The Greatest Philosophers Of History - 2051 Words

How can one truly expect to speculate through wild and whirling words the overwhelming complexity that is human nature? It is undoubtedly one of the more daunting tasks that one can choose to take on, and yet it is far from unprecedented. As human beings, we are fascinated by our own thoughts and tendencies, and the manner in which we conduct ourselves during our short time on earth. It is a topic that has never ceased to fascinate us, for as many aspects of it that remain unchanging throughout the centuries, there are just as many that seem incapable of remaining consistent. Some of the greatest philosophers of history dedicated their lives to this enigma of humanity, and through their minds and words have seen that human nature is a product of both nature itself and the imperative nurturing of other human beings; and that while it may be one of the most complicated notions we will ever face, there are innate truths that cannot be contravened. Perhaps one of the most influential dis cussions of humanity to have ever taken place was that of Plato’s city, a hypothetical place of dwelling meant to be a philosophical speculation of the mannerisms of human beings as Plato and his fellows saw them to be. As a great philosopher, Plato knew that human beings are naturally social beings, and need companionship like their bodies need food and water. Humans congregate into groups—it is what separates them from their animalistic instincts, and holds them above such. What is more,Show MoreRelatedComparing Twentieth Century Political Thought Leo Strauss And Richard Rorty1421 Words   |  6 Pagesargument’ and Strauss’ ‘esotericism’ share a degree of kinship. However, when it comes to a close examination of the works of the respective scholars, it becomes clear that they had vastly different opinions on a wide-range of topics as broad as history, philosophy, and politics. I will analyze a select sample of the said disagreements betwee n the two thinkers, including an examination of their thoughts on democracy, truth, and education. In many ways the liberal defending, and philosophy bashingRead MoreThe Greek Era880 Words   |  4 Pagesconsidered slaves, and born in the city. Thankfully those who couldn’t call themselves citizens did have some rights, made mostly to have a stable and nonviolent society. The Greeks also created plays that displayed drama and comedy, a first for history, in which a large audience could attend, including women and slaves. These plays are often studied and are still being shown today, attesting to their incredibly well told messages. The Iliad, an epic poem, displays what some could call the pinnacleRead MoreThe Best Fit890 Words   |  4 PagesThe Best Fit Aristotle one of the best philosopher in the third century BCE explained what a virtuous act was and how we could get it. Immanuel Kant was one of the best philosophers in the 17th century, and created the Categorical Imperative, and John Stuart Mill was one of the best philosopher on the 18th century, and created The Utilitarianism ethical system, but which one made the best moral theory that best fits our culture and community? As we have seen in Chapter 7, ethics differs from cultureRead MoreA Brief Study of Logographic Writing, Polis, Plato, and Alexander660 Words   |  3 Pagesof civilization first was found. These areas such as Near East, Northern Africa, and China have been where archeologists and historians have found the most evidence of this form of written communication. The logographic form was, at one point in history, the preferred from of written communication but as civilization progressed the phonetic form became more commonly used to the point that the Chinese language is essentially the only language that sill uses the logographic form. Interestingly, howeverRead More Age of Reason Essay example1161 Words   |  5 Pages An Age of Reason â€Å"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.† This brief quotation was spoken by the famous writer and philosopher Voltaire; I believe it vaguely points out that some people are full of absurd ideas, and for others to follow such nonsense is foolish. The quote is just a taste of Voltaire’s wisdom and knowledge of the world, during the Age of Reason. The Age of Reason or The Enlightenment is defined as a change in not just a way of thinkingRead MoreInfluence Of A Great Philosopher And The Metaphysic Of Divine Providence1162 Words   |  5 PagesThe Influence of a Great Philosopher and the Metaphysic of Divine Providence. Marcus Tullius Cicero was born on January 3rd 106 BC in Arpinum and assassinated on the 7th of December 43 BC (Cicero, 2016) Cicero was murdered during the consulship of the 2nd Catilinarian conspiracy. Cicero executed five conspirators during the chaotic latter in the 1st Century BC marked by the civil wars and under the dictatorship of Gaius Julius Caesar. Cicero returned to the republic government after the late JuliusRead MoreThe Moral Theory Of Utilitarianism1725 Words   |  7 Pageshave been widely debated by philosophers and social reformers. It is important to understand what these theories are because of their influential tendencies in the way people act, especially in making morally right or wrong decisions. Utilitarianism is one of these many moral theories. Upon further analysis, problems with utilitarian thoughts are revealed. It has been widely debated by many philosophers, including G.E. Moore and Immanuel Kant. Like these two philosophers, I argue that utilitariani smRead MoreAllegory Of The Cave Essay1309 Words   |  6 Pages The Allegory of the Cave Plato, a Greek philosopher, wrote the Allegory of the Cave to compare the effect of education and the lack of it on our nature. It questions reality, knowledge, and the meaning of life. He described life as like being chained up in a cave, forced to watch shadows flitting across a stone wall. The Allegory of the Cave is found in Book VII of The Republic, in which the Greek philosopher envisioned the ideal society by examining concepts like justice, truth, and beauty. InRead MoreEssay on Socrates: A Great Philosopher801 Words   |  4 PagesSocrates was a philosopher who taught many young minds. Socrates even taught Plato another great philosopher. This great philosopher lived in the fifth century B.C. Socrates was wrongly accused and sentenced to death, but his knowledge lives on. Socrates was born around 470 B.C. Socrates was born into a poor family. Socrates was born in a village on the side of Mount Lycabettus. His father was a sculptor who was excellent at his job. When he was old enough his father taught him how to be sculptorRead MoreNatural Law And Human Law1515 Words   |  7 Pagesof finding justice for society and that ‘mankind will have no respite from trouble until either real philosophers gain political power or politicians become by some miracle true philosophers’. This meaning that Plato believes Law must constantly strive to approximate to the Absolute Idea of Justice and ideal justice could only be achieved or fully realised in an ideal State ruled over by philosopher-kings capable of grasping the Absolute Idea of Justice. Plato argued that the mind consists of three

Breastfeeding Free Essays

Preparation Outline Lindsay Hamann Topic: Breastfeeding Specific Goal: I want the audience to understand how beneficial it can be for both the baby and the mother to breast feed, even if only for a little bit of time. Thesis: Breast milk is best for your baby. The benefits of breastfeeding extend way beyond basic nutrition. We will write a custom essay sample on Breastfeeding or any similar topic only for you Order Now In addition to containing all of the vitamins and nutrients your baby needs in the first six months of life, breast milk is packed with disease-fighting substances that protect your baby from illness. Introduction I. Breastfeeding protects your baby from a long list of illnesses. A. Numerous studies have shown that stomach viruses, lower respiratory illnesses, ear infections, and meningitis occur less often in breastfed babies and are less severe when they do happen. Exclusive breastfeeding (meaning no solid food, formula, or water at all) for at least six months seems to offer the most protection. B. One study done by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences showed that children who are breastfed have a 20 percent lower risk of dying between the ages of 28 days and 1 year than children who weren’t breastfed, with longer breastfeeding associated with lower risk. II. The main immune factor at work during breastfeeding is a substance called secretory immunoglobulin, that’s present in large amounts in colostrum. (The first milk your body produces for your baby). The substance guards the baby against invading germs by forming a protective layer on the mucous membranes in your baby’s intestines, nose, and throat. III. Your breast milk is specifically tailored to your baby. Your body responds to virus and bacteria that are in your body and makes secretory immunoglobulin that’s specific to those pathogens, creating protection for your baby based on whatever you’re exposed to. Dying of Breast Cancer in the 1800s iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" src="https://phdessay.com/dying-of-breast-cancer-in-the-1800s/embed/#?secret=9RHMDIcjhl" data-secret="9RHMDIcjhl" width="500" height="282" title="#8220;Dying of Breast Cancer in the 1800s#8221; #8212; Free Essays - PhDessay.com" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"/iframe IV. Breastfeeding’s protection against illness lasts beyond your baby’s breastfeeding stage, too. Studies have shown that breastfeeding can reduce a child’s risk of developing certain childhood cancers. Although, scientists don’t know exactly how breast milk reduces the risk, however, they think antibodies in breast milk give the baby’s immune system a boost. Breastfeeding may also help children avoid a host of diseases that strike later in life, such as type 1 and type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and inflammatory bowel disease. For babies who aren’t breastfed, researchers have documented a link between lack of breastfeeding and later development of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Transition: There are many advantages to breastfed babies. Body I. Breastfeeding may boost your child’s intelligence. A. Various researchers have found a connection between breastfeeding and cognitive development. In a study of more than 17,000 infants followed from birth to 6 1/2 years, researchers concluded from IQ scores and other intelligence tests that prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding significantly improves cognitive development. B. Preterm infants with extremely low birth weights who received breast milk shortly after birth improved their mental development scores at 18 months when compared with preterm infants who weren’t given breast milk. 1. In a later study, researchers found that the higher scores held at 30 months, and that the babies who received breast milk were also less likely to be hospitalized again because of respiratory infections. C. Experts say that the emotional bonding that takes place during breastfeeding probably contributes to some of the brainpower benefits, but that the fatty acids in breast milk may play the biggest role. II. Breastfeeding may protect your child from obesity. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding as a way to help reduce your child’s risk of becoming overweight or obese. A. An analysis of 17 studies published in the American Journal of Epidemiology shows that breastfeeding reduces a child’s risk of becoming overweight as a teen or adult. The strongest effect was in children who were exclusively breastfed, and the longer the baby was breastfed the stronger the link. B. Experts think that breastfeeding may affect later weight gain for several reasons: 1. Breastfed babies are better at eating until their hunger is satisfied, leading to healthier eating patterns as they grow. 2. Breast milk contains less insulin than formula. (Insulin stimulates the creation of fat. ) 3. Breastfed babies have more leptin (a hormone that researchers believe plays a role in regulating appetite and fat) in their system. 4. Compared with breastfed babies, formula-fed infants gain weight more rapidly in the first weeks of life. This rapid weight gain is associated with later obesity. Transition: Hopefully you’re becoming aware of why breastfeeding is so important especially during the early stages of a childs life. III. Breastfeeding can reduce your stress level and your risk of postpartum depression. A. The National Institute of Health reviewed more than 9,000 women and concluded that women who didn’t breastfeed or stopped breastfeeding early on had a higher risk of postpartum depression. B. Many women feel relaxed while breastfeeding. That’s because nursing triggers the release of the hormone oxytocin. Numerous studies in animals and humans have found that oxytocin promotes nurturing and relaxation. 1. One study found that women who had high amounts of oxytocin in their system had lower blood pressure after being asked to talk about a stressful personal problem. Transition: So, let’s reconsider the benefits of breastfeeding. Conclusion: I. Studies are finding new benefits of breastfeeding all the time. The May 2010 issue of Pediatrics, for example, published a study showing that babies who are breastfed are less likely to have fevers after their immunizations than babies who are formula fed. II. Breastfeeding is natural – but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy. Don’t hesitate to contact your healthcare provider or a certified lactation consultant if you need help or support. Bibliography www. womenshealth. gov/breastfeeding/Share[-;0] www. webmd. com/parenting/†¦ /breastfeeding-9/nursing-basics[-;1] [-;0] – http://www. womenshealth. gov/breastfeeding/Share [-;1] – http://www. webmd. com/parenting/†¦ /breastfeeding-9/nursing-basics How to cite Breastfeeding, Papers

Equity Bank New Mobile Solutions Technology

Question: Discuss and Explain how Reducing the queues at Equity bank using the new mobile solutions technology in the world. Answer: Introduction: Equity bank, a biggest bank in Africa by customer base, it provides financial services to customers, the organization has a footprint in East and central Africa. The purpose of this assignment is to analyze how Equity bank, can use a new product which is mobile banking to solve the long queues that have been experienced in the banking halls. Traditionally the bank has embraced paper banking where customers fill in deposits slips or situations where the customers fill in forms in account opening, or even loans applications It has been a complaint by customers, the long queues experienced in the banking halls, are very frustrating and it leads to customers spending a lot of time while doing transactions. The customers also use lots of resources to reach the banks, like fuel. As a result this financial institution, is dedicated to introduce a new mobile app solution, that will allow over 100million of its customers, to access banking services on their mobile phones, the new product is expected to move the banking services from paper work to internet and mobile based transaction. This paper endeavors to examine use of TRIZ (Theory of inventive problems) the problem in this context being the long queues experienced by customers in the banks, and how DFSS can be used in executing the new product mobile banking for the bank. The purpose of this project is to eliminate long queues in the bank (TRIZ) by introducing new product mobile banking(DFSS). Introducing the new mobile banking solution will, will tend to reduce the number of customers visiting the banks to complete bank transaction, this will also improve service delivery to the customers, since customers will serve themselves via the technology. Queues will greatly reduce and banking will be transformed from where you go into something you do. The focus will not be on customer service, but more on the systems serving the customers. Introduction of mobile banking will reduce the banks operative costs like the number of employees serving customers, and the stationery that was used when customers are purchasing products and services. As result of the bank embracing the mobile banking services and solution, the number of walk ins in the bank will greatly reduce, the image about the bank will be improved, this will also be observed as good principle by the regulators (Choudhry, 2012)Employing mobile banking measures is expected to reduce the cost of production at the branches level at 80% and the queues are greatly expected to reduce, the banking halls by 50%. Before execution of mobile banking system, it is expected that Equity bank will record the number of customers accessing the branches in a given day and there will be compare the statistics after the new mobile banking service has been introduced across all countries in operation. Project Plan For the project to become reality the bank will use an already existing network company and in this context happens to be the Airtel company, the company has 40% of its infrastructure unused, and thus the bank will set up mobile virtual network service (mvno) on Aitrel infrastructure. After the organization has laid the infrastructure, it will test the service through its staff, who will give feedback on the service while accessing loans and transfer of money. The organization will develop a questionnaire submitted via emails to all of its employees who are expected, to give a feedback on the experienced received, the challenges experienced by the employees such as delay of money transfer, will greatly help the institution in redesign of the products a very important aspect in product cycle (Niemann et al, 2008). Once the product has been redesigned it is the duty of the organization to come up with a backup plan, in case the system backfires like using its own network to avail servi ces concurrently. After the redesign of mobile banking, the organization will offer sim cards to access the service to the family members and relatives of the staff, ensure that they are enrolled to the system and allow a few transactions, observe the trends on the systems and finally make it public to customers, on availability of the product. During the project implementation, time frame is very important, the organization will test the product during mid-month when less customers are accessing banking facilities to test the reliability when transactions are few and during end month when more people are accessing facilities, to test robust nature of the systems. Some of the major challenges the organization is expected to encounter during the mobile banking introduction are a poor network coverage, by the network company which will affect the testing and pretesting phases. Being a relatively new product in the world, it is expected that the subscribers will have a problem in accessing key features, before embracing it well from the sim card manual provided. The product will greatly help the banks operation even with introduction of new product through the mobile banking, it will only need a new feature to be introduced in on the menu. For instance, If the organization is introducing a new loan facility to agricultural customers, it will need to send an SMS to all its profiled customers and ask them to check it out in the menu. Solutions The mobile banking service is designed to meet all the operation services at the bank, the question behind the design is security of customers transactions, it is the responsibility of the bank to guard customers sim cards by introducing a onetime pin that can only be submitted to the customers mobile phone, and in case mobile phone is stolen or misplaced, the organization should device a duress signal through its customer care platform, preventing further loss to the customers. Comparison of loans uptake by customers through traditional queue system and current mobile banking systems will enable the organization to increase the loans limits for the customers and thus increase the volumes released to the market, for more profitability. Integration The organization is expected to do mass media communication to the customers about the new product that is being proposed in the market, through mass media customer awareness is very fast (Schramm and Roberts, 1971). It will also incorporate aspect like radio and advertising to reach out customers who prefer listening to radio, other than watching TV. In the integration period, the customers that are used to the traditional banking system will continue lining in the banks though there will be a desk marketing the mobile banking service, ushering customers to embrace the new technology giving an emphasis; customers can access the service through mobile banking without leaving their premises of operations. To make the integration a reality, the bank should cause queues in the banks intentionally, this can be done via closing some cashiers tills, tills closure and marketing of the new system, will highly push the customers to adopt the new system. Costing While implementing a new banking solution for the bank, the organization is expected to set out the budget for the implementation, cost of the places where by core teams are meeting for the project execution and analysis, cost of the transport of high ranking officials might change during the entire period. As a result of the bank embracing the new technological system, there is a lease fee to be paid for the leased space through Airtel network, the engineers who might move from their home countries for project realization, they need to be paid for the service and well accommodated, a cost that the organization incurs. Validation For the validation of the process, the organization needs to acquire licenses from the communication commission in host countries, giving a detailed information on their business operation with the intentions behind the new product. This will ensure the company is subjected to fair competition and the service for the customer is safeguarded, preventing issues like sabotage by the hosting network company and bad publicity about their service. The organization needs to test the mobile banking service speed and reliability through customers that are conducting a few banking transactions in comparison to customers making numerous production, the customers perception in the new advancement will highly help, customers perception highly helps in product development of a product or service (Haque and Ahmed, 2013). Testing will happen by sending messages, to a number of customers asking them to transact on a certain service and watch how fast the system will complete the transactions in focus. Conclusion The paper begins with introduction of Equity bank a financial service provider, with some footprint in East and Central Africa, biggest company in Africa by customer base, the company has been greatly affected by long queues of customers in the banking halls. Ion discussion is the main purpose of the paper which, endeavors to examine use of TRIZ (Theory of inventive problems) the problem in this context being the long queues experienced by customers in the banks, and how DFSS can be used in executing the new product mobile banking for the bank. The purpose of this project is to eliminate long queues in the bank (TRIZ) by introducing new product mobile banking(DFSS). The benefits expected as well as outcomes of eliminating the queues have been analyzed, it gives a project plan and methodology in problem solving, analysis of the new product like its robustness and reliability, solution and integration of the new product, aspect like the cost and factors to consider during the budget al location and last but not least is the project validation whereby in this project customers have been greatly used in testing and validating the product. References Asefeso. Ade MCIPS MBA ,2012. Design for Six Sigma (Dfss). AA Global Sourcing Ltd Bachler, E.B., 2007. The evolution of innovation-TRIZ trends and bionics. Cavanagh, R., Neuman, R. and Pande, P., 2005.What is design for Six Sigma. McGraw Hill Professional. Domb, E.R., 2014.Global Innovation Science Handbook, Chapter 24-TRIZ: Theory of Solving Inventive Problems: Theory of Solving Inventive Problems. McGraw Hill Professional. Ehrlich, B.H., 2002.Transactional six sigma and lean servicing: leveraging manufacturing concepts to achieve world-class service. CRC Press. www.equitybankgroup.com Martin, J.W., 2007.Operational excellence: using lean six sigma to translate customer value through global supply chains. CRC Press. Terninko, J., Zusman, A. and Zlotin, B., 1998.Systematic innovation: an introduction to TRIZ (theory of inventive problem solving). CRC press. Truscott, W.T. and Truscott, W.G., 2003.Six sigma: Continual improvement for business: A practical guide. Routledge. Yi, Y., 2014.Customer value creation behavior. Routledge. Yeoh, T., 2014. TRIZ: Systematic innovation in business and management.Selangor: Firstfruits Sdn Bhd. Creveling, C.M., Slutsky, J. and Antis, D., 2002.Design for Six Sigma in technology and product development. Prentice Hall Professional. Niemann, J., Tichkiewitch, S. and Westkmper, E. eds., 2008.Design of sustainable product life cycles. Springer Science Business Media Schramm, W. and Roberts, D.F., 1971. The process and effects of mass communication. Haque Jr, A. and Ahmed 3rd, S.I., 2013.Customers' Perception Towards Cellular Mobile Telephone Operators. ORIC Publications.

Folic Acid an Example of the Topic Health Essays by

Folic Acid Folate, a water-soluble B-type vitamin which is synthesized as folic acid, helps in the maintenance of new cells. As such, the name, which is derived from a Latin word meaning leaf is a common sight in general health and medical literature concerning infancy and pregnancy, where the division and growth of cells is of crucial import. (Herbert, 1999) Need essay sample on "Folic Acid" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Unsurprisingly, folates importance to cell division and growth is derived from its necessity to the production of DNA and RNA which are the core component of cells. Additionally, folate plays a role in regulation of cancer-inducing changes in DNA. (Fenech, et. al., 1998) Folate also plays a role in the metabolization of the amino acid known as homocysteine. (Kamen, 1997) Without folate, unchecked levels of homocysteine can lead to bone weakness and poses some cardiovascular risk. (Sato, et al; 2005) Still, this should not be misunderstood. Kaare Harald Bnaa, co-author of a report from the European Society of Cardiology, notes that based on results from the Norwegian Vitamin Trial, while folate does help lower the levels of homocysteine, it does not necessarily reduce the risk of heart failure. As such, high dose prescriptions of B-vitamins such as folate, do not prevent heart diseases and strokes, and are advisable only for patients suffering from B-vitamin deficiencies. (Bnaa, 2005) The recommended dietary intake for folate is set by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences (1998) at 400 micrograms per day for adults of both genders. For pregnant or lactating women, the recommended dietary intake for folate is 500 micrograms daily for those in the age range of 14-18, and 600 micrograms daily for those aged 19 and above. No recommended dietary intake has been sufficiently established for infants by the Institute of Medicine. However, they have approximated an adequate intake measure based on the amounts of folate consumed by healthy breast-fed infants. As such, the Institute of Medicine opines that 65 micrograms of folate is adequate for children up to 6 years old and 80 micrograms for children up to 12 years old. Incidentally, the Dietary Folate Equivalent of naturally occurring folate to synthetic folic acid derived from vitamin supplements and fortified foods. Effectively speaking, for every microgram of folate expressed in the recommended dietary intake, individuals may take 0.6 micrograms of folic acid from supplements and fortified foods instead. Undergraduates Frequently Tell EssayLab support:Who wants to write essay for me?Essay writer professionals propose: Essay Help Provided Here With Beneficial Facilities!Top Rated Essay Writing Service Write My Essay Online Writes Paper For You College Essay Writing Service Leafy vegetables such as lettuces, spinach and turnip greens are among the richest sources of folate, making it aptly the leaf vitamin. Other rich sources of folate include dried beans and peas and sunflower seeds. Many cereal products such as ready to eat whole grain cereals and white rice are also rich in folate, primarily due to having been artificially fortified with a quarter to a hundred per cent of the recommended dietary allowance for folic acid. Certain fruits such as oranges, tomatos, cantaloupes, papayas and bananas are also identified as rich sources of folate. (USDA, 2005) Much of the attention given to folate revolves around the link between folate deficiencies in pregnant women and neural tube defects in their children. As such, health watchdog groups and government health departments around the world have repeatedly recommended the use of supplements for the purposes of addressing these deficiencies. As implied above, this has led to many countries such as Indonesia, Mongolia and various Middle Eastern nations in addition to the United States introducing vitamin fortification of folate into various food commodities such as flour and cereal. The European Union stands as a notable exception in that the Food Standards Agency of the United Kingdom only recommends folate-fortification, whilst the remainder of the EU has, at present, not made fortification mandatory. (Russell, 2006) Gentili (2007) notes that the presence of folate is oft manifested in glutamate compounds which cannot be endogenously generated by the human physiognomy. The reason why folates manifest themselves in natural polyglutamate tissues is because it is a cell form that can sufficiently retain them. In terms of absorption and excretion, folates are metabolized into monoglutamates, which enable them to be transported across the human respiratory and excretory systems as plasma and urine. This metabolization occurs in the luman of the small intestine, where reside the enzymes that can convert the polyglutamate form of folates (i.e. food tissue) into the appropriate monoglutamate form. This monoglutamate form is then absorbed into the proximate area of the central small intestine or jejunum. Plasma-bound folate takes the form of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate or 5-methyl THFA, and is demethylated before it can be of any use to the human body in those enzymatic reactions which require folate. Incidentally, this is why excess or toxic levels of folate intake have been associated with Vitamin B-12 deficiencies. For consumed folic acid and folate to be properly metabolized into an excretable form, cobalamin or B-12 is required. Without B-12, folate cannot be rendered into an excretable form and remains bound as 5-methyl THFA. As such, regardless of the side effects of the folate itself, excess folate intake can result in severe B-12 deficiency and as a result leads to difficulty in metabolizing other vitamins, as well as megaloblastic anemia may occur, as well as neurological and psychiatric abnormalities resulting from this deficiency (Scott, 1999) As indicated above, many enzymatic reactions require folate acid, in its biologically active and metabolic form as THFA or demethyated tetrahyrofolic acid. This is because folate is necessary to the transfer of carbon units crucial to the synthesis of proteins and nucleic acids which form the base of DNA and RNA. (Fenech, et. al., 1998; Gentili, 2007) THFA also plays a necessary role in the synthesis of purine, thymidine and amino acid. From this, it is expected that folate deficiencies result in impairments in highly critical physiological functions: cell division, the impairment of methylatic reactions which regulate genetic expression. Hence, folate acid deficiency in pregnant women leads to severe developmental impairments in the prenatal infant. Mulenga, et. al. (2006) also report that despite the critical importance of folate to prenatal growth of infants, the use of high dose folic acid supplements interfere with anti-malarial treatment, specifically, sulfacoxine-pyrimethamine. This is a controversial point to consider, as while 4 micrograms of folate per day is adequate to protect against neural tube and brain defects in the developing fetus, women in sub-Saharan Africa, where the study was conducted, often take up to 5 milligrams a day because that this is the dosage at which folate supplements are available. The study reported that while there was no difference in stillbirths, premature deliveries and neonatal deaths among the subjects, treatment failure was double among those women taking the folate supplements than those taking placebos or 0.4 mg of folate. REFERENCES Herbert V. (1999). Folic Acid. Shils M, Olson J, Shike M, Ross AC, (Eds.). Nutrition in Health and Disease. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins. Fenech, M; Aitken, C; Rinaldi, J; (1998) Folate, vitamin B12, homocysteine status and DNA damage in young Australian adults. Carcinogenesis 1998;19:1163-71 Kamen, B. (1997 Oct) Folate and antifolate pharmacology. Semin Oncol 1997; 24:S18-30-S18-39. Sato, Y; Honda, Y; Iwamoto, J; Kanoko, T; Satoh, K. (2005) Effect of Folate and Mecobalamin on Hip Fractures in Patients With Stroke. Journal of the American Medical Association 293: 1082-1088. Boona, K.H. (2005) NORVIT: Randomized trial of homocysteine-lowering with B-vitamins for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease after acute myocardial infarction. Programs and Abstracts from the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2005; September 3-7, 2005. Stockholm, Sweden.

Translocation Essays

Translocation Essays Translocation Paper Translocation Paper Translocation A. The Munch pressure flow model The Principal of Pressure-Flow Model of Phloem Transport The Munch pressure-flow model is an explanation for the movement of organic materials in phloem . By the Munch pressure-flow experiment, two dialysis tubings are connected by a glass tube. The dialysis tubings only permeable to water or particles which have smaller size than the pores of the tubing,but impermeable to the larger solutes. As larger molecules such as proteins and polysaccharides(starch) that have dimensions significantly greater than the pore diameter of the dialysis tubing can pass through the tubings and they are retained inside the tubings. Smaller molecules such as water molecules and iodide ions are small enough to pass through the pores. The left-handed dialysis tubing contains 20%sucrose and iodine solution . The right-handed dialysis tubing contained 5% starch solution . The two entire dialysis tubings are submerged in distilled water of two separated beakers. Distilled water flows into the left-handed dialysis tubing because it has the higher solute concentration than that of the right-handed one. The entrance of water creates a positive pressure,thus a higher hydrostatic pressure is developed in left-handed tubing . The higher hydrostatic pressure in left-handed dialysis tubing induces water to flow from left to right through the glass tube. Therefore,water flows toward the right-handed dialysis tubing. This flow not only drives water toward the right tubing, but it also provides enough force for water to move out from the membrane of the right-handed dialysis tubing- even though the right-handed tubing contains a higher concentration of solute than the distilled water. Eventually the system will come to equilibrium. The left-handed dialysis tubing represents the sucrose regions, i. e. the photosynthetic tissues where sugars and other organic solutes are continuously synthesized. This results in a low water potential at the source so that large amount of water in xylem enters the cells here. The hydrostatic pressure of the sucrose increase. The right-handed dialysis tubing represents the sinks regions, sites of assimilation such as the actively growing parts or the sites for storage . Here solutes are being used up constantly , or converted to insoluble forms for storage . In other word , they are being unloaded from the sieve tubes . This leads to higher water potential at the sink and subsequently less water enters the cells by osmosis. The hydrostatic pressure of these cells is thus lower than those at the sucrose. A hydrostatic pressure gradient is therefore built up between the sucrose(left-handed tubing) and the sink(right-handed tubing) . This leads to the mass flow of liquid through the phloem (glass tube) from the sucrose to the sink, and water is forced back to the xylem by hydrostatic pressure. The pressure gradient is maintained due to the continuous production and consumption of solutes. In plants, sieve tubes are analogous to the glass tube that connects the two dialysis tubings. Sieve tubes are composed of sieve-tube members, each of which has a companion cell. It is possible that the companion cells assist the sieve-tube members in some way. The sieve-tube members align end to end, and strands of plasmodesmata (cytoplasm) extend through sieve plates from one sieve-tube member to the other. Sieve tubes, therefore, form a continuous pathway for organic nutrient transport throughout a plant. An area where the sucrose is made is called a source. At the Source (e. g. , leaves). During the growing season, photosynthesizing leaves are producing sugar. Therefore, they are a source of sugar. This sugar is actively transported into phloem. Again, transport is dependent on an electrochemical gradient established by a proton pump, a form of active transport. Sugar is carried across the membrane in conjunction with hydrogen ions , which are moving down their concentration gradient . After sugar enters sieve tubes, this increases the solute concentration of the sieve tubes,so water passes into them passively by osmosis. In the Stem. The buildup of water within sieve tubes creates the positive pressure that accounts for the flow of phloem contents. An area where sucrose is delivered from the sieve tube is called a sink. Sinks include the roots and other regions of the plant that are not photosynthetic , such as young leaves and fruits. Water flowing into the phloem forces the sugary substance in the phloem to flow down the plant. The addition of water from he xylem causes pressure to build up inside the phloem and pushes the sugar down. At the Sink . The roots (and other growth areas) are a sink for sugar, meaning that they are removing sugar and using it for cellular respiration. After sugar is actively transported out of sieve tubes, water exits phloem passively by osmosis and is taken up by xylem, which transports water to leaves, where it is used for photosynthesis. Now, phloem contents continue to flow from the leaves (source) to the roots (sink). The pressure-flow model of phloem transport can account for any direction of flow in sieve tubes if we consider that the direction of flow is always from source to sink. Translocation is a passive process that does not require the expenditure of energy by the plant. The mass flow of materials transported in the phloem occurs because of water pressure, which develops as a result of osmosis. Discussion 20% sucrose solution has a lower water potential than that of 5% starch solution, more water molecules move into the sucrose dialysis tubing than that of the starch dialysis tubing. The rise in solution level in sucrose dialysis tubing will be much more significant when compare to that of starch dialysis tubing. In the experiment , the water in the left hand beaker turn from colorless to yellowish brown, this indicated that there is a movement of iodide ions and water molecules across the selectively permeable dialysis tubing. As the experiment proceeds , there is a rise of brown solution in the glass tubing at the right hand tubing. The solution flows through the glass tube slowly. This suggests that there is a net movement of water molecules into the dialysis tubing since the water potential of the sucrose solution is higher than that of pure water. The water level in the right hand dialysis tubing decrease over the time as the experiment is carried on. This is due to the hydrostatic pressure applied by the left-hand flowing solution on the right-hand dialysis tubing. The flow rate of the solution is not constant throughout the experiment, the flow rate increases at first then it slows down and eventually reaches a static static flow rate. This is because an equilibrium status has reached. At first , the water potential of sucrose solution is higher than that of water, therefore water molecules move into the tubing. The continuos influx of water molecules into the left -hand tubing lead to the sucrose-iodine solution move along the glass tube, and the flow rate However,this has generated the hydrostatic pressure towards the right-hand tubing, pushing water molecules in the rich-hand dialysis tubing out of the tube. The net movement of water molecules from the right-hand tubing to the beaker made the starch solution more and more concentrated. Therefore the water potential of the starch solution is lower , water molecules may start to move back to the tubbing. This explains why the flow rate slow down and eventually maintain at a static rate. Due to the hydrostatic pressure, the sucrose solution will be transferred to the right hand tubing which the starch remain in the same tubing. mrothery. co. uk/plants/planttransportnotes. htm http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Pressure_Flow_Hypothesis http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Dialysis_tubing http://vinzchamakh. wordpress. com/category/biology/chapter-8-transport/

Fire-Resistant Properties of Building Materials Assignment

Fire-Resistant Properties of Building Materials - Assignment Example In addition, a recommendation will be made on the building materials best suited for the construction of a proposed building. Fires generally produce temperatures of approximately 1000C which can seriously affect the structural integrity of a building. Among the effects of fire is the loss of strength of the building material which can result in building collapse. In addition, thermal expansion associated with high temperatures may affect structures that are not directly in the vicinity of the fire. With the exception of timber, all materials used in building construction will begin to lose strength at temperatures exceeding 250C. This effect may be permanent. Metals begin to form droplets beginning at 300-350C. Concrete changes colour to pink at 250-300C. Chemical effects occur at 650C for aluminium and its alloys, and 1100-1200C for copper and iron (Prentice, 1990). Timber is one of the oldest materials used in building construction. The properties of timber are dependent on the type of wood used in construction, and how it has been treated. Wood responds well to tensional and compression forces but can bend due to the fibrous nature of this material. Wood can be a fire resistant material as it is subject to charring, which means that the wood in the centre may be protected during combustion to retain the structural integrity of the building. For the most part, however, timber is rapidly consumed by fire and can enhance the intensity of a fire since the material is subject to combustion. Timber used in building materials can be made more fire-resistant by coating the surface of the timber with fire-resistant chemicals such as ammonium phosphate and soleplate, borax and boric acid (Jones, 1986). Heavy wood timbers may be fire-resistant since the wood burns slowly inward causing charring of the exterior while the inner wood layers remain protected for significant periods of time.     Ã‚  

Wind turbines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wind turbines - Essay Example According to studies, wind contributes only less than 1% of the world's energy needs (Grose 1). Even if the percentage of contribution is very low, the use of wind turbines as means to generate electricity grow continuously. This is because people nowadays discover the good benefits of using wind turbines in terms of environmental factors. However, some disadvantages still prevent other people from using wind turbines and few of these reasons are related to high cost of manufacture and noise created by these machines (Mahoney 2). Ongoing improvements on the blade's design and material are continuously done to further develop the machine in terms of its aerodynamic properties and performance. A wind turbine is a machine that can generate electricity through the use of wind power. A wind turbine has large rotating blades that are capable of capturing wind and creating kinetic energy. This energy is converted to mechanical energy which is used to generate electricity for various purposes (Mahoney 1). Shown below are the parts of a typical wind turbine: The horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) is also known as the classical or most commonly used wind turbine in the world. The axis of rotation of these turbines is horizontal to the ground and parallel to the wind stream (Mathew 16). Shown is a diagram showing a sample of a horizontal axis wind turbine. .. Shown is a diagram showing a sample of a horizontal axis wind turbine. The advantages of using HAWT are its structural stability and changeable blade pitch that allows greater control of the turbine and aids the blades in catching the maximum amount of wind. Versatility is also seen as one of its advantage in terms of its ability to be feathered in case of storms (Mahoney 1). 2.2.2. Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) is different from HAWT because it is vertical to the ground and almost perpendicular to the wind direction. The VAWT can receive wind from any direction and so, complicated devices are avoided. The advantage of using VAWT is that they are not needed to be built very high. Maintenance is also easier since the VAWT is located nearer to the ground. The design is also not complicated and blades can easily be seen by birds (Mathew 19). On the other hand, VAWTs are less efficient than HAWTs since they can only produce energy that is 50% of what HAWTs can produce. Another downfall of VAWTs is that it can only rotate faster in higher elevations and with high wind velocity. Lastly, the turbine must be dismantled first in order to change or repair some parts when necessary (Mathew 19). Shown in diagram 2 is a sample of a vertical axis wind turbine. 2.3. Types of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Blades Wind turbine can be classified as single bladed, double bladed, and three bladed. The cheapest among the four classifications is the single bladed wind turbine since it only consumes small amount of material and labor. On the other hand this design is not ideal since balance is also an important factor in wind turbine construction and single bladed wind