A Self-Sustained Enclosed Ecosystem in a Jar Lab Report

A Self-Sustained Enclosed Ecosystem in a Jar - Lab Report Example An ecosystem can be describe as the dynamic biological environment that consist of living things in a specific region, abiotic , and environment physical components that interact with the organisms such as sunlight, air (oxygen and carbon dioxide), water, and soil (Hutchinson, 2005). Every ecosystem requires the three basic components that include producers, consumers, and decomposers. The three categories of ecosystem include freshwater, terrestrial, and oceanic ecosystems (Adams, 2001, pp. 33-44). Generally, the ecosystems are divided into main categories that are aquatic (freshwater and ocean) and terrestrial. However, the report focuses on the aquatic ecosystem. The system that the project created was an aquatic ecosystem (freshwater) that was supposed to meet the specific environmental factors to support the living organisms internally (self-sustaining and supporting). Aquatic ecosystems are defined as the ecosystems that are dependent on fresh water, which include rivers, estuaries, wetlands, and streams (Barbee, n.d.). According to Ecology Society of America, the aquatic systems shelter various organisms that are dependent on them. Aquatic systems factors are categorized into abiotic factors and biotic factors. Abiotic factors refer to the non-living components in an ecosystem that have a direct influence on the living organisms community. On the other hand, biotic factors refer to the diversified species that occupy an ecosystem where every specie action can affect the lives of other species in the region. In the aquatic system, the interactions of organisms are based on aquatic environment (Baron & Poff, 2010, p. 7). Consequently, the understanding of aquatic component such as the balance of oxygen in the water, pH, and light contributes to the creation of a successful self-sustained aquatic system. Shrimps in aquatic systems have a substantial effect on other living organisms in a similar ecosystem. The pH of about 6.5-8.0 and balanced oxygen is suitable for maintaining freshwater ecosystem (Bunn & Arthington, 2002, pp. 492--507). Remarkably, a main manner that living organisms affect each other is consumption. As a result, a food web develops among living organisms living in a same aquatic ecosystem (Sala, 2000). Aims and hypothesi s Aims The aim of the experiment was to create a self-sustaining freshwater ecosyste m. The experiment was focused in introducing the student on how to utilize the available resources in correct amounts to create a

Why ITT Tech students should not use this site Essay Example for Free

Why ITT Tech students should not use this site Essay If you are a student of ITT Tech and use this site I suggest that you read the plagiarism clause in your student handbooks. I am a adjunct professor at the school and use this site to catch my students teaching. By you using this site you are cheating yourself and risking failure / expulsion from the school. Any student who engages on or off the school’s premises in any of the following types of misconduct will be subject to discipline by the school, which may include, without limitation, the suspension and/or termination from one or more courses the student is taking or the student’s entire program of study at the school and the referral to the proper authorities. Any student who, prior to his or her enrollment at the school, has engaged in any of the following types of misconduct may be subject to discipline by the school, which may include, without limitation, the student’s suspension and/or termination from one or more courses the student is taking or the student’s entire program of study at the school. Section D: honesty, including, without limitation, provision of false information, alte ration or misuse of documents, plagiarism and other academic cheating, impersonation, misrepresentation or fraud.

New Zealands Health and Disability Systems

New Zealands Health and Disability Systems Adrian Capalad NEW ZEALAND New Zealand’s health and disability system has encountered lots of changes in the past decade. In fact, New Zealand spends almost nine percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care which is roughly USD 2,403 per capita. Approximately seventy seven percent of health expenditure by its citizens is shouldered by the government (WHO, 2008). In a more recent study, 2010, in which 14 developed countries were compared side by side on the basis of health spending and medicine use. The result was that New Zealand came in last among other countries which spends USD 3,460 per capita against United States at USD 7,290 (Johnston, 2010) Figure 1: Overall Expenditures on Health http://www.commonwealthfund.org/News/News-Releases/2010/Jun/~/media/Images/Publications/Fund%20Report/2010/jun/MM2010l.gif New Zealand’s Ministry of Health is solely responsible for managing and funding the twenty District Health Boards (DHBs) (Ministry of Health, 2014). The DHBs meanwhile, are responsible for organizing healthcare in their own districts which aims to carry out specific standards that were promulgated by the Ministry of Health. In addition, each DHB district is composed of eight members, in which one is appointed by the Ministry of Health and the other seven are elected every three years (Ministry of Health, 2014). Each DHB then supervises the forty six local Primary Health Organizations throughout the country. These Primary Health Organizations were only introduced to the system midyear of 2002 wherein its main objective was to focus on the status of the communities under its jurisdiction (Ministry of Health, 2014). New Zealand health system does not enclose itself on the health alone but, it includes disability as well. Thus, the health and disability services in New Zealand are delivered synonymously through a complex network of organizations and people (Ministry of Health, 2014). According to the Ministry of Health (2014), these are the key organizations and people in New Zealand’s health and disability system: Appointments to statutory bodies Crown entities agencies District health boards Health alliances Ministerial health committees NASO Non-governmental organisations Primary health organisations Professional and regulatory bodies Health Targets: In New Zealand each individual will be issued a National Health Index (NHI) number however, only permanent residents and its citizens have access to free health and disability services that are mostly financed through taxes (Ministry of Health, 2011). Non-residents such as tourist and illegal migrants are charged fully for the cost provided by health institutions. Private voluntary insurance is mostly used to cover cost sharing requirements and elective surgery. Health Coverage: New Zealand’s health and disability services includes all disability support services, long term care, mental health care, primary care, preventive care, outpatient care, prescription drugs for all its citizens and dental care for school children. However, there are numerous of services that are not included like adult dental care and orthodontics, optometry care, and physiotherapy. Although there are health services not included, the National Health Service tries to compensate through preventive actions like dental care, eye care, immunization and vaccination programs, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, screening, medications, mental health care, palliative care, long term care, rehabilitation and physiotherapy after a stroke. Safety Net: Patients who often visits their physicians or accumulates more than ten visits per year are given a card in which they can avail a lower service rate. Local children under six years are free from consultation and prescription while the rest of the general population is subsidized by the government provided they are enrolled in the Primary Health Organization (PHO). Figure 1: Overview of New Zealand Health and Disability System. Retrieved from http://www.health.govt.nz/sites/default/files/images/nz-health-system/structure-health-disability-sector.png New Zealand health and disability system parts of the structure: â€Å"The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) mostly covers the costs of cases deemed as accidents, it may be from medical misadventure or otherwise. The ACC service applies for all people legally in New Zealand (including tourists and students), in which the costs of accidental benefits will be recovered via levies on employers, employees and some other sources such as car registration (Parliamentary Counsel Office, 2013).† Southern Cross Health Insurance is a non-profit-scheme and is one of the largest health insurance provider composing at about three-fourth’s of the health insurance market and covering almost a quarter of all New Zealanders in 2007, even operating its own chain of hospitals. PHARMAC is a government pharmaceutical company that requires co-payments, but are also subsidised by private shareholders. The objective of the government was for patients with community health services cards or high user health cards (Pharmaceutical Management Agency, n.d.). St. John New Zealand charity in Auckland and Wellington Free Ambulance based in the Wellington Region are both primarily emergency oriented services that are supported with a mix of private (donated) and public (subsidy) funds (St. John, 2014). REFERENCES: Banderas News Team. (2012 August). Mexico Achieves Universal Health Coverage. Retrieved from http://banderasnews.com/1208/hb-mexicouniversalhealthcoverage.htm. Global Day of Action on Military Spending. (2013). New Zealand Budget Report 2013: Facts and Figures of Military Spending. Retrieved from http://demilitarize.org/news-and-opinion/zealand-budget-report-2013-facts-figures-military-spending/. GFP. (2014). Mexico Military Strength: Mexico relies on its partnership with the United States and Europe for much of its modern frontline military equipment. Retrieved from http://www.globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-detail.asp?country_id=mexico. Human Rights Commission. (2014). Human Rights Environment. Retrieved from http://www.hrc.co.nz/human-rights-environment/. Harvard School of Public Health. (2012). Mexico achieves universal health coverage, enrolls 52.6 million people in less than a decade. Retrieved from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/mexico-universal-health/. Johnston, M. (2010 July). The New Zealand Herald: NZ ranks last in medicine use and lowest health spender. Retrieved from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1objectid=10662259 Lakin, J. (2010). Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, Mexico’s Popular Health Insurance Ministry of Health. (2011). National Health Index entitlements. Retrieved from http://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system/claims-provider-payments-and-entitlements/national-health-index-entitlements. Ministry of Health. (2014). New Zealand health system. Retrieved from https://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system. Ministry of Social Development. (2004). Primary Health Care In New Zealand: Problems And Policy Approaches. Parliamentary Counsel Office. (2013). New Zealand Legislation: Accident Compensation Act 2001. Retrieved from http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2001/0049/latest/DLM99494.html. Pharmaceutical Management Agency. (n.d.). Introduction to PHARMAC. Retrieved from http://www.pharmac.govt.nz/2011/09/16/01INTRO.pdf. Robin, G. (2009). The New Health Policy, Two Penn Plaza, New York, Bell and Bain. Santos-Burgoa, C. et.al. (2006) Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice and Policy: Implementation of Mexico’s Health Promotion Operational Model. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2644590/#B1. The Treasury. (2013). Expenditure: Education. Transcultural Nursing. (n.d.). Cultural Diversity in Nursing: Basic Concepts and Case Studies. Wikipedia.(2014). Health care in New Zealand. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_New_Zealand#cite_note-NZ_Herald_10469741-2. Wikipedia.(2014). Pharmaceutical Management Agency. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PHARMAC. Wikipedia.(2014). St John New Zealand. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John_New_Zealand. World Health Organization. (2008 September). Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main. Whyte, S. (2009). How Mexico’s Health care system works. World Health Organisation. Health System. http://justice.govt.nz/global-publications/the new Zealand legal system

The Growing Problem of Music Piracy Essays -- Argumentative Persuasive

The Growing Problem of Music Piracy    At the turn of the millenium, the music industry has been faced with an unforeseen phenomenon that has affected its very foundation - mass scale music piracy. The decline of CD sales in the past three years have been blamed on the availability of songs that can be downloaded from Internet sites and service providers like Napster, KaZaA and Morpheus free of charge. Today the issue of intellectual copyright infringement in music has been taken more seriously than ever before, as large record labels and companies like Sony and EMI struggle to maintain healthy album sales in the face of online music piracy. In addition, music piracy affects more than just the corporate world - it affects the very artists who create music and receive no compensation for their efforts. In fact ?many high-profile and buzz artists, including Eminem, Oasis and most recently 50 Cent, have seen their upcoming albums undercut by file-sharing online before their scheduled releases, prompting record labels to move up street dates to avoid losing album sales.? (Grossberg) In light of this, are a few positive aspects in the face of such widespread negativity but music file sharing continues to be a controversial topic in the world of music and the arts in general. Nevertheless, before analyzing the impact of music piracy on a mass scale, one must start from the beginning of the 1990?s when the music industry experienced a growth in CD sales. In fact, ?according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), album sales grew from US $24.1 billion to US $38.6 billion during the decade.?(Zentner) But this era was short-lived and as the nineties drew to a close, the amount of illegal file swapping exp... ...story of File Sharing.? , Consulted on November 19, 2004. Puretracks.com (2004). ?Radiohead.? , Consulted on November 20, 2004. RIAA (2004). ?RIAA Files News Lawsuits Against 750 Illegal File Sharers.? , Consulted on November 19, 2004. VALDES, Robert. [2004]. Stuffo. ?How ?Making It? Works: Antigone Rising.? , Consulted on November 20, 2004. ZENTNER, Alejandro. Measuring the Effect of Online Music Piracy on Music Sales. Online at: , consulted on November 18, 2004.

US Bakery Industry

The US bakery industry has combined annual revenue of nearly $25 billion from commercial bakeries and nearly $2 billion from small retail bakeries. There are about 2600 commercial bakeries in the US and 7000 small retail bakeries. Some of the leading companies within this industry include Interstate Bakeries and Flower Foods as well as smaller divisions such as Sara Lee and Nabisco. The commercial bakery segment is highly concentrated with 80% of the market held by 50 large bakeries. On the other hand, the retail bakery segment is highly fragmented.Larger bakeries dominate the market because they have greater economies of scale in procurement, production and distribution. The industry is also characterized by high automation. However, the end bakery product is generally low value and but the stable demand is sufficient to generate modest revenues for most players in the market. The most commonly sold bakery items include baked breads (white, wheat and rye), rolls, muffins, buns, bage ls and croissants. Other popular items include cakes, pies, pastries and doughnuts. (Industry Overview: US Bakery Industry; Hoovers Online)Competition is tough but differentiation can be attained through automation. Although baking is a low-technology business, the larger the bakery facilities and the more automated the facility the bigger the profits for that company. This is because in large automated facilities, labor costs can be reduced significantly and maximum production can be attained. However, since bakery products are highly perishable, large facilities are only sensible for bakeries which have high sales and do not maintain a great deal of inventories.Bakeries also face competition from coffee outlets and fast food outlets since most of them also carry bakery style products such as bagels, pastries, doughnuts etc. Commercial bakeries again enjoy a commanding position because they can act as suppliers to these outlets while smaller retail bakeries sometimes have to suffer since customers have more inclination to go to fast food outlets then to visit a bakery. Moreover, customer trends are rapidly changing.There was a time when the average consumer desired freshly baked products but now consumers are willing to purchase packaged products and believe that they are safe, easy and convenient to use. Thus, packaged bakery snack products are also snatching the share from retail bakeries which offer freshly baked products to the consumers. (US Bakery Trends) Consumer demands and preferences are also changing constantly. Today, customers have become more health conscious and demand low fat and fat free products. Moreover, customers are now increasingly aware and quite educated.They have detailed information about nutrition and quality issues and have sophisticated tastes and preferences. That is why the industry has seen a growth in non-traditional bread products such as bagels, flat breads and organic products. Bakeries have had to change their strategies and their technological capabilities in order to keep up with the changing customer demands and preferences. (Bakeries and Snacks: 2005) Bakeries are affected by external factors such as volatile prices of raw materials. Most baked goods use ingredients such as flour, sugar and vegetable oil.These are global commodities with fluctuating prices so it is important for both commercial and retail bakeries to make intelligent and proactive purchase decisions. Flour is the primary ingredient in baked goods and accounts for the largest cost element for bakery products. Wheat prices are quite volatile and this can have a significant impact on profit margins. Price of butter has a similar impact and many bakeries have switched from butter to vegetable oil but again quality has to be maintained in order to sustain a competitive position within the industry.The US bakery industry also has a growing export segment. Since the 1990s exports of US bakery products have been increasing consistently. It is expected that exports of US bakery products will exceed $250 million by the middle of the decade if not higher. Some of the core reasons for the growth in exports include rising incomes, increasing populations, growing tourist industries, reduction in trade barriers and an overall increase in global demand for baked goods.The main factors hindering export growth are demand for freshness and transportation limitations. However, with the improvement of technology, bakeries are now able to produce products that overcome these limitations. Moreover, there is always a demand for baked mixes, cookies and dough’s that can be easily packaged and transported and that have longer shelf lives. The biggest customer of US baked goods is Canada. It is a huge market and Canadian customers have similar tastes to US customers.It is estimated that nearly half of US bakery products are consumed by Canada. (Clair, Thomas: 1992)Bibliography1. Industry Overview: US Bakery Industry. Hoovers Online. Retrieved May 5th 2008 http://www. hoovers. com/bakeries/–ID__91–/free-ind-fr-profile-basic. xhtml.2. Clair, Thomas. (1992) Bakery products exports on the rise. AgExporter. Retrieved May 5th 2008 http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3723/is_n1_v4/ai_11754641/pg_2.3. The Canadian Bread and Bakery Industry. Agriculture and Agri Food Canada. Retrieved May 5th 2008 http://www4.agr.gc.ca/AAFC-AAC/display-afficher.do? id=1171653091262&lang=e.4. Bakery industry cashes in on wholegrain trend. 2005. Retrieved May 5th 2008 http://www. bakeryandsnacks. com/news/printNewsBis. asp? id=62237.5. Eyre, Charlotte. US Bakery markets beckons for Vivartia. Retrieved May 5th 2008 http://www. cee-foodindustry. com/news/ng. asp? id=83797-vivartia-nonni-s-wind-point-partners.6. US Bakery Trends. Retrieved May 5th 2008 http://www. bakeinfo. co. nz/industry/trends/article. php? id=43.

The Enlightment

Sydell Mejia Prof. Goulding EN202-21 2/25/10 Importance of Reason The Enlightment age was a very important time period; it started in the eighteen century. This age was also known as the age of reason. Men of this age felt they were â€Å"Enlightened† group. They believed they were coming to their senses, educated men of this time thought that the universe was logical, rational, and reasonable, and this could even out a man's modern passions and actions. They had the beliefs that they had come closer to any other age to figure out how the universe and men worked and how to live more a good life more reasonably. The Enlightenment also challenged many of the former ideas, one of which was ignorance. Orgon in Moliere’s, Tartuffe, exemplifies the idea of ignorance, due to the fact he is ignorant of Tartuffe’s true character. DORINE: â€Å"There was that headache Madame had the day you left. Well, it got really bad. She had a fever†. ORGON: â€Å"And Tartuffe? † DORINE: â€Å"He’s fine- Rosy nose and red cheeked, drinking your wine. † ORGON: â€Å"Poor Man! †(1. 4. 8-14). Although Orgon hears news about his ill wife, he only shows his care towards Tartuffe. He also fails to recognize that Tartuffe is tricking them and is not thinking as reasonably as Cleante is. In Act I, scene 5, Cleante is trying to talk sense into Orgon; he is the voice of reason in this scene. Cleante accuses Orgon of being unable to distinguish hypocrisy and true devotion to the family. He tells Orgon that his love of Tartuffe is unrealistic, and attempts to â€Å"enlighten† him about Tartuffe's true character: Cleante: â€Å"Orgon, listen, You’re out of your mind. / Or you’re mocking me. Or both combined. / How can you speak such nonsense without blinking? † (1. 5. 73-75). Although Cleante knows that Orgon is wrapped around his feelings for Tartuffe. Orgon believes so strongly in Tartuffe's piety and goodness that he is willing to sacrifice the happiness of his daughter, therefore thinking unreasonably and affecting his family negatively, such as making his daughter marry someone she does not want to marry, sacrificing the happiness of his daughter. Dorine is another character that presents reason throughout the play. Dorine, Mariane’s maid, is someone with a low social status and because she is a member of the working class, she is portrayed as ignorant in the family because of her low social status. Although in the play she is of low social status, she is smarter than Orgon and also a lot more reasonable. She is able to point out that Tartuffe is an imposter. Dorine says, â€Å"Now there’s a lie that beats everything. / His pretended reverence for our king! †(5. 7. 25-26). This shows that it does not matter what social class one comes from to determine their level of reason. Dorine is someone from a lower social standing than the family, but yet, is able to socialize and befriend the family she works for. His control affects his family, especially his daughter. In the play, she is to marry to the man she loves, but when Tartuffe enters the picture, Orgon breaks his promise to her fiance, and tells her she has to marry Tartuffe instead. However, Orgon is challenged by his family, who work to prove Tartuffe is a fake. This is a conflict to the power order of society and brings into question the authority of this order, by the end of the play, Tartuffe turns his back on Orgon and tries to arrest him. He brings an officer of the king back to take Orgon. However, while Tartuffe attempts to get Orgon arrested, the king saw through him and reasoned that Tartuffe was the one to be accused and put to trial. In his Narrative, Oluadah Equiano, describes in detail his experiences when he was captured and enslaved. In an attempt to persuade the reader of the Englishmen evil actions, Equiano reveals the hypocrisy of European ideas of enlightenment and the dehumanizing nature of slavery. Equiano Olauduah's autobiography, The Interesting Narrative Life of Equiano Olauduah is a unique and intriguing story which includes vivid and great detailed descriptions of the author's life both as a slave and a free black man. Throughout Equiano's life he encounters many hardships and misery. In the beginning of the narrative, he explains his experience on a slave ship when he was sent away: â€Å"These filled me with astonishment, which was soon converted into terror when I was carried aboard† (38). He explains his amazement of the new advances throughout the ship but also explains the terror of being on the ship and watching the miserable slaves upon the ship. He has come in contact with many people of different races, religion and intelligence. Equiano was a well-rounded intelligent black male which many people admired. Although Equiano purchased his freedom and now considered a free man, he still endured man hardships. Works Cited â€Å"Age of Reason. † History – AllAboutHistory. org. Web. 20 Feb. 2010. http://www. allabouthistory. org/age-of-reason. htm. Moliere. Tartuffe A New Verse Translation (ED. Norton Critical Editions_)_. New York: W. W. Norton, 2007. Print.