About the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a military alliance of countries from Europe and North America promising collective defense. Currently numbering 29 nations, NATO was formed initially to counter the communist East and has searched for a new identity in the post-Cold War world. Background In the aftermath of the Second World War, with ideologically opposed Soviet armies occupying much of Eastern Europe and fears still high over German aggression, the nations of Western Europe searched for a new form of military alliance to protect themselves. In March 1948 the Brussels Pact was signed between France, Britain, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg, creating a defence alliance called the Western European Union, but there was a feeling that any effective alliance would have to include the US and Canada. In the US there was widespread concern about both the spread of Communism in Europe – strong Communist parties had formed in France and Italy - and potential aggression from Soviet armies, leading the US to seek talks about an Atlantic alliance with the west of Europe. The perceived need for a new defensive unit to rival the Eastern bloc was exacerbated by the Berlin Blockade of 1949, leading to an agreement that same year with many nations from Europe. Some nations opposed membership and still do, e.g. Sweden, Ireland. Creation, Structure, and Collective Security NATO was created by the North Atlantic Treaty, also called the Washington Treaty, which was signed on April 5th 1949. There were twelve signatories, including the United States, Canada and Britain (full list below). The head of NATOs military operations is the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, a position always held by an American so their troops don’t come under foreign command, answering to the North Atlantic Council of ambassadors from member nations, which is led by the Secretary General of NATO, who is always European. The centrepiece of the NATO treaty is Article 5, promising collective security: an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all; and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area. The German Question The NATO treaty also allowed for the alliance’s expansion among European nations, and one of the earliest debates among NATO members was the German question: should West Germany (the East was under rival Soviet control) be re-armed and allowed to join NATO. There was opposition, invoking the recent German aggression which caused World War Two, but in May 1955 Germany was allowed to join, a move which caused upset in Russia and led to the formation of the rival Warsaw Pact alliance of Eastern communist nations. NATO and the Cold War NATO had, in many ways, been formed to secure West Europe against the threat of Soviet Russia, and the Cold War of 1945 to 1991 saw an often tense military standoff between NATO on one side and the Warsaw Pact nations on the other. However, there was never a direct military engagement, thanks in part to the threat of nuclear war; as part of NATO agreements nuclear weapons were stationed in Europe. There were tensions within NATO itself, and in 1966 France withdrew from the military command established in 1949. Nevertheless, there was never a Russian incursion into the western democracies, in large part due to the NATO alliance. Europe was very familiar with an aggressor taking one country after another thanks for the late 1930s and did not let it happen again. NATO After the Cold War The end of the Cold War in 1991 led to three major developments: the expansion of NATO to include new nations from the former Eastern bloc (full list below), the re-imagining of NATO as a ‘co-operative security’ alliance able to deal with European conflicts not involving member nations and the first use of NATO forces in combat. This first occurred during the Wars of the Former Yugoslavia, when NATO used air-strikes first against Bosnian-Serb positions in 1995, and again in 1999 against Serbia, plus the creation of a 60,000 peace keeping force in the region. NATO also created the Partnership for Peace initiative in 1994, aimed at engaging and building trust with ex-Warsaw Pact nations in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and later the nations from the Former Yugoslavia. Other 30 countries have so far joined, and ten have become full members of NATO. NATO and the War on Terror: The conflict in the former Yugoslavia had not involved a NATO member state, and the famous clause 5 was first – and unanimously - invoked in 2001 after terrorist attacks on the United States, leading to NATO forces running peace-keeping operations in Afghanistan. NATO has also created the Allied Rapid Reaction Force (ARRF) for faster responses. However, NATO has come under pressure in recent years from people arguing it should be scaled down, or left to Europe, despite the increase in Russian aggression in the same period. NATO might still be searching for a role, but it played a huge role in maintaining the status quo in the Cold War, and has potential in a world where Cold War aftershocks keep happening.   Member States 1949 Founder Members: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France (withdrew from military structure 1966), Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom, United States1952: Greece (withdrew from military command 1974 – 80), Turkey1955: West Germany (With East Germany as reunified Germany from 1990)1982: Spain1999: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland2004: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia2009: Albania, Croatia2017: Montenegro

Brother, My Brother - Bienvenido Santos BOOK REPORT

A Book Report: â€Å"Brother, My Brother† by Bienvenido Santos ABMA 116 Viennard Concepcion I. Title â€Å"Brother, My Brother† A. Etymology Brother, My Brother was entitling to the author itself. It is like conveying himself as his own brother, saying that no much more can embrace his self very much rather than himself only. A very brief autobiography which focuses on the author’s painful journey back to his past and on how the author goes back to his land but later on go back to the foreign and serve it as his home. B. Reference 1. Literal The story was like the author was representing himself and telling his journey by the means of telling that it is the author’s brother. 2. Symbolic The story was like calling the†¦show more content†¦A lot of the houses that he once knew were more dilapidated and the waters in the areawere black as ever. There were still a lot of Kankong fields in their town and from walking by them he found Apung Genio who used to be his late father’s friend. Apung Genio used to cut his hair as a child and when he greeted the old man he barely recognized Selmo.Selmo re-introduced himself carefully and when Apung Genio remembered him beganto reminisce of his childhood and his father’s. They talked about childhood friends and their adult lives like Dulo who was now a sweepstakes peddler and Ching who had already wontwice.Then Selmo asked Apung Genio on how his children were now. He was told that ApungGenio’s daughters Loreto and Simang have not yet married and may become old maids. Thenhe asked on how Apung Genio’s son Ambo is. Apung Genio hesitated to answer him butshortly reminisced how Selmo and Ambo were c lose friends. Finally he told Selmo that Ambois now in prison. This surprised Selmo but he no longer asked further because Apung Geniotold him that he was feeling dizzy and needed to rest. Selmo then thought that maybe after heleaves Sulucan and return one day he may find out more details on why his friend Ambo was in prison but for now he will just let it be. 2. Conflict Returning to heritage has its own stories to tell; there are the good sides which are thefond memories of long ago and the bad sides which is the

Marketing Strategy free essay sample

Starbucks, a leading specialty coffee retailer in the world has been selected because of its strategic approach in responding to external pressures as well as their strong capabilities in sustaining themselves in a highly competitive environment. Their approach to product development, technological advancement and in providing a unique experience would lend to them establishing themselves in Trinidad and Tobago. As the foundation for investigation, analysis, Porter’s 5-forces Model and Value Chain have been applied. They were used to analyze the macro, micro and internal factors with the given limitations for each odel. The report found that the major areas of threats are dependency on suppliers, price sensitivity that is affected by the global economic recession and competition. Despite the threats, the report focuses on Starbucks competencies in product innovation, set distribution channels, providing quality service and experience and technological advancements to enter into Trinidad and Tobago’s market through Market Development Strategy (Ansoff 1968). The weak points in this definition include failure to mention that marketing is a process that involves different steps including segmenting, targeting and positioning. The definition focuses only on creating demand and gaining profit with no reference to delivering value to customers or to managing customer relationships. Marketing is defined by the AMA as The activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. This replaces the previous definition, which still appears in the AMAs dictionary as: An organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders. † This new definition has a more extensive view of marketing describing it as an activity and a set of institutions along with its original defini tion of being a multi-step process. It also highlights the fact that marketing is beneficial not only to customers, organizations and stakeholders but also to the society as a whole. â€Å"Exchanging offerings that have value for customers† replaces â€Å"Delivering value to customers† in the old definition to empathize, from my point of view, the transactional spirit of the marketing process being one of mutual benefits exchange and to convey the idea that the value delivered to customers is not stagnant and should be continuously updated to satisfy their evolving needs and wants. I do not see any points of weakness in this definition except my failure to understand the exclusion of mentioning marketing as an organizational function requiring the involvement of several departments as well as not referring to managing customer relationships which is an important milestone in the marketing process. My Definition of Marketing â€Å"Marketing is the process of gaining insight to what customers really want, creating demands based on this insight and making profitable exchanges to customers, clients, partners and society. † N. B. Underlined words justify the strong points in my definition) Definitions of Marketing Management Marketing Management is defined by the AMA as â€Å"The process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals. † This definition’s strong point lies in referring to marketing management as a pro cess and mentioning some managerial tasks as planning and execution. Many weak points, in my opinion, can be clearly detected in this definition. No reference is made to choosing target markets or even attracting and maintaining customers. Ideas, goods and services used in the definition are outdated and better be replaced by creating, delivering and communicating value to customers. In addition, the word â€Å"goals† is not as descriptive of individuals’ aims from marketing as words like needs, wants or demands. â€Å"Marketing Management is defined in THE Wikipedia as â€Å"A business discipline which is focused on the practical application of marketing techniques and the management of a firms marketing resources and activities. † The strength of this definition comes from referring to the use of marketing techniques and implying the need to manage the marketing resources of the firm. The weakness of this definition is due to lack of the different aspects referred to in discussing the previous Marketing Management definition. My Definition of Marketing Management: â€Å"The process of managing profitable customer relationships through choosing proper target markets as well as attracting new customers, retaining and growing current customers by sustained creation, delivery and communication of superb customer value. † N. B.

The Redefining Of Social Institutions Essays - Culture, Empowerment

The Redefining Of Social Institutions The Redefinition of Sociological Institutions So long as there are economic fluctuations, homogamy amongst subcultures worldwide, and the willingness of people and researchers to multi-laterally communicate towards achieving the quality of life desired by all groups, there will remain the possibility of ?re-defining? sociological institutions. To name a few from the wide spectrum of possibilities, two institutions that have been significantly ?redefined? by time are the American family culture and co-housing communities throughout the United States. American family culture in the 1700's consisted of a style of living called the extended or ?connected? family. The idea arose that the extended family style had been ?damaged?, therefore deserving a more critical look into the issue. In a ?connected? family, the economic value of family members far outweighed their personal family freedoms. Entire families of people would be living and working together in a group to gain economic stability. Women's interests were thought to be insignificant by society, and children were bred freely as to increase the family's labor capital. The extended family style was one of mutual support and complementary value between family members. Women and children worked long hours on their farms and were denied of any freedoms whether they are personally or politically empowering. The women then finding a ?second shift? (household duties and child rearing) when they retired from working that day. The in-depth look at the structure of the extended family raised new ideas on increasing the quality of life for all existing ?connected? models. Views about women's empowerment, freedoms, gender equity, and self-sufficiency were established along with Clark2 those of child welfare and proper upbringing. This experimental family style was considered an early form of the nuclear or ?non-connected? family style. Mother's relationships with their children grew more significant and women were allowed more and more access to new child-rearing technologies and focused more on ?child turnout? than economic growth. By acting to liberate and equate the interests of women this movement molded the ?spheres of influence? and traditional roles of the existing ?connected? family model. Thus, kin-direct motherhood styles quickly became obsolete due to the sudden increase amongst women in modern thinking and technology. The ?new? nuclear family was one full of individual freedoms that were foreign to most families, in that they only knew of the traditional family practices. That explains how ?American family life? as a social institution has the ability to be re-defined via modern sociological theory and concept. To further prove the power of sociological research, the co-housing to NEL model transformation occurred. The co-housing model was established in the late 1960's strictly for the purpose of reforming some of the undesirable characteristics of 1950's family life for those residing. It emphasizes ?interdependence? of neighbors in a community, whereas residents can even have ?cross-household? responsibilities within their neighborly setting, and both children and adults become integral parts of their immediate social web. These responsibilities were mainly those of involvement in other's child-rearing, without any distinct political or social agendas. It is not an attempt to revolutionize family life or public policy, so much as it was a ?comfort zone? for structure-desiring families. Clark3 Idealist beliefs were established by those who felt as though they understood the structure of society and its' functions. This vision called ?utopian realism? was usually a distorted reality that was based around existing fact and theory. This new concept fathered the modernized co-housing based community know as the New Everyday Life. Unlike the co-housing model, the NEL model was equipped with social and political agendas towards the promotion of women's empowerment. It was generally assumed that all people would benefit in this discreet structure, and that gender alliance was to be agreed on. The NEL model advocated freeing women from the threat of violence, enhancing their negotiation capabilities with men, wage employment, and social empowerment. The principle of neighbors supervising the lives of those next to them, and becoming involved in other's personal business became an issue of controversy among these communities. A system of ?virtual democracy? or ?commonplaces? was fo rmed to carry out NEL objectives and make decisions in the community's best interests. The NEL was ultimately a very modernized and advanced version of co-housing with a feminist agenda, and

Consumer Law Essay Example

Consumer Law Essay The most useful dictionary definition of a consumer is someone who buys goods and services for personal use or need (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary). All consumer transactions are based on the law of contract. The consumer agrees to purchase goods or services and the seller in return provide those goods or services. Every exchange of goods is an agreement between the buyer and seller thus making them based on the law of contact. The major act that supports and assists consumers is the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (SGA), as amended by the Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994 and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2002. The Sale of Goods Act covers transactions where goods are transferred for monetary consideration, called the price(Nutshells p. 1). In the course of this essay I will be looking at the relevant Acts in order to establish how the law seeks to protect the consumer. In the light of the question, by looking at the useful dictionary definition and the definition provided by the relevant statutes, which states that a consumer is a natural person entering into a contract with another in the course of business we can see that Lil clearly fits the definition of a consumer by meeting both the definitions set out. We will write a custom essay sample on Consumer Law specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Consumer Law specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Consumer Law specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In order to proceed we must now define the seller and what it means to be in the course of business. This phrase can be used in both civil and criminal law and the courts in relation have tried to keep the meaning same across both sections, RB Customs Brokers Co Ltd v. united Dominion Trust Ltd (a civil case) which followed the guidance in Davies v. Summer (a criminal case). In relation to our scenario as the goods, which in this case is the shoes, are transferred for a monetary consideration, the sale is governed by the Sale of Goods Act 1979. Under this Act the implied terms set out by S. 14 only apply when the goods are sold in the course of business with the transaction being an integral part of the business, with some degree of regularity and in the nature of trade and carried out with a view to making a profit, this can be seen in the case of Stevenson v. Rogers (1999). This section does not cover any private sales and there is an exception where the sale is carried out as a hobby, with no significant profit being made. In the light of our scenario we can clearly name Tuffstuff as the seller and acting in the course of business because the goods (shoes) where sold within the store where transaction is an integral part of their business. There is a degree of regularity because they are constantly in the course of business selling shoes thus being in the nature of trade with a view to making profit from their sales. Now that I have identified the parties to the valid contract I will be looking at the terms implied by the Sale of Goods Act 1979. Sections 12,13,14 and 15 of this Act imply terms into contracts for the sale of goods. The essential issue here is whether the goods (shoes) where fit for their purpose. Section 14 (3) of the SGA 1979 states that the seller sells goods any particular purpose for which such goods are commonly supplied (P. 11 Unit Guide). By using and applying this rule to the facts of the case we can see that purpose of the goods are essential. This is to say whether or not the purpose is one for which such goods are commonly supplied and used for or one that the consumer has used it for. The purpose could be made known by implication where the purposes of the goods in question are obvious, e. . a hot water bottle in the case of Preist v. Last 1903 (Consumer Law P. 45). In relation to our case facts we do not know what kind of shop the consumer brought the shoes from or the type of shoes theyve brought in detail, we can only rely on the statement made by the shop manager which states that the shoes were not intended for use on rugged terrain. It is stated that consumers frequently buy one-purpose goods where no advice is taken from the seller regarding the goods because the purpose is implied being only one-purpose goods hence breaching S. 14 (2) and 14(3) if the goods are defective. In relation to multi-purpose goods the buyer is advised to ask as many questions as possible about the goods and what they can use it for in order to benefit under S. 14 (3). This can be seen in the case of Griffiths v. Peter Conway Ltd 1939 where the buyers skin condition was not communicated to the seller thus there was no breach of S. 14 (2) or S. 14 (3). If in cases such as this the buyer does not communicate what they intend to use the goods for, other then their normal purpose, then the extent of the sellers obligation is to ensure that the goods are fit for what their original purpose is for (Jewson Ltd v. Kelly 2003). In the light of our scenario we can see that the consumer used the shoes on a hill-walking holiday. The shoes are one-purpose goods and are not intended for specifically to be used on rugged terrain, as the retailer reasonably assumed. There was no communication between Lil and the seller prior to the sale regarding if the shoes could be used for hill-walking, if however Lil asked many questions and gathered information regarding the goods then she could have got the maximum benefit under S. 14 (3). Section. 14 SGA implies that goods must be of satisfactory quality. In order to advise Lil on her contractual rights it is vital to understand this section of the Act. To begin with, the topic here regards the quality and fitness of the product in concern. Section. 14 (2) states that Where the seller sells goods. supplied are of satisfactory quality. In order to move on we must understand what satisfactory quality means. Before 1994 the test was to see if the goods were of merchantable quality. This was later replaced by the test of satisfactory quality. The need for this change was highlighted in the case of Bernstein v. Pamson Motors (1987) (Consumer Law P. 45). The wording of the SGA 1979 was amended with the passing of SGA Amendment Act 1979 which now states that goods are of satisfactory quality if they meet the standard that a reasonable person would regard as satisfactory (P. 11 Unit Guide) taking account of any description of the goods, the price and all other relevant circumstances (s. 14 (2a)). Also s. 14 (2b) states that quality of goods include their state or condition and 5 other points (A. Fitness for all commonly supplied, B. appearance and finish, C. freedom from minor defects, D. safety and E. durability (P. 11 Unit Guide)). In the light of our case points A, D and possibly E clearly apply as relevant and need to be considered because the other 2 quality points can be seen as fulfilled by the seller. The shoes purchased by the consumer were not durable and had fallen apart making them unwearable which could be unsafe for the consumer. The fact that the shoes were not durable could mea n they are not of satisfactory quality under the SGA 1979. The case of Bernstein v. Pamson Motors (1987) could be useful under the durability section. The question we need to ask is how long we expect new goods to last? From the Act this is hard to figure out because the definition states durability is a factor but does not give any further information so it is useful to look at the facts of each case in order to determine durability of new goods. In the Bernstein case Rougier J. held that the car brought was not merchantable quality because you would expect buying a new car the engine would not seize up after three weeks. In todays case the car would not be one of satisfactory quality. Before we come to a solid conclusion regarding Lils contractual rights and any remedies, which may exist, another issue raises. Terms in S. 13, 14 (2) and 14 (3) are all conditions. Their importance is vital as buyers are concerned because they can affect the remedies they can pursue. However S. 11 (4) of the SGA points out that where a contract of sale is not severable to be treated as a breach of warranty (Nutshells P. 14). The issue is whether there is evidence of acceptance of the goods, which affects the type of remedy the consumer, is entitled to claim. Sections 34 and 35 of the SGA administrate acceptance and S. 35 declare that acceptance can occur in three ways. 1) By intimation to the seller that is to say verbally notifying the seller that you accept the good 2) by an act after delivery inconsistent with the sellers ownership 3) via retention beyond a reasonable time (Consumer Law and Practice P. 110-12). In connection with our scenario the final method of acceptance (number 3) is decisive. The question we need to ask is when does the time start to run and what is considered to be reasonable? The fundamental case of Bernstein v Pamson Motors (1987) where it was held keeping the car in question for three weeks constituted to acceptance, which meant the consumer, was entitled to an equitable remedy only (Nutshells P. 15). However this case was seen not to be advantageous to consumers and the amendments mean that the law is now more in favour of the consumer. The Court of Appeal recently held that Bernstein was no longer good law. In the case of Clegg v. Olle Andersson (2003) the aim behind S. 5 (5) had been achieved and that the buyer could reject his yacht even after seven months (Consumer Law and Practice P. 113) Nevertheless having possession of goods beyond reasonable period of time still constitutes acceptance but reasonableness is a question of fact and the issue of having reasonable time to examine the goods must be considered. In relation to our scenario and the case facts the question we need to ask is whether Lils holiday is reasonable time for acceptance and reas onable time to examine the goods? The facts of the cases are very special in order to come to a conclusion. In tradition a problem like this is unlikely to arise because Lil will have a right of repair or replacement under the 2002 Regulations or, if this is not achievable, a suitable degree of reduction in the price she has paid. By looking at the case facts it could be said that Lil wore the shoes through out the holiday, even though clearly the shoes were not fit for the purpose of hill walking. This could be seen as her accepting the shoes. If after wearing the shoes Lil had realised that they were falling apart and not worn them again then she would argue that she has not accepted the goods and could reject the shoes. We have not been told how long the holiday has been for, and the fact that she has worn the shoes through out the hill-walking holiday till the end, I believe, constitutes to Lil accepting the goods. This is to say that the term under S. 14 (3) SGA is no longer a condition and is now to be treated as a warranty only. This is governed under S. 11 (4) SGA, which provides where a contract of sale is not severable and the buyer has accepted the goods the breach of any condition is to be treated as a warranty (Nutshells P. 14). Lil has accepted the goods so damages are the only remedy. The case of Hadley v. Baxendale (1854) and Sections 51 to 53 SGA set out the details of the kind of damages that Lil can claim. In cases such as this most retailers offer a replacement, but because in this case Tuffstuff no longer stock the same type of shoe, then the other remedy of repair will be available. She will be entitled to damages for breach of warranty for the product S. 53 SGA. In this case it will be the cost of putting the goods right and any inconvenience of not having the goods (distress) that it may have caused. Repair of the goods is therefore the most likely and logical outcome of this case. In connection to the alleged exclusion liability clause printed on the receipt the first point that needs to be considered is whether or not, by the common law rules, the clauses have been incorporated in the contract. First of all the type of document involved is important. In the case of Chapelton v. Barry UDC (1940) a receipt could not be expected to contain vitally important exclusion clauses and it was held that there was no incorporation. In the light of our scenario we can se that the exclusion of liability is printed on the reverse of the receipt, which was handed to Lil when she brought the shoes. Also from the facts we can see that reasonable steps werent taken to bring the notice before Lil prior to the contract is made. In the light of this argument the exclusion liability will not be incorporated into the contract. However we are not aware, from the case facts, what the exclusion liability is or how vitally important it is. If the exclusion liablilty appears to be incorporated into the contract, being not vitally important, then it will be governed by UCTA (Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977). The clause printed is trying to exclude liability. Any clause, which is trying to do this, with the effect of UCTA S. 6, will be deemed as void when the buyer is dealing as a consumer (P. 20-4 Unit Guide). The question now is whether Lil was dealing as a consumer? Again by S. 6 of UCTA a person deals as a consumer when s/he buys from someone acting in the course of business where the buyer holds himself or herself as just a private buyer and not acting in the course of a business. From the case we can clearly see that Lil is a consumer thus making the exclusion of liability void. In addition, Consumer Transactions Order 1976 states that, a trader can be guilty of a criminal offence where they exhibit a void exclusion clause in a notice, or in this case on a till receipt. Tuffstuff therefore could be guilty of a criminal offence. Overall because acceptance has occurred by Lil the condition by S. 11 (4) of the SGA becomes a warranty for which only the damages that I have set out above could be claimed.

Drugs, Alcohol, Stimulants, Depressants and Theories Essay Example

Drugs, Alcohol, Stimulants, Depressants and Theories Essay Example Drugs, Alcohol, Stimulants, Depressants and Theories Paper Drugs, Alcohol, Stimulants, Depressants and Theories Paper Stimulants are those drugs that provisionally amplify attentiveness and consciousness. They typically have amplified side-effects with augmented efficiency, and the prevailing alternatives are consequently often drug remedies or prohibited drugs. Stimulant drugs boost the doings of neither the central nervous system, sensitive nervous system nor both. Several stimulants generate a feeling of exhilaration, particularly those stimulants that put forth influence on the central nervous system. Stimulant drugs are therapeutically used to boost or sustain attentiveness, to work against fatigue in circumstances where slumber is not convenient, to thwart irregular states that reduce attentiveness perception, to uphold weight loss and to augment legally the capability to contemplate in individuals with attentional disruptions for instance ADHD (CherlandFitzpatrick 1999, p811). Sporadically, stimulants are used to manage depression as well. Stimulant drugs are at times used to increase stamina and efficiency and to repress hunger, consequently also identified to promote eating abnormality like anorexia if ill-treated. The elation created by several stimulants makes recreational purposes, even though this is against the law within major authorities. Caffeine is found in tobacco as well as nicotine, which is also found in beverages such as soft drinks and coffee, are amid some of the most frequently used stimulant drugs. Recognized stimulants comprise amphetamines, ephedrine, cocaine, modafinil, methylphenidate and MDMA. A stimulant drug is usually referred in jargon as the ‘upper’. These drugs with considerable misuse potential are extremely cautiously controlled substances. Some are legally available merely by recommendation (mixed amphetamine salts, methamphetamine, Dexedrine, dexamphetamine, Adderall. Phenethylamine is a monoamine and alkaloid and it is understood to be a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator. Additionally it is the fundamental chemical composition behind the majority of stimulants, particularly the sympathomimetic amine. The term ‘downer’ talks about the whole class of drug recognized as Depressant Drugs. Depressants are chemical drugs which slow down, or hold back, the performance of brain as well as central nervous system. Though several downers are obtainable nowadays, all plunge to one of the two major classes: sedative-hypnotics and tranquilizers. Tranquilizers are drugs that basically anesthetize, or decrease emotional as well as physical tension. The Sedative-hypnotic drugs take things a further step and provoke sleep. A widespread term for the sedative-hypnotics is the sleeping pills. Generally, the temporary effects of depressants are comparable. Major effects take account of augmented muscular repose and reduced nervousness. During the practice, they reduce self-consciousness, slow spontaneous effects, and damage dexterity. Along the negative aspect, depressants have also a propensity for tedious judgment, decrease opinion, and hinder recollection, responsibilities at work, on the road, or further settings that require clear judgment as well as prompt reactions. To the extent that they are comparable, depressants are still different; predominantly in the system they attain their effects. Broadly used as a sleeping pill, the barbiturate (Seconal, Tuinal,) is as obtainable as legal drugs might be. The most accepted sleeping pill and non-barbiturate is Halcion but Halcion has a negative aspect for it abates quickly that several users have apprehension as the drugs outcomes weaken. Abnormal reactions regarding Halcion were reported including hallucinations, amnesia, and violent behavior. In its legal use, tranquilizers, as depressants, are used to lessen delusions, hallucinations, as well as the intensity of rigorous cognitive-affective illness like schizophrenia. Given that main tranquilizers do not generate effects that people experience as gratifying, they are infrequently mistreated. On the contrary, the minor tranquilizers are the big issues. What people are currently ‘into’ is a set of drugs medically known as anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing); major types consist of meprobamate, benzodiazepine (BZD), as well as the painkilling antihistamines. Addictive Drugs: Tobacco, Caffeine and Alcohol Tobacco is widely known as an addictive drug. In general, smoking a cigarette is the initial group-shared drug occurrence, or the first illegal drug occurrence, akin to the use of Marijuana as it’s frequently unseen and outside the family as well as common societal approval values. Smoking can assist drug use afterward through teaching how to acutely breathe in and hold the smoke within the lungs thus cigarettes or tobacco, as smoked drugs, instigate teens into the feeling of gasping a drug as well as desensitize to a sensation of smoke entering into the lungs used for hashish, marijuana, or crack cocaine. The extent of tobacco use is openly associated to several drug uses; decades ago, tobacco companies disclose that if they take away the nicotine addictive element, people will stop buying tobacco products. Caffeine is actually the most established drug and it is within teas, colas, coffees, chocolates, as well as other various things. Caffeine is thus an addictive drug for the reason that functions on our brain, by means of identical mechanisms as cocaine, amphetamines, as well as heroin to rouse our mind. Though it is considered milder than others, caffeine is maneuvering very similar channels therefore it is addictive. Caffeine is in fact the trimethylxanthine having the chemical formula of C8H10N402. When secluded in uncontaminated structure, caffeine is a colorless crystalline particle with pungent taste. Physicians make use of it as cardiac stimulants and as mild diuretics (augment urine production). However usual folks endure it for â€Å"boost of energy† or sensation of sharp attentiveness it provides; it is frequently used to make individuals to be awake longer. Perceptibly, what is occurs is that our body becomes exhausted and requires rest; however, it is fluffed up instead to action. Our body, constantly pushed to greater action when it needs to stop to relax, is slowly dented. Rather than recovering, the organs of our body increasingly deteriorate and ultimately, the weak ones turn out to be unhealthy. Naturally, Caffeine is found in numerous plants, counting cocoa nuts, coffee beans, and tea leaves. As a result of this, it is established in an extensive multiplicity of foods. Additionally, caffeine is included as well in beverages. As the body turns out to be exhausted, the adenosine is manufactured within the brain, and then it binds to the adenosine receptor; this generates sleepiness through slowing the nerve cell activities. Moreover, the adenosine in our brain causes blood vessels to enlarge consequently further oxygen can arrive at the brain throughout sleeping. For the reason that the existence of caffeine is 6 hours, by the instance we get into bed, we cannot be asleep or we will not get hold of a deep sleep we necessitate; if the last cup of coffee was taken at 3pm, thus by 9pm, we still have 100mg in our body. as a result we feel inferior the following morning and we call for caffeine to be up and doing. Alcohol is an exceedingly addictive drug and it is thus categorized as a depressant drug, for the reason that it will slow down our body as well as our mind. A different way to explain it is that alcohol causes sedation, relaxation, and if an adequate quantity is devoured, the consequence will possibly be coma or even death. Judgment and way of thinking are two of the very important personality transformations that take place. The concentration of which is actually dose-related. The momentum of alcohol absorption has an effect on the speed at which one turns out to be drunk. Different from foods, alcohol does not require being unhurriedly absorbed. It is absorbed instantaneously to out blood, directly having passed within and through the walls of our appetite and frequently in our small intestines and the blood speedily conveys it to our brain (Blum 1991, p15). As an individual drinks quicker than an alcohol can be eradicated, the drug mounts up in our body, ensuing in higher quantities of alcohol within our blood. Alcohol is also burned, metabolized, as well as broken down in our body at a rather steady rate; the time-span for alcohol metabolism have an effect on the pace when one happens to be temperate all over again. Drug Abuse: Theories of Anomie, Differential Association and Social Control Anomie Theory drug use along with mistreatment are societal incidents subject to the clarity and response of the society. There is insight within the disputes of sociologists that societal evils, counting drug addiction, are communally created. Robert Merton defined Anomie as a collapse within the cultural formation, predominantly occurring when there’s a severe disjunction connecting the cultural goals and norms as well as the publicly controlled capabilities of the members of a group to do something in agreement with them. The conduct of an addicted person is complicated from several perceptions; it causes a noticeable challenge to an individual eager to stop but powerless to end it. Addiction commences in consumption manners the notion of deviance and habit: consequently the growth of customs, at social and individual plane, with the cognitive system where they depend on should be considered. A person is not located in a vacuity but she/he acts within specific framework, with informal and formal regulations. Cognition takes place from the individual within this structure and awareness has an important function in the creation of genuine models of manners that may perhaps be rather dissimilar among people. Differential Association Edwin Sutherland proposed this theory explaining that by means of interaction with other people, human beings gain knowledge of the attitudes, values, strategies, as well as motives for illegal manners. This assumption claims that unlawful actions are learned manners and learned by way of social relations with other people. It socially grows for people to make an offense, thus to become addicted to drugs. Differential association envisages that a person will prefer to become addicted to drugs when the equilibrium of classifications for misdemeanor goes beyond those for the obedient. This propensity will be toughened if the social connection provides dynamic individuals in the person’s existence. The person, earlier in his/her life, comes under the pressure of those with high status in a group; the further expected the person to pursue in their path. This doesn’t refute that there may possibly be realistic reasons for misdeed. If an individual is starving but without money, there are persuasions to steal however, uses of ‘values’ as well as ‘needs’ are undecided. To a lesser or greater point, criminal and non-criminal people are provoked by the necessity for money as well as public gain. Social Control Theory Travis Hirschi puts forward that peoples beliefs, relations, values, commitments, and norms persuade them not to follow the laws. Consequently, if the ethical codes are realized and people are attached to, and comprise a chance in a wider society, they are willing to limit their tendency for making deviant deeds. The premise aims to comprehend the customs wherein it is probable to decrease the probability of illegal drug use developing in people. It doesn’t mull over motivational concerns, basically claiming that people may prefer to employ in an extensive variety of activities, except that the range is restricted by routes of social learning as well as socialization (Thombs 1994, p27). Furthermore, Hirschi stressed that immoral groups would have no undeviating effect on criminal behavior when communal bonds restraining misbehavior were considered. He disputed that correspondingly uncommitted youth flowed mutually into groups against the law for the reason that weak societal bonds failed to put off relationship with delinquents along with criminal behavior itself. Groups that reinforce bonds were family, constructive groups, spiritual institutions, school, and so forth. This bond has 4 elements (a) connection (parents, school, peers), (b) dedication to conservative actions, (c) participation in accepted activities and (d) conviction in ordinary values. Social Control Theory highlights the reasonableness in the choice whether to connect in crimes and claimed that individuals were less expected to prefer crime if they have strong social bonds. By means of not intentionally disciplined traits and delinquency or unlawful acts independently, it recommends that concepts on low discipline and tendency for illegal deeds are no different. References: Blum, K. (1991). Alcohol and the Addictive Brain: New Hope for Alcoholics from Biogenetic Research. New York: Free Press. pp. 12-15 Cherland, E. and Fitzpatrick, R. (1999). Psychotic side effects of Psychostimulants: A 5-year review. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 44, pp811-813. Thombs, D. L. (1994). Introduction to addictive behaviors. New York: The Guilford Press.

Investment Basics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Investment Basics - Essay Example Creating portfolio involved asset allocation, asset selection decision, and asset execution. In asset allocation, the investors will decide on what marketable securities will he be investing, either in equities, fixed-income securities, and real assets (physical or identifiable assets). After the allocation, investors need to select on what are his asset preferences between stocks, bonds, and many more. The selection will be followed by the execution of investment portfolio and investment strategy. The final part of the process is performance evaluation wherein investment is constantly monitored by the investors themselves or through a portfolio manager. The Four Investments for Consideration in any Investment Portfolio Bonds (Municipal & Corporate). It is a debt instrument with specific return, interest and principal, and maturity date (Brigham & Ehrhardt, 2008, p. 157). Municipal bonds are debt securities issued by the government level whose maturity date is in a long-term basis. T hese bonds are considered to be secured and these are issued in order to support government operations and projects for the common good. Municipal bonds are known to be tax-exempt but it depends upon the purpose and jurisdiction. Corporate bonds are debt securities issued by corporations or business firms to finance variety of private purposes. These bonds are subject to a much higher interest rate for it is a risky investment (Brigham & Houston, 2009, p. 196). Stocks (Common and Preferred). These are issued securities that represent ownership. Ownership through the purchased of stocks are called stockholders which these are represented by stock certificates. Usually, stock prices of companies who are financially stable are high compared to those who are poor in performance because the higher is the value of the stocks the greater is the return of investment. There are two types of stocks, the common and the preferred stocks. In terms of the declaration of dividend and bankruptcy, p referred stockholders are satisfied first before the common shareholders (Investors Business Daily, 1996, p. 36). Both stocks running after income, the only difference is the risk involved. Preferred stocks are less risky but the growth income is fairly dependable while common stocks assumed higher risk but unlimited growth in income and capital gain (Rini, 2003, p. 33). Mutual Funds. It is an investment that used money â€Å"from a group of people with common investment goals to buy securities such as stocks, bond, money market instruments, a combination of these investments, or other funds† (Mobius, 2007, p. 3). These groups of investment securities are put together in a portfolio and it is appropriately managed by a portfolio manager. More often, investors prefer to invest in mutual funds because of access to a diversified portfolio, liquidity, and expertise by professional fund managers; however, mutual funds shared almost the same risk with investment in individual stock s, and drawbacks are always present. Derivatives. It is a financial instruments based on financial measurement of other assets that usually comes in contracts (Bragg, 2002, p. 156). Some of derivative instruments are forward, future, options, and swaps. The value of derivatives is based on the prices of some underlying assets or instruments. It also involved contracts between a seller and a buyer wherein the value is based on bargaining power (Rezaee, 20001, p. 390). Risk

The Expansion Strategy of Jumeirah Group of the Hotel Literature review

The Expansion Strategy of Jumeirah Group of the Hotel - Literature review Example A company may grow internationally through setting up new enterprises to a new area that has not been tapped, through buying off a company or integrating with an existing company (Marcelo at el 2008, P.1). Traveling for leisure of business mostly involves crossing national and state boundaries (Prokkola 2010, P.223) and tourism and hotel services provider must tap into providing competitive services and products to the visitor traveling to their company. Jumeirah Group is a multinational company that operates luxurious hotels and serviced apartments in Dubai, Rome, and Shanghai, Germany among other places in the world and its headquarters in Dubai (Newswire, 2012). The company was found in 1997 and is affiliated to Dubai Holding (Hornett, G 2013). The company is planning to grow its operation by establishing five-star luxury hotels in various countries in Africa one of them being Seychelles. Seychelles is a group of about 115 granite and coral tropical island in the Indian Ocean (Bac kground Note: Seychelles 2007). Its temperatures vary all around the year though they are humid due to their size. Most people occupy Major Island while small islands are sparsely occupied, with most of the residents being Africans, Indians, Chinese and French settlers while others are expatriates (Political Conditions 2012, P. 10). Their culture is a mixture of French and Africa through the most used language is English and French. This paper will critically analyze the expansion strategy of the Jumeirah group of hotel in this island nation. Feasibility analysis Indian Ocean islands depend on tourism as main economic activities with Seychelles and Maldives being the most preferred than the rest in terms of gross domestic product, employment, tourism income and tourism ventures investments (Prayag 2011, P.221). For example in 2010 tourism contributed to the Gross domestic product of this islands as follows Mauritius 26.5 %, Reunion 4 % in Madagascan 12.7 % % Maldives 63.4 % and Seyc helles 46.4 % while it also contributed to the national employment about 14.2 % of the total new appointment in Mauritius, 1.9 % in Reunion,3% in Madagascan, 28.1% in the Maldives and 31.5 %Seychelles (Prayag 2011, P.223). In recent times Indian Ocean islands have recorded increase in tourism activities due to their favorable climate, geographical isolation, relatively long coastlines, diversity of ecosystems, cultural diversity and political stability (Prayag 2011, P.223). However, there have been challenges in this industry such as poor working conditions for the employees, high staff turnover, environmental degradation, poor staff training and insufficient rules and regulations (Prayag 2011, P.223). Major islands in the Indian Ocean that include Mauritius, Reunion, Madagascar, and Seychelles have teamed up to Form Vanilla islands to market their countries as the tourist destination with the aim of increasing visitors (Ramchurn 2011, P. 49).

American Slavery 1606-1775 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Slavery 1606-1775 - Essay Example However, this also suggests that slavery was an important institution within the colonies long before the need for outside support was necessary. â€Å"Unquestionably it was a demand for labor which dragged the Negro to American shores, but the status which he acquired here cannot be explained by reference to that economic motive. Long before black labor was as economically important as unfree white labor, the Negro had been consigned to a special discriminatory status which mirrored the social discrimination Englishmen practiced against him.†2 This treatment of the black individual within the new continent began with the Spanish, expanded to the colonies as the native populations began dying out and became increasingly abhorrent in regards to denying human rights as the nation moved toward Revolutionary War. Initially, when the Spanish controlled the Caribbean islands, their interests were only in the mining of silver and gold. When the riches of the mines had been exhausted, the search for additional wealth moved inland and the Spaniards adopted a plantation based economy.3 Products from the Americas such as tobacco, cotton, cocoa and sugar were becoming increasingly popular in Europe which caused the Caribbean plantations growing these commodities to grow accordingly. The shortage of man-power to operate these ever-growing plantations required many numbers of slaves from Africa to be imported. As the Spaniards were reaping the rewards from its colonization of the Americas, their need for additional labor in the mines and plantations continued to grow. However, the local population was dwindling with the influx of disease and abuse and this, combined with Spain abolishing the enslavement of natives in the Americas in the mid 1500’s, necessitated a need to acquire Africans to fil l their labor requirements.4 In the initial phase of slavery in the

Biogeography Essay Questions

Biogeography Essay Questions 8 Biogeography Essay Questions 1.) What is the science of biogeography? Biogeography is that study of geographical distribution of flora and fauna considering the different taxonomic levels, present and past, the habitats in which they are found together with the involved ecological relationships. Today, there are two theories in biogeography that have been developed to discuss more on the distribution of biological species in the world. The two of them are Distance-decay and Island biogeography theories. The distance-decay theory asserts that the correlation and similarity between species in any two geographical locations will continue decreasing as the distance between the two increases. The second biogeographical theory, island biogeography asserts that those pockets of life (islands) that are closely spaced will support more biological life/species. It is still this second theory that explains that these closely spaced islands are rarely threatened by extinction if compared to the tiny isolated islands of the world. The Geographic Information Systems Scientists say that the above two theories were developed in order for us to be able to fully understand the distribution of species but not the distribution or even movement of human beings. As it was developed, the science of biogeography was meant to answer so many questions that are varied. It was developed so that it can answer some of the questions like why are there so many kinds of animals and plants in the world. It seeks to answer why some of these animals and plants are rare while others are common. Some animals and plants are widely dispersed while others are confined to a limited place. The science of biogeography seeks to explain the reason as to why this is so. There are some parts of this world that are richer in terms of species compared to others. Its only by use of the study of biogeography that we can be in a position to understand this. There are several major types of biogeography distributions. They include; Endemic (restricted to specific locations), cosmopolitan (e.g.Caenorhabdities elegans and Drosophila melanogaster), and Disjunct (separated). The disjunct biogeographic distributions are believed to have been caused by Vicariance and dispersal. In biogeography, evidence that can be based on its history can be classified in terms of Paleontology and systematics. 1.) Describe the 5 observations upon which the science of biogeography is founded. Give TWO examples for each observation. a) Each and every species and other higher group animals are said to have a discrete and a non random distribution in time and space. A good example of this is the gorilla that is only found in two African forests. b) In different geographical regions of the world there is an assemblage of animals that are distinct and they coexist. A good example to explain this is the fauna that is found south of the desert of Sahara together with its monkeys, antelopes, pigs and this is totally different from the Australian fauna and its duck billed platypus, wombats and kangaroos. c) The differences and the similarities in these regions cannot be in any way be described in terms of the distance between them or even the area of origin. A good example is that the fauna of eastern Asia and Europe is to large extent similar although they are both separated by 11,500km of land. Also the fauna of New Guinea and Borneo are different though are separated by a small piece of land compared to the ones abov e which is across water and land. d) All those faunas that look different from those of today once previously occurred in all other geographical regions. An example is the dinosaurs which existed in most parts of the geographic locations in Cretaceous. e) The faunas which resemble the ones found today and their antecedents once occurred, but its sometimes at far distances from the current range. A good example is the subtropical-warm temperature fauna which is found in Eocene Wyoming. This includes fishes which are fresh-water, turtle groups and salamander which are restricted to southeastern parts of the United States. 1.) Discuss this statement: â€Å"The history of biogeography is essentially a continuing conflict between creation myth and empirical science.† Empirical science describes that the distribution of organisms in the whole world was as a result of continuous evolution of the past existing species. Science asserts that the present fauna and flora are as a result of evolution from past organisms which were not developed as they are today. On the other side of the creation myth, people and especially the Christians believe that the current population of plants and animals are a product of what God created long time ago. Some of the things that are explained in the bible are in total conflict with what science has provided a detailed account on. A good example is the Global Flood during the time of Noah. The Bible says that God instructed Noah who by then was 600 years old to construct an ark. Noah was then supposed to take two of every unclean animal and seven of every clean animal. All food and fresh water was then supposed to be in the ark. Noah and his family were to remain in the ark for six months until the flood waters subsi ded. This creation story in the book of genesis continues to explain that after the flood waters subsided, Noah, his family and the animals that were released then were the ones who later repopulated the earth. This is in total conflict with the empirical scientists who argue that today there is too much of genetic diversity in the world for us to be consistent that every animal that is land based descended from the few breeding pairs and this is just some few thousands years ago. According to empirical science, some of the species we have today in the planet will evolve locally. This thus means that they are immobile geographically according to scientists. The scientists will ask today how comes the Duckbill platypus ended up only in Australia and not anywhere else in the planet. Scientists still argue that Noah did not take any fish or coral in the ark. During the flood thus, all the fish would have become extinct and all the corals would have been swept away. Some of the corals according to the scientists even appear older than the given history of the floods. For scientists they believe that there is no way the short lived species could have survived the time they were in the ark. They say that the adult mayflies would have died in just a few days while the larvae of many mayflies will require shallow fresh and running water. Other similar insects and many of them would actually face the same problems. There is no way the scientists would believe that the human population could rebound in such a short period. Other controversies apart from the field of evolutionary biology can also be seen in cosmology, thermodynamics, paleontology, geology and nuclear physics. 1.) Describe the main contributions to biogeography of the people listed below. Alexander von Humbolt, Liebig, MacArthur and William. Alexander Von Humbolt: He was German naturalist who is normally referred to as the father of phytogeography. He was the one who felt that study on geographical distribution was an important scientific inquiry that could lead to the discovery of laws of nature that are fundamental. He was the one who did the explorations of South and Central America together with Aime Bonpland who was a French naturalist. These two travelled along the Orinoco and Amazon rivers as they explored the Andes and the present day parts of Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia. He managed to study vegetation and climatic conditions of Urals Mountains, Siberia and Caspian Sea. He was the one who invented the isobar and isotherm which are used today in description of climatic associations of plant communities. He had a passion for the beauty of nature. He had a good description of the physical environment together with the plant distribution that are widely used in biogeography. Liebig: He was born in Darmstadt, Germany. He went to Paris where was working in the laboratory of Joseph Gay-Lussac. His main interest was in chemistry. He did much in order to establish chemistry as a discipline. He started the first chemical periodical for scholars. He was the one who showed that studies like physiology, agriculture, and psychology are only intelligible if based on sound chemical principles. He was one of the contributors in discovery of isomerism (a condition where two different compounds may have the same chemical formula). He showed that organic compounds can actually be dealt with in a rational way. He once rejected the current humus theory. He showed his contrasting idea by describing that some plants will leave the soil richer in terms of carbon that they really found it. He visited England once and was not happy with the way they were setting out their sewage to the sea. He was of the opinion that they should use their sewage as a fertilizer. William: He collected vertebrates in many remote regions of Hispaniola between the years 1916 and 1923. He also did collections in other regions of the world like the famous Himalayas. To date, most his collections are still in Smithsonian. He is landscape ecologist and a biogeographer. He has made tremendous contributions in the understanding of landscapes and disturbances. His research in these fields has made tremendous influence on the field of biogeography and also the academic biogeographers. MacArthur: He came up with the MacArthur and Wilson equilibrium model on insular biogeography. This is a model that is used to provide a good foundation on the distribution of species on islands. Its also useful in explanation of the composition of insular biotas. Its because of his model that many analyses have been made on the distributions of mammals on insular habitats. 5) Describe the relationships among the following physical factors:pressure, physiography, ocean currents, latitude, temperature, light, precipitation, and wind Physiography is a description of the features and even phenomena of nature. Most of the physical features of the world cannot be well described unless we use other factors like temperature. Physiography stands for physical geography. What is in physical geography is all the physical features like the mountains, forests/vegetations among others. When we attempt to describer any climatic condition of a place or of a certain region, we use temperature, the level of rainfall/precipitation and the effects that winds may have on it. It therefore translates that we cannot describe most of the physical phenomena without using the other factors mentioned. They interdepend on each other for description of physical phenomena. Ocean currents depend on pressure. They usually move from where the pressure is low to where its high. Wind is said to be air in motion. Air can only be in mo0tion if one region has a high pressure compared to another. Air moves from high pressure centers to low pressure centers. This is wind. It therefore means that wind can only be thee if there is difference in pressure amounts in two regions. Ocean currents are usually associated with the precipitation. They usually make the nearby areas in the ocean to receive rainfall if they are usually accompanied by high temperatures. Areas of low latitude have high temperatures while high latitude areas are generally cool. Light intensity in certain ecosystems helps the growth of specific organisms. Physiography/physical geography cannot be fully described if light intensity is not going to be applied to describe some of the conditions in some places (physical phenomena). 1.) Give the Holdridge Bioclimate Classification of climate for the following places: Honolulu, Hawaii; Adelaide, Australia; Timbuktu, Mali; La Paz, Bolivia. Timbuktu (Mali) Class 35; according to Holdridge bioclimatic classification it is in a tropical dry forest. The climate is characterized by high temperatures all year. There is however a better developed dry season compared to the tropical rain forest. The soils are just like for the tropical rain forest. Most of the evergreen tree species become deciduous. Tree canopy is lower compared to tropical rain forest. Undergrowth is dense. There is lower species diversity. Trees have thicker back and small leaves. Roots are long and trees have thorns also. Larger mammals are more dominant Honolulu (Hawaii) Class 25; subtropical desert scrub with an annual climate of 24 degrees. Average temperature in a day is 29 degrees and the minimum is 21 degrees. Its humidity is moderated by its mid-ocean positioning. There is intense rainfall in the winter months though most of the winter days have warm bright sunshine. Rarely will temperatures go beyond 32 degrees. Adelaide (Australia) Class 30; subtropical rain forest Generally, rainfall is more than 1300mm. there are fertile eutrophic rocks. A multi layered canopy of between 10 and 60 species of trees. Most of these trees will exhibit buttressing w2hich is a feature that is common in rain forest areas. La Paz (Bolivia) Class 27; subtropical dry forest 2.) Define endemism. Give and explain five characteristics associated/correlated with areas of endemism. This is a situation where a plant or an animal taxon is said to be restricted in a geographical range or a particular region. Since the times of Darwin, it has been known that islands are the ones which are mostly rich in endemic species. Endemism will arise because of several mechanisms. The major one is the geographical isolation. In this geographic isolation, a small population that has a limited genetic diversity may be isolated. After several generations, the drift in genetics will lead to formation of a distinct species. A population that may arrive on a new island may fill different ecological niches. Other generations of natural selection may result in formation of distinct species. Again, a certain species that was widespread may suffer extinction. This island may now become a â€Å"refugia†. This describes the origin of the major species of Macaronesian endemic â€Å"laurels†. These are mostly found in the Mediterranean region. Latitude: species richness of most organisms in an endemic region increases form high temperature to low tropical latitudes. Lower latitudes have high levels of endemism. Species richness: The levels of species richness and those of endemism cannot be said to be infrequently correlated. Oceanic islands have high levels of endemism but will have low numbers of species. Unusual environmental conditions: Most endemic areas are known to have environmental conditions that are very different from other areas. There occurs independent evolution of the local adaptations. These will mostly enable the species to persist under the existing conditions. Isolation: Almost all areas of endemism are separated or isolated from others geographically. There are barriers to other areas such that even independent evolution is going to give rise to endemic taxa. Historical: In these areas there are usually changing abiotic and biotic environmental conditions. High levels of endemism may be associated with areas that have long-term ecoclimatic stability. This can even enable these populations to be able to survive global changes in climate conditions. 1.) Describe the three possible tectonic plate boundaries, give an example of each and explain the possible consequences of a convergent boundary. Divergent boundary: Its the soft boundary and its also called the spreading center. Two plates move away from each other and mid-ocean ridges will be formed. Magma from the mantle will move though a crack to the ocean and it then cols. This cooling causes the formation of oceanic crust on both sides of the vent. When the plates continue to move, more crust will be formed. The ocean basin then expands forming a ridge system. This crust formed causes the pushing of the plates on either side further. A good example of this kind of plate boundary is that of North America and Europe. Convergent boundary: Its also called a subduction zone. This is a plate margin where one plate will override the other. This forces the other into beneath its mantle. They are boundaries which are in the form of trench. Old oceanic crust will go into these systems as there is new crust formed when the centers are spreading. They are usually locations of strong earthquakes as the action of the plate that is going down interacts with the overriding one. It can also be as a result of volcanic activity. A good place to be associated with it is Japan. The plate that is going down the other will continue to become even hotter. This is because of its proximity to the mantle. The plate will thus melt to form magma. This magma will move upwards through the crust and volcanoes are formed. A good example is the Aleutian Islands. Conservative/transform boundary: Its called conservative as there is neither creation nor destruction of plate materials at the boundaries. What usually happens here is that the plates will slide past each other. These are usually areas where there are many earthquakes. They are caused by the accumulation and release of strain when the plates slide past each other. Good examples of conservative boundaries are the San Andreas Fault in California and mid-ocean ridges, the Rockies in North America. Possible consequences of convergent boundary: These are areas that are earthquake prone. These earthquakes can cause a lot of deaths to human beings and animals. A good example is the 1883 eruption of Krakatau volcano of Indonesia that killed more than 37,000 people. The hot magma contains some chemical that may be harmful to the human beings and also the existing vegetation. Where these big mountains are formed after the plate boundary formation, climatic conditions may change which may not be conducive to the existing flora and fauna.

Osmosis in Potato Tissue

Biology Aim: My objective is to plan and conduct an  experiment from which I should be able to draw a firm conclusion that  will either prove or disprove any predictions I make. This essay aims to assess and investigate the effect of various solution concentrations on the activity of osmosis in plant tissue. Background scientific theory: Plants exchange gases (CO2 and O2) in maintaining vital respiratory processes and in carrying out photosynthesis; they absorb certain minerals and sugars so to use as a source of energy and eradicate wastes in order to maintain specific requirements for survival.Large amounts of water are absorbed by root hairs and are then distributed across the cells of plants by the process of osmosis; water being essential to life, assists cells in executing crucial chemical processes. Molecules travel by two means; active transport or passive transport. Active transport is the movement of a substance from a low to high concentration against the norm concentr ation gradient. Hence, the process requires expenditure of energy, and the support of a carrier protein. Passive transport, however, does not require energy but occurs spontaneously instead.It is a form of transport by which molecules move along a concentration gradient, from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. Passive transport includes osmosis and facilitates diffusion. Osmosis is a special case of diffusion; it describes the passage of a solvent from a weaker solution, where there is higher water potential, to that of a more concentrated solution that has a lower water potential through a partially permeable membrane in order to achieve the state of equilibrium. A partially permeable membrane acts as a barrier to some substances but allows others to penetrate through freely.Within any plant cell the cytoplasm and cell sap within the vacuoles are of a variety of substances such as salt, sugars and proteins. In theory, water will diffuse into the cell by osmosis if the solution surrounding the cell is weaker but when enclosed by a stronger more concentrated solution than its contents than water is drawn from it by the same process. As a result it becomes flaccid; the turgor pressure falls, the vacuole collapses and the cytoplasm shrink away from the cell wall. This may result in its wilting or death. Plant cells have a cell wall as well as a plasma membrane.The cell wall is a strong and rigid structure that is used by the cell to create osmotic pressure within the cell. This pressure can build because of the rigidity of the cell wall. The cells within a plant that contain high water pressure act as the plant supportive structure, helping to give it its shape. When gaining, the vacuole will expand and press outwards on the cytoplasm and cell wall but since this cannot be over stretched there is a resistance on the inflow of water by the un-stretchable cell wall. This resistance results in turgor pressure exerted by the vacuole on the cell walls.When the vast majority of the cells within the leaves and stem of plant are turgid, its stem will be firm and upright and the leaves straight therefore providing mechanical strength. Similarly a flaccid celled leaf will be limp and the stem will droop; such plants are thought to be wilting. Factors that affect the rate of osmosis (potential variables) The rate of osmosis is much dependent upon a number of factors; the temperature, the nature of the solute, the difference in concentration of solute on either side of the membrane, and any external pressure applied against the direction of flow.Concentration: – The  concentration  of a chemical  solution  refers to the amount of solute  that is dissolved in a  solvent. The concentration of any solution or plan tissue is directly linked to its water potential; the higher the concentration the lower it water potential. Water potential is a measure of the potential of water to enter or leave. Within a di lute solution there is a higher proportion of free water molecules hence water will flow from the dilute to concentrated solution; it is said to have a higher water potential.The maximum water potential is nil; an example of which is within pure water hence water molecules will flow from it to any other aqueous solution regardless of how dilute it may be. There are three possible concentrations of solution. The first, a hypertonic solution, has a higher solute concentration than that of the cell and as a result the water will leave the cell resulting in collapsed vacuoles in plant cells. A hypotonic solution, however, has a lower solute concentration than the solute concentration inside the cell and hence the net movement of water inside the cell is at its maximum.Whilst an isotonic solution is when the concentration of solutes is the same inside the cell as it is outside of the cell; in such as case the cell would not lose nor gain any water. This state is otherwise recognized as d ynamic Equilibrium where the molecules are randomly distributed despite there still being a rapid net movement of water across the cell membrane in both directions; water movement in opposing directions occur at the same rate and thereby ‘cancel’ each other out.Larger differences between the concentrations or water potential of the solutions results in a steeper concentration gradient, meaning a faster rate of osmosis. In effect the concentration outside of any cell is proportional to osmosis rates and therefore the higher the concentration of the solution the higher the net movement of water. Concentration is the factor which is to be assessed in the following experiment; it can be altered by diluting the solution with distilled water whilst keeping the volume constant, (i. e. a 0. 8 molar sucrose solution would consist of 2cm? f distilled water with 8cm? of sucrose solution equivalent to 10cm? of a mixture. ) Temperature: – The rate of Osmosis is also reliant u pon the kinetic energy of the particles being diffused. Since energy is directly related to heat, temperature governs the amount of kinetic energy the particles have. The general temperature of the room in which the experiment takes place will influence measurements of mass of the potato; hence it is important that we ensure that it remains ambient throughout our experiment in order to increase the reliability of our measurements.Ultimately as temperature increases or decreases, the rate of osmosis should also increase or decrease in relative, causing the potato chips to lose/gain mass at a faster/ slower rate. Temperature is therefore directly proportional to the rate of osmosis. Surface area to volume ratio- Additionally the surface area of the plant tissue or in this case the potato will also influence osmosis; the larger the surface area, the more cells are directly exposed to the liquid solution; therefore more water can transfer through the membranes of the cells at any one ti me resulting in a more massive net movement of water by osmosis.Size of Potato;- A large sized potato is likely to contain more  substances. Therefore it is likely to contain more water, which can  affect osmosis as there will be an increasing concentration of water,  which, as the potato's size increases affecting the overall movement  of water depending on the concentration of solution that the potato is  kept in. All potato chips shall be approximately at the same mass initially (1. 6g ± 0. 2g) Plant Tissue:-Where the potato was sourced from will also greatly affect the osmosis rates that are observed by its change in mass also whilst some may be old others may be fresh. In theory osmosis rates will be considerably more efficient in newer than older potato strips for the reason that in older ones its cells may be more damaged or be on the verge of decay. Hence the permeability of the potato can too be determined by its age; its age and permeability to the larger exten t are in inverse proportion therefore.Type of solution:- Different solution types ( i. e. sucrose, glucose, potassium chloride and sodium chloride) will differ from one another in that the size of the molecules of the solute may be larger in one that the other. this will affect osmosis rates within the plant tissue in that smaller molecules will be able to penetrate through the partially permeable membrane with far more ease than larger ones ; hence the smaller the molecules of the solute the faster the rate of osmosis. Time; –The time given in which the plant tissue was immersed within the solution would also affect the experiment, as we would expect that with a longer duration, there would be more time for osmosis to occur. Pressure; – The pressure on one side of the membrane can increase or decrease the rate of osmosis by pushing the solution against the membrane. Selecting a factor â€Å"An independent variable is that which is presumed to affect or determine a de pendent variable[1]†. It can be changed as required, and its values do not represent a problem requiring explanation in an analysis, but are taken simply as given.More generally, the independent variable is what someone actively changes; while the dependent variable is what changes as a result. The constant variable or otherwise known as controlled variable, however, is never changed during an experiment as it remains ‘constant’. During my experiment I shall be measuring the change in mass of the potato chips as the dependant variable in order to investigate the effect of different concentration of sucrose solution (independent variable) on osmosis.Other factors such as the room temperature, type and volume of solution, form and size of plant tissue shall remain ambient through out my investigation as controlled variables or otherwise ‘constants’. Qualitative, Quantitative and Testable Hypothesis Osmosis is defined as being the net movement of water f rom a region of high concentration to that of a low concentration. This  movement must take place across a partially permeable membrane such as  a cell wall, which allows only explicit molecules to penetrate through but obstructs the pathway of others.Diffusion will continue until the area in which the molecules are found  reaches a state of equilibrium where molecules are  randomly distributed throughout solution. By my scientific background knowledge I can make a number of predications; I hypothesize that the rate of osmosis will differ in all test tubes depending on the concentration of solution, resulting in some either gaining mass in becoming turgid, others remaining the same whilst the rest lose mass and being flaccid after being immersed in solution subsequent to a fixed period of time.I hypothesize that plant tissue immersed in solution of higher concentration than that within the cell itself (hypertonic solution) will loose mass because there will be a net movement of water through the partially permeable membrane outside the cell where there is a considerably lower water potential. The plant cell becomes flaccid and as a result of the ell membrane shrinking and pulling away from its cells walls, it said to have been plasmolysed. Likewise, I predict that if the plant cell is placed in a hypotonic solution where the concentration of solution is lower than that of the cell than water is absorbed by osmosis.The plant cell swells and shall become turgid to the extent that the pressure within the cell matches the internal or turgor pressure. The turgor pressure shall prevent further uptake of Water preventing it from rupturing. More generally the concentration of the sucrose solution in the flasks is inversely proportional with the plant tissues change in mass; as you increase the concentration of the solution, both the mass and the length of the potato chip will decrease.This I shall prove by measuring the mass of the plant tissue before it being and subsequent to being submerged in solution. Data collected shall be handled and substituted into the following equation . . . . Final mass (g) – initial mass (g) X 100 = Percentage Change Initial mass (g) A negative percentage change will signify that water has been lost by its net movement through the partially permeable membrane whilst a positive one will suggest that there has been a gain. I predict that my findings when transferred onto a graph will have a similar trend as in the one shown below.Preliminary The main objective of carrying out four preliminary experiments was to inform me as to which instruments would be most efficient in its use, gain first hand practice and recognize suitable methods in order to conclude specified measures which I will be using in ensuring that my final investigation is of highest standards in its reliability. |Concentration (Mole)|Mass(g) |Percentage change of | | | |mass (% to 1 d. ) | | |Before |After |Change | | |1. 000 |2. 32 |1. 97 |0. 35 |15. 0 | |0. 500 |2. 30 |2. 24 |0. 06 |2. 60 | |0. 250 |2. 28 |2. 23 |0. 05 |2. 20 | |0. 125 |2. 32 |2. 59 |-0. 27 |-11. 60 | Preliminary experiment 1 – Equipment: ? cork bores (5mm) potato ? glucose solution ? ruler ? tissue ? distilled water ? scalpel ? pipette ? test tubes x4 ? measuring cylinder ? scales Key: outlier Experiment 1 varied the concentration of the glucose solution; from the readings observed a clear correlation can be identified as a result of measurements being wide ranging- as the concentration of the glucose solution reduced by half each time the mass of the potatoes reduced too and hence there is a proportional correlation between the independent and dependant variable.Such readings are scientifically explanatory and correspond with my initial prediction produced in the previously discussed section of the hypothesis. One major setback of this investigation was that I used too few solutions with varying concentrations and hence the readings ava ilable in giving evidence of any judgments on my findings or when proving/disproving my initial predictions are limited.Hence, if I were to further develop this investigation as my final one I intend on using 5 different concentrated solutions that range from 0. 2 to 1 molar with increments of 0. 2moles. In this investigation we failed to use distilled water but instead opted for tap water because we had forgotten; this is much likely to have reduced the reliability of my results because any dissolved substances within the water will have affected the rate of osmosis by changing the solutions proposed concentration.In the final experiment we shall therefore use distilled water. However, I believe that my readings from the first preliminary experiment are reasonably fair and reliable because no outliers which contradict the key identified trend can be found and the mass of the potatoes previous to and subsequent to the experiment was accurate to 0. 01 of a decimal place. The potato w ith which we worked with was . . . . . . Preliminary Experiment 2 Equipment: cork bores (5mm) ? Swede ? sucrose solution ? ruler |Temperature (C °) |Length (mm) |Percentage change in | | | |length (% to 1d. p ) | | |Before |After |change | | |45 |3. 5 |3. 3 |0. 2 |5. 7 | |0 |3. 5 |3. |-0. 2 |-5. 7 | |25 |3. 5 |3. 5 |0. 0 |0. 0 | ? tissue ? distilled water ? scalpel ? pipette ? test tubes x3 ? measuring cylinder Key: outlier The second of my preliminary experiments was to see the effect of change in temperature on the rate of osmosis; the cell membrane remained at constant as Swede which was immersed in a 10ml sucrose solution at 1 mole.It is different from other preliminary experiments by the fact the Swede cylinders were 40 mm in length; however as suggested by the data there is no significant change in my measurements. The measurements that were collected were few; by 45, 0 and 25 degrees acting thereby as a disadvantage because we are restricted in the amount of data available in proving the trend. It is suggested that the higher the temperature the higher the osmosis rates; our observations are fully explainable, expected and scientifically conventional.It is known that temperature has a direct relationship to the movement of particles across a membrane; therefore as temperature increases, the rate at which particles move across the membrane should increase too as its molecules will be more excited in having more kinetic energy. Nonetheless if the temperature were to rise too high the selective permeability of the membrane can be damaged due to becoming denatured hence permanently collapsing the process of osmosis; this could be investigated by experimenting with temperature at or over 60 degrees.If I were to further develop this investigation with temperature being the independent variable I would take 4 measurements with increments of 20 degrees with minimum values of -20 to 60 degrees. My results here are less accurate by my use of only an average the rmometer as it is corrected to the nearest centigrade measured; consequently if I were to develop this experiment I would prefer to use a data logger which will give me values that have been rounded to the nearest decimal place with a considerably smaller error tolerance.In all of our preliminary investigation there was a reaction time of 30 minutes given; this however in my opinion is unreasonably low because the process of osmosis may have not yet reached its maximum capacity or equilibrium; hence in the final experiment there will be 45 minutes given for each set of vegetable cylinders. We did not use a stop watch or any other means of measuring and setting the reaction time other than the classroom clock and our best estimates; this may have hindered the reliability of our measurements so I shall use an stop watch in the final experiment which is accurate to

Course outline

Aims This course will provide students with an understanding of six ancient civilizations through archaeological and documentary sources. These SIX ancient civilizations are Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, northern China, Mesospheric, and the Andes. The course has three related goals: (1 ) to trace the historical formation and collapse of these six societies; (2) to examine explanations that attempt to account for their trajectories; and (3) to explore the methods researchers use to study these topics.Outcomes By the end of the course it is expected that the student will be able to: locate six major ancient civilizations and their cities on maps; understand and critically analyze the range in current theoretical approaches to the development of violations; recognize and critically evaluate the methods employed to access the past organize material and to articulate arguments effectively Grading Quizzes The quizzes will consist of multiple-choice questions and map identifications .Quiz 1: Quiz 2: Quiz 3: Examinations examination: 30% Final examination: 30% Extra Credit Students may add 5 points to their midterm or final through extra credit work at museums or lectures relevant to this class. Among the suggested exhibits are the permanent Egyptian displays at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum, and the Micronesian and South American exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History, but many other exhibits may also be appropriate. Students must write one page assessing the exhibit or lecture and provide proof of visit.Knowing them well will allow you to proceed to graduation efficiently and with a strong transcript. Study carefully everything in Brush's statement about academic honesty. You can access it easily from the Burch College home page, where the link â€Å"For Current Students† leads to a page where you can find a link to â€Å"Academic Honesty Policy' under â€Å"Resources and information†. Also feel free to ask a ny instructor for clarification or for explanation of why professors take this issue so seriously. This course has a ‘zero tolerance' policy on cheating and improper behavior during quizzes and exams.Any student who breaks academic rules in this course has violated the mutual trust on which teaching and learning are based and will receive not only a zero on that assignment, but a grade of F for the course. For serious infractions the instructor will ask the College's Disciplinary Panel to suspend the violator from all Burch courses. By College policy, all suspected violations, whether infirmed or not, are reported to the Dean of Students. Disruption of class is not permitted. Rude behavior is disruptive. Arriving late/leaving early is also not acceptable and repeated latecomers/early leavers will be penalized. Pods and cell phones off before class. Please do not eat food within the classroom. It is distracting to other students and to yourself (you should focus on the lecture! ). Content Overview The areas that we will study are Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, northern China, Mesospheric, and the Andes, that is, the birthplaces of the pristine states that armed the core of early civilizations. Their societies occupy a special place in human history, because they produced the first social classes, economic specialization, state government, and urban settlements.Their populations created the earliest formal philosophies, religions, monumental architecture, legal codes, market economies, institutionalized militaries, and writing systems. Their members began to define separate spheres of secular and religious activities and public and private life. In short, if we want to understand how human societies were transformed from small roofs to diversified empires organized on a grand scale, these are the regions that we study. Brief description of teaching and learning methods: Illustrated lectures requiring preparatory reading.Students will take a midterm and a final. Students have the option of an essay. Blackboard Most lectures in this course are illustrated with a substantial number of visual images, typically maps, site plans, and architectural and artifact photos. Lectures are provided on Blackboard as a resource only; students will not be responsible for a visual identification of any specific image in an exam. All handouts are available on blackboard. You can find the blackboard site for this course on the Burch website.If you miss a class, check blackboard for study sheets and assignments. Check with the Burch Computing and Technology Center (BCC) for information on how to use blackboard. Call the help desk at 646-312-1010. Attendance Class attendance is required and very important as a key part of active participation. Attendance is recorded at the beginning of every class. Freshmen and sophomores (fewer than 61 credits completed) will be dropped if more than four classes are missed. Juniors and seniors (over 60 credits) wil l be dropped if more than six classes are missed.Absences for medical, religious, family reasons or subway delays are counted as part of the four or six classes missed and will not be excused even with a note. If you have special medical or other ongoing circumstances, please discuss them with the professor ahead of time. If you are absent for whatever reason, please keep the professor informed by calling or emailing her. All class assignments and study sheets will be on blackboard, so please check the website if you are absent so that you will be prepared for theSpecial Needs Burch College is committed to being fully accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. To establish appropriate accommodations, please alert your instructor to your needs and contact Ms. Barbara Souris, Coordinator of the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities, part of the Division of Student Development and counseling, at NV 2 271 or at (646) 312 4590. Please contact me directly i f you require additional aids prior to your lectures. Course Outline This course aims to equip you with the necessary understanding of IS fundamentals, as they stand, and also equip you with critical thinking tools and techniques that will allow you to understand IS in the future. Information systems are complex things that are an integral part of every business and our society. Information systems are difficult to study in the abstract and are best understood through the use of real world examples and case-studies, room which we then look for theory to explain their behavior.Our course takes this approach – lots of cases and examples from which we distill our understanding of what IS are, how they are (and should be) used, and how they are best acquired. During Summer Semester we will cover a lot of material in a short time, so it is vital that you study from Week 1. This means you should read the set chapters in the textbook and prepare for your workshops. The course team will facilitate your learning by providing the guidance as to what you need to study, and working with you on problems you may encounter.It is, however, your responsibility to make a concerted and timely effort to study. If you make this effort you will find the material interesting, the course worthwhile and the interaction with you fellow students stimulating. You should also do well. INFAMOUS – International systems In 5 Business 3. 2 Learning Activities and Teaching Strategies The course involves three key components – lectures, workshops and your private study. Each lecture will focus on the topic outlined for that week (see section 10).The lecture will help you understand the organizational and societal context in which IS are built and utilized, and will roved guidance on how to use workshops, laboratories and private study to improve your understanding. A lecture slide pack for each week will be supplied to you 24 hours before the lecture via the course website. This is a ‘skeleton' pack only. You are advised to take notes d uring the lecture to supplement the slides. Workshops will help build your understanding of each course topic through the application of what you have learnt in the lecture to case-study and real-life scenarios.They also give you the opportunity to discuss your work with your colleagues, and hence gain an indication of your own progress. Further information on workshop preparation and participation is provided in section 4, and will be discussed in your first workshop. Your private study is the most important component of this course. The textbook and accompanying website contain self assessment exercises to help you. The self assessment exercises are designed to test your understanding of the topic at hand and include review questions, application questions and discussion questions of varying difficulty. Course Outline This course aims to equip you with the necessary understanding of IS fundamentals, as they stand, and also equip you with critical thinking tools and techniques that will allow you to understand IS in the future. Information systems are complex things that are an integral part of every business and our society. Information systems are difficult to study in the abstract and are best understood through the use of real world examples and case-studies, room which we then look for theory to explain their behavior.Our course takes this approach – lots of cases and examples from which we distill our understanding of what IS are, how they are (and should be) used, and how they are best acquired. During Summer Semester we will cover a lot of material in a short time, so it is vital that you study from Week 1. This means you should read the set chapters in the textbook and prepare for your workshops. The course team will facilitate your learning by providing the guidance as to what you need to study, and working with you on problems you may encounter.It is, however, your responsibility to make a concerted and timely effort to study. If you make this effort you will find the material interesting, the course worthwhile and the interaction with you fellow students stimulating. You should also do well. INFAMOUS – International systems In 5 Business 3. 2 Learning Activities and Teaching Strategies The course involves three key components – lectures, workshops and your private study. Each lecture will focus on the topic outlined for that week (see section 10).The lecture will help you understand the organizational and societal context in which IS are built and utilized, and will roved guidance on how to use workshops, laboratories and private study to improve your understanding. A lecture slide pack for each week will be supplied to you 24 hours before the lecture via the course website. This is a ‘skeleton' pack only. You are advised to take notes d uring the lecture to supplement the slides. Workshops will help build your understanding of each course topic through the application of what you have learnt in the lecture to case-study and real-life scenarios.They also give you the opportunity to discuss your work with your colleagues, and hence gain an indication of your own progress. Further information on workshop preparation and participation is provided in section 4, and will be discussed in your first workshop. Your private study is the most important component of this course. The textbook and accompanying website contain self assessment exercises to help you. The self assessment exercises are designed to test your understanding of the topic at hand and include review questions, application questions and discussion questions of varying difficulty.