V. Purchaser And Buyer Relationships Essay - 896 Words

V. Purchaser and Buyer Relationships in Just In Time Systems A just-in-time system can only exist in an atmosphere where suppliers are reliable and will work to minimize the risk of not having the needed input of production (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 1995). A just-in-time system puts increased stress on both the supplier and purchaser in the course of its implementation and places the purchaser at the mercy of its key suppliers, meaning the supplier must never be wrong in terms of quantity or quality (Karlsson Norr, 1994). Optimally a supplier themselves will be on or working towards a just-in-time system themselves, but this is not always possible (Fallon Browne, 1988). To allow the supplier to accomplish the massive feat mentioned above there are three required elements that must be present: clear communications, close proximity, and close relationships. For a successful just-in-time system to occur the communications between the supplier and purchaser should be clear and unambiguous (Epps, 1995). Traditional just-in-time philosophy also implies that a supplier should be located geographically close to the purchaser though some studies show this is not required if the parties can find other ways to compensate for the geographic distance (Manna, 2008; Karlsson Norr, 1994; Keller Kazazi, 1993). The relationship between purchaser and supplier in a just-in-time program must be one of respect and trust where the supplier is involved in the process and aShow MoreRelatedPlacido Engine Company Essay791 Words   |  4 Pagescorrosion process that may ultimately scrap parts. The cost incurred for the rework will be passed on to the supplier, along with ne gative quality ratings. A disadvantage for this possible solution would be acquiring short-term relationship with the suppliers or end of relationship due to high costs and high expectations. 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Human and Computers Interaction - 587 Words

Human Computer Interaction we are all familiar with, a trait characteristic of all humankind that emerged in the early 1980s that started embracing computer science and human factors that would interact with computer. There has been study of how the users of computers utilize them to complete tasks in the environment they will finally be used in. Human Computer Interaction is not just designed for one user and then another user comes along to use it. When been created an HCI system it would have to be considering how the users will interact with computer devices. Human Computer Interaction all aspects have been included in the tasks to be completed, in the technology that will be used by the user (e.g. input/output), how they will interact with the system. Therefore, human computer interaction has become increasingly popular and is important to our society. Over one hundred years ago before, the word computer started to appear in our dictionary people didn’t even know what a c omputer is. Now Human Computer Interaction has expanded rapidly and steadily over three decades. Until the late 1970s, the only humans who interacted with computers were information technology professionals and dedicated hobbyists. This changed disruptively with the emergence of personal computing in the later 1970s. Personal computing, including both personal software (productivity applications, such as text editors and spreadsheets, and interactive computer games) and personal computer platformsShow MoreRelatedHuman Computer Interaction1508 Words   |  7 Pagesa significant impact on human life process. What was on the top of the Maslows Hierarchy of Needs is now performing a vital role in each human life. 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Global Marketing Management By IKEA for Expansion in China

Question 1: Critically analyse the macro and micro environment of the market environment in CHINA using appropriate analytical tools Question 2: Develop appropriate marketing objectives and critically analyse supporting corporate and business strategies to support the expansion of the IKEA brand in the CHINA Question 3: Critically analyse the potential Business Model of IKEA and its adaptation for the expansion of the brand in CHINA. In addition, justify the most appropriate application of the marketing tactics that will support the expansion in CHINA Answer: Task 1:Critical analysis of macro and micro environment of market in China through appropriate analytical tools-900 The SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of IKEA efficiently highlights the micro environment of the company. Details from this analysis are efficient enough to identify the potential factors affecting the business of the company. In order to analyse the macro environment the PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental) analysis tool as opined by Li and Yang (2014, p. 4742), is an efficient one. It efficiently brings forth the eminent external factors affecting the business of IKEA in China. Porters Five Forces The potent industrial factors affecting the company are efficiently highlighted by conducting the Porters Five Forces Analysis. As stated by (Porter-Steele, 2010, p. 79), the five major forces of this tool identify and give the details of significant factors that influence on the business conduction of a company in the concerned market. The Porters Five Forces analysis of furniture industry of China points out relevant information as follows: The high Bargaining power of customers indicates the availability of adequate number of furniture organisations in Chinese market (Shi and Smith, 2012, p. 82). The low bargaining power of suppliers on the other hand, identifies the high price sensitivity among the customers of China. This factor accounts for the consideration of the prices of IKEA products to be high in the Chinese market while the same price is considered low elsewhere. The need for large amount of capital investment is a major barrier to entry in Chinese market for most organisations. IKEA however, being a well-established company is expected to overcome this barrier easily. At the same time, it restricts the other smaller companies from entering the market thus, reducing the competition intensity to an extent. However, as asserted by (Agnihotri, 2014, p. 207), there are large numbers of furniture businesses operating in the Chinese market at domestic level. Therefore, IKEA is about to face tough competition from t he domestic companies in Chinese furniture retail market. The analysis highlights a failure of the retail giant Home Depot in Chinese market. There also exists a specific market culture. Thus it lowers the threat of new entrants into the furniture retail market of China. However, the tool pinpoints on the high Threat of substitutes in Chinese market. Existence of fake IKEA stores and ease of copying the products of IKEA by other retailers is an eminent threat lingering over IKEA in conducting its business efficiently in the Chinese furniture retail market. The high Incumbent rivalry evident in Chinese market is a major factor and threat for IKEA. The presence of strong players as BQ and Taobao contributes to the increase in rivalry in the market of China. Jiang et al. (2013, p. 209) argued that there are several suppliers in China market who emerge as the direct competitors of IKEA. Task 2: Developing appropriate marketing objectives and critical analysis of business and corporate strategies supporting expansion of IKEA brand in China IKEA can apply techniques and procedures as Hofstede Index, Psychic Distance Model, Perceptual map on positioning, marketing mix and segmentation to analyse market in China. It will direct the company towards the development of appropriate marketing objectives (Luther, 2011, p. 62). Hofstede Index (Refer to Appendix 1) It indicates that there exist a remarkable distinction in culture of China and Sweden, the home country of IKEA with a highlight on the show-off mentality among people of China. The preferred style and need of furniture differs widely among the 2 countries with China consisting larger families than in Sweden. On-line shopping emerges as a viable scope of business in China where mostly people are busy in work. As stated by Bessant (2009, p. 41), the index drives IKEA towards innovative products through depiction of wide acceptance of innovative items in China with the property of accepting changes very fast. However, a deeper focus is required for advertisement and customer attraction in China than in Sweden due to the lesser fun-loving culture of China. Psychic Distance Model (Refer to Appendix 2) This model identifies the marked language distance between the country of Sweden and China. It drives IKEA towards adoption of Chinese main language Mandarin for its business and marketing operations in China. IKEA can also set the store locations near offices as per the Chinese culture. A major focus on maintaining low price products by IKEA is essential in China due to the unstable economic conditions. The rule of paying 25% corporate tax in China raises the business expense of IKEA in China. However, the company is provided with ample investing opportunities by the Chinese government (Jiang et al. 2013, p. 205). Perceptual map on positioning (Refer to Appendix 3) As per the Perceptual maps of IKEA products in terms of quality and price in different countries, the company can efficiently position itself against its rivals in the respective countries of China, US, France, Germany, Austria and UK. The products of IKEA depict standard quality level in all the mentioned countries. Hence, IKEA stands at a better position than its rivals in terms of quality. However, China being a developing country shows the consideration of prices of IKEA products to be high. It leads to the development of conception that IKEA products in China market can be considered of good quality but highly priced. Segmentation IKEA can segment its target market as per the following criteria of Demography, Geography, Psychograph and Socio-graphic: Corporate and business strategies of IKEA As far as the corporate and business strategies of IKEA are concerned, its corporate strategy of offering low price products with functional and well-designed characteristics poses a challenge to the organisation in face of competition in market. It strategy of global outsourcing is effective in enabling it in cost reduction facilitating international expansion. Its corporate strategy is also effective in attaining low-cost labour and less expensive raw materials by providing scope of long-term high-volume business relationship with the country as is found in Vietnam (Hgevold, 2011, p. 395). Its business strategy of open communication facilitated knowledge sharing, streamlining decision-making, mastering new technologies in furniture production and effective advertising methods enabled IKEA to develop unique competitive advantage over other rivals in the industry. Task 3:Critical analysis of potential business model of IKEA and its adaptation for brand expansion in China with most appropriate marketing tactics supporting the expansion According to Hwang et al. (2013, p. 1506), business canvas model is a tool to create and analyse business models. Most of the company can create this model easily. But the main thing that every company has to make sure is that they must analyze it and update the existing model with due course of time. As per the given case study organization IKEA has also a business model of its own. Customer Segments: The target customer of IKEA is basically the families. The age varies from 30 and 35 and about 70% of their customers are women. Customer Relationship: According to Hgevold (2011, p. 384), IKEA does all the necessary activities to maintain a healthy relationship with the customer. This is the reason why they have reduced the price of their products as per the demand of customers. Channels: IKEA mainly does its business through retail outlets. They provide very limited online service (Hellstrm and Nilsson, 2011, p. 640). Value Propositions: IKEA successfully provides quality service within a less price. But in China the pricing strategy of their products are generally high. Key Activities: In China market IKEA needs to expand more and they need to communicate with the customers through various social media sites. Key Resources: IKEA has been very successful on this as they recruited more than 120,000 people around the world for their 315 stores. According to Michael Sayeau (2009, p. 494), last year was one of the most successful year for the company as they have been able to generate a revenue of 28.5 Billions of Euros. Key Partners: IKEA being one of the top most furniture company brands has suppliers from almost different countries. 60% of their merchandise are sourced from Europe, Asia and North America (Hultman et al. 2012, p. 14). Cost Structure: IKEA sources the merchandise from cost effective sources so sourcing is not that costly for the organisation but reducing the price in China has been very costly for the company. Revenue Streams: As it is a furniture company so its main earning areas are from the hotel chains and restaurants. Their cheap rate and excellent product quality has made IKEA a popular household name in all over UK (Hellstrm and Nilsson, 2011, p. 640). Criticism of their business model: The main problem with their business model that sometimes their price leads them to loses. Although the pricing system is one of the major revenue generating components for the company, still they have to make some considerations while operating in countries like China where the pricing system is naturally high. Another point of concern in their model is that, they are not concentrating much on the online media. They have a very limited service in this media, hence they may face some problem in the near future because the trend of online shopping has exploded so much that people hardly goes to a shop now. Online shopping is less time consuming and very effective for those people who dont have time to visit shops personally. Figure 2: Business Model Canvas of IKEA (Source: As created by the learner) Conclusion: This study highlights the essential aspects of global marketing in the context of IKEA organisation in Chinese furniture retail market. Although the company faced challenges regarding price reduction, differential government laws, culture difference, etc IKEA identifies methods to improve its market position. Taobao and BQ the two main competitors of IKEA in Chinese furniture market can be well handled by the company through gaining adequate competitive advantage by adopting the measures as stated in the recommendations. Recommendations: In order to develop and attain an effective marketing operation and expansion in the Chinese market IKEA needs to focus on certain major factors. As per the issues highlighted in the study, the relevant recommendations are provided as follows: Development of online-marketing techniques IKEA with its sole focus on providing quality products at low prices, and market expansion overseas has neglected the adoption of technological features with time. The company lags behind in its online shopping provisions, which is highly advanced in most of the rival companies in Chinese market. The people in China with a busy schedule of work in their daily life show a high preference towards online-shopping. IKEA thus, needs to develop its online shopping infrastructure considerably to improve and enhance their efficiency of business in the Chinese market and attract more clients thus increasing sales and revenue. IKEA can also avail more customers and spread awareness of their products through improving their social networking activities which is quite popular in China. Opening more stores in China As highlighted in the business model section, IKEA has a smaller number of stores in Chinese market. In order to achieve an effective expansion, they need to set up more stores. Focusing on establishment of stores near the office area is a major recommendation for IKEA. As observed from the study, the Chinese people availing the stores mainly driven by need rather than luxury or fun. Therefore, setting the stores near the offices will attract more customers. Another recommendation for IKEA is to shift their focus from restaurants and hotels to offices. It is because in China, there are more offices and the focus is higher on office works than on hotels. Therefore, emphasising on offices, if IKEA designs their products as per the needs and expectations of office works, they can expect a better and more number of orders and purchase. Thus, the company needs to shift its focus as per the country needs. Reference List Books: Bessant, J. (2009). Innovation. London: DK Keegan, W. and Green, M. (2010). Global marketing. Harlow: Pearson Education Kotabe, M. and Helsen, K. (2010). Global marketing management. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Luther, W. (2011). The marketing plan. New York: AMACOM Journals: Agnihotri, A. (2014). Mass-Media-based Corporate Reputation and Firms Market Valuation Evidence from Emerging Markets. Corporate Reputation Review, 17(3), pp.206-218 Dennis, C., Morgan, A., Wright, L. and Jayawardhena, C. (2010). The influences of social e-shopping in enhancing young women's online shopping behaviour. J. Cust. Behav., 9(2), pp.151-174 Hgevold, N. (2011). A corporate effort towards a sustainable business model. European Business Review, 23(4), pp.392-400 Hellstrm, D. and Nilsson, F. (2011). Logistics driven packaging innovation: a case study at IKEA. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, 39(9), pp.638-657 Hultman, J., Johnsen, T., Johnsen, R. and Hertz, S. (2012). An interaction approach to global sourcing: A case study of IKEA. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 18(1), pp.9-21 Hwang, J., Han, H. and Hwang, C. (2013). A Study on the application of Architectural Business Model Canvas of Urban Single Houses on the Viewpoints of Prosumers. The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences, 8(10), pp.1505-1514 Jiang, N., Liping, W. and Sharma, K. (2013). Trends, Patters and Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in China. Global Business Review, 14(2), pp.201-210 Johansson, U. and Thelander, . (2009). A standardised approach to the world? IKEA in China. International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, 1(2), pp.199-219 Keller, H. and Thackeray, R. (2011). Social Marketing and the Creative Process: Staying True to Your Social Marketing Objectives. Health Promotion Practice, 12(5), pp.651-653 Li, L. and Yang, T. (2014). An Analysis of Furniture Manufacturing Industry Competitiveness Based on Design Innovation Investment. AMM, 687-691, pp.4741-4745 Lindqvist, U. (2009). The Cultural Archive of the IKEA Store. Space and Culture, 12(1), pp.43-62 Michael Sayeau, (2009). IKEA Modernism and the Perils of Innovation. Modernism/modernity, 16(3), pp.493-495 Mochon, D., Norton, M. and Ariely, D. (2012). Bolstering and restoring feelings of competence via the IKEA effect. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 29(4), pp.363-369 Porter-Steele, N. (2010). Book Review: Transactional Analysis: 100 Key Points and Techniques. Transactional Analysis Journal, 40(1), pp.79-80 Prasad, A. and Prasad, P. (2013). Innovation in the Global Age: Implications for Business and Management in the Knowledge Economy. IJBA, 4(6), pp. 102-106 Rask, M., Korsgaard, S. and Lauring, J. (2010). When international management meets diversity management: the case of IKEA. EJIM, 4(4), p.396. Scott, A. (2009). Notes from a recession. Business Strategy Review, 20(3), pp.4-10 Shi, W. and Smith, P. (2012). Exploring Market Opportunities for American Hardwoods through Chinese International Furniture Supply Trade Shows. Forest Products Journal, 62(2), pp.80-89 Websites: China, C. (2015). Case analysis Ikea in China. [online] Academia.edu. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/6652225/Case_analysis_Ikea_in_China [Accessed 8 Jan. 2015]. Dudovskiy, J. (2014). IKEA Porters Five Forces Analysis - Research Methodology. [online] Research-methodology.net. Available at: https://research-methodology.net/ikea-porters-five-forces-analysis/ [Accessed 8 Jan. 2015]. Ikea.com, (2015). Facts Figures - IKEA. [online] Available at: https://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/facts_and_figures/facts_figures.html [Accessed 8 Jan. 2015] APPENDICES Appendix 1 Hofstede Index (IKEA) Appendix 2 Psychic Distance Model Appendix 3 Perceptual Map of IKEA products in Terms of Quality and Price in China Perceptual Map of IKEA products in Terms of Quality and Price in France Perceptual Map of IKEA products in Terms of Quality and Price in USA Perceptual Map of IKEA products in Terms of Quality and Price in Austria

The History Of Lidls busines free essay sample

Lidl was first founded in Germany as a grocery wholesaler back in the 1930s by a member of the Schwarz family. Lidl’s full name is Lidl Stiftung Co.KG. The first Lidl stores were opened in 1973. By 1977 there were 33 Lidl stores in Germany. By the 1980s Lidl was a household name throughout Germany. During the 1990s Lidl started to open stores around the rest of Europe and today Lidl stores can be found in nearly every country in Europe. Lidl opened its first UK store in 1994 and grew rapidly during the first decade of the 21st century. Since then, Lidl has grown consistently, and today has over 650 stores. Lidl is now well known as a main European food retailer. Today, Lidl, as part of the Schwarz Group, is one of the largest grocery retailers in Europe? it has over 3100 stores in Germany and more stores around the rest of Europe. We will write a custom essay sample on The History Of Lidls busines or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is Aldi’s main competitor in Germany. Since 1994, when Lidl first came to the UK, there has been a fast rise in the number of stores and is now more than 400 stores, and there are still plenty more to come. Lidl is planning to take their stores outside of Europe and possibly build stores in locations such as Canada, Australia, and Mexico.A typical Lidl store has an average sales area of around 1,000 square meters (about 10,800 square feet), whereas Aldi stores have an average area of 600 to 800 square meters (about 6,500 to 8,600 square feet). However, both discounters have started to open larger stores. Some new Lidl stores have sales areas of up to 1,400 square meters (just more than 15,000 square feet), while new Aldi stores have up to 1,100 square meters (slightly more than 11,800 square feet).Lidl’s product range is wider, around 1,800 items, including private label products as well as branded products.Lidl is investing strongly in advertising in newspapers and on TV and billboards. In some countries, such as the Netherlands and Croatia, Lidl spent the same amount of money on advertising as the market leaders (Ahold in the Netherlands and Konzum in Croatia).LIDL has their own distribution centers and keep strong control over the production cost of their private label products. In order to quickly react to changes in the prices of raw materials, Lidl operates its own chocolate and bakery factory in Germany.Lidl saw strong revenue growth of 10 percent in Poland in 2014, whereas Aldi’s growth in Poland was much slower.

How to effectively transform change in your employees

Free Essays on Anthrax

Anthrax, disease of warm-blooded animals, including humans, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax most commonly occurs in cattle and other plant-eating mammals, but it can also affect humans who come in contact with infected animals. The disease is not considered contagious, however, and person-to-person spread of the disease is highly unlikely. Vaccines can protect against anthrax, and antibiotics can treat the disease in its early stages. Anthrax is a spore-forming bacterium . The spores have protective coats and can withstand extreme heat, drought, and other harsh conditions. They can live for centuries in soil. Anthrax spores also have the potential for use in biological warfare because of their ability to survive and because they spread easily in air and can be inhaled. Once the spores are inside the lungs, the bacteria develop and begin to multiply. In humans, the disease can appear in three forms: cutaneous, inhalation, and gastrointestinal. The cutaneous, or external form, primarily involves the skin and is contracted mainly by those who handle contaminated hides, wool, or carcasses. The bacteria enter through a cut or other opening in the skin, and a dark, itchy bump that resembles an insect bite appears. The bump then develops into an open sore with a black area in the center. The cutaneous form of anthrax can be treated with antimicrobial drugs. Death results in about 20 percent of untreated cases. Veterinarians, mill workers, laboratory researchers, and other people at risk of exposure to anthrax are generally vaccinated against the disease. Humans contract internal forms of anthrax by inhaling anthrax spores or by eating contaminated meat. People who work with animal hair and wool are most likely to inhale the spores, especially in areas where anthrax occurs in animals. Symptoms of inhaled anthrax initially resemble those of a cold or the flu- general aches and pains, fever, fatigue, cough, and mi... Free Essays on Anthrax Free Essays on Anthrax Anthrax is the preferred biological warfare agent because: It is highly lethal. 100 million lethal doses per gram of anthrax material (100,000 times deadlier than the deadliest chemical warfare agent). Silent, invisible killer. Inhalational anthrax is virtually always fatal. There are low barriers to production. Low cost of producing the anthrax material. Not high-technology. Knowledge is widely available. Easy to produce in large quantities. It is easy to weaponize. It is extremely stable. It can be stored almost indefinitely as a dry powder. It can be loaded, in a freeze-dried condition, in munitions or disseminated as an aerosol with crude sprayers. Currently, we have a limited detection capability. What is Anthrax? Anthrax is a naturally occurring disease of plant eating animals (goats, sheep, cattle, wine, etc.) caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. It is an illness which has been recognized since antiquity. Anthrax was common in essentially all areas where livestock are raised. Intensive livestock immunization programs have greatly reduced the occurrence of the disease among both animals and humans in much of the world, an most outbreaks occur in areas where immunization programs have not been implemented or have become compromised (primarily Africa and Asia; however, outbreaks occurred during the mid- I 990's in Haiti and the former Soviet Union). Anthrax spores can remain viable for several decades under suitable environmental conditions; thus, absence of cases does not equate to absence of risk. Humans can contract anthrax in three ways: Through cuts or breaks in the skin resulting from contact with an infected animal (cutaneous anthrax), resulting in local and possibly systemic (bloodstream) infection. From breathing anthrax spores (termed "woolsorters" disease) resulting in an infection of the lungs (inhalational anthrax). From eating infected meat, resulting in gastrointestinal i... Free Essays on Anthrax Anthrax, disease of warm-blooded animals, including humans, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax most commonly occurs in cattle and other plant-eating mammals, but it can also affect humans who come in contact with infected animals. The disease is not considered contagious, however, and person-to-person spread of the disease is highly unlikely. Vaccines can protect against anthrax, and antibiotics can treat the disease in its early stages. Anthrax is a spore-forming bacterium . The spores have protective coats and can withstand extreme heat, drought, and other harsh conditions. They can live for centuries in soil. Anthrax spores also have the potential for use in biological warfare because of their ability to survive and because they spread easily in air and can be inhaled. Once the spores are inside the lungs, the bacteria develop and begin to multiply. In humans, the disease can appear in three forms: cutaneous, inhalation, and gastrointestinal. The cutaneous, or external form, primarily involves the skin and is contracted mainly by those who handle contaminated hides, wool, or carcasses. The bacteria enter through a cut or other opening in the skin, and a dark, itchy bump that resembles an insect bite appears. The bump then develops into an open sore with a black area in the center. The cutaneous form of anthrax can be treated with antimicrobial drugs. Death results in about 20 percent of untreated cases. Veterinarians, mill workers, laboratory researchers, and other people at risk of exposure to anthrax are generally vaccinated against the disease. Humans contract internal forms of anthrax by inhaling anthrax spores or by eating contaminated meat. People who work with animal hair and wool are most likely to inhale the spores, especially in areas where anthrax occurs in animals. Symptoms of inhaled anthrax initially resemble those of a cold or the flu- general aches and pains, fever, fatigue, cough, and mi... Free Essays on Anthrax What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You â€Å"You sound like you have a cold,† my grandpa said over the phone. â€Å"Yeah, I have had it for almost two months now but it seems to be getting better,† I replied. â€Å"Gee, I hope it’s not Anthrax!† he darted back at me without hesitation. After the routine small talk I hung up the phone since my mom was not home to talk to him. I thought to myself, â€Å"He is loosing it worse than I thought! Anthrax is only found in livestock.† I told my mom he called and about the laugh I had but then she informed me that livestock was the most common carriers but not the only. After that incident, I started to ponder about this deadly disease. Is it a disease? To start, all I knew to be true about Anthrax is that it can kill people and that the vaccine is not available to the general public. After searching on the Internet for information I found the most common definition for Anthrax to be this: Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus Anthracis. The three parts of that bacterium are edema toxin, lethal toxin, and a capsular antigen. To me, this means nothing. It doesn’t tell me how to avoid getting Anthrax or how it can be contracted. After reading deeper into it, I discovered that there are three major clinical forms: cutaneous, inhalation, and gastrointestinal. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Cutaneous Anthrax is the most common naturally occurring type of infection and usually occurs after skin contact with contaminated meat, wool, hides, or leather from infected animals. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) It seems strange to me that this is the most common because meats have to be approved before being put on the shelves of stores. Inhalation Anthrax is the most lethal form of Anthrax. The spores must be aerosolized (to disperse as an aerosol) in order to cause this type. The studies aren’t too sure of ho... Free Essays on Anthrax Anthrax As the number of Americans exposed to anthrax increases, so does public anxiety. What do you need to know? I am here to inform you of what anthrax really is? How people get anthrax? Where does anthrax come from? What are the symptoms and treatment to anthrax? What is anthrax? Anthrax is acute infectious animal disease that has been around for tens of thousands of years. The germ produces long-lasting infectious spores. These spores can survive in the environment for a long time. Grass-eating animals, such as cattle, are most often infected because they can eat spores living in the soil. Animal vaccination - and destruction of infected herds - has drastically reduced the number of infected animals. Even so, anthrax spores continue to be found in soil samples from all over the world. When anthrax spores get inside the body, they grow rapidly. The germs themselves can cause dangerous infections. Far more dangerous is a substance they produce in the body called- anthrax toxin - which helps the bug survive by killing off cells of the immune system. This toxin is so deadly that it can kill even after infection is brought under control. How do people get anthrax? People can catch anthrax from infected animals or contaminated animal products. Most natural infection comes from skin contact. In the past, industrial wool sorters were at high risk of infection. You can also get anthrax infection from eating raw or too-rare meat - but this is uncommon. Even more uncommon - but by far most deadly - is anthrax caught by inhaling spores or infection is transmitted through the skin. . Until the events of September, 2001, there hadn’t been a case of inhalation anthrax in the U.S. since 1978. The disease has two forms: a skin from and a pulmonary form. In the skin and most contagious form of the infection is transmitted through a break in the skin. After an abrasion forms and the dead tissue and crust fall off, infections may sp... Free Essays on Anthrax Terrorism and Anthrax in America The threat of a terrorist attack of any kind in America at this point and time seems very unrealistic. Should we let our guard down? Even though nothing has happened in the last several months regarding terrorism in America. The last few months in the Middle East unfortunately has been chaos. Are the Palestinians planning something big against America or could it be some of Americans own citizens to perform the next act of major terrorism? We as Americans should still fear the threat of any kind of terrorism that me be brought before us. America has been a target with terrorism ever since our political involvement with the Middle East. The United States has had involvement with the Middle East ever since the Gulf War in the early 1990’s. The United States became more involved in the happenings in the Middle East when the Palestinian Liberation Organization (P.L.O.) was recognized. The P.L.O. is an organization that was developed to help the Palestinians try to recover land that they lost when the country of Israel was established in 1948. America soon became allies with Israel, because America felt like the Palestinian countries were being a threat to the people of Israel. Which in terms is the major reason Americans and Jews are hated and despised by a majority of Palestinians. There is even an extreme an Afghanistan terrorist group called the Al Qaeda which whom Osama Bin Laden is believed to be in leadership of. The extreme terrorist group has training camps to teach kids as young as 14 years old how to use guns, bombs, and different types of weapons of mass destruction. These kids are even taught to hate Americans and Jews. On September 11, 2001 two planes crashed into the World Trade Centers in New York City. This has been the one of the only major attacks on United States soil. Some things that transpired after the attack were a higher security alert for terrorists in Ameri... Free Essays on Anthrax What is anthrax? Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax most commonly occurs in warm-blooded animals, but can also infect man. Anthrax spores can be produced in a dry form (for biological warfare ) which may be stored and ground into particles. When inhaled by humans, these particles cause respiratory failure and death within a week. Why has anthrax become a current issue? Because anthrax is considered to be a potential agent for use in biological warfare, the Department of Defense (DOD) announced that it will begin systematic vaccination of all U.S. military personnel. Who gets anthrax? Anthrax is most common in agricultural regions where it occurs in animals. These include South and Central America, Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. When anthrax affects humans, it is usually due to an occupational exposure to infected animals or their products. Workers who are exposed to dead animals and animal products (industrial anthrax) from other countries where anthrax is more common may become infected with B. anthracis. Anthrax in animals rarely occurs in the United States. Most reports of animal infection are received from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Dakota. How is anthrax transmitted? Anthrax infection can occur in three forms: cutaneous (skin), inhalation, and gastrointestinal. B. anthracis spores can live in the soil for many years and humans can become infected with anthrax by handling animal products from infected animals or by inhaling anthrax spores from contaminated animal products. Anthrax can also be spread by eating undercooked meat from infected animals. It is rare to find infected animals in the United States. What are the symptoms of anthrax? Symptoms of disease vary depending on how the disease was contracted, but symptoms usually occur within seven days. Cutaneous: Most anthra...

Social Work Nursing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Social Work Nursing - Case Study Example Nursing is a profession which really teaches you beside other professional knowledge as to how to become more patient and serve the humanity with all your heart and soul. It not only provides you a chance to be more caring and considerate but also give you an opportunity to grow as a person. Further Nursing as a profession has evolved over the period of time and has now emerged one of the highly respectable and demanding professions of the world. With these aims in my mind, I chose to consider nursing as my professionNursing, as a profession, need to have a balanced view where the new entrants into the profession must also know about the academic knowledge of their profession however, they must possess the knowledge of the practical realities of the profession also. However, this can only be done if people who train them should have practical as well as academic knowledge.Since mental health is also related with the psychology of a person therefore I believe this aspect of the profes sion has also allowed me to consider this as a profession which is worthwhile to be pursued. It is believed the psychology emerged on its modern footings almost a century ago however its influence is still considered to be current in terms of its impact on the overall sciences related with mental and physical health of a person. What was most fascinating about this emergence of the psychology is the fact that it had radically changed the way we use to perceive and view life at large. However no science can play a constructive and positive role in society until and unless it is not ethically practiced. It also must be noted that traditionally psychologists have relied on the principles of value avoiding and value neutral model where it was believed that in order to get the truth- the truth about the person, moral values could not be taken into account. (Lowen, 1993). One of the most important reasons that I wish to study to study for this profession is the fact that it provides a very accurate and true picture of how a person evolve over the period of time. Every person’s life carries a distinct plot, a different set of characteristics which distinguish each of us from others. (Hockbury, 1996,375). It is important in the sense that it provides you a better look at how the life unfolds itself and how we as professionals can contribute towards the overall

Instructional Methods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Instructional Methods - Research Paper Example Direct and indirect methods are two categories in which the learning methods can be divided. However, these instrumental learning methods are so complicated that they cannot be classified into merely two categories. Every instrumental teaching method used by the teachers has some pros and cons attached to it. The teaching method that the teacher uses in a particular class of students depends on the level and age of the students. Therefore the first step in teaching is to select the correct and accurate teaching method for the students belonging specific class. There is no such ideal method of teaching which can be implied to all teaching level and to all students belonging to different development level; it is the task of the student to select a teaching method which suits the situation. There are factors that the teacher must keep in mind before the selection of any specific instrumental teaching method, these are; material, physical setting, time, space, level of development of stu dents and many more (Kizlik). Approaches to Learning Teacher centered approach This approach is usually based on the fact that the role of the teacher is to provide instruction to the students that may foster learning, in order to achieve a specific goal. The teacher defines the objective of the course to the students and then explains the information to the students. ... Some effective teaching methods have been discussed below. Direct Teaching This teaching method is one of the widely accepted learning methods. This learning method focuses on very specific learning target. The students are given reasons regarding the importance of content which is being taught to them. The students gain can be easily measured by the help of this method. The content of this teaching method must be organized in advance and the teacher must have all the relevant knowledge about the student pre-requisite of the lesson. It is considered one of the effective teaching methods as it is based upon the learning of basic and specific skills. One of the disadvantages of this teaching method is that it stifles the creativity present in a teacher. This teaching method cannot proceed without the well organized preparation of the learning content. The teachers must possess good communication skills if they want to carry on with this teaching method. The steps involved in this metho d must be followed in the prescribed order. This method is usually effective in lower order thinking and it immensely depends on the skills and knowledge of the teacher. Cooperative learning This teaching method fosters mutual responsibility in the students. The teaching method related to this teaching style is supported by different research techniques. This method teaches the students to be more compassionate towards their work, to be patient and less critical. The instructor decides prior to the lecture that what knowledge and skills must be learned by the students. It requires sometimes making the student learn that how they may work in groups, for the specific task assigned to them. There are certain disadvantages related to this teaching style. Some students do

Understand the concept and process of marketing Assignment

Understand the concept and process of marketing - Assignment Example ntify the needs and wants of its customers to have a competitive advantage in the market and be able to provide the services or products to the customers which best suits the needs and wants of the customers. It is necessary to satisfy the specific needs and wants of the customers because it would ultimately help to generate more revenues and achieve the overall mission, vision and objectives of a particular company. Customer’s Value Customer value can be defined as the values gained by him as a result of owning and utilising a particular service or product in excess of how much it had cost to him in the process of acquiring such service or product. Customer satisfaction is dependent on the extent up to which the expectations of the buyer matches with the performance of the product or service as perceived by him. If in any case the product performance does not match or falls below the expectation levels of a customer he becomes dissatisfied with the service or product offered to him. Marketing actually takes place when people takes the decision of satisfying their wants and needs through exchange. Exchange is thus a process through one obtains the desired product from someone and in return offers something back to the person. Thus a company offers its products or services to its customers in exchange of money. However the concept of marketing is changing rapidly and is no longer limited to the exchange process only. Relationship is also vital to the marketing process and the companies are now focussed on relationship marketing which helps to create, maintain and build a strong long term relationship with the stakeholders of the company including its customers (Palmatier, 2008). Evolution of Marketing The concept of marketing has evolved over time and customer is... Understand the concept and process of marketing The other important sectors of UK include agricultural and fishing, tourism and finance. Social – The social factors include trends in demographics such as population size, age, cultural factors and consumer activities. The culture of UK refers to the idiosyncratic cultural norms. UK generally speaks English as the native language. It is characterized by the existence of different types of consumers in the market. Technological – Technological factors include rate of new product development, increase in process automation and other technical infrastructures such as technology inducements, technology transfer, impact of internet and R & D activity. In UK technology is one of the central parts of any business. They make heavy use of technology in almost every sector. Marketing objectives of a firm are designed in such a way that ultimately it leads to the attainment of the overall objectives of the business firm. The marketing objectives actually set out path for an organisation towards achieving the marketing activities that are needed to be performed by the company. Some of the marketing objectives of Vodafone include retaining the leadership of the company in the market measured on the basis of revenues earned per customer, customer satisfaction and network quality.

The Social Construction Of Older Age

The Social Construction Of Older Age Discuss the social construction of older age and how this should then contribute to anti-discriminatory social work practice How has older age been socially and historically constructed? The biological perspective of ageing believes that the process of aging is a biological fact which is universal and affects all people. It takes the view that aging is a fundamental, progressive process which continuous throughout life (Lymbery, M 2005). The biological approach believes that as a person ages there is a decline in function as cells degenerate. Therefore, this approach views age as connected to a state of dependency and weakness with no possibility for improvement (Crawford, K and J, Walker 2004). However, in contrast there are other perspectives which take into account other elements such as the social construction of old age. For example, the introduction of retirement meant that clear boundaries were created which defined the point at which a person enters older age. Also, other dev elopments in the welfare system such as the provision of pensions, have further defined the concept of old age. Therefore, the end of employment and the start of retirement can be seen as a major influence in the way older age has been socially constructed (Lymbery M 2005). Crawford and Walker (2004) believe that the way in which older age has been historically constructed impacts upon the current view and treatment of older people in todays society. They note that during the Middle Ages, older people were cared for by either charities or religious institutions. The Poor Law Act, introduced in 1601, transferred the responsibility of the care of older people within the family, to care within the community. This meant that older people were now cared for by their local parish, as families were unable to support them due to the financial risks of agricultural based society. Workhouses were then introduced for individuals who were seen as needy and unproductive members of society. This included groups such as older people, the sick and those who were disabled. As there were no welfare system in existence, this meant that older people had to reside in workhouses as they had no other means of support. As the demand for care rose, the Poor Lawn Amendment Act in 1834 was introduced in attempt to cut costs by eliminating outdoor relief, this meant that older people were no longer able to receive support in their own homes and those in need of welfare were institutionalised in workhouse. This resulted in older people being viewed as a burden on society as they no longer had power, choice or control over they way they lived their lives (Crawford, K and J, Walker 2004). According to Phillipson (1998), the concept of old age being a separate group within society only surfaced during the end of the nineteenth century. As highlighted by Slater (1930 cited Phillipson, C. 1998) up until this period both the welfare provision for the sick, and the welfare provision for the elderly, were classified in the same way with no distinction between the two groups. Slater believes that it was at this point that societies found it necessary to end sickness benefit when an individual reaches 65, and to replace this with old age pension. The Old Age Pension Act was introduced in 1908 and provided all citizens who were over the age of seventy with up to five shillings a week if their income was under ten shillings a year. However, although this provided support for older people, the view held by society was to remain in work until they were unable to do so due to physical difficulties. Therefore, this resulted in older people who did not work being viewed in a negative way, as they were looked upon as useless due to the belief that they were either too stupid or too weak to work (Crawford, K and J, Walker 2004). It was during the twentieth century when older people began to be seen as different in they way they experienced and held an inferior status within society. It was found that through this period in time, one in five people who had reached the age of seventy were very poor and were a recipient of state welfare, and the likelihood rose significantly for those who were seventy-five, to a chance of one in three. This meant that circumstances such as being in poverty and experiencing marginalisation were seen as inevitable as an individual entered later adulthood, which provided the basis for which the concept of older age was constructed. What are the consequences for people in terms of social disadvantage? Older people face social disadvantage in many ways, such as infantilisation. This refers to a process in which adults are treated as though they were a child. This is a form of oppression as it demeans older people by assuming that they are fundamentally different from other adults and are therefore less worthy of respect (Thompson, S 2005). For example, the desexualisation of older age plays a key role in infantilisation. This is because old age is seen as a second stage of childhood, with an inappropriate link with sexuality, which further reaffirms the idea that older people are not adults. However, as sex is seen as an action of the healthy, this also reinforces the idea that older people are unwell, dependent and frail and further excludes them from sexuality. This illustrates they way in which older people are seen to be in need of support and reliant on others, similar to the conventions of childhood (Gott, M 2005). Also, by referring to older people by names such as dearie, i t can be degrading as the person using the term automatically assumes that the individual does not mind being referred to in this way, which can be seen as disrespectful and inconsiderate of their feelings. (Thompson, S 2005) Marginalisation is also another way through which older people face social disadvantage. Marginalisation is a form of social exclusion, and is used to describe the way in which people are pushed to the margins of society, which then prevents them from taking part in activities (Thompson, S 2005). When referring to older people, this is the process where older people are excluded from society due to preconceived ideas that they have no use, and are therefore a burden to society (Thompson, N 2006). There are many ways in which older people can experience marginalisation within society. For example, Thompson (2005) highlights the lack of suitable transport for many elderly people. This can mean that they are isolated from the rest of the community as the public transport is either inaccessible or unsuitable. This shows how older people can be marginalised due to factors they are unable to control, such structural problems within society. Dehumanisation is also another factor of social disadvantage in older people. This is because it gives older people a label of being elderly, to which the individual is then viewed in terms of this label and not as a person with unique thoughts, emotions and needs. Dehumanisation can have adverse consequences as it fails to identify that each person is different, which can cause discrimination and oppression due to its impersonal and stereotypical viewpoint Abuse of older people is a further way in which people of an older age may face disadvantages in society. Abuse in elderly people can be physical, psychological, sexual, emotional or financial. The underlying factor in this type of abuse is the exploitation of a comparatively vulnerable group within society. The people who carry out this abuse believe that older people within society are inferior with no requirement for respect (Thompson, S 2005). The No Secrets document (DoH 2000 cited in Crawford, K and J, Walker 2004) was created as guidance on how to implement and adhere to procedures to help protect vulnerable adults from abuse, and also clarify definitions, which would enable authorities to carry out good practice. According to Hothersall and Mass-Lowit (2010), older people who are isolated, reliant on others, have poor health, or who are considered disabled are more likely to be abused. They believe this abuse can take place in any environment, such as hospitals, residential h omes or even the individuals own home. What multiple disadvantages can impact on peoples lives? Ethnicity within older age can be seen as a significant influence on the life a person leads. This is because there is a belief that older people, who are of an ethnic minority background, face a double jeopardy in society, as they are oppressed by both age and their ethnicity (Thompson, S 2005). Ray, Bernard and Phillips (2009) argue that services are institutionally racist. This is because they tend to be directed towards the majority population, which can mean that people are doubly disadvantaged. This can occur as they are not recognised within the service, and instead they are they are overlooked and treated as though they are invisible. Thompson (2005) states that the common feature of racism and ageism is that they are often susceptible to dehumanisation. This is because it is easy to categorise people as elderly or Asian, however, in reality, these terms incorporate a vast amount of people into one group who experience different religion, culture and way of life. This leaves little manoeuvre for individuality and therefore these categories should be avoided, as the person is then seen in terms of this labels and not as a unique individual. Consequently, social work should seek to recognise the barriers which face ethnic minorities who are of an older age, and attempt to work with them to overcome their disadvantage (Phillips, J, M, Ray and M, Marshall. 2006). Gender can also be seen as a key issue which can further disadvantage older people within society. Phillips, Ray and Marshall (2006) support the idea of a feminisation of aging, as older age is now seen as a predominantly female world due to the fact that women live longer than men. This can mean that women are widowed for a greater time than men, which can lead to women having to enter residential care due to being unable to support their own needs without the help of their partner (Arber and Ginn, 1991, cited in Phillips, J, M, Ray and M, Marshall 2006). Women are also seen as less likely to have private pensions compared to men, which means that they are forced to depend upon state pension (Hunt, S 2005). This can be increasingly difficult for women living alone as it becomes the only source of household income which can leave them deprived and subjected to poverty (Phillips, J.M, Ray and M, Marshall 2006). Gender stereotypes within older age can also cause detrimental effects. Wo men can be seen to be oppressed due to pressure to conform to gender roles, such as to be caring and supportive, which can mean that they are undervalued as it is seen as normal and not something which needs to be commended. However, the caring role when displayed in men receives a higher status, as it is not seen to be a typical responsibility of mans stereotypical gender role, therefore they receive greater praise and support in fulfilling the role (Rose , H and E, Bruce, cited in Thompson 2005). It is important to note that not all gender related disadvantages in older age are associated with women, as men also experience undesirable situations. For example, the male gender role is surrounded by the belief that they are the dominant, providing and protective sex. However, this expectation may come under threat in older age as work is replaced by retirement and their health declines. This can then lead to lower self-esteem as they experience a loss of role within society (Thompson , S 2005). Multiple oppression can also be experienced in regard to ageism and economic disadvantage. Social class can be an important factor within old age, as those who belong to a lower class are significantly more likely to have a lower income and to live in poverty. Being in poverty affects a vast amount of older people, and can have negative consequences as a sufficient income is a required to be able to meet a persons fundamental needs (Crawford K, and J, Walker 2001). According to Thompson (2005) if an older person has a low socio-economic status within society then they are more likely to suffer from a state of poor health. Crawford and Walker (2001) point out that this may be due to being unable to afford to heat their home or to buy nutritional food, which increases the risk of contracting an illness as well as being able to properly recover. Also, they believe that other socio-economic factors act in a way in which reinforces multiple oppression. For example, older people may be afr aid to seek medical help when it is needed due to a fear of disapproval from people of a higher and professional status, such as doctors. This can mean that an older person tolerates their condition for a longer period of time, during which it could cause their health to deteriorate. Phillips, Ray and Marshall (2006) believe that it is becoming increasingly important in modern day society to contribute to an occupational pension. This is because there is a growing inequality between older people who rely on a public pension and those with the benefit of private pension schemes. Consequently, as state pensions are low, they have to be supplemented by means-tested top up benefits in an attempt to enable older people to remain above the poverty line. What do social workers need to think about when working with these service users with particular reference to anti-discriminatory practice One crucial factor in which social workers need to think about when working with older people is to avoid ageist assumptions. For example, Thompson (2006) proposes that older people are often subjects of sympathy as they stereotyped as being lonely. However, it is important to realise that people of all ages can be lonely, it is not something reserved for the elderly. Also, many older people have good social relations, and although they live alone, this does not mean they are lonely. Therefore, within social work practice, each case needs to be assessed individually to avoid stereotypical assumptions about older age. Another aspect which social workers need to think about when working with service users is to challenge the concept of ageism. This is because there are many negative stereotypes surrounding old age, which can be seen by the disproportionate media coverage when an older person is abused and dies, and when the same happens to a child. This means, that to actively challenge the concept of aging a social worker needs to perform roles such as assessing the strengths of an older person and what they are able to do, rather than focusing on their problems and inabilities. As well as other positive functions such as advocating on the behalf of the service user, to enable them to gain access to services to improve their standard of living. This will allow the service user to overcome the discrimination and oppression which they may face (Phillips, J. M, Ray and M, Marshall 2006) To conduct good social work practice when working with older people there should be support for the service user, individual personal care tailored to their needs, and also physical assistance, especially when offering help to those who have long term illness or disabilities. There are also other factors which constitute good social work practice such as values, skills and knowledge which enable social workers to carry out anti-discriminatory practice. A value base is needed to recognise the common issues amongst older people when trying to protect their independence. Skills are needed such as being able to empower people to remain in control of their lives, to advocate on behalf of the service user, to manage risk, and to be able to communicate effectively with both the service user and their carer. And also a knowledge base, that is derived from evidence based practice, policies and similar past experiences (Ray, M. M, Bernard and J, Phillips 2009) An important factor that social workers need to consider when working with older people is the language that is used. This is because terms such as the elderly can be seen as demeaning as they have negative connotations which can be seen as disrespectful. Also referring to service users as old dears or similar names, although it is not meant to be intentionally offensive it can be seen as patronising. This can then mean that the person feels inferior due to the lack of respect shown through the language used towards them and make them feel as though they are not being taken seriously. Therefore, the language used to refer to older people needs to be carefully considered to try fight ageism, rather than reinforce it. (Thompson, N 2006) Word count: 2619

Media and Its Effects on Gender Stereotypes Essay -- Media Stereotypin

In addressing the question it is first necessary to understand what is meant by 'mass media'. The Collins English Dictionary defines mass media as "the means of communication that reach large numbers of people in a short time, such as television, newspapers, magazines, and radio" (Collins English Dictionary 5th edition, 2000, pp 957). This therefore suggests that any medium that conveys information to the people is categorised as mass media. By looking at two forms of media, this essay will examine how much the media can be charged with causing and further exaggerating gender-based stereotypes in society. The forms of the media in which this essay will examine will be advertising, in particular the way masculinity is portrayed within television and magazines. The second form of media to be examined will be soap operas and will examine representation and audience reception within the soap genre. When starting an advertising campaign the writer in general follows the premise that sex sells and automatically asserts themselves into a manipulative model, a Marxist perspective which views of society as being divided by class and being ruled by those in control (i.e. bourgeois) who have the financial ability behind them. Because these people have become so financially powerful they are able to force their beliefs and opinion on others therefore legitimising their control. With this control of what is portrayed in their media takes away free thought of the viewer (i.e. proletariat). the images or texts that are portrayed to a passive audience, is that of a sexual or gender biased content. In her work Forever Feminine: Women's ... ... Although it is still unclear as to whether the media perpetuates gender stereotyping it is clear however that it is responsible for creating its own sets of stereotypes. Bibliography Giddens, A. Sociology, 4th Edition, 2001, Polity Press, UK Haralambos, M. Holborn, M. 4th Edition, 1995, Collins Educational, London Kirkby, M. Kidd,W et al, 1st Edition, 1997, Heinemann Educational Publishers, Oxford. References ----------------------------------------------------------------- Collins English Dictionary 5th Edition, 2000, HarperCollins Publishers, Glasgow. Hall, S. Representation Cultural Representation and Signifying Practices, 1st Edition, 1997, The Open University & Sage Publications, UK. Trowler, P. Investigating Mass Media, 2nd Edition, 1996, HarperCollins Publishers, London.

Biofilm-Mediated Enhanced Crude Oil Degradation by

International Research Journal of Environment Sciences________________________________ ISSN 2319–1414 Vol. 2(2), 48-52, February (2013) Int. Res. J. Environment Sci. Isolation, Characterization and Identification of Diesel Engine Oil Degrading Bacteria from Garage Soil and Comparison of their Bioremediation Potential Teli Nikhil1, Verma Deepa2, Gavankar Rohan1 and Bhalerao Satish3 1 Department of Biotechnology, Viva College, Virar (W), Maharashtra, INDIA 2 Department of Botany, Viva College, Virar (w), Maharashtra, INDIA 3 Department of Botany, Wilson College, Mumbai, Maharashtra, INDIA Available online at: www. sca. in Received 30th November 2012, revised 12th January 2013, accepted 25th January 2013 Abstract The rate of biodegradation of diesel engine oil by microorganisms isolated from garage soil (petroleum contaminated soil) was studied. Modified diesel engine oil medium was used and two most abundant microorganisms were isolated from garage soil – Micrococcus sp. and Pseudomonas sp. were found to be hydrocarbon degraders and these two bacteria’s were selected for the degradation test. The degradation of diesel engine oil was monitored at a five day interval up to twenty five day period, using gravimetric method.After 25 days of incubation period, Pseudomonas sp. degraded 67. 57 % of the oil and Micrococcus sp. with 52. 95 %. But the mixture of Micrococcus sp. and Pseudomonas sp. were found to have great potential to degrade diesel engine oil i. e. 89. 98 % after 25 days. The rate of degradation of diesel engine oil by Micrococcus sp. was found to be 7. 48 x 10-4gm/hr and that of Pseudomonas sp. was 9. 55 x 10-4gm/hr while the mixture of both bacterial isolates showed highest rate of degradation of diesel engine oil i. e. 1. 27 x 10-3gm/hr.Keywords: Bioremediation, Diesel engine oil, oil spills, hydrocarbon degraders, Micrococcus sp. , Pseudomonas sp. Introduction As we dig deeper into the modern industrial age of technologies, several aspects of human life change. People benefit largely from life development and many live in prosperity, but prosperity has a price. This price is paid by our environment that suffers daily from all kinds of pollutants and destruction. People now have to find ways to cure this destruction. Oil contamination is one of the most dangerous pollution factors known today.It can cause a threat to the environment. It is very feared by environmentalists and it's very hard to control if it gets out of hand. Oil spills have been a major issue across decades. One of the famous oil spills which are also ongoing is in Taylor Energy Well in Gulf of Mexico, U. S. A caused due to Hurricane; Sept 16, 2004 till present date and almost 0. 03- 0. 05 tones oil/per day is estimated to leak. Another recent oil spill was in Mumbai (India) and caused due to the leakage in Mumbai-Uran pipeline dated January 21, 2011 and about 55 tons of oil was leaked in Arabian Sea.Various such accidents occur throughout the years and it causes damage to our surrounding. Diesel engine oil, which is one of the major products of crude oil, constitutes a major source of pollution in our environment. With the combined dependence on diesel engine oil by some vehicles and generators, greater quantities are being transported over long distances. Therefore diesel engine oil can enter into the environment through wrecks of oil tankers carrying diesel oil, cleaning of diesel tanks by merchants, war ships carrying diesel oil and motor mechanics1. Diesel oil spills on agricultural land generally reduce plant growth.Suggested reasons for the reduced plant growth in diesel oil contaminated soils range from direct toxic effect on plants2 and reduced germination to unsatisfactory soil condition due to insufficient aeration of the soil because of the displacement of air from the space between the soil particles by diesel engine oil3. Among several clean–up techniques available to remove petroleum hydrocarbons fr om the soil and groundwater, bioremediation processes are gaining ground due to their simplicity, higher efficiency and cost–effectiveness when compared to other technologies4.This study was therefore designed to monitor the rate of biodegradation of diesel engine oil (hydrocarbon) by microorganisms isolated from garage soil (petroleum contaminated soil), by using gravimetric method. Material and Methods Preparation of modified diesel oil medium: The modified diesel oil medium comprised of 0. 7 gm K2HPO4, 0. 1 gm (NH4)2SO4, 0. 3 gm KH2PO4, 0. 3 gm MgSO4 7H2O, 2. 2 gm agar – agar5. The mineral components of the medium were dissolved in 100 ml of distilled water and mixed with 2 ml of Gulf diesel engine oil. The medium was autoclaved at 121oC for 15 min. International Science Congress Association 8 International Research Journal of Environment Sciences______________________________________________ ISSN 2319–1414 Vol. 2(2), 48-52, February (2013) Int. Res. J. Envir onment Sci. Enrichment of microorganisms: Microorganisms capable of degrading diesel engine oil were enriched in sterile modified diesel engine oil medium by inoculating soil (which was collected from Maharashtra garage, 65 years old garage at Sewri) in to the medium in 250 ml conical flask. 0. 5 gm of this garage soil was inoculated in to the 100 ml of sterile modified diesel oil broth and allowed to incubate at 37oC for 1 week.Isolation of microorganisms: After 1 week of incubation period, 1 drop of enriched culture was spread on to the sterile modified diesel oil agar plate. The plate was incubated at 37oC for 48 hr. After 48 hr incubation; two different bacterial colonies were selected from incubated plate. Each bacterial colony type was sub cultured repeatedly onto sterile nutrient agar plates to obtain a pure culture. Pure cultures of bacterial isolates were identified on the basis of their colonial morphology, cellular morphology and biochemical characteristics according to t he taxonomic scheme of Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology6.Determination of microbial colony numbers for degradation studies: 5 ml of sterile Nutrient broth was aseptically inoculated with a loopful of pure culture of Colony 1(C1) in first test tube and Colony 2 (C2) in second test tube and incubated both the tubes at 37oC for 24 hr. After incubation, the numbers of organisms present in one ml of nutrient broth were determined by spread plate method. The numbers of organisms were adjusted in both the tubes in such a way that both the isolates contain approximately equal numbers of microorganism in one ml of sample by using sterile Nutrient broth as a diluent7.Soil sample collection and preparation: Top surface soil sample was collected from the premises of the Shahid Bhagatsingh Ground, Kalachowki; in sterilized plastic containers. Soil sample meant for degradation studies was sterilized using autoclave at 121oC for 15 min, after which it was allowed to cool to roo m temperature for further treatments. Description and treatment of samples: Test: i. 12 samples of 15 gm sterilized soil mixed with 1 ml (0. 848 gm) of Sterile Gulf diesel engine oil + 0. 2 ml culture of C1, ii. 12 samples of 15 gm sterilized soil mixed with 1 ml (0. 48 gm) of Sterile Gulf diesel engine oil + 0. 2 ml culture of C 2, iii. 12 samples of 15 gm sterilized soil mixed with 1 ml (0. 848 gm) of Sterile Gulf diesel engine oil + 0. 1 ml culture of C1+ 0. 1 ml culture of C 2 Control: 12 samples of 15 gm sterilized soil mixed with 1 ml (0. 848 gm) of Sterile Gulf diesel engine oil + 0. 2 ml of sterile distilled water. Diesel oil degradation studies: The ability of C1, C2 and mixture of both the bacterial isolates to degrade diesel oil was monitored on the first day (day zero) of the study and subsequently at 5-day interval for 25 days.Carbon tetrachloride was employed as an extractant. On each day, two samples per single treatment were analyzed for the quantity of residual dies el oil7. Each of the 15gm soil treatment samples was mixed with 40 ml of carbon tetrachloride, placed in a separating conical flask, shaken vigorously for 3 min and allowed to settle for 5 min. The liquid phase was separated by allowing the supernatant (diesel oil – carbon tetrachloride) to pass gradually through a funnel fitted with filter paper (Whatman No 1). Anhydrous sodium sulphate spread on the filter paper was employed to remove any moisture in the mixture.The liquid phase was collected in a 50-ml pre-weighed beaker. The beaker containing the extract was placed in an oven and the extractant allowed to evaporate at 50oC. The beaker with the residual diesel oil was allowed to cool to room temperature and weighed to determine the quantity of residual diesel oil by difference8. Results and Discussion In this study, the soil samples were gathered from the garage (oil contaminated site) because the capability of native bacterial population to mineralize crude oil hydrocarbo ns in oil contaminated sites was confirmed before by many scientists9.The rate of biodegradation of Diesel engine oil by hydrocarbonoclastic organisms isolated from garage soil were assessed. Table – 1 and table – 2 shows that, using cultural characteristics and biochemical characteristics, two bacterial isolates; Micrococcus sp. and Pseudomonas sp. were identified by compairing it with the Bergey's manual of determinative bacteriology. The number of CFU/ml of both the bacterial isolates was adjusted to 7. 88 x 107 CFU/ml for degradation studies. The biodegraders which were Micrococcus sp. , Pseudomonas sp. and Mixture of both the culture showed different abilities in the breakdown and utilization of the diesel engine oil. Character Colony 1 Colony 2 Size 1-2 mm 2-3 mm Table-1 Colony characteristics of bacterial isolates on Nutrient agar plate Shape Elevation Colour Consistency Circular Irregular Convex Flat Yellowish Fluorescent green Butyrous Mucoidal Opacity Opaque Translucent International Science Congress Association 49 International Research Journal of Environment Sciences______________________________________________ ISSN 2319–1414 Vol. 2(2), 48-52, February (2013) Int.Res. J. Environment Sci. Table-2 Biochemical characteristics of bacterial isolates C1 Positive Cocci Clusters No spore Non motile Positive Negative Negative Negative Positive No Fermentation No Fermentation No Fermentation No Fermentation Acidic, No gas, No H2S Negative Negative Negative Positive Micrococcus sp. Character Gram stain Morphology Arrangement Endospore Motility Catalase Oxidase Citrate Indole Gelatin Glucose fermentation Lactose fermentation Sucrose fermentation Mannitol fermentation Tripple sugar iron Methyl red Voges proskauer Nitrate reduction Urea OrganismC2 Negative Rods Solitary No spore Sluggishly Motile Positive Positive Positive Negative Positive No Fermentation No Fermentation No Fermentation No Fermentation Alkaline, No gas, No H2S Negative Neg ative Negative Negative Pseudomonas sp. Table-3 Weight of diesel engine oil extracted (on various days) from 15 gm soil samples polluted with 1 ml (0. 848 gm) of Sterilized diesel oil and 0. 2 ml of culture Day Sample I II III IV I II III IV I II III IV I II III IV I II III IV I II III IV Weight of diesel oil extracted (gm) 0. 848 gm 0. 848 gm 0. 848 gm 0. 848 gm 0. 807 gm 0. 801 gm 0. 30 gm 0. 848 gm 0. 787 gm 0. 639 gm 0. 639 gm 0. 848 gm 0. 663 gm 0. 348 gm 0. 483 gm 0. 848 gm 0. 545 gm 0. 290 gm 0. 271 gm 0. 848 gm 0. 399 gm 0. 275 gm 0. 085 gm 0. 848 gm Weight of diesel oil degraded (gm) 0. 000 0. 000 0. 000 0. 000 0. 041 0. 047 0. 018 0. 000 0. 061 0. 209 0. 209 0. 000 0. 185 0. 500 0. 365 0. 000 0. 303 0. 558 0. 577 0. 000 0. 449 0. 573 0. 763 0. 000 Rate of degradation (gm/hr) 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 3. 42 x 10-4 3. 92 x 10-4 1. 50 x 10-4 0. 00 2. 54 x 10-4 8. 71 x 10-4 8. 71 x 10-4 0. 00 5. 14 x 10-4 1. 39 x 10-3 1. 01 x 10-3 0. 00 6. 31 x 10-4 1. 6 x 10-3 1. 20 x 10-3 0. 0 0 7. 48 x 10-4 9. 55 x 10-4 1. 27 x 10-3 0. 00 0 5 10 15 20 25 *values are means of twice determinations. Key: i. Sterilized soil + Sterilized diesel oil + Micrococcus sp. ii. Sterilized soil + Sterilized diesel oil + Pseudomonas sp. iii. Sterilized soil + Sterilized diesel oil + Micrococcus sp. + Pseudomonas sp. IV. Sterilized soil + Sterilized diesel oil International Science Congress Association 50 International Research Journal of Environment Sciences______________________________________________ ISSN 2319–1414 Vol. 2(2), 48-52, February (2013) Int. Res. J.Environment Sci. Diesel engine oil degradation study by Micrococcus sp: It was seen that the rate of diesel oil degradation by Micrococcus sp. was slow as compared to the rate of degradation of diesel oil by Pseudomonas sp. and mixture of Micrococcus sp. and pseudomonas sp. But the diesel oil degradation potential of Micrococcus sp. was continuously increasing as the time of contact between oil and organism increased. D iesel engine oil degradation study by Pseudomonas sp: It can be seen that the efficiency of Pseudomonas sp. to degrade diesel engine oil is faster than that of Micrococcus sp.As the incubation period increases the rate of degradation of diesel engine oil also increases. But it was seen that till 15th day, the rate of degradation was much faster. This was probably due to the exponential phase of the cell growth but after that the rate of degradation was slightly decreased. It was possibly because of cells of the Pseudomonas sp. were near to its stationary phase of cell growth. Diesel engine oil degradation study by mixture of Micrococcus sp. and Pseudomonas sp: The weight of diesel oil extracted from soil containing diesel engine oil and mixture of both bacterial isolates i. . Micrococcus sp. + Pseudomonas sp. showed continuous weight loss till the 25th day of incubation period. After 5th day of incubation period it was seen that there was a drastic increase in the rate of diesel oil degradation till the 25th day of incubation period which was quite higher than that of the single culture of Micrococcus sp. as well as that of the Pseudomonas sp. In this case it was found that around 90% of the diesel engine oil was degraded after 25th day and rate of degradation of diesel oil was found to be continuously increasing i. e. 1. 50 x 10-4gm/hr after 5th day to 1. 7 x 10-3gm/hr after 25th day. Conclusion When Micrococcus sp. is used in combination with Pseudomonas sp. it showed a great potential to diesel oil degradation. This was probably due to the different enzyme system from two different bacterial isolates that acts on hydrocarbon at a time which proved to be an excellent option to degrade that hydrocarbon if both the bacterial enzyme system posses considerable efficiency to act upon it and to degrade it10. This was followed by single culture of Pseudomonas sp and then Micrococcus sp. The oil degradation by Pseudomonas sp. as not surprising not only because it wa s isolated from garage soil which was already contaminated by oil and grease but also because it is known to possess a more competent and active hydrocarbon degrading enzyme system than Micrococcus sp. It is known to be fast growing and is capable of degrading a wide variety of organic compounds11. In the case of Micrococcus sp. which is also known to posses the considerable efficiency to use it as an oil degrader, but it requires more time compared to that of the Pseudomonas sp. Figure–1 Comparison of % Diesel engine oil degradationInternational Science Congress Association 51 International Research Journal of Environment Sciences______________________________________________ ISSN 2319–1414 Vol. 2(2), 48-52, February (2013) Int. Res. J. Environment Sci. Figure–2 Comparison: Rate of Diesel engine oil degradation (gm/hr) By using biological processes, as in the case of bioremediation, usually lowers the costs as compared to chemical treatment processes for variou s contaminated sites. It is also less disturbing to the environment. However, because it is a natural process, it requires time.The above experiment shows that bioremediation can be used effectively to treat oil contaminated soil. The remarkable rate of diesel oil degradation by bacterial isolates shown by this method allows for the safe and convenient use of this microorganism in the oil contaminated area. Moreover the results obtained from the comparison between the diesel oil degrading ability of Pseudomonas sp. , Micrococcus sp. and mixture of both helps them to use in different bioremediation processes based upon their efficiencies. And the advantages of employing mixed cultures as opposed to pure cultures in bioremediation have been demonstrated. . 3. Baker J. M. , Mangroove swamps and the oil Industry, Environ. Pollut. Bull. , 12 (1982) Zahir A. Z. , Malik M. A. R. and Arshad M. , The effect of oil pollution of soil on germination, growth and nutrient uptake of corn, Journal of Environmental Quality, 4, 537-540 (2001) Adriano Pinto Mariano, Ana Paula de Arruda Geraldes Kataoka, Dejanira de Franceschi de Angelis Daniel Marcos Bonotto, Laboratory study on the bioremediation of diesel oil contaminated soil from a petrol station, Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, 38(2), (2007) Nwaogu L.A. , Onyeze G. O. C and Nwabueze R. N. , Degradation of diesel oil in a polluted soil using Bacillus subtilis, African Journal of Biotechnology, 7(12), 1939-1943 (2008) Bergey D. H. , Holt John G. , et al, Bergey's manual of determinative bacteriology, Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins (1994) Dong-ju Kim, Seung-gun Chung, Sang-hyup Lee and Jae-woo Choi, Relation of microbial biomass to counting units for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, African Journal of Microbiology, 6(21), 4620-4622 (2012) Udeme J. J. , Antai S. P. Biodegradation and Mineralization of Crude oil by Bacteria, Niger. J. Biotechnol. , 5: 77-85. (1988) Akhavan Sepahi, I. Dejban Golpasha, M. Emami, A. M. Nakhoda, Iran. J. Environ. Health. Sci. Eng. , 5(3), 149-154 (2008) crude oil by bacteria, Nigerian Journal of Biotechnology, 5, 7986 (1988) 4. 5. 6. 7. Acknowledgement The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to: Management, VIVA Trust, Virar (w) Maharashtra. K. P. N. Kutty, Co-Ordinator, VIVA Trust, Virar (w) Maharashtra. , Dr. R. D.Bhagat, Principal, VIVA College, Virar (w) Maharashtra, Non Teaching Staff , Dept. Biological sciences ,VIVA College Virar (w) Maharashtra. 8. 9. 10. Ijah U. J. J. , Antai S. P. , Degradation and mineralization of References 1. Hill G. B. , Moxey J. G. , Gasoline and Diesel oil In: Gathee VB (ed) Petroleum Product Handbook Mc-Grew Hill, 4, 1-4 NY (1980) 11. Ijah U. J. J. , Okang C. N. , Petroleum Degrading capabilities of bacteria isolated from soil, W. A. J. Biol. Appl. Chem. , 38(1-4), 915 (1993) International Science Congress Association 52

Understanding Neurons

Understanding Neurons Neurons are the messengers' of our body, by using electrical and chemical messages to move information throughout our entire system (National, 2005). Neurons are so important, everything that we think, feel and do would be impossible without the work of a neuron.Within the Neuron there are several parts; the axon and the dendrite. The axon transmits messages from the cell, and resembles a long tail. Dendrites receive the messages for the cell; they resemble the branches from a tree. There is a nucleus within the body which controls the cells activities and contains the cells genetic material (National, 2005). The neuron to me sounds like a large computer system that takes the information in through the dendrites, processes it and then releases it through the axon to were the information needs to go.There are several types of neurons: The neuron that carries information to the eyes, ears, brain and other sense organs are the sensory neurons.English: Very low mag. Image:Medulla oblonga ta - p...The neuron that carries information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands are the motor neurons, these have long axons in order to communicate these long distances. The interneuron communicates between the sensory and motor neurons, they have short axons in order to do this (Feldman, 2008). Our sensory neurons pick up stimulation from our eye's, nose, mouth, and skin, these cells help with our sight, hearing, touching, smell and taste as well as feeling our muscles and joints, along with keeping our balance. Within the neuron, Pain receptors will respond to the chemical that is produced when you damage your skin, there are receptors that respond to all situations within our body and stimulation from outside sources (Boeree, 2006). Neurons also relate to psychology and our behaviors, Neurons effect how we behave, learn and...

Max and Inflection Points of Chi-Square Distribution

Max and Inflection Points of Chi-Square Distribution Mathematical statistics uses techniques from various branches of math to prove definitively that statements regarding statistics are true. We will see how to use calculus to determine the values mentioned above of both the maximum value of the chi-square distribution, which corresponds to its mode, as well as find the inflection points of the distribution.   Before doing this, we will discuss the features of maxima and inflection points in general. We will also examine a method to calculate a maximum the inflection points. How to Calculate a Mode with Calculus For a discrete set of data, the mode is the most frequently occurring value. On a histogram of the data, this would be represented by the highest bar. Once we know the highest bar, we look at the data value that corresponds to the base for this bar. This is the mode for our data set.   The same idea is used in working with a continuous distribution. This time to find the mode, we look for the highest peak in the distribution. For a graph of this distribution, the height of the peak is a y value. This y value is called a maximum for our graph because the value is greater than any other y value. The mode is the value along the horizontal axis that corresponds to this maximum y-value.   Although we can simply look at a graph of a distribution to find the mode, there are some problems with this method. Our accuracy is only as good as our graph, and we are likely to have to estimate. Also, there may be difficulties in graphing our function. An alternate method that requires no graphing is to use calculus. The method we will use is as follows: Start with the probability density function f (x) for our distribution.  Calculate the first and second derivatives of this function: f (x) and f (x)Set this first derivative equal to zero f (x) 0.Solve for x.Plug the value(s) from the previous step into the second derivative and evaluate. If the result is negative, then we have a local maximum at the value x.Evaluate our function f (x) at all of the points x from the previous step.  Evaluate the probability density function on any endpoints of its support. So if the function has domain given by the closed interval [a,b], then evaluate the function at the endpoints a and b.The largest value in steps 6 and 7 will be the absolute maximum of the function. The x value where this maximum occurs is the mode of the distribution. Mode of the Chi-Square Distribution Now we go through the steps above to calculate the mode of the chi-square distribution with r degrees of freedom. We start with the probability density function f(x) that is displayed in the image in this article. f (x) K xr/2-1e-x/2 Here K is a constant that involves the gamma function and a power of 2. We do not need to know the specifics (however we can refer to the formula in the image for these). The first derivative of this function is given by using the product rule as well as the chain rule: f ( x ) K (r/2 - 1)xr/2-2e-x/2 - (K / 2) xr/2-1e-x/2 We set this derivative equal to zero, and factor the expression on the right-hand side: 0 K  xr/2-1e-x/2  [(r/2 - 1)x-1 - 1/2] Since the constant K, the exponential function and xr/2-1   are all nonzero, we can divide both sides of the equation by these expressions.   We then have: 0 (r/2 - 1)x-1 - 1/2 Multiply both sides of the equation by 2: 0 (r - 2)x-1 - 1 Thus 1 (r - 2)x-1 and we conclude by having x r - 2. This is the point along the horizontal axis where the mode occurs.   It indicates the x value of the peak of our chi-square distribution. How to Find an Inflection Point with Calculus Another feature of a curve deals with the way that it curves. Portions of a curve can be concave up, like an upper case U. Curves can also be concave down, and shaped like an   intersection symbol ∠©. Where the curve changes from concave down to concave up, or vice versa we have an inflection point. The second derivative of a function detects the concavity of the graph of the function. If the second derivative is positive, then the curve is concave up. If the second derivative is negative, then the curve is concave down. When the second derivative is equal to zero and the graph of the function changes concavity, we have an inflection point. In order to find the inflection points of a graph we: Calculate the second derivative of our function f (x).Set this second derivative equal to zero.Solve the equation from the previous step for x. Inflection Points for the Chi-Square Distribution Now we see how to work through the above steps for the chi-square distribution. We begin by differentiating. From the above work, we saw that the first derivative for our function is: f (x) K (r / 2 - 1) xr/2-2e-x/2 - (K / 2) xr/2-1e-x/2 We differentiate again, using the product rule twice. We have: f ( x ) K (r / 2 - 1) (r / 2 - 2)xr/2-3e-x/2 - (K / 2)(r / 2 - 1)xr/2-2e-x/2 (K / 4) xr/2-1e-x/2 - (K / 2)(r / 2 - 1) xr/2-2e-x/2 We set this equal to zero and divide both sides by Ke-x/2 0 (r/2 - 1)(r/2 - 2)xr/2-3 - (1 / 2)(r/2 - 1)xr/2-2 (1/ 4) xr/2-1 - (1/ 2)(r/2 - 1) xr/2-2 By combining like terms we have: (r/2 - 1)(r/2 - 2)xr/2-3 - (r/2 - 1)xr/2-2 (1/ 4) xr/2-1 Multiply both sides by 4x3 - r/2, this gives us: 0 (r - 2)(r - 4) - (2r - 4)x x2. The quadratic formula can now be used to solve for x. x [(2r - 4) /- [(2r - 4)2 - 4  (r - 2)(r - 4) ]1/2]/2 We expand the terms that are taken to the 1/2 power and see the following: (4r2 -16r 16) - 4 (r2 -6r 8) 8r - 16 4(2r - 4) This means that: x [(2r - 4) /- [(4(2r - 4) ]1/2]/2 (r - 2) /- [2r - 4]1/2 From this we see that there are two inflection points. Moreover, these points are symmetric about the mode of the distribution as (r - 2) is halfway between the two inflection points. Conclusion We see how both of these features are related to the number of degrees of freedom. We can use this information to help in the sketching of a chi-square distribution. We can also compare this distribution with others, such as the normal distribution. We can see that the inflection points for a chi-square distribution occur in different places than the inflection points for the normal distribution.