Pesticide Essays - Pesticides, Environmental Health, Biocides

Pesticide Pesticides are chemicals that make our produce perfect, and our yards free of pests. However, this perfection comes at a price to many different people. Pesticides are poisons with the sole purpose of killing. They are intended to kill weeds, insects and fungus. There are three types of pesticides called herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. Every pesticide has an active ingredient, and an inert ingredient. The active ingredient is the poison that kills he pest, and the inert ingredient is the carrying, or spreading compound. (Honey pg. 2) Pesticides were once thought of as a miracle cure for hunger. They were supposed to keep crops free of pests, and misquitos under control. People were not aware of the dangers that these poisons possessed. DDT* was supposed to be a, "benefactor for all humanity" (Honey pg. 2). There were few regulations on the use of DDT use. It was even sprayed where children played. It was intended to kill misquitos, but it ended up poisoning, even killing people. (Honey pg.2) Elizabeth Rollings says that one of her teachers, Mrs. Keller, had a sister that died from DDT poisoning when Mrs. Keller was a child. People came to her house that sprayed the bushes with DDT to control misquitos, and when Mrs. Keller and her sister played near the bushes they were exposed to the deadly poison. Now a days the U.S. has seen the dangers that pesticides possess and banned many kinds from use in this country. However, the U.S. has yet to ban them from being made here and exported to foreign countries. In fact, 25 tons are exported every hour. (Honey pg. 1) There are three main problems with this: the regulations are very low in the places the U.S. exports to, many of the people in those places are unaware of the dangers, and the pesticides can return on the produce that the U.S. imports. A specific example of how unaware the people are is an incident in Costa Rica. The field workers in a sugar plantation were not told of the dangers of the pesticides that they applied, and they were not given any protective clothing. Many of them went shirtless, and in tennis shoes with no socks. They had used this pesticide for several days when many began to complain of headache and nausea; some began to vomit blood. One man died, but fortunately the problem was discovered in time to treat the rest of the workers before they died. Another of the problems that arise from pesticide exportation is getting it back in the produce we import from these countries. One third of the poison banned in the U.S. returns in what is being called the circle of poison, which is when pesticides that are exported and used on produce that return on the produce, back to the people it was being meant to keep away from. (Scanlan pg.1) To avoid this, many people are shopping at health food stores where pesticides have not been used on the food. There is a basic progression that occurs when the body is poisoned by a pesticide. First there is a biochemical inactivation of an enzyme. Next this biochemical change leads to cellular change. Then the cellular change causes symptoms of poisoning seen or felt in the particular organ where the enzyme that was deactivated was. All this changes a body's homeostasis*, and when homeostasis can not be maintained or restored, disease occurs. Most effects aren't permanent, but may take a long time to completely recover from. However, some do cause permanent damage. The damage of pesticide poisoning varies. It can effect just one particular organ system, or it can effect a number of organ systems.( GTI. Manifestations of Toxic Effects. pg 1) Another problem that pesticide poisoning possess is detection. A history of being exposed to chemicals can cause illness that can be hard to distinguish from a viral infection, such as the flu. One might go to long without treatment thinking they have a virus that they will eventually overcome, when in reality they have been poisoned by pesticides, which can lead to worse and worse damage over time. "People who handle chemicals frequently in the course of their jobs and become ill, should tell their physicians about their previous exposure to chemicals." (GTI Manifestations of Toxic Effects) The statistics of harm from pesticides are numerous. "Each year 25 million people, primarily from the Southern Hemisphere, are poisoned through occupational exposure to pesticides; of those 220,000 die." Pesticides have been linked to cancer in many

Causes, Effects, Risks, and the Future of Global Warming

Causes, Effects, Risks, and the Future of Global Warming Scientists have determined that a number of human activities are contributing to global warming by adding excessive amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide accumulate in the atmosphere and trap heat that normally would exit into outer space. Greenhouse Gases and Global Climate Change While many greenhouse gases occur naturally and are needed to create the greenhouse effect that keeps the Earth warm enough to support life, human use of fossil fuels is the main source of excess greenhouse gases. By driving cars, using electricity from coal-fired power plants, or heating our homes with oil or natural gas, we release carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. Deforestation is another significant source of greenhouse gases, as exposed soils release carbon dioxide, and fewer trees mean  less carbon dioxide conversion to oxygen. The production of cement involves a chemical reaction responsible for a surprisingly large amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere every year. During the 150 years of the industrial age, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased by 31 percent. Over the same period, the level of atmospheric methane, another important greenhouse gas, has risen by 151 percent, mostly from agricultural activities such as raising cattle and growing rice. Methane leaks at natural gas wells are another major contributor to climate change. There are steps we can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our life, encourage carbon emission reduction programs, methane emission reduction laws, and we can support global climate change mitigation projects. Can Natural Sun Cycles Explain Global Climate Change? In short, no. There are variations in the amount of energy we receive from the sun due to factors like orbital patterns and sunspots, but none which can explain the current warming, according to the IPCC. Direct Effects of Global Climate Change Many of the effects of climate change can be tied directly to some very important changes in our atmosphere Because of important gas and heat transfers between the atmosphere and sea water, a suite of: changes in the oceans ave been observedThe frozen parts of the Earth are especially vulnerable to climate change. The latest IPCC report explained the impacts on the worlds polar ice caps, glaciers, and permafrost The Consequences of Global Warming The increase in trapped heat changes the climate and alters weather patterns, which may change the timing of seasonal natural events, and the  frequency of extreme weather events. Polar ice is vanishing, and  sea levels are rising, causing coastal flooding. Climate change leads to  food security, and even national security, concerns. Agricultural practices have been affected, including the production of maple syrup. There are also health consequences to climate change. Warmer winters allow for range expansions of white-tailed deer and deer ticks, increasing the incidence of Lyme disease. Edited by Frederic Beaudry

Automated Diabetic Retinopathy Detection System

Automated Diabetic Retinopathy Detection System ABSTRACT DETECTION OF EXUDATES USING GUI Automated diabetic retinopathy detection system is an essential requirement due to developing diabetic retinopathy patients around the globe. The primary intention of the research is to detect exudates in digital fundus image for diabetic retinopathy. In this particular study, we provide an efficient method for identifying and classifying the exudates as soft exudates and hard exudates. Apart from these, this study compares three methods namely Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization, Histogram Equalization and Mahalanobis Distance for enhancing a digital fundus image to detect and choose the best one to classify exudates in Retinal images by adopting graphical user interface with the help of MATLAB. From the findings of the study, in the image enhancement application of blood vessels, Mahalanobis distance is recognized as the best algorithm. It was evident from the analysis that the monitoring and detecting exudates in the f undus of the eye are essential for diabetic patients. Moreover, it shows that hard and soft exudates are a primary tool of diabetic retinopathy that can be quantified automatically. In addition to these, it appears that drawbacks must be resolved to predict an appropriate detection method for exudates in digital fundus images. From the findings, it was evident that suitable algorithm has to be selected and verified on several images which provide likely and excellent outcomes. LIST OF TABLES Comparison of Histogram Equalization (HE), Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) and Mahalanobis Distance(MD)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦14 LIST OF FIGURE Image before enhancement Histogram before enhancement Image after histogram equalization Histogram after HE Image after CLAHE Histogram after CLAHE Image after Mahalanobis distance enhancement Histogram after Mahalanobis distance enhancement Flow chart of the method CIELab color space Input image K- means clustered image Morphological image Dilated image Eroded image Optic disc detection Exudates image   Hard and soft exudates Input DFI   Enhancement methods of DFI Step-1 of exudate detection Step-2 by giving input image Step-3 enhancing input image Step-4 exudates image of abnormal eye Normal eye output displaying no exudates LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AHE Adaptive Histogram Equalization CIE Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage CLAHE Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization CMYK Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key DRD iabetic Retinopathy DFI Digital Fundus Image HE Histogram Equalization MD Mahalanobis Distance MM Mathematical Morphology RGB Red, Green, Blue RRGS Recursive Region Growing Segmentation Chapter 1 Introduction Research Background: Diabetic retinopathy is a common disease nowadays that can prevail in anyone having type 1 or type-2 diabetes. The opportunity of being influenced by this d isease relies on the time duration of a person having diabetes. Long-term diabetes leads to greater blood sugar level that causes harm by changing the flow of blood in retinal blood vessels. It is similar that in the previous stage DR shows no symptoms and hence without facing medical investigation it is not feasible to predict the existence of the disease. Exudative retinopathy is a condition referred by the occurrence of yellow or white mass that exists due to leakage of proteins and fats along with water from vessels of blood in the retina. It is important to predict the exudates occurrence in fundus oculi because the collection of these exudates may lead to complete loss of vision (Manpreetkaur, 2015). Walter et al. (2001) has mentioned that the disease of DR evolved exudates in eye fundus. The physicians regard exudates as one of the primary indicators of DR severity. Exudates are yellow spot resided in fundus. This disease of diabetes causes leakage of fluid from vessels of bl ood. For a long time, uncontrolled diabetes may evolve as exudates in eye fundus. The exudates initiate to develop in little number and size. If the diabetes is not monitored or controlled for a long time the number and size of exudates will grow. The exudates growth in eye fundus may cause blindness. Tasman and Jaeger (2001) have stated that exudates seem as bright deposits of yellow-white on the retina due to lipid leakage from abnormal vessels. Their size and shape differ with various stages of retinopathy. These lesions are related to many diseases of retinal vascular involving DME (diabetic macular edema), DR (diabetic retinopathy), retinal venous obstruction, hypertensive retinopathy, radiation retinopathy and retinal arterial microaneurysms, capillary hemangioma of retina and disease of the coat. Welfera et al. (2010) have stated that exudation is a hazardous case because it can lead to a loss of vision when existing in the central macular area. Thus such lesions must be pred icted, and appropriate medical intervention must be acquired to avoid damages to visual acuity of the patient. Automatic exudates detection in DR patients’ retinas could enhance early prediction of DR and could support doctors track the treatment progress over time. Thus it can be inferred that exudates detection by computer could provide a precise and rapid diagnosis to specialist examination and support the clinician to acquire timely decision to take proper treatment. Problem Statement: Diabetes is a rapidly developing common disease among people globally which causes various organs dysfunction. Diabetic retinopathy is the primary blindness cause in adults. Sometimes, due to long-term diabetes, the retinal blood vessels are harmed, this eye disease is known as diabetic retinopathy. It is essential to automatically predict the lesions of diabetic retinopathy at an early stage to hinder further loss of vision. Exudates are significant diabetic retinopathy symptoms. Exu dates are bright lesions that are an important sign of this disease. It is the major signs of DR a major vision loss cause in diabetic patients. Primary concern of the research Aim: The primary goal of the study is to analyze an automated way for exudates in eyes. Objectives: To examine the causes of exudates in diabetic retinopathy patients. To analyze the types of exudates used in digital fund images. To evaluate the different enhancement methods used to predict the exudates in fundus images. To determine the drawbacks of enhancement methods of exudates in digital fundus images. To propose a promising algorithm to detect the exudates in digital fundus images. Limitations of the study: This study is limited to diabetic retinopathy patients. This study is restricted to exudates detection only. This study evaluates an automated way for exudates in eyes. The structure of the thesis This argument is made up of the following five chapters: Chapter 1: This is the introduction section that gives the necessary research background andconcepts related to the research. Chapter 2 : This chapter is the review of literature that analyzes several existing worksrelated to finding an automated way for exudates in eyes. Chapter 3: This chapter describes the design of the system that explains in detailabout the enhancement methods applied in digital fundus image for detection of diabetic retinopathy. Chapter 4: This chapter discusses the implementation plan of digital fundus images and compares different researches done by authors and depicts the results of the proposed system. Chapter 5: This is the conclusion section that gives the outcome of the research byanswering the research questions and recommendations for future improvement. In addition to that, this thesis has bibliography containing the sources used in collecting secondary data in the study and an appendix that has tools like questionnaires are utili zed in the gathering primary data for the research. Chapter-2 Literature Review Introduction : This chapter provides an overview on the detection of exudates in digital fundus image for diabetic retinopathy. This chapter discusses in detail about the digital fundus image. In addition to these, this chapter discusses in detail about the classification of exudates in retinal images. Apart from these, this study provides the comparison of Histogram equalization (HE), contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) and Mahalanobis distance (MD) methods to enhance the digital fundus image for detection. Literature on Digital fundus images The benefits of digital imaging are rate of access to information (images), quick and accurate duplication, chronicling and transmission, and prompt access to the outcomes. The imaging technique can be rehashed if the nature of the underlying result is deficient. Despite the fact that film-based images can be digitized (to registe r macular color thickness conveyance from two different wavelength-based pictures or to evaluate the status of the optic nerve), quick access to the images is unrealistic, as it is important to build up the film first. This deferral keeps the picture from checking the outcomes and in this manner redressing any issue in the procurement procedure, which can be efficiently accomplished in digital imaging at no extra cost. The digitization of fundus photos was tended to by (Cideciyan et al., 1991) who proposed a nonlinear rebuilding model fusing four parts: the eye, the fundus camera, the film and the scanner. Scholl et al. (2004) observed digitized images to be valuable for evaluating age-connected maculopathy and age-connected macular degeneration. Comparison Table 1: Comparison of Histogram Equalization (HE), Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) and Mahalanobis Distance (MD) Histogram equalization Contrast limited adaptive histogram equalizatio n Mahalanobis distance This technique is based on the specification of the histogram. CLAHE is considered as the necessary preprocessing step, and it has the tendency to generate the images for extracting the features of a pixel in the classification process. This method has carried out by identifying the pixels of the background images only by leaving the foreground images. HE is relatively straightforward technique and an invertible operator. Indiscrimination is one of the biggest disadvantages of this method. CLAHE is also denoted as the automatic and efficient method to detect the exudates effectively. The selective enhancement of MD has created the fewer artifacts for further processing than HE and CLAHE. HE has used the neighborhood-based approach on the pixels, and it has the tendency to operate based on the modification of histogram to obtain the new images efficiently. The technique of CLAHE has the capabilit y to provide the green channel image enhancement with high quality. This method can produce the similar curve to the Gaussian-shaped curve ideally. HE has uniformly distributed the output histogram by using the cumulated histogram like the mapping function. CLAHE has limited the process of amplification by clipping the histogram at the predefined value. MD algorithm has given better histogram result when compared to HE and CLAHE Research gap : This study examines about the detection of exudates in digital fundus image for diabetic retinopathy. The research gap predicted in this study is that there are many studies on the detection of exudates in digital fundus image for diabetic retinopathy. But no studies have clearly determined the successful approaches towards the detection of diabetic retinopathy in fundus images. Detection and classification of diabetic retinopathy pathologies in fundus images have been investigated by Agurto (2012). He s tudied the effects of image compression and degradation on an automatic diabetic retinopathy screening algorithm. In addition to these, the Agurto et al. (2012) investigated the detection of hard exudates and red lesions in the macula using the multi-scale approach. Walter et al. (2002) carried out an investigation to contribute the image processing to the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy. Authors also focused on automatic detection of diabetic retinopathy from eye fundus images (Manpreetkaur, 2015). There are also studies that are focused on coarse-to-fine strategy for automatically identifying exudates in color eye fundus images. Chapter-3 Research Design Introduction: This part examines the design of the study to determine an automated way for finding exudates in eyes. This study compares three methods namely CLAHE (Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization), Histogram Equalization (HE) and Mahalanobis Distance (MD) for enhancing a digital fundus image to detect and choose the best one to classify exudates in Retinal images by adopting graphical user interface in MATLAB. Research design: The reason of the study is to detect exudates in digital fundus image for diabetic retinopathy. In this particular study, we provide an efficient method for identifying and classifying the exudates as soft exudates and hard exudates. The retinal image seen in the CIELab space of the color is pre-processed for eliminating noise. Further, a network of blood vessels is removed for facilitating detection and removing the optic disc. At the same time, optic disc is removed using the technique of Hough transform. Candidate exudates are identified using the method of k-means clustering. At last, exudates are categorized as the soft and hard one by their threshold and edge energy. Developed method has yielded better outcomes. Histogram Equalization: Histogram equalization is a technique for adjusting image intensities to enhance contrast. HE is an operatio n that is based on histogram specification or modification to obtain new pictures. The objective of this contrast enhancement technique is to get a new enhanced image that has a uniform histogram that only plots the frequency at each gray-level from 0 (black) to 255 (white). Each histogram represents the frequency of occurrence of all gray-level in the image. Figure 1: Image before enhancement Figure 2: Histogram before equalization Figure 3: Image after histogram equalization Figure 4: Histogram after histogram equalization Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization: CLAHE is considered as a locally adaptive method for contrast enhancement. CLAHE is an enhanced version of adaptive HE (AHE) method. The technique AHE has a realistic restriction that homogenous part in the image leads to over-amplification of noise due to thin series of pixels are plotted to a whole range of visualization. In the meantime, it was noticed that contrast limited AHE (CLAHE) was designed for preventing this noise over-amplification in homogenous regions. CLAHE restricts the sound amplification in the image in such a way that image looks like very real. Figure 5: Image after CLAHE Figure 6: Histogram after CLAHE Mahalanobis Distance: Image enhancement using the Mahalanobis distance method is performed by identifying the background image pixels and eliminating them, leaving only the foreground image. It is based on the assumption that in image neighborhood N, the background pixels has significantly different intensity value than those of the foreground pixels. For each pixel (x, y) in the picture, the mean  µn (x, y) and the standard deviation à Ã†â€™n (x, y) of the statistical distribution of intensities in N are estimated. The sample means;  µn is used as the estimator for  µn (x, y) and the e sample standard deviation; à Ã†â€™ n is the estimator for à Ã†â€™n (x, y). If the intensity of pixel (x, y) is close to the mea n intensity in N, it is considered to belong to the background set ÃŽÂ ². As defined mathematically in Eq. 1, the expression implies that pixel (x, y) belongs to ÃŽÂ ² if the stated condition is satisfied. Those images would later be combined to evaluate the MD image, which can be segmented using the threshold t to identify the background pixels. Figure 7: Image after MD enhancement Figure 8: Histogram after MD enhancement Summary: This research compares three methods namely CLAHE, HE, MD to enhance a digital fundus image to detect and choose the best one to classify exudates in Retinal images by adopting graphical user interface in MATLAB. It was evident from the above findings that candidate exudates are identified using the technique of Mahalanobis Distance enhancement.

Strategic Analysis and Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Strategic Analysis and Decision Making - Essay Example Such an ideal model of decision making also presumes that the decision maker is aware of all possible alternatives and that he or she decides subsequent to examining them all. A modern approach recognizes that decisions are made in an automatic, instinctive fashion. Specifically, image theory claims that people will take on a course of action that best fits their individual principles, current goals, and plans for the future. The decisions made in organizations can be distinguished as programmed -- routine decisions made according to preexisting guidelines -- or non-programmed -- decisions requiring novel and ingenious solutions. Decisions also are different with respect to the amount of risk involved, ranging from those in which the decision outcomes are moderately certain to those in which outcomes are extremely uncertain. Uncertain situations are expressed as statements of prospect based on either objective or subjective information. For the rational decision maker, the question is "What is the best answer" Rational decision analysis provides a precise method for choosing among alternatives based on their estimated values. The rational model requires the overt specification of the probabilities associated with choices and chances, as well as quantified payoffs for outcomes. For instance, consider the stock option decision tree given in figure 1.1. Here, an investor is considering buying an option on a stock with a current price of $100. The option itself has a price OP. There is a 50% chance that the stock's price will raise to $110, and a 50% chance that the price will fall to $95: - Current Stock Price = $100 - Option Price = OP - With P = .5, S = $110 - With P=.5, S = $95 The investor has two alternatives: Do not purchase the option (choice I), or purchase the option (choice II). Given the above assumptions concerning probabilities and payoffs, rational decision theory gives an exact method for ranking the alternatives. We calculate the expected value of an alternative as the product of its possibility and its payoff value. For the stock option case, we arrive at the following expected values. EV (I) = P (A) * V (A) = 1.0 * 0 = 0 EV (II) = P (B) * V (B) + P(C) * V(C) - OP = .5 * 10 + .5 * 0 - OP = 5 - OP The rational choice is to purchase the option if Option Price, OP, $5.We note that this approach formalizes just one aspect of the decision task, that is, choosing among the alternatives. The pattern does not provide exact methods for identifying problems or alternatives, nor for estimating those alternatives. The rationalization that results from this process is always the same: The choice has the highest estimated value. The rational decision maker does not abandon the trouble even if all outcomes have negative expected values. In that case, the decision maker selects for the "best worst" case. The model does not address the matter of generating additional alternatives. Still, rational

Ethical Argument Choose a topic and argue the ethical side opposite of Essay

Ethical Argument Choose a topic and argue the ethical side opposite of the accepted norm - Essay Example Such could be the results of miscues especially of decisions, which are shadowed by the mists of pride and vested interests and the neglect of some ethical and moral guidelines. War had been a way of life for early civilizations. It was primarily the direct result of segmented societies where communities are tied by tribal concerns of control. The need for survival requires dominance within an area. To have a wider space means an assurance for more resources more security for living. The evolution of societies from early nomads until the present is marred by a lot of small and big wars. We have two major world wars and other big war yet to come, which doomsday seers predicted to cause an end to humanity. Therefore, whether we like it or not, war is an accepted norm. But trends in war have changed from the way it was fought in prehistoric and olden times. The rise of deep concern to human lives created awareness among the government leaders and ordinary persons alike the importance of preservation of life. War has become a form of arrogance and aggression. Wars fought today in the same cause, as thousand years ago is condemnable act. Today, war becomes a means of defense to suppress the interest of those who want to dominate a certain territory without respect for human rights. When the US led a campaign in Kuwait, it was meant to liberate a nation. When US challenge the North Koreans or other nations going into nuclear program, it was intended to warn them of the possible effects in future ambitions of arms development. Since the idea about war has shifted from barbaric acts of territorial grabbing to more of defensive acts the norm shifted to international recognition of human rights. Nations, great or small, share equal right and peoples of d ifferent races, colors, and territory show respect with one another. Many nations joined international organizations to recognize everyone's rights. The 21st century is the turning point of history and witness to the shift from the savage war of the past to humanistic concern of the present and the future. But the declaration of the war on terror after the 9/11 events caused a global war against enemies we don't know. The campaign has caused more casualties of innocent lives, arrests of innocent persons, and branding of several organizations who air grievances against their nations as terrorists. The war was indeed claimed to have been launched to secure the world against terrorists, but it has gone to a point that human rights were already compromised. But terrorism is a big issue and requires some moral judgment to qualify or consider certain acts as a form of terrorism. There are accepted definitions of terrorisms but interpretations differ. As Record stated: The definitional mire that surrounds terrorism stems in large measure from differing perspectives on the moral relationship between objectives sought and means employed. It is easy for the politically satisfied and militarily powerful to pronounce all terrorism evil regardless of circumstance, but, like it or not, those at the other end of the spectrum are bound to see things differently (8). As a result the War on Terror created confusion among the young Americans, who were taught about the morals of war and peace. The moralist consider the "attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon not acts of war but as a species of natural disaster, requiring unstinting generosity towards the

Australian Wine Industry Essay Example for Free

Australian Wine Industry Essay In addition, this trend is enforced by a global economy with increasing free trade, international business collaboration, strategic alliances and a global currency. Geographically Australia is well placed to capitalise on the Asian boom and wine meets the Asian demand for Western style products. As for the domestic market, despite the fact that there has been minimal focus on developing new wine consumers during the last ten years, domestic sales have continued to expand in value rather than volume. Population growth in prime wine consuming age groups, the emerging generation who has grown up with wine consumption, the changing demographic profile of the Australian population, growth in the dining out market, increasing popularity of the Mediterranean diet, tourism growth and the quest for more individualised beverage experiences are significant opportunities exist for increasing domestic wine consumption. 1. 1. 2 Economic conditions Although a decline in the value of the Australian dollar inhibits profitability and the ability of Australian winemakers to hit key price oints, it helps to stimulate the other countries to import Australian wine because of lower price Increase in demand for wine may be attributed to the following economic factors: changing living standard, changes in the relative price of wine to other goods and services, the introduction of fringe benefits tax and the modification of sales tax to wine and other beverages. 1. 1. 3 Social and cultural trends Although nowadays, there is a strong trend away from alcohol beverages and alcohol consumption, quality table wine still be a favourite one for consumers. The image of a man drinking wine, bottles to bottles until get drunk is no longer seen. People do not drink wine in quantity but prefer quality alcohol. Sales in cask wine decline whereas profits in bottled semi-premium or premium wine increase. The reason for this can be explained by: Quality table wine has its own image and status, engenders high consumer involvement, provides variety, and has a range of flavour complexity. It is therefore a stronger alternative to other non-alcoholic beverages (soft drinks, bottled water, fruit drinks and coffee) than is beer or spirits. Quality wine has acknowledged health attributes. Recent research showed its effects in reducing cardio vascular disease. People look for more spiritual meaning in their lives. They favour healthy products, healthy lifestyle and show environmental concerns. Media, advertising, transparency, and openness in marketing. Many of these trends favour the Australian wine industry. Wine will meet the future consumers dem and for individualised, customised products which are natural, environmentally friendly and healthy. 1. 1. 4 Political and legal forces The Australian wine industry has set a target to be the worlds most influential and profitable wine producer in the Year 2025. It is supported by government in terms of providing a positive investment climate and facilitation infrastructure. Taxation Certainty in the retention of the current taxation level and structure for wine and brandy Review the method for valuing trading stock, particularly the maturation of wine stocks geared to premium wine production Maintain the current vineyard depreciation provisions Vary other taxation provisions which inhibit growth or prejudice quality. Facilitation Maintain support for industry research and development Enhance support for wine export promotion Upgrade Government contributions to training and to strategic data collection Continue the commitment to industrys pro market self regulation Adopt appropriate water access and pricing policies. 1. 1. 5 Technology Technology is of vital importance to Australia wine industry. It can help to improve productivity, economic of scale, efficiency and quality of products. In addition, the industry is also strongly committed to environmentally friendly production.

Frederick Douglass Essay -- Biography Biographies

Frederick Douglass 1 How did the early years of Frederick Douglass’ life affect the beliefs of the man he would become? Frederick Douglass’ adulthood was one of triumph and prestige. Still, he by no means gained virtue without struggle and conflict. There was much opposition and hostility against him. To fully understand all his thoughts and beliefs first one must look at his childhood. Frederick Augustus Bailey was born in February of 1818 to a black field hand named Harriet. He grew up on the banks of the Tuckahoe Creek deep within the woods of Maryland. Separated from his mother at an early age, he was raised by his grandparents Betsy and Isaac Bailey. Isaac and Betsy are not thought to be related. Isaac was a free man and a sawyer, while Betsy was an owned slave, but she kept her own rules. Her owner trusted her to watch over and raise the children of the slaves until they were old enough to begin their labor. She was allowed to keep her own cabin, and to farm food for the children and herself. It was not an easy job. While all of the mothers were busy working in the fields of their master, Aaron Anthony, she was busy watching over their infants. Betsy Bailey was quite a woman. She was a master fisher, and spent most of her days in the river or in the field farming. She was very intelligent and physically able bodied. Most historians credit Frederick ’s intelligence to his extraordinary grandmother. Douglass later recalled not seeing his mother very often, just on the few times she would come to visit later in his life. At the age of six, Frederick’s carefree days of running and playing in the fields and came to an abrupt end. He was taken away from his grandmother to begin the toil and sweat of th... ...of the Civil War and thereafter. He was the most influential of all the black leaders throughout the mid 19th century. Bibliography Bailey, Thomas A. The American Spirit. (Lexington: D. C. Health and Company, 1991) , 666. Blight, David. Frederick Douglass’ Civil War. (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1989) , 270. Bontemps, Arna. Free at Last. (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1971) , 309. Martin, Waldo E. The Mind of Frederick Douglass. (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1984) , 333. McFreely, William S. Frederick Douglass. (New York: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc, 1991),465. Meyer, Michael-ed., Frederick Douglass: The Narrative and Selected Writings. (New York: The Modern Libray, 1984.) , 391. Preston Dickson J. Young Frederick Douglass. (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1980.) , 242.

Arthurian and Grail Poetry Essay

In 1871, Swinburne produced a new collection of poems which he entitled â€Å"Songs Before Sunrise†, which echoed a whole generation’s sentiments about Italy’s struggle for freedom. The poet’s stellar piece, â€Å"Hertha†, was yet another offering to the pagan altar upon which he worshipped. Hertha, the goddess of fertility, is written as the speaker of a dramatic monologue that aims to declare her superiority and immortality over the Christian God, a tactic Swinburne used to get the attention of the Victorian audience. He emphasizes, through Hertha, the significance and importance of Mother Nature over God, and provides line after line of physical representations of a â€Å"mother† that gives life and nourishment to her offspring, compared to a God who, in Swinburne’s logic, false and provisional. Also, by centering on the â€Å"body† of Hertha, Swinburne stays true to his established tradition of sensuality and passion. He ends the poem with Hertha saying â€Å"I am man†Ã¢â‚¬â€completing the ultimate pagan principle of man’s harmony and unity with nature. Swinburne’s most celebrated work, among his legendary pieces, is 1882’s â€Å"Tristram of Lyonesse†. A veritable triumph in the technical sense, the poem was skillfully written to feature long romantic couplets punctuated with a brilliant arrangement of vowel sounds, rhythm, and alliteration. Swinburne exposes his concept of passion masterfully in this tale of lovers who care for nothing else but their love, and would go to any length to keep the fire burning. Often referred to as Swinburne’s ode to the English dramatists, â€Å"Tristram† is, to this day, the most exemplary rendition of the English couplet. IV. Other Literary Accomplishments As much as Swinburne was known as an exceptional poet was his reputation as an excellent critic. From 1868, he managed to produce a number of volumes of literary criticism, with the best contained in Miscellanies and Essays and Studies. In this series, the genius and poetics of Swinburne are satisfyingly revealed and explored. He also published A Study of Shakespeare, in which he expressed his own great technical competencies and proficiencies in the areas of music and rhythm in poetry, by praising the iconic master of story, song, and technical excellence. It is quite apparent that Swinburne had intentionally limited his paganistic and atheistic principles to his poetry—the literary criticism that bears his name almost always stays firmly on the positive side, with nary a mention of technical or thematic shortcomings of the authors he discusses. With Swinburne’s passing in 1909, the Victorian society of England lost one of its greatest masters in lyric poetry, whose genius and brilliance were quite overflowing that he found it necessary to go against the tide, and stand by the least accepted constructs of society. V. Conclusion The question regarding Swinburne’s religious influences in his poetry has been clearly answered, and has validated the original logic proposed. There are indeed references to Christianity and traditional beliefs in almost all his poetry, which he strategically decided to use to disprove many of the paradigms established by the Church. With his declared propensity to explore the ideals of physical pain and pleasure, sexual passion, and excessive living, through a great deal of wit, sarcasm, and morbidity, the reading audience is left shocked and astonished way beyond their accepted levels. However, it takes one as talented as Swinburne to effectively realize the relationship between two opposing poles—Christianity and immorality—and use the commonalities to create an ideology that is all at once controversial and unacceptable, but also incredible and brilliant. Bibliography Apiryon, T. ‘Algernon Charles Swinburne’, The Hermetic Library, 1995, retrieved 12 July 2008 from http://www. hermetic. com/sabazius/swinburne. htm Bartleby, ‘The Rossettis, William Morries, Swinburne, and Others’. Bartleby. com, retrieved on 12 July 2008 from http://www. bartleby. com/223/0508. html Cymru, Gordd. ‘Arthurian and Grail Poetry’, Celtic Twilight, 2000, retireved 12 July 2008 from http://celtic-twilight. com/camelot/poetry/swinburne/index. htm Representative Poetry Online, ‘Selected Poetry of Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837- 1909), retrieved on 12 July 2008 from http://rpo. library. utoronto. ca/poet/319. html Sawhney, Paramvir, ‘Gestalt Paganism in AC Swinburne’s Hertha’ The Victorian Web, 2006, retrieved on 12 July 2008 from http://victorianweb. org/authors/swinburne/sawhney9. html Thomas, Edward, ‘A Modern Bacchant’, The New York Times, 29 December 1912.

Democracy

Democracy Democracy has become a dominant form of the government, that using in many countries. Democracy is a government form, which is the citizen should have a decision to vote their leader directly for their own country or elect the leader for the other problems. Democracy can develop it, if the majority and the minority party or the association willing works together. Which is everybody can talk and have an opinion, than will put the all idea together and take a better decision for the problem. With democracy form, the one elected leader will work as maximum as possible for the citizens.Than the citizens can see and make a decision about what the elected leader have done to the country and also they have elected the right or wrong leader. Democracy is based on the concept, that everybody in the world is the same, no matter what they are a president or a king. In democracy also have no different between how people look like. For example: White and black, lower class and middle cl ass. Furthermore, not everybody have an equal physically or mentally. The important thing, democracy is all human being have equality. In democracy have an important concept.The first concept is all of the citizens that living in one country, that should be equal, which have an idea and an opinion than issues to the public. The important thing, while elect the candidates for the country leader, that everybody needs to listen to the candidates because the candidates have a different ideas and plans to what they will do for the country. The candidates also need a concept of equality to speech in front all of country citizen, which will vote for the election about what their plans for the future, if they win as a country leader.Even though, the citizens divide to a different side of parties. The United State of America is using the democracy form. Four years ago, Barrack Obama won the election from John McCain as a 44th president of the United State of America, which was using a democr acy form. For the 2012 president election, which Barrack Obama and Mitt Romney were candidates for the president and won by Obama. That is one of example for the democracy form. All American citizen need to participate in the election because all of them are important.They have a better decision to vote and make a difference between both of presidential candidates for the next four years for America. The second concept, the citizens, the government and the candidates should be freedom. This democracy concept is based on equality concept because with freedom people will free to have and issues the idea and opinion to the public and the people also should be listening to each other. Than combine the ideas and opinion and take a good decision, which is can keep a good name of the country. â€Å"Democracy depends on citizen participation in all these ways.But participation must be peaceful, respectful of the law, and tolerant of the different views of other groups and individuals. â₠¬  Even though the democracy concept is freedom and equality, but without participation of citizen, the democracy form cannot work. The country needs a citizen to participate and also need respect for the law. The concept of freedom is not about the citizen become a totally free under the government. That problem can only become an anarchy, where have no government to control the country. The citizens are totally free from everything; they can do what ever they like.For Example: The country has a corruption, everywhere people are poor people and many of them become a murderer to get money, in order to survive their self. Hereafter, the freedom concept has free to choose any religion, to worship and to practice the religion. Further, also free develop their own culture; teach the culture to each other. Democracy also allows the people move from the country. Furthermore, democracy is the system that follows the rule. â€Å"The rule of law protects the rights of citizens, maintains o rder, and limits the power of government. With having a rule of law, the country can be affordable because everything is safe; they have a right of citizen. Everybody who life in a democracy forms that will be equal to each other because the citizens live under the law. With the law people cannot do what ever they like because they will get no excuse for it. For example: One of the government official grafts the money from one of the project. That is a big problem because he or she is breaking the rule of law in democracy form. The sanction at least the government official will go to the jail.For Example: Indonesia, if the government Official and a businessman have a problem with to the government or to other problem, and also corruption, will have a decision to go to the jail. Forward, all of citizens and government have equality under the law. â€Å"No one may be taxed or prosecuted except by a law established in advance. † In democracy country, no one can live without the law, because everybody in one country is all the citizen of the country. Than the citizen cannot make any changes for the law, even for the president cannot break the law because law is established and adhered to.The form of democracy is very good to use in the government. The citizen will have a freedom to chose the country leader, which is they have time to decision and also make it a different for the country, also for their self. Everybody in democracy form always have to get equality between the citizen and the government. The citizen who have an ideas or opinion and can issue their opinion to the government, which is can make any change for the country and help the people in the country.The democracy can make the government easier to control the citizen and the country because the people are obedient against the rule of law. Further, the country is safer from the criminal, from the project corruption and also can help the citizen to improve their self to become a better citize n than useful for the country. Reference: 1. â€Å"What Is Democracy? † What Is Democracy? Web. 09 Nov. 2012. . 2. Grigsby, Ellen. Analyzing Politics. 4th ed.

Nutrition Essays - Nutrition, Health, Personal Life, Food And Drink

Nutrition Essays - Nutrition, Health, Personal Life, Food And Drink Nutrition Ch.9 Outline Nutrition 1. What are the nutrients in food? A. Food 1. cells must be supplied with food or they stop working 2. growth and repair 3. supplied regularly in the right amount and balance 4. Nutrients a. chemicals in food cells need b. Nutrients study of nutrients c. six nutrients 1. protein 2. fats 3. carbohydrates 4. vitamins 5. minerals 6. water B. Proteins, Fats, and Carbos 1. Proteins a. build and repair tissue b. make up large part of muscle, bone, and skin c. foods such as meats, eggs fish, nuts, and chicken 2. Fats a. source of energy b. food, salad dressing, butter, and cooking oils 3. Carbos a. first supply of energy b. foods, starches, sugars, bread, and fruit 4. Nutrient percent in body a. Carbos 2% b. Fats M: 18%, F: 30% c. Proteins M: 20%, F: 18% d. Water M: 60%, F: 50% 5. Nutrients needed per day a. Carbos 300g b. Proteins 25g c. fiber 25g d. fats less than 65g 6. person remains healthy if they take in correct amounts of each 7. eat foods with correct amounts of nutrients Bibliography none

Research Paper Legalizing weed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Research Paper Legalizing weed - Essay Example Sacco and Finklea note the status of marijuana claiming it is â€Å"the most commonly used illicit drug across the world† with about 18.9 million people in the US from age 12 and above admitting using marijuana in the past month (1). It is therefore apparent that criminalization of marijuana has not discouraged use given the increased number of people admitting usage. Based on the ongoing trend the discussion has been whether marijuana use should be legalized since criminalization has not resulted in a reduction in usage. In view of the changing public perceptions on marijuana use and possession this assay argues that smoking marijuana should be made legal for adults especially due to the potential benefits that such a move might have on the individual’s health, a country’s economy and reduction in usage of alcohol and hard drugs. The shift in public towards acceptance of marijuana use has also come with a number of states in the US legalizing the use especially for medical purposes. Among these states are Washington and Colorado which have legalized the use and possession of marijuana while twenty other states limited its legality to medical use leading to the opinion that more sates should also follow the same route and that the federal government will also follow with repealing other draconian laws that have criminalized marijuana use. This is especially so when compared with laws prohibiting alcohol consumption where the federal government tried to stop consumption of alcohol for fourteen years but failed. The law prohibiting marijuana use has achieved the same result as that prohibiting alcohol consumption the only difference being laws prohibiting marijuana have been in effect for a longer period. However, Duke warns that increased public opinion in support of marijuana use does not mean there will be a move by the federal government to legalize use

Sports Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sports Marketing - Assignment Example Sports marketing takes different forms. For instance, television networks sell airtime during main sport events. Marketers buy advertising spaces in stadiums to put their advertisements. Famous athletes also sell their images to marketers as celebrity endorsers. Sport is used to reach specific segment of a population. In most cases, the target market is men. This is with exception, however, from women sports such as netball and figure skating that attract female audience (Marketing Schools). Marketers choose to use sports for marketing because they find already developed market. They take advantage of the devotion and popularity that fans have towards their sports men and teams. It is assumed that marketers gain instant credibility in the fans minds if the marketer associates with the fans’ team or favourite sportsman (Marketing Schools). The marketer is considered a sponsor since the revenue goes to the team. Coca Cola Company for example, is always associated with Olympics (Fullerton & Merz p. 91). One disadvantage with sports marketing is that advertisements may be overlooked. This is because the sports marketing industry is so large, and there are very many advertisements. To avoid this and ensure effective brand marketing, a comprehensive marketing plan has to be developed. The plan encompasses estimations of resources and budget needed, time frame for the campaign, marketing objective, and the target audience and how they can be reached. The marketer needs an analysis of the entire marketing landscape to identify the most promising opportunities. Based on research findings, creative professionals will put types of advertisements that are in line with what the company wants to achieve. Brand marketing requires efficient market research. The professionals have to work hard to ensure the content of the adverts, connect the product and the sport. The adverts have to speak to the target population (Marketing Schools). This also helps in reducing ego