currently available in the market which target towards improving the balance and activity of the intestinal microflora. Probiotics must have robust survival properties in the gut in order to exert any beneficial health promoting properties. Many in vitro properties, such as adhesion, co-aggregation, aggregation, hydrophobicity, resistance to pH, bile, etc., are usually investigated to determine if a specific selected strain would be suitable as a probiotic. Lactobacillus casei has been isolated from raw cucumber and identified based on phenotypic and biochemical characteristics. The isolate was studied for its survival at acidic pH, bile salt, intestinal juice, gastric juice, co-aggregation, aggregation, different NaCl concentrations, the ir action against pathogens, and resistance to antibiotics. The organism has shown well resistance to antibiotics, gastric acids and bile digestion and also exhibited good adhesion to intestinal mucosa and aggregation properties. Key words: Biocompatibility, cucumber, gastrointestinal tract, Lactobacillus casei, probiotics Introduction: Probiotics are defined as â€Å"live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host†1. The use of probiotic bacteria for the health of human has been increased from the last decade due to the increased research on benefits of the probiotics for human. Knowledge of gut health and awareness of general health consciousness in human leads to the search of new probiotic bacteria2-7. It has been proved that irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and antibiotic-induced diarrhea that occur due to the imbalance in the intestinal microflora can be reversed by the intake of probiotics.Lactobacillus species are â€Å"Generally Recognized as Safe† (GRAS) microorganisms and they are the most commonly used microorganisms as probiotics and are the most desired intestinal microflora. It is important to study the biocompatibility of the lactobacillus species before using them as probiotics. Acidic pH, bile salts, and gastric and intestinal juice in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) are the major stress factors that the probiotics should overcome in order to survive in GIT. Other than their survival capabilities, the probiotic microbes consumed should possess the capacity to adhere and colonize in the gastro intestinal tract. More the adherence capacity of the probiotics more is their chance to retain themselves in the GIT and provide positive effect to the consumer. In accordance with the FAO/WHO8 guidelines in order to prevent the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes from the probiotics to the intestinal pathogens it is recommended that the antibiotic resistance/susceptibility pattern of every probiotic strain (including bacteria with GRAS status) is to be determined. Due to the development of antibiotic resistant pathogens there is increased interest in the alternative antimicrobial strategies for treatment and prevention of infections by using probiotics and their antimicrobial metabolites. Hence, antimicrobial activity against pathogens is a desirable property of a potential probiotic strain. The present study was aimed at isolation, identification, characterization and biocompatibility study of the Lactobacillus strain isolated from cucumber. The biocompatibility properties were investigated throughin vitro assays. Material and Methods Isolation and Identification of Bacteria Fresh cucumber juice was prepared and 1ml of this was serially diluted to 10-5 to 10-6 and inoculated 0.1 ml on to lactobacillus MRS agar plates and incubated at 37 °C for 24-48 hours anaerobically. Gram’s staining, catalase activity, gas production from glucose, acid fast test, MRVP test, gelatine hydrolysis, oxidase test, growth in different NaCl was determined according to methods for lactic acid bacteria9-10. The identification work was done according to the methods described in Bergey’s Manual11 and the Prokaryotes. All the strains were maintained by weekly sub culturing from 48hrs MRS agar cultures. Growth characteristics at different temperature were monitored for 7 days period. Production of ammonia from arginine was done according to the method described by Abdel-Malek and Gibson12, Nitrate reduction was done as described by Gerhardt et al., 13. The isolates were maintained in MRS broth, stock cultures were stored on agar slants in refrigerator and also freez e dried and stored for longer period. Growth at acidic pH The growth behavior of culture isolate was observed at acidic pH to find the acid tolerance capacity of organisms. The Isolate was inoculated in MRS broth with pH 2 and 3 and incubation was done at 37 °C for 48-72 hrs. During these incubation time cells growth was observed and results were recorded. Transit Tolerance: 1. Simulated Gastric Juice The simulated gastric juice was prepared freshly by suspending pepsin 1:10000 (3g/L) (SRL) in sterile NaCl (0.5%) and the pH was adjusted to 2.0 and 3.0 respectively. This was filter sterilized using 0.45 µm filter. The L. casei was grown in de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) broth at 37 °C for 24 h and centrifuged at 2,500 Ãâ€" g at 4 °C for 10 min. The collected cells were resuspended in sterile saline (0.5% NaCl) and inoculated into the simulated gastric juice (pH 2.0 and 3.0) at 108 cfu/ ml. The test was done in triplicates. Because the pH in the human stomach ranges from 1 (during fasting) to 4.5 (after a meal) and food ingestion can take up to 3 h, tolerance was assayed by determining the total viable count at 0, 1.5 and 3-h incubation in simulated gastric juice (pH 2.0 and 3.0). 2. Simulated Intestinal Juice The simulated intestinal juice was prepared freshly by suspending pancreatin (1g/L) in sterile NaCl (0.5%) and adjusted the pH to 8.0. This was again filter sterilized by using 0.45 µm filter. 1ml of the suspension of the L. casei was inoculated into 9ml of simulated intestinal juice (pH 8.0) and incubated at 37 °C. The test was done in triplicates. The survival rate was assessed by determining the total viable count at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8hrs of incubation. 3. Bile Tolerance Bile plays an important role in the survival of bacteria in the small intestine. Food remains in the small intestine for around 4-6 hours14 till it gets absorbed. The L. casei was screened for its survival at different bile concentrations. The organism was inoculated into 10 ml MRS broth in test tubes and incubated at 37 ºC overnight in anaerobic condition. 100ÃŽ ¼l of active culture was inoculated into fresh MRS broth tubes with pH 6.5 containing 0.3%, 0.5% and 1.0% bile (CDH India). The bacterial survival was measured by MRS agar colony count by taking 100ÃŽ ¼l culture for 0, 30, 60, 90 and 180 min and aliquots spread onto MRS agar plates to calculate the CFU/ml. The experiment was determined in triplicate to calculate intra-assay variation. CFU/ml was recorded. Aggregation (Del Re et al., 2000) Aggregation assay was performed by growing the isolates in MRS broth for 24 hours anaerobically at 37oC. The cells were harvested by centrifugation at 5000 rpm for 15 min, at 4oC. The cells were washed twice and re-suspended in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) to give viable counts of approximately 108 CFU/ ml. Four ml of the cell suspension was mixed for 10 seconds in a sterile tube to determine auto aggregation during 5h of incubation, at room temperature. The upper suspension was used in each hour by transferring 0.1ml to another 3.9ml of phosphate buffer solution, and the optical density at 660nm was measured. Tests were carried out in triplicate and the results were averaged. The auto aggregation percentage was calculated by the formula: 1- (At/A0) X 100, where, At represents the absorbance at time t = 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, and A0 the absorbance at t = 0. Aggregation abilities of microorganisms were screened by visual observation. Co-aggregation The bacterial cells were harvested by centrifugation at 5000 rpm for 15 min after incubation at 37 °C for 18h, washed twice and resuspended in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) to give viable counts of approximately 108 CFU /ml. Equal volumes (2 ml) of each cell suspension were mixed together in pairs by vortexing. Control tubes were set up at the same time, containing 4 ml of each bacterial suspension on its own. The absorbances at 660 nm of the suspensions were measured after mixing and after 5 h of incubation (6-9). The percentage of co-aggregation was calculated using the equation Handley et al. (1987) as, Co-aggregation (%) = [(Ax + Ay) /2) A (x+ y)] / [(Ax + Ay)/ 2] Ãâ€" 100 Where x and y represent each of the two strains in the control tubes, and (x + y) the mixture of isolate tested for co-aggregation. Antibiotic Sensitivity test Antibiotic sensitivity test of the isolate was performed by standard disc diffusion method (NCCLS 1999) towards thirteen antibiotics. The pure culture of L. casei suspension was spread on the MRS agar plates to form a uniform smear. Selected antibiotic discs were aseptically transferred on to the seeded plates. The diameters of the zone of inhibition were measured using antibiotic zone scale (Himedia India) after 24 h of incubation. The experiment was repeated thrice and the average inhibitory zone diameters were compared with the standards provided by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Diameters of inhibition zones were measured and results were expressed as sensitive, S (≠¥ 21 mm); intermediate, I (16-20 mm) and resistant, R (≠¤ 15 mm), respectively according to that described by Vlkovà ¡ et al., 15. Antimicrobial Activity Test Agar well diffusion method16 was used to determine the inhibitory capacity of the L. casei against pathogenic strains such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. The isolate and pathogenic strains were incubated in MRS agar medium at 37 °C for 24 to 48 h. Result and Discussion Physiological and Biochemical Characterization The isolate was subjected to Gram’s staining and it was examined under light microscope. The strain gave blue- purple color with staining; hence it was Gram positive bacteria. Isolate was tested for catalase activity. It was catalase negative (do not show catalase activity). To test the gas production from glucose test tubes were observed for 5 days. The Isolate shown no gas production this indicates its homofermentative nature (Table 1). Another criterion for the identification the isolate was the ability of growth at different temperatures (Table 2). From the results of 5 days observation the isolate showed growth at 15-50  °C. Growth at different NaCl concentrations was observed. The isolate has the ability to grow at 2-6% NaCl concentration. Arginine hydrolysis test was another step to follow the identification procedure. The isolate which gave the bright orange were accepted that they can produce ammonia from arginine. The yellow colour indicated negative arginine hydro lysis. The isolate has shown -ve for arginine hydrolysis. Hydrolysis of starch was negative by isolate. The isolate was non motile, non spore forming. The most useful test for the determination of strain differences is carbohydrate fermentation. Twenty one (other than glucose) different carbohydrates were used for identification. They gave different fermentation patterns when they were compared. The patterns are showed in Table 3. Resistance to acidic pH Being resistant to low pH is one of the major selection criteria for probiotic strains17-18. Since, to reach the small intestine they have to pass through from the stressful conditions of stomach19. Although in the stomach, pH can be as low as 1.0, in most in vitro assays pH 3.0 has been preferred. Due to the fact that a significant decrease in the viability of strains is often observed at pH 2.0 and below20. Sudden decrease in the survival rate of the isolate has been observed at pH 2. At the third hour the survival rate reduced below 5%. At pH3 more than 10% survival has been observed after 3 hours of incubation. Tolerance against Bile The isolate was screened for its ability to tolerate the bile salt. Although the bile concentration of the human gastrointestinal tract varies, the mean intestinal bile concentration is believed to be 0.3% w/v and the staying time is suggested to be 4 h. Strain was screened for 3 hours in 0.3%, 0.5% and 1.0% of bile salt for its survival. The cfu values were observed. According to the results the isolate was resistant to 0.3% and 0.5% bile salt. Whereas sudden fall in the number of survival organisms has been observed at 1.00% bile. The survival rate reached to 5% at the end of 3 hours of incubation at 1.00% of bile. Tolerance to Gastric Juice The degree of gastric juice resistance exhibited by isolate was determined and results (Figure 4) showed that >75% of survival has been observed in gastric juice at pH 3 for 1.5 hours of incubation, whereas at pH2 the survival rate was >30% for 1.5 hours of incubation. But at 3 hours of incubation the survival rate at pH 3 reached to Tolerance to Intestinal Juice The isolate was tested for its ability to grow in intestinal juice. It appears that the strain exhibited good resistance to intestinal juice at pH 8 for four hours of growth (Figure 5). Good multiplication of all the isolates has been found at 6th hour of incubation. Aggregation On the basis of sedimentation characteristics aggregation capability of the isolate was tested. L. casei has exhibited good amount of aggregation during the test time of 5 hours (Figure 5). Co-aggregation The co-aggregations of L. casei with five pathogenic bacteria were examined. Results were expressed as the percentage reduction after 5 h in the absorbance of a mixed suspension compared with the individual suspension. Good co-aggregation of L. casei with S. aureus has been seen. There was no co-aggregation between L. casei and B. subtilis. 2-6% of co-aggregation has been seen with E. coli, K. pneumonia and P. aeruginosa (Figure 6). Antibiotic Sensitivity test The determination of antibiotic sensitivity of the isolate is an important prerequisite prior to considering it safe for human and animal consumption. The isolate was subjected to antibiotic susceptibility test. The results are given in Table 4. The isolate was resistant to most of the antibiotics used. According to earlier reports, specific antibiotic resistance traits among probiotic strains may be desirable21. It has been said by many authors that probiotics should be resistant to certain antibiotics when used along with antibiotics to prevent gastrointestinal disorders. Whereas others claim that antibiotics resistant probiotics used may serve as host of antibiotic resistance genes, which can be transferred to pathogenic bacteria. Antimicrobial Activity Test Antimicrobial activity helps to select the potential probiotics strains. Antimicrobial activity usually targets the intestinal pathogens. The isolate was examined for antibacterial activity. L. casei was grown with indicator microorganisms, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. The antibacterial effect on the indicator microorganisms was determined by diameter of inhibition zones. Lactobacilli casei has a high ability to inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. The degree of inhibition was highest in S. aureus, whereas the inhibition was moderate in E. coli, K. pneumonia and P. aeruginosa. The isolate could not inhibit the growth of spore forming B. subtilis. Conclusion: Lactobacillus casei has shown good survival in acidic pH, different bile concentrations, gastric juice and intestinal juice. The organism exhibited good survival in the presence of different antibiotics. The isolate is also able to inhibit the growth of different pathogenic microorganisms examined. All these characteristics of the organism will help it to survive in the stomach and proliferate in the intestine. This will help strains to reach the small intestine and colon and contributing to the balance of intestinal microflora.

The Power of Secrets in The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Power of Secrets in The Scarlet Letter Deception is defined by Webster's Dictionary as the art of misrepresentation. Throughout the history of mankind, the use of deception to promote oneself to a higher level, or to hide one's past, has been a common occurrence. In the novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne , Chillingworth and Dimmesdale both use deception to hide secrets from each other, and from the rest of the town. Hester Prynne is the only one who knows the secrets that Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are hiding from the townsfolk. Hester has to control her desire to tell the truth and practices the art of deception to hide these secrets. When she will not reveal the father of Pearl, Reverend Dimmesdale says, "She will not speak." It is ironic that the person who committed the sin with Hester is the one who announces publicly that she will not reveal the name of the other sinner. Later, Chilling worth wants to know who it is and he says, "Thou wilt not reveal his name?" Hester refuses and continues to hold her silence. Then Chillingworth, still trying to find out the name of her lover, comments, ". . . but Hester, the man lives who has wronged us both! Who is he?" When he says this, he is hinting that he is going to do something to Dimmesdale. This is why Hester makes Chillingworth promise not to kill her lover if he finds out his identity. Chillingworth deserves to know who slept with his wife, although Hester should not have had to tell him. I think that Dimmesdale should have admitted that he was Pearl's father. Today, if a priest admitted such a crime, he would probably be sent to jail. However, in the novel, had Dimmesdale confessed, the townsfolk would have liked him even more. Hester also has to live with, and conceal, the secret that the scholar, Chilling worth, is her husband. When he comes to visit her in jail he says, "Thou hast kept the secret of thy paramour. Keep, likewise, mine! There are none in this land that know me. Breathe not, to any soul, that thou didst ever call me husband.

Product Liability Essay -- essays research papers fc

In this age of endless lawsuits and litigation from everyone suing everyone else, one must ask the question â€Å"where does product liability end and consumer responsibility begin?† This question has been further complicated by occurrences that stretch to the most far-reaching ends of this spectrum, the spectrum ranging from strict product liability of the company to complete consumer responsibility. On the strict product liability of the company side, we have the cigarette industry where the CEOs of the largest cigarette companies denied that their product was liable for the cause of addiction. Almost all consumers know that the ingredient nicotine in cigarettes is addictive, due to extensive scientific testing and reports on this fact. What these CEO’s should have done was admit that they knew nicotine was addictive, and therefore made their product liable so as to give a fair warning to unknowing consumers. On the complete consumer responsibility side, we can exami ne the lawsuit where a man sued McDonald’s for over a million dollars because he spilled a cup of their coffee on his self and suffered burns. He claimed that McDonald’s was liable because there was not a warning on the lid that stated that the coffee was hot. In my opinion, this lawsuit should have never happened. The consumer is attempting to alleviate all of the responsibility from himself for spilling his coffee and pass it on to the producer of the product. Frivolous lawsuits such as this, as well as companies failing to consider the importance of product liability, have resulted in an increasing annual product liability bill. Last year alone $4 billion was spent on product liability lawsuits and settlements (McAdams, p.636). This staggering number suggests that maybe we need to reform our liability system. Ideally, we as a society would like to reach a happy medium between strict product liability of the company and complete consumer responsibility. If this occur red, lawsuits such as this would no longer drain our legal systems because an understanding would exist that the responsibility rests equally in both parties’ hands. However, that is an ideal situation, which rarely ever occurs in the real world. In the real world, tradeoffs must be made in order to reach equilibrium. These tradeoffs between strict product liability and consumer responsibility will be discussed in light of the situati... ...g to act, but just a little common sense should tell you that releasing a movie with the content such as Boyz N the Hood and only focusing on its negative themes will send the wrong message, especially in metro areas where crimes and gangs are prevalent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In an ideal world, consumers and companies would equally share the burdens of product liability and consumer responsibility. However, in the real world, we must make tradeoffs between these two. How we do this will not only affect our legal environment, but our economic and social environments as well. Works Cited Anonymous, Industrial Distribution, New York, April 2000, Volume 89, issue 4, p.36. Brostoff, Steven, National Underwriter, Chicago, September 2000, volume 104, issue 38,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  p.2 Eckert, Stephen, Marketing News, Chicago, April 2000, Volume 34, issue 9, p. 49. Giliberti, Frank, Marketing Management, Chicago, Winter 1999, Volume 8, issue 4, pp. 53-54. Lamnetti, David, The Business Lawyer, Chicago, February 2000, Volume 55, issue 2, p. 799. McAdams, Tony, Law, Business, and Society, Irwin/McGraw-Hill, New York, 2001, Sixth Edition, p. 636.

Market Segmentation, Positioning and targeting for BMW :: Business and Management Studies

Market Segmentation, Positioning and targeting for BMW 1.1 Introduction This report aims to examine the market segmentation, positioning and targeting of BMW (automobile company). BMW will be examined giving information about the company and where it is now and any recommendations that we feel are appropriate. 1.2 BMW Company Profile BMW was formed in 1917, from the merger of two small aero engine makers. Their famous blue and white symbol stems from the colours of the Bavarian Luftwaffe and is said to resemble the view of the one of their plane through a propeller. BMW is renowned for its sporty, sophisticated & luxury image which has been built up since the 1970's with many motor sport victories ranging from Touring Car to Formula 1. BMW Group's worldwide mission statement is: "To be the most successful premium manufacturer in the industry."[1] 1.3 BMW's Marketing Mix To examine BMW we must first look at the marketing mix. A company's marketing mix is made up of four main points these are Price, Product, Promotion and Place. Through these points we can examine the specifics of a company to gain an insight into their segmentation, targeting and positioning. 1.4 Product The products produced by BMW are prestigious, high performance, technologically advanced automobiles. These start from mid-range cars up to the most prestigious and luxurious. The present models are: BMW 3 Series - Saloon, Coupe, Convertible, Touring, Compact ----------------------------------------------------------- BMW 5 Series - Saloon, Touring BMW 7 Series – Saloon BMW Z3 - Roadster BMW Z4 - Roadster BMW Z8 - Roadster BMW X5 - 4WD BMW M - M5, M3 Coupe, M3 Convertible, M Roadster, M Coupe Mini Cooper - an independent brand within the BMW Group[2] 1.5 Price BMW price ranges are from $17,000 to $80,000. There are many options that affect their car prices such as engine size, equipment levels and motor sport versions. This means you can purchase a base model (which is the cheapest) and then add options which may cost as much as ?20,000 more per car. Examples of price: Model ----- Lowest Price. Highest Price cc: BMW 3 Series ?16,265 ?32,870 BMW 5 Series. ?23,540 ?42,010 BMW 7 Series ?52,750e ce. ?60,000 BMW Z3 ?

The American System of Government

Chapter 4 We – the People Dividing Power: The American System of Government The Basics †¢Americans have distrusted any concentration of political power ever since its founding †¢American form of government was written down in a Constitution o1787, after thirteen colonies gained independence from Great Britain †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Tyranny† of King George III – the Americans wanted to make sure no person was allowed to have too much power †¢Representative democracy Elected representatives who could be regularly shifted out oPower rested with the people †¢Federal system oIndividual states which give only certain specific powers to a central government oFederalism †¢The separation of powers oDivided the power into three oNo one is too powerful Federalism †¢The federal government can only do what it has specifically been given the power to do in the Constitution oDelegated powers by the states †¢Reserved powers are for the states and the peo ple oState rights The states gave the federal government power over the following areas oForeign affairs (treaties and relations with other countries) oDefense (defending the nation and declaring war) oMonetary policy oTrade (among states, between states and government, between the nation and other countries) Separation of powers †¢Breaking power into three oThe Executive (the President) oThe Legislative (Congress) oThe Judicial (Supreme Court) †¢Main idea – power could never be combined under one man oThreaten people and democracy The Founding Fathers created the system of checks and balances oEach of the branches can limit the power of two The Congress – legislative powers †¢Two â€Å"chambers† – the House of Representatives and the Senate †¢The smaller states were afraid of being controlled of the larger states †¢The number of representatives each state got in the House of Representatives was based on the population of the stat e †¢In the Senate, each state was given two representatives no matter how small or large †¢Congress has the power to: Pass laws (legislation) oLevy taxes oDecide how federal money is used †¢No one in the federal government gets paid nothing gets funded unless Congress has passed a â€Å"bill† approving the use of money †¢Members of the House of Representatives – Congressmen o435 members, all its members are elected every two years (democratic) †¢Members of the Senate – Senators o100 members, two from each state, elected for six years of the time (stable) †¢Checks on Congress oThe President can veto a bill by refusing to sign it The Supreme Court can declare laws â€Å"unconstitutional† The President – executive powers †¢The President is Head of State and represents the people of the US at home and abroad †¢The President is Chief Executive oHeads all federal organizations, has a â€Å"cabinet† with poli tical advisors †¢The President is Commander-in-Chief oHe is head of the armed forces of the only superpower in the world. Only Congress can declare war, but the President can ask Congress for the power to use â€Å"necessary force† †¢The President is Chief Diplomat Decides foreign and defense policy, appoints ambassadors, sets up embassies and negotiates treaties (only become law if two-thirds of the Senate approves) †¢The power of the President has increased since 1787, he leads three million people who work for this branch of the government †¢Checks on the President oThe Supreme Court can declare his actions unconstitutional oCongress can change or refuse to pass the legislation suggested by him oCongress can override a presidential veto with a two-third majority oCongress and Supreme Court can â€Å"impeach† the President (remove him) The Supreme Court – judicial powers Highest court in the land, all courts must accept its interpretation o f the law †¢States have their own laws and their own supreme courts, but if there is a conflict, the federal law overrides the state law (to make sure the law is applied the same way everywhere) †¢Decides what laws are in compliance and what laws are unconstitutional †¢A law that is unconstitutional is â€Å"null and void†, no longer valid †¢Nine members of the Supreme Court oNine to make sure it can’t split evenly oâ€Å"Justices† are appointed for life †¢Checks on the Supreme Court oCongress can change the Constitution Congress and the Supreme Court can â€Å"impeach† a Supreme Court Justice Checks and balances in action †¢Every year the President must submit a bill for federal budget to Congress †¢Congress never passes it as it is, both the House and the Senate make changes †¢If president gets a majority, he may then accept a compromise. He can refuse to sign the bill, and send it back to the Congress, both must a compromise Appointing a Supreme Court Justice †¢When a justice dies, the President nominates a judge to fill the seat †¢Since the President can choose someone he finds beneficial for the job, he Senate must first approve â€Å"ratify† the choice before the President can appoint a nominee †¢If it does not, the President must find someone else (checks and balances) Separation of powers – advantages and disadvantages †¢It has worked as intended †¢It has kept government under democratic control †¢When Richard Nixon broke the law (Watergate scandal) he was forced from office †¢On the other hand, when the President is a Democrat and Congress has a majority of Republicans (or vice versa), the division of powers can paralyze the political system †¢Some say it would’ve been better with a parliamentary democracy (the Congress chooses the President).In that way, the budget would always pass in congress †¢However, this would gi ve the President a lot more power State government †¢American states are â€Å"real states† oThey make their own laws, collect their own taxes, have their own welfare systems, police forces, educational systems and so on †¢Most â€Å"governing† goes on at the state and local levels †¢Any American is bound to respect federal law, state law and local city and county law †¢Most states use the federal government as a model for their state government oAll have a written constitution All practice the separation of powers into three branches †¢The executive branch is headed by a Governor †¢The legislative branch is divided into two chambers (except Nebraska) †¢All states have a state supreme court and separate court systems †¢The 50 states are all different, and are looked at as 50 â€Å"laboratories of democracy†, which means that they come with new solutions to new and old problems †¢The US is proud to have an extremely la rge degree of local democracy and variationAdvantages and disadvantages †¢Local democracy > source of strength and innovation, but hard to govern †¢E. g. the school system. The President and Congress can have an opinion on what is best for the school systems, but they can’t order the states to adopt these measures, because education is a â€Å"state right† and not a federal responsibility †¢Variety > inequality. Some states are rich, some are poor Political Parties in the United States The electoral system There are two basic things to keep in mind about the electoral system in America oAll federal and state elections are in single-seat election districts †¢Only one representative from each district will be elected oA candidate can win an election with either a majority of votes, or a plurality of votes †¢The winner is candidate C, because that candidate has a plurality of votes. â€Å"The winner takes it all†. The other votes are  "wasted†. 85306 †¢If A and B goes together and supports one candidate, that candidate could easily win with 60% of the votes †¢Problems: finding someone they both support The US only has two parties: The Democrats and the Republicans. Both are giant coalitions of wildly different political groups. Shooting for the center †¢Both parties are coalitions > neither party presents a very clear political profile †¢A clear ideology would send away some interest groups, weakening the party †¢Both parties are vague about what they stand for †¢No one wants to come out with strong ideological statements that might scare away any voters, because to win you have to win the votes of the electorate, which basically is divided into twoThe Democratic Party (donkey) †¢Supports stronger federal authority, more liberal, willing to use government in the service of the people at the expense of â€Å"states’ rights† †¢Wants to involve the federal government in shaping American society (more than the Republicans), reducing the gap between rich/poor †¢Support welfare programs more strongly than Republicans †¢Taxes are a resource that can be wisely used †¢Have support in large cities and states on the coasts The Republican Party (GOP, the elephant) More conservative party, support state rights and resist a large role for the federal government †¢Wants to give a great deal of free play to market economy and are opposed to government regulations of the economy †¢Lower level of taxation †¢Every-man-for-himself tradition, are suspicious of welfare systems †¢Have support in the Midwest and the south and among businesspeople Democrats and Republicans †¢Some Democrats are more conservative than Republicans and some Republicans are more liberal than Democrats. †¢Different histories and tradition Serious political consequences > the Republicans have grown more powerful because conservative so utherners have left the democrats Advantages and disadvantages of a two-party system †¢Gives a stable foundation to build on †¢Forces the parties to look for voter support from the center of American politics, encouraging moderation, an agreement, a â€Å"consensus† †¢The two-party system helps create such broad agreement †¢Wastes votes of millions who vote for candidates who are not elected oUndermines democracy †¢No directions other than leading the country Blocks new ideas and movements (they are drawn into the coalitions) Interest Groups and Lobbyists †¢Joining or supporting a political party is not the only way to influence the political process in America †¢A more direct route > INTEREST GROUPS oPolitical organizations which seek to influence government policy about one specific issue or related set of issues oCompromise without being part of one of the great party coalitions oCan be more straightforward, aggressive and ideological PAC s †¢Political Action Committee Organized specifically to elect (or defeat) politicians or to promote legislation †¢Collects contributions and use them to support or oppose candidates oHard money > goes directly to the candidates oSoft money > pays for campaigns in various ways Lobbyists †¢Interest groups make use of lobbyists who try to persuade individual politicians to support the interests they represent. They have recently become more active (16 000>34000) †¢Can be done in many ways: Taking them out for dinner, paying their way to conferences and seminars, finding jobs for their relatives and so on †¢Lobbyists are found near the centers of power.Spent 2. 4 billion in 2005 Advantages and disadvantages †¢Make the citizens politically active †¢They show that the rights of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are being put to good use †¢Some worry about the increasing role of interest groups oWeakened political parties? oSplits the electo rate up in warring groups? †¢Another reason for concern is the skyrocketing expense of getting elected †¢Senate campaigns costs minimum 3 million dollars, rising to 10 million in big states †¢House of Representatives: 1 million dollars every two years oA great deal of the money comes from lobbyistsElecting a President †¢To major stages in the election process oDeciding nominees for candidates for President and Vice President oElecting President and Vice President †¢Primaries > winner > national convention > nomination > Vice President/platform > campaign > election (people) > election (electoral college) > President The nomination race †¢Exhausting process †¢January > June: Primaries are held in most states oChoosing a party nominee †¢Earlier they were chosen by state party conventions Not good, because they ended up being controlled by a party elite †¢Decided to choose nominees by a special state-wide election †¢Protects the public from the leadership of its own political parties †¢Primaries are held at different times in different states and often with different rules †¢Each party emerges with a man or a woman as winner in each of the states holding a primary oWinner is the state’s delegates at the party’s national convention †¢As the primaries proceed, the number of persons running for the nomination is gradually reduced to two or three per party †¢Failure > losing support †¢Succeed > momentum and fresh funding Earlier the primary season was longer, and that gave relatively unknown candidates the chance to gain support oExample: Jimmy Carter †¢Recently, primaries are held earlier and earlier oNo point in holding a state primary after other primary elections have already determined which candidate has a majority of delegates at the national party convention †¢Held as early as possible, on the same day in several states †¢This favors well-known candidates w ith a lot of money who can campaign in several states †¢Ironically, the money comes from powerful special interests, forces primaries were created to avoid Tickets and platforms Late August/early September, a national convention is held in a major city †¢A party chooses its final candidate for President †¢Used to be an exciting event (unknown who would become candidate) †¢These days, the results are almost always already decided from the primaries †¢The nomination is â€Å"ritual†, with balloons and speeches and cheering crowds †¢However, a good deal of interest is still connected to the choosing of a party â€Å"ticket† and the creation of a party â€Å"platform†. †¢The party ticket is the team of candidates running for President and Vice President †¢The choice of Vice President is up to the President Often a secret until the presidential nomination is accepted †¢A BALANCED TICKET, to reach a broad section of the ele ctorate oCandidate from South, other one from North/West oCandidate is woman, other one is a man oCandidate is conservative, other one is liberal oCandidate is inexperienced, other one is a seasoned politician or statesman †¢All interests can’t be balanced in two people, but an effort is made †¢Once the ticket is clear, the two sit down with the party leadership and write a party platform oThe team will run for election Party platform > closest thing to an ideological statement †¢It consists of political statements or promises which together make the party’s political program †¢They differ from year to year and election to election, addresses the different issues of the day and incorporate with new political trends †¢They want to meet the expectations of as wide a group of voters as possible oFuzzy and broad, both parties promise the same thingsThe election and the Electoral College †¢Finally there is the actual election †¢Serious cam paigning starts in September and lasts until voting day, the first Tuesday in November †¢The candidates travel all over the country, speaks at meetings, takes part in official debates, appears on TV, gaining recommendations from important people, TV-ads, press releases, e-mails, books, pamphlets and etc †¢Expensive, in 1996 it amounted together 448. million dollars. In 2008 it doubled to over 1 billion dollars, 500 million dollars on each. †¢The President and Vice President are not elected directly by the popular vote †¢They are elected indirectly by a majority of the electoral votes cast by the nation’s fifty states system †¢The 41 days comes from the old days (1787), when it was a lot harder to travel around. Most people didn’t know who the candidates were, but they trusted someone in town.Votes were cast for these men as electors from each state. They assembled, discussed the candidates, and sent their decision to Washington D. C. †¢The candidate who had won a majority of the popular vote in a state got all the electoral votes in the state (Winner takes it all) The Electoral College †¢Each state is given a number of electors equal to its presentation in Congress oTwo Senators + a varied number of Congress man †¢D. C. , which belongs to no state has three electors The number of electoral votes is equal to: o435 congressmen o100 senators o3 from the District of Columbia †¢538 electoral votes †¢To win the Presidential election a candidate must have a majority of these votes, that is 269+1 = 270 votes. †¢It is possible for a President to be elected with a majority of the votes in the Electoral College while having a minority of the popular vote nationwide. oSmall states are over-represented in the Electoral College