Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Mark Bradford

Imprint Bradford was the craftsman that I investigated. His imagination was awesome dynamic, grabbing my attention piece after piece. The specific work of art that I took a gander at was his â€Å"When We Ride† made in 2006. The media is a blend, which was made into a montage on canvas. The canvas was at its huge of 46 3/8 x 62 ? inches. This bit of fine art is situated in the city of workmanship itself; Los Angeles, California. I accept this canvas montage recounts to an untold story through complexity and mood, light and shading, and surface. As a youngster Mark Bradford had known his mom and grandma to be makers. He called them makers in light of the fact that as a vocation title they were sewers. The capacity to make things, new things at that for individuals was the inspiration and procedure of making things. The difference of the items utilized on the montage is peculiar on the grounds that he simply utilized pieces that were lying around the house. The complexity was the setting of textures close to an alternate shading and stream of the piece was in astounding. It made me consider cadence that is some way or another missing yet never appears to discovers its own particular manner. The reality he put two distinct bits of texture close to one another will be another method of losing it and making example of not being musical with the remainder of the image. While tossing in the light and shade of the collection you begin to improve an image and scene of what the craftsman is attempting to convey. I accept the splendid hues are saying something to underscore on the significant pieces of the work of art. Demonstrating the movement, makes you move your eyes along the nonexistent wave. The slight tone of yellow makes me think about the sun get through the wave. The delicate light of the grayish foundation makes me think about a light blue sky that is away from everything. Ambiguous hues made me gaze at the image for significant stretches of time with the goal that way I could comprehend why he made this on specifically. I thought perhaps like occasions when he got exhausted and went to the historical center; he made a scene of his transport ride there. Possibly he envisions himself at a sea shore and what it resembles to sit and watch somebody ride a wave. I can’t even envision what the surface of this piece feels like. Smooth with harsh rough edges going down the side. The yellow on the canvas seems as though it was painted on in light of the fact that it is so delicate in surface and black out. The red wave appears as though it would be frailly and delicate. The canvas is smooth which makes this deception that work of art is to some degree is three dimensional. Silk and cotton would be of the numerous textures on this work of art. Imprint Bradford utilized whatever was accessible for him to utilize in light of the fact that he utilized the pieces from garments that were being made. Being visually impaired collapsed and having the option to rub your fingers over the piece would give the feeling of what a blend of irregular surfaces would feel like all together. With everything taken into account, Mark Bradford worked admirably of making an artful culmination out of garbage. I am not that innovative to make any craftsmanship out of scraps that could have been discarded. Credit to him and I figure he should train a class on how you can utilize your creative mind and whatever materials you have accessible to use to make workmanship. Workmanship has a wide range of methods of being seen, yet to really comprehend and value it is taking it to an entire another level. Mr. Bradford demonstrated surface, difference and musicality, and light and shading across the board piece, yet indicating numerous different standards of workmanship that could be broke down.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Pick n pay free essay sample

Smaller scale and large scale situations of Pick n Pay Essay Clairesaunders01 var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push([pgt._setAccount, UA-32718321-1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setAllowAnchor, 1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setSiteSpeedSampleRate, 0]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 2, changeset, 0e9fc4c7c356]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 1, Category, , 3]); _gaq.push([pgt._trackPageview]); (work() { Smaller scale and full scale conditions of Pick n Pay Essay Clairesaunders01 var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push([pgt._setAccount, UA-32718321-1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setAllowAnchor, 1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setSiteSpeedSampleRate, 0]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 2, changeset, 0e9fc4c7c356]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 1, Category, , 3]); _gaq.push([pgt._trackPageview]); Smaller scale and full scale conditions of Pick n Pay Essay Clairesaunders01 var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push([pgt._setAccount, UA-32718321-1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setAllowAnchor, 1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setSiteSpeedSampleRate, 0]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 2, changeset, 0e9fc4c7c356]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 1, Category, , 3]); _gaq.push([pgt._trackPageview]); (work() { (work() { Smaller scale and full scale conditions of Pick n Pay Essay Clairesaunders01 var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push([pgt._setAccount, UA-32718321-1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setAllowAnchor, 1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setSiteSpeedSampleRate, 0]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 2, changeset, 0e9fc4c7c356]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 1, Category, , 3]); _gaq.push([pgt._trackPageview]); Smaller scale and full scale conditions of Pick n Pay Essay Clairesaunders01 var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push([pgt._setAccount, UA-32718321-1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setAllowAnchor, 1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setSiteSpeedSampleRate, 0]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 2, changeset, 0e9fc4c7c356]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 1, Category, , 3]); _gaq.push([pgt._trackPageview]); Smaller scale and full scale conditions of Pick n Pay Essay Clairesaunders01 var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push([pgt._setAccount, UA-32718321-1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setAllowAnchor, 1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setSiteSpeedSampleRate, 0]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 2, changeset, 0e9fc4c7c356]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 1, Category, , 3]); _gaq.push([pgt._trackPageview]); (work() { Smaller scale and full scale conditions of Pick n Pay Essay Clairesaunders01 var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push([pgt._setAccount, UA-32718321-1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setAllowAnchor, 1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setSiteSpeedSampleRate, 0]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 2, changeset, 0e9fc4c7c356]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 1, Category, , 3]); _gaq.push([pgt._trackPageview]); Smaller scale and full scale conditions of Pick n Pay Essay Clairesaunders01 var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push([pgt._setAccount, UA-32718321-1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setAllowAnchor, 1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setSiteSpeedSampleRate, 0]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 2, changeset, 0e9fc4c7c356]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 1, Category, , 3]); Smaller scale and full scale conditions of Pick n Pay Essay Clairesaunders01 var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push([pgt._setAccount, UA-32718321-1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setAllowAnchor, 1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setSiteSpeedSampleRate, 0]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 2, changeset, 0e9fc4c7c356]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 1, Category, , 3]); _gaq.push([pgt._trackPageview]); Smaller scale and full scale conditions of Pick n Pay Essay Clairesaunders01 var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push([pgt._setAccount, UA-32718321-1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setAllowAnchor, 1]); _gaq.push([pgt._setSiteSpeedSampleRate, 0]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 2, changeset, 0e9fc4c7c356]); _gaq.push([pgt._setCustomVar, 1, Category, , 3]); (work() { (work() {

Friday, August 21, 2020

Introduction to Social Venture Capital

Introduction to Social Venture Capital Governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and charities used to be the major players in the battle against some of the biggest social and environmental issues. However, due the interconnected nature of our modern societies, together with the improved technology, entrepreneurs are also looking to solve social issues.Socially responsible investing and entrepreneurship have led to the emergence of social investment funds and businesses. © Shutterstock.com | CHOATphotographerIn this guide, we will look at one aspect of socially responsible investing: social venture capital. The guide will explain what social venture capital is and how it works. We’ll look at its advantages and disadvantages for social enterprises, and reveal the key ways to attract social venture capital.WHAT IS SOCIAL VENTURE CAPITAL?Social venture capital aims at investing in a socially responsible manner in companies, which are looking to provide real social change. Social venture capital often focuses on companies that want to  solve environmental and social issues, such as alleviating poverty. The firms can aim to solve these issues either directly through their product or service, or by implementing special programs in this area.It is a highly philanthropic form of investing, as the focus is on finding companies with a strong social conscience. Despite the pivot being on socially responsible companies, social venture capital investing still emphasizes returns. It isn’t simply a form of charity work or provision of donations, social venture capitalists select investment opportunities with a healthy return on investment in mind.How does social venture capital differ from traditional venture capital?Whilst both social venture capital and traditional venture capital focus on attracting a healthy return on the investment, the two investing methods still differ in terms of their broader goals.Traditional venture capital sets maximization of the financial risk-return relation as the most important goal to achieve. On the other hand, social venture capital has a broader objective. Not only does a social venture capitalist wish to maximize the financial return, they are also interested in maximizing the social or ecological return. The focal point is on making the profit while also improving the social and environmental conditions the company is focusing on.It would be wrong to assume social capital doesn’t look at financia l returns at all. In addition, the persistent myth around social venture capital is that it “doesn’t generate attractive returns”. But recent years have shown that social venture capital can, in fact, even provide healthier returns than traditional venture capital.Research by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) found that responsible investment funds outperformed the ASX 300 and the average large cap Australian equities across different investment periods. Furthermore, the value of socially responsible investments increased by 24% in 2014. In the previous year, these investments had increased by 50%. Hence, the notion that social investment wouldnt be financially attractive is a fallacy that doesnt necessarily match the actual facts.Who provides social venture capital?Social venture capital is provided by specialist social venture capital firms, funds and impact investors. Many major venture capital firms tend to have special social venture capital funds operating alongside traditional funds. Furthermore, both, international and local development banks, can be a source of social venture capital.It should be noted that social venture capital investors often have different ways to define “socially responsible”. For example, certain investors focus on ensuring the funds they invest in avoid certain industries deemed harmful for common good, such as arms trade, gambling, tobacco or alcohol, for example.On the other hand, others focus on a more in-depth view on the company’s business model. These individual investors might focus on finding companies which target a specific social goal or which operate under a fairer business model, such as improved minimum wage.The focus of social venture capital firms is often on the developing world. The investments are directed to developing countries and companies operating in these countries. Nonetheless, social investments are on the rise in the developed world as well and attract significant amounts of funding.TYPES OF SOCIAL VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTORSIf we look at the types of social venture capital investors, we can see the different approach investors take on this investment method. The types of social venture capital investors include:Social venture accelerators â€" These are similar to Seed Accelerators. The focus is on providing seed funding to start-ups with potential to scale. Like traditional seed accelerators, social venture accelerators often focus on tech-based companies.Social incubators and funds â€" Social incubators and funds are another form of social venture investing. The focus of incubators is to provide start-ups and entrepreneurs with facilities and funding. In addition, there are special social incubator funds, which focus on social investment intermediaries that generally carry a higher financial risk.Non-profit oriented funding â€" Certain investors tend to focus more on non-profit investing. Social venture capital is often the perfect match for non-profit looking to deliver social impact while maintaining a social enterprise pattern.Business Angels â€" Finally, you have business angels, investing in start-ups and private companies.Social venture capital’s successes in providing healthy returns for investors have accelerated the setting up of different funds and firms. Some of the more famous social venture capital firms include:Acumen FundGrassroots Business FundTriodos BankOmidyar NetworkHOW DOES SOCIAL VENTURE CAPITAL WORK?The basic premise of social venture capital is similar to traditional venture capital. Essentially, the investor invests capital in a company and later receives a return.As traditional venture capital, social venture capital aims at finding the entrepreneurs and start-ups with products and services that offer growth potential. Once these start-ups are identified, capital is provided to help the company fulfill its potential.Whilst the most important metric for venture capitalists is profit and finan cial return, social venture capitalists focus on other metrics during the investment period as well. To social venture capitalists the metrics that matter include:Financial profitabilityBusiness development (scalability)The social mission/ecological impact of the businessTherefore, the objective isn’t only about the financial return and social venture capital typically cashes out only once the social enterprise realizes a return on all of the above metrics.  This means that once the enterprise has achieved the desired social or ecological goal, together with a financial return, the return is distributed back to the investor.Social ventures can utilize a range of funding options. The most forms of social venture funding include:Debt capitalMezzanine capitalEquity investment â€" Social venture capital firms also use equity investment through preferred shares.Furthermore, in many instances, social ventures combine the use of debt capital with mezzanine capital.THE ADVANTAGES AND DISA DVANTAGES OF RAISING SOCIAL VENTURE CAPITAL FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISESSimilar to venture capital funding, social venture capital also provides its share of advantages and disadvantages. If a social enterprise is considering social venture capital as a funding option, the following points are important to keep in mind.The advantages of social venture capitalMany of the advantages of social venture capital are similar to traditional venture capital. Enterprises are not only able to attract capital; they will also receive the experience of the investor. Social venture capitalists can provide guidance to these enterprises and therefore, guarantee they unlock their potential quicker.In addition, the social venture capital investment model offers a relaxed repayment model. As with traditional venture capital funding, the schedule to return the investment is flexible and businesses can focus on the essentials at the start.Furthermore, social venture capital provides quick and sufficient fundin g to social enterprises. Socially responsible companies often focus on projects, which are both large scale and take time to implement. Social venture capitalists understand this point of view and are able to provide the initial capital to kick-start these projects.But social venture capital adds additional advantages as well. Most importantly, the conditions to obtain capital are often better compared to traditional venture capital. As social venture capital doesn’t simply focus on the financial returns, investors are willing to provide capital cheaper, as it might take a longer time for a social business to turn profitable.Finally, social enterprises naturally would benefit from social venture capital due to aligned interests and goals. Since both parties in the deal are aiming to earn money, as well as to create a social impact, it is easier to reach common ground.The disadvantage of social venture capitalThere are disadvantages to social venture capital as well. Since investor s also emphasize the financial returns together with specific social or ecological requirements, the criteria to attract this investment can be challenging. Start-ups and entrepreneurs might struggle to find investors willing to fund their business. Furthermore, similarly to venture capital, the amount of control involved can occur detrimental for new enterprises.While social venture capital focuses on other metrics of success, they still emphasize the ROI as well. However, social entrepreneurs often don’t have a self-sustainable financial model implemented right from the start. Therefore, start-ups might find other financing alternatives more suitable, as the focus wouldn’t be as heavily on the financial return. For example, crowdfunding, while expecting a return of some kind, doesn’t necessarily focus on a financial return. Furthermore, social enterprises might find philanthropy and donations better to support the social cause of the business.In addition, since social enterp rises don’t have a strong self-sustained financing model in place, the dependency on social venture capital can increase. The enterprises can be inflexible when it comes to the identity structure on leveraging capital. This can be due to inability to provide a clear exit strategy, as the enterprise is often focused on generating long-term impact. Therefore, the use of other funding channels, such as network investments and bank debt, can be limited. Social venture capital can easily become the easiest route to financing, which has then the disadvantage of increasing reliance on the method.WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO ATTRACTING SOCIAL VENTURE CAPITAL?Since the nature of social enterprises is different compared to other enterprises, the expectations of social venture capitalists are also different, as the above shows. As mentioned, finding social venture capital funding can be a challenge. Nonetheless, it is possible to ease the attractiveness of the enterprise by following the below point s.Alignment between financial and social missionSince investors are looking for financial returns together with social impact, enterprises need to find a strong alignment between the two goals. The enterprise must have a compelling and effective social mission, while also laying out strong foundations for being a profitable business.If the enterprise is able to demonstrate its ability to deliver meaningful social impact, while promising healthy financial returns, social venture capital will follow. The crucial point is to understand that both models should complement and support one another. If either one of the goals seems unattainable, social venture capitalists will have a hard time justifying investment.A proper management teamLike any venture capitalist, a social venture capitalist will want a strong management team behind the business. Perhaps even more so in the case of social venture capital, as these investors tend to trust teams more than individuals.For socially responsib le companies a well-run management team is beneficial because it leaves more room for individuals to focus on different aspects of running the business. Since investors are looking to achieve a number of goals, a larger team can help them feel more relaxed, as each aspect is properly taken care of.Strong ways to measure social impactFinancial success is simple to measure, as you focus on financial metrics to measure when a goal is reached. But since social venture capital is also interested in the social impact, the business must implement strategies for measuring the social impact.Measuring social impact can be difficult, especially as start-ups tend to struggle with resources. Nevertheless, it is essential to highlight the different ways impact can be monitored for potential investors.Understanding the best ways to monitor the impact can further help define the objective. It can bring much needed clarity, as the business can become more aware of what it is trying to achieve.For ex ample, if the aim is to help young people launch their careers, the enterprise can measure their success by looking at the number of young people they’ve helped to get work or the amount of young people attending their work skill seminars.A sustainable and promising business modelFinally, social enterprises must focus on providing investors with a sustainable and promising business model. Since social venture capitalist are looking for scalability, the business model must highlight how it tries to achieve this, together with financial and social returns.For more tips on attracting capital as a social enterprise, check out the below video: SOCIAL VENTURE CAPITAL â€" THE NEXT BIG THING?Annual global venture capital investments stood at $48.3 billion in 2014. Venture capital has helped a number of famous companies, such as Facebook and Twitter, to succeed, while these companies have had an impact on how we live our lives. Social venture capital is attempting to harness this effective ness to ensure socially responsible companies alleviate some of society’s biggest struggles.In the past, most social issues have been left for non-profit organisations and national governments to solve. But national governments are often faced with issues such as underfunding and high levels of bureaucracy. On the other hand, venture capitalists have tended to focus on finding investment opportunities that focus on providing hefty financial returns. But social venture capital meets these two opposite ends in the middle and combines the aspirations of the two.Social venture capital can help companies provide change that is more meaningful. Technological innovation has proven especially useful in helping eradicate social issues from providing clean drinking water to connect rural small businesses with larger companies. Social venture capital has the potential to direct the wealth of available funds in an effective manner towards projects, which have a bigger social or ecological imp act on local communities.The last decade has seen a number of high profile social venture capital investments. J.P. Morgan and the Global Impact Investing Network researched 125 major funds, foundations, and development finance institutions and these groups made $46 billion sustainable investments in 2014. In 2015, one of the biggest destinations for social venture capital, India, saw these types of investments increase by 8%.The shift is not simply in investment numbers, but also in investor attitudes. US Trust’s research highlights nearly 70% of millennials consider investments as a way to express social and environmental values. The percentage of older generations, which agreed with this notion, hovered around 30%.National governments have jumped on board with social venture capital. In the UK, the government proposed to provide a 30% tax relief for social venture capital trusts. Changes such as these are likely to enhance the attractiveness of social venture capital, for both the investors and the entrepreneurs. Social venture capital has the potential to help solve the big social dilemmas of the 21st century.

Introduction to Social Venture Capital

Introduction to Social Venture Capital Governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and charities used to be the major players in the battle against some of the biggest social and environmental issues. However, due the interconnected nature of our modern societies, together with the improved technology, entrepreneurs are also looking to solve social issues.Socially responsible investing and entrepreneurship have led to the emergence of social investment funds and businesses. © Shutterstock.com | CHOATphotographerIn this guide, we will look at one aspect of socially responsible investing: social venture capital. The guide will explain what social venture capital is and how it works. We’ll look at its advantages and disadvantages for social enterprises, and reveal the key ways to attract social venture capital.WHAT IS SOCIAL VENTURE CAPITAL?Social venture capital aims at investing in a socially responsible manner in companies, which are looking to provide real social change. Social venture capital often focuses on companies that want to  solve environmental and social issues, such as alleviating poverty. The firms can aim to solve these issues either directly through their product or service, or by implementing special programs in this area.It is a highly philanthropic form of investing, as the focus is on finding companies with a strong social conscience. Despite the pivot being on socially responsible companies, social venture capital investing still emphasizes returns. It isn’t simply a form of charity work or provision of donations, social venture capitalists select investment opportunities with a healthy return on investment in mind.How does social venture capital differ from traditional venture capital?Whilst both social venture capital and traditional venture capital focus on attracting a healthy return on the investment, the two investing methods still differ in terms of their broader goals.Traditional venture capital sets maximization of the financial risk-return relation as the most important goal to achieve. On the other hand, social venture capital has a broader objective. Not only does a social venture capitalist wish to maximize the financial return, they are also interested in maximizing the social or ecological return. The focal point is on making the profit while also improving the social and environmental conditions the company is focusing on.It would be wrong to assume social capital doesn’t look at financia l returns at all. In addition, the persistent myth around social venture capital is that it “doesn’t generate attractive returns”. But recent years have shown that social venture capital can, in fact, even provide healthier returns than traditional venture capital.Research by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) found that responsible investment funds outperformed the ASX 300 and the average large cap Australian equities across different investment periods. Furthermore, the value of socially responsible investments increased by 24% in 2014. In the previous year, these investments had increased by 50%. Hence, the notion that social investment wouldnt be financially attractive is a fallacy that doesnt necessarily match the actual facts.Who provides social venture capital?Social venture capital is provided by specialist social venture capital firms, funds and impact investors. Many major venture capital firms tend to have special social venture capital funds operating alongside traditional funds. Furthermore, both, international and local development banks, can be a source of social venture capital.It should be noted that social venture capital investors often have different ways to define “socially responsible”. For example, certain investors focus on ensuring the funds they invest in avoid certain industries deemed harmful for common good, such as arms trade, gambling, tobacco or alcohol, for example.On the other hand, others focus on a more in-depth view on the company’s business model. These individual investors might focus on finding companies which target a specific social goal or which operate under a fairer business model, such as improved minimum wage.The focus of social venture capital firms is often on the developing world. The investments are directed to developing countries and companies operating in these countries. Nonetheless, social investments are on the rise in the developed world as well and attract significant amounts of funding.TYPES OF SOCIAL VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTORSIf we look at the types of social venture capital investors, we can see the different approach investors take on this investment method. The types of social venture capital investors include:Social venture accelerators â€" These are similar to Seed Accelerators. The focus is on providing seed funding to start-ups with potential to scale. Like traditional seed accelerators, social venture accelerators often focus on tech-based companies.Social incubators and funds â€" Social incubators and funds are another form of social venture investing. The focus of incubators is to provide start-ups and entrepreneurs with facilities and funding. In addition, there are special social incubator funds, which focus on social investment intermediaries that generally carry a higher financial risk.Non-profit oriented funding â€" Certain investors tend to focus more on non-profit investing. Social venture capital is often the perfect match for non-profit looking to deliver social impact while maintaining a social enterprise pattern.Business Angels â€" Finally, you have business angels, investing in start-ups and private companies.Social venture capital’s successes in providing healthy returns for investors have accelerated the setting up of different funds and firms. Some of the more famous social venture capital firms include:Acumen FundGrassroots Business FundTriodos BankOmidyar NetworkHOW DOES SOCIAL VENTURE CAPITAL WORK?The basic premise of social venture capital is similar to traditional venture capital. Essentially, the investor invests capital in a company and later receives a return.As traditional venture capital, social venture capital aims at finding the entrepreneurs and start-ups with products and services that offer growth potential. Once these start-ups are identified, capital is provided to help the company fulfill its potential.Whilst the most important metric for venture capitalists is profit and finan cial return, social venture capitalists focus on other metrics during the investment period as well. To social venture capitalists the metrics that matter include:Financial profitabilityBusiness development (scalability)The social mission/ecological impact of the businessTherefore, the objective isn’t only about the financial return and social venture capital typically cashes out only once the social enterprise realizes a return on all of the above metrics.  This means that once the enterprise has achieved the desired social or ecological goal, together with a financial return, the return is distributed back to the investor.Social ventures can utilize a range of funding options. The most forms of social venture funding include:Debt capitalMezzanine capitalEquity investment â€" Social venture capital firms also use equity investment through preferred shares.Furthermore, in many instances, social ventures combine the use of debt capital with mezzanine capital.THE ADVANTAGES AND DISA DVANTAGES OF RAISING SOCIAL VENTURE CAPITAL FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISESSimilar to venture capital funding, social venture capital also provides its share of advantages and disadvantages. If a social enterprise is considering social venture capital as a funding option, the following points are important to keep in mind.The advantages of social venture capitalMany of the advantages of social venture capital are similar to traditional venture capital. Enterprises are not only able to attract capital; they will also receive the experience of the investor. Social venture capitalists can provide guidance to these enterprises and therefore, guarantee they unlock their potential quicker.In addition, the social venture capital investment model offers a relaxed repayment model. As with traditional venture capital funding, the schedule to return the investment is flexible and businesses can focus on the essentials at the start.Furthermore, social venture capital provides quick and sufficient fundin g to social enterprises. Socially responsible companies often focus on projects, which are both large scale and take time to implement. Social venture capitalists understand this point of view and are able to provide the initial capital to kick-start these projects.But social venture capital adds additional advantages as well. Most importantly, the conditions to obtain capital are often better compared to traditional venture capital. As social venture capital doesn’t simply focus on the financial returns, investors are willing to provide capital cheaper, as it might take a longer time for a social business to turn profitable.Finally, social enterprises naturally would benefit from social venture capital due to aligned interests and goals. Since both parties in the deal are aiming to earn money, as well as to create a social impact, it is easier to reach common ground.The disadvantage of social venture capitalThere are disadvantages to social venture capital as well. Since investor s also emphasize the financial returns together with specific social or ecological requirements, the criteria to attract this investment can be challenging. Start-ups and entrepreneurs might struggle to find investors willing to fund their business. Furthermore, similarly to venture capital, the amount of control involved can occur detrimental for new enterprises.While social venture capital focuses on other metrics of success, they still emphasize the ROI as well. However, social entrepreneurs often don’t have a self-sustainable financial model implemented right from the start. Therefore, start-ups might find other financing alternatives more suitable, as the focus wouldn’t be as heavily on the financial return. For example, crowdfunding, while expecting a return of some kind, doesn’t necessarily focus on a financial return. Furthermore, social enterprises might find philanthropy and donations better to support the social cause of the business.In addition, since social enterp rises don’t have a strong self-sustained financing model in place, the dependency on social venture capital can increase. The enterprises can be inflexible when it comes to the identity structure on leveraging capital. This can be due to inability to provide a clear exit strategy, as the enterprise is often focused on generating long-term impact. Therefore, the use of other funding channels, such as network investments and bank debt, can be limited. Social venture capital can easily become the easiest route to financing, which has then the disadvantage of increasing reliance on the method.WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO ATTRACTING SOCIAL VENTURE CAPITAL?Since the nature of social enterprises is different compared to other enterprises, the expectations of social venture capitalists are also different, as the above shows. As mentioned, finding social venture capital funding can be a challenge. Nonetheless, it is possible to ease the attractiveness of the enterprise by following the below point s.Alignment between financial and social missionSince investors are looking for financial returns together with social impact, enterprises need to find a strong alignment between the two goals. The enterprise must have a compelling and effective social mission, while also laying out strong foundations for being a profitable business.If the enterprise is able to demonstrate its ability to deliver meaningful social impact, while promising healthy financial returns, social venture capital will follow. The crucial point is to understand that both models should complement and support one another. If either one of the goals seems unattainable, social venture capitalists will have a hard time justifying investment.A proper management teamLike any venture capitalist, a social venture capitalist will want a strong management team behind the business. Perhaps even more so in the case of social venture capital, as these investors tend to trust teams more than individuals.For socially responsib le companies a well-run management team is beneficial because it leaves more room for individuals to focus on different aspects of running the business. Since investors are looking to achieve a number of goals, a larger team can help them feel more relaxed, as each aspect is properly taken care of.Strong ways to measure social impactFinancial success is simple to measure, as you focus on financial metrics to measure when a goal is reached. But since social venture capital is also interested in the social impact, the business must implement strategies for measuring the social impact.Measuring social impact can be difficult, especially as start-ups tend to struggle with resources. Nevertheless, it is essential to highlight the different ways impact can be monitored for potential investors.Understanding the best ways to monitor the impact can further help define the objective. It can bring much needed clarity, as the business can become more aware of what it is trying to achieve.For ex ample, if the aim is to help young people launch their careers, the enterprise can measure their success by looking at the number of young people they’ve helped to get work or the amount of young people attending their work skill seminars.A sustainable and promising business modelFinally, social enterprises must focus on providing investors with a sustainable and promising business model. Since social venture capitalist are looking for scalability, the business model must highlight how it tries to achieve this, together with financial and social returns.For more tips on attracting capital as a social enterprise, check out the below video: SOCIAL VENTURE CAPITAL â€" THE NEXT BIG THING?Annual global venture capital investments stood at $48.3 billion in 2014. Venture capital has helped a number of famous companies, such as Facebook and Twitter, to succeed, while these companies have had an impact on how we live our lives. Social venture capital is attempting to harness this effective ness to ensure socially responsible companies alleviate some of society’s biggest struggles.In the past, most social issues have been left for non-profit organisations and national governments to solve. But national governments are often faced with issues such as underfunding and high levels of bureaucracy. On the other hand, venture capitalists have tended to focus on finding investment opportunities that focus on providing hefty financial returns. But social venture capital meets these two opposite ends in the middle and combines the aspirations of the two.Social venture capital can help companies provide change that is more meaningful. Technological innovation has proven especially useful in helping eradicate social issues from providing clean drinking water to connect rural small businesses with larger companies. Social venture capital has the potential to direct the wealth of available funds in an effective manner towards projects, which have a bigger social or ecological imp act on local communities.The last decade has seen a number of high profile social venture capital investments. J.P. Morgan and the Global Impact Investing Network researched 125 major funds, foundations, and development finance institutions and these groups made $46 billion sustainable investments in 2014. In 2015, one of the biggest destinations for social venture capital, India, saw these types of investments increase by 8%.The shift is not simply in investment numbers, but also in investor attitudes. US Trust’s research highlights nearly 70% of millennials consider investments as a way to express social and environmental values. The percentage of older generations, which agreed with this notion, hovered around 30%.National governments have jumped on board with social venture capital. In the UK, the government proposed to provide a 30% tax relief for social venture capital trusts. Changes such as these are likely to enhance the attractiveness of social venture capital, for both the investors and the entrepreneurs. Social venture capital has the potential to help solve the big social dilemmas of the 21st century.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Introduction. Food Security Is A Fundamental And Growing

Introduction Food security is a fundamental and growing problem in Timor-Leste, a nation that has is still rebuilding from their violent struggle for independence. The country’s turbulent and conflict-filled history, as well as a broad range of political and social issues, have greatly influenced the state of the nation today. Timor-Leste has a well-established dependency on agricultural production that, when it fails, sustains some of the highest levels of food insecurity and poverty in the world. However, the agriculture sector also provides Timor-Leste’s most promising opportunity to develop, reinvent, and implement systems that address underlying threats to food security and economic growth. This essay aims to provide some background†¦show more content†¦These weather events highlight one of the greatest threats to food security in Timor-Leste: climate change. With more than 80% of the Timorese population working as subsistence farmers (Williams et al., 2013), many fami lies are at-risk as a result of their reliance on agricultural outputs. Predictions are that by 2050, Timor-Leste’s climate will become approximately 1.5 °C hotter and 10% wetter and that the population is set to triple (Molyneux et al., 2012). This unprecedented increase in population size will place an even greater burden on an already strained food system. The sudden shift in weather patterns will also have an unpredictable impact on climate sensitive and socially essential resources such as soil and water (Barnett et al., 2007), as well as shocking coastal communities that are reliant on aquatic ecosystems (Valmonte-Santos et al., 2016). Since independence, Timor-Leste’s traditional agricultural systems have undergone few significant changes (Molyneux et al., 2012) and evidence has shown that Timor-Leste’s adoption rates of new agricultural technology are relatively low, despite the massive potential for yield improvements that could help to alleviate food insecurity (Jensen et al., 2014). Contemporary cropping technologies and chemical fertilizers cannot be easily accessed or afforded by the majority of subsistence farmers and as such they are rarely utilised.Show MoreRelatedThe Policy Process I : Background Briefing Essay1680 Words   |  7 Pageschallenging sustainable development issue of the twenty first century. It poses a significant and growing threat to human and public wellbeing, threatening food, water, health and national security. (Barrie Steffen, 2015, p. 2) †¢ Addressing the issue of climate change is more than the Artic ice and biodiversity. It is becoming increasingly clear that action on our emissions now may shape our security in the future. (Brown Crawford, 2009, p. 1) Human wellbeing †¢ The effects on health caused byRead MoreThe Violation Of Human Rights1284 Words   |  6 PagesViolation of Human Rights Table of Contents Page 1. Introduction 3 2. Relevance and value of human rights 3 3. Case studies 4 3.1 Universal Declaration of Human Rights 4 3.2 African Charter 5 3.3 Bill of Human Rights 7 4. Conclusion 7 5. Bibliography 8 1. Introduction Basic human rights are being violated every day all over the world. This includes each human being’s fundamental rights, which are rights that come with being human. Most importantlyRead MoreCompetition for Increasingly Scarce Resources in the 21st Century1214 Words   |  5 PagesCompetition for Increasingly Scarce Resources in the 21st Century Introduction During the 1960s, dire Malthusian warnings about the impact of overpopulation, consumption and resource depletion caused only a ripple of concern in the international community as the Green Revolution and modern birth control methods and practices appeared to provide a viable solution to these problems. Unfortunately, even though innovations in agricultural practices have increased yields even further than during theRead MoreThe State As Mean For Food Systems Change1436 Words   |  6 PagesThe State as mean to Food Systems Change Introduction. Food is part of our everyday sustenance. Without food, human life seizes to exist. Food is likewise a part of our everyday lives. It brings us bliss, and trouble. It supports us, and executes us. The food chain clarifies the need of food consummately. The sun offers energy to grass. A cow devours the energy-filled grass. The cow is then sold, butchered and created into a burger which a human will in the end devour and get the vitality consumedRead MoreClimate Change Should Be A Political And Not A Scientific Problem1258 Words   |  6 PagesCHANGE SHOULD BE A POLITICAL AND NOT A SCIENTIFIC PROBLEM Climate change should be a political and not a scientific problem Mariel Falcon Miami Dade College SPC1017 Fundamentals of Speech Fall Term/ TR 5:40-6:55pm Instructor: Kenia Brown CLIMATE CHANGE SHOULD BE A POLITICAL AND NOT A SCIENTIFIC PROBLEM Introduction Global warming has become one of the most important scientific, political and economic issues. According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the periodRead MoreHtm100 - Assignment 1 - Careers in Lodging and Food and Beverage Industries1419 Words   |  6 PagesCareers in Lodging and Food and Beverage Industries Name School HTM 100 Professor Name February 3, 2013 Careers in Lodging and Food and Beverage Industries The hospitality industry is a very lucrative and rewarding career choice. Choosing a career in this field is not for the faint at heart. A career in this industry requires an individual that is ambitious, self-motivated, and has a charismatic personality. However, the hard work comes with many personal and financial rewards. HospitalityRead MoreNutrition : An Important Element Of A Healthy Population1341 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Nutrition has a direct impact on the level of economic development in an economy. Food policies are directly related to the level of economic performance. Substantial literature indicates that nutrition directly affects the level of population health in the economy. A healthy population is more economically productive compared to a starving population. Nutritional value directs affect significantly the level of economic development in a nation. This study will mainly focus on theRead MoreA Brief Note On Peruvian And International Restaurant Essay1487 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Rustika Peruvian International Restaurant will offer you the opportunity to try the different gastronomy from Peru and the world. We will provide our customers great prices, an amazing atmosphere, a place to relax and everyone has the necessary experience to make your stay pleasant and enjoyable. Will go for high and medium customers, business wise this will be our target. We will sponsor major events, business parties, weddings, sport events, etc. Our mission statement for Rustika’sRead MoreThe Economics of Rising Demand for Corn: Reasons Related to Ethanol and Its Uses1194 Words   |  5 Pagesobjective of this study is to examine the economics of rising demand for corn and the reasons for the increased demand due to ethanol and its uses. Introduction The work of Rattray (2012) reports that the United States The United States corn production and acreage has increased over time due to the growing global demand. Corn is being utilized for food, feed, industrial uses and ethanol production, but there are many factors that affect the global levels of supply and demand. Because of these factorsRead MoreThe Common Agriculture Policy ( Cap )1656 Words   |  7 Pages 1.0 Introduction The Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) started as a simple price support policy in 1962, and has since been a controversial and widely debated topic with many critics questioning the fundamentals of its operations. Additionally, the CAP concerns and has an impact on an array of areas, not simply farming. The policy aims to tackle issues prevalent to the environment from, the effects on the environment and biodiversity to animal welfare and jobs. This report aims to; explain and analyse

Thursday, May 14, 2020

The Animal Ownership Of George And Washington - 1502 Words

Growing up on a farm has allowed me to learn about many different types of animals. Starting from the beginning of my animal ownership starts with George and Washington. Living on the farm barn cats were always around. When I was about three years old I found these two fur balls. No, I was not a historical genius at the age of three to name them George and Washington, so my dad did. George was grey with beautiful big eyes. Sadly, Washington did not fare so well in appearance. He looked a bit grungy with his white coat since he had lived outside his whole life, and he his one eye was also blind. They were quite a dynamic duo though, catching mice and pestering the birds in the barn. In the summer I remember climbing up on the straw bales†¦show more content†¦This was a short friendship, but it taught a great lesson; know the basics before you dive into something knew. I wanted another friend to hang out with, since my brother got boring sometimes, so I talked my family into g etting a dog. We looked at our local pet shelter. Right when I walked in I walked over to a dachshund (She was the quietest dog in the shelter†¦ little did my family know *eye roll). A week later the dachshund was home with the new name Libby (Thinking back on it, we should have named her Cleopatra since she looks like someone applied heavy eyeliner all over her eyes). Libby definitely tricked us with her shy personality at the pound. She is a force to be reckoned with, but I love her. Libby has little dog syndrome. She picks fights with the biggest and baddest, semi trucks. The tiny beast also finds it necessary to escort out all of our visitors to our property line (She runs on the side of the road barking until after the car passes the property line. My family is still not sure how she knows where our property line is†¦ but she has mastered it). Do not get me wrong, Libby is a lover, and clingy lover at that. Every night I fall asleep she has always burrowed under the c overs right next to my feet. My little fighter has taught me to stand my ground, no matter how tough the opponent is. This has helped me become successful in many of my academics and athletics in high school. This lesson will also be veryShow MoreRelated A Human For Nature Essay1585 Words   |  7 Pagespopulation of America grew very rapidly. With a growing population more and more forests were converted for agricultural purposes. By the 1840’s Manifest Destiny had become popular, and the government thought transfer of public lands to private ownership as the best way to utilize the continents many resources. Around this time, the lumber industry was booming due to increased demand for railroad construction. In the mid-1800’s some conservationist groups formed and were able to set land aside inRead MoreGun Control During The Civil War1407 Words   |  6 Pagespredatory animals. As time passed, man s knowledge of weaponry expanded beyond a simple club and transforme d into guns. Prior to the 1850s, Americans owned guns though none were used to inflict violence upon another person. â€Å"As a result, guns contributed little to the homicide rate, which was low everywhere, even in the South and on the frontier, where historians once assumed guns and murder went hand in hand (Roth, 223).† All of this changed before and after the Civil War, when gun ownership andRead MoreEuropean Colonization Of The Americas1393 Words   |  6 Pagesthe New World. Europeans acquired the magnetic compass, which allowed mariners to determine direction even when out of sight of land. When the new world was discovered, â€Å"The Columbian Exchanged† was born. Many goods such as clothes, food and animals were exchanged. Sadly so were negatives things such as diseases. Eventually cures were found though. The Protestant Reformation was initially created to reset the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. There was immense corruptionRead More The Importance of Art Education in Young Children Essay examples2174 Words   |  9 Pagescreates something by using an abundance of geometrical shapes might be a more structured and by-the-book sort of individual. Subject content of a piece can also tell the viewer about the interests of a child. A child who likes animals may draw pictures of all sorts of different animals, or a little girl may draw pictures of princesses. Such analysis of a piece of art can not only help children become more familiar with themselves and their interests, but can allow those around them to notice new detailsRead More National Parks or National Problems? Essay2990 Words   |  12 Pagespassing diseases onto the ranchers cattle herds. The ranchers feel hunting and euthanasia of infected animals is necessary (United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 14). In addition, the elk and bison herds have greatly increa sed, causing severe overgrazing in certain areas of the parks. Erosion and stream sedimentation result, which in turn affects various plant and animal species (Baden and Leal, 13). This chain of events may even lead to the placement of certain organismsRead MoreShould Gun Control Be Regulated During The United States?2888 Words   |  12 PagesProfessor Burger-Weiser First Year Writing 1 May 2015 Eliminating Assault Rifles Gun control is a frequently debated topic in the United States. It is often defined as any sort of law or regulation that restricts or forbids the use, the sale, or ownership of a firearm. People argue that because the constitution allows citizens the right to bear arms, that citizens should be allowed to carry weapons, however, this is often taken out of context. The Second Amendment says that citizens have the rightRead MoreState Theatre Essay1878 Words   |  8 PagesAt a hundred and four years old, the State Theatre still stands as one of Bay Citys most recognizable landmarks. Despite floods, fires, and a centurys worth of history, the theater proudly remains and operates on Washington Street. Dozens of events are put on there each year. Orchestras, Vaudeville, various musical groups, and comedians are just a few of the thousands of acts that have been housed within its walls. The building inside has been remodeled various times over the last few decades,Read MoreAmerican Charac ter - Then and Now2118 Words   |  9 Pagesepitome of what is now recognized to be American character: the pioneer or farmer (Peck 43). This was a man who provided for his family by depending on vegetation and hunting. He did not care whether the land he temporarily occupied was in his ownership or not. When the area became too civilized, the pioneer moved on to make new discoveries and left his soil and house for the new wave of immigrants. Thus, introducing the second stage of western civilization. These immigrants purchased the pioneersRead More american character - then and now Essay2086 Words   |  9 Pagesthe epitome of what is now recognized to be American character: the pioneer or farmer (Peck 43). This was a man who provided for his family by depending on vegetation and hunting. He did not care whether the land he temporarily occupied was in his ownership or not. When the area became too civilized, the pioneer moved on to make new discoveries and left his soil and hou se for the new wave of immigrants. Thus, introducing the second stage of western civilization. These immigrants purchased the pioneer’sRead MoreEssay about Review over the Paradox of Sitting Bull4167 Words   |  17 PagesBlack Hills and who would control them. The U.S. then sent a group of military men to explore the land. This was led by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer. During the expedition, the men discovered very few evidences of precious metals but some gold did surface. The Sioux wanted Colonel Custer and his men to leave their land and go back to Washington. Custer then complained to the federal government about the quality of the reservation which led to the asking by the federal government to

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Jean Piaget s Development Of Intelligence Essay - 2027 Words

According to Miller (2016), Jean Piaget studied the development of intelligence in children and proposed a philosophy centered on four preset phases of mental growth. His theory of cognitive development is comprised of Sensorimotor Period (birth to about age 2), Preoperational Period (ages 2-7), Concrete Operations (ages 7-11) and Formal Operations (ages 11-15) (Robbins et al., 2012). Moreover, he determined that children cognitive development was learned through their interactions and object of their surround settings and their logic of thinking would differentiate from stage to stage towards adulthood. For this specific case study, stage three of Concrete Operations is only going to be used to analyze cognitive behavior. I examined how Piaget’s cognitive theory is shown in Julie’s case study. For example, during Concrete Operations, logic and objectivity increases and reasoning can be applied to obvious and tangible problems, but develop all possible outcomes (Robbins et al., 2012). This can be noticeable in Julie’s case study. For example, when Michael and Julie were making the transition into their new school, they became known for being very smart. She outshines in most subjects in school and is very artistic, including with music. This serves as evidence that she can manipulate thoughts about concrete processes to evaluate issues carefully and logically (Miller, 2016). Another aspect that we can relate between Julie and Jean Piaget’s Concrete Operations stage is theShow MoreRelatedInfluential Theorist And Child Development : Who Are Capable Of Inventing New Things? Essay1214 Words   |  5 PagesChevannes 1 Mrs. Slinger HPC 3OR September 17th, 2016 Influential Theorists In Child Development: Intellect, Jean Piaget (1896-1980) The goal of education is not to increase the amount of knowledge, but to create the possibilities for a child to invent and discover, to create men who are capable of inventing new things. Jean Piaget is an influential theorist in child intellect development. Piaget insights society on the importance of not learning, but thinking, his thoughts/studies giveRead MoreJean Piaget s Theory And Theory1673 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is a theory? A theory is an organized set of ideas that is designed to explain development. These are essential for developing predictions about behaviors and predictions result in research that helps to support or clarify the theory. The theorist I am choosing to talk about is Jean Piaget who discovered the cognitive development theory and who broke it down into different stages. The different stages are the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational thoughtRead MoreVygotsky And Vygotsky : Early Childhood Development1683 Words   |  7 Pages Amanda Rezzonico Piaget vs Vygotsky Early Childhood Development Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget are known in the educational world. Vygotsky and Piaget were developmental psychologists who had many of the same views and beliefs, but at the same time had opposing views. According to Jean Piaget â€Å"cognitive development was a repetitive reorganization of mental processes that derived from biological maturation in addition to environmental experiences’’ (McLeod, S. A. (2015). The childRead MoreJean Piaget s Theory Of Cognitive And Affective Development1693 Words   |  7 PagesCognitive Theory of Jean Piaget The Methodology and Cognitive Theory of Jean Piaget Timothy Carlton Southwest Tennessee Community College A Paper Presented In Partial Fulfillment Of The Requirements For Life Span Psychology 2130-L01 July 31, 2014 â€Æ' â€Æ' Abstract Jean Piaget’s theory of Cognitive and Affective Development is a result of an interdisciplinary approach to understanding mental processes and the behaviors presented by those processes. Piaget’s theory encompasses development through fourRead MoreEducational Methods Influenced By Jean Piaget And Lev Vygotsky800 Words   |  4 Pagesresearch of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both of these men provided influential theories, which had a significant impact on evaluating children’s learning styles and abilities. After years of research and observation, Piaget determined that intellectual development is the result of the interaction of individual and environmental factors. He felt that as a child develops and always interacts with the world around him, knowledge was established. Through his observations of his children, Piaget developedRead MoreJean Piaget s Theory Of Knowing921 Words   |  4 PagesJean Piaget was a developmental psychologist and philosopher from Sw itzerland. He is known for his epistemological studies with children. He was the first to make a systematic study of cognitive development. Piaget was also the Director of the International Bureau of Education. He was â€Å"the great pioneer of the constructivist theory of knowing.† He was known as the second best psychologist after Skinner by the end of the 20th century. Throughout his career, Jean Piaget declared that â€Å"only educationRead MorePiagets Theory of Cognitive Development959 Words   |  4 Pages The term cognitive development refers to the process of developing intelligence and higher level thinking that allows a person to acquire problem-solving skills from the age of infancy through adulthood. A Swiss philosopher by the name of Jean Piaget took an interest in in developmental psychology; specifically in children during infancy through pre-adolescence. This model developed by Piaget still has a modern-day relevancy. Contributions to Learning and Cognition Piaget made a considerableRead MoreJean Piaget s Theory Of Cognitive Development1553 Words   |  7 PagesJean Piaget is considered to be very influential in the field of developmental psychology. Piaget had many influences in his life which ultimately led him to create the Theory of Cognitive Development. His theory has multiple stages and components. The research done in the early 1900’s is still used today in many schools and homes. People from various cultures use his theory when it comes to child development. Although there are criticisms and alternatives to his theory, it is still largelyRead MoreJean Piaget : The Oldest Sibling Of Three Children And The Only Son896 Words   |  4 PagesIn this paper I will be speaking about Jean Piaget and his studies during his life time that has created new thought processes for children psychology and those same processes that are still being used to this day by many other fields and set some foundation for his knowledge that he made in life. Biography/Background Jean Piaget was born in Neuchatel, Switzerland on August 9, 1896 to Arthur Piaget and Rebecca Jackson. He was the oldest sibling of three children and the only son. The start to hisRead MoreJean Piaget s Theory Of Psychology744 Words   |  3 PagesJustin Waite The Study of Jean Piaget 11/16/2015 Born on August 9, 1986 in Neuchatel, Switzerland, Jean Piaget was one of the most influential theorist in the field of early childhood development and psychology that ever existed. His input towards human intelligence is second to none. Piaget learned the value of hard work from his father who was a medieval history writer. His mother was also very intelligent. Although she was a very bright and energetic individual, she was also mentally

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Life of a College Student free essay sample

An interview with Bill Fitzgerald, a college freshman. What are some differences between high schooland college life? The main difference is the incredible increasein free time. In high school, every day was a constant grind and I neverhad any free time. In college I have a surplus. Instead of classes sixhours a day, they take up a mere three hours. Im no longer forced tosit in the same building all day. This newfound time provides manyluxuries that can easily be abused. I can be productive or goofoff. What is most difficult, or stressful, about collegelife? Time management. There were many times this semester when Ihad to write a paper and heard my friends were going to a party. Thatalways happened on days that Id had time to get work done but hadwasted it instead. Then I couldnt go out. What were yourbiggest fears about going off to school? What helped you overcomethem? My biggest fear was how to adjust to this new freedom. We will write a custom essay sample on Life of a College Student or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Iknew living on my own meant my parents were not going to be breathingdown my neck to do my work. They were not going to have me home at acertain hour. I was in complete control. These two aspects of being onmy own were very exciting but I wondered how I would do without myparents holding my hand. Once things got rolling I realized I would beall right as long as I stayed motivated. What advice canyou offer future freshman to make the adjustment processeasier? Stay on top of things; dont get so caught up in thesocial atmosphere of college that you get behind in your studies -remember what youre there for. There is nothing worse than approachingthe end of a semester and realizing you have procrastinated so much youhave an impossible mountain of work. No one needs that added stress.

Saturday, April 4, 2020

The Diary of Anne Frank Book Review Essay Example For Students

The Diary of Anne Frank Book Review Essay Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl On June 12, 1929, at 7:30 AM, a baby girl was born in Frankfort, Germany. No one realized that this infant, who was Jewish, was destined to become one of the worlds most famous victims of World War II. Her name was Anne Frank. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank and B.M. Mooyaart, was actually the real diary of Anne Frank. Anne was a girl who lived with her family during the time while the Nazis took power over Germany. Because they were Jewish, Otto, Edith, Margot, and Anne Frank immigrated to Holland in 1933. Hitler invaded Holland on May 10, 1940, a month before Annes eleventh birthday. In July 1942, Annes family went into hiding in the Prinsengracht building. Anne and her family called it the Secret Annex. We will write a custom essay on The Diary of Anne Frank Book Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Life there was not easy at all. They had to wake up at 6:45 every morning. Nobody could go outside, nor turn on lights at night. Anne mostly spent her time reading books, writing stories, and of course, making daily entries in her diary. She only kept her diary while hiding from the Nazis. This diary told the story of the excitement and horror in this young girls life during the Holocaust. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl reveals the life of a young innocent girl who is forced into hiding from the Nazis because of her religion, Judaism. This book is very informing and enlightening. It introduces a time period of discrimination, unfair judgment, and power-crazed individuals, and with this, it shows the effect on the defenseless. After reading this book, we were forced to look at life in a different way. The luxuries that are provided for us that we take for granted, like money, cars, a house, food, and even rights, were all put into perspective. We couldnt use street cars, go to the theater, couldnt be out past 8 PM, couldnt even sit in our own gardens. We had to turn in our bicycles; no swimming pools, beaches, or libraries- we couldnt even walk on the sunny side of the street. This is a quote from Annes diary. This just touches upon some of the many simple luxuries that were robbed from her and her family. Today, most of us would blow a casket if we were so inconvenienced as to not be able to drive a car, stay out past midnight even, or not to be able to enjoy sunlight. At one time or another, especially during the summer, each and every one of us makes an appearance at the beach or the local pool. Imagining not even being able to see the sunlight for years at a time really can make one think maybe its okay that I didnt get the tan I wanted this summer, or that we couldnt make the trip to North Carolina. Almost every person at one point in his or her lives takes something for granted. Just imagining what Anne and her family had to go through makes us realize that life is rough sometimes, and we may not always get what we want, but it could always be worse, and maybe we should learn to take pleasure in the little things life has to offer. From reading this book, we gathered a lot of information. One of the most important messages was that things dont come easy for everyone, and you should appreciate what you have when you have it because in a matter of days, it could all be gone. Like we said before, life could always be worse, I mean we could be dead (knock on wood). We knew this girl who had everything that she could possibly want. .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807 , .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807 .postImageUrl , .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807 , .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807:hover , .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807:visited , .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807:active { border:0!important; } .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807:active , .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807 .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0c97adf9809918e9804f4dd0388bb807:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Bally?s Total Fitness Essay She was very lucky, yet she never really appreciated what was handed to her every day. One day, while driving to her friends house, she was hit by a car, and she wasnt so lucky anymore. She could no longer walk, or even talk. In a matter of seconds, her whole life was changed. Had she known this was going to happen, Im sure there would have been more .

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Cost to Taxpayers for Use of Government-Owned Airplanes

Cost to Taxpayers for Use of Government-Owned Airplanes The President of the United States and the Vice President are not the only non-military U.S. government officials who regularly fly on aircraft (Air Force One and Two) owned and operated by the U.S. government at the cost of taxpayers. The U.S. Attorney General and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) not only fly - for business and pleasure on aircraft owned and operated by the Department of Justice; they are required to do so by executive branch policy. Background: The Justice Department Air Force According to a recent report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Department of Justice (DOJ) owns, leases and operates a fleet of airplanes and helicopters used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the United States Marshals Service (USMS). While many of the DOJs aircraft, including a growing number of unmanned drones, are used for counterterrorism and criminal surveillance, drug smuggling interdiction, and transporting prisoners, other aircraft are used to transport certain executives of the various DOJ agencies for official and personal travel. According to the GAO, the U.S. Marshals Service currently operates 12 aircraft primarily for air surveillance and prisoner transportThe FBI primarily uses its aircraft for mission operations but also operates a small fleet of large-cabin, long-range business jets, including two Gulfstream Vs, for both mission and nonmission travel. These aircraft possess long-range capabilities that enable FBI to conduct long-distance domestic and international flights without the need to stop for refueling. According to the FBI, the DOJ rarely authorizes the use of the Gulfstream Vs for nonmission travel, except for travel by the Attorney General and FBI Director. Who Flies and Why? Travel aboard the DOJs aircraft can be for mission-required purposes or for nonmission purposes - personal travel.Requirements for the use of government aircraft by the federal agencies for travel are established and enforced by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA). Under these requirements, most agency personnel who make personal, nonmission, flights on government aircraft must reimburse the government for the use of the aircraft. But Two Executives Can Always Use Government Aircraft According to the GAO, two DOJ executives, the U.S. Attorney General and the FBI Director, are designated by the President of the United States as required use travelers, meaning they are authorized to travel aboard DOJ or other government aircraft regardless of their trip purpose, including personal travel.Why? Even when they travel for personal reasons, the Attorney General seventh in the line of presidential succession and the FBI Director are required to have special protective services and secure communications while in flight. The presence of top-level government executives and their security details on regular commercial aircraft would be disruptive and increase the potential risk to other passengers.However, DOJ officials told the GAO that until 2011, the FBI Director, unlike the Attorney General, was allowed the discretion to use commercial air service for his personal travel.The Attorney General and the FBI Director are required to reimburse the government for any travel m ade aboard government aircraft for personal or political reasons. Other agencies are allowed to designate required use travelers on a trip-by-trip basis. How Much Does It Cost Taxpayers? The GAOs investigation found that from fiscal years 2007 through 2011, three U.S. Attorneys General Alberto Gonzales, Michael Mukasey and Eric Holder - and FBI Director Robert Mueller made 95% (659 out of 697 flights) of all Department of Justice nonmission-related flights aboard government aircraft at a total cost of $11.4 million.Specifically, notes the GAO, the AG and FBI Director collectively took 74 percent (490 out of 659) of all of their flights for business purposes, such as conferences, meetings, and field office visits; 24 percent (158 out of 659) for personal reasons; and 2 percent (11 out of 659) for a combination of business and personal reasons.According to the DOJ and FBI data reviewed by the GAO, the Attorneys General and the FBI Director fully reimbursed the government for flights made on government aircraft for personal reasons.Of the $11.4 million spent from 2007 through 2011, for flights taken by the Attorneys General and FBI Director, $1.5 million was spent to r elocate the aircraft they used from a secret location to Ronald Reagan National Airport and back. The FBI also uses the unmarked, covert airport to initiate sensitive operations.Except for travel by the Attorney General and the FBI Director, GSA regulations provide that taxpayers should pay no more than necessary for transportation and that travel on government aircraft may be authorized only when a government aircraft is the most cost effective mode of travel, noted the GAO. In general, the agencies are required to book air travel on more cost-effective commercial airlines whenever possible.In addition, the federal agencies are not allowed to consider personal preference or convenience when considering alternative modes of travel. The regulations allow the agencies to use government aircraft for non-mission purposes only when no commercial airline can fulfill the agencys scheduling demands, or when the actual cost of using a government aircraft is the same as or less than the cost of flying on a commercial airline. How Many Airplanes do the Federal Agencies Own? In July 2016, the Government Accountability Office reported that 11 non-military executive branch federal agencies owned 924 aircraft, excluding those that are loaned, leased, or otherwise provided to other entities. The inventory of aircraft included: 495 fixed-wing airplanes,414 helicopters,14 unmanned aircraft systems (drones), and1 glider. The Department of State owned the most aircraft (248), making it the federal government’s largest non-military aviation fleet. The combined 11 agencies reported spending approximately $661 million to use and maintain their owned aircraft in fiscal year 2015. Besides basic transportation, the aircraft are used for a variety of purposes, including law enforcement, scientific research, and firefighting.

Friday, February 21, 2020

Final Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final Research paper - Essay Example The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and the like. Eating disorder may affect both male and female (NIMH, 2011). The research, therefore, is about the factors influencing the eating disorders in both men and women in the society. Types of Disorders Eating disorders are common and treatable illnesses. They always go hand in hand with substance abuse, depression, or disorders of anxiety. If these symptoms of the eating disorders are not properly treated, they can pose a threat to life and, therefore, people with eating disorders need to seek medical attention or they are likely to die earlier than other individuals of the same age. There are different types such disorders: bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and anorexia nervosa. When people have anorexia nervosa, they think they are overweight when in truth they are clearly underweight. Weight control and eating food will always be an obsession. People with anorexia are alw ays seen weighing themselves frequently, measuring food carefully, and eating extremely small portions of food. People with this illness always engage in excessive exercising, inducing vomiting, and misuses of laxatives or enemas. People with anorexia nervosa are characterized by extreme thinness, intense fear of weight gain, distorted body image, low self-esteem, irregular menstruations (or lack of them) in young girls, and eating according to an extremely restricted diet. Anorexic individuals recover when treated properly. However, there are some who will always have relapses and some who have a chronic illness, so their health deteriorates overtime (NIMH, 2011). Bulimia nervosa is another example of eating disorder. An ill person regularly eats large quantities of food and is not able to control these episodes. The illness is often accompanied by such behaviors as self-induced vomiting, overeating, excessive use of laxatives, fasting, extreme exercises, or a combination of these behaviors. Bulimic individuals are usually healthy and have normal weight, but they desperately want to lose weight and are extremely unhappy about their body size and shape. They always perform these behaviors secretly, because they are shameful acts accompanied by feelings of disgust. The binge-eating has the following characteristics: sore throat that is inflamed, salivary glands that are swollen in the jaw area and neck, sensitive teeth that are decaying due to exposure to stomach acid, gastrointestinal problems, severe dehydration due to purging fluids, and electrolyte imbalance that may lead to a heart attack. The binge eating always occurs from several times a day to many times a week (NIMH, 2011). The final example of an eating disorder is the binge-eating disorder. An ill person is not able to control his or her eating habits. A person with the binge-eating disorder is often overweight or obese. Such a person is at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular problems and hig h blood pressure problems. This may result to a heart attack. These people always feel guilt, shame, and stress about their habits, which results in more binge-eating (NIMH, 2011). Risk Factors of Eating Disorders There are many factors that contribute to the development of eating disorders. They are sex, age, ethnic factors, socioeconomic factors, personality disorders and even emotional disorders. Weight, body image disorders and eve

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Strategic Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

Strategic Marketing - Essay Example In the race to capture the lead in India for the most popular sportswear, Reebok has created the strongest showing in the market using their popularity to create new avenues of profit. Critically evaluate the strategic role of a sportswear manufacturer marketing function in achieving competitive advantage for the organisation. Support your answer with examples from the Reebok vs Nike case study. Nike and Reebok have entered into the sportswear manufacturing market through creating strong, identifiable brands that promote more than just the goods that they sell. Through powerful branding and globalization of their brand, they have made a mark on the industry as representative of lifestyles that include health and athletics. While both brands are distinctive, the Nike name and the iconic swoosh has outdistanced its competitors in recognizability. Through branding that creates attractive lifestyles, both brands have made their mark in the sportswear manufacturing industry. Nike’s most powerful advertising weapon is its brand. The Nike swoosh is a powerful pop culture icon. Slaughter and Rhodes suggest that â€Å"the effect of contemporary branding strategies is to push the ’host’ or sponsored culture into the background so that the brand emerges as the ’star’ (Slaughter and Rhoades, 2004, p. 261). In order to support the brand, the swoosh is on every piece of product that is put out into the market. The founder of Nike, Phil Knight, suggested that it wasn’t the mission of Nike to sell shoes, but to make peoples lives better through sports and fitness. The image became so powerful that by the decade of the 90‘s the name of the company was no longer needed in order to create recognition (Slaughter and Rhoades, 2004, p. 261). Nike has had some problems with proven claims of human rights violations in the factories that are subcontracted to produce their product. At the height of this, the Nike company decided to get ri d of the swoosh in order to allay the associations that the public was making to their problems in social responsibility issues. However, as Le Pla (2002) suggests â€Å"Changing an image in response to criticism makes sense. Dropping or reducing the visibility of a highly successful association does not† (p. 49). The brand icon has such a high recognition rate that it is foolish to abandon the brand icon, but to repair the image of the brand so that the associations are sanitized. In conjunction with their high visibility in branding, phrases have been associated with Nike in promoting their belief that every person is an athlete, therefore every person has the potential to be a consumer of their goods. A simple, yet powerful message was erected within the Nike mythology when the â€Å"Just Do It† campaign created a concept of the power of the athlete within everyone. The phrase suggested that no excuses would be allowed, that all goals should be achieved. The stateme nt had the power of a command, bringing an association of power to the athletic wear. The advertising premise, according to Nike, was â€Å" If you have a body, you are an athlete† (Nikeid 2011). The target audience for the Nike marketing concept is everyone without regard to age, health level, body shape, or sex. The original market was geared towards young athletes, but in this age the marketing has been

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Freezing Point Depression Osmometer

Freezing Point Depression Osmometer 1. Osmolality is a commonly used unit of measurement that represents the concentration of a solution as the total number of solutes per kilogram of pure solvent (mOsm/kg): where Ø is the osmotic coefficient accounting for the degree of molecular dissociation; n is the number of particles left after the molecule dissociates in solvent, where n = 1 for non-electrolytes; and C is the molal concentration of the solution (moles/kg of water). As a variant of molality, only osmotically active particles that affect a solutions osmotic pressure are considered. It is the number, rather than the size of type, of these solutes that controls the osmotic pull of a solution. Specifically, the presence of solute particles dilutes the solvent and restricts it to remain as a liquid as it is entropically favorable. Fittingly, the freezing point depresses proportionally with the increase in solute concentration since the temperature continues to drop instead of reaching a plateau during the process of crystallization as more pure solvent becomes separated from solution leaving behind a smaller mass of liquid with higher solute concentration. Accordingly, the concentra tion of a solution can be determined by its relationship with this colligative property; thus, osmolality is really a measure of the chemical ac of water in an aqueous solution of dissolved particles. Overall, this term-independent of temperature and pressure-is used in medical laboratories (as opposed to osmolarity (mOsm/L) for bedside calculations) to describe the osmotic strength of bodily fluids as it can be easily attained by freezing point osmometry. A freezing point depression osmometer quantifies the amount of osmotically important body fluid chemicals dissolved in blood serum by the relationship that 1 mole of particles decreases the freezing point of 1 kg of water by 1.86à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C. This device is calibrated using standards within the osmolal range of interest (250-350 mOsm/kg for blood serum). Applied on a paper slide, the sample is inserted into an insulated-cooling module of circulating ethylene glycol and water refrigerants that chill the solution below its freezing point. An operating head then slides down on the sample container, immersing a thermistor temperature probe and stirring wire. Once the solvent molecules have aggregated and been supercooled, the stirring is set to vibrate more rapidly and aggressively to seed the solution with crystals, partially freezing it into a slush. During this liquid-to-solid phase transition, thermal energy is released into the solution as heat of fusion and proceeds until a tem perature plateau that is slightly below the true freezing point is reached. The thermistor responds to this temperature change by altering its electrical resistance, thereby creating small variations in current sensed by a galvanometer, which also detects the direction of current flow in the Wheatstone bridge that subsequently measures the unknown resistance. Lastly, a balancing potentiometer adjusts this resistance until the galvanometer returns to its null position of zero current, sequentially displaying the osmolality that is calculated by the following formula: where kf is the cryoscopic constant (1.86 Kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ ¦kg/mol) and ΆT is the temperature change. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic endocrine disease characterized by abnormally high serum glucose (>360 mOsm/kg). In a study conducted by Siervo et al., they measured blood serum osmolality levels in diabetic and non-diabetic older adults as an indicator of their hydration status, which is correlated to this disease. By using the Bland-Altman method to compare to a measured reference standard (via an osmometer), a successful serum osmolarity prediction formula-based on freezing point depression-was used to assess osmotically important chemicals in the control and study group: Calculated Osmolarity = 1.86 ÃÆ'- (Na+ + K+) + 1.15 ÃÆ'- glucose + urea +14 (mmol/L) (eq.3) With 79% sensitivity and 89% specificity, this equation serves as a first-stage screening method for diabetes diagnosis. Individuals with diabetes mellitus was shown to have higher serum osmolality levels (> 300 mOsm/kg) and glucose levels characteristic of their dehydration state. 2. Fluorescence anisotropy describes the phenomenon that occurs when a fluorophore that has been excited with linearly polarized light emits fluorescence with unequal intensities along different polarization axes as its absorption and emission transition moments lie along specific directions within its structure. The degree of this linear polarisation in its emission-resulting from photoselection of an optically isotropic sample-is described by its steady-state anisotropy: where I|| and Ià ¢Ã…  Ã‚ ¥ are relative intensities detected for emission that is parallel and perpendicular to the electric vector of linearly polarized incident light, respectively (where a non-zero reveals a polarized emission). The denominator represents total fluorescence intensity (I) as it incorporates the three mutually orthogonal emission components, including the second perpendicular emission plane that sets anisotropy apart from polarization. By timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ resolved measurements, this quantifies depolarisation of fluorescence emission mainly caused by an energy transfer to another molecule of a different orientation or rotation (due to Brownian motion). Subsequently, enzyme-substrate binding constants and reaction kinetics can be studied since the rotational correlation time of a molecule would change, which is related to anisotropy by a Perrin equation thus allowing for determination of its molecular size and mobility: (eq. 2) where ro is fundamental anisotropy of the fluorophore; à Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ is the fluorescence lifetime; and ÃŽÂ ¸ is the rotational correlation time. The purpose of the study conducted by Schrell et al. was to develop a microfluidic biochemical test that can monitor insulin secretion dynamics upon glucose stimulation of single islets via interactions between insulin and its antibody. They were inspired by the fact that assays available today involves difficult separation systems that pose a challenge to non-specialized laboratories. This device can examine mechanisms behind abnormal secretions of metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus in real-time. Islets of Langerhans were isolated from male mice and incubated in RPMI-1640 media. A singlet islet was housed in a microfluidic chamber and stimulated with various levels of glucose from a gravity-based perfusion system. These channels have inputs for low and high glucose concentrations. Flowing from a top-to-bottom direction, most of t he mixed perfusion solution is sent to waste through a shunt channel while a portion of it is directed to a sealed islet chamber. The total perfusate containing the islet secretions then combines with solutions of high affinity insulin antibodies (Ab) and Cy5-labeled insulin* as it passes the assay mixing channel where both insulin and insulin* competitively bind to Ab. Since insulin* has a smaller rotational time compared to the Ab-insulin* complex, its emission is more depolarized and by measuring the bound/free ratio of the Ab-insulin* complex and free insulin*-via capillary or microfluidic electrophoresis-insight on insulin secretion dynamics can be gained as it is indirectly proportional to the amount of insulin in the sample. With a laser-induced fluorescence detection system, linearly polarized light from a 635-nm laser passes through a linear polarizer and reaches a dichroic mirror that focuses the beam towards the microfluidic channel (to excite the immunoassay mixture) vi a a microscope which also collects the fluorescence light emitted from the sample. It then travels back to the dichroic mirror and through an emission and 635-nm notch filter for removal of stray incident light. Next, a cube-shaped polarizing beam splitter splits the emission into parallel (Ià ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ¥) and perpendicular (Ià ¢Ã…  Ã‚ ¥) component intensities to individual linear polarizers before detection by PMTs. The fluorescein-PMT signals are converted to anisotropy via eq. 1 and by using its online fluorescence anisotropy immunoassay calibration curve, insulin concentration (thus its online secretion dynamics) can be determined. 3. Created primarily by plasma cells, antibodies (or immunoglobulins) are large Y-shaped proteins recruited by the immune system to neutralize foreign agents via a precise lock-key binding mechanism. They attach to the epitope of antigens using the paratope of its fragment antigen-binding (Fab) region with high specificity. Although widely established and characterized in proteomics, antibodies have limited target potential since their targets must elicit a strong immune response for these proteins to be produced. Recently, the revolutionary development of a simple, controlled, and scalable in-vitro technique called systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) has allowed for the isolation and identification of aptamers which were evolved from random oligonucleotide pools. Unlike their protein counterparts, these small oligonucleotide or peptide ligands can fold into unique 3D structures than can bind to many classes of target biomolecules due their wide range i n molecular recognition. Therefore, these high-affinity ligands have the benefit of unlimited diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Aptamers can now supplement monoclonal antibodies in pharmaceutical research since they have greater advantages in their stability, in-vitro capability, size, immunogenicity, target potential, production, and ability to be modified. First, the temperature resistance of aptamers prevents denaturation and loss of structure, providing them stability at room temperature. Antibodies, contrastingly, require refrigeration as proteins denature easily, degrade over time, and have a shorter shelf life. Though, proteins have the benefit of not being affected by nuclease enzymes found in the body, which specifically cleave nucleic acid bonds. Second, aptamers are made in-vitro via SELEX; this selection means that they can be manipulated to adapt to any conditions. For antibodies, the adaptability of proteins made in-vivo are restricted to the environment of the host animal as their distribution requires the stimulation of an immune response in that live organism. Third, these smaller-sized aptam ers enable them to interact with targets that may be inaccessible to the larger proteins like cell surface targets and fragments. Also, despite their improved bioavailability, they have a shortened half-life due to susceptibility to kidney filtration. Fourth, the immunogenicity of aptamers protects them from recognition by the immune system and a subsequent negative immune response. Conversely, antibodies are frequently tagged as foreign substances which, with higher dosing, increases their chances of eliciting an immune response. Fourth, with unlimited target potential, aptamers have a greater selection of targets compared to antibodies since their targets are independent of the immune system. Fifth, aptamer synthesis does not require the large-scale production of many different colonies in cell cultures that antibodies depend on which is costly, subjected to viral or bacterial contamination, and may cause variation per batch created. Lastly, aptamers can readily adopt conjugation chemistries such as dye or functional group attachments without it being stochastic, negatively affecting activity, or leading to product mixtures hence any shortcomings such serum degradation, variable pharmacokinetic and systemic properties, can be combated with additional modifications. The SELEX process is an useful technique that can decipher a proteins binding site on ss-DNA/RNA or peptides. This enrichment protocol requires the following steps: (1) define the target molecule; (2) form a large combinatorial double-stranded oligonucleotide library of DNA/RNA ligands with primer binding sites at its ends and wobble bases in the middle for potential PCR amplification; (3) expose this pool of oligonucleotides to the target molecule; (4) partition and isolate the successful binding aptamers that have been selected by the target molecule from the non-binding ones then amplify and subject them to additional selection cycles for further enchainment; (5) from the remaining small amount of high affinity binding molecules: isolate and sequence the individual aptamers, then refine them with altered nucleoside triphosphates like 2-fluoro-dCTP to increase stability against endonuclease degradation by becoming unrecognized. 4. Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy is a high axial-resolution imaging technique used to visualize a thin region of live specimen cells that have been incorporated with fluorescent molecules. Supported on a glass slide, this microscope optically sections the cell-substrate interface and emphasizes near membrane molecular events that are within ~100nm of the sample-coverslip contact region. Accordingly, single molecule fluorescence can be detected for fluorophores situated near adherent cell surfaces as they are being selectively irradiated, thereby minimizing excitation of fluorophores outside this focal plane and increasing the signal-to-noise ratio. This removes any out-of-focus intracellular fluorescence and reduces cellular photodamage, allowing for high-contrast and spatial resolution image production. With these advances, the biochemical kinetics and spatial-temporal dynamics of single biomolecules that are associated exclusively with process occurring at or ne ar the plasma membrane can now be studied. Depending on the incidence angle and refractive index differences of the two media, the collimated light beam can be reflected at the interface or refracted as it enters the second medium limiting most of the light to the higher-index medium. In TIRFM, total internal reflection occurs as the laser excitation on the glass microscope slide (n = 1.518) propagates the light wave towards an interface of a lower-index, aqueous medium (n = 1.33-1.37) at an incident angle greater than the critical angle. The critical angle can be calculated by Snells Law: (eq.1) where n(1) is the higher refractive index; n(2) is the lower refractive index; sin(ÃŽÂ ¸c) is the critical incident angle relative to the normal of the interface; and sin(90à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °) is the corresponding refracted angle. When the beam completely reflects into the microscope slide, a highly restricted electromagnetic field is induced in the specimen medium, immediately adjacent and perpendicular to the interface. With the same frequency as the incident light, this evanescent field extends a few hundred nanometers into the specimen. Since its intensity decays exponentially with distance, it can selectively excite fluorophores near the glass surface given that the energies of their electronic transitions match the wavelength bandwidth of the beam relative to its resonance conditions: (eq.2) where E(z) is the energy at a perpendicular distance z from the interface; E(0) is the energy at the interface; (d) is the penetration depth. The secondary fluorescence emission of the fluorophores is confined to a thin region and detected by microscope optics by the prism or objective lens method. Bowser and Khakh conducted a study to decipher the mechanisms behind astrocyte transmitter release during exocytosis by using TIRFM to image individual SpH-laden vesicles and discovered that these events were either evoked or occurred spontaneously. They used mixed hippocampal neuron-astrocyte cultures that were transfected with synaptopHluorin cDNA because this genetically encoded fluorescent SpH reporter allowed visualization of exocytosis at the single-vesicle level by exploiting changes in pH. With the objective lens adjusted to a high numerical aperture, total internal reflection was attained with a coherent laser source and the subsequent evanescent field event excited SpHs near the coverslip-sample interface. These SpH events appeared as spontaneous increases in fluorescence intensity as the loaded vesicles became brighter when they entered the evanescent field. Eventually, as the vesicles fused with the plasma membrane, the signal rapidly decreased as the fluorescently label ed contents diffused out of the cell. In agreement with the hypothesis, ionomycin (a calcium ionophore) increased its frequency during this event, which proves that these SpH events are representative of exocytosis. For further support, the investigators compared this control group with a negative control cells transfected with plasmids encoding for the light chain of botulinum toxin E. As expected, no SpH events were seen since this neurotoxin specifically cleaves proteins involved in synaptic vesicle exocytosis. 5. Gel electrophoresis is a laboratory method that uses an electric field to push a mixture of charged molecules-macromolecules or nanoparticles-through a porous (agarose or polyacrylamide) gel which serves as a separation medium. Unlike oligonucleotides, proteins and their fragments are not only separated and analyzed based on differences in size, but mostly by the magnitude of their charge. Generally, nucleic acids are sorted and visualized using agarose gel electrophoresis after being dispensed into the wells-by an operator-made during the casting of the gel. It takes advantage of DNA being negatively charged at neutral pH in the presence of ionic solutions like TAE or TBE due to its sugar-phosphate backbone. Connected to a power source, the gel is placed in an electrophoresis chamber. When an electric current is applied, they migrate from the cathode to the positively charged anode across the agarose matrix. The buffer solution serves to maintain the pH and salt concentration and contains 0.5-2.0% w/v of added agarose to successfully form a porous lattice to retard molecular motions by a sieving mechanism. Hence, shorter substrates travel faster and farther than longer ones as they can easily move through the pores, creating distinct bands based on their differential rates of migration. The gel can then be visualised with a U.V. trans-illuminator after staining the DNA with ethidium bromide. Contrarywise, capillary electrophoresis uses a fused-silica capillary tube that is filled with a polymer solution (such as hydroxyethylcellulose) instead of the traditional physical gel. It is essentially electrophoresis being conducted in a capillary tube, which also accomplishes size separation by inserting positive and negative platinum electrodes at its two ends, application of DC current and high voltage with a power supply, using buffer reservoirs for the mobile phase, and employing an on-column detector. However, the DNA samples are loaded differently by electrok inetically injecting them into the separation medium at inlet end. A positive charge is created at the outlet of the capillary to attract these negatively charged DNA via suction, which will then travel to the detector to produce a signal used to create an electropherogram. This method is the most efficient modern separation technique due to its shorter loading time and higher-resolution results, which is governed by the Van-Deemter formula where a smaller plate height indicates a higher efficiency of separation. The velocity of solute transport down the capillary tube is governed by the following equation: (eq. 2) where Veo is the electroosmotic velocity; Ve is the electrophoretic velocity; and Vtotal is the apparent ionic velocity. Specifically, the electroosmotic flow of the solution describes the nature of fluid movement and occurs due to the charge distribution at the silica/capillary interface. The negatively charged, surface bound silanol groups of the fused silica (~pKa 4) contains tightly adsorbed cations above it is the net positively charged-diffuse part of the double layer that is rich in cations. Beyond this, the bulk solution is electrically neutral. In other words, an electric double layer forms at the capillary wall. Under an electric field, the excessive solvated cations pull the water molecules during migration from the anode (inlet) towards the cathode (outlet) of the capillary, where the detector is located. This net movement of the solution front is described by the following formula: (eq. 3) where Veo is the electroosmotic velocity; ÃŽÂ ¼eo isthe electroosmotic mobility; and E is the electric field strength. Moreover, the electrophoretic mobility of the solute is based on the movement of a charged molecule under an electric field, which is proportional to its charge/solute size (q/r) ratio: (eq. 4) where Veo is the electrophoretic velocity; ÃŽÂ ¼eo isthe electrophoretic mobility; and E is the electric field strength. In the presence of electroosmotic flow, the magnitude of velocity for positive ions is greater than negative ions since they are naturally inclined to travel in the direction of the cathode rather than in reverse. References Question 1: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/100/3/867.short http://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/345770 http://panza.uchicago.edu/Phys.261/materials/Osmometer/ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1476-4431.2008.00311.x/pdf http://www.geminibv.nl/labware/advanced-instruments-inc.-3300-micro-osmometer/advance-micro-osmometer-3300-users-guide.pdf/view https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3886624/ http://www.openisbn.com/preview/0471285722/%20 http://www.iupui.edu/~cletcrse/380/ch3suppos.htm https://books.google.ca/books?id=z9SzvsSCHv4Cpg=PA57lpg=PA57dq=osmometer+instrumentationsource=blots=JphQsqNWnFsig=UJ3t-Ax6d3kHyQEjdA40I5S8wx8hl=ensa=Xved=0ahUKEwjDyYqH7ZXSAhUb0IMKHSScAgcQ6AEIRjAH#v=onepageq=osmometer%20instrumentationf=false https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/physical-sciences-practice/physical-sciences-practice-tut/e/-using-a-freezing-point-depression-osmometer-to-measure-serum-osmolality Question 2 http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2017/ay/c6ay02899c https://www.iupac.org/publications/pac/pdf/2013/pdf/85030589.pdf http://www.horiba.com/fileadmin/uploads/Scientific/Documents/Fluorescence/Tech_Note2_-_Anisotropy.pdf http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-0-387-46312-4_10 https://www.picoquant.com/applications/category/life-science/fluorescence-anisotropy-polarization http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~traceslab/FLD_Anisotropy.pdf Question 3 http://aptamerstbc2013.wixsite.com/aptamers/vs-monoclonal-antibodies http://www.nature.com/nrd/journal/v9/n7/box/nrd3141_BX1.html https://www.researchgate.net/post/Why_is_the_monoclonal_antibody_used_more_than_the_aptamer http://www.basepairbio.com/research-and-publications/aptamer-applications/aptamers-antibodies/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17627883 https://www.google.ca/search?safe=strictespv=2q=advantages+of+antibodies+verus+apatmersoq=advantages+of+antibodies+verus+apatmersgs_l=serp.3..30i10k1.10392.13224.0.13547.15.15.0.0.0.0.155.1255.8j5.13.0.01c.1.64.serp..2.9.9150i22i30k1j33i160k1j33i21k1.QfKckWwb9sI http://www.nature.com/nprot/journal/v5/n6/full/nprot.2010.66.html https://www.trilinkbiotech.com/tech/selex.asp https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21720957 Question 4 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091679X08006079 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11733042 http://www.olympusmicro.com/primer/techniques/fluorescence/tirf/tirfhome.html http://jcs.biologists.org/content/123/21/3621.short https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2964103/ http://www.pnas.org/content/104/10/4212.full https://www.microscopyu.com/techniques/fluorescence/total-internal-reflection-fluorescence-tirf-microscopy http://www.nature.com/nprot/journal/v1/n6/full/nprot.2006.449.html Question 5 http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/emfpu/genetics/explained/electrophoresis https://www2.chemistry.msu.edu/courses