The behaviour of firms in spectator sports Essay Example for Free

The behaviour of firms in spectator sports Essay Spectator sports are a very complex type of market structure, with 2 main features of profit maximisation and club success, an issue for clubs is that weather they put sporting success ahead of profit, supporters surely want supporting success, rather than profit maximisation. The premier league has seen great diversity between super elite clubs, whilst others are facing falling revenue, endangering the competition of the league. The market structure is heavily segmented, with a larger number of spectator’s sports in any one sport, with different sports being a Weak substitute this is due to brand loyalty, as viewers will often mainly watch team For instance both Chelsea and Manchester city have spent vast amount of money in the transfer market to improve their strength of their team, by purchasing talented player and other staff. These clubs are backed by wealthy owners. Profit maximisation of player sales is not required; owners are more willing to peruse to improve the success of the club, this includes beating rivals, winning cups and leagues in the future. Number of owners of UK sports clubs especially within football, which don’t see their club as a business, owner of football club may see that success on the pitch may be in turn paying for more talented players and increasing their wage, making the connection of the mangers role of the club down to performance rather than profits earn. Over the recent years there are more ways that firms within the spectator sports industry are able to gain more revenue and profits, such some clubs are listed and public limited companies. This is heavily linked with the objective of profit maximisation as they want a higher share price, done by improving stance of supernormal profit. With demand quite inelastic price discrimination will be used to turn consumer surplus into additional revenue for the firm, supply of firms is relatively fixed for home firms and dependent on the nature of the opposition the away fans supply may change, such as rival’s will bring higher demand. Selling seats empty seats should be done that marginal revenue is greater than marginal cost. Clubs charge different prices according to age, stadium seat, and degree of competition on the game. Profit maximisation may be required for these teams which have the lack of backing of wealthy owners; clubs such as Everton and Blackburn lack wealthy owners, profit maximisation is needed for them to financially survive. Cost are very substantiation in this market and continuously rising from players wages and transfer fees, if profit maximisation is not regarded, and success of the club in the longer term they will see a negative flows There is often dispute between the stakeholders within the firms, such as shareholders would want profit maximisation as the main objective, rather than the manager’s success, subjected to a minimum profit constraint, Profit satisfying, may be a better approach to clubs allowing more objectives of the firms to be met rather than having maximum profit, this provides the foundation of other objectives in the long term, like growth and survival. Growth maximisation is another objective for firms within the spectator sports, growing such football teams is different from profit maximisation, is such that extra profit is reinvested into the football team and improving and strengthening team. Such have been seen in Arsenal of the last years with a huge improvement in their infrastructure. With this increase in the size of the firm will bring many additional funding such from advertisements and sponsors, making ti difficulty to take over the club, resulting into economies of scale and letting AR not increasing as much or even falling, producing where MR=0, but subjected to a minimum profit constraint. Other firms objectives may be survival financially and able to maintain league status (not being regulated to lower league), with such objectives is important for sporting clubs like wolves and Bolton, with the absent of wealthy owners who want to overspend on teams, they will have a reduce financial flow from lower advertising sponsors, and general demand of the clubs will fall. Affecting the level of quality of the pitch with the team unable to pay talented players wages. Social Objective some clubs offer positive externalities such as health and improve quality of lives in deprived areas, government funding is vital in smaller clubs allows more resources to be used e.g. labour and better maintenance of pitch. Government subsidy may be required to keep the club for survival. There are conflicts between the polices the sporting club adopts, also the view between different stakeholders of the firm is not homogenous The distinction must be made between the short term and long term of behaviour of the firms, such objectives will conflict with profit maximisation. Such during the short term sales maximisation is required but this is linked with growth of the team, Regulation has greatly changed in spectator sports and currently on the verge to change to improve the level of contestability and engage healthy competition between teams which is fairer. Overtime also the contestability of the league (market) will likely to change; this is positively determined by the strength of the extent of barriers to entry and exist. With changes especially within the football industry have seen a higher concentration ration of clubs of gaining major trophy, they have the available amount of capital used to improve clubs performance. This is decreasing the contestability of the market; smaller teams are unable to compete with elite clubs. Manchester united was owned by BskyB, but the deal blocked by the competition commission, this will increase the substantial monopoly Man Utd already has, and damaging the competition of the premier league and other cups, such a merger will increase television rights, acting a barrier to entry for other teams. Regulation in the future and present will affect the market, and hopefully making it more competitive. Such introducing more home-grown players and transfer market limits. From here the market is greatly segmented, with a large number of sub markets (different leagues), spectators sports clubs are not a group which can be viewed as homogenous, there is vast differences between objectives of firms within the whole spectator sport industry, and the different stakeholders of a firm

Crito Analysis Essay Example for Free

Crito Analysis Essay Rhetorical Question: â€Å"But my dear Crito, why should we pay so much attention to what ‘most people’ think? The reasonable people, who have more claim to be considered, will believe that the facts are exactly as they are† (906). Personification: â€Å"’Consider then, Socrates,’ the Laws would probably continue, ‘whether it is also true for us to say that what you are trying to do to us is not right†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (913). Plato’s â€Å"Crito† is one of the many tremendously influential pieces of literature produced in ancient Greece. It is a thought-provoking, philosophical discussion regarding the role of the individual within society, and how to treat injustice. As part of a series of imaginary dialogues between Socrates and other characters, â€Å"Crito† deals with the conflict Socrates is presented with, as he awaits execution. Crito, one of Socrates’ close friends, urges Socrates to escape prison while he still can. Crito offers several arguments to justify his escape, including the shame he would endure from the public for letting his friend die, and the poor example it would set for the children of Athens. However, Socrates carefully analyzes each of Crito’s arguments for escaping, and proves them invalid through logic and deductive reasoning. The passage, â€Å"But my dear Crito, why should we pay so much attention to what ‘most people’ think? The reasonable people, who have more claim to be considered, will believe that the facts are exactly as they are† (906), d emonstrates the method that Socrates uses to persuade. Socrates asks a rhetorical question to expose the silliness of the Crito’s worries. It represents the wisdom and morals of Socrates. Crito’s strongest argument is that Socrates would be promoting injustice by accepting his unfair sentence. However, Socrates disproves this point as well, by reasoning that he would be harming the Law by escaping death. Socrates, who has tried to live his life as justly and peacefully as possible, would be breaking every moral he ever lived by if he chose to turn against the law. He regards the Law higher than his own life. He sees the Law as a father to him; it has raised him, educated him, and allowed him to live a comfortable life. No matter how much he disagrees with its ways, he cannot bring himself to disobey it. Throughout Socrates’ discussions, he often has conversations with himself and the â€Å"Law†. Plato personifies the â€Å"Law† by giving it human-like qualities and speech; it is suggested that the Law can be hurt, and angry. He does this to distinguish it as a character that has feelings. For example, â€Å"’†¦you will leave this place, when you do, as the victim of a wrong done not by us, the Laws, but by your fellow men. But if you leave in that dishonorable way, returning wrong from wrong, and evil for evil, breaking your agreements with us, and injuring those whom you least ought to injure yourself, your country, and us ,- then you will face our anger†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (916), demonstrates the authority of the Law. Socrates suggests it is better to die a victim who has lived justly and killed unjustly, than to return the injustice and hurt the Laws. He states, â€Å"†¦it is never right to do a wrong or return a wrong or defend one’s sel f against injury by retaliation† (911), which exemplifies the belief that injustice cannot be treated with injustice. Socrates mentions an agreement being broken in this passage; this alludes to the belief that there is a social contract between the individual and government. Socrates reasons that when a citizen lives in Athens, he is indirectly supporting the laws and abiding them. The individual has a moral obligation to the government. While it is beneficial to challenge the government under some circumstances, one threatens the foundation of a stable society by breaking its laws. Socrates, who has lived 70 years of Athenian life, is content by living in accordance with this contract. He feels a state simply cannot exist if laws have no power. He firmly believes in the importance of strict laws, as he calls them the most precious achievement of human history. Besides, he reasons that a man of his age, with little life left to live, would lose his reputation by â€Å"clingi ng so greedily to life, at the price of violating the most stringent laws† (915). For all these reasons, â€Å"Crito† remains an influential piece that poses big questions and promotes critical thinking.

Aim of the Homogenisation Process

Aim of the Homogenisation Process Introduction: Eukaryotic cells such as liver cells enclose a variety of different types of membrane bound structures called organelles (nuclei, mitochondria) as well as macromolecules (ribosomes) (Padh, 1992). Subcellular fractionation is an invaluable technique allowing scientists and researchers alike to successfully isolate and separate specific subcellular components within the cell (Becker et al, 2009). This allows researchers to study the different organelles (using biochemical techniques) in a greater degree of detail therefore increasing our knowledge about the many different types of organelles and macromolecules, thus leading to new scientific advances in this ever advancing era of science and technology (Bonney, 1982; Berns, 1986). It is this very method which in the past allowed Christian de Duve to discover the lysosomes and peroxisomes for which he shared a Nobel Prize with Albert Claude and George Palade in 1974 (Becker et al, 2009). Subcellular fractionation can be safely divided under 3 major headings: Homogenisation proceeded by fractionation and finally purification. Homogenisation: The aim of the homogenisation process is to effectively and efficiently disrupt and break the cells outer membrane thereby releasing their subcellular components (nuclei, mitochondria). This disruption and breaking of the cells must be achieved in a manner that will leave the delicate organelles of interest undamaged and morphologically intact (Loewen, 2003). The cells to be homogenised are kept in an isotonic buffer (0.25M sucrose, 1mM EDTA and 1mM of Tris at pH 7.0). This is to protect the fragile organelles from osmotic damage due to osmotic unbalance as well as environmental instability such as pH interference (Guteriezze, 2010). Many different homogenisation techniques exist and are available, some such include mechanical grinding using Potter-Elvehjen glass homogeniser, cutting methods using warren blender, ultrasonic vibrations in a process called sonication and utilising high pressure such as in the French Press (Loewen, 2003). The Potter-Elvehjen glass homogenizer was used in this experiment. The Potter-Elvehjen glass homogeniser consists of a Teflon pestle which is closely fitted into a glass homogeniser. The homogenising machine moves the Teflon pestle in a verticle up-down motion while simultaneously rotating within the glass homogeniser containing the cells to be homogenised (Mangiapane, 2010). The space between the Teflon pestle and glass homogeniser is incredibly small (0.004-0.006). Therefore as the Teflon pestle moves throught the glass homogeniser a shear force is generated which causes disruption of the cells. The organelles which are released by this process pass undamaged, safetly through the gap between the pestle and glass homogeniser (Loewn, 2003; Mangipane, 2010). The shear forces produced can sometime be destructive to the organelles causing irreversible damage and therefore shear forces need to be controlled. This can be controlled by adjusting the gap width between the pestle and glass homogeniser. A bigger width can protect organelles from damage but the negative side effect of this is that the generated shear forces will not be strong enough to disrupt the cells and therefore few or none organelles will be present in the homogenate. Therefore a careful balance between cell disruption and organelle damage must be maintained. Chemical, physical and structural damage can be caused to organelles due to shear forces which can cause errors when purifying the organelle using biochemical techniques due to enzymes specific to the particular organelle being damage or rendered inactive and these problems must therefore be overcome. Some such precautions which when utilised can overcome or minimise unnecessary damage includes the use of different homogenisation techniques which are more suitable for the cells being homogenised (osmotic disruption, chemical disruption may be considered). Carefull usage of the homogenising equipment (Lowen, 2003). Fractionation: Once the homogenate has been formed, it is ready to be placed in a centrifuge and undergo centrifugation which will separate the different fractions/organelles. Centrifugation generates a centrifugal force which separates the different types of organelles based on their size and density as well as the density and viscousity of the solution the homogenate is in. Therefore the the higher the molecular weight of the organelle the greater the distance I will travel down the centrifuge tubes or the higher its sedimentation rate and consequently the smaller the molecular weight of the organelle the smaller the distance it will travel down the centrifuge tube or the lower its sedimentation rate (Becker et al,2008; Mangipane, 2010). The greater an organelles sedimentation rate is the greater the organelles sedimentation coefficient (in Svedberg units, named after Theodor Sveber who developed the ultracentrifuge) will also increase (Becker et al, 2009). Centrifugal forces can be calculated using For example, if a homogenate containing nuclei, mitochondria and ribosomes is subjected to a centrifugal force, logically the nuclei will be near the bottom of the tube, the ribosomes at the top part of the tube and the mitochondria somewhere in between the nuclei and ribosomes. There are 2 main type of centrifugation methods: Differential centrifugation and density gradient centrifugation. Differential centrifugation This type of centrifugation works on the principles that large dense molecules (nucei) will have a higher sedimentation rate compared to small and less dense molecules (ribosomes) (Becker et al, 2009). During low centrifuge speeds and short times the heavy and dense organelles sediment and can be collected, while as high centrifuge speeds and longer timer the lighter and less dense molecules will sediment and can also be collected (manipulative techniques). Therefore in the homogenate used in the experiment, by using appropriate centrifuge speeds and times the nuclei and mitochondria can be separated using 1500g for 10min and 20000g for 10min respectively. Density gradient centrifugation The method used in density gradient centrifugation, also known as rate-zonal centrifugation works on the principle of separating molecules based on their densities and is achieved by using a density gradient in the centrifuge tube (manipulative techniques; Becker et al, 2009). The density gradient is normally provided by a concentrated sucrose solution which increases in density towards the bottom of the centrifuge tube. The sample requiring fractionation is placed in a layer over the density gradient sucrose solution (Becker et al, 2009). As the centrigugation process proceeds, the different molecules or organelled of different densities are separated based on their densities and that of the increasing sucrose density. When the fractionation bands have been formed are are distinctive the fraction may be remover via a syringe or separation methods. This type of centrifugation can be used to further separate mitochondria from lysosomes and peroxisomes since each of them has a differen t density. Measurements of enzyme activity and macromolecular composition of fractions. purity of fractions. During the centrifugation processes, such as in the differential centrifugation the various types of organelles and macromolecules form gelatinous pellets at the end of each consecutive centrifuge (Dyson, 1979). The different pellets produced contain a variety of different fractions of subcellular organelles and macromolecules and is not specific for just a single type of organelle or macromolecule. As an example in the first centrifugation process to form the nuclei fraction at 1500g for 10mins, the nuclei is pelleted along with other molecules of similar size and molecular weight such as unbroken cells, cell debris and pieces of the cell membranes (Bonney, 1982). In the second centrifugation to form the mitochondrial fraction at 20000g for 10min the pellet contains mitochondria, lysosomes and peroxisomes due to their similar sizes and molecular weight. In the final centrifugation process at 20000g for 10min a supernatant fraction was formed containing many small and low molecular w eight molecules such as the endoplasmic reticulum, microsomes and ribosomes (Minorsky, 2009; Berns, 1986). As stated before fractions will not only require the organelles of interest but also other organelles and macromolecules. It is therefore necessary to be able to assess the purity of the fractions. This can be done in a variety of ways. Microscopic analysis via the light microscope or even electron microscope can be used to identify the different macromolecules present within the fraction, therefore giving an indication whether or not the fractionation procedure has been successful. A mitochondrian therefore can be differentiated from a peroxisome or lysosome basen on its structure (Bonney, 1982). Microscopic anaylsis can also be used in assessing the biochemistry of the fraction by using various cytochemical techniques. Biochemical techniques are a very good way of assessing the type of organelle present as well as the purity of a fraction. Measuring enzyme activity is an excellet method sine some enzymes are very specific and found in one particular organelle. Marker enzymes present in fractions and importance of the techniques involoved in the advancement of biochemistry and cell biology. Marker enzyems are routinely used in subcellular fractionation to differentiate between the many different types of organelles and macromolecules present within the cell. Mitochondria for example can be detected indirectly by the presence of succinate dehydrogenase while lysosomes can be detected by Acid Phosphatase (Bonner, 2007). The function of the mitochondria for example is to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by a process called oxidative phosphorylation and an enzyme specific to the mitochondrion called succinate dehydrogenase can be used as a marker enzyme to differentiate between the presence of mitochondria and other organelles and macromolecules present in the fraction (Padh, 1992). Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) is specific to the inner mitochondria membrane and is responsible for catalysing the oxidation reaction of Succinate, which is a component of the citric acid cycle, into fumarate which is another component of the citric acid cycle. Since flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) is reduced producing FADH2 (Guterize, 2010; Padh, 1992;Girolamo, 2010). Succinate is the electron doner while FAD is the electron acceptor. The products of the above reaction are then reacted with an artificial electron acceptor called INT(a tetrazolium salt) to form a red coloured compound called formazan. This reaction is required because both the fumarate and FADH2 produced in reaction are colourless and therefore there is no certain way of determining succinate dehydrogenase activity, therefore the intensity of the red coloured formazan produced during a specific timeframe in the second reaction can be measured using a spectrophotometer gives an indirect indication of succinate dehydrogenase activity and therefore an indication of the presence of mitochondria as well as its purity within the fraction (guterize, 2010; padh, 1992). Electron microscopy of the isolated organelles is generally the final step in assessing the purity of the fractions as well as studying their morphology (padh, 1992). It is these methods and techniques used in subcellular fractionation which has allowed researchers such as George Palade and Christian de Duve studying to understand and discover the structures, biochemistry and roles played by the various organelles. Results: Table 1 shows the volumes of the homogenate, nuclei fraction, mitochondrial fraction and supernatant fraction. The Homogenate volume was obtained after rat liver homogenisation; NF volume was obtained after 2 consecutive centrifugations at 1500g for 10min; MF volume was also obtained by 2 consecutive centrifugations at 20000g for 10min; SF volume was obtained from the supernatant of the MF centrifugation. Table 2 shows known amounts of bovine serum albumin (BSA) which underwent the biuret reaction; the absorbances were measure using a spectrophotometer at 550nm. As protein amount increases so do the absorbances. This data was used to plot a BSA standard curve. Figure 1 illustrates the BSA standard curve which is a line of best fit. From this graph, the protein amount is determined by using the absorbance values for the different fraction shown in table 3 below. H, NF, MF and SF correspond to homogenate, nuclei fraction, mitochondrial fraction and supernatant fraction respectively. The vertical and horizontal red, blue, green and black coloured lines represent H, NF, MF and SF respectively. From the above graphical data Protein concentration (mg/ml), total protein amount (mg) and protein recovery for each fraction relative to the homogenate can be calculated. Homogenate: Nuclei Fraction: Mitochondrial Fraction: Supernatant Fraction: From the above results the total percentage of protein recovery relative to the homogenate can be determined: The above calculated results are show together in table 3. Table 3 shows the absorbance values obtained from the spectrophotometer. Row B shows the amount of protein that was determined from the BSA standard curve. Row C showed the amount of protein present in 1ml of each fraction; the homogenate had the highest protein concentration, followed by the SF and MF and finally by the NF containing the lowest amount of protein concentration. Row D shows the total amount of protein in each of the fraction and therefore follows the same pattern as the values for Row C. Row E shows the amount of protein recovered relative to the homogenate; The percentage of protein recovery was as follows: SF>MF>NF. Table 4 shows the actual fraction concentrations used, obtained by diluting the original fractions (table 3) with phosphate buffer. The supernatant fraction was left undiluted. Table 5 shows absorbance of each of the fractions (0.2ml) which were diluted by the addition of 4ml of ethyl acetate within formazan. The average absorbance minus the control gives the corrected mean absorbance for each of the fractions. The control values for all 4 fractions were 0 because they were given as negative values by the spectrophotometer. The highest absorbance was recorded for the SF followed by the homogenate, MF and NF. By obtaining the data collected from the previously calculations in tables 1, 3 and 5 it is possible to calculate; the total activity of Succinate Dehydrogenase (SDH), the percentage recovery of SDH relative to the homogenate, the specific activity of SDH and the relative specific activity of SDH relative to the homogenate in all 4 fractions (H, NF, MF and SF). Below are the equations which will be used in the calculations: Beer-Lamberts Law: The calculations below will make (concentration) the subject of the formula as well as prove that the units for = or . à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ this can be rearranged to form, , since always equals to , the equation can now be represented as, , the units of this new formula can be calculated as follows, the in the bottom fraction can be cancelled out with the at the top giving, Which à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ gives which is Molarity or concentration. The equation will be used throughout the rest of the calculations. The Formazan molar extinction coefficient= and the assay volume used will be 0.004L (4ml). Homogenate: The absorbance for the homogenate in table 5 was 1.1385 therefore, à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ since this can be arranged to give, The volume used was which gives therefore, Activity à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ total activity of in -1 The answer is required in à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ since Therefore total activity for Homogenate = à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ Therefore specific activity for Homogenate Nuclei Fraction (NF): The absorbance for the nuclei fraction in table 5 was 0.117 therefore, à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ since this can be arranged to give, This gives, Activity à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ total activity of in The answer is required in à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ since Therefore total activity for Nuclei Fraction = à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ Therefore specific activity for Nuclei Fraction Mitochondrial Fraction (MF): The absorbance for the mitochondrial fraction in table 5 was 0.398 therefore, à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ since this can be arranged to give, This gives, Activity à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ total activity in in The answer is required in à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ since Therefore total activity for Mitochondrial Fraction = à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ Therefore specific activity for Mitochondrial Fraction Supernatant Fraction (SF): The absorbance for the supernatant fraction in table 5 was 1.485 therefore, à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ since this can be arranged to give, This gives, Activity à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ total activity in in The answer is required in à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ since Therefore total activity for Supernatant Fraction = à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ´ Therefore specific activity Supernatant Fraction Calculations for the % SDH recovery and specific SDH activity relative to the homogenate; Since the % SDH recovery and specific SDH activity is to be calculated relative to the homogenate, therefore the homogenate percentage for them both will be 100% Nuclei Fraction: Mitochondrial Fraction: Supernatant Fraction: The main findings of these calculations can be summarized in the table below: Table 6 shows that SDH activity is highest in the SF, followed by the homogenate, MF and finally by NF. The %of SDH recovery (relative to the homogenate) was greatest in the SF, followed by the MF and the NF. The specific SDH activity was greatest in the SF followed by the MF, NF and lastly by the homogenate. The % of specific SDH activity (relative to the homogenate) was greatest in the SF, followed by the MF and NF. Figure 2 illustrates the main findings from table 6. It can be seen that % SDH recovery increases from the Nuclei fraction to the supernatant fraction. The % of specific SDH activity steadily falls from the supernatant fraction to the nuclei fraction. Discussion: According to the results obtained in table 3, it was seen that 99.25% of the protein relative to the homogenate was still present within all the fractions. This high percentage recovery indicates that very little protein was lost during the formations of the nuclei, mitochondrial and supernatant fractions by centrifugation. The 0.75% of protein that was lost is most likely to have been lost while homogenizing the pellets formed during each consecutive centrifugation process. During the usage of hand homogenizers small quantities of the pellet containing the proteins are stuck to the homogenizing vessel or the pestle. These small quantities of proteins being lost during each hand homogenizing process therefore contributes to the loss of proteins recovery. From this high protein recovery it can be said that the overall homogenisation process was very efficient. During each successive centrifugation at different speeds a distinct pellet was formed, thus indicating the separation of organelles. In table 3, different amounts of proteins were present within the pellets. Since these proteins are associated with the different organelles present, this indicates that since different amounts of proteins were found in the fractions therefore various different types of organelles must also be present. But this is not always the case since proteins from other fractions could have been damaged due to the homogenization and centrifugation processes. Therefore the calculations performed on Succinate Dehydrogenase activity, recovery and specificity (table 6, figure 2) showed that that the total SDH activity was highest in the supernatant fraction. Since SDH is a specific marker enzyme to the mitochondrion organelle as explained earlier, the data suggests that the separation of mitochondria during centrifugation to be present within the suspected mitochondr ial dfraction was not optimal. The supernatant also had a very high protein content of 885mg (table3) which indicated therefore that most of the organelles have separated into this freaction, thus indicating the hight amount of SDH activity within the supernatant fraction. In a differential centrifugation process the successive increases in the centrifugal forces applied should create a gradient of the presence of different organelles, with the heaviest molecules in the centrifuge tubes with lowed centrifugal forces, the mediam molecular weighted organelles such as mitochondria in a centriguge in the centrifuge with a medium centrifugal force is applied and small molecular weight organelles such as ribosomes in the centrigue tubes where the highest centrifugal forces are applies. Therefore the separation of organelles has occurred but not to a great extent as seen by the reults in table 3 and table 6. Seperation of organelles could have been greatly improved by possibly refining the lab protocol. To ahieve better mitochondrial separation and therefore more accurate SDH activity measurments the centrifugation process should be done at 20000g but for 20min and not 10min as stated by Loewen (2003) and Becker et al (2009). This will help separate the mitochondria out better. Different centrifugation methods such as density gradient centrifugation can be utilized after the intital differential centrifugation to better separate organelles of similar sizes such as mitochondria, lysosomes and peroxisomes. The new fractions produced can by the densiy gradient centrifugation can be recovered with the use of a syringe. Many other techniques such as the initail homogenisation stage could also have been changed and other techniques could have been used as described earlier. Conclusion: It was found by this experiment that subcellular fractionation is not a perfect method and therefore inaccuracies must be expected. But it is a process that has revolutionaised our understanding of cell structure and function. It was found in the experiment that differential centrifugation can separate organelles to an extent to form a nucleic fraction, mitochondrial fraction and supernatant fraction. Marker enzymes which are present in specific organelles can be used to help distinguish between different organelles as well as the fractions relative purity. SDH was used in this experiment and was found to be present higher in the supernatant, possibly due to experimental error. SDH was specific to the supernatant fraction therore again indicating the presence of mitochondria in the supernatant. The usage of such techniques in this ever advancing era of science and technology has set the stage for future studies and techniques involved in further studying the cells and increasing our knowledge of life as each day passes.

Ralph Bacerra Essay -- Art

Ralph Bacerra attended Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angelas. Although his original intention was to become a graphic designer, his career path changed after taking a class with Vivika Heino (Stewart, 2008). Heino was the lead ceramics teacher at Chouinard and it was under her instruction that Bacerra found his love for ceramics. Heino was very influential in her use of glazes and inspired Bacerra to experiment and branch out in regards to his glazing methods. After a brief tour in the military Bacerra traveled to China and Japan where he was greatly influenced by the style and glazing techniques of the East. Bacerra went back to Chouinard where he taught for eight years and served as chairman of the ceramics department and later served the same position at Otis College of Art and Design (Bacerra, 2004). Bacerra uses very distinctive geometric elements in his ceramic pieces. Bacerra’s pieces incorporate stripes of shifting background hues, twisting lines, with interlocking cubes and cones with cylinders and other geometric volumes (Lloyd, 2010; Clothier, 2012). At first glance Bacerra’s pieces seem to have odds and ends jutting out in peculiar and random ways. However, when one takes a closer look, all of the shapes and lines work together in a simple and elegant way. Many of his pieces have a mixture of both organic and mechanical elements. He uses organic shell-like circles and smooth, almost melted looking lines along with defined geometric squares, triangles, and circles giving his work a distinct abstract look. Bacerra uses a wide range of color in his pieces but sticks mostly with a bluish-green palate with hints of gold. Many of his pieces are comprised of different shades and values of blue and green (sometimes purple ... ...il 7-19). Interview by F Lloyd [Audio Tape Recording]. Oral history interview with ralph bacerra. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. , Retrieved from http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/interviews/oral-history-interview-ralph-bacerra-12942 Clothier, P. (2012). Ralph bacerra. American Ceramics, Retrieved from http://www.peterclothier.com/ralph-bacerra.html Hamer, F., & Hamer, J. (2004). The potter's dictionary of materials and techniques. (5 ed.). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Lloyd, F. (2010). Ralph bacerra. Retrieved from http://www.franklloyd.com/dynamic/artist_bio.asp?ArtistID=1 Jenyns, S. (1971). Japanese pottery. London, England: Praeger Publishers. Stewart, J. Y. (2008, June 13). Ceramic artist famed for use of patterns. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/13/local/me-bacerra13

Effects of Biological and Chemical Warfare Essay examples -- Biologica

â€Å"The gas instantly caused severe burning in their throats and lung. The men clutched their chests, coughed, and gasped for breath. Attempts to shield themselves from the gas were largely futile. Many tried to burrow their noses and mouths or to cover them with cloth, but the moist, dense poison penetrated everything† (Taylor 17). Those were the effects of chlorine quoted by an eyewitness. The gases and biological agents used against people in war are very cruel. They cause lots of deaths in short periods of time, leaving lasting effects wherever they are unleashed. These weapons are very volatile and in small doses can cause mass destruction worldwide. No matter how they are used, they still leave a lasting effect on the planet and the inhabitants of it. Over the course of time, biological and chemical weapons have been used to take over the battlefield, but the future effects of these have not been considered. Biological weapons are pathogenic microbes including viruses, bacteria, rickettsia, toxins, and any other living agent that is harmful to living things (McCarthy 1). The major difference between chemical and biological weapons is that chemicals injure directly, and biological agents injure indirectly through disease (McCarthy 1). Pathogens are categorized by how they are delivered (McCarthy 1). The majority of pathogens can be carried by any agricultural pest, insect, tick, rodent, or flea (McCarthy 1). Contact diseases include Ebola, dengue fever, smallpox, yellow fever, and plague (McCarthy 1). Water and food borne diseases include dysentery, E coli, Salmonella, cholera, and typhoid (Hutchinson 237). Viral pathogens include smallpox, equine, dengue fever, yellow fever, and psittacosis (Hutchinson 238). Ebola is passed... ...gents, each with the ability to cause disease that spreads throughout the world, killing many people, and only stoppable with certain antibiotics or vaccines. There are numerous chemical agents used during the past wars of the world, some so deadly that they were disapproved, and some were even so inhumane that the people who used them rebelled against using them. As these weapons become more used, the less it seems that people care about the effects that they cause, and many people could therefore suffer greatly at the moment or in the future because of someone’s mistake. There are weapons of these being built that significantly surpass the protection levels in the world currently, and one little slip could be disastrous for all. Perhaps someday everyone will realize the dangers of these weapons, or they will keep using them, dooming all people to a horrid death.

The Tomatis Method Essay -- Health Medical Essays

The Tomatis Method Dr. Alfred A. Tomatis is a French ear, nose, and throat doctor who made astonishing medical and psychological discoveries that led to audio-psycho-phonology, or the Tomatis method. Also called â€Å"auditory training†, auditory stimulation†, and â€Å"listening therapy†, the purpose of this treatment is to reeducate the way we listen, and it is used in over two hundred and fifty centers around the world. (http://www.tomatis.com/overview.html) The Tomatis method claims to benefit a wide variety of people. People suffering from auditory processing problems, dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, autism, and learning disorders can improve their communication and social behavior by auditory stimulation, which can eliminate or reduce the severity of the disorder. This is based on the belief that the symptoms of these disorders are not caused by the disorder itself, but by a sensory regulation problem that begins in our most primordial sensory instrument, the inner ear. (http://www.tomatis.net/Tomatis_tomatis.html) In addition, those suffering from depression, low self-esteem, or just wanting to learn a new language or fine tune their musical talent can also benefit from this unique treatment. Attention, focus, learning, and language abilities can all be improved by retraining the ear to listen using â€Å"charging high-frequency sounds†. (http://www.tomatis.com/overview.html) BACKGROUND: THE EAR The ear has three basic functions. The first is the most obvious, the filtration and analysis of sound by a part of the ear called the cochlea. This function consists of two parts: hearing and listening. Hearing is a passive process and we have limited abilities to improve it. Listening, ho... ...vailable one can conclude that it lacks the concrete evidence needed to become a standard treatment. Bibliography Anonymous. (1994). Auditory Integration Training. ASHA, 36, 55-58. Cummings, Richard Lloyd. (1986). An Evaluation of the Tomatis Listening Training Program. Dissertation Abstracts International, 47, 858-859. Kershner, John R. (1990). Journal of the Division for Children with Learning Disabilities. Learning Disabilities Quarterly, 13, 43-53. Kershner, John R. (1986). Evaluation of the Tomatis Listening Program. Canadian Journal of Special Education, 2, 1-32. Tomatis, Alfred. (1969). Dyslexia. Ontario: University of Ottawa Press, 83. Van-Jaarsveld, Pieter E; du-Plessis, Wynand F. (1988). Audio-psycho-phonology at Potchefstroom: A review. South African Journal of Psychology, 18, 136-143.

The Causes of the Collapse of the Bretton Woods System

When U. S. President Richard Nixon formally ended the backing of U. S. currency by the gold standard system in 1971, the noble attempts of the Bretton Woods delegates finally ended. . This paper will examine the causes of the death of the Bretton Woods System: Some have blamed it on the changing situation of the international economic system; others blamed it on the failure of the System itself. We will explore the Bretton Woods System, its ideals and contradictions, in an attempt to discern what indeed went wrong.Fixing the exchange rate between the U. S.  dollar and other currencies was doomed to failure because of various principles of macroeconomics which will be analyzed herein. However, in spite of its failures, the Bretton Woods System played a crucial role in the economic development of Europe and Japan in the decades immediately after World War II.Its original purpose was the economic rehabilitation of Europe and Japan, and in this, the Bretton Woods System was indeed succ essful. The collapse of the Bretton Woods System in 1971 could be traced to a number of reasons. The most important of these was the increasing trade imbalance of the U.S. economy. The Cold War between the United States and the USSR drained the U. S. Treasury, leading to deficit spending, and a surge in imports.In particular, the Vietnam War became a veritable black hole of runaway spending. Furthermore, the rehabilitated economies of Europe and Japan soon made up for lost ground, and caught up to the United States’ economy. The U. S. economy, booming throughout the Fifties and Sixties, finally reached the point of deficit in the early 1970s. At this time, the U. S. started to experience massive cash outflow to the rest of the world.This was certainly instrumental in the collapse of the Bretton Woods System, but not the only reason. A second reason for the end of the Bretton Woods System was the lack of autonomy to maintain its workings. As the U. S. currency came to a crisis in the early 1970s, the System collapsed. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the authority to control the currency exchange rate, had no power to stop the System from collapsing, and the System subsequently spiraled out of control.The powerlessness of the IMF was due to the lack of autonomy of the U.S. currency dominance based on the gold standard. In this paper, we will show that these reasons were the main causes of the end of the Bretton Woods System, by analyzing the economic data and considering the economists’ and historians’ arguments. The origin of the Bretton Woods System will be explored to clarify the theory behind the System. Additionally, we will review the world economy of the 1950s, when the Bretton Woods System was working effectively, and compare it to the world economy of the 1960s, when the System began to lose effectiveness.The comparison is necessary to answer to the question why the Bretton Woods System became ineffective although it was func tional at the beginning. This paper will also analyze the structure of the International Monetary Fund, to see how that too was instrumental in bringing the Bretton Woods System to its close. It is important to understand how the IMF had been trying to standardize the currency until 1973, the year in which the world transferred to the exchange currency system from a pegged exchange rates system.The United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, better known as the Bretton Woods Conference, was a meeting among 730 delegates representing the 45 Allied nations of the Second World War. The conference was held at the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. The conference followed the conclusion of the Second World War and convened from July 1 to July 22, 1945. The purpose of the delegates at this Conference was to establish a new global economic order following the trauma of the war, not simply a re-hash of the world economic system of the 1930s.Most economists agreed that that system had not been efficient during the period between world wars. Depression hit the United States in 1929, and recession gripped the world economy in the thirties. While some nations let their currencies float, others set a policy of pegging their currency to gold or other currency. This system had outbreaks of â€Å"competitive devaluation†. In order to keep their reserve at a high level, governments introduced exchange control, restricted the use of foreign currency and imposed higher tariffs barriers to limit the volume of imports.World trade declined because of these restrictions, and the world faced very slow economic recovery in the 1930s. Delegates at the Bretton Woods Conference worked to revamp these short-sighted, restrictive policies. They felt the need to establish economic institutions which would transform the world economy into a well-oiled machine, one which promoted international trade for all countries..The delegates created three major structur es: the International Monetary Fund (IMF); the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) or the World Bank; and the International Trade Organization (ITO). However, in 1950, the U.S. Congress nixed the formation of the ITO, and it never got off the ground. In place of the ITO, a treaty was agreed upon by most of the world economic powers and the rest of the world.The treaty was commonly known as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which took over the ITO ideology. The other two institutions, IMF and the World Bank, were to take responsibility of being the bi-pillar system of the Post-Second World War global economy. The purpose of the World Bank was to promote development, and that of the International Monetary Fund was to maintain order in the international monetary system.The delegates of the Bretton Woods Conference based the new global economic structure on a code of what they felt to be economic fairness. This code related to a global regime of fixed but adjustable exchange rates. This system of adjustable rates was designed to implement equity on a world economic scale. The adjustable fixed rate provided exchange rate stability in the short run, just like the gold standard system. At the same time, it also allowed the possibility to adjust the exchange rate when a national balance of payment is in a crucial state of disequilibrium.However, the weakness of this adjustable exchange system was that it lacked the stability, the certainty of the gold standard and the flexibility of the flexed exchange rate regime. Despite the demerits of this currency exchange mechanism, the Bretton Woods System worked fairly well in the 1950s and early 1960s. The adjustable-fixed exchange was successful in increasing international trade and supporting the recovery of the economy in Europe and Japan.The system resulted in the per rate system, under which currencies of the member countries were fixed within 1% of the value of the U.S. dollar, which was pegged to the value of gold. With this system, the IMF was successful between 1946 and 1966, although it had its kinks. The Bretton Woods delegates hastened the integration of the world economy, but they could not so easily achieve a smooth currency exchange system, because the destruction of the Second World War was too massive to recover without unilateral action such as discarding the pegged exchange rate system. Some nations set up their own restrictions on trade and currency exchange so that the IMF could not get those countries into the world currency system.Moreover, the ruined European nations requested massive funding from the IMF until 1950. In spite of IMF mistakes, the global economy progressed after 1951. The Fund successfully spread its economic activities to all members, not just to the fund users. However, after 1966, the world economy changed substantially once again. The problems inherent in the Bretton Woods System started to be exposed gradually in the mid-1960s. Richard N. Cooper, in his book The International Monetary System, listed the features of the Bretton Woods System as well its contradictions..The first characteristic of the system was that member countries of the Bretton Woods System would determine their own domestic economic policies. This permitted autonomy of domestic economies, enabling nations to pursue their own internal economic objectives, such as assuring low inflation or achieving the â€Å"natural† unemployment rate. The second feature of the Bretton Woods System, according to Cooper, was that the U. S. currency be pegged to gold. The third feature was that other nations adopted the adjustable-exchange rates system.Cooper argues that these three features of the Bretton Woods System contradicted each other:: Countries could not frame their national economic policies independently and still maintain fixed exchange rates and currency convertibility except by luck and coincidence. That potential conflict w as recognized by the Bretton Woods architects†¦ Cooper suggests that to fix these contradictions, the creators of the system, the delegates, added two elements. One was the establishment of the IMF, and the other was altering exchange rates under the condition that a nation comes to a severe economic imbalance.According to Cooper, the Bretton Woods System architects assumed that new gold production coming into monetary reserves would be an ample supply to fuel adequate growth. The US dollar, they further assumed, would be able to provide for the required liquidity to keep the exchange rate at the fixed level. However, until the 1970s, growth in the global gold demand had been increasing faster than new gold production. World monetary reserves outside the United States increased by $54 billion, a 4. 5 per cent per annum growth rate.United States gold reserves departed to other countries to the tune of $9 billion, while only $4 billion came from new gold production. Foreign excha nge, which was overwhelmingly in dollars as the medium of choice, supplied $30 billion of the growth in reserves. Additionally, the IMF started, in 1970, to provide Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), which is the new type of international reserve assets generally called â€Å"paper dollars†. U. S. gold reserves declined dramatically during this period because its stock of gold had gone to much of the rest of the world.The reasons for this exodus of American capital were complicated and controversial. Military expenditures involved with the Cold War and the Vietnam War predominate. As the result of heightened expenditures, the United States tried to increase its money supply regardless of being able to back it up with gold reserves. The rest of the world accumulated these lost U. S. reserves until the beginning of the 1970s, which caused uncertainty in the value of the US dollar itself. The second reason for the exodus of U. S. capital was that the European and Japanese economies had caught up to the United States’ economy.Due to the increased economic clout of revived nations, the United States began suffering from the trade deficit. European nations and Japan were taking advantage of the underestimated price of their currency, enabling them to increase the volume of their exports. The United States suffered because of the high price of the dollar relative to other currencies. After accumulation of the wealth, European countries and Japan embarked on converting reserve surpluses into dollar reserves. They practiced this policy because of the interest that could be earned on U. S. dollars.Moreover, if it ever became necessary the U. S. dollar could be converted to gold. These were miscalculations of the International Monetary Fund creators.. In these ways, the Bretton Woods economic structure was undermined, as the nominal price and real value of U. S. currency came into conflict. In 1970, in order to restore the system, the IMF introduced a new inter national reserve asset. Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) were expected to supplement the other components of global reserves, i. e. U. S. dollars and gold. The need for liquidity in the international monetary system was the reason for the creation of SDRs.In 1970, when the SDRs were first allocated, the United States had the largest share, totaling about $867 million, followed by the United Kingdom, at $410 million. According to Acheson, â€Å"A problem†¦ is the prospect of conflict over the amount of SDRs to be created. † The development of the new asset system was eventually unsuccessful. Richard Harper argues that the failure of IMF came from a fundamental problem within the system itself. The problem, he says, is that a fixed exchange-rate system requires national governments to arrange their monetary policy in problematic ways.If, for instance, one nation has continuously higher inflation rate than others’, it cannot compete in the world market, and its citizens would be buying more expensive imported products, leading to trade deficits. Therefore, the government has to be adjusting to its trading partners all the time. Harper goes on to say that under the pre-1914 gold standard system, there would no such problem because the inflation rate would spill over to the countries around it and achieve a convergence. By contrast, under the par value system, the mechanism of self-converging is missing.Harper summarizes his thoughts about monetary cooperation between nations: Lack of co-ordination of monetary policies and, in particular, the implementation of inappropriate policies by any individual member, resulted in the countries in question facing runs on their currency when there was perceived to be an imbalance between their internal monetary policies and external exchange rates. He argues that this systematic flaw was closely related to the ultimate obsolescence of the Bretton Woods System. Instability of the System came to a head, and it co llapsed, like a house of cards.The real signal of its death was in 1971, when U. S. officials declared suspending the convertibility between dollars and gold, making other nations’ currency float. The fixed exchange rates between U. S. dollars and other world currencies disappeared, and the Bretton Woods System went the way of the dinosaurs—extinction. After its collapse, on March 19, 1973, the central banks of the world economic powers gave up their commitment to stabilize exchange rates between their currencies and the dollar.After suspending the convertibility from dollars to gold, the fixed exchange rates between U. S. currency and others began to disappear, even though many nations insisted on keeping the pegged exchange rates of the Bretton Woods System. Riccardo says: It now seems clear that the really essential characteristic of Bretton Woods was not the maintenance of party but the convertibility of the dollar†¦ After March 1973, the central banks rapidly discovered that it was simply not possible to abandon exchange rates to market forces completely. In this way, the Bretton Woods System lost its key component—convertibility from dollars to gold–in 1971, then an ancillary key component—adjustable-fixed exchange rates in 1973.Henceforth, currency valuations were determined according to market fluctuations. The IMF lost the function of setting exchange rates.. Conclusion The Bretton Woods System came to an end in 1973, almost three decades after the Conference. The System contained contradictions and flaws since its foundation in 1945. Some economists argue that the system’s defects were negligible, and that the problem lay in the changing world economy, not the Bretton Woods System itself. However, it is undeniable that the mechanisms of the Bretton Woods System were not flexible enough to adjust to a changing world economy.Adaptability is the key to survivability, and in this sense, the Bretton Woods Sys tem was doomed to failure. The revivals of European nations and Japan were predictable, given the scope of international policy to revive these moribund economies. More than thirty years have passed since the collapse of the Bretton Woods System. Some economists say that Bretton Woods II is emerging in the world today.. The fact that China pegs its currency to the US dollar seems similar to the situation at the Bretton Woods Conference of yesteryear.Because of the fixed exchange rate system between the Chinese Renminbi and the U. S. dollar, the United States suffers a huge trade deficit with China today. . Matthias Kaelberer argues that Bretton Woods II would be different from the classic one, for the Bretton Woods System from 1944 to 1973 was agreed upon by its members, while the emerging system of today comes from Chinese de facto unilateral behavior pegging its currency to the U. S. currency. However, he also emphasizes that, no matter what their origin, reviewing the classic Bre tton Woods System will be helpful and important to predict the consequences of the Chinese-American fixed exchange rates relationship.The Bretton Woods Conference helped ease the world’s economy through a tumultuous period after the Second World War. Although the economic solutions they espoused seem anachronistic today, we should also thank the architects for playing a vital role in restoring some semblance of equilibrium to a world in tatters.BibliographyAcheson A. L. K. , Chant, J. F. and Prachowny M. F. J. Bretton Woods Revisited: Evaluations of the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Papers Delivered at a Conference at Queen's University, Kingston, Canada.Toronto, On, Canada: University of Toronto Press. 1972.Chacholiades, Miltiades. International Monetary Theory and Policy. New York: McGraw-Hill. 1978.Cooper, Richard N. The International Monetary System: Essays in World Economics. Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press. 1987. Harper, Richard. Inside the IMF: Ethnography of Documents, Technology, and Organizational Action. San Diego: Academic Press. 1998.Parboni, Riccardo. The Dollar & its Rivals. London, England: Verso. 1981. Witteveen, H. J and Szabo-Pelsoczi, Miklos (ed. ).Fifty Years after Bretton Woods: The New Challenge of East-West Partnership for Economic Progress. Brookfield, Vt. , USA: Avebury. 1996Stone, Randall. Lending Credibility: The International Monetary Fund and the Post-communist Transition. Princeton University Press, 2002 Matthias Kaelberer. â€Å"Structural Power and the Politics of International Monetary Relations. † The Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies. Washington: Fall 2005. Vol. 30, Iss. 3;http://proquest. umi. com. myaccess. library. utoronto. ca/pqdlink? Ver=1&Exp=04-03-2012&FMT=7&DID=911841951&RQT=309 Accessed on April 3, 2007. Via ProQuest.