Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Role of the Schools of Jurisprudence in Preserving Islamic Law Essay

The Role of the Schools of Jurisprudence in Preserving Islamic Law - Essay Example This report stresses that the consensus of the Muslim community and the precedents and analogy applied by Muslim scholars significantly defines Sharia. The Islamic law follows the concept of ‘rule of law’ and is therefore published and known to all citizens and courts for purposes of implementation. Additionally, the legislation of a body of legal injunctions ensures the realization of the sharia objectives. Sharia has direct links with jurisprudence. Firstly, Islamic law not only governs all aspects of Muslim’s life but also influences criminal and civil justice. Indeed, the Sharia history relates to political and social developments that led to opportunities and challenges for the jurists. Moreover, different madhabs, or schools of thought, came to life after the emergence of Islamic law. This paper declares that the main purpose of the schools of jurisprudence was to rescue the Islamic law from absorption by the administrative legal system thus reestablishing the link between the law and religion. As such, the schools of Jurisprudence played a fundamental role in the preservation of Islamic Law. However, the practice of Muslim faith and the interpretation of the Islamic law has been growing and equally becoming challenging with time. Nevertheless, consistent studies and debates among legal scholars, religious, and political leaders maintain the life of Islam in the modern world. Notably, the schools of jurisprudence originated from different places with significant effects on decisions relating to Islamic law and Islamic faith. Specifically, the Islamic schools of jurisprudence include the Qur’an, personal interpretation, the Sunna of the Prophet, and the community’s consensus (Lewandowska, n.y). Ideally, the schools of Jurisprudence lay down the legal theory allowing a judge to establish the legality and morality of an act by a Muslim thus preserving Sharia. Indeed, the main aim of the Islamic schools of jurisprudence to define the normative Islamic conduct as established under the Islamic law and in relation to legal precedents and principles. This ensured that Sharia reigns. Moreover, the schools of jurisprudence initiated the ‘closing the gate of Islamic jurisprudence’, which denied future scholars to invent legal principles that guarantee equal freedom between the Qur’an and the Prophetic traditions and their predecessors (Lewandowska, n.y). This played a significant role in preserving the Sharia and the methodologies and traditions of ancient Islamic schools of jurisprudence. As a result, the schools of jurisprudence seemingly reinstated the Islamic law and social order to the foundations of Islamic religion. In fact, the Islamic schools of jurisprudence resisted the Western influences thus preserving the Muslim character and the character of Islam legal opinions. Furthermore, Prophet Mohammad was significant in encouraging Quran teachers in different parts of the Islamic territories to teach the Islam how to read and write the Quran. As a result, many people got to know about the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Defining, Examining and Designing an Organizational Structure

Defining, Examining and Designing an Organizational Structure An organizational structure can be defined as a pattern of relationships of different component in an organization. Organization structure thus refers to the arrangement of relationships among different positions and people in an organization (HRM GUIDE 2009, Para. 2). Importance of organizational structure Organization structure gives authority and responsibility to individuals. It directs who is in charge of what and who is responsible for what outcome. The structure helps individuals to know their roles and how to relate to each other in the organization (HRM GUIDE 2009, Para. 3). The organization structure gives the pattern of communication and coordination in the organization. By grouping activities and individuals, organization structure helps to facilitate communication between individuals centered in their responsibilities. This enables information sharing and problem solving. Location of decision centers: organization structure determines the centre of decision making and the source of power in an organization. Proper balancing: organization structure ensures good coordination between different groups in the organization. Nike Company It is a publicly traded supplier of sportswear and equipment in the United States. The company headquarters are based in Beaverton. Nike is the worlds greatest manufacture and supplier of athletic shoes. The Company adopts a hybrid of both functional and divisional structure. The chief executive officer is in the top of the hierarchy and the following managers directly report to him: the corporate vice president, manager operations, manager Jordan brand, manager Nike brand, manager global basketball, manager Americas brand, manager administration, manager Brand and category management, manager footwear, human resources manager, sports marketing manager and the manager in charge of Nike design (Official Board 2009, Para. 1). Looking at the Nike structure we realize that each brand has a department that organizes its activities. Each brand operates independently such that it organizes on the production and marketing. Each department then has sub-units or sub-departments like production and accounting. This enables the company to track the performance of each of its brand separately. Each departmental head reports directly to the C.E.O. this gives departments autonomy in decision making. There are other departments that are utilized by all the departments but they also report directly to the C.E.O. The human resource department is responsible for recruitment and placement of employees in the whole organization. This department deals with the employees affairs in the whole organization. The manager (operation) is responsible for coordination of operations within the whole company. It has the responsibility of making sure that all activities in the organization are run smoothly and are well coordinated. This reduces conflict and facilitates interdepartmental cooperation (Official Board 2009, Para. 2). The marketing department is the department that deals with all the marketing activities of the products produced by the Company. This department organizes sales and promotion campaigns for all the brands. This department is responsible for brand development and growth. It works together with other department to determine sales forecast and expected demand for the products. This department is an important part of the firm because it is responsible for maintaining a strong brand for her products. Comparisons of Nikes organizational structure and the divisional type of organization structure Communications Divisional type of structure has a decentralized form of communication such that different department make their own decisions on consultation with the C.E.O., this is the same communication channel that is practiced in Nike. Each brand manager is directly answerable to the head office. The department makes its own production schedule and organizes its internal affairs (Buzzel.com 2009, para.5). There are some differences in the Nike structure and the convectional divisional structure communication. In the Nike structure there is the operations department which facilitates the interdepartmental communication. This department ensures that information flow between the departments is smooth. The information between the departments doesnt have to go to the CEO first so that it can be communicated to other departments. Division of labor The organization structure at Nike is organized such that each department is responsible for organizing its own activities. This shows that each departmental manager is the boss of a given department. The employees of a given department are answerable to the departmental head. This is similar to the divisional type of organization structure where the departments are usually given the autonomy to carry out their own activities and answerable to the top management (Buzzel.com 2009, para.4). The Nike Company organizational structure gives the departmental head control over all the processes and the human resources in the department. However there is an overall human resource department that harmonizes the human resources in the whole organization. This shows that the human resources in the organization have two centers of control. The department controls the working of employees while the human resource department is concerned with staffing and the employees welfare. Coordination Nikes organization structure coordination is similar to that of divisional organizational structure. Each departmental manager in the Nike Company reports directly to the C.E.O. and the board of directors forms the reference point to each department. Each departmental head organizes the activities in his/her department and makes sure they are well coordinated to produce maximum output. Nike has got also the operation department. This department is responsible in overall logistical planning in the organization. It is responsible for bringing logistical harmony in the companys operations. This is different from the divisional organizational structure which relies with all its coordination from the top management http://www.taxarticles.info/2010/06/importance-of-organizational-structure/

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Individual Experience in a World of Categories :: Sociology Sociological Essays

The Individual Experience in a World of Categories Lakoff and Johnson argue for an embodied mind, saying that our categories are based on how we experience the world through our bodies. According to this theory, as a result of their different anatomies, men and women would experience the world differently and their categories would be inherently different. Also, it would be expected that all women would share the same categories. Our class and our discussions have demonstrated a diversity of opinions and methods of categorization that refute this part of Lakoff and Johnson's argument. I think that Lakoff and Johnson were correct in saying that "the categories we form are part of our experience" (Lakoff and Johnson 19). However, what they neglected to factor into their analysis of the way human beings categorize is the differences of each individual experience. Categories and their meanings are based on an individual's personal knowledge of the world, and that is why no category means exactly the same thing for more than one individual. I want to examine the categories of race and sexuality in Moraga and Delany to demonstrate the significance of the individual experience and its direct connection to categories. Also, I want to suggest that race as "other" is more problematic than sexuality to one's personal identity. Delany's "Aversion/Perversion/Diversion" presents us with a series of troubling tales. They all originate within Delany's life, but his reason for choosing these particular tales is "precisely because they are uncharacteristic" (Delany 125). Even within one's own individual experience, there is an uniqueness to events. The category "gay" doesn't mean that the individuals who identify themselves as part of it will share an understanding of all that it has meant for one person to claim this label for himself/herself. Delany acknowledges that the identification with others that categories create is in a way false, "even the similarities are finally, to the extent they are living ones, a play of differences" (Delany 131). He emphasizes that much of the sexual experience remains outside of language. No everything will be shared, not everything can be. An individual's journey to claiming his/her own identity is entrenched in the personal journey, in occurrences both characteristic and unch aracteristic. However, maybe these "uncharacteristic" tales are not as uncharacteristic to his experience as Delany believes. It is fact that they are indeed a part of Delany's experience as a gay man, and he says himself that there is no universal "gay experience.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

EDocs Study Questions Essay

This case concerns the negotiation of a venture capital investment between Charles River Ventures (CRV) and the founders of eDocs. eDocs (Kevin Laracey) and CRV (Jonathan Guerster) must decide what terms they would like to negotiate. Negotiation roles are given in an accompanying spreadsheet. Please review the study questions (page 2) and the poll questions (pages 3 and 4) – I will use these questions as a basis for class discussion. The point of the poll questions is to force people to think specifically about trading off deal terms for price, and to see how these tradeoffs vary across teams. Statistics from the poll results will be discussed in class. In your case memo, please include a term sheet signed by one member of each team. Please make sure that the term sheets from both sides of the transaction match. It is not necessary to reproduce the entire term sheet for the case; instead, you can sign an â€Å"amended term sheet† that includes only the provisions that have changed from the original; please also include any amendments to the terms discussed in Guerster’s letter to Laracey (page 22 of the case). If the teams could not reach an agreement, please say this explicitly in your case memo. The memos should include all the answers to the â€Å"poll questions† for your team (pages 3 and 4) and some logical support for these answers. These poll questions are effectively the starred (*) questions for this memo. You are also free to answer/discuss any of the study questions (see page 2) or any other issues that were important in your negotiation. Grades on these memos will depend on the logical coherence of your negotiating strategy and answers to the poll questions (as described in the memo) and may depend on the relative success of your negotiation (judged vs. other teams). It is possible to negotiate against intransigent counterparties, come to no agreement, and yet explain this well and write an excellent case memo. Please restrict your memos to be no more than five pages (not including the term sheet). A well-written memo of three pages beats a rambling five-page memo any day. There are two sets of poll questions: one set for the eDocs team and one set for the CRV team. I apologize for stating the obvious, but here it goes: eDocs teams should answer only the eDocs poll and CRV teams should answer  only the CRV poll. eDocs A startup e-commerce company is looking for its first-round of venture capital. A prominent VC is interested, and the parties must bargain over terms and price. 1) Is eDocs a good fit for CRV? If you were CRV, is this the kind of company you want to invest in? 2) Is CRV a good fit for eDocs? If you were eDocs, is this the kind of VC you want as an early-stage investor? 3) What are the most contentious terms for negotiation? 4) (*) How did your team decide on the relative value of these terms? 5) With the experience of this negotiation behind you, how would you have handled it differently? Poll Questions: eDocs NOTE: There is not just one â€Å"correct† answer for any of these questions, so don’t go crazy trying to figure it out. Also, for Questions 2 and 3, we do not expect any specific quantitative analysis. There are, however, good reasons why you might care more or less about the issues raised in all of the questions: please discuss these reasons in your memo and use them to guide your answers. One thing that is true: all of your answers to these questions should have X greater than or equal to $1. If you want to give an answer less than $1, then you are misunderstanding the question. 1) You have made a counteroffer to CRV that eliminates the participation described in the â€Å"liquidation† section of the term sheet. That is, you have offered that CRV pay $1 per share for regular convertible preferred stock with no participation feature. They counter with an offer of $X per share while keeping the participation option. What is the lowest value of X for which you would be willing to let them keep participation? 2) You have made a counteroffer to CRV that accelerates the vesting as described in the â€Å"Founders Stock, Options & Vesting† section of the term sheet. That is, you have offered the same terms as the original spreadsheet, except that founder’s shares vest immediately. CRV counters with an offer of $X per  share while keeping the same vesting schedule. What is the lowest value of X for which you would be willing to let them keep the original schedule? 3) You have made a counteroffer to CRV that adds Kris Canekeratne to the Board of Directors. CRV, concerned that the board would be too large, counters with an offer of $X per share while keeping the same board composition as in the original term sheet. What is the lowest value of X for which you would be willing to let them keep the original board composition? 4) Guerster’s letter to Laracey (page 22 of case) includes a condition under which CRV will receive extra warrants if they finance the entire round. You have made a counteroffer that removes this provision. CRV counters with an offer of $X per share while keeping the extra warrant condition. What is the lowest value of X for which you would be willing to let them keep this condition? Poll Questions: CRV NOTE: There is not just one â€Å"correct† answer for any of these questions, so don’t go crazy trying to figure it out. Also, for Questions 2 and 3, we do not expect any specific quantitative analysis. There are, however, good reasons why you might care more or less about the issues raised in all of the questions: please discuss these reasons in your memo and use them to guide your answers. One thing that is true: all of your answers to these questions should have X greater than or equal to $1. If you want to give an answer less than $1, then you are misunderstanding the question. 1) eDocs has made a counteroffer to you that eliminated the participation described in the â€Å"liquidation† section of the term sheet. That is, they have offered that you pay $1 per share for regular convertible preferred stock with no participation feature. You are preparing to counter with an offer of $X per share while keeping the participation option. What is the highest value of X you would be willing to offer in order keep the participation? 2) eDocs has made a counteroffer to you that accelerates the vesting as described in the â€Å"Founders Stock, Options & Vesting† section of the term  sheet. That is, they have offered the same terms as the original spreadsheet, except that founder’s shares vest immediately. You are preparing to counter with an offer of $X per share while keeping the same vesting schedule. What is the highest value of X you would be willing to offer in order to keep the original vesting schedule? 3) eDocs has made a counteroffer to CRV that adds Kris Canekeratne to the Board of Directors. You are concerned that the board would be too large and are preparing to counter with an offer of $X per share while keeping the same board composition as in the original term sheet. What is the highest value of X you would be willing to offer in order to keep the board composition as described in the term sheet? 4) Guerster’s letter to Laracey (page 22 of case) includes a condition under which CRV will receive extra warrants if they finance the entire round. eDocs has made a counteroffer that removes this provision. You are preparing to counter with an offer of $X per share while keeping the extra warrant condition. What is the highest value of X you would be willing to offer in order to keep this condition?

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Small-Scale Fish Farming in Bangladesh

Small-scale fish farming in Bangladesh Introduction For many people in Bangladesh small-scale fish farming is an important opportunity to generate income and is a significant nutritional source providing protein-rich food all year round. It comprises of a range of options that can be adapted to suit the needs and capacity of people living in rural Bangladesh. The two approaches commonly implemented on a small scale are: †¢ Local pond fish farming Open water fish farming in lakes, rivers, dams and reservoirs The benefit to low-income farmers is that they are able to invest in fish cultivation when there is sufficient income, which will then be able to generate additional income and food when other sources of income are limited. Much of Bangladesh is flooded annually during the monsoon season as water flows into the country through the Ganga (Ganges), Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. This provides an extensive range of habitats for wild and cultivated fish species.Fish catches are h ighest after the monsoon rains when supplies of other foods, such as rice, are low. With so much water, fishing plays a vital role in the economy of rural villages. Fish farming options Capital intensive One of the main trends in fish culture over recent years has been towards capital-intensive, high-input high-yield systems, which can dramatically improve the rate of production if operated in ideal conditions. The development of practical hatching techniques has vastly improved fish cultivation and allowed careful breeding and selection of desired species to take place.Although these techniques were introduced to Bangladesh some years ago, it has taken time for them to become established. Commercially produced fish have become a significant proportion of the total fish supply. But intensive cultivation methods increase the cost of fish production beyond the reach of poorer farmers. Consequently, alternative low-cost approaches have been promoted by NGOs working in the country. Fish farming for the poorAn enormous variety of water bodies, including rivers, irrigation canals, flood plains, beels (large depressions), ox bow lakes and ponds are dispersed throughout Bangladesh offering considerable potential for fish cultivation, but a general lack of capital, access to resources and knowledge means that many farmers are unable to provide all the commercial inputs required for intensive production methods. An alternative low-cost approach is more appropriate for many people, relying on existing water bodies and natural vegetation and household waste, supplemented with animal protein in the form of snails and homemade supplements for fish feed.Many NGOs are adopting strategies to minimise the inherent riskiness of fish culture by undertaking research into low-input systems, low-cost technology, fast growing species and alternative management practices. Pond culture Site selection is an important factor in the success of a fish farm but the ideal site is usually not available to poorer families. Site location will be dependent on a number of factors: †¢ The fish species being raised. †¢ Soil quality, which affects water quality and productivity. †¢ An adequate supply of water. †¢ Land ownership. Marketplace and market conditions. †¢ Fish food and other inputs available to the farmer. †¢ Groups adjacent to water. †¢ More than 1 metre water retention capacity for at least 6 months of the year. †¢ Pollution free. Ideally, the fishpond should be 0. 5 to 1. 0 metres at the shallow end and sloping to 1. 5 to 2 . 0 metres at the drain end. Drain vales, baffle boards or tilt-over standpipes should be incorporated into the design. It should be possible to drain the pond within three days. The edges of the pond should have a slope of 2:1 or 3:1 on all sides.If possible the pond should be located to take advantage of the effect of the wind on the surface of the pond to mix the water; although locations that are too windy can cause erosion of dykes. If the site is very windy the long side of the pond should be at right angles to the prevailing wind. Hedges and trees can be used to protect the pond. In practice, existing ponds and pools are abundant in Bangladesh, often located near to farmers’ homes. Small-scale fish cultivation is mainly a secondary occupation for farmers. These ponds tend to be small (less than 0. 5 acres) and do not have any water drain facility. They are commonly referred to as fishponds but are in fact â€Å"borrow pits†, where earth has been removed for building. Fish breading is just one of the activities that the ponds are used for. Other uses may include domestic water use, washing, irrigation or duck keeping. Ponds are occasionally integrated into paddy fields as additional ditches. Consequently, the ponds have many limitations for producing fish. In managing the ponds there are many potential problems to be considered, including: †¢ Broken pond ba nks; check the pond walls on a regular basis. An irregular water supply, too much water in the monsoon season and too little in the summer. †¢ Predators; check the pond for signs of snake and rat holes. The Boal fish is a particular menace that eats smaller fish. †¢ Grazing animals can damage the pond banks and should be kept out of the way. †¢ Silting or a build up of organic matter; check the bottom of the pond and scoop silt out when required. Mud on the bottom of the ponds can be agitated with a rope to release harmful gasses. †¢ Leakage; check the inlet and outlet on a regular basis. Fish diseases; check the fish on a regular basis. †¢ Poor water quality; lime can be added to improve the water quality. Open water fish farming Open water fish farming is particularly suited to Bangladesh with its many water sources. Cages or pens are used to separate an area of larger water bodies for fish cultivation. The selected water source should be of good quality w ith low turbidity. Dams and reservoirs primarily exist to store water but as a secondary function these bodies of water can be stocked with fingerlings or fry and the fish can be harvested later on using nets.In river locations a slow current is necessary and there should be little disturbance from water traffic. The disadvantages are: †¢ Fish farmers have little control of the water, as they do not own the dam or reservoir. †¢ Water cannot be drained, as the main function of the resource is to provide water. †¢ There are likely to be more predators of the fish in the water. †¢ It is not possible to feed or fertilize the water, as occurs in more intensive fish farming, so there is a reliance on naturally occurring fish food. There is a potential risk from disease but stock held in small-scale cages scattered around villages will probably be less vulnerable than stock held in more concentrated and centralized commercial systems. †¢ The risk from theft and van dalism is a serious problem in some places. This is especially real for the poorest people who are perceived as easy victims. †¢ A significant expansion of cage culture activities in some villages could lead to local depletion of snail or other foods, to the detriment of ducks and other domestic and wild animals. †¢ Multiple ownership of ponds can be a major drawback to the effective use of such resources.Consensus over access to the water for the poor has to be developed. Figure 2: Bilkish Begum and Hamida Begum working with fish cages (Photo credit: Practical Action / Zul) Fish cages Cages are used as a form of farming in their own right within flowing or large bodies of water and can also be used in small pond fish culture to protect fingerlings in the initial stages of development. Small cages with a capacity of one cubic metre are suitable for fingerling protection. The cage can hold up to 300 fish at a time. People grow fish in their local ponds using a simple fish c age known locally as a â€Å"hapa†.A few young fish are put into each â€Å"hapa†, which acts as their home, floating just below the surface of the pond. Cage construction Cages can be made using a few cheap materials. Bamboo poles form an outer frame that is covered in netting; inside is a â€Å"nursery† section for the younger, more delicate fish; and floats are added at the corners. A cage is a very simple means of restraining fish in one place and it can be easily made using local materials. Cage design must incorporate certain physical properties, including the ability to hold fish securely but also to be within the financial means of the cage operators.The cages presently used are small in size, measuring between 1 and 2m3, inexpensive and simple to construct. Farmers use both fixed and floating cages. In general, fixed cages are installed in water where the depth is relatively low and bamboo poles can be fixed into the riverbed or substrate. Floating cage s do not have this limitation and can be used in deep water. Floating cages tend to be easier to manage but when selecting the type and design the following points should be considered: †¢ Ability †¢ Input availability †¢ Natural disaster †¢ Type of water body Water depth †¢ Water current †¢ Water retention period over one year †¢ Social problem †¢ Cage management Fixed cages Fixed cages are very easy to construct and only require a small amount of capital investment. The materials needed to make fixed cages are netting with an 8mm mesh size, bamboo, rope, twine and sinker. Routine management is difficult for these cages and storms, strong currents, tidal surges and flooding may cause damage if precautionary measures are not taken. Fixed cages are difficult to move from one place to another during water fluctuation.A top cover is usually provided on cages to reduce the risk of fish escaping, especially in areas prone to flash floods where wate r levels rise very quickly. A small opening is kept at one edge or in the middle of the top covering for feeding purposes. A feeding platform made of fine mesh is placed on the bottom of each cage to minimise food loss. To fix the cage, four bamboo poles are fixed in the substrate and the four top and bottom corners of the cage are tied to the bamboo poles with nylon rope, allowing the cage netting to stretch.To minimise installation cost and to reduce daily management labour, cages are sometimes fixed in rows with a narrow space between the adjacent cages. Floating cages The size of the cage is usually 1m3. A top net is always used to minimise escapees because the cage is only a few centimetres above the water surface. The top of the cage is on hinges that can be opened to allow feeding, the checking of fish, the removal of waste and harvesting. A layer of fine mesh net is placed along the bottom of the cage and 10 centimetres up each side which reduces food loss.However, where wat er has a high turbidity, the use of fine mesh is not recommended as it clogs up the mesh and causes structural stress on the cage frame. In these areas, feeding trays should be used instead of fine mesh. Buoyancy is achieved by using four plastic floats (buoys) which are tied to the four horizontal frames, approximately 10 centimetres from the top of the cage. Bamboo frame cage To make a 1m3 bamboo cage, twelve one metre long bamboo sticks (about 2cm in diameter) are required and fixed into the holes of the angles, one angle for each corner, giving a box shape. Advantages and disadvantages of fixed and floating cages | |Fixed cages |Floating cages | |Advantages | |Cost per unit is small |Water volume remains constant even with a fluctuation in the water | |Not damaged by storms |level | |Easy age management |Cage can be installed in deep water | |Cage bags spread properly in the water |Floating cage with box type frame gives adequate space inside | |Easy to construct | |In tidal water bodies the effective cage depth is greater | |Disadvantages | |Water depth inside cage varies with the fluctuation of the water |Cost per unit is higher than fixed cages | |level |Algae deposits on cage net affect the water exchange | |Vulnerable to tidal surge and storm |Cage management i. e. cleaning, moving and sampling are not easy | |Cage cannot be installed in all types of water bodies |Due to water flow sometimes the cage bag does not spread properly | |Prone to crab cutting |Easy to steal fish by lifting the cage | |Poorer fish growth and higher mortality rate |During flooding may wash away | Cage managementCare of cages – cleaning of aquatic weeds nearby, removal of water hyacinth, cleaning of waste feeds from cages, cleaning of deposited silts from cage, removal of dead fishes, checking cage frames, floats, ties, anchors, feeding trays etc. , cage shifting, considering the water level, checking water pollution and guarding. Care of net – Algae attachme nt should be cleaned at regular basis to ensure water exchange, net holes must be checked properly and need quick repairing when necessary. Care of fish – profitability depends on proper attention to the fish growth, regular, adequate and quality feeding is important. Fish health and disease should be monitored during feeding and sampling.The fish must be fed daily using aquatic weed or a mixture of rice bran, oil cakes, kitchen waste, chopped snails or cow dung. Minimising risk of cage culture †¢ Appropriate cage design can help minimise failure. †¢ The use of more than one cage per household greatly reduces the risk of an individual losing all fish. †¢ Placing many cages together in clusters also reduces the risk of poaching. †¢ Individual farmers can form groups that can guard the fish and therefore considerably reduce potential poaching threats. Fish types Fish is an important part of the diet for the people in Bangladesh providing protein calcium, fat ty acids and vitamins.Traditionally, a variety of local species were used in ponds, mainly carp, caught from the wild as spawn (fertilised eggs or small fish). One of the main drawbacks of this source of supply is that along with the desired fish species come many undesirable ones Most of the species currently used in the cages in Bangladesh are exotics. However, for decades these fish have bred naturally and distributed themselves throughout the flood plains and the delta. Common fish types The selection a suitable fish species will depend on various biological and economic factors, such as; †¢ Market price †¢ Growth rate †¢ Ability to reproduce simple culture of young fish Match of fish and available fish feed †¢ Water temperature is an important criteria in assessing which fish species is suitable. The main types of cultivated fish are Carp, Tilapia and Catfish. Other fish suitable to cultivation are eel, tawes, mullet, snakeskin, and rohu. Some fish are more suitable to pond conditions than others, some fish will not adapt the confined conditions while others such as the indigenous Koi (Anabas testidunous) have been found to thrive in cages. Small indigenous species In addition to the main cultivated species there are many indigenous breeds of fish that play an important role in the nutrition of the population.These fish are classed as small indigenous species although not all fish within this classification are particularly small. Of the 260 species of fresh water fish found locally, over 140 species are classified as Small Indigenous Species (SIS) and account for over 80% of the total catch, consumed by the poorer section, as preferred species. The term SIS would seem to be a recent re interpretation of the Bangla word chotmach (literally small fish) as opposed to Boromach (literally large fish). Common fish within the small indigenous species category include: Figure 3: Bilkish with prepared food for her fish (Photo credit: Practical Action / Zul) †¢ Small catfish †¢ Knifefishes Snakeheads †¢ Needlefishes †¢ Minnows, Rasboras, and bards †¢ Loaches †¢ Anchovies and sardines †¢ Spiny eels †¢ Climbing perch †¢ Gobies †¢ Mud Perches †¢ Glassfishes †¢ Fresh water prawns Small, low-value fish are particularly important for the extremely poor after the rice harvest when the demand for their labour declines. Feeding the fish With the non-intensive approach it is possible to feed fish on nothing more than scraps and waste, duck weed, oil cake, kitchen waste, rice bran and snails which will provide all the nutrition required. Some low-cost feeds are bought in by the households, typically rice bran and oilcake, but these costs are minimal.Occasionally, the diet may be supplemented with commercially available compound feeds. In most cases a mixture of diets is offered, according to their availability and needs of the fish. Fish harvesting and marketing Growth is r apid in the warm climate of Bangladesh and the fish attain marketable size within 3-9 months, providing farmers with a rapid return on their investment and labour. Fingerling production culture cycle is between 1 and 2 months. Cage nursery producers can sell fingerlings to the pond farmers and ox-bow lake operators. Fish for food culture cycle is between 4 and 6 months. Fish food producers consume the cage fish as well as selling them in the market.Figure 4: A group of landless women discussing finances in Madaripur (Photo credit: Practical Action / Neil Cooper) Profitability depends on many factors including the type of water body and culture, cage construction materials, the choice of fish species, fingerling size and price, stocking density, feed price, availability of protein rich feed, culture duration, cage management, harvesting and marketing. Another concern relates to economies of scale. Almost all enterprises are subject to economies of scale, and cage culture is no except ion. The labour of looking after one small cage is far greater per kilogram of product than that for looking after a large one.The cost of the cage per kilogram of production will also be higher for a small cage versus a large cage. However, co-operative use of labour can be used to realise economies of scale in relation to labour, and this is already done in many villages. The third concern, related to the second, is comparative advantage. A significant proportion of the fish is intended to be sold for cash rather than consumed by the farmer and his family. In the medium term, an important question is whether small-scale producers in villages are well placed to compete – either with larger commercial producers, or producers from elsewhere. If they are not, and if competition increases, then prices – and returns – will steadily decline.In practice there is strong local demand for fish throughout the country, and small-scale producers are well placed to serve wid ely-dispersed rural markets. Secondly, the use of surplus off-season and/or family labour is itself a comparative advantage. Thirdly, in those systems which use local food resources, such as natural foods and kitchen wastes, feed costs are relatively low compared with those for commercial producers. Small-scale fish producers should therefore be able to survive competition in much the same way as village-scale poultry producers have survived, and even to some extent benefit from the increasing number of intensive poultry operations. References and further reading †¢ Small-scale Freshwater Fish Farming by van Ear et al.Agromisa 1996 †¢ Cage and Pen Fish Farming: Carrying Capacity Models and Environmental Impact FAO Fisheries Technicla Paper 225, 1984 †¢ Food, Livelihoods and Freshwater Ecology: The Significance of Small Indigenous Fish Species, ITDG Bangladesh, 1999 For further information, please contact: Practical Action The Schumacher Centre for Technology and Devel opment Bourton-on-Dunsmore Warwickshire CV23 9QZ United Kingdom Tel: + 44 (0)1926 634400 Fax: + 44 (0)1926 634401 E-mail [email  protected] org. uk Website: www. practicalaction. org Practical Action Bangladesh G. P. O. Box 3881 Dhaka 1000 Bangladesh Tel: + 880 – (0)2 – 8111934, 9110060, 9123671 Fax: + 880 – (0)2 – 8113134 E-mail: [email  protected] org. bd

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Pathogens essays

Pathogens essays In todays food preparation world waterborne pathogens are becoming a real threat. Why? Simply because in todays culture people are quick to blame the food industry for most cases of disintary or other ill effects caused by bacteria. In this paper several things will be discussed. To understand what Im trying to say, you must understand a few key terms. First lets define waterborne pathogen. A waterborne pathogen is a micro-organism whose ability to cause disease has recently been identified. Now that you know what a waterborne pathogen is lets name a few. Each of these possible pathogens has been identified but according to the WRcs Final Report to the Department of the Environment on Waterborne Pathogens, it is still possible that several unidentified pathogens In order to understand how these pathogens work, and how to destroy them we must understand several of the parts that make them up. Some of and Susceptibility to removal or inactivation by conventional water Each of these parts is used in todays world to identify and destroy What happens if someone ingests a pathogen before it is identified? Well that is one reason that the Department of the Environment is so concerned. Due to current environmental status new pathogens are appearing semi-daily, and consequently overwhelming those who are working to stop them. One major example of this is Legionella. Legionella is ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Exchange Trip Tragedy

Exchange Trip Tragedy What is important for ensuring the safety on school field trip? Hashtag: #Germanwings Exchange Trip Tragedy Two teachers and 16 of their 10th-grade students perished when German Wings Flight 4U9525 crashed in the French Alps last March 24. These high school students spent a weeklong exchange trip in a town near Barcelona and on their way back to Haltern, a rural town, 80 kilometers North East of Dusseldorf, Germany when the tragedy occurred. School-sponsored off school field trips are designed to enhance classroom learning, cultivate a variety of interest among students, and expose them to a different culture. An â€Å"Exchange Trip† exclusively provides students with an opportunity to study language and gain overseas experience. For instance, the 10th graders who were on board Flight AU9525 were given the opportunity to learn Spanish language and culture in a town near Barcelona. However, although the objective of school field trip greatly benefits students in terms of knowledge and skills, such activity is risky and involved several health and safety concerns. Most parents are worried about field trip’s inherent risk of injuries such as falls, slips, and others and the ratio of teachers to students in ensuring the safety of each participant. The above concerns are legitimate as in reality, a significant number of students perished or were severely injured during their field trips. For instance, seven students of a State University crossing a river during their educational tour died when the water suddenly surged and swept them away. Two middle school students on a field trip were severely injured when the small aircraft carrying them skidded off the runway and went down on a steep embankment at Rock Airport in Pennsylvania, U.S. in 2011. In 2014, hundreds of Korean high school students on a field trip to Holiday Island drowned when their ferry suddenly sank and swept away by subsequent strong currents and underflow. Why Are You Not in Class and There Bleeding Ensuring the Safety on School Field Trip Most schools’ field trip policy holds trip leaders directly responsible for the safety of all students, staff, and volunteers, during a field trip. Under this policy, trip leaders are commonly expected to perform several basic duties such as warn and inform, provide instructions and safety equipment, supervise, and provide swift and appropriate post-injury care. Supervising hundreds of students at all times and exercising close control over them during a field trip seems nearly impossible for field trip leaders but it can be done through systematic accounting and assigning the right number of supervisors for a particular field trip. For instance, a number of students, age, maturity, type and duration of a field trip, transportation, and emergency requirements are factors for determining the number of chaperones required. Since field trips concern parents, it is critical for trip leaders or teachers to acquire permission and provide parents with necessary information such as the purpose of the trip, food and clothing requirements, and others. Controlling students during a field trip is much easier when they are well informed and committed to their own safety. For instance, students who clearly understand the reasons for safety guidelines are likely to internalize a commitment to safeguard themselves and others and become a vigilant teacher’s partner in safety. For as long as safety measures are strictly followed, air travel according to study is still one of the safest forms of travel. In fact, although surviving an aircraft accident is low, commercial airlines accidents are relatively rare. School-sponsored exchange trips, therefore, should continue and not be discouraged by the recent German Wings crash.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Battle of Horseshoe Bend in the Creek War

The Battle of Horseshoe Bend in the Creek War The Battle of Horseshoe Bend was fought March 27, 1814, during the Creek War (1813-1814). Inspired by the actions of the Shawnee leader Tecumseh, the Upper Creek elected to side with the British during the War of 1812 and commenced attacks on American settlements. Responding, Major General Andrew Jackson moved against the Upper Creek base at Horseshoe Bend in eastern Alabama with a mix of militia and regular troops. Attacking on March 27, 1814, his men overwhelmed the defenders and broke the back of the Upper Creeks resistance. A short time later, the Upper Creek asked for peace which was granted through the Treaty of Fort Jackson. Background With the United States and Britain engaged in the War of 1812, the Upper Creek elected to join with the British in 1813 and began attacks on American settlements in the southeast. This decision was based on the actions of the Shawnee leader Tecumseh who had visited the area in 1811 calling for a Native American confederacy, intrigues from the Spanish in Florida, as well as resentment about encroaching American settlers. Known as the Red Sticks, mostly likely due to their red-painted war clubs, the Upper Creeks successfully attacked and massacred the garrison of Fort Mims, just north of Mobile, AL, on August 30. Early American campaigns against the Red Sticks met with moderate success that fall but failed to eliminate the threat. One of these thrusts was led by Major General Andrew Jackson of Tennessee and saw him push south along the Coosa River. Reinforced in early March 1814, Jacksons command included a mix of Tennessee militia, the 39th US Infantry, as well as allied Cherokee and Lower Creek warriors. Alerted to the presence of a large Red Stick camp at the Horseshoe Bend of the Tallapoosa River, Jackson began moving his forces to strike. Creek leader Menawa. Public Domain Menawa and Horseshoe Bend The Red Sticks at Horseshoe Bend were led by the respected war leader Menawa. The previous December, he had moved the inhabitants of six Upper Creek villages to the bend and built a fortified town. While a village was constructed at the southern toe of the bend, a fortified log wall was built across the neck for protection. Dubbing the encampment Tohopeka, Menawa hoped that the wall would hold off attackers or at least delay them long enough for the 350 women and children in the camp to escape across the river. To defend Tohopeka, he had around 1,000 warriors of which around a third possessed a musket or rifle. Fast Facts: Battle of Horseshoe Bend Conflict: Creek War (1813-1814)Dates: March 27, 1814Armies Commanders:United StatesMajor General Andrew Jacksonapprox. 3,300 menRed Sticks:Menawaapprox. 1,000 menCasualties:United States: 47 killed and 159 wounded, Native American allies: 23 killed and 47 woundedRedSticks: 857 killed, 206 wounded Jackson's Plan Approaching the area early on March 27, 1814, Jackson split his command and ordered Brigadier General John Coffee to take his mounted militia and the allied warriors downstream to cross the river. Once this was done, they were to march upstream and surround Tohopeka from the far bank of the Tallapoosa. From this position, they were to act as a distraction and cut off Menawas lines of retreat. As Coffee departed, Jackson moved towards the fortified wall with the remaining 2,000 men of his command (Map). Fighting Begins Deploying his men across the neck, Jackson opened fire with his two artillery pieces at 10:30 AM with the goal of opening a breach in the wall through which his troops could attack. Possessing only a 6-pounder and 3-pounder, the American bombardment proved ineffective. While the American guns were firing, three of Coffees Cherokee warriors swam across the river and stole several Red Stick canoes. Returning to the south bank they began ferrying their Cherokee and Lower Creek comrades across the river to attack Tohopeka from the rear. In the process, they set fire to several buildings. Battle of Horseshoe Bend. Public Domain Jackson Strikes Around 12:30 PM, Jackson saw smoke rising from behind the Red Stick lines. Ordering his men forward, the Americans moved towards the wall with the 39th US Infantry in the lead. In brutal fighting, the Red Sticks were pushed back from the wall. One of the first Americans over the barricade was young Lieutenant Sam Houston who was wounded in the shoulder by an arrow. Driving forward, the Red Sticks fought an increasingly desperate battle with Jacksons men attacking from the north and his Native American allies assaulting from the south. Those Red Sticks that attempted to escape across the river were cut down by Coffees men. Fighting in the camp raged through the day as Menawas men attempted to make a final stand. With darkness falling the battle came to an end. Though severely wounded, Menawa and around 200 of his men were able to escape the field and sought refuge with the Seminoles in Florida. Aftermath In the fighting, 557 Red Sticks were killed defending the encampment, while approximately 300 more were killed by Coffees men while attempting to escape across the Tallapoosa. The 350 women and children in Tohopeka became prisoners of the Lower Creek and Cherokees. American losses numbered 47 killed and 159 wounded, while Jacksons Native American allies incurred 23 killed and 47 wounded. Having broken the back of the Red Sticks, Jackson moved south and built Fort Jackson at the confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa in the heart of the Red Sticks holy ground. William Weatherford meets with Andrew Jackson. Library of Congress From this position, he sent out the word to the remaining Red Stick forces that they were to sever their ties to the British and Spanish or risk being wiped out. Understanding his people to be defeated, noted Red Stick leader William Weatherford (Red Eagle) came to Fort Jackson and asked for peace. This was concluded by the Treaty of Fort Jackson on August 9, 1814, by which the Creek ceded 23 million acres of land in present-day Alabama and Georgia to the United States. For his success against the Red Sticks, Jackson was made a major general in the US Army and achieved further glory the following January at the Battle of New Orleans.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Our Parents Affect Us Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Our Parents Affect Us - Essay Example His aunt who was a devout Christian raised Hughes; she encouraged him to attend church proceedings so that he could be saved. Hughes narrates how his aunt told him that extraordinary things would occur in his life after he gets saved. He attends the revival church service where his aunt Reed worshipped so that he could experience the unusual feeling. Prior to the service, his aunt had advised him that he would experience â€Å"something on the inside and he would see the light† Hughes was anxious about experiencing the everlasting light of Jesus Christ (Yagelski, Amy & Robert 224). He attended the church service with the expectation of seeing the light physically. However, this does not take place because he was waiting for Jesus to appear and encourage him to join the rest of the children on the altar. He is forced to join the rest of the children on the altar out of peer pressure. Deep down he thought salvation was something physical not an inside feeling. He pretends to hav e experienced salvation to please his aunt. The impact of the words of our parents can be massive. Parents are the adults children look up to. Therefore, anything they tell their children is assumed to be true. Even when the words or stories told present some gaps the children perceive the words of the adults as something not to be questioned. Hughes believed the words of his aunt and when the anticipated feeling did not occur he was afraid to question his aunt and opted to lie. Hughes experience in â€Å"salvation† is similar to many other experiences of children. Children tend to comprehend the words told by our parents plainly. They believe that something will happen for real and not through imagination. Parents do not know the children fathom things that way; therefore, they keep on telling them fantasy stories that they understand as being true. Most of the time, the words of our parents influence our decision-making. Even though children do not comprehend all that their parents say when they are young. They pretend to understand so that they may not disappoint their parents. This is why Hughes pretended to be saved - he wanted to make his aunt happy. Maxine Hong Kingston is another victim of the impact of parents in â€Å"No Name Woman†. The stories told by our parents are meant to nurture our growth and ensure we behave properly (Yagelski, Amy & Robert 87). Parents fail to understand the fantasy developed by children because of the story or narration. For instance, Kingston is a young Chinese woman approaching adolescence; the mother is afraid of the impact of adolescence that may befall Kingston. Kingston’s mother tells her a story to frighten her and ensure she respects traditional morals and ethics, but many things go through the daughter’s mind; she tries to imagine the possible ways that her aunt’s misfortune happened. Kingston develops an imagination of what might have happened to her aunt. She kept on wondering what led to the suicidal decision of her aunt. Children have the tendency of developing similar fantasies from the stories told by parents. They tend to fill the gaps not answered by parents. The imaginations are developed because the stories told by parents are not fully imaginative; therefore, the children develop their own fantasy world to fill the gaps. The imaginations can go as far as Kingston’s imaginations. She keeps on wondering if her aunt was miserable because of the

Friday, October 18, 2019

Relocation Project; Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Relocation Project; - Assignment Example There some major issues which needs to be looked up before shifting. I have to have an unpleasant thought of your present cost of living dependent upon your present bills and measure of obligation (both altered month to month obligation, for example, your contract and variable obligation like your Mastercard bills). At that point, before you acknowledge an occupation offer in an alternate city, discover what amount of additional – or less – it might cost you to live there. Simply knowing your new compensation measure is insufficient. You will know, harshly, the contrast in you can hope to experience in the greater part of the liabilities you consistently cause. That means finishing some examination to realize what you might as well hope to pay for expenditures like what youre as of now using on: Whats more youll need to get a thought of the receptiveness to shopping in your potential new main residence, which may have an immediate effect on your plan. Case in point when you live close huge rebate retailers like Wal-Mart or Target where you do a ton of your shopping yet there are no such stores in your new main residence you will either need to customarily shop at additional costly stores or pay more for fuel to head to the closest enormous box retailers. Assuming that you have the ability to invest some opportunity there you might get a considerably more precise thought of the cost of living. Look through the paper or neighborhood magazines to get a thought of home deal costs or flat rental rates. Stop at a market to perceive how your nourishment plan may need to change and look at what amount of gas costs as youre touring the region. Destroying some individual exploration will provide for them you a significantly more sensible picture of how youll have to modify your plan. The single greatest cost youre set to need to weigh when acknowledging a move will probably be lodging – both managing your present lodging and

Entrepreneur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Entrepreneur - Essay Example Similar examples exist in the society and include interests in political appointment to the federal government (Gimpel 28). The entrepreneurial experience of Theodore Judah offers many lessons that are still relevant today. Theodore’s experience explains the role of hardwork and determination in entrepreneurial success, qualities that have been coined to define successful entrepreneurs. Theodore’s efforts to seeks support from politicians and business men and the success that he achieved defines his hardwork while his continuous efforts, despite discouraging encounter, in seeking support for the railroad project explains his determination as well as perseverance that can help today’s entrepreneurs to overcome challenges and succeed in their entrepreneurial ventures (Gimpel 29- 34). Your essay on Gustavus Swift is explorative and informative. I however believe that it is not strong in captivating the audience and also in attracting the audience’s attention. Including a thesis statement in the introductory paragraph and using subheadings for major points would have improved the essay’s effectiveness. The audience however has to strain to grasp information. Your essay on Lewis Tappan identifies professionalism in writing. Organizing the work into subsections and using headings helps the audience to understand a essay’s main points and helps in attracting attention into the essay. The presentation is also simple and identifies critical information such as the period in which Tappan lives, his life in business, and his business

Prospects of Utilization of Solar Energy For Thermal Desalination Dissertation

Prospects of Utilization of Solar Energy For Thermal Desalination Technologies in Saudi Arabia - Dissertation Example The paper describes about the current scenario about water resources in Saudi Arabia and how existing demand supply gaps can be filled with the use of thermal desalination technology in the years to come. Introduction The world population including the population in Saudi Arabia is growing at a rapid pace. The established and known reserves of fossil fuel is depleting fast. It has been imperative on the part of scientist and engineers to think of alternate sources of energy to meet the increasing demand. With the rising population demand of water is increasing too. Saudi Arabia has no natural sources of water supply except the water stored in aquifers. For these reasons, the Saudi Arabia has undertaken several projects for the development of renewable sources of energy. This study explores the possibility of harnessing solar energy for the purpose of desalination of water in Saudi Arabia. Radiation Measurement in Saudi Arabia According to one research report, the average solar radiat ion in Saudi Arabia is noticed as 5591 Watt hour on unit square meter area. The data collected are from 41 stations in the period of 10 years. (Mohandas et al, 1999) The solar radiation measurement in Saudi Arabia is now available for 10 major towns namely Tabuk, Al-Ula, Unayxah, Shaqra, Dawdami, Yabrin, Turabah, Heifa, Kwash, and Najran. Though all the locations offer promising solar radiation but the area of Najran is found to be the best. The method used is called radial basis function neural networks. (Mohandas et al, 1999) Solar energy and duration of sunshine is not the same throughout the year. As per the Solar Radiation Atlas the radiation is found to be in the range of 4.1 and 6.7 kilowatt-hour /sq. meter / day. (Alnaser et al., 2004) An Overview of Desalination Process in Saudi Arabia The current market share of the Saudi Arabia in the production of desalinated water is about 30 percent when viewed with respect to the global capacity installed. In last 80 years the Saudi A rabia has spent almost $25 billion on building and operating desalination plants. The kingdom now has 30 desalination units and the country has more than quadrupled its food production. It can be said that Saudi Arabia has turned into a modern nation in the last 25 years. A more than 50 percent water need of a resident in any city of the kingdom is met through Desalinated technology. (Water Demand, 2010) Supply and Demand Scenario of Water in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is mostly desert area devoid of any lakes or rivers. Saudi has limited water resources. The groundwater, stored in several aquifers across the country, is the main source that satisfies more than 90% of its water demand. Available Water Resources in Saudi Arabia, 2010 Source of Water In Million Cubic Meters Surface water (Renewable) 5000 (2230 available for use) Groundwater resources 2,269,000 (84,000 renewable water in shallow aquifers) Groundwater recharge (Renewable) 3,958 (1,196 in shallow aquifers and 2,762 in dee p aquifers) Desalination 1050 Treated Wastewater 400 Source: http://www.miahona.com/upload/publications/2010_Walid_SWPF-2010_Jeddah.pdf (p 18) The government of Saudi Arabia has been making great efforts to secure the water supplies for all purposes; some of them include such as dams, distribution systems, wastewater collection and treatment facilities in most cities and towns of the kingdom along with large sea

Thursday, October 17, 2019

What is the reason behind the success of Open Source Essay

What is the reason behind the success of Open Source - Essay Example For software to become popular there is need to have a large pool of users. Many users ensure that the software penetrates communities at a higher momentum which in turn creates a snowball effect. Open source software needs also to be compatible with the end users’ needs. It is important to note that consumers of software products need to be protected to a certain degree by developers. However, this liability is not that tight in open source programs. An example is Linux which comes with no warranty or liability clauses and consumers are forced at times to stay with their problems. This reduced obligation by the corporate in respect to functionality or failures of the system makes many engage in open source development. Again in the corporate scenario there are time limits within which problems need to be fixed in case of failures. Open source developers usually save on cost in this respect by having another party make changes or offer support at a small fee. An example of thi s arrangement is Linux and Red Hut. Licensing of open source receives relaxed regulations for example from Free Software Foundation. These regulations make it possible to integrate technical support from a pool of experts. Therefore, for an open source to be adopted by many, programmers are supposed to integrate their resources in bridging the gap of consumer needs. Source Management There is a great deal of difference when an individual develops software and when a pool of programmers develops the same. One person is highly likely to overlook many aspects that are necessary in making the software compatible with the needs of the end user. It is however a challenge to have many developers scattered all over the world doing parallel jobs but it is even worse when there are many development streams involved. This is the case with Linux where the support team is required to deal with various end user preferences all at the same time. In software development and fixing of bugs one chang e can lead to changes in many other segments of the system. This problem has however been simplified in the last decade or so owing to the availability of high speed internet connectivity at low cost for example the AOL (Rehman & Carleton University, 2006). This makes testing of changes faster and efficient. In overall, the free or low cost connection coupled with high speeds provide for the execution of real time changes. This in turn promotes usage and access for many people; both end users and programmers from around the world. Development Environment In developing open source three things are necessary; network, software and the hardware. It is a fact that more people today are able to access internet at the comfort of their homes than it was the case a decade ago. It is however important to note that programmers mostly require high speeds to do their job efficiently. Cable internet in many countries and expanded bandwidth per user, especially at home have hugely increased the n umber of developers. These two factors act as motivators for programmers to take their time to develop software. The hardware on the other hand has changed over the years. Pentium III has been replaced by Pentium IV and now Duo Core machines are in the market. The hardware efficiency and capability to handle huge tasks are other factors to consider. Developers not only require high internet speeds but also high speed machines. There are pieces of software that are more complex than others therefore requiring high speed machines with big hard drive; all of which are possible nowadays. These current capabilities are in line with the increasing sophistication in integrating software development. However, Eclipse IDE is an example of a facilitator which enables programmers to use various operating systems (Rehman & Carleton University, 2006). Through this technology developers are able to scan libraries for materials with increased flexibility and ease. Such software

Race, Class and Standpoint Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Race, Class and Standpoint Theory - Essay Example The video shows David Christensen listening to Hugh. It is because of Christensen’s compassion and willingness to be honest with Hugh about the experiences of Latinos in America. Hugh mentions in the film how he came to shooting feeling burnt out about diversity work in America and left with a hopeful feeling and energy (USF, 2013). Standpoint theory identifies a particular group of social people as privileged. The dominant group of persons has privileges of their voices being heard more than the other groups of people. However, a variety of different voices of people of different social and racial settings can be heard more than the one from the dominant group. Hartsock, a writer about the Standpoint Theory, claims that womens unique standpoint in society is essential to providing the justification for the claims of feminism (Wise, 2011). It does this while also providing feminism with a method in which they can better analyze reality. People have different knowledge of other people, in terms of their various relationships to them mostly personal. Such knowledge is often incompletely articulated, tacit and intuitive. It is the reason there is always racial and class discrimination among human beings. There is much judgment about the white people, black people, Latinas and colored people. The decision makes one have the wrong perception of a person. An increase in the level of a person’s authority leads to the rise of power they get when having an implementation of their viewpoints on the world. Without power, the level of a person’s voice reduces and the individual has little to no say regarding policies (Johnson, 2006). The forces involved are all contributors to people’s communication in our world. Standpoint theory is in support of what feminist theorist Sandra Harding describes as strong objectivity. It is the notion that the ideas of individuals who are either

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

What is the reason behind the success of Open Source Essay

What is the reason behind the success of Open Source - Essay Example For software to become popular there is need to have a large pool of users. Many users ensure that the software penetrates communities at a higher momentum which in turn creates a snowball effect. Open source software needs also to be compatible with the end users’ needs. It is important to note that consumers of software products need to be protected to a certain degree by developers. However, this liability is not that tight in open source programs. An example is Linux which comes with no warranty or liability clauses and consumers are forced at times to stay with their problems. This reduced obligation by the corporate in respect to functionality or failures of the system makes many engage in open source development. Again in the corporate scenario there are time limits within which problems need to be fixed in case of failures. Open source developers usually save on cost in this respect by having another party make changes or offer support at a small fee. An example of thi s arrangement is Linux and Red Hut. Licensing of open source receives relaxed regulations for example from Free Software Foundation. These regulations make it possible to integrate technical support from a pool of experts. Therefore, for an open source to be adopted by many, programmers are supposed to integrate their resources in bridging the gap of consumer needs. Source Management There is a great deal of difference when an individual develops software and when a pool of programmers develops the same. One person is highly likely to overlook many aspects that are necessary in making the software compatible with the needs of the end user. It is however a challenge to have many developers scattered all over the world doing parallel jobs but it is even worse when there are many development streams involved. This is the case with Linux where the support team is required to deal with various end user preferences all at the same time. In software development and fixing of bugs one chang e can lead to changes in many other segments of the system. This problem has however been simplified in the last decade or so owing to the availability of high speed internet connectivity at low cost for example the AOL (Rehman & Carleton University, 2006). This makes testing of changes faster and efficient. In overall, the free or low cost connection coupled with high speeds provide for the execution of real time changes. This in turn promotes usage and access for many people; both end users and programmers from around the world. Development Environment In developing open source three things are necessary; network, software and the hardware. It is a fact that more people today are able to access internet at the comfort of their homes than it was the case a decade ago. It is however important to note that programmers mostly require high speeds to do their job efficiently. Cable internet in many countries and expanded bandwidth per user, especially at home have hugely increased the n umber of developers. These two factors act as motivators for programmers to take their time to develop software. The hardware on the other hand has changed over the years. Pentium III has been replaced by Pentium IV and now Duo Core machines are in the market. The hardware efficiency and capability to handle huge tasks are other factors to consider. Developers not only require high internet speeds but also high speed machines. There are pieces of software that are more complex than others therefore requiring high speed machines with big hard drive; all of which are possible nowadays. These current capabilities are in line with the increasing sophistication in integrating software development. However, Eclipse IDE is an example of a facilitator which enables programmers to use various operating systems (Rehman & Carleton University, 2006). Through this technology developers are able to scan libraries for materials with increased flexibility and ease. Such software

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Slum Life Empowerment Activities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Slum Life Empowerment Activities - Essay Example Among those activities, I enjoyed community mobilization and community empowerment through environmental cleaning as well as public awareness through talks. It is now the third year since I chose and decided to pursue a course of life in giving back to the society in form of youth mobilization for behavior change as part of my leisure activity. Studying from the city presents a challenge in time management in that weekly daily routines are often defined by waking up for school early every day and returning home late in the evening, very tired and having a lot to accomplish in studies before I retire for bed. Nevertheless, much of my free time is over the weekends and especially on Saturday when I do not attend school. On weekends, I engage in the activities of visiting the slums around the city for empowerment programs especially aimed at youths who often indulge in drugs and are associated with crime. I enjoy the whole experience of mobilizing and gathering people together for a pub lic lecture on behavior change, for street cleaning exercises as well as for talent shows. After growing up within the city suburbs, passing through slums have not been new to my life and I have observed the challenges that life in slums entails. Life in slum is characterized with poor living standards, lack of basic needs like food shelter and clothing as well as deprivation of such basic services as education. This contributes more to antisocial behaviors especially among the youth where drug use and insecurity becomes part of their lives. This, therefore, informed my decision to spend my leisure time interacting with slum dwellers in efforts to help them change behaviors for a positive living. More specifically, my delight is in engaging the people in community welfare activities such as environmental cleaning activities, drugs and substance campaigns as well as in talent  search through sporting activities.

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Ecology Environment And Tourism Tourism Essay

The Ecology Environment And Tourism Tourism Essay Today, tourism is one of the largest and dynamically developing sectors of external economic activities. Its high growth and development rates, considerable volumes of foreign currency inflows, infrastructure development, and introduction of new management and educational experience actively affect various sectors of economy, which positively contribute to the social and economic development of the country as a whole. Most highly developed western countries, such as Austria, Italy, and Switzerland have accumulated a big deal of their social and economic welfare on profits from tourism. According to recent statistics, tourism provides about 10% of the worlds income and employs almost one tenth of the worlds workforce. All considered, tourisms actual and potential economic impact is astounding. Many people emphasize the positive aspects of tourism as a source of foreign exchange, a way to balance foreign trade, an industry without chimney In short, manna from heaven. But there are also a number of other positive and negative sides of tourisms economic boom for local communities, which not always considered by advocates of tourism perspectives. Therefore in this paper I will consider the main social and environment impacts of tourism at the country level. Travel and tourism does not necessarily involve travelling abroad. Much tourism takes place within peoples home country, on visits to attractions, city breaks, trips to business meetings, sports events or concerts, and visits to friends and relatives (abbreviated as VFR). There are three main types of tourism: domestic tourism, incoming or inbound tourism and outbound tourism. According to World Tourism Organisation (WTO) affiliated to the United Nations and recognised as the leading international body on global tourism tourism is defined as: The activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes. World Tourism Organisation, 1993 Domestic Tourism: This is when people take holidays, short breaks and day trips in their own country. Examples would be: A couple taking a weekend break in their own country; A family visiting relations in another part of the country, even if they live only a few miles away. Incoming / Inbound Tourism: This describes people entering the country in question from their home country, so it is a type of international tourism. Examples could be: A group of Chinese visitors coming to Egypt on a recreational trip; Teams from different countries entering a country for an international event, such as the Olympic Games; Outbound Tourism: This term applies when people travel away from their home country to visit other international countries for leisure or business. Examples of this could be: Business people from the India travelling to Germany to visit a major exhibition; A day tripper from southern Malaysia visiting Singapore. It is possible to divide the components of the travel and tourism industry into six key areas, as represented in the Figure below, IMPACTS OF TOURISM Tourism has three major impacts namely, Socio-cultural, environmental and economic impacts. SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACT OF TOURISM Tourism may have many different effects on the social and cultural aspects of life in a particular region or area, depending on the cultural and religious strengths of that region. The interaction between tourists and the host community can be one of the factors that may affect a community as tourist may not be sensitive to local customs, traditions and standards. The effect can be positive or negative on the host community. Positive impacts on an area include benefits such as: Local community can mix with people from diverse backgrounds with different lifestyles which through demonstration effect may lead to the development of improved lifestyles and practices from the tourists examples. There can be an improvement in local life through better local facilities and infrastructure (developed to sustain tourism) which could lead to better education, health care, employment opportunities and income. More cultural and social events available for local people such as entertainment, exhibitions etc. Conservation of local and cultural heritage of an area and rebirth of its crafts, architectural traditions and ancestral heritage; Urban areas which may be in decline can be revived and the movement of people from rural areas to urban areas for employment may be reversed as jobs will be available in the tourism industry. Dubai is an ideal example of a tourist destination which has reaped the benefits of the positive impact of development, on the socio-cultural aspects of in the country. As noticed, considerable financial investment by both public and private sectors has resulted in development of the existing infrastructure and to job creation. Archaeological and heritage sites have been preserved, and local traditions are maintained. The hospitable culture of the Arab world and acceptance of others lifestyles implying that tourists are welcomed but do not threaten existing ways of life. However, tourism may have negative effects on an area, such as, Existing infrastructure (roads, railways, health care provision) may not be able to cope with the greater stress created by influx of people by tourism. Local populations activities and lifestyles may suffer intrusion from tourists leading to resentment towards tourists. The local population may copy lifestyles of tourists through the demonstration effect and the result could be loss to local customs and traditions as well as standards of behaviour. Increased crime could develop through decline in moral values, leading to greed and jealousy of wealthier visitors. Traditional industries may be lost and local goods substituted by imported and mass-produced goods which lack authenticity but appeal to a mass market. Tourists may act in an anti-social manner which could cause offence to the local population. Unless sufficient information is provided by the host nation and tourist providers on the standards of behaviour expected in that area, local populations come to resent tourists and act aggressively towards them. Language barriers between the tourist and the host community which may create communication problems. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TOURISM Negative impacts from tourism occur when the level of visitor use is greater than the environments ability to cope with this use within the acceptable limits of change. Uncontrolled conventional tourism poses potential threats to many natural areas around the world. It can put enormous pressure on an area and lead to impacts such as soil erosion, increased pollution, discharges into the sea, natural habitat loss, increased pressure on endangered species and heightened vulnerability to forest fires. It often puts a strain on water resources, and it can force local populations to compete for the use of critical resources. The quality of the environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to tourism. However, tourisms relationship with the environment is complex. It involves many activities that can have adverse environmental effects. The negative impacts of tourism development can gradually destroy the environmental resources on which it depends. On the other hand, tourism has the potential to create beneficial effects on the environment by contributing to environmental protection and conservation. It is a way to raise awareness of environmental values and it can serve as a tool to finance protection of natural areas and increase their economic importance. Direct impact on natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable, in the provision of tourist facilities can be caused by the use of land for accommodation and other infrastructure provision, and the use of building materials. Water, and especially fresh water, is one of the most critical natural resources. The tourism industry generally overuses water resources for hotels, swimming pools, golf courses and personal use of water by tourists. This can result in water shortages and degradation of water supplies, as well as generating a greater volume of waste water. Forests often suffer negative impacts of tourism in the form of deforestation caused by fuel wood collection and land clearing. For example, one trekking tourist in Nepal and area already suffering the effects of deforestation can use four to five kilograms of wood a day. In areas with high concentrations of tourist activities and appealing natural attractions, waste disposal is a serious problem and improper disposal can be a major despoiler of the natural environment rivers, scenic areas, and roadsides. Solid waste and littering can degrade the physical appearance of the water and shoreline and cause the death of marine animals. Construction of ski resort accommodation and facilities frequently requires clearing forested land. Coastal wetlands are often drained and filled due to lack of more suitable sites for construction of tourism facilities and infrastructure. These activities can cause severe disturbance and erosion of the local ecosystem, even destruction in the long term. Source: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 2001 ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF TOURISM Tourisms economic benefits are touted by the industry for a variety of reasons. Claims of tourisms economic significance give the industry greater respect among the business community, public officials, and the public in general. This often translates into decisions or public policies that are favourable to tourism. Community support is important for tourism, as it is an activity that affects the entire community. Tourism businesses depend extensively on each other as well as on other businesses, government and residents of the local community. Economic benefits and costs of tourism reach virtually everyone in the region in one way or another. Economic impact analyses provide tangible estimates of these economic interdependencies and a better understanding of the role and importance of tourism in a regions economy. Tourism activity also involves economic costs, including the direct costs incurred by tourism businesses, government costs for infrastructure to better serve tourists, as well as congestion and related costs borne by individuals in the community. Community decisions over tourism often involve debates between industry proponents touting tourisms economic impacts (benefits) and detractors emphasizing tourisms costs. Sound decisions rest on a balanced and objective assessment of both benefits and costs and an understanding of who benefits from tourism and who pays for it. Tourisms economic impacts are therefore an important consideration in state, regional and community planning and economic development. Economic impacts are also important factors in marketing and management decisions. Communities therefore need to understand the relative importance of tourism to their region, including tourisms contribution to economic activity in the area. A variety of methods, ranging from pure guesswork to complex mathematical models, are used to estimate tourisms economic impacts. Studies vary extensively in quality and accuracy, as well as which aspects of tourism are included. Technical reports often are filled with economic terms and methods that non-economists do not understand. On the other hand, media coverage of these studies tend to oversimplify and frequently misinterpret the results, leaving decision makers and the general public with a sometimes distorted and incomplete understanding of tourisms economic effects. Tourism has a variety of economic impacts. Tourists contribute to a destinations sales, profits, jobs, tax revenues, and income. Primary tourism sectors, such as lodging, dining, transportation, amusements, and retail trade, are affected directly: most other sectors are impacted by secondary effects. An economic impact analysis of tourism activity usually focuses on regional tourism-related changes in sales, income, and employment. A standard economic impact analysis traces the path that money takes once it leaves a tourists pocket: this is also referred to as the flows of money from tourism spending. The first flow, (direct effect), is to the businesses and government agencies to which the tourists pay money directly. The money then flows through the economy as: Payments from these direct recipients to their suppliers, Salaries and wages for households who provide labour for tourism or supporting industries, Various government taxes and charges payable by tourists, businesses and households. Continuing the fluid analogy, a leakage occurs when money escapes the economy of a region because a local consumer, (household, business or government), has purchased a product from an outside supplier. DIRECT AND SECONDARY ECONOMIC EFFECTS Economists distinguish direct, indirect and induced economic effects. The total economic impact of tourism is the sum of direct, indirect and induced effects within a region. Indirect and induced effects are sometimes collectively called secondary effects. These impacts or effects may be measured in terms of gross output, sales, income, employment, or value added. Although they are often used somewhat loosely by non-economists, these terms have precise definitions that are important when interpreting economic impact study results. Direct effects, are production changes associated with the immediate effects of changes in tourism expenditures. For example, an increase in the number of tourists staying overnight in hotels would directly increase room sales in the hotel sector. The additional hotel sales and associated changes in hotel payments for wages, salaries, taxes, supplies and services are direct effects of the tourist spending. Indirect effects are the production changes resulting from various rounds of re-spending of the tourism industrys receipts in backward-linked industries. For example, industries supplying products and services to hotels). Changes in sales, jobs and income in the linen supply industry, for example, represent indirect effects of changes in hotel sales. Businesses supplying products and services to the linen supply industry represent another round of indirect effects, eventually linking hotels by varying degrees to most other economic sectors in the region. Induced effects are the changes in economic activity resulting from household spending of income earned directly or indirectly as a result of tourism spending. For example, hotel and linen supply employees supported directly or indirectly by tourism, spend their income in the local region for housing, food, transportation, and the usual array of household product and service needs. The sales, income, and jobs that result from household spending of added wage, salary, or proprietors income are induced effects. Total Economic Impact Total Economic Impact = Direct + Secondary Effects = Direct + (Indirect + Induced Effects) A change in tourist spending can affect virtually every sector of the economy by means of indirect and induced effects. The magnitude of these secondary effects is directly related to the propensity of local businesses and households to purchase from local suppliers. Induced effects are easily visible when a large regional plant closes: supporting industries are hurt by the indirect effects, but the entire local economy usually suffers due to the reduction in regional household income. Retail stores may close, thereby increasing leakages as local consumers turn to outside suppliers. Similar but reversed induced effects are observable when there is a significant increase in regional jobs and household income. INPUT-OUTPUT MODELS An input-output (I-O) model is a mathematical model that describes the flows of money between sectors within a regions economy. Flows are predicted based on the inputs that each industry must buy from every other industry to produce a dollars worth of output. I-O models also determine the proportions of sales that go to wage and salary income, proprietors income, and taxes. Multipliers can be estimated from input-output models based on the estimated re-circulation of spending within the region. Exports and imports are determined based on estimates of the propensity of households and firms to purchase goods and services from local sources (often called RPCs or regional purchase coefficients). The more self-sufficient a region is, the fewer the leakages, so that the multipliers are correspondingly higher. Input-output models make a number of basic assumptions: All firms in a given industry employ the same production technology and produce identical products. There are no economies or diseconomies of scale in production or factor substitution. I-O models are essentially linear: double the level of tourism activity/production and you must double all of the inputs. Analysts generally report the impact estimates as if they represent activity within a single year, although the model does not explicitly keep track of time. One must assume that the various model parameters are accurate and represent the current year. I-O models are firmly grounded in the national system of accounts which relies on a standard industrial classification system (SIC codes), and on various federal government economic censuses in which individual firms report sales, wage and salary payments and employment. I-O models are generally at least a few years out-of-date: this is not usually a problem unless the regions economy has changed significantly. An I-O model represents the regions economy at a particular point in time: tourist spending estimates are generally price adjusted to the year of the model. Multiplier computations for induced effects generally assume that jobs created by additional spending are new jobs involving the movement of new households to the area. Induced effects are computed assuming linear changes in household spending with changes in income. Estimates of induced effects are frequently inflated when these assumptions are not accurate, (for example, when new jobs are staffed by existing residents). As induced effects usually comprise the vast majority of secondary effects of tourism, they should be used with caution. Measuring the Economic Impact of Tourism The economic impacts of tourism are typically estimated by some variation of the simple formula: Defining the Economic Impact of Tourism: Economic Impact of Tourism = # of Tourists * Ave. Spending per Visitor * Multiplier Where # of tourists = numbers of tourists and ave. = average Estimate the change in the number and types of tourists to the region that will result from the proposed policy or action: Estimates or projections of tourist activity generally come from a demand model or some system for measuring levels of tourism activity in an area: economic impact estimates rely on good estimates of the number and types of visitors, which come from carefully designed measurements of tourist activity, a good demand model, or good judgment. This step is usually the weakest link in most tourism impact studies, as few regions have accurate counts of tourists, let alone good models for predicting changes in tourism activity or separating local visitors from visitors who originate outside the region. Estimate average levels of spending (often within specific market segments) of tourists in the local area: Spending averages come from sample surveys or are adapted from other studies. Spending estimates must be based on a representative sample of the population of tourists, and should take into account variations across seasons, market segments or types of tourists, and locations within the study area. As spending can vary widely by type of tourist, we recommend estimating average spending for a set of key tourist segments based on samples of at least 50-100 visitors per tourism segment. Segments should be defined to capture differences in spending between local residents vs. tourists, day users vs. overnight visitors, type of accommodation (motel, campground, seasonal home, with friends and relatives), and type of transportation (car, RV, air, rail, etc.). In broadly-based tourism impact studies, it is useful to identify unique spending patterns of important activity segments such as downhill skiers, boaters, or convention business travellers multiplying the number of tourists by the a verage spending per visitor, (making certain that units are consistent), gives an estimate of total tourist spending in the area. Estimates of tourist spending will generally be more accurate if distinct spending profiles and use estimates are made for key tourism segments. The use and spending estimates are the two most important parts of an economic impact assessment. When combined, they capture the amount of money brought into the region by tourists. Please note: multipliers are needed only if one is interested in the secondary effects of tourism spending. Apply the change in spending to a regional economic model or set of multipliers to determine secondary effects: Secondary effects of tourism are estimated using multipliers, or a model of the regions economy. Multipliers generally come from an economic base or input-output model of the regions economy. Often, multipliers are borrowed improperly or adjusted from published multipliers or other studies. Avoid taking a multiplier estimated for one region and applying it in a region with a quite different economic structure. As a general rule, multipliers are higher for larger regions with more diversified economies. A common error is to apply a state-wide multiplier (since these are more widely published) to a local region. This will yield inflated estimates of local multiplier effects. Stynes, D., (1997). Economic impacts of Tourism. pp. 1-19 Urbana, IL:   University of Illinois,  Cooperative Extension Service bulletin.  

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Osmosis in a Patato Chip :: essays research papers

OSMOSIS IN A POTATO CHIP Aim: To investigate the effect of varying concentration of a certain sugar solution on the amount of osmotic activity between the solution and a potato chip of a given size. _____________________________________________________________________ Aim: To investigate the effect of varying concentration of a certain sugar solution on the amount of osmotic activity between the solution and a potato chip of a given size. Osmosis is defined as the net movement of water or any other solutions molecules from a region in which they are highly concentrated to a region in which they are less concentrated. This movement must take place across a partially permeable membrane such as a cell wall, which lets smaller molecules such as water through but does not allow bigger molecules to pass through. The molecules will continue to diffuse until the area in which the molecules are found reaches a state of equilibrium, meaning that the molecules are randomly distributed throughout an object, with all areas having an equal concentration. For this particular investigation I think that the lower the concentration of the sugar solution in the test tube, the larger the increase in mass of the potato chip will be. This is because the water molecules pass from a high concentration. Therefore, I believe that the chips that are in the tubes containing a higher concentration of water than sugar will have a larger mass than chips in tubes with higher sugar concentrations. Further information on potato plant cells: Plant cells always have a strong cell wall surrounding them. When they take up water via osmosis they start to swell, but the cell wall prevents them from bursting. Plant cells become "turgid" when they are put in dilute solutions. The definition of Turgid is when a cell becomes swollen and hard. The pressure inside the cell rises and eventually the internal pressure of the cell is so high that no more water can enter the cell. This liquid or hydrostatic pressure works against osmosis. Turgidity is very important to plants because this is what makes the green parts of the plant "stand up" into the sunlight. When plant cells are placed in concentrated sugar solutions they lose water due to the process of osmosis, and they become "flaccid." This is the exact opposite of "turgid". The content of the potato cells shrinks, and consequently pulls away from the cell wall. These cells are said to be plasmolysed. When plant cells are placed in a solution, which has exactly the same osmotic strength as the cells they are in a state between turgidity and flaccidity. Osmosis in a Patato Chip :: essays research papers OSMOSIS IN A POTATO CHIP Aim: To investigate the effect of varying concentration of a certain sugar solution on the amount of osmotic activity between the solution and a potato chip of a given size. _____________________________________________________________________ Aim: To investigate the effect of varying concentration of a certain sugar solution on the amount of osmotic activity between the solution and a potato chip of a given size. Osmosis is defined as the net movement of water or any other solutions molecules from a region in which they are highly concentrated to a region in which they are less concentrated. This movement must take place across a partially permeable membrane such as a cell wall, which lets smaller molecules such as water through but does not allow bigger molecules to pass through. The molecules will continue to diffuse until the area in which the molecules are found reaches a state of equilibrium, meaning that the molecules are randomly distributed throughout an object, with all areas having an equal concentration. For this particular investigation I think that the lower the concentration of the sugar solution in the test tube, the larger the increase in mass of the potato chip will be. This is because the water molecules pass from a high concentration. Therefore, I believe that the chips that are in the tubes containing a higher concentration of water than sugar will have a larger mass than chips in tubes with higher sugar concentrations. Further information on potato plant cells: Plant cells always have a strong cell wall surrounding them. When they take up water via osmosis they start to swell, but the cell wall prevents them from bursting. Plant cells become "turgid" when they are put in dilute solutions. The definition of Turgid is when a cell becomes swollen and hard. The pressure inside the cell rises and eventually the internal pressure of the cell is so high that no more water can enter the cell. This liquid or hydrostatic pressure works against osmosis. Turgidity is very important to plants because this is what makes the green parts of the plant "stand up" into the sunlight. When plant cells are placed in concentrated sugar solutions they lose water due to the process of osmosis, and they become "flaccid." This is the exact opposite of "turgid". The content of the potato cells shrinks, and consequently pulls away from the cell wall. These cells are said to be plasmolysed. When plant cells are placed in a solution, which has exactly the same osmotic strength as the cells they are in a state between turgidity and flaccidity.