Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essays (1842 words) - RTT, Fertility

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A Preventable Birth Defect ?If women didn't drink anymore during pregnancy, there would never be another baby born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Effect? (McCuen 33). This is a very powerful statement. It is also a very simple cure for an alarmingly high birth defect that all women have the power to stop. ?Every year more than 40,000 American children are born with defects because their mother drank alcohol while pregnant ? (McCuen 34). That is 1 to 3 per 1,000 live births (McCuen 31). Many of these cases go undiagnosed ?It is also the number one cause of mental retardation in the United States, and one of the three leading causes of birth defects.? (McCuen 33-34). ?Alcohol produces more significant neurobehavioral effects in the fetus than other drug including cocaine, heroin and marijuana? (Fetal). With such horrible repercussions associated with drinking alcohol why would any woman think of drinking alcohol during pregnancy, but thousands of women do everyday. First let's begin by defining what Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect are. FAS and FAE for short. FAS ?is a cluster of congenital defects including nervous system dysfunction? (McCuen 31). ?FAE shares some of the same characteristics as FAS, but it is not as evident. However babies with FAE have equal amount of brain damage as babies with FAS? (Fetal). FAS and FFAE are caused by the ingestion of teratogens. ?Tetragon's are any substance capable of producing fetal abnormalities, such as alcohol or tobacco? (Dworetzky 81). In the case of FAS and FAE, alcohol is the tertagion. ?FAS and FAE are a group of birth defects that have no cure. People with FAS or FAE have a range of problems as severe as being mentally retarded too less visible problems like difficulty paying attention? (McCuen 33). Some other problems associated with the syndrome may be learning problems, with low IQ's, developmental delays both physical and mental, difference in facial features, being hyperactive , small for their age or a variety of health problems, with We have known the effects of alcohol on the fetus since 1968. A French scientist by the name of Lemoine ?recognized the multiple effects that alcohol can have on a developing fetus (Broadwell and Saunders 555). ?The findings of Lemoine were dismissed, but not until 1973 when Jones published a report on the effects of alcohol on children of alcoholic mothers. In Jones' report he categorized traits of FAS in five categories. Growth, performance, cranio-facial, skeletal and cardiac? (Broadwell and Saunders 555). The first category is growth, which includes pre and postnatal onset growth deficiencies. The second category is performance, which includes low IQ's; the average IQ is 63 in a child with FAS of FAE. Another factor affected in performance is fine motor dysfunction, which is manifested by weak grasp, poor hand-eye coordination, and/or tremulousness, irritability in infancy, and hyperactivity in child hood. The third category is cranio-facial abnormalities, which include mild to m oderate microcephaly (Small head size), short palpebral fissures (eye slits), maxillary hypoplasia, and short nose, smooth philtrum (zone between the nose and the mouth) with thin and smooth upper lip. The fourth category is skeletal abnormalities which include joint abnormalities including abnormal position and/or function, altered palmer crease patterns, small distal phalanges, small fifth fingernail. The final category is Cardiac abnormalities that include heart murmurs, frequently disappearing by 1 year of age. Ventricular septal defect most common followed by auricular septal defect (Browdwell and Saunders 555). In some cases of FAS renal problems have been also diagnosed. ?A spectrum of anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract has been observed among children with moderate or extensive signs of FAS? (Rossett and Weiner 69). ?Hepatic (liver) disease has been observer as well in several FAS cases? (Rossett and Weiner 70). ?Children with FAS may also be more susceptible to life threatening bacterial infections as well a minor infectious diseases...Small bones in the base of the skull may cause morphologic problems of the nasal sinuses which predispose them to obstruction and infection? (Rosett and Weiner 71-71). ?Alcohol, like other teratogenic agents, is associated with a spectrum of malformations related to dose and timing. The multiplicity of effects suggests that

Magnolia essays

Magnolia essays If you havent seen Magnolia yet, I truly ask you to stop reading now, and rent the movie. Then read this paper and form an opinion on it. I really dont want to ruin the experience for you. Isnt it odd how things happen? How people affect one another in ways that cant be seen until you take a step back. How so called coincidences arent really coincidences, but things that were meant to happen because there was no other route to take. This is what the movie Magnolia is based upon. The people that we meet and greet everyday affect us monumentally in the long run. It tells the story of eight people and how their lives are affected by each others actions. The major characters in the movie are Earl, the dieing TV producer, Frank T.J. Mackey, the chauvinistic televangelist, Donnie, the former quiz kid, Jimmy Gaiter, the quiz show host, Jimmys daughter Teresa, Jim, the LA cop and Stanley, the next quiz kid. I will give a brief, but incomplete, breakdown the story from each characters track in life. I will write of Earl because without Earl, the story wouldnt be possible. Earl is a dying man with an odd vocabulary. All that is known of him is that he had once been a television producer and produced a very successful quiz show for kids in the sixties, which is still in production today. Next comes the televangelist for single men, Frank T.J. Mackey, played by Tom Cruise. He is seen as this smart, sexy and desirable human being. Women and men want to be around him. He is often the target of many womens rights organizations because of his chauvinistic attitude towards women. One day, at a break in his How to pick up women seminars, he is interviewed by a women reporter. She begins to ask questions about his background. Where he went to college, who his parents were, ect. What she begins to find out is that this guy never went to college like he said he did...

Current Best Practices That Are Followed When Undertaking Surveys Essay

Current Best Practices That Are Followed When Undertaking Surveys - Essay Example Market surveys identify what appeals to the customers, when customers make purchases, the preferred distribution and promotional outlets of the products. Secondary data is usually available in either electronic or publicized form and includes company reports, newspaper articles and government agencies data. Primary data is collected purposely for solving the marketing problem and involves use of surveys, focus groups, interviews and experiments. Aims The main aim of the research paper is to identify different types of marketing surveys, their advantages and disadvantages in collecting primary data that is useful in market research. The paper also aims at outlining several survey strategies and examples of multiple choice and open-ended questions in surveys. The paper includes the use of rating scales, bar charts, pie charts in data analysis. Methodology The paper has utilized previous literature in order to identify different types of marketing surveys. Surveys are the most common method used by organizations in primary data collection and include mail surveys, telephone surveys, internet surveys, and face-to-face surveys or interviews. The less formal methods of surveys include informal interviews and observation. The selection of survey method will depend on factors such as the budget, the purpose of the study, the characteristics of target population and time availability. Mail surveys reach a large population and surveyor mails the written questions to the sampled population. The mailing list can be prepared from local phone book, yellow pages or past customer contacts. The main disadvantage of mail surveys is that many respondents may not return the completed survey. Telephone surveys entail calling the individuals and responses can be analyzed immediately as the caller will encourage the respondent to provide more details. However, telephone interviews are expensive for small companies. face-to-face surveys entail in-person interviews, but may require a lot of personnel thus are expensive. Internet surveys reach large random population and some web surveys offers tools for data analysis. Observation entails taking note of consumers shopping behavior in order to determine their preferred products. Survey strategies involves having a focus group or pilot surveys that identify if the questions are worded correctly. Conclusion The purpose of the above paper is to offer insight of survey methods and primary data analysis for marketing research. Critique paper Title: conducting market research using primary data Authors: Kyunda R. Curtis, Ph.D. (Department of Resource economics, University of Nevada) Published: The above research paper fails in outlining the best practices that are involved in conducting marketing research. I believe the first step entails defining the problem and objectives of the survey. The researcher must specify the sources of data and information that will be used in the research. The researcher should assess the time and cost involved in carrying out the research through a cost-benefit analysis before committing huge resources towards the study. The knowledge of objectives makes it easier to generate the survey questions and choice the target population (Ferrell & Pride, 2012). The researcher should also select a sample among the target population. The researcher should consider the expected margin of error and costs in selecting the size of the sample (Smith & Albaum, 2005). The researcher s

Corporate strategy and its integrated nature. Volkswagen case Essay

Corporate strategy and its integrated nature. Volkswagen case - Essay Example This report will discuss as to what is a successful business strategy by discussing the key dimensions of the business and discussing the same with respect to the Volkswagen group.Corporate strategy is an integrated process as it requires a collaborative effort at the organization-wide level to ensure that the overall objectives of the organisation are achievedIntegrated nature of the strategy outlines that the different organizational resources are combined together to execute the corporate level strategy and achieve the strategic objectives of the firm. It’s also because of this reason that strategy as a process is considered as an iterative process where the firms keep on adjusting and changing their strategies in order to successfully negotiate with their external environment. Strategy therefore outlines as to how the firm, by utilizing its internal strengths can take up the opportunities offered by the external environment while at the same time negotiating with the threa ts faced. There are four key dimensions of any business strategy involving the strategy formulation under which organizations actually formulate the strategy, the analysis dimension under which the firms perform the strategic analysis before any strategic option is chose, choosing the right strategy and finally implementing the same. These four key dimensions of a well developed business strategy therefore require a collaborative and integrated approach to make a business strategy successful. It is through all these key dimensions that a firm reaches at a point where it can achieve its organizational objectives. This report will discuss as to what is a successful business strategy by discussing the key dimensions of the business and discussing the same with respect to the Volkswagen group. Corporate Strategy and its integrated nature Johnson and Scholes define strategy in following manner: â€Å"Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long-term: which achiev es advantage for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a challenging environment, to meet the needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations".1 The above definition suggests that strategy is the name of setting an overall direction for the firm on long term basis. What is also important to note that it outlines the need for achieving a configuration with the organizational resources while working in an uncertain and challenging external environment to achieve the kind of advantage which can fulfill the expectations developed by the stakeholders? The above definition is quite comprehensive in the sense that it outlines as to how the integration of different elements together can provide the firm the kind of advantage to achieve its objectives. Without setting a direction and configuring it with the organizational resources, it may not be possible for a firm to achieve its organizational goals. Volkswagen Group has set up a strategy of achieving its g rowth through expansion in the emerging markets. It is also aiming to consolidate its position in the existing markets while at the same time achieving the set financial targets to be achieved in medium and short term. A closer analysis of this would suggest that the group is actually aiming to develop a two pronged strategy of consolidating in the existing markets while at the same time achieving the expansion in new markets.2 Evaluating the same in the light of above definition would suggest that the firm’s strategy is clearly focused upon meeting the expectations of its stakeholders by using its traditional advantage in its existing markets while at the same time configuring its resources to gain access to the emerging markets. It is also important to understand that an organization is a collection of different resources which are combined together to achieve the common objectives. For example, a firm’s excellent production system and high quality output may not sel l itself unless it’s backed up by excellent marketing resources. Similarly, despite having the capability to produce high quality products, a firm may not be able to achieve the same if it does not have access to finances. As such strategy is therefore of integrated

Benefits and drawbacks of the electronic health record Research Paper

Benefits and drawbacks of the electronic health record - Research Paper Example The past decade has witnessed technological advancement in virtually every industry. Compared to a decade ago, many people in developed economies can now purchase goods online, buy air tickets and earn degrees online. Health records have for a long time depended on the traditional system of record keeping that is tedious and prone to errors. Electronic health Record (EHR) system plays a vital role in transforming the healthcare system mainly from a paper based system to a comprehensive computerized system through the use of clinical information to deliver high quality care to the patients. Various countries have come up with laws that manage require the healthcare facilities to adopt EHR and utilize it in a â€Å"meaningful way† with respect to cost containment and errors reduction. This is expected to transform the healthcare institutions for the benefits of both patients and administrators. However, there are various concerns over the use of EHR and questions are asked whether it really meets the intended benefits that are to improve care with acceptable level of errors. This study focuses on the review of literature on the impacts of EHR. As stated by Dentler et al (2014), EHR impacts are either beneficial or drawbacks, thus this study embarks on the merits and demerits of implementing an EHR by a healthcare facility as identified by experts in various studies. Electronic Health Register (EHR) refers to the longitudinal electronic record of patients’ information with respect to health that has been generated through one or more encounters with the patient. EHR contains the patients’ information related to progress, demographics, past medical history, vital signs, radiology reports, laboratory data, problems and medications (Page et al, 2011). According to Menachemi & Collum (2011), three attributes defines a â€Å"meaningful use† of EHR: Computerized Physician order entry (CPOE) systems, Clinical Decision Support (CDS) and

The effect of concentration of sugar on osmotic activity

The effect of concentration of sugar on osmotic activity Scientific Theory: Osmosis is defined as the movement of water molecules through a semi- permeable membrane from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration until a state of equilibrium is reached. Equilibrium is reached once enough water has moved to balance the solute concentration on both sides of the membrane. Semi-permeable membranes let small molecules such as water and oxygen to travel through it but large molecules such as proteins are prevented from going through it as it is only partially permeable. Osmosis occurs across a partially permeable membrane whenever there is a difference between the water concentrations on the two sides of the membrane. When this happens to the cells they will either become turgid if water flows into them, or flaccid if water flows out of them. In this diagram the membrane separates pure water from a solution of sucrose and water. The membrane is semi permeable, water molecules can cross it but the sucrose molecules are too large. The water solution will move from a lower concentration of solutes to one with a higher concentration of solutes. A solution with pure solutes has more molecules that are free to move about and follow their concentration gradient across the membrane; as a result there will be net movement of water across this membrane from left to right (shown by the yellow arrows on diagram above). Sugar solution has a low water potential (not many water molecules).The water potential in the solution would be lower than that in the potato cell so the net movement of water will move out of the potato through its membrane into the sugar solution and so the potatos mass will decrease. The opposite happens in water where the water potential is much higher than in the potato (almost 0). Here the net movement of water will move into the potato in order to reaching equilibrium and so the weight of the potato increases. AIM: To investigate the effect of varying concentration of a certain sugar solution on the amount of osmotic activity between the solution and two vegetables (potato and sweet potato) of the same mass. To investigate if the additional glucose in sweet potato has an effect on its mass compared to the normal potato. Preliminary work: Before I start to carry out an experiment to investigate my aim, I am going to conduct a simple experiment to verify my knowledge of osmosis. Doing this experiment will also help me to improve my main experiment. Plan: For my preliminary experiment I will be using three different solutions: sugar solution, pure water, a solution consisting of 50% water and 50% sugar solution. I will also be using potato chips which are all equal in mass. A cork borer will be used to cut out 3 potato cylinders, the mass of the potato cylinders will be Measured to make sure that they are equal in weight. Then the mass of each of the potato chip will be recorded. Next 3 measuring tubes will be placed on a test tube rack. Using a measuring cylinder tube 20ml of water, sugar solution and the solution consisting of 50% water and 50% sugar solution will be measured out and put into three different test tubes. In order to avoid any mix ups each test tube will be clearly labelled. One potato chip will be placed in each solution and left for half an hour. Afterwards the potatoes will be taken out of the solutions and their masses will be measured and recorded. Results: Starting mass (g) Mass after (g) Difference (g) Percent difference 100% Water 0.48 0.55 0.07 + 6% 50% Water and 50% sugar 0.46 0.43 +0.03 -14% 100 % Sugar 0.47 0.36 +0.11 -23% Diagram: Analysis: From the results that I have obtained, I can see a negative correlation between the concentration of the sugar in the solution and the mass of the potato chip at the end of the experiment. While the solution containing 100% sugar decreased in mass by 0.11g and the solution containing 50% sugar decreased in mass by 0.03g, the solution that contained 0% sugar increased in mass by 0.07g. This shows that in the two solutions containing sugar the mass decreased because water molecules moved out of the potato chips into the solution. The opposite happened with the water solution; water moved from the solution into the potato chip. Overall I was please with the results as they agreed with what I have already learned about osmosis. The results that I got also showed trends that could later be expanded in my main e experiment. Changes: Over all my preliminary experiment was a success and the results I obtained were precise and useful. However for my main experiment I am going to make some improvements so that I can get the best possible results. Firstly I am going to experiment with sweet potato chips as well as potato chips because I would like to investigate if the additional glucose in the sweet potato has an effect on its mass. In addition I am going to be using a wider selection of sugar concentrations in order to collect a larger quantity of accurate results. I am going to use water and 4 other concentrations. This will enable me to write a conclusion that is more accurate. In my preliminary experiment I only did the experiment once. I am going to repeat my main experiment three times, by doing so I will gain more confidence in my results as they will be more reliable. By repeating the experiment I will be able to identify any anomalies. Further more in my preliminary experiment I could not take the potato ch ips out of the solutions at the same time. I also encountered this problem when putting the potato chips into the solutions. For my main experiment I am going to overcome this problem by asking a few of my associates to help me put the potato chips into the solution and take them out at the same time. This will make my results more accurate and fair. Main Experiment Prediction: I predict that for the potato chip in water the mass will increase because water has a higher water potential than the potato chip so water molecules will move from the water into the potato chip, causing it to increase in weight. The opposite happens with sugar solution because sugar solution has low water potential so water molecules will move out of the potato chip into the sugar solution. Thus I predict that as the concentration of sugar in the solution increases the mass of the potato cylinders will decrease. I would expect sweet potatoes to have a lower water potential (not many water molecule) than normal potatoes, because they are sweet and therefore must have contain sugar. Hence for the sweet potato chips I predict that at first the mass of the sweet potato will increase but, as the concentration of sugar in the solution increases past the isotonic point the mass of the potato cylinders will decrease. I predict that the graphs for the both the vegetables will be similar.My prediction can be demonstrated in the following graphs: Sweet Potato Potato Safety: While I carry out this experiment, it is important to consider safety. Lack of safety in science labs can not only endanger me and my fellow class mates but can also produce poor and useless results. Following safety procedures protects the lab, its people and the environment. Safe labs also help produce effective results. These are the safety measures I took: All bags were kept well away from the area of work so that no pathways were being obstructed and the risk of someone tripping over was reduced. All stools were tucked in under the tables in order to avoid a passer-by tripping over. Both this point and the one above can prove to be fatal if the victim is holding any dangerous equipment e.g. Scalpel, acid etc. It can also cause spills. Loose hair was tied up; sleeves rolled up and head scarfs tucked away. Hair and clothing can get in the way while working. It is also dangerous and can cause spills, ruin experiments and even potentially harm me or others around me. No earphones, scarves or jewellery was worn as these can catch on equipment and cause spill or damages. Safely glasses were worn at all times to ensure our eyes were protected from and potential danger. It was made sure that the work area was clear of any unnecessary items such as reading books and folders as these can get in the way and cause accidents. Working quietly and carefully. Talking unnecessarily can be a distraction to me and others around me, when distracted it is easier to make mistakes that can not only be dangerous but can also affect my results. Chipped and cracked glass wear was not used as this could break more easily if handled a lot and create a mess. It can also cause injuries. Extreme care was taken when using equipment made of glass e.g. test tubes. Eating and drinking in the labs is forbidden as the food may come into contact with some harmful substance. This could be unsafe for the consumer. When using knifes a non-slip surface was used to cut on so that no one was injured. After finishing the experiments, I washed my hands because my hands could be contaminated with chemicals, even if they were not used by me. All equipment was safely stored away after use as leaving unwanted equipment around can cause accidents and get in the way. Accuracy and Reliability There are the tasks, which I undertook to ensure reliable and precise results were produced. To eliminate all possibilities of faulty errors; I repeated my experiment three times. In addition, I had no less than 5 different concentrations, so I obtained adequate results. In order to increase the reliability of the results, I found more precise values of mass by using an Electronic balance. When measuring the potato and sweet potato cylinders, I waited for at least 10 seconds to ensure that the figure displayed on the digital scale was not flicking. If any readings seemed anomalous, I took an additional reading just to be sure. I collaboratively, with the help of 3 other members, measured the mass of the potato and sweet potato cylinders individually. This gave more reliable results as the masses of all the potato cylinders were measured about the same time. I used pieces from the same potato and sweet potato for each of the 5 pieces in each test. I used exactly the same method for each test to make the comparison much more reliable. Equipment Goggles: These were worn for safety reasons to avoid anything from coming into contact with the eyes. Electronic balance: I used this apparatus to measure the mass of the potato and sweet potato cylinders before and after they were put in their molar solutions. Electronic balances are also more accurate that normal balances. Test tubes: These were used to hold the molar solution and the potato/ sweet potato cylinder for each molar solution for every experiment and test. Healthy potatoes: This was one of two main vegetables used for the experiment. Healthy sweet potatoes: This is the second vegetable that was used for the experiment. This vegetable was mainly used so that I could investigate if the additional glucose in sweet potato has an effect on its mass compared to the normal potato. Chopping board: This was used to cut the potato cylinders on. Using this not only kept the lad neat and tidy but also prevented injuries as it is a non-slip surface. Knife: This was used to cut the potato cylinders if the mass was too much. Timer/stop watch: This was used to time the experiment. It is also more accurate than using a clock. Paper towels: These were used to pat the potatoes dry before being measured at the end of the experiment. If the potatoes were measured without being dried first then the additional liquid on the potato can cause it to increase the mass. Test tube rack: This was used to hold the test tubes. Sugar solutions (1 molar and 2 molar): These solutions were very significant for the experiment, as they, with the potato cylinders, caused osmosis to occur. Water: Used to make certain concentrations of sugar solution. Cork borer: To cut the same shape potato pieces. Measuring cylinder: To measure out certain amounts of water and sugar solution. Labels: -To labels the test tubes so it is easier to identify the contents inside each test tube. Variables: In this investigation I had three different variables: The independent variable This is a factor that can be changed. The dependant variable What you measure and what is affected in the experiment. Fixed variable- The factors you keep the same. The independent variables: I changed the concentration of the sugar solution. I used; water, 0.5 molar sugar solution ,1 molar sugar solution, 1.5 molar sugar solution and finally 2 molar sugar solution. I also changed the types of potato used (sweet potato and normal potato) The dependant variables: I measured the mass of the sweet potatoes and potatoes before placing in the solutions and after. This is something that is affected during the course of the experiment. Fixed variable: All the potatoes and sweet potatoes I used were that same in mass (0.64g). The volume of each solution in each test tube was also the same (20ml). In addition I kept the potato and sweet potatoes in the solutions for the same length of time (40 minutes) Fair test: It is only by carrying out a fair test that I can be sure that it is what I have changed (independent variable) that is affecting what I measured (dependent variable). In order to get accurate results I needed to ensure that my test was fair. Therefore in this experiment I controlled: The volume of solution in each beaker The mass of the potatoes and sweet potatoes at the start of the experiment The length of time the potatoes and sweet potatoes were left in the solution. I ensured that the potato and sweet potato cylinders were put in the solutions and taken out of the solutions at the same time. Method: Firstly get 2 test tube racks and place 5 test tubes on each rack label one test tube rack sweet potato and label the other rack potato Get some sticky labels and label each test tube with the solution it is going to contain (water, 0.5 molar, 1 molar, 1.5 molar, 2 molar,). Do this for the test tubes on both racks. Using the measuring cylinder measure out 20ml of 1 molar sugar and pour into the test tube labelled 1 molar. Then measure out 20 ml of 2 molar sugar solution and pour in to the test tube marked 2 molar. After measure out 20 ml of water and pour in to the test tube marked water Next make the different concentrations of sugar solution. (1 molar and 2 molar are already provided). -To make 0.5 molar: use the measuring cylinder to measure out 5 ml of 1 molar sugar solution and 15ml of water. Mix these together and pour into the test tube labelled 0.5 molar. To make 1.5 molar: use the measuring cylinder to measure out 15 ml of 1 molar sugar solution and 5ml of water. Mix these together and pour into the test tube labelled 1.5 molar. (Do the above 5 points for all the test tubes on both racks. By the end of point 6 you should have two test tube racks one labelled potato and the other labelled sweet potato, each rack must hold 5 test tubes, each test tube must be labelled with the solution that it holds e.g. water, 1 molarà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc.) Afterwards, get a healthy potato; make sure the skin is peeled. Using the cork borer cut out 5 potato cylinders. Using the electronic balance, weigh all the potato cylinders. They should all weigh around 0.64g. If they dont then alter them accordingly using a chopping bored and knife and place to a side. Remember to record the masses. Subsequently, get a healthy sweet potato. Once again make sure the skin has been peeled. Using the cork borer cut out 5 potato cylinders. Using the electronic balance, weigh all the sweet potato cylinders. They should all weigh around 0.64g. If they dont then alter them accordingly using a knife and a chopping bored. Remember to record the masses. Then both the sweet potato and normal potato must be put in to the solutions, each test tube must contain either 1 potato cylinder or 1 sweet potato cylinder. Make sure all the cylinders of potatoes and sweet potatoes are dropped into the solutions at the same time (ask help from classmates if needed). The timer should also be started now. (Leave the solutions in this state for 4o min) After 40 min, the potatoes and sweet potatoes must be removed from their solutions. Again, they should all be taken out at the same time (again ask for help if needed). Make sure the potato cylinders do not get mixed up; ensure that you know which cylinder came from which solution. Dry each cylinder and measure its mass one by one. Ensure that the masses are recorded once again. (All the above was repeated 2 more times to increase the reliability in my results) Diagram: Observations: During the experiment I noticed that some of the potato and sweet potato cylinders in higher concentrations of sugar started to float. In the 1.5 and 2 molar sugar solutions the potato has higher water potential that the sugar solution so water molecules from the potato cells would have moved into the sugar solution, this made the potato cylinders float to the top of the solution rather than stay at the bottom of the beaker because it became lighter. This happened after approximately 10 -15 minutes. After approximately 20 minutes the potato cell in 1 molar sugar solution started to float as well. This is because as the potato cells are losing water molecules, they gradually become lighter. The potato in water did not float, nor were there any visible changes. All the above applies to both the sweet potato and normal potato. A difference I noticed between the two types of potato was that while the potato in the 0.5 molar solution floated a slightly, the sweet potato in the 0.5 molar solution did not float at all, it remained still, similar to the potato cylinders in water. I also noticed that the potato cylinders floated higher than the sweet potato cylinders. Calculations: Below are the calculations I did to work our various aspect of the results: Percentage change in mass = Change in mass x 100 Original mass Averages = All three masses in one category added The number of different masses Change in mass = New Mass Original Mass Analysis: Both the graphs show negative correlation between the concentration of the sugar in the solution and the mass of the potato chip at the end of the experiment. It is clear from the graphs that osmosis has taken place. Potato: For the potato cylinder put in water (0% sugar) the potatoes mass has increased 21.87% form 0.64 grams to 0.73 grams, this shows that because water has a higher water potential than the potato cylinder, water molecules have moved from the water into the potato causing its weight to increase. When this happens the cell becomes turgid (hard and swollen).For the potatoes in all the other solutions (1 molar, 0.5 molar, 1.5 molar and 2 molar) the mass of the potatoes decreased. This shows that water molecules have moved out of the potato cell into the sugar solutions. When a cell loses water in such a way the cell become flaccid, which is the opposite of turgid. Sweet potato: For the sweet potato cylinder that was placed in water the mass increased as expected. This happened because water moved from the solution into the sweet potato. For all the other molarities, except the sweet potato placed in 0.5 molar solution, the changes were the same as for the potato. For the sweet potato placed in 0.5 molar solution the mass increased from 0.64 grams to 0.65 grams. There was a 0.01 gram increase in the mass of the sweet potato by the end of the experiment. This suggests that my prediction was correct: I expected sweet potatoes to have a lower water potential than normal potatoes because they are sweet and therefore must have contain sugar. Hence for the sweet potato chips I predicted that at first the mass of the sweet potato will increase but, as the concentration of sugar in the solution increases past the isotonic point the mass of the potato cylinders will decrease. There was a 0.01 gram increase in the mass of the sweet potato by the end of the experiment. 0.01g is extremely close to 0g. On the graph, if you look at this point, it is clear that the range bar is in between 1.56% and 0%. If there had been a 0% chang e in mass, it would mean that a state of equilibrium had been reached. This is a point where the concentration of water inside the sweet potato cell is the same as the concentration of water in the solution which the sweet potato is in. my results imply that the reason the mass of the sweet potato in the 0.5 molar sugar solution increased in because the water potential of the sweet potato was slightly lower than that of the water. As a result water molecules moved in to the sweet potato cell. The sweet potato in 1.5 molar sugar solution decreased weight because the concentration of sugar in the solution had increased passed the isotonic point (equilibrium). Conclusion: My graphs show that osmosis has taken place. There was a negative correlation between the concentration of sugar in the solution and the mass of the potato or sweet potato cell at the end of the experiment. Over all the results that I obtained have answered my aim; varying the concentration of the sugar does have an affect on the mass of the vegetable and the additional sugar in sweet potato does have an effect on its mass when compared with normal potatoes. With the results I have obtained I can conclude that the higher the concentration of sugar in the solution, the more mass the potato looses. The graph also shows that the opposite happened when the concentration of water in the solution is higher. So I can conclude this by saying: the higher that concentration of water in the solution the more mass the potato gains. This applies for both the potato and sweet potato. However because of the additional sugar in the sweet potato, the mass of the sweet potato will only decrease after the concentration of sugar in the solution increases past the isotonic point (point of equilibrium). To make full sense of the conclusion, a recap on osmosis and the affect on cells are required. When there is a high concentration of water in the solution and a plant cell with low concentration of water into water, the water would move into the plant cell by osmosis. Osmosis is defined as the movement of water molecules through a semi- permeable membrane from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration until a state of equilibrium is reached. Equilibrium is reached once enough water has moved to balance the solute concentration on both sides of the membrane. Osmosis occurs across a partially permeable membrane whenever there is a difference between the water concentrations on the two sides of the membrane. When this happens to the cells they will either become turgid if water flows into them, or flaccid if water flows out of them. The results that I have obtained in this experiment support the prediction that I made using scientific theory and my preliminary experiment. Evaluation: Overall I was please with the results that I gained as they agreed with what I have already learned about osmosis. I believe I have gained reliable results, which supports the scientific theory. After making changes to my main experiment from the preliminary experiment I faced no difficulties. The equipment that I used was suitable, I managed to collect adequate data and the investigation that I organised was effective, as can be seen from my results. I was able to get enough results to come to a strong and explanative conclusion. I believe that my results were reasonably accurate as I did the experiment 3 times and found that the repeated results were mostly very close together. With these results I was able to construct two, very accurate and informative graphs. My results were free from any major anomalies that did not fit the regular pattern. However there were one or two very minor anomalies that could have been caused by the following: Some limitations or experimental errors could have occurred during the investigation, which I did not realise and could have led to some miscalculations in my results. The main limitation could have been the change in temperature of the room during the experiment. High temperatures could have altered the rate at which osmosis takes place. Another potential problem in the investigation may be tampering, as the investigation was carried out in a lab which is in constant use. This could have resulted in students playing with the apparatus, which could have affected the out come of my results. Also when drying the potato chips after the allotted time it was inevitable that they would have excess water on them, and so we dabbed them with paper towels to remove it. However, in doing this we could have removed water that was not excess, and altered our results. To make my investigation more reliable and accurate I could make some improvements. Firstly I could use a wider and more precise rage of sugar concentrations. If I did this I would have a wider range of results to work with so it would be more accurate and I would be able to come to a more secure conclusion. Another improvement I would make if repeating the experiment is to dry all the potato cylinders the same. I used paper towels to dry the potato cylinders, which caused variation between the potatoes as sum where dried more thorough and for longer than others which affects their mass, and those potato cylinders that have not been dried as much as others will have more excess water and therefore a greater mass. In the future I would develop a method to dry the potatoes in a way that is fair. Further investigations may be to investigate using lengths or shapes of potatoes, to see affect of osmosis upon them. I could do a comparative study, where I see the effects of osmosis on potatoes which have been altered to do specific breeding, e.g. grow in a hot climate, etc. I could do a study into surface area or the effects of temperature upon osmosis, to identify the best temperature in which osmosis occurs. I could also investigate the affects of osmosis on different vegetables such as aubergine, turnip, carrots.

Continuous Emotional Response to the Audio, Visual, and Audiovisual Cha

Television messages can be defined a psychological stimulus (A. Lang, 2000). Within this perspective, mediated messages are assumed to be environmental stimuli that posses survival relevance in the forms of valence and arousal in its content (A. Lang & Friestad, 1993; Wang & A. Lang, 2006). Therefore, mediated messages automatically activate the human motivational systems. Through activating the human motivational system, mediated messages influence human’s ongoing emotional experience (A. Lang, 2006a). Television messages are composed of two streams of variously redundant information, one audio and one video (A. Lang, 2000). These streams of information are continuous, and both the audio and the video channels carry story, content (including motivational significance), and structural information (Basil, 1994a; A. Lang, 2000; Thorson, Reeves, & Schleuder, 1985). Visual channel carries the context in which the story is set; it can include still pictures, moving pictures, text, live action images, animated images, or a combination of these. The auditory channel serves the script or storyline of a television program; it can also have natural sound information, or sound effects (A. Lang, 2006a; Russell, 2002). Regarding the television research under the LC4MP paradigm, it have been discussed the relationship between emotional audiovisual content, emotional experience, and cognitive response. Studies have proved viewers have better memory for arousing or negative audiovisual content (Grabe, A. Lang, & Zhao, 2003; A. Lang et al., 1996). On the other hand, researches also point out that the structural feature in audiovisual messages like fast edits (A. Lang, Zhou, Schwartz, Bolls, & Potter, 2000) or fast pacing (A. Lang, Bolls, Pott... ...teractively activate the motivational systems and determine emotional experience. This study will represent a first to address this important issue. Because the emotional relevance of mediated messages activate the human motivational systems (A. Lang et al., 2007; A. Lang, Shin, & Lee, 2005), it is important to develop understanding of the influence of various channels or modalities on motivational activation and emotional experience. By advancing understandings of motivational activation stands to contribute to knowledge about cognitive processing of information in mediated messages. Automatic allocation of processing resources to cognitive processing of information in audiovisual messages depends largely on motivational activation (A. Lang et al., 1999; A. Lang, Dhillon, & Dong, 1995; A. Lang et al., 1996; A. Lang, Park, Sanders-Jackson, Wilson, & Wang, 2007).